Though it had been inadvisable, a straggling group of mournful members of SIkukuu had not left the pride's area. They did not live where they had once, of course... the wasps ensured that. But somehow they could not bring themselves to leave. Even though the King and Queen, as well as the previous Queen, had all led a substantial part of the pride to that strange shell-kicking pride, these few had not felt comfortable enough with what awaited them to follow them. However, it wasn't pleasant living at all. The game had fled the insects as much as the pride had, after all. And the best living area was where they nested, leaving only open plain and no shelter for those who lingered nearby.

Jacundi had mostly stayed because he felt bad for those he cared about that found it too hard to move and fit in somewhere else. Kekkel had been surprisingly reluctant to leave, and he hadn't had the heart to try to force his best friend to change her mind. Instead, he'd stayed by her side and did his best to provide for her and several others. Timid Vaalia had stayed close to them as well, which was little surprise. She'd only recently joined the pride before the disaster happened, and she'd known so few people. Since Jacundi had been kind to her, she tended to stick very close to him, and by extension, Kekkel. So timid was she that she did little to assist with the steadily more desperate living situation. She helped Kekkel with some of her crafting, learning as she went, but as yet was not capable of creating anything worth trading with passersby.

The one bright spot in all this was Maji. She was a bundle of energetic sunshine in almost any situation. Why she'd chosen to stay with them, he still had no idea, but he was deeply grateful for her cheerful company. He was also grateful that she was capable of helping him hunt for their little mixed up family. Kekkel he left to keep crafting with what materials she had left and what she could forage for. Her masks and jewelry were useful for trading with travelers, and he had a feeling they'd need as much of that sort of value soon.

Today the sun was bright, and all four of them were out together, ranging further from the pride's old territory than usual. Vaalia was currently carrying Kekkel's projects, following the leopardess while she ranged about collecting plants, rocks, and anything else of interest she ran across. They'd been having to travel further and further away for this, as so little was left close to the pride. It hadn't been a problem previously, when the pride had been alive and active. Traders and merchants had stopped by regularly, bringing new materials and beautiful things with them for her to work with. Now? Now they were lucky to find a trader, and so the pickings were slim. It had been months, and what had been close to the pride was already scoured for usefulness, not just by them but by other stragglers.

Instinct had told Kekkel that today, she should bring all her crafts with them. Today felt... different. She might play at predicting things to the cubs, but she hadn't a drop of seer blood in her. No, it was just an unsettled feeling... a need to move her paws, to gaze at the horizon. She also had known that Jacundi had been feeling similarly for a while now. Perhaps it was time. None of them would be willing to actually say it aloud, though, so she merely prepared for the possibility that today would be that day, and that they simply wouldn't turn for home. Thankfully most of what she had going were pitifully small and light. No big masks, as were her wont. A glance over at Vaalia showed that the brown hyena was holding up well, draped in necklaces of varying sorts and lengths, with a bag about her neck holding unused materials, and bracelets lining both front legs. Really, she looked rather festive, which reminded the leopardess of how things used to be in Sikukuu. It cast a pall on the sunny day, and she turned her gaze back to the area around them. Desolate and bereft of anything at all useful.

Jacundi was glad they had set out in a different direction than those who had left for Kwa Kikombe had gone. Word had reached them that the drought there was terrible, and all they needed was the inability to find game of any sort. The land here showed signs of drought as well, though not as severe. In fact..., "Maji, do you see what I do?" he asked, squinting his eyes against the bright sunlight, looking slightly to their left, but far, far away.

Maji had been circling the group energetically, as bouncy as ever. She had stayed with this little hapless group out of compassion and love. It wasn't their fault they were ill-suited to rogue life, after all. They were all gentle souls meant more to create than to survive rough living. When she'd spotted them, huddled off to the side when the rest were leaving, her heart had been pricked and she couldn't imagine leaving them on their own. She hadn't given a reason, she'd just bounded over and sat herself next to them as they turned to look at her in astonishment. Beaming, she'd waved goodbye to the others and thrown her lot in with those left behind.

Now she was glad all the more that she'd stayed with them. Jacundi was one of the most giving, gentle-spirited souls she knew, and had given up his own crafting in order to provide for his haphazard little family. With her there, he didn't have to do it on his own. She was a slight thing, but fast, so they generally ate small creatures, but it kept them all strong and healthy. Or it was so far. But game was getting scarce, the land was drying out a bit more than usual, and she had been growing alarmed that she might have to urge them to move on, to let go of their attachment to what had been, so that they could survive the here and now.

It hadn't escaped her notice that Kekkel had chosen to bring all her supplies along on this trip, nor that Vaalia hadn't protested or even glanced back at their long-time makeshift camp. Perhaps today was the day! So when Jacundi called her attention to something it the far distance, she practically stood on her hind legs to see. "It might be! Should we go see?" She hoped her wording was subtle enough, but it was her hope that she could use the faint green tinge wavering in the heat along the horizon to tempt the others to keep traveling, to keep their paws going with a new kind of hope. If she had offered to go check it out, she was afraid she might not be able to get them moving this direction again.

Jacundi nodded in satisfaction. This could be what they needed. Granted, it looked like quite a journey away. Not merely a day or two, but a good deal more than that. He stopped and turned towards Kekkel and Vaalia. "There looks to be growth and possibly water off that way," he tossed his nose towards the smudge he and the cheeton had spotted. "It is a long way to go yet to reach it, but it could promise more game, more materials, and perhaps better shelter than we have had here." He wasn't going to sugar coat it, but he also very much wanted the other two females to agree to the unspoken plan between he and Maji.

Kekkel looked over at her hyena apprentice, who had her ears pricked forward eagerly, nodding silently at her. It seemed that even timid little Vaalia was ready to leave their old home behind and find somewhere new, somewhere better. Kekkel couldn't explain why she'd lingered this long here, nor why she suddenly was open to the idea of leaving, but if the others already were inclined, she wasn't about to deny them now.

"Yes, leave we must," she answered her old friend solemnly. "Time it is, and ready we are." She took a deep breath and broke into a trot, aiming the direction he had indicated. Maji gave a cubbish whoop of excitement and broke into a run, likely out of sheer joy. Kekkel indulgently watched the sleek cheeton zoom around joyfully, glancing to check on Vaalia. The brown hyena was loping along behind her, jewelry jingling and rattling as she ran. Really, it was almost musical, and lifted the leopardess' spirits a little. The future was on the horizon... quite literally. And finally, they were ready for it.