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It was another beautiful day in the mountain home of the Aka'mleli pride. Although Yareha wasn't certain if it could really be called a pride anymore. With both the King and Queen dead so suddenly, the group had lost focus and many members had drifted away. He and Kilua had stayed; it was her home, all that she'd known, and he honestly had nowhere better go take her. Besides, these were still good lands, with enough to eat. Especially with Latitare and Leta to scout out food.

Speaking of...

"What's the news?" the lion called up to the eagle.

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Latitare was perched on a branch above his partner, where he had a view. The lion might enjoy the shade of the tree, but Latitare preferred the clear blue skies. It made it easier to see the small dot heading straight for them. Leta had been on a long scouting run, and by common consent one of the avians always remained with their lions until the other returned. It just worked out better that way.

"Looks like she's almost back!" he yelled down at Yareha.

"Not really," Latitare admitted. "There was a big hunt yesterday that you missed, so most of the lions are just lazing around on their bums!," the eagle called downwards, emphasizing the most important parts of his statement before returning his attention to his daughter.

"It's been quiet. Even if there's not much of a pride here anymore, people still tend to stay away if they have less than peaceful intentions." Not many wanted to mess with a pride of lions, not unless they were ready for things to get bloody quickly.

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"Did she see a herd nearby?" the so-called lazy bum called up from below, not having heard his partner's quieter words. Yareha craned his neck so that he could actually see the birds above him. Then he sighed gustily.

"Why don't the two of you glide down here so we can converse like normal people?" the lion complained.

Latitare laughed at Yareha's complaint and spiraled down after his daughter to better facilitate the conversation. He didn't expect anything especially new or different, but it was polite, after all.

The eagle glanced up sharply, however, after Leta mentioned that she had news of the Mwezi'Johari.

"Why would you choose to go there?" he asked, slipping back, for a moment, into the role of parent.

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"Wait, what?" If Yareha had been drinking anything, he would have spat it out instantly at Leta's words. He wasn't like Latitare, who clearly meant that Leta should never have gone back to the home she'd been born and raised in, since only he was exiled. Hell, even Latitare could go back freely if he wanted - it wasn't as if the lion-based pride noticed or cared about a bird or three.

"What do you mean by "peaceful once more?" the lion pressed for more information.

Yareha was about to ask for clarification when he remembered what he'd learned from Princess Andama. Shangyue was the son of Selene and Fuu, who had slain his grandparents and parents to take the throne for himself. There had been some...issues...from what Andama had said. This was the first news the white lion had heard of his birth pride since the Princess and her small band of refugees had arrived.

"I'm sure that's not all you learned," Yareha said instead of demanding that the bird stop p***y-footing around and just tell him. "You might as well keep talking."

The last was spoken with a sharp glance at Latitare, to shut the bird up before he started.

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They knew each other too well, Latitare admitted ruefully to himself. Given the fact that Shangyue had seemed to be a real threat, and not just to his family, Latitare would not have been pleased if Leta had told him her destination ahead of time. He still wasn't happy about it, mostly because she was still his chick no matter if she was fledged and grown, but there was nothing to be done at this late date.

So he might as well stay quiet and find out what exactly she was so eager to tell them that she had to play with them before finally spitting it out.

The lion's eyes narrowed at Leta's emphasis on "forgiving." Was she actually implying...? Well, that was one interpretation, he assumed. But he wasn't going to rush into anything. That was something a much younger Yareha would have done, and he'd grown older and more mature since then.

"I'm sure they'd be pleased to hear that. I don't suppose you found out how such a forgiving Queen came forth after a murderer's reign?" It wasn't unheard of for parents and children to be complete opposites, but the venom Andama and Spiralia had spewed made him think that Shangyue might have very well killed his own children if they tried to take his power.

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Latitare flipped his wings in a shrug. "Your mother didn't have much tying her to the pride anyway once you were all grown up," he pointed out. She'd come for him, stayed for them, and it didn't surprise him in the least that she was long gone. Their fling had been delightful, their chicks a blessing, and that was the end of the story. More to the point, that had all been many years ago.

Chosen? By...well, it had to be by the Shaman because if there was no ruler, such an important decision had to default to the Shaman. He'd heard that Lailah K'chol had become the new Shaman, so it must've been her...unless she'd also died in the chaos. Leta hadn't mentioned it, so he'd assume that the religious aspects had remained stable. Still, it had been a very long time since the leadership of the pride hadn't been inherited, if he remembered his history.

The lion refused to allow his partner's daughter to bait him though. What Yareha chose to do about his past and his future was something to discuss with Latitare and Kilua before some nosy bird.

"Well, that's all very interesting," he said aloud.

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Latitare wasn't fooled by Yareha's casual tone. The white lion was not stupid, after all, so there was clearly a lot going on behind those blue eyes. Still, if the lion wanted to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment, that was his right. Leta was coming just short of suggesting that they return to the Mwezi'Johari, and that was no small decision.

"Unyezi, hm?" the eagle latched onto the detail. "Is he still alive, do you know?" He'd have to be rather old by now, but that didn't mean the lion wasn't still out there. Which wasn't actually a bad thing, as Latitare remembered a calm, deliberate male who was wise enough to think before speaking and acting, and was generally a steadying influence when he chose to exert himself.

"Well, I guess I should thank you for the news," Yareha concluded to the birds. It was very good to know...but he couldn't and wouldn't make any decisions on his own. Before the lion could even consider discussing a possible return with Latitare, he first needed to speak with Kilua. The lioness was his mate and therefore her opinion meant as much or more than his own in this matter.

That decided, he left the birds to their own devices and went looking.

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Latitare was nodding in response to Leta's lack of knowledge about the old, former King when Yareha spoke up. The eagle's feathers puffed up slightly at the somewhat evasive tone his partner used, but slicked back down again. Of course, Kilua. Yareha had matured a great deal over the years, and clearly understood that he couldn't just uproot any kind of family without the family's knowledge and consent.

"Yes, thank you," he seconded the lion's gratitude. "I suppose I should go make sure he doesn't get lost," Latitare added, rolling his eyes. "Rest up, for we may all be making that journey again soon."