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"Well hopefully what you've heard is true."

As Juhudi walked on following the dark cub, his paws rustling the grass with each step, stirring dust and insects beneath his paws; he suddenly realized that he had not encountered an adult lion since his mother had died. That realization brought back a flood of memories, a horrible image that he had tried to put from his mind and hadn't thought of for sometime.

As a cub, the yound adolescent had been orphaned when his mother was killed by a large adult male, she had been trying to protect her only cub. Juhudi's eyes drifted to the necklace he wore consisting of feline fang and a few beeds, the necklace that had once belonged to his mother.

Thinking of this, there was a slight hesitation in Juhudi's step for a moment, a fear that he had not remembered since his cubhood. Silently he hoped that these lions were indeed kind and that the male was nothing like the one he had encountered that fateful day so long ago.

-Mufasa's golden paws thudded along the warm ground with each deliberate step he took. He wasn't really heading anywhere in particular today, but he'd found himself feeling restless, his mind drifting to length's his body could no longer reach. So it'd been a comfort to just get out, and it'd been a little while she he last walked through the Pridelands.

There was always something going on each time he traveled about.. someone new to meet.. migrating prey to scout out.. people to comfort or soothe... or even just an amusing new story from a familar face.

As his eyes spotted the smaller figures in the distance a smile touched his maw, always having enjoyed the company of the young ones when they'd take it. Padding forward cautiously he waited to see if they'd accept his company on this day, or send him merrily on his way.-

Mosi accepted this answer, since he seemed to speak truthfully rather than brush it off as her father often did.

"It's alright, nothing bad ever happens here, this place is as peaceful and dull as dirt." She grinned, clearly joking about the dull as dirt part, though it really WAS as peaceful as dirt which, as far as she knew, had never attacked anyone. When the other male slowly blurred into view Mosi drew closer to Juhudi, but instead of ducking between his legs, under or behind him she stood out in front, putting herself between him and the unknown figure as though she meant to protect her new companion. She was certainly unabashedly without fear.

"Don't know," She tilted her head a bit, then bounded forward to meet the other. "let's find out!"

Juhudi was a bit surprised by Mosi's actions, she certainly was fearless. The adolescent on the other hand was a bit more cautious as he approached the larger lion. Juhudi was far from a coward, in fact he had always had a courageous heart that could carry others should they falter. He had always been friendly and kind, warm-hearted though always aware of the dangers around.

But at the same time, he could not help but feel uneasy in the presence of the adult male. It wasn't enough to make him run, but he couldn't help but feel nervous, unsure of what to expect. But that feeling that would soon fade at the kind voice of the stranger.

"Yes..thank you."

He searched for words, trying to think of something else to say, but all he could think of was to bow respectfully and try to hide the flush that had risen under the white fur of his face.

-His smile grew wider with the enthusiasm and chatter of the younger child, taking comfort in one of his favorite pleasures of life. And though the elder 'child' wasn't quite so talkative, he offered a warm nod in his direction as well.-

-A soft hint of questioning touched his face at her admission, before it settled to a look of amusement. He seemed to be playing this game more often these days. With people asking him if he knew of the king.- "Ohhh.. just taking a walk, seeing what I can find."

"What exactly is it you'd like to see Mufasa and Sarabi about?"

A firm nod of agreement from Mosi only confirmed what Juhudi said to be true.

"And I was gonna show him the way. Ezzy said they were his grandparents, so..."

So, she thought maybe he could actually help find them, like Nukta said he helped them find Sarabi at the time when they'd joined.

"I'm Mosi, by the way, and this is Juhudi." She smiled back at her friend again easily, glad that he seemed more at ease now.

"Well I...thought I'd found it, but I guess I didn't really belong there."

The adolescent looked down, pawing at the earth beneath his feet sheepishly. It wasn't really wanderlust that had led him to leave the friends of his cubhood behind; it was an inexplicable feeling that he wasn't where he was meant to be, a gnawing voice that told him it had been time to move on, to find that place that was meant for him.

"I just...want to know where I belong."

Juhudi looked up, one pale eye glacing toward the sky. He couldn't see the stars, but he knew they were there, even in the brightest sunlight the stars were still there, still watching. Silently he wondered, wondering things that he had been so sure of as a cub, the stars that seemed to provide so many answers before now hid them from him. Was his mother still watching? He just didn't know anymore.

Startled from his thoughts, by the king's introduction, Juhudi's eyes focused on the golden lion. This was the king? Juhudi had never seen or met a king before, but surely a king must be very wise. Did this old lion understand what he meant? Could he help him find the answers?

The adolescent took a hopeful step forward, an eagerness in his eyes, "Can you...help me?"