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Kijibwa's smile fades ever so slightly at her alarm at the idea of going for a closer look, he can't help but be disappointed that her anxiety is suddenly resurfacing. He sighs inwardly, reminding himself people don't just change all of a sudden.

"Based just on what happened earlier, the trees are more dangerous than the waterfall," he says with a short chuckle, doing his best to keep in good spirits but not so as to make her feel foolish, "It only looks frightening."

He looks back towards it, then back to Siku, "Don't you trust me?" He did lead her through the desert safely, after all.

Kijibwa keeps his gaze on the lioness, unafraid to look at her but still awaiting her answer. Even he can see how trust can't be the whole issue, through all the changes in attitude, that timid lioness is still in there somewhere- but he's confident that the more confident she becomes, the less timid, the more her true self shows. Not to mention she's more fun now that she doesn't cower and stammer so much.

"Siku, we don't have to go," he says finally in an understanding tone, "We'll save it for another time, for when you're ready to see it." He circles back around and walks back by Siku, brushing against her on his way by.

"We'll go back to that little pool and rest there," he says with a smile, though not quite as enthusiastic, "When you want to go the waterfall, you tell me."

Kijibwa's body faces back downstream, but his head is turned to look at Siku while she thinks. He really doesn't like how distressed she is about the whole situation, and doesn't want to force her to do something she's not ready for. Of course, he doesn't see the waterfall as that big of a deal, but he can't keep the assumption that she has the same view.

He can't repress a skeptical look when she finally speaks.

"I didn't mean to guilt trip you, Siku. We really can wait," he says gently, his tone suggesting his meaning- whatever she actually wants is what they'll do.

Kijibwa stares at Siku for a good several moments, studying her, trying to decide if he should take her words more serious than her mien, or vice versa. Atleast with a logical argument, her words had some merit even if it's unclear whether or not she believes it.

"Because I trust you," he says carefully, "I believe you, then. It really isn't that bad, and quite a bit like the rain but ... always going."

He smiles once again, circling back to face towards the waterfall this time. One may wonder how is isn't getting dizzy from all the circling. Kiji seems more enthusiastic again, but cautiously so. He takes a couple steps to lead the way to the waterfall.

"Alright," he agrees with a happy look back to Siku, then continues on a couple more steps. Kiji's pace is slow enough to let her catch back up to him so that she is leading herself, rather than letting him lead her. He grins are her attempted enthusiasm.

"It is very interesting," he nods, "And unless they're rogues, you're right. I'd imagine a lot of the lions you know wouldn't."

Kijibwa is, of course, guessing based on the fact she is from the Pridelands. Pride lions don't seem as aware of the rest of the world, the cub in the desert only knew of the desert, and Siku didn't know a lot about outside of the Pridelands.

His tail sways behind him happily when Siku catches up and walks beside him, glad she isn't so nervous that she won't at least share the lead. It takes only minutes to get closer to the Waterfall, and the trees clear away some making the whole thing much more visible.

"The only one?" Kiji asks, surprised. They hadn't run into any rogues together in the desert, but none had gone through the Pridelands that she'd met? He smiles, but then tilts his head at her next comment, "Like what?"

Kijibwa notices the shuffling in her walking, and slows down a bit so she doesn't seem so rushed. The waterfall still gets closer, but at a slower pace. His ears twitch to listen to what she says, her quiet speech is not really good with the sound of the stream not far to their side and the great waterfall they approach.

"That might be a good thing, I met a nice Pridelander who said other ones are lazy and stupid," he says, recalling his meeting with Kiburi. Despite meeting several Pridelanders, he is still inclined to believe what she said about them. He never had found any definitive proof they were or were not.

He falls silent when she continues, smiling at what she says.

"That's not silly," he says with a laugh, "I suppose it's the same with me, you're the first lion I've spent longer than a day with.."

Kiji is startled when Siku fiercely defends her former Prides name, particularly her own family's. So, say something insulting about Siku's pride and get an un-Siku-like response. Of course, it was kind of a direct insult to her family- he should have thought of that before.

He opens his mouth to say something, but then decides that just because you haven't met them doesn't mean you don't know what they're like. He makes a thoughtful face.

"Well, I was in the Pridelands almost as long as I was in the Jungle," he explains, still in a normal tone, though clearly interested in whatever Siku has to tell him, "I met one lioness on the way in who said that, so I wanted to go find out. I met another Pridelander who said she was a princess there and she was rather mean. The only other one I really met, besides you, didn't really say anything and was all sleepy. I never found proof for or against what Spots said, just.. a lot of confusing lionesses."

He pauses thoughtfully after giving a brief summary of his times in the Pridelands.

"But I suppose I believe you," he continues, "You're hard working, honest, and friendly and all that. You wouldn't lie, and you are proof of what you say." Kijibwa is inclined to believe Siku, having good trust in her after spending so much time with her, but he can't just drop the 'maybe' about them being stupid or lazy. Why would anyone lie about the subject? Maybe it just depends who you meet in the Pridelands, he has met several lions (and a cheetah) all with different personalities..

They finally step past the last of the trees along the path into the area around the waterfall. Trees are all around them and the waterfall, but there is a decent bit of clear ground beside a pool being filled by the waterfall and feeding to several other streams.