Welcome to Gaia! ::

-A large yawn touched Tego as he treked along. He was restless today.. tired of sitting about.. not hungry enough to hunt.. and the waterfalls were particularly full of obnoxious beasts today. So he'd set out simply to walk, his feet moving without any real thought.

He didn't really have anything on his mind either on this warm afternoon, and his thoughts floundered with what he saw. Jumping from bird.. to flower.. and then onto the bush. As he neared the unfamilar underbrush, he peered at it cautiously, curiously. Here in the jungle most of the vegetation came in trees.. vines.. not these little undershrubs.

He wondered softly if he could use them to hide in.. or if they'd rustle too loudly.. like the leaves in the trees often did when his tail flicked too quickly back and forth.

Nearing he settled himself onto the ground, trying to almost crawl himself beneath the leaves of the strange plant, noticing pretty quickly the uncomfortable prickling of the dense sticks.-

In the same frustrating situation as the male, was a female, smaller thanks to a slight age difference. Her coat was also dark, slightly lighter spots coveing the dark brown pelt. She's normally go up into the tree's, were such spots mixed with the shadows and bark gave her a neat camouflage, but she had to get through /these/ first.

She didn't hide as well in here, but it was enough, all Karama had to do was no sound, and no bumping into anything else. She learned to ignore these shrubs, they weren't as bad as the thorn patches, were they?

Though, perhaps no bumping in to anyone wasen't the case today, as she saw a form moving under the bushes, and halted, tail curling around her hind paws to not be any ind of 'target'. Not Tatu, or Keone.. Perhaps it was that annoying wild dog, or the lioness that she'd been so unfortunate to encounter while being followed by the creature.

Karama's orange eyes stared ahead, ears twichingoccasionally to other sides as if she heard something.

You were never too carefull, were you?

"Oh for crying out..." -Irritated mutters erupted from the busy as Tego, oblivious to his company at the moment, tried to wriggle and push his way through. The sticks pinched at his sides, the leaves rustled something fierce, and by now he was so far down and under that he was almost stuck there, on his belly. His white belly gaining a soft dusty brown.

Swatting at the growth surrounding him, he growled at his bad idea and the unpleasant busy, taking his anger out with a few more snaps and swats. Nasty nasty plant! Certainly not hunting material...

Finnally freeing himself enough to gain a little more movement and footing, he pressed his weight forward, barreling out of the plant intent on barreling through the rest of them until he was once again free.

The leopardess tumbled backwards in an attempt to move out of the way, but didn't really manage to get to the sides before the larger leopard had barreled into her.

Though instinct told her to react and bite into the closest thing the could get her teeth in, she held back, not really thinking this was any kind of attack, but instead kicking towards the male with her paws, claws seather into the bads.

"Wach it, will you! "

She growled in annoyance, attempting to move back to her footing but failing, the bushes didn't help, and nor did this leopard, apperently.

-His eyes widened in surprise as the bushes seemed to yell at him, before noticing the softer sight of fur, as opposed to the rouch bark of the bushes. Hauling back a few steps in surprise, he lowered his eyes quickly to try and take in the form in front of him.

It was bad enough that she'd seen him acting like a fool.. and that he'd tried to run over her.. he REALLY didn't need to be stuck in this maze with some gigantic she-leopard.

However it soon became apparent that the leopardess was smaller then him from what he could see, and he only had his hurt ego to worry about. Trying to brush it off, he offered a muttering of apology just loud enough to be heard, before replying casually.- "You get stuck in this nasty mess too?"

The dark female rolled her eyes, but sat up, flicking her ears in annoyance and shaking her skin to ruffled fur would go back into place. "Define stuck, " No, Karama wasen't one to be stuck unless she were actually tied or something. Perhaps wounded was more likely, she could gnaw out of ropes and man-traps, or at least the simple kinds, she'd never gotten caught with one face to face, or in their more.. better designed traps.

The white parts in Karama's coat probably weren't much better than this males, slightly tan and greyish thanks to th dust. "You have to admit, better than the thorn patches. " She murmured, she should have left the maned wolf in those caves, he was too annoying to be worth saving.

"Who are you anyways? I'm Karama. "

-Her snappy reply gained a soft ear twitch by Tego and soon a subtle smirk touched his maw. Soothing his own fur subconciously, he pondered her question softly, taking in her bizzare coloring. It was a lovely shade.. just like the trees. But he hadn't seen spots on a leopard in ages, not sense he was little.- "Quite better then thorn patches. These seem to just pinch.. as opposed to cutting and ripping."

-His mind turning back towards her statement, he teased lightly, gaining his confidence once again, now that things had seemed to settle.- "Well if you aren't 'stuck' then you're in here for a reason. And I doubt it's pleasure and relaxation. Something big and bad scare you into hiding in the bushes?"

Puffing out a little with his introduction, he took a step closer, curiousity getting the better of him, now that his day was no longer quite so boring.- "Karama huh? My name is Tego."

"If it means staying alive, I rather hide, but no, I'm not hiding. " She said cooly, she did really feel like paying attention to any taunts,best just ignore them. "I'd been /moving before you decided to crash into me, though, that does make it seem like your fleeing yourself, dosen't it? " Her tail gave a tiny flick, brow arching slightly.

Perhaps provoking a larger male was unwise, but he sure did seem dumb. "Your as spotless as that Ixachy guy. " She murmured to herself, what was it with two spotless leopards now? Were spotted ones vanishing or something?

Her ear flicks to show she acknowledged his introduction, before getting to her paws, trying to decide what route of bushes was best to get through from.

Now wich way was clearer..?

"I was merely surprised is all. Decided I was tired of pushing around gently and was going to use a little force to do it. I'm sorry you got in the way." -A small hint of actual sincerity touched his voice this time, but it was soon hidden again.

He barely caught her murmur, glancing from her spotted pelt back to his own, before Tego laughed.- "I was thinking you looked pretty weird with those spots. I haven't seen spotted leopards in ages."

-His ears perked at the familar name. He knew that tool Ixachy, the weak little mate that Hivu had seemingly settled upon. Maybe he was hitting on other girls? Hmmm maybe he could dig up some dirt to try and taunt and torment Ixc at some other time.- "You from around here Karama? We seem to know some of the same places and people."

She regards the 'apology', but its becomes ignored with his next frase. So there were many spotless leopards for him to think she looked weird? Well, best get used to it, then. She sits down again, tail curling around her paws, deciding leaving can wait.

She blinked at his question, and at his comment, from around here..?

"I suppose you can say I was born here, not like you want to stick around after your mother tries to kill you, though. " She added the last pat with asome sort of 'it happens' kind of tone, she'd learned to ignore that part of her mother killing her sister and all that snazz. In a way, now she soothed herself considering how her parents were fools, and how she was much better than them.

"Dun think that guy was, he was lost. "

"I see.." -He faltered for a moment, a hint of empathy convincing him that a cruel joke wasn't the way to go after that little admission. He didn't know what he'd have done if his adoptive mother had turned on him. It was bad enough the girl he'd 'loved' had beaten him until he had to crawl his little body back home.

Attempting to brush it aside as she had he replied simply.- "Who needs stupid females that can't control themselves anyway."

-It took him a minute to register who 'that guy' was, but once he did, he laughed softly. Was he an idiot? Or was he like Hivu had been, playing stupid just to get her attention.- "Not from around here before, but he's staying with some leopardess these days. So unfortunately you'll probably be running into him sometime again."

-Actually.. if she didn't want to be here..?- "What ARE you doing in the bushes.. if you don't want to hang around here and everything?"

Karama nodded in regard to his comment on dtupid females, she never had really been fond of her mother, even before her father died, she'd always been jumpy, perhaps it was becauseshe'd become a mother. "She probably would have kiled us, so it was actually good that those hyenas had shown up. they were probably just a passing pack, though.Don't see them much around here. "

She blinked though, the male had seemed nice enough, but she haden't talked to him much either. "ok.. " She murmured, slightly confused at why that would be 'unfortunate'.

Her tail flicked at his question, and she brought herself to ponder on it a bit. "I like moving, and one of my only friends sticks around in here. " And if she kept moving, it was harder for anything bad to follow her. Pehraps human hunters?

"Ahhh, I see." -Moving around instead of just facing her 'fears' seemed to be a weak act.. but then again, if the fear were more of the emotion sort.. the sort you couldn't ambush and beat to death under the sunspeckled canopy, well then there wasn't much else to do except run.

Offering lightly whether out of 'politeness' or the delusion that she actually cared, he mused softly, bi colored tail flicking as he turned his eyes to their prison, searching for any hint of a break.- "I myself am too fond of the scenery around here to move too far. Once you hit the savannah everything is boring. Here you have the waterfalls, and stuff."

-Spotting something that he thought looked like it might be a mild break in the bushes, he stepped foward, swatting roughly as branches cracked beneath the pressure. Grinning widely to himself as the sight of clear ground, he turned to her as if she were the one that was caught just a few moments before.- "Here we go, we can get out this way."

Not really wanting to explain what there was out there, as he apperently only got to the Savannah, she merely nodded.

She wached as he brocke branches, actually finding the sound odd as she usually moved ever so quietly. Though, instead of following the clean path out, she moved through the thick one. "I can hande here, " Karama said calmly, though with a slight hint of amusement as she recalled how stuck he'd been.

Moving through rather easly, even though her belly was close to the ground, it was more quiet then the black and white male's way, stealth was one of the things she was best at.

-For whatever reason, the action irked him, and he raised a brow lightly. Stupid girl, trying to act better then him when he was trying to be 'nice'.

Slipping through the bush the rest of the way he sauntered a few steps over, before calling to her lightly. Who knew if it were an insult or not, with the tone he used.- "I'd forgotten that girls weren't strong enough to do that sort of thing. I'm sure you've got lots of practice sneaking your feminine little frame about."

"Yes, indeed. And I'd forgotten how arrogant most males are. Thanks for reminding me. "

She said cooly, sliping out of the last of the bushes, and streching out, not caring to try and locate him if he arrived out too. Not that she wasen't strong, though. All this travelling certainly did something, and though she was rarely in fights, she could handle a few quite well, if she got into it the right way.

Whatever way the male meant this, Karama didn't really care about what he thought, he didn't really matter at all.

-He grinned, unaffected by her statement, stepping far enough out that he could see her once again. He liked watching people squirm. And he liked it when people fought back.- "Only the smart ones, my dear."

-Glancing around lightly he debated what to do with the rest of his day, asking lightly.- "So this friend of yours? You've met them already? Or are headed towards them now?"

The dark femle lay in the sun that the bushy area had allowed to slide in before fusing with the many forests' tree's, features entirely relaxed enjoying the bits of sunlight that had been allowed in, eyes closed.

"Funny, the arrogant ones are usally so dense. "

One eye blinks open, looking over to the male , tailtip flicking lightly at his question.

"Why does it matter to you? "

-He rolled his eyes slightly at the insult, a wide and toothy grin touching his maw. So much fun!

Padding forward towards the leopardess, he mused softly, feigning indifference with a roll of his shoulders.- "Ohhh.. As of late I've made it a task of mine to escort young ladies through the forest." -After all, how else would they make it through safely? Or rather, how would he entertain himself for the rest of the afternoon?-

"I need no escort, mind you. Sure your not just afraid to walk around the 'big and bad' jungle alone? "

The female said with amusement, tail flicking before getting to her paws., shaking off any dust that might be stuck on her pelt. This male was annoying, arrogant, yet somewhat amusing, anyways.

"Besides, I never know where he really is, so I have no real destination. "

"Riiiiiiight." -He rolled his eyes dramatically to make sure she saw it, before laughing a little. This was his home, had been for a long time, so the suggestion was proposterous. But then, it hadn't really seemed serious anyway.- "Horrified, I assure you."

-Grinning at her next admission, he stepped another few steps closer.- "Ahhh, well then. That's an even better reason to have an extra set of eyes."

"What exactly does this friend look like?"

Oh, yay, drama queen-- er, king.

"I'd notice him if he were around. " She sais, not really finding it a good idea to have this male follow her around, he was amusing, but not that much... "He's white. And has spots. " She mumbled, should she be giving Keone's description anyways?

"White with spots?" -Obviously he'd not seen the male before, as they'd had the convesation about the rarity of spots in his life. Which meant... either her friend was a traveler as well, or perhaps they just had different notions of times. In a jungle this big it was more then possible for a few animals to live in the same area and never run into each other.

Tail twitching softly he nodded, gazing up towards the trees before speaking matter of factly.- "Hmmm... must be hard to hunt and sneak being completely white."

"He only catches mice an smaller things.. I don't quite know why, though. "

It had also affected his size, apperently. Keone was a bit smaller than a normal grown male, but she didn't find him weak, and had grown used to his smaller size.

She moved to go into the jungle from the light pause of annoying bushes, not really to loate Keone, but something to do woulden't be bad, whether the male wanted to come or not.

"Perhaps he lacks confidence." -Another matter of fact statement as he pulled up behind her, following her as she began to travel towards the clearer jungle, eyes watching her spots lightly. The almost seemed to dance and hyponitize as she moved... Intriguing and annoying. He hoped to see some more of these 'spots' in the future.

Shaking his head he collected his thoughts, before offering instead.- "Or maybe he has too much caution?"

-The shriek that ripped through the air on that warm afternoon was ear-splitting. A sound of horror and pain escaped the brightly hued female as she tried to settle the frantic fear that was tugging at her.

Only a moment before she'd been happily padding along, hum on her voice as she looked casually for tracks of another cheetah. But when her back leg had slipped down into the dry and crackling earth and her chest came crashing to the ground joy left her and irrationality dug in it's claws.

She claw forward trying to pull her foot out of the collapsed hole and apparent prey den, only rippling pain through the fragile appendage. Frightened mewls matched with panting as she attempted to turn herself, digging as best she could in vain, tears beginning to settle upon her cotton candy features.-

The large form of the adult lion was now a common sight amongst these lands, he had left the Maziko prideland's and continued his nomadic journey's.
His green eye's searching over the golden grasses of the Southland's as he lost himself in thought's of his past and his being mislead so much by that of the opposite sex.

However, he was brought swiftly from his thoughts as the pained shriek filled the air, his brow's furrowing in curious concern before he bolted from his position toward's the direction of the noise.

He had a weakness for helping people and that had deffinatly sounded like a cry for help.

As he approached where the cheetah was, he arched his brows a the vibrant colouring's of the fast feline, before shaking his head and taking a look at her paw that was stuck within the hole.

His pale creme ear's flattened against his skull and he spoke soft reassurance to the stranger.

"Don't be alarmed, I'm here to help you." He said before assessing the situation before he continued, glancing at her paw and the hole before he gently started to use his large paws to dig around the hole.

-Her front paws were tiring quickly from the useless digging, frusteration settling upon her as she watched the dirt fall and settle back in as soon as she dug it out, her paw sinking lower and lower into the emptiness of the den below.

The approach of the large black lion did nothing to help her fear, and her ears settled back defensively, until the soft sounds of his comfort touched her. He was here to help? Whimpering a little softly she pulled her front paws back, allowing him at the offending dirt that attempt to swallow up her leg, watching him softly as he worked.

Her politeness and normal chatiness were held silent, and she watched him simply taking in the soft black and creme of his pelt, before finally she offered very soft words.- "Thank you..."

Z'J looked at her for a moment before returning to his job, large paws digging at the dirt like shovels as he either pushed it or flung it away from the cheetah.
The concentration on his face immense as he dug, before he finally got enough out for her leg to move.

It was only then he moved up to the front of the candy coloured femme and looked her in the eye, his bright green eye's contrasting greatly from the creme and black colours of his pelt.

"Do you need help getting out, or do you have enough strength to pull out?

There was a seriousness to his tone, but also a concern as he watched her.

He was worried for anyone who was in need of help.

"I.. think I can get it out myself.." -Her words were soft, appreshiative, and mildly embarrassed. She wasn't used to being the 'damsel in distress'. And somehow up until this day she'd managed along just fine without anyone else's help.

Tugging gently, she gritted her teeth as the pain pinched once again through her leg as she tried to stand and put her weight forward. Her foot was free yes, but as she settled it gently onto the ground a searing pain ripped through it and she immediately hissed, recoiling the leg up.

Looking almost as if she wanted cry again, she sighed heavily, turning soft eyes towards the male, feeling that even within her pain and worries, her savior deserved some of her attention.- "Thank you again kind lion.. I think I should be alright now."

"May I.. ask your name? Or are you heading off somewhere?"

The lion winced at the pained hiss of the cheetah female, he felt sorry for her, then again, he felt sorry for anyone who had to go through that sort of pain.
He gave a sympathetic look to her as he saw the look on her face, on the edge of sobbing in pain.
And he didn't blame her.

However as she spoke to him, his ear's perked atop the mass of black mane on his head and he blinked softly.
"Your welcome...though I doubt you'll be able to hunt for a while with that paw."
He said, his deep, rich voice still thick with concern and curiousity of the cheetah.

At the question of his name, he gave a small shrug.

"I'm not rushing anywhere...the name's Zimwi'Jicho, what about you?"

-A soft smile touched her for a moment, shaking her head lightly.- "Ohh.. I don't hunt really.. I simply take what others leave as waste.. I'm afraid I wouldn't be very good at hiding from anything while I hunted it down."

"But reguardless..." -She sighed a little softly.- "I am probably going to be stuck here for awhile.." -While that might have seemed like nothing to another creature, the thought was painful, and almost cruel to Shairi, knowing full well by tommorow morning her body would be aching to move again. To pick up the pace.

Attempting to sit, she soon realized her folly, frowning thoughtfully at the leg. It seemed she'd be laying.. or hobbling around three feet until the foot felt better. But atleast it wasn't broken.. God knows what she would have done if it were actually broken.

Smiling softly to him, she logged the long name in her mind- "Ahh.. and do you prefer the whole thing? Or just a part? I'm Shairi."

The lion sat there, tail flicking back and forth as he listened to her, making sure she didn't hurt herself TOO much.
His brow arching for a second, what feline only took the waste of another kill?
He found it very strange, but, one to one's own he supposed.

As she spoke he felt a bit more concern, but his features remained the same as he sat there.
His paws fumbled just a little as he listened, thinking of how he could help out or even if she wanted help from a complete stranger like him.

He locked her name away for future referance, ears swivveling forward before he gave a small chuckle.

"Sometimes, but I prefer Zimwi or Z'J." He said. "It's nice to meet your Shairi."

-Despite the situation Shairi's usually pleasant mood was beginning to creep back upon her, her tail beginning to sway softly to and fro as a soft giggle touched her melodic voice.- "Well it was beyond nice to meet you Zimwi."

-And despite standing there looking awfully silly with one foot stuck up in the air she began to chatter, curious blue eyes watching the lion.- "Are you from the Southlands then? This is where I was born, but I haven't been back in a long time. I'm awfully bad at visiting my 'homeland'. I guess it just doesn't seem nearly as exciting and new as the rest of the world seems."

Z'J watched her, giving a small glance as she stood up before moving to stand by her side incase she needed help.
It was the least he could do.
But still he listened intently, placing a small sort of grin on his large maw as he watched the cheetah.

That was a first, nobody had really said it was nice to meet him.
They either screamed and ran or just told him to bugger off after helping them, which he did.
But she was hurt and one of the few people nice enough to have a decent chat.

He however shook his head at her question.
"Not, I wasn't born here, I was born near the Great Mountain with..."
He paused for a moment in thought at his next choice of words.
"..my 'pride', but I left when I was old enough."
This boy had learned to lie, but he didn't really want to say he was kicked out because he was born with black fur while all his family was either white or light beige.

"Seeing new places in the world is more enjoyable too, you get to meet new people, eat new things...and...see thing's you've never seen before."

-It was an interesting meeting for Shairi as well. So often she spent her time explaining what she was.. and then going on and on about what she'd seen at amid a million or so questions. But not this lion. Her ears perked softly at his words.- "You were born in the large mountains? Where the white rain falls?"

"I just loved watching it drift along like leaves when I was traveling through the mountains." -A soft sigh of content touched her as she thought back to her own trip through the tall peaks, but as he continued on a subconcious and soft purr began to ripple through her. He was a traveler too? Well that made sense in a way. His sentiment was just so spot on, and she smiled excitedly.- "We're kindred spirits then! I'm a traveler too. Have been since I was old enough to fend for myself."

The male gained more and more curiousity as his concern melted slightly, but it never went away as he checked her leg now and again while watching her.
The grin turned more into a friendly smile as he listened curiously.

He then chuckled at her words of white rain, but he nodded.
"I liked it when it landed on you and turn into water once more, cold, but refreshing and fun to shake from your fur when you go back down."

He was surprised he was getting this cosy with someone, but she was nice person.
And he had been getting a little lonely.

At her word's, he blinked before smiling a little bit.
"Wow, I guess we are then."

"Mhmmm.. it's truely a magic sight. It so hard to explain to those that haven't seen it though!." -Grinning gently, she wondered if he was as much of a loner as she was, given the life and all, at the very least, he seemed awfully nice. Even beyond the whole saving thing.-

"I bet we've been to some of the same places before. And probably some different ones too."

-The soft fidgetiness was beginning to over take her already, but she knew well enough not to give into it. And her legs were beginning to tire from holding her weight still above the sunbaked ground. Smiling a little apologetically, she took a timid hop forward, trying to see if she could catch herself with only one leg in the back. It worked, albeit in a wobbly way and she began to walk very slowly towards the soft spring of trees in the distance.- "I'm getting a little warm I'm afraid. I think I'm going to lie down."

-As a thought touched her mind another soft twinge of fear touched her. What was going to happen when the ebony lion left? Once she was left alone unable to escape and so inexperienced at a fight? But she certainly couldn't ask him to stay.. he was as she was.. a wanderer. And one couldn't stop a wanderer. But maybe for a little while.- "You could tell me about the places you've been? If you aren't in a hurry to go again."

The dark lion padded over toward's where she had gone, the shade of the tree's soothing his back that burnt in the sun.
It was a relief to say the least.

As he watched her, he could tell she wouldn't be doing much with that leg and he knew he would feel reluctant to leave her alone if more of those hole's where around.

Zimwi' gave a small random yawn, not out of boredom, just to stretch his jaw that gave a prominant crack as he closed his mouth and continued to listen once more.
She probably had been to places he never had before and personally, would never want to go in some cases.

He then licked his chops before answering her question.

"I'm not going anywhere in a hurry, but to say where I've gone, I've been to the outer barriers of the desert and the jungle, other then that, I've been nowhere else."

-When she noticed his following, she gave a soft and relieved smile, working her way carefully to lay within the shaded area. Glancing softly at the offending leg, she attempted to settle herself comfortably.- "I'm not a big fan of the desert... the red lions aren't very friendly.. But the jungle is nice."

"I've always really liked waterfalls, and wet places. Keeps you nice and cool, and everything is so vibrant and bright."

He watched her carefully, he felt like an anxious father making sure his cub was alright.
Probably the first signs of wanting a friend.
In his mind atleast.

The large male lay down, ears flattening against the cascade of black fur that made up his mane as he watched the pink female.
Smiling at her description of the jungle, at which he had to chuckle.
This lady was certainly chatty and optimistic wasn't she?

Certainly made a difference to getting to cold shoulder most of the time.

He then gave a small sigh.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." He started. "One of my favourite things to do in the Jungle was lay near a waterfall stair up at the sky through a hole in the canopy and look at the stars...one of the most beautiful things I've personally ever seen."

-At happy purr rippled through her as he spoke, imagining the sight softly. She'd never done it before.. but she could imagine both the beautiful waterfall and the night sky.. the stars reflecting from the waters.. the mist swirling up into the dark sky. She certainly WANTED to see it.- "Perhaps I'll head back to the jungle again, once I'm done in the southlands."

-Her tail twitched back and forth contentedly as she thought, before finally her eyes turned to the kind lion. As of late she'd met alot of young ones, but back in the past, before she'd grown fully herself she met another lion. Large, black and white, and within the pridelands. This one reminded her of the other.. only his creme pieces were a little more warm.. and comforting. Strange to think that a color was comforting.

Yawning a little herself, she pondered softly.- "And which way were you headed Zimwi?"

"You should."
He suggested softly, a smile on his maw as he watched her, chuckling as he heard the purr rippling through her pink form before he fidgeted slightly, to get more comfortable.

Zimwi, had never met a cheetah.
She was the first, well, the first to talk to him.
All he had met where manipulative lionesses and angry males, none friendly enough to chat too till he met this female.
It made him happy to know there where at least SOME decent species out there.

At her newest question, he thought for a moment.
Right now, he had no idea where he wanted to go, what direction he wanted to go or anything.
But he stood up and smiled.

"Depends where you're going, because personally I don't feel right leaving you to fend for yourself with that leg."

-She nodded a little softly, warm smile creeping onto her maw with the sentiment, but as he lifted himself a touch of worry hit her. And as his words touched her ears a wave of surprise over took her.

Maw gaping open for a moment, she debated over what to say, before finally words slipped from her.- "Wha..? Really? But.. I don't want to keep you from wherever you were going.. and.. Are you sure?"

-She stare at the lion curiously, listening to the words she'd been waiting a lifetime to hear. Even if it was just a few days he'd be traveling along with her, until her leg was better. This was a first.. a travel companion. Hopefully he wouldn't mind having his ears talked off.-

Z'J just HAD to chuckle at the reaction of the pink female, before moving a little closer, a sincere smile to his face as he watched her and waited for her to be silent.
He then nodded softly.

"Yes I'm sure, it's not like I have much else to do." He said in a jokey fashion, before moving to her other side.

He'd personally wanted a travelling companion for some while, he was sick of being lonely.
And she seemed nice enough.
Besides, she was the only one that seemed worth talking too.

-And now it was her turn to be silent, her cheeks growing hot in a fashion that would have shown pink, had she not already been covered in blush colored fur.

She didn't know particularly why he was making the sacrafice to stay with her. Pity maybe? Or perhaps he was genuinely just a really nice guy? Either way she found herself looking down sheepishly, her voice softer then usual.- "Well then.. in that case. Whenever I near the southlands, I always wander around for a few days.. to see if I can find my parents. Before I decide where to head off to next."

-Tail twitching softly she watched for his answer, for once in her life feeling like the child, as opposed to the watchful adult she always played.-

He blinked, cocking his head at the way she acted before listening closely.
Why the sheepishness all of a sudden?
His paw's fidgeted slightly as he sat down by her side, bright green eye's watching her as his ears twitched in turn with her word's.

He then smiled.
"That's fine by me, so, where did you last see your parents?"
He asked half curiously, but half inwardly knowing that if she was adult her parents must either be really, really old or dead.
But he never spoke it.

It wasn't him.

-Obviously pleased with his approval, she pondered softly aloud, looking up at the sky as if it had the answers.- "We'll when we all lived here we lived in a small grove of trees, because it was better at hiding me. But.. I've never seen them since then.. so it's likely they moved someplace more comfortable."

-Watching his familar motions, she smiled softly, a touch of a giggle escaping her.- "I suppose you're not up for resting right now? I think I should be okay to get up and try and look for a little while."

Zimwi watched her...probably moved?
What? Onto a higher plain?
He shook himself and sighed softly, he shouldn't be thinking such things.
Right now, she was his only friend.

So he wanted to be kind.

Or at least try too, he wasn't good at being kind because nobody had shown him kindness apart from this cheetah.

The lion chuckled at her words before letting concern show on his large features.

"I don't want you to strain your leg, if you feel any pain you have to tell me."

-Whether or not he was right, the thought had never occured to Shairi, forever the optimist that she was. And while she gave him a look of concern at the soft shake and sigh, she had no clue where his mind traveled. Maybe to his own family?

Pushing herself up from the ground, she gave herself a mild shake, enough to dislodge dirt that might have settled on her, but not so much to send her wobbling back to the ground. Grinning softly up to the larger lion, she offered a brave wink, before motioning forward, taking a few hopping limps before him.- "Alright, I promise."

Z'J smirked at the brave wink from the female, it was like having younger sister's again.
Not that he exactly loved his younger sister's.
And it wasn't as though his sisters, hell, even his parents loved him.
Nor his pride.

He gave a heavy breath and just watched her, moving so she could keep up and so they walked side by side.
Mostly so he could keep an eye on her.

So now here he was, a large lion, looking after a cheetah.

Oh well, it beat being alone.

-The smile that touched her pink maw was like that of a child, watching everything for the first time, even though she knew this land like no other. It was almost as if she thought.. that if she willed it enough something interesting would happen... would come into sight.

And it seemed.. by the look of the large lion beside her, that it might have actually worked for once. Catching herself staring at him for a few moments more then politeness allowed, she dropped her eyes once again, looking for any sign of life, or tracks.

She found one set of tracks, small enough to be a cheetah.. or perhaps a leopard? And slowly began to follow them, a soft and sweet hum settling subconciously across her throat.-

The lion looked at the tracks the female had found, cream ear's perked forward as she hummed.
He cocked his head curiously at that.

Z'J had never been one to listen in on one's songs or poems or jokes or anything, but he had to listen to this.

He cleared his throat after watching her for a few long moments, shaking his head of any thoughts he might've been having to leave his mind blank.

Zimwi moving closer to the front before he turned and looked at her.
That soft smile, still on his maw and showing a lot of sincerity as he spoke.

"You have a lovely voice."

-She was so used to it really while she traveled, that she hadn't even noticed she'd started. But with his compliment her smile grew softly, head cocking gently to the side.- "You really think so? I just love to sing.. always have. My name means Song actually."

-Watching the tracks fade slowly, a sign that they'd been there longer then she'd have liked, she turned a little, motioning for them to look someplace else.- "I could sing something for you? Orrrr.. you could tell me what it is you're best at?" -He had to be best at something.. and she watched him curiously, as if trying to guess what it could be before he told her.-

His ear's perked at the meaning of her name and he chuckled softly, it seemed to suit her perfectly.
"Lucky you, mine means 'Demon Eye's'." He said.
He could almost hear the sounds of the other cubs in the pride from his childhood, calling him that and attacking him for no reason.

However, he pushed back those thoughts and decided to answer her.
Moving in the way she had signalled while still moving at a pace to be at her side.
Never letting her out his sight for that long.

"Well...I guess I'm best at being a 'Hero'...I'm good at fighting and saving people and that's it really." He said.

Giving a light shrug and though it was no big deal, well, it wasn't to him.
He'd been doing it for that long.
He'd gotten used to it.

"Ohhh.. well you are good at that." -Purring delicately she thought back softly on her escape thanks to him. And of course this now? Protecting her. She should have guessed since indeed, he did seem very good at it.-

"Well I think being a hero is a far better skill then being able to sing. Singing just brings comfort. You actually save lives."

-So intent on smiling proudly in his direction, she was, that she didn't notice as her weight began to falter, and she wobbled strongly, bowling over into his side with a loud huff.-

He shrugged a little, being able to sing was a pretty good talent.
Better then being a hero in his opinion, singing was showing how beautiful your soul was.
And by this cheetah, she obviously had a very beautiful soul.

"Well actualy-" However he was cut of as the weight of the female suddenly fell onto his large side.

One or two of his feet raising before he fell onto his side, making so the poor cheetah would now be ontop of him.
The lion looked up, watching her.
"You ok?"

-A look of instant concern touched her as well, but when it became apparent that he was fine, her expression turned apologetic and embarrased.- "Yes. I'm sorry.... I guess I wasn't paying attention."

-Truthfully, she was beginning to tire again, which had probably helped along the fall. But slowly she pushed herself up, using her tail to balance herself on three legs.- "What about you? Are you alright?"

-Boy she was becoming troublesome awfully quickly. He must be a very patient lion.-

A rather relieved sigh came from the large male and he stood up, watching her closely.
His brows raising a little as she spoke, his tail swaying in small, slow arcs as he listened intently.

It was true, in most cases, he would have rudely told her to watch where she was going.
However this was not the case as he just offered a sort of, boyish smile to the cheetah.

"Don't worry about me, it takes a lot to hurt me." He said.

In truth, not a lot could hurt him, but still, he just didn't want her to worry.

"Reguardless, I'd rather I didn't." -She offered softly, still a little embarrased at the whole situation. She'd been self reliant for so long that depending on someone once again was a strange feeling to say the least.

Glancing around the two of them gently, she gave a soft sigh finally.- "I don't think we'll be able to find them today. The groves are still pretty far away, and the tracks we keep finding seem awfully old."

"Mmmmm." He said softly under his breath.

Z'J had to agree with her, he also had to think about the age of the paw prints and keep on lingering on the topic of death once more.
That made his teeth clench together to stop him from saying ANYTHING.

"Your probably right." He said softly, only to look around.
It was nearing the afternoon and they probably needed to get ready for sleep or something anyway.
Looking for a place to rest however was trickier then it seemed in the Southland's.

"Do you want to rest here or somewhere more safe?"

-She pondered over the thought softly, eyes watching the savannah. Usually she'd just plod down where ever and run if she heard anything troubling. But since that seemed out the question.. so she supposed safe was good, even if she was already tired.

Pink ears and soft blue eyes turning towards him, she offered another soft smile.- "We should probably find someplace a little more comfortable and safe. Maybe in the shade? Or nearer to some water?"

-For the moment however she walked closer to him, leaning lightly against his sunbaked ebony side in an apparent attempt to rest for a few moments, before they set off again.-

Zimwi nodded softly, offering back the same smile as she had sent his way.
Those sounded like good choices to him...now where to find them.
Saying about it was easier said then done in his opinion.

However as he stood there, glancing over the horizon that even now, started to slowly diminish in light with the setting of the sun.
The feel of her small body gently touching his, made his whisker's suddenly flare up.
Like the equivelant of a feline blush as his green eye's moved to watch her.

Blinking for a moment or two before he gave a slightly nervous gulp and watched her.

He knew she was tired and she had every right to lay against him with her hurt paw for balance and such.
But still...this made him sort of, nervous.
He'd never had a female make THIS sort of contact in quite a while.

"Well uhhm...we should...uhh...find a suitable place to rest, if your not too tired."

-She was oblivious to his thoughts and worries, her action entirely innocent, as her eyes settled close for a long moment. It did feel nice though.

When he spoke, words stuttering, she opened her eyes once again, standing herself before peering at him curiously, appearing to ask if he was alright through the silence.

She nodded thought gently, taking another tired step forward, before glancing over her shoulder, teasing with a soft wink as she tried to sooth whatever had him so nervous.- "Catch me if you can then." -Ludiacrous.. but cute nonetheless as she lead in her slow hobble across the familar lands. She knew a watering hole fairly close.-

His fur stood on end at the playful wink, whisker's flaring once more before he watched her hobble off.

Catch her? He could catch her with one step of his paw the speed she was going with that bad apendage of her's.
However, he gave a rather cocky, but soft hearted smile.
And followed behind as she led the way.

She was a very nice female.
Maybe when she was better they could stay permanent travelling companions?
That would be nice, to not be alone again.

He smiled softly at the thought while gently padding after her.

-She giggled a little as he followed, watching him make the concious attempt to follow behind her, as opposed to surpassing her like a many a' cocky boys would have.

And she twitched her tail playfully before him, mind drifting to the pleasant thought of settling in to sleep for the night. Her humming began again softly as she lead and before long a small waterhole came into sight, Shairi making her way towards one of the small trees that surrounded it.-

As he looked upon the waterhole, his ear's perked forward and he smiled at the sight.
How quaint and picturesque, this would be a perfect place to spend the night at.

He followed her toward's the tree and watched her, deciding to sleep somewhere a little further off if she didn't wish him around while she slept.
Not that he snored.
He just didn't want to bother her.

-Her thoughts didn't match his however, her soft naivity at how nervous she made him not settling upon the unexperienced cheetah. In fact she took a long moment looking for a place big enough for the two of them before she finally found a spot, half hidden by grasses, and along the side of a small tree. Settling to the ground with a soft lack of grace, giving her already tired frame, she looked up for his approval.- "This should do alright, yes?"

-Even if he'd been insure in his thoughts her soft expression attempted to will him to stay.-

Zimwi's ears perked forward, the place she'd picked was big enough for two so it showed him she either didn't mind him sleeping near her or just liked a bigger bed.

Either way, he gave a small smile and nodded to her.
The sky becoming a pallete of indigo's and red's and gold's that shone against the lion's broad back making him partially the same colour's.

He then gently moved over and cautiously lay beside her, splaying out slightly so she could rest against his larger frame if need be and looked over her to make sure he wasn't crushing her paws or tail.

"Comfy?"

-Purring gently she settled her head lightly between her paws, for the moment keeping herself the shortest distance from him, though as the cool night settled in it was likely she creep closer and closer.

With his question her ears perked, and she nodded in agreement, before a soft giggle touching her throat, her eyes closing tiredly. Her response a soft sigh as she drifted into sleep, exhausted from the day's activities.- "You know... you're eyes are even greener then the jungle. I've never seen a green so bright."

Zimwi blinked at her word's, only to look away and out onto the horizon as night slowly engulfed the sky.
All the while the stars gently started to glitter above as his whiskers flared once more.
He'd never been complimented on his eye's so he decided to savour it as he lay his large head upon his paws.

Watching her before he closed his bright green eye's and slipped off.
But not before mumbling something did he actually fall asleep.

"I've never seen...a more beautiful pelt like yours..."

And with that he fell asleep.

-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.-

Juhudi attempted to clear his head, the scents of so many other lions around him was both exilerated and unnerving. He had always enjoyed meeting strangers, or at least kind ones, but he had never been near so many. He wasn't sure what they'd think of him or how they'd react. Surely there weren't any orphans here.

Snaped from his thoughts by Mosi's words, the adolescent turned and smiled lightly.

"Yeah, just a bit nervous I guess."

His dark ears flicked, pale eyes settling on a large golden figure in the distance, the darker mane surrounding his neck and chest ruffling with the large steps he took. Juhudi simply watched him for a moment, awed by the large male and a bit frightened. Though from the lion's posture he seemed friendly, perhaps there was nothing for him to worry about after all.

He turned his head toward the black cub, a question spoken quietly to her ears.

"Who's that?"

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!"

-They didn't hightail it immediately, which was a good sign, or atleast a respectful one perhaps. And he continued on his path, drawing closer to the two as always, he was seemingly oblivious to the fear and/or caution of the two, and a soft rumble of a greeting rippled through his throat.

As the younger bounded forward, he took the oppurtunity to take in the details of the two before him. The young one looked familar.. though he couldn't quite place way. The older male, though a lovely natural hue like many of the pridelanders didn't seem quite so familar. Calling out politely he brought himself to a halt, letting them approach if they wanted.- "Enjoying the day children?"

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.

"Of course!" Mosi energetically replied, looking perfectly content out amongst the grasses in the presence of the towering stranger and her slightly less towering new friend. "You are too, from the look of it." She observed with a bright grin, turning sun-drop eyes from the king to Juhudi, then back again. Once more Mosi spoke without fear and with little restraint, as most children often did. A trusting honesty was always the most energetic and outgoing policy, and Mosi was in no short supply of either (energy or boldness). "We were just on our way to visit the king and queen, right? What about you?"

-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?"

Most teenagers would have objected to be called child, but Juhudhi never thought to be bothered by it. Perhaps he never realized just how much he had grown, how his mane had grown, filling along his neck and down his shoulders. Amazing how life sneaks up on one when they're not looking.

Tilting his head curiousl, Juhud's ears flicked as the older male spoke. Having realized that the kind old lion meant him no harm, the adolescent relaxed though he was still a bit nervous about what he should say. At the lion's words, his paws shuffled about in the dirt. He was unsure of how to answer, why was it he had wanted to see them?

"Well I...hoped they might be able to help me find my place."

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.

"Ahhh content on settling down and making some friends within a pride? How very mature of you." -He nodded a little, wishing more of the young adult lions would make similar choices, instead of giving into the wanderlust that often led them out of his lands, and instead into the worries of his mind.-

-Laughing a little with the introduction, giving his aubern mane a fine shake, he finally gave up on his game, offering lightly.- "Very nice to meet you Mosi, Juhuji. I'm Mufasa. I can take you to my queen if you wish to see her?"

"More often then not she's bathing herself in the sun on the rocks this time of day."

"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?"

Well, she didn't much understand the full meaning behind some of the things that the two older lions were saying, but she was pretty sure she got the basic idea, and to Mosi, that was what mattered. Juhudi wanted to find a place to call home, but he wasn't sure if this was it or not.

Mufasa and Sarabi were the king and queen of the lands, and as he'd just revealed this older guy was Mufasa, which made him Ezeoha's grandfather! Hah! Yep, nothing gets past Mosi the Brave!

"I was really just showing Juhudi around, but dad says you shouldn't trespass in other people's home so, that's why we were coming to find you. I heard lots of good things about you from grandma, too, so it's nice meeting you." She smiled, tail swishing about behind her now. She blinked as Juhudi stepped up, and couldn't restrain herself at a chance to help a friend (no matter how new a friend they were) "I'll help too!" She volunteered to Juhudi with determined eagerness.

-He pondered a little softly at the plight of the adolescent, it was a familar plight yes, but that certainly didn't make it any easier to figure out. Or to comfort one of. Finally settling on an answer, as vague as it may seem, he nodded softly, offering a warm smile.- "Unfortunately noone but yourself can tell you where you belong. Others can help foster that feeling, and offer open arms for your presense, but it's ultimately your heart and your soul that choose where exactly it longs to reside."

-It was kind of funny and akward, the conversation, trying hard to switch between the obvious seriousness of the young adult, and the silly enthusiasm of the sweet little lioness. Turning his attention to her, he gave a muffed form of a laugh, nodding softly.- "Very wise words, some animals aren't quite so kind to tresspassers as we tend to be in the Pridelands. And it's always nice to hear that others think well of me. Who is your grandma little one?" -Perhaps THAT would answer the seeming familiarity that rang about the cub.-

-At his subtle plea Mufasa lifted his eyes once again, another smile curling upon his golden maw.- "Certainly I can try. There is so much variety within these lands. So many different people and places. I wouldn't dare deny someone the chance to find their happiness and place in the world. You're free to try and find it here in the Pridelands."

Juhudi lowered his head, a bit disappointed at the vague answer. Though it was silly to expect even the wisest lion to tell him exactly where he should be, Juhudi wasn't even sure he -had- expected that. But perhaps he had hoped for something a little more tangible.

The adolescent was just so lost and confused, no longer able to hear the voices in his heart, those that told him that path he should follow. He had though so surely long ago as a cub that he had found exactly who he was and where his home was. But it had turned out that his path was meant to part from those he'd grown up with, that it was only their place he had found. It was devasting and confusing to the young lion, and for the first time since he was a cub, Juhudi found himself on the verge of tears, though he did his best not to show it.

"Thank you."

The muffled reply was all he could get out, and after a few moments he managed to turn to Mosi and offer a warm smile of gratitude to her as well. She was much younger than, but she was kind and seemed to have a good heart. Even if he was lost and confused, he was glad to have found a new friend in the cub.

Mosi smiled again in return and moved closer, brushing against Juhudi's front leg with a soft purr. From there she settled onto her haunches beside his foreleg, tail twitching behind her.

"She calls herself Ausi'somethin', but it's too much'of a mouthful, so we just call her Grandma, or Grandma'Ausi."

-He offered an apologetic nod in Juhudi's direction, before a smack of realization hit him. No wonder the cub looked so familar, she looked ALOT like the mother lioness that had come to him so many mornings ago. She must have found her family then!

A rippling of joy and excitement for the lioness touched him, pulling forth a soft outburst of the king's hopefulness in Juhudi's direction.- "Sometimes it takes a very long journey to get where you're going, but I hope, if you look hard enough that you might find what it is you need here."

Nodding, more for lack of anything else to say than an actual acknolwedgement, Juhudi settled back on his haunches, a faint sigh escaping him as he realized that in the end he'd have to find the answer himself. Deep down he'd know that all along, but still he had hoped the lion could have told him more.

But at least here he didn't have to be alone. There were many lions that he could speak to and perhaps more friends. The old lion's answers may have been vague, but they had been well intended, and it gave Juhudi a sense of hope that the king had cared enough to speak them in the first place. Perhaps he could find his place after all, though he still didn't know where to look, at least he had hope.

"Yes sir, I will try."

By this point Mosi had a pause in the conversation on her end, so she got to her paws and drew in closer towards Mufasa with all the trust of a grandchild to her grandfather. His one paw alone was bigger than her entire body! Wow. .___. Not even dad was this big (stature wise, Nukta hadn't grown fully, and due to his lifestyle he probably would never grow bigger than average.).

She wove between Mufasa's legs and back around to his other side, tail keeping a calm sway.

Everything was going well. Juhudi had been accepted, they'd gotten the personal approval of the king! How great was that?

"Hey, Mufasa, so, you're really Ezzy's grandpa, right?"

Well, maybe he could answer a question for her then!

-He nodded once more towards the adolescent, finding himself at a shortage of words for once. Perhaps sometime in the future they could talk again, and he would know better the words to sway the youth from his uncertainty. But for now it seemed Juhudi was on his own.

As she wove her way beneath and around him, he lifted a paw here or there playfully, making her game just a little harder as the soft hints of a purr rumbled through him. He pondered softly at his grandchildren, trying to find which ones name might fit the affectionate nickname. Settling upon one he asked softly.- "Ezeoha? He's the child of my second daughter yes."

Juhudi sat silently for a moment, his tail flicking to curl about a hind paw, pale eyes watching the cub interacting with the old lion. Silently he wondered what his own father had been like, he'd never known. It was something he'd never really thought about before, he'd never really thought to wonder, it seemed odd that he'd think of it now.

"Are there...other orphans here?"

He doubted it, but it was always possible right? If he met another orphan who had found their place, maybe he could find his too. It made sense...or at least he thought it did.

Mosi met the new challenge with a happy smirk, delighting in the fact that Mufasa knew how to make things interesting. As she gazed up at the golden-beast now, with sunny eyes, her ears twitched and attention shifted briefly towards Juhudi's question before adding her own after a long enough pause for Mufasa to answer the other.

"Well, he said that there was another way for me to be his princess other than us being sister and brother, but when I asked him how he just said I wasn't mature enough to know."

She frowned at this, ears sinking despite some effort on her part.

"And he wouldn't tell me. You probably know though, right?"

-His tail flicked contentedly as he tried to peek past his monster of a mane to the young one, nearly as amused as she seemed to be. Truely his heart was many years younger then old frame it was house within.- "Hmmm? Yes actually. Some that came as orphans.. some that have become orphans over time.. and some that don't know anything of their past but have come to find 'family' and friends within the lands."

"Not long ago I let in a very interesting family... a young orphan cub being rasied by a jackal. Very kind, I think her and Mosi might get along actually."

-Her question however brought a frown of disapproval to his golden maw. He DID have an idea what his grandson was refering to and he was less then pleased with it. It was bad enough that there were lions out there.. swaying young lioness and taking their innocence much to the worry and hardship of fathers like him. But for one of his very own grandchildren to be an offender.. and so young at that.

A soft huff escaped him and he answered lightly.- "You could become a princess if you decided to be mated to him. You know.. like your mother and father? Kissy, cuddley, lovey dovey mated. Certainly you can't want to be like that with Ezeoha? You catch cooties when you're mated to a boy that doesn't yet have a full mane."

-He was banking on the fact that.. by being a child she'd think it was gross. It seemed fatherly worry was enough to override his usual good sense.-

Juhudi's ears perked, his tail flicking lightly, a small light of hope in his eyes. So there were other orphans here? Then truly here he would not be alone, perhaps he was on the right path after all.

"A jackal?"

His head titled curiously at the idea, though it didn't really seem all that odd to him. Afterall, The light colored adolescent had spent his cubhood with his best friend who was a wild dog, he'd even tried to wag his tail a few times to mimic him.

After a moment of silent thinking, Juhudi nodded as if reaching a decision.

"Then I would like to stay here if it's alright with you."

The young lion blinked in utter confusion at the king's words to Mosi. He may have been a teenager by age, but there were many things he still did not know or understand. In many ways he was still very innocent. His tail flicked, his partial mane ruffling as he wondered if the old lion was refering to him as well. Cooties...what was that?

"We have what?"

Mosi listened half attentively, just about to pounce one of Mufasa's paws when the words "lovey dovey", "kissy", "cooties", and "Ezeoha" in the same sentence hit her ears.

Said ears promptly shot to her skull to match very well with the shocked and disgusted look scrawled across the young one's face. Her pounce ended with a pathetic flop across Mufasa's forepaw instead.

"They have what??" She asked, simultaneous with Juhudi's question. "Me and Ezzy?! Ew, NO!!! That little weirdo! That's disgusting! It's bad enough when mom and dad do it!!"

"Of course it's alright with me, if you'd like I can escort you two closer to priderock? Until you can figure out where you'd like to stay."

-Logic soon catching up with him but the young boy's question, he faltered for a moment, before finally laughing a little.- "Cooties.. but don't worry about it. We're born with it, it doesn't do anything to us. It's girls that have to watch out."

-He felt like an idiot lying to the children, ecpsecially as they questioned it so. But better a white lie that would hopefully help.. then just take it back suddenly and shatter their trust in him. Surely a reasonable parent would understand his lie, if they ended up going back and telling, and all that.

But as Mosi's reaction became apparent he gained another laugh, using a free paw to give her a couple comforting pets before shaking his paw free of her.- "Exactly. So you just tell him you don't want anything to do with that."

Juhudi nodded appreciatively to the old lion. He hadn't found his answers, but at least it was a start, and perhaps later he could speak to the king again on the subject, maybe he'd have some answers then.

"Thank you."

But the subject of cooties still baffled him. Boys had cooties? What were cooties? And why had he never heard this before? And why didn't girls have cooties too?

"What are...cooties?"

"Mm!"

She didn't seem to mind being loosened from his paw, not in the least bit. She settled back onto her own haunches again with tail leaping once into the air behind her, and yawned a bit with a tall stretch of her jaws. It felt good, rather than any feeling of being tired.

"I can visit grandma and Palsea, that'd be fun, and grandma and grandpa like visitors. Maybe you can meet em' too."

The offer was towards both her new friend and the-- her king.

-Oh for crying out loud... Mufasa dug back into his mind.. back to the days of his youth when they used to run around 'fleeing' any play with the girls for fear of catching the imaginary illness. Oh well, he'd lied so far, he might as well try to come up with a good excuse.- "Cooties are tiny tiny little things that reside on lions necks. They're too tiny to see.. but they're what helps a mane begin to grow.. and guide it to the right place. Once you've a full mane the cooties have all been used or lost."

"Girls on the other hand.. since they don't grow manes just get really really constantly itchy when cooties get on them. But don't worry, you can't catch them from just playing together or anything.. only from all that lovey dovey stuff."

-Already he was imagining the conversation that was likely up and coming with his queen. A soft scolding on not to scary the children and lie to them.

Mosi's words were a happy distraction and he nodded.- "Sure, it's settled then, this way." -He motioned softly over his shoulder, before turning his massive form about to lead the way.-

"Whaaaa--?"

Juhudi shot and odd questioning glance at Mufasa. That was the weirdest thing he'd ever heard and for a moment he wondered if he was on the receiving end of some joke that he was gullable enough to fall for. Why hadn't his mother ever told him about this?

After a moment, the adolescent stood, shaking from head to tail, his mane ruffling about his shoulders as if to fling the invisible creatures from his body before following after the old king.

"Okay."

Mosi sighed, just as she thought she understood her friend's weird behavior, now she found out that some kinda bugs were responsible for it? What would he be like once his mane DID grow in, then?

She gave up for now, rising to all fours again and bounding along with Juhudi and Mufasa instead.

-'North', while helpful, was not quite the directions necesarry to find the familar lion.. and as the afternoon began to creep away, Kami lifted her head gently, staring out at the emmesity before her. She'd immediately began to look after leaving Palesa.. the whole morning and part of the afternoon spent checking here and there, searching for every den she could find.

And while she found signs of life and others.. she could not find what she was looking for and slowly her hopes were beginning to fade. Glancing to the sun softly she decided to change her tactic, her sights set back on Priderock and the friend she knew that resided there.-

-Hadaya HAD been happy to help at that! Her attitude and mood soaring from the moment her princess' golden pelt had appeared once again. And truthfully she'd been following the girl around ever since her return, mildly miffed when Kami had asked to go to Ta's den alone.

But she was young once.. she understood. But now that Kami had come back, and the situation was explained, the two had once again set out, Hadaya's nose aloft. Trying to hunt out a smell she only faintly remembered.-

The strange winds and smells of the Pridelands had undoubidly brought Bijan into the lands. He had left Kami at the border, insisting it would be the last time they meet and assuring her that he would survive, as always on his own and live a happy life. All sappy stuff in his opinion, but he let it slide for the kitten. Instead, he just sniffed around the borders, before catching the scent of a meal and heading that way. Trailing around dens, a creature of strange varity was inside, and continued to moan about for the long portion of time Bijan was outside the entrance. Growing disgusted with the dirty scent and the moping, the male maned wolf turned and padded away, only left with the echos of the lion and now heading south more to catch the scent he found in the first place.

His journey didn't take long, for soon enough he caught sight of the familiar form of the soon-to-be queen.

"Great..." The maned wolf groaned, before looking for anywhere to hide. These lands, unlike the others, had just a few trees and nothing else, and so the skunk-colored wolf settled on his haunces and decided to wait.

-The maned wolf's had caught a scent.. though sullied by time and ever so faint that she was following. Though it rather faded and reappeared, she'd attempted to keep on the path for Kami's sake, hoping they're get lucky.

As the unfamilar creature touched her eyes however she felt a moment of happiness, her tail wagging softly, before she glanced towards Kami, who barreled past her, before she could remark.-

-Kami had spotted the familar black and white, and a smile touched her golden maw, destracting her for a moment from the task at hand.- "Bijan! I thought you weren't going to come into the Pridelands."

The maned wolf smirked a moment in his own greeting before casually tilting his head to the side and raising a brow, "This is the Pridelands, Kitten..." With that said, he took a nice hard glance around before shaking his head slowly, "Sadly, I am not impressed...but than again, I can only assume this is a refuge for lions, and not maned wolves...pity."

Shifting, he looked past her side and to where Hadaya was settled, a dark smirk cross his maw before he moved closer to Kami, "Tell me now, how has everything gone with you since our last meeting? And why have you replaced that lioness with this...thing?" He asked, speaking aloud at the last thing so Hadaya could hear.

-Laughing a little softly, she followed his gaze around them, before padding a step closer.- "Well it is.. but it's the outer regions. The futher you move in the more beautiful it is. Most everyone lives inside.. lions, jackals, wolves. All sorts of animals."

-At the next statement however her laugh turned sheepish, quieting softly as she cast a gaze back towards her friend.- "Kiva had to leave and go back to her people. Hadaya is my friend and my advisor. She's helping me look for my other friend."

-Hadaya's hair bristled at the disrespectful statement of the other wolf, her ears perking at his words. What in the world did he mean? He was with her? And another lioness too? She should be thankful but... deep down a soft irritation began to gnaw at her.- "Surely you're not moronic enough to not know someone of your own species."

Bijan smirked again, showing a nice row of pearly teeth that gleamed from his latest cleaning and meal as well. Dragging his tail and waving it in the air at her, he just turned back to where Kami was, making sure to disclude the female behind him.

"A friend you say...why are you looking out here, the only lions out here are whining ones that don't come out during the day and just cry about their missing 'Kami' or whatever." Lifting his paw to lick it, he failed to note that his Kitten was named Kami, not thinking it would be that small of a world or that simple. Instead, he just sat and cleaned, wondering what to do next and if he really wanted to stay in the lands, "Hmm...you know Kitten...I think I might need to go...people to see, places to be at, y'know, the rogue life..."

-Though Kami could care less about her 'ranking', it was something that Hadaya was QUITE proud of. So when he turned she took a n** in his general direction, hissing.- "You should treat royalty and their advisors a little more kindly, rogue."

-Her eyes widened considerably at his statement, completely missing the spat between the two.- "His Kami? Ta! You've seen Ta?"

"Ohhhhhhh Bijan!" -She settled quickly before him, tail flicking with excitement.- "Please show me where you say him!"

He would have none of that, because suddenly a low growl escaped from his throat, "Royalty, ROYALTY!" He took a few steps back and narrowed his eyes, still ignoring Hadaya, "Is that why you left this pride, is that why you needed my help to get away, becuase you were some princess running away from her father to hide her secret!" Suddenly, he turned away, "I can't believe this, fooled by a prissy princess who decided to throw a hissy fit." With that, he decided to ignore her comment, and just stalked a few steps away with one fleeting glance, far enough away from both of them and settled with his back to them to brood.

"I..." -From ecstatic to devistated in one swift motion, Kami's ears dropped, her body acting as if a weight had just come crashing down upon it. But how was she to even answer that? It was true.. and false. Or maybe it was just all true..- "I... I'm sorry if you feel like I used you.. It wasn't my intentions. I just.." -She trailed softly, unsure there was even a way to explain what she was feeling. What she'd meant.-

"Secret?" -An irritable gaze turned to the princess, her speculations being realized. She was right about Kami leaving for some reason other then she said, but what she wasn't sure?

The soft fall of emotion drew back Hadaya's maternal instincts however, and she growled, stalking over to him.- "She's about as far from prissy as they come, you drama queen."

"And if it really was SUCH a hassle to help her, I'm sure the king would be happy to reward your 'hardship' in some way." -Her words were laced in malice, as if she dared him to even act like her princess was some sort of a pain. Her teeth bared menacingly.-

Bijan waiting a moment until Hadaya was finished, before turning his head and standing so their noses were inches away from eachother, "At least I know why she left." And with that, he pushed past her and let out a low growl to Kami, "Well, your highness, shall we continue on to find your knight, or are you going to spend all day letting your advisor make every single disision for you, including when you want to speak, eat and breath. I know you are capible of more." As good of an acceptance as any, Bijan just decided that he would give her Ta and than leave, because apparently this Ta was the one who she was ment for, not the other oaf who fathered her cubs.

"Come on, I don't have all day, stupid pup," He added on, directing that comment towards Hadaya.

-The wolf snarled once again, though the sound faded into her throat as she left herself step back. Though eyes bore into the back of the black and white wolf as he walked.-

-And Kami's smile, while faint, was thankful, and she soon found herself at his side- "Just Kami please. Or Kitten.. I rather liked that name.."

-Ohhhh hopefully Ta wasn't far!-

Bijan smirked slightly at the words of the princess, "Kitten is a pet name, usually one used by lovers or in a father/daughter relationship, and now that I know your name, I think it would be best if we save the name for...Ta..." He paused when needing to remember the name, before looking over his shoulder.

"Who is the pup?" As he asked that, they moved closer to the caves, and he paused a second to point with his nose to the smaller ones, "Last time I was here, which was a few minutes ago...it sounded like someone was dying...you might want to ask whoever is in there to come out, the smell is disgusting..." He curled up his nose.

"Hadaya. My father and I met her while we were traveling near the jungle."

"Really?" -She pondered his words softly.. wondering why neither her father or Ta had ever really come up with a special name for her. But she said nothing, simply watching his directions, before padding off in the direction of the caves, being perhaps a little less cautious then she should have been.- "Ta... Are you there?" -A soft call as she tried to peek for signs of life.-

-Hadaya padded nearer to Bijan, offering simply a nasty look, before she settled to watch Kami protectively. Asking quietly.- "I don't suppose you'll divulge where she's been?"

Bijan looked to the one who settled next to him, before looking back ahead at Kami as well, it was almost strange. He seemed to be her undercover advisor, not by the life of the royals, but the life of the rogues.

"That is her story to tell, Hadaya." He said softly, "Though I may seem short and unfriendly, I know when not to cross the lines between right and wrong. It would be wrong for me to speak about where she has been, if she hasn't told you as of yet. And trust me, if she told you, you would understand the troubles I went through." With that, he settled to be silent, his ears perking as he noted that the cave had grown silent as well..."

Inside, deep within the darkness of his mind, a creature unreconizable was curled against the wall, groaning softly as nightmares racked his mind. There was no night or day, for always in the darkness of the cave night resided, and the shadows were in control. It was his worst nightmare come to life, the creatures had finally caught him, and took him to their world, a world he could not escape from at all. Ta'Ziyan was at the mercy of the shadows, he was at their mercy.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, the irises contracting and expanding as his dark ears perked. Voices, there were voices. Shaking his head a moment later at his foolishness, he refused to acknowlage any of them, Kami was not there, she wouldn't be there.

-Hadaya nodded a little softly, tail falling beneath her softly with his logic. He was right.. and she was just going to have to hope that Kami would tell her one of these days.-

-THe lioness paced back and forth, walking from cave to cave as she called out repetively, resisting the urge to just burst into each and everyone. But finally one came that gave scent and sound of actually life and pressence within it. And she stopped before it, calling out once more.- "Please Ta... If you're in there.. please come out. I've come to apologize."

He kept silent even after the plea, strange on how, dispite all of the dreams, this was not one he expected nor expirenced before. Shifting, though keeping his back to the light and within the dark, he lifted a paw to cover his eyes and called out gruffly. His voice ached with the misuse, soar and cracking at each sylibal as he spoke out to 'them' as they taunted him.

"Go away, you are not Kami Kami would not come here, she is safe and she is at home...so just leave me alone, leave me be."

-The voice, both familar and foreign touched her ears, and she forgot the advice and warnings of both Bijan and Palesa, golden paws settling into the cave, eyes trying to see through the darkness.- "I'm not safe Ta. Nor am I home. I've been searching for you. And I won't go away. Not yet. Not until we play our game." -Her ears twitched softly, her voice falling softer and softer with each statement.-

And as her voice grew softer, his form curled tighter into that small, familiar ball that he always sought to be in, his protection from the darkness dispite how it strangeled him from all sides. He couldn't say anything, his voice simply gone at the pure sound of Kami, so instead he let out a soft whimper, the same one that Bijan had heard when he passed by.

"This is a nightmare, They are tauning me...please...stop..." He murmered underneath his breath, a whooshing sound since he couldn't raise his voice anymore. And yet, the fear echoed and steadied the sound so it baraged his ears, and he cringed.

-She stepped further into the cave, moving past the dark.. the dankness.. the stench and opression that filled the cave.

And when she saw the curled beast hiding near the back, she continued to draw forward, until finally her golden paw rested upon a familar cooper spot.- "It's too early in the day for a nightmare to be tormenting you Ta."

As soon as she touched the spot, the lion seemed to jump, before turning suddenly and pouncing the female that was before him. Slamming down on the form as if he were attacking the nightmares, he suddenly found his paws brushing golden fur, and his eyes faded from their clouded state. All at once he jumped away as if burned, and looked at the form before him, the one he just pinned as if attacking prey.

"K-k-kami..." He rasped out, suddenly pushing back as far as he could from her in horror and shame. The weight of what he just did, all that he said rammed down on him as he started to breath hard. Thankfully, he was much lighter than before, or in his mind he knew he would have hurt her.

"I'm sorry...oh gods I'm sorry..." Tears threatened his vision as he started to shake.

-Her eyes widened as suddenly he was upon her, knocking and pinning her with such force, that the air pushed from her chest, silencing her surprised cry.

But it had been surprise.. not really hurt. And as he coiled and whimpered, she drug herself up from the ground, trying to sooth him softly. Attempting to keep quiet enough to keep from the maned wolf coming to find them .- "It's alright Ta. It's my fault for surprising you." -Pawwing a step nearer wearily, she let her ears settle softly downward, offering a very gentle hint of a smile.- "It doesn't hurt. Not so much as seeing you out here does atleast.."

Once more, still shaking, he looked up at the golden form, the little light from outside seemingly making her glow. She was a figurehead to him, someone who always drove away the shadows in his mind, and now, she clearly was driving away those around him in life. Taking a deep breath, he let the silence surround them as he weighed his odds. Last time Kami seemed to run, run away as soon as he said the three words, admited his love. But she came back, and she searched for him, wanted to apolgize for something. All at once, the urge grew, and instead of whimpering, he blindly stepped forward, pausing a foot away to look at her with better light.

"Forgive me." With that, he moved close and buried his head on her shoulder, taking in her crisp scent with a deep breath and marveling in the life and the light she surrounded with him. He was dirty, impure, but at that moment, all he cared about was her, and all he hoped was that she wouldn't pull away, not than, not ever.

-She was silent and still as he seemed to debate with himself, and as he approached, as she herself was so unsure on what words were appropriate.

But when his head pressed against her in soft silence, she took it as a sign to do the same, and for now.. simply reveal in their reunion. Ignoring the soft heat that filter up from him, the scent, and all else that had settled upon him in his time alone, she pressed her muzzle gently into his mane, replying simply.- "Without question."

-A soft whimper touched Hadaya's throat as time slowly began to slip away since Kami dissapeared from sight.- "Do you think... she's okay?"

The male's ears flickered lightly, and upon hearing nothing, he glanced to where Hadaya was looking. She seemed so sad about things, and when it came to Kami, she held herslef like a worried mother.

"My Kitten is smart, she would have made some sort of noise by now if she were hurt..." But even than, he felt the need to call out, just to get her to come away from the den and back home. She was a princess now.

Ta'Ziyan purred deeply at the response, smiling as he still buried his face into her warm pelt, "I trust you...and though you did nothing wrong, I will always forgive you Kami, I am never mad at you...I just want you to live a happy life..." And with that hoarse reply, he pulled back slowly and smiled sadly, "You should go...go somewhere where I can never hurt you again...please..."

-Her head cocked a little at the words, her anger at the male decreasing just a tad. He'd cared for her.. and he obviously still cared for her in a way. So she sat silently, listening intently for just a little longer.-

-Daggers ripped at her heart with his words, and she had to catch herself from yelping out with the emotional sting. But reguardless.. to how wrong he was about her.. this wasn't the time to argue it.

As the smile touched his face, she pressed forward and mimiced his actions, pressing her own face carefully against his shoulder, before her eyes peered gently up to him.- "No Ta. You didn't hurt me. Not now.. not then. It's all a misunderstanding..."

"A mistake."

He had to resist the urge to just move closer and curl against her, for as before he was quite unpure, and odd were already she was covered with his reek of a scent, "Of course I-" Suddenly he was caught off and he looked down at her with sharp eyes, "...a misunderstanding?" Never had he thought he could misunderstand her, or she him, but suddenly he remembered the time before, when she was acting so strangely and misunderstood him, and realized he might have done just the same thing. Taking a deep breath, he paused in his words and continued to think, or maybe just keep her close, before smiling softly at his decision.

"Care...to try again?" His raspy voice asked suddenly, as his head nodded towards the entrance, "I really am overdue for a bath, and the only really good watering hole has always been the pridelands, so of course I must go there...so maybe...we could walk together?"

"I'd very much like to." -She laughed just a little at his words, before nodding softly, lifting herself reluctantly from him, though she still sat close. It seemed it was her turn to worry about him running, and she wasn't much up for a chase today.- "A bath couldn't hurt either of us."

He shifted his weight and smiled softly back, before moving towards the light and pausing as he waited in the shadows. Narrowing his eyes, he caught sight of the two forms, before stepping back and swallowing, "...Kami?" He stepped back again and looked to her, right as he heard the laughter of none other than Bijan. Clearly, he looked a lot worse than he first assumed.

With his mane all tangled and drenched with sweat, as well as his pelt with splotches of brown that shouldn't have been there, he looked like a mess, not even rogues looked as bad as he. Frowning, he lifted a paw and licked it slowly, cleaning the disgusting taste as humilation burned at his cheeks.

"Dear lord..." Bijan snickered as his laughter died down, "He looks even worse than he sounded...that is Kami's knight?"

-Hadaya frowned softly to Bijan, though truthfully she'd nearly jumped when the form had stepped from the cave. Looking more like a monster then a lion- "How he treats her is far more important then.. how hellish he looks."

-Goodness.. she half hoped her princess hadn't touched him.-

-Kami however simply gave him another nudge, stepping out before him, before glancing back with a soft reassuing smile.- "Come on Ta. It'll take you forever to get clean that way. We're better off just finding a watering hole."

-She waited for him to join her at his side, adding softly.- "Bijan is just a little rough around the edges sometimes. Don't pay any attention to it."

Bijan's ears flickered scronfully at the comment, from Hadaya, glancing her way with a shrug, "I know that, but it still doesn't mean I can't laugh at him....really...that is...pathedic." Snickering again, he turned on his heel, "Comeon, Aya, let's give them some alone time." Adding a little pet name of his own, it was more of a taunt, but still, he said the sentence with complete seriousness.

Getting nudged, he let his paw fall and just watched as Kami moved forward, following swiftly after her and just usuing her to keep his focus. Hopefully, it would help him ignore all the other snide comments as he moved, and he kept close to her side and her whispering voice, "Right...lead the way, Kami."

"Hmmm?" -She looked torn for a moment, finding it hard to let the girl out of her sight now that she was finally back. But finally she nodded, lifting herself to follow after him, snapping back with a soft laugh.- "I hope love bites you in the a** one of these days. Teach you a little lesson."

-A soft purr rest within Kami's golden throat, watching him carefully as they moved, her smile seeming stuck to her features. She wanted to get Ta all cleaned up.. mended.. happy. There would come a time for truth.. or atleast explination, but for now this was enough.

Leading along the soft dirt she paid no attention as the two wolves began off in another direction, her paws leading towards one of the smaller wateringholes. One that would save him the inspection of the majority of the pride.-

Bijan noticed the lack of notice of the pet name, and just as Kami seemed to not mind, he decided to go with it on the maned wolf next to him. Moving a bit closer at her last comment, he lowered his voice a bit to a soft, hearty whisper, his tail moving to caress her's.

"There is no love in this world...only lust...and greed..." As he said that, he moved close to her ear, before pulling back with one last brush of her tail, "A male lusts for a female, as a female does for a male, and they grow greedy, wanting them only for themself and thus...claiming them in an act of mating. It is later that they grow weary of another, and give up."

Glancing up from his downcast eyes, he just blinked at her stare before tilting his head, "Yes...I know I look disgusting...I am sorry you have to see me in this...state..." Every word that came out got clearer, slowly with the practice of his voice, and soon it would become just like normal, hopefully along with his pelt and his weight. Now that he had Kami, he would work on hunting a good deal of meat for both of them, and not just enough for him to survive.

-A soft and instictual little shiver touched the wolf at the familar touch, and soft sensation that the whisper brought. But as he pulled away she gave a soft roll of her eyes, conciously adding another step between the two of them.- "Perhaps it's your attitude that makes them grow weary? So little hope must make your exsistance awful lonely."

"I on the other hand, know there is much more then that. For I've seen the way the king of these lands looks at his bride even in her tattered and ragged state. And the years have done nothing to weather their affection." -Ahhh.. a hopeless romantic.-

-Shaking her head a little sheepishly, she finally turned her glance away.- "No.. well yes.. but that's not why I was looking."

"I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed you Ta." - That was good enough.-

He smirked and let out a playful 'rowl' at her at the comment, but left it at that for the time being, "I guess I need to just accept it, I am not the best figure to be seen by your side...though..." He looked down to his chest, where the necklace was still hanging, though hidden under his mane. Pausing a moment, he lifted a paw and pushed it out, slowly manuvering it so that it was on top of the copper hair, "I still have this...and it still is beautiful." Maybe, he thought silently, it was a sign, that love still exsisted.

He smirked softly at her last comment, "Once in a blue moon than, I suppose...but do me a favor, Aya, if a female unluckly happens to fall in love with me, do kill me so I don't have to live through the sap and confindments of a female, alright dear?" With that, he pushed away slightly and looked over his shoulder to where the others went. Remembering that a watering hole was that way, he moved his attention back to Hadaya and asked softly, with a warm - though fake - gaze, "Be a dear and show me this paradice the Kitten seems to always speak of?"

"I wouldn't want any other figure in your place." -It was a warm statement, simple and sweet, and she cast her eyes softly before her, looking for the hints of water to touch her orbs. At his mention of the jewelry she gave her own a little bit of a jingle, before she mused softly aloud.- "Ta... while I was gone I met someone special. Even she thought that the two of us. Our bond, was something special. something we shouldn't break."

-Another laugh touched her, and she mulled over the thought.- "Ahhh.. but it'd be such a joy to watch you suffer under the bindings. But if you insist. I certainly won't turn down the offer."

-He wanted to see the Pridelands? A softly suspicious look touched her, but she soon dropped it, figuring him to just be 'attempting' to be polite.-

"Well alright. I'll show you." -With a nod and a motion, she took off, canide paws carrying her quickly ahead of him, glancing back to make sure he followed.-

"You met someone special?" He murmered softly with an echo, turning his copper gaze back onto her form as they mulled across the plains, "What do you mean, our bond?" Already, he was growing confused with Kami before him, and he realized slowly that she seemed to change as well. Just what happened back in the cave, with her coming to him and helping him, showed that she had gained bravery as she went through her adulthood.

Already she was able to live without him, and yet she insisted to come back to him. Looking away at the thought, the ratty mane fell into his view, and he was suddenly glad they were not going all the way back to pride rock. He was embarrassed, though he loved Kami, he knew she deserved better than the rat she had caught.

Chuckling lowly at the response and her laughter, he just looked to her before she ran off, "You must really hate me for what I have done, eh Aya?" The question was soft, more musing as he watched her shoot off, before smirking and racing after her with a steady gant.

"It is hard to see the lands when you are running, is it not? Or maybe you are giving me a guided tour of all the best places?" He asked as soon as he caught up to her side, having taken a few seconds to catch her lead.

"Kiva, the goddess of unity." -She said the words softly, the tinest hints of admiration touching her words, before she turned her gaze back to his question. Ears falling gently, she pondered for a moment, before answering with a soft sigh.- "Well.. perhaps it was silly of me to hope things would be the same now."

"But still.. we're friends.. we care for each other.. don't we?"

"I appreciate that you've taken care of her... even if that is my job." -A soft statement of truth, seemingly a little to sentimental for the maned wolf to lay upon the other, so soon her grin returned. And she pressed forward, almost as if daring the bi colored male to race.-

"We will slow down once we get out of the outer regions. When there is something worth looking at."

Frowing, he stopped suddenly at the words Kami spoke, and just settled down on his haunches. She seemed to take him the wrong way, and it really was borthering him.

"Kami, I really have no clue what you are talking about," He told her softly, his eyes still warm as he gave her his signature lopsided smile, "Now tell me the whole story, and we will see where things stand after that. But yes, if you want to be friends still, I would love for that, and I do care for you still, very much so..." Trailing off, he waited to hear the story, hear what she was up to and just who this goddess was. Never had he heard of goddesses, but if Kami saw one, he would believe her.

Blinking at her change in mood, he just watched her race off again before rushing after, his eyes narrowing at the unspoken challenge and his tongue lopping out a moment as he moistened his dry mouth.

"Alright than, let us press on."

-When he settled to stop, she motioned for him to continue, going so far as to n** at his mane and softly tug, quite afraid that if she had to stand here still before him, looking into his eyes that her lie would fall flat.-

"Perhaps I've taken too much heat. I'll try to explain better. But we can do it as we walk, and once we get in the water as well. After all.. I've been gone for awhile. It might take a little." -She offered a soft smile and a silent plea.-

-Rich brown paws pelted against the ground only long enough to press her off in another quick stride. And before she knew it, the two had actually passed up the lions, headed towards the center of the Pridelands as she kept her eye on the bizarre rouge.

What in the world was his motive? He certainly seemed like the sort that needed one. In fact he was clearly an enigma, and that sent a soft bit of worry through the wolf, mingling with the gratefulness for his task before.-

Getting tugged along, he humored her enough to stand and keep up the pace, ears flickering as she spoke and nodding slowly. It almost seemed as if she was hiding something, but Ta just concluded that she wanted to get to the watering hole as fast as possible. He could understand that easily.

"Alright, but when we get there, I want to hear all about where you went...as well as the trips you went on with your father. We never got to talk about them before, and I really want to know what you thought of being out visiting the lands for your studies. As well as what the other lands looked like." Smiling, he added on softly, "I have all the time in the world for you Kami."

Passing the lions and keeping just a tail behind her, he knew if he tried to race he wouldn't know where to lead, as egotistic as he was. In his opinion, she was pretty fast, but not fast enough. Maybe another day, he would show her how to run. With that idea, he suddenly smirked and decided to voice his concern.

"Come on Aya, I thought you at least would be faster than this jog."

"Alright then Ta." -She nodded in soft agreement, walking along side him once again, feeling a soft hint of relief as the apperance of reflection appeared along the ground in the distance. She'd put up with the smell and dirtyness of her friend because he was her friend. Because being near her was more important then any of that silly stuff. But that certainly didn't mean she wasn't looking forward to a bath.

A gentle purr rumbling through her, she tried to think back to the months before speaking slowly and thoughtfully.- "It's a shame you couldn't have come with us.. I think you would have enjoyed some of the nicer sights."

"There were alot of nice things.. and alot of not so nice things as well. And occassionally it got awfully boring.. when dad was going on and on about the history of a pride we were visiting."

-She droned on softly, whistful thoughts about the oh so green jungle, the mountain peaks that raised high above them, prides that were friendly, prides that were not. A long story, cut short, but not so short, as she was just beginning to speak about the desert as they stepped to the banks of the wateringhole.-

-A soft humph of air escaped her at his tease.. or insult, and she gave him a sharp bark in return, though her pace didn't change at all.- "You want a tour or not Mr. Manners?"

Listening respectfully to her words, Ta was just pleased to hear her voice and be by her side, and it was enough to make him smitten and satisfied. As the waters finally came, he waited for her to pause before smirking and padding quickly into the waters and dunking his mane. Shaking his head while in the cooler liquid, he took a few moments until his lungs screamed and emerged, grinning as the water dripped from his cleaning mane.

"I should have done this weeks ago..." He murmered, before realizing Kami was there and feeling heat pool to his cheeks. He needed to change the subject, "So...which of these lands were your favorite?"

"You've pointed me well in the right direction, and now I can see the rock..." He said as he pushed to her side, smirking all the while, "I think I am fine now on my own, thank you very much."

-Following slowly she hung a few steps behind, waiting for him to get comfortable before she dipped her pelt beneath the water, settling onto the sandy mud beneath her. Streching her muscles within the cool waters another soft purr rippled, and mingled with a light giggle as he watched him wash himself.

Kami had a sudden urge to be pressed against his side once again, to n** at his shaggy and dripping mane and pull him into a game of chase, but at the same time he seemed so fragile. So she simply watched, answering his question matter of factly.- "The Pridelands of course. Without doubt."

"But.... if I had to choose somewhere else..." -She gazed skyward in though, pondering gently.- "The Misty lands are lovely too. With cool air, beautiful water falls, and families. I just want to be someplace peaceful and pretty."

-Ahhh, but she wouldn't let him leave on his own quite yet, asking lightly.- "It isn't much of a tour if I don't show you anything. Are you really that intent on going yourself?"

Waiting for her to get in, he shook his mane at the distance he stood before padding up and smiling to her. Just like her, he had to resist the urge to help clean, but it didn't mean he couldn't ask her to help him. Grinning like he just got a large meal of meat, Ta'Ziyan let out a soft purr before gazing warmly at her.

"Lika," He said softly, the same nick-name he called her when they first met, an action he used to seem more childish, "Could you help me clean my ears..." Just like when she helped him when he was injured and his ear was scratched, Ta wanted to be closer to Kami, though didn't want to pressure her if they were 'just friends'. He had been so long without her though by his side, just being friendly and warm to eachother, all they needed.

"I was under the impression you were growing tired of my company, Aya dearest," Looking to his side from the corner of his eyes, he just decided to speak softer, "I'll let you in on a secret...I am really interested in staying close to the Kitten. Though she and I just met, I know her well enough to tell that what happened outside of these lands will be bottled up..." His worry for the female became clear, "I think she could at least use a friend who has the knowlage, and who will keep it a secret until she tells her family and you. I know she will tell you soon, but until than, I promised I would look after her."

"Of course" -A smile just as golden as her pelt settled upon her maw and she nipped tenderly at the ear nearest to her, tugging gently to get him to lay before her. Just like the time before, when he'd been hurt.. and with her mild maternal experience, she set to the task at hand, tongue setting to work at the copper and brown fur.

Her tail sway gently back and forth beneath the water, content.-

-She was going to snip at him.. as up until now it seemed the correct response to his many quips. But his words lifted her ears softly, and she simply nodded a little, curiousity calming her.- "Well.. I'm sure noone would mind if you stayed then."

"Other then me of course." -It was a playful chide, just to take the seriousness out of it, and she soon turned her eyes back in the direction they'd come from. Wondering when her princess would be coming home this time.-

Moving down at her silent command, Ta felt his heart beat race for a moment as she started to clean it. He didn't expect her to really agree, but as she did, his eyes watched her tail sway back and forth, soothed by both actions that Kami provided.

"I missed this so much," He said after a long moment, his voice soft and whispered as he cuddled closer to Kami.

"Well than, I can easily avoid you, now can't I? This place is pretty big, we wouldn't have to see eachother at all," And yet, as he said that he watched her gaze go back, and slowly moved closer in a soothing manor, no sexual or suggested comments coming from his maw.

"She found what she was looking for, and said it herself, they will be back after the bath...I doubt Kitten will let that male get out of her sights, and she won't leave here now that she is back...I know you will make sure of that." And with that, he moved forward as if nothing happened.

-She paused long enough to nuzzle gently into the fur alongside his ear as he spoke, finding silent actions a more comforting thing then the words they so often jumbled. Working her way over to the other ear her eyes fell shut softly, content bliss taking over her tired and golden frame.-

-She nodded a little with the comfort, a soft smile taking over her muzzle.- "I'll just wait then.."

-Turning tail, she stopped for a moment before motioning towards the rocks in the distance.- "When you next want to find her, that's where she'll be. Along with a good portion of the lions that call this place home."

**

**

-Days had slipped to weeks, and now weeks had already slipped into a month's worth of time that the unusual pair had been traveling together. Shairi's leg by now was healed and right as rain, and many miles of land had passed beneath their paws.

Zimwi was a wonderful companion. Protective, accomadating, giving, ever the complimenter, and just a joy to be with. Over the last week, the cheetah female even found herself waking, and seeking out the familar black pelt before anything else. Falling too attached, too quickly it seemed. She could hardly remember the feeling of traveling alone, but she was quite certain that when that time came she would long once again for the companionship of her traveling partner. Her eyes in fact, had began to fall wearily upon the females they met along the way, wondering which would be the one that would sway her friend from her. But it was always just a fleeting thought, soon interupted by her usual joy, and Zimwi's smile.

The place they traveled this time was one that Shairi herself had never been, far further then usual, driven by the soft curiousity of passing conversation. The ocean, though the name was unknown to her was explained as a watering hole that reached further then one could see.. and though not drinkable.. it moved and swayed unlike anything else. And the thought was too tempting for the cheetah, and she'd quickly attempted to sway her companion that that should be their next destination.

As they neared, after nearly a week of travel, it was becoming obvious that this place was like no other. Far in the distance, the world seemed to glitter, even though they remained still a good half a day's travel from it. But already Shairi had begun to celebrate and beam with soft joy, a glow of excitement seeming to touch her candied pelt.- "This is SO exciting! I can't wait to see. And explore a little."

-Mostly she wanted to step into the swaying waters. And watch the world glitter for as far as she could see. Eyes turning briefly to Zimwi, she smiled happily, tail swaying contentedly.-

A month had passed and such a month for the male it had been.
There was no doubt that a feeling was overcoming him, tugging at his heart strings and making him stronger and happier with each passing day he spent at the cherry blossom coloured female.

He had no word's to explain what he felt, but it was certainly a deep sense of need and want to stay at the cheetah's side.
Her cheerful optimistic smile and personality had rubbed of on him and now he couldn't help but smile at her presence.

Yes, there had been many good looking females he'd seen on their trip.

But whenever they tried or made an attempt to flirt with the male or in the liking, he sort of snobbed them.
Paying more attention in making sure his pink friend was warm, well fed and healed faster.

As his emerald eye's looked over her, he felt the ground become more sand like under his paws, like in the desert.
But he paid no major heed to it and nodded softly to Shairi's words.

"Yes, so do I."

She was amazing when she acted like this.

Such a wimsical, child like charm to her, but the beauty and grace of a fully grown female.

-A purr rippled through her as he spoke, eyes lifting to look up at him as they walked. Her mind was beginning to try and imagine what would lie before them, and she spoke idlely, trying hard to fight the excitement.- "What are you going to want to do first? Take a bath maybe? Or try to find something to eat? I suppose it depends on how late it is when we finally get there."

-Pads shifting gently in the slowly changing ground, a playful smile touched her, and she streched her leg lightly testing it. Nipping at the dark mane that framed his gentle face, before she teased, as she had so long ago.- "Hey Zimwi, catch me if you can!"

-This time however the taunt held a little more weight, and she sprinted forward, lithe body carrying her over the sands quickly. He'd actually have to work and try this time.-

The large lion looked at her and chuckled softly at the cheetah's enthusiasm, only to shrug his shoulders in a slow, graceful manner.
"I have no idea what I want to do first...probably eat or bathe." He said, watching her closely.

As she nipped at his mane, he gave a feline blush, watching as she speeded of infront of him.
Now a chase was certainly something to look forward too.

"With pleasure!" He called out heartily before starting out with a slow trot.

However he soon gained speed, a determined look upon his chiseled lion features as his large pads beat against the soft sand.
He knew he would probably never catch her but it was easy to go along and atleast try.
His muscles started to burn and heart thumped against the inside of his chest as he kept his eye's on the pink female.

But, finally, instinct gave in and he stopped before he killed himself, panting heavily.
"Time out!...I give up...you win...besides...listen..."
He spoke between taking breaths, the sound of water crashing against grains of sand easy to hear.

-When they'd first started she was a little unsure whether or not she'd be able to stay ahead of him. His strides were so long, carried and pushed on powerful legs. But it seemed her lithe and tiny frame had done it's trick, keeping her just out of his reach the entire time. Casting back soft glances as they ran, enjoying the sensation after having been without if for so long.

When he finally pulled to a stop, she slowly looped around, troting to him her pink tongue lulling out, though you almost couldn't see it against her pelt. A soft pant slipping from her as well as a pleasant giggle.- "You almost got me!"

-At his words her ears lifted softly, twitching gently to hear the now apparent sound of crashing waves. They were so close. Close enough that the salted breeze even began to ruffle at the two felines though the actual ocean still lay over a little land and a small hill. Sitting beside Zimwi, she wait for her breathing to once again slow, before that familar smile touched her face.- "I think I should like a bath first. If you're not too hungry. It seems our game has brought us here quicker then I'd imagined. There is plenty of time for looking for food afterwards, yes?"

He chuckled, still a little breathless as his body bowed over while panting, only to straighten up and smile at her.
His black mane covering his face but never hiding those bright green orb's that showed the soft male inside that huge behemoth.
Zimwi then slowly got up, padded ahead of her to the hill that obstructed their view of the open ocean before answering her.

"Oh I believe there's time, we have all day to enjoy ourselves." He said pleasently while padding the mound of sand.

As he reached the top, he paused, eye's open wide and mouth slightly agape as he looked over the never ending water that lay before him.
Like a giant watering hole that seemed to never cease, the sun sparkling on the top of it as the smell of the salt air cleared his lungs and body, making it feel so much cleaner.

It was so relaxing, no wonder Shairi was so excited about coming here.

"My God...it's beautiful..."

-Shairi followed slowly after him as he began to move again, still fighting her breath to return completely. But as she saw the soft shift in his face, she hurried up the hill herself. Her own mouth dropping gently as her eyes tried to take in every last detail of this unique place.

It was just as big as she could have imagined.. the strange vegitation seeming brighter then many of the other places around them. And the waves.. the waves were magnificent! Some unseen force pulling the water towards them. Words wouldn't form in her mouth, instead a pleasant purr rumbled, before she made her way down the hill, intent on touching the swaying water.-

Zimwi'Jicho smiled warmly at his friends enthusiasm as he slowly followed behind her, his eye's casting over the large details that made this place so different from the land he'd been used to.
Such strange plants and smells...strange little scuttling creatures that didn't seem to like moving forward.

He stopped near the water's edge, moving back a little as the sea seemed to crawl towards him before rushing back to the safety of the open ocean before trying to catch his paws again.

What fun this would be.

-She had to giggle a little, the way her companion seemed to subconciously retreat from the approaching waters. But she took the initiative soon after, stepping tentatively into it, before she padded out further, taking in the odd sensation of the water pushing and pulling at her delicate little legs.

Laughing a little more, a soft sound of enjoyment, she bounded out until the water reached as high as her chest, peering through the clear water at the sand and shells that swayed endlessly.-

Zimwi watched from the sands, smiling at his friend before he padded into the waters, a small, sharp hiss escaping his muzzle at the temperature of the water before he gently continued.

The odd sensation of lacking gravity beneathe his paws in the water as he waded out in the shallows, would have to get some getting used too.
He wasn't one to go swimming, but, if it meant sharing time with the lovely Shairi, he would do it.

A happy smile reaching his features as he looked over her, only to move a little closer, the water not going as far at his chest, but still, pretty far up.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked.

"Very much so!" -Was the happy reply he recieved, as she glanced back to him, lifting a paw to splash lightly his his direction, before she began to run, the best one could in the water, which was more like a slow meander. More then likely the tide would pull her under at some point, but she didn't mind really.

It was one thing to travel. And another to immerse yourself in everything. And she was always for the later. Happily peeking through the water, a sudden yelp errupted from her, as the sand shifted and a fish, as blue as the sky, and bigger then any she'd seen before swished away from where she'd just been about to step.

Giggling at her foolishness, her light blue eyes sought out Zimwi's green ones once again, calling softly.- "Have you ever eaten fish before? I think it might be fun to try to catch one." -She was no hunter.. but the fish seemed placid enough not to hurt her. Maybe, just maybe she'd be able to catch something for once. And even if not, it certainly would be fun to try.-

He was very pleased at the reaction he recieved and gave a large, hearty chuckle before watching as she meandered through the pristine waters.
Always keeping an eye out if something happened.

The lion meanwhile allowed the waves to brush against his large body, leaving that cold, tingling sensation to run across his body before he started to pad along in the water.
It was...so odd walking in water.
But at the same time, was very relaxing...well...to him, no doubt the fish where having a fit seeing these two object suddenly invade their territory.

His ears perked at her words before he shook his head.
"No I haven't tried it before, it's suppose to be nice."
Ofcourse he had no idea, it may taste horrible in his opinion, but from wandering, you picked up things.
So he watched her friend hunt.

-Well then try she would! Determination touching her, her ears flicked foward, whiskers twitching gently as if she could possibly hear or smell the fish. And at first she tried to find the fish, stalking slowly after them.

But they always heard, and would always slip away before she could get nea enough. Huffing a little, she sat in the water, trying to think. How in the world was she going to catch one? She wanted to treat him for once.. be the one to catch dinner.

And as her mind lamented, a fish swam up, gently inspecting the colorful spots of her pelt, before it took a n**, and Shairi jumped in surprise. Settling in the water once again she sat and waited for that nasty little fish to come back. Ohhhh she'd get him this time.-

The male watched on curiously, moving towards the land to watch from there.
His mane and fur feeling like a tonne weight as the water soaked into it like a sponge before he shook himself dry.
Water sprayed in a flurry of sparkling showers that landed on the ground or the small waves that crashed against the golden sands, before he sat his large rump down and watched his friend.

He tried not to laugh as she leapt up from the fish and lay his stomache against the warm sands, watching intently.

-She tried hard to keep her tail for twitching, standing still as she watched through the crystal clean waters. And finally it happened, that fish slipping closer once again to try and bite at her spots. Her paw fell hard, pinning the fish with claws and soft weight.

And she sat dumbfounded for a long moment as it twitched beneath her. It was her first catch. It was her first catch! Realization suddenly hitting her a happy sound echo'd through the air before she dipped her head in, wrapping her teeth around the wriggling fish.

Delight overrode the strange sensation of flailing within her mouth and she turned, making her way up towards the shore, tail lashing feverishly, to make up for the smile that couldn't be seen.-

The lion smiled fondly, something that had been in his earlier life a rare thing to carry, but now, followed him everywhere he went along side with Shairi.
She'd done so well for her first hunt and felt the pride swell up inside of him at watching her walk back to shore.

"Great work Shairi! It's a good lookin' fish too." He said, licking his chops before he moved over to her and gently nudged his muzzle against her shoulder.
That smile seeming to be plastered on his face as he walked by her side.

-It was a little bit of a struggle, to keep the flicking and flailing fish within between her teeth, but upon seeing her companion's pride and excitement, she bit down a little harder, before dropping the fish before him in the sands. It wasn't very big really, but it didn't matter to her.

She beamed with soft pride, a purr rippling through her as she waited for him to take the first bite.-

The lion smiled at her, only to lower his large head as she dropped the fish infront of him and took a small bite, tasting it first.
He then gave a large, long yowl of pleasure as his tail stood high in the air.
Dayum, that was some mighty good fish.
Or maybe subconsciously it tasted better, because he knew that this lovely female had caught it just for them.

He looked up at her and licked his chops of the fishy scales that remained on his creamy muzzle.

"It's wonderful." He said softly.

-She watched curiously as the scales shedded away with his bite. Unlike meat it didn't seem to cling to the meat, or rip away cleanly. But instead.. in tiny shiny bits and pieces.

Just another interesting new thing to see and learn. But as his approval touched the air, her smile brighten proudly.- "I'm glad. Perhaps I can help hunt while we stay here then."

-Lowering her head lightly she nipped at the flesh gently tasting it curiously, before a satisfied purr slipped over her. Settling at his side, she awaited him taking another bite, asking softly.- "Are you hungry enough that we need to catch another fish? Or will you be ready to clean up afterwards?"

As he took another bite, he felt her come around to his side and craned his head to look at her and smile before swallowing the piece of fish and licking his chop's once more.

He subconciously remembered to leave some for her though too as he stood there, tail twitching back and forth out of view as he happily savoured the flavour.

"Oh I think that should fill me up some, besides, I need a good wash." He said before looking at himself.

"Being black dosen't help, because you can't tell when you're dirty." The lion then smiled at her.

Must be easy for her though, with that lovely pink fur and white wisps on her leg's.
Amazingly pretty and easy to clean, good combination.

-She looked at him with soft amusement as he spoke, gazing at his pelt as it was brought to her attention. It was true really, the dust hide so well in his dark pelt. She's always looked so much dirtier then he when they were travelling through the dusty Southlands. Giggling a little however, she teased gently as she lowered her head to take another n** at the fish.- "We'll just have to work on getting you more dirty then sometime. Mud perhaps?"

He laughed heartily and then nodded, smirking at her playfully as he gently nipped the fur of her neck and purred softly at her.
"Oh yes, mud would deffinatly work." He said in a fun loving fashion before he got up and moved around to her other side.

The lion was enjoying himself so much, just being here in her company while they talked and played and explored.
It was too much, again, he found himself smiling uncontrollably at the happiness and joy that welled inside his being.

He absoloutely, utterly loved it in her company.

-Giggling softly at the pleasantly ticklish sensation of his n**, she pulled away lightly, lowering her head to n** at the flesh he'd left behind for her. And as Shairi lifted a bite free, she grinned to him gently, tail swaying gently back and forth, until finally she swallowed.-

"Come on then. We'll go try to clean off in the water, and after that we can rest of the bank and clean up anything the water missed. I quite like the breeze around here.."

He nodded softly, only to pad into the water one more, fur standing on end as he watched her closely.
Zimwi waited for her to eat her fill of the moment as he waded in the water, paw's paddling against the liquid as he waited for her.
There was just one thing that got on his nerves about the water...it was so WET!

-Shairi however didn't mind the water. In fact, deep down she was always relieved when she saw water, for it reminded her that she was nowhere near the only horrible place her paws had ever touched. The desert.

Slipping forward into the cool waters, she stepped out before him, before flopping over to her side. Slipping beneath the waters, mildly pleased with the fact that the swaying water did the work for her, and kept her from having to shake and muss with her fur, she stayed under until her lungs cried for air.

Breaking to the surface, she shook her head to force the salt from her eyes, before looking out into the seemingly never ending water.- "I wonder how big it is? If you could walk all the way across?"

The lion made sure she didn't drown under the surface, green eye's watching over her like a protective older brother or father as she finally broken the surface sending a slight spray into his face.

But as she spoke once more, he couldn't help but turn to look out onto the sea, ear's perking and dropping as she looked over it.

It was a domineering and frightening thing to look at, despite the placid feel it gave off.
But no matter how placid, he knew that with something new there was always the sense of new danger's that came with something.
But what?

He then looked at her.

"I have no idea..."

-Normally she'd have asked him if he wanted to try.. to walk or swim the way across. But luckily for the both of them, she'd already begun to take notice to his distaste for the water. So instead she crept closer, dragging a tongue across his salted coat, attempting to clean at the dark fur for him.

Her mind drifted gently, thoughts dragging up conversations from the past, and she continued at her task dutifully as she thought.-

The large male gave a small, hiccup like gasp as his fur was licked and his emerald sparkling eye's watched her closely, tail slowly swaying back and forth under the water.
Occasionally breaking the surface but not with that big a splash.

After a few moment's of watching her, he moved and gently started to lap over her fur.

He'd really gotten used to the feel of mutual grooming, so how was it, that as his rough tongue gently slid over her candy coloured coat, his muzzle became heated in a strong blush?

-Oblivious to the soft blush that plagued her companion so often these days, Shairi simply purred with the sensation of his tongue. A soft rhythmic sound, deep down in her chest as she continued to lap at his pelt.

It wasn't until she stopped momentarily to rid her tongue of the saline taste that finally the thoughts on her mind slipped out, her expression soft as she watched him clean her.- "You know... I've been wondering.."

The male continued to lap and lick at the soft fur of his comrade before his ear flickered toward her and he paused, craning his large head to look at her.
Zimwi' had a knack of looking as innocent and curious as a cub sometimes without knowing it.
This was one of those times as he blinked and looked at her.

"Oh?" He started. "...About what?"

His tail swished back and forth through the pristine water's, ears perked atop the huge mane that engulfed his head as he watched and listened intently.

"Well...." -She trailed softly, eyes adverting from him gently as she thought about the past. Things he'd said, things she'd said. Tail flipping gently, she spoke in a voice barely over a whisper.-

"I was thinking about how much I enjoy having you around. And I was wondering maybe.." -She paused again, looking to him with soft blue eyes, begging for him to know the question, even though there wasn't any way he could.-

"I know it's a little weird.. since you're a lion. And I'm a cheetah."

"But after traveling with you for so long Zimwi.. I don't think any other traveling companion will do. So.. if you'll continue to be my traveling companion, and stay with me. Then I'll be your mate. And then we'll both have what we set out looking for."

"If you wouldn't mind it being me, that is.." -Pink ears tipped in white lifted as her eyes searched his face for the answer.-

The lion had listened intently, ears raising and flattening, eye's widening and blinking.
All the hallmark's of surprise plastered his large feline features as he watched her closely, his bright, vibrant green eye's looking into her beautiful sky blue one's.

Mate?
...
Did she say...she wanted to be his mate?

His mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out.
He was without words, his mind blank apart from sticking to what she'd said, as if he had a stuck record in his brain.

Zimwi' finally gulped, swallowing the lump that had seemed to block all the word's from coming out.
Before he watched her for a long moment or two, before a small smile came to his maw and he moved to gently nuzzle against her neck.

"I would be honoured to have a wonderful female like you as my mate."

-The slightest hint of worry touched her face as she waited for his answer. But when finally he answered, pressing his maw and cheek against her in a soft nuzzle, her worries slipped away.

The flood of thoughts was overwhelming. She probably would have celebrated, and yet.. the thoughts kept her still and mostly silent.

The realization that he'd be travelling with her indefinately.. hearing his voice day after day.. becoming accustomed to the taste of food that was actually caught for her.. But a sudden blush slipped across her cheeks as one last one touched her. That he actually wanted her to be?

It was a gratifying thought, but heavy too. As if she had some sort of responsibility now. Settling a heavy purr in her throat, she returned his nuzzle with one of her own, her tail gently settling over his.- "I'm so glad you feel that way."

The lion's maw seemed almost stuck in that permanent smile, god, he felt so...amazing.
Truth, he felt amazing, his heart was pounding the inside of his chest, as if it was trying to escape from it's ribcage prison.
As he felt her blush, the smile grew and he looked at her.
His tail twitched back and forth happily as the waves gently pushed against there legs.

In a way, this was both romantic and dream like, a dream that he'd never want to wake from.

He knew that he'd been falling for Shairi, one of the reasons he never wanted to leave her.
He had put up with so much in his life, so much hatred towards him, so much loss.
But, this cheetah, this female, all the time he'd spent with her, it was like starting his life all over again.
He'd felt like a cub with her, the cub that had never been.

The lion sighed, but it was so faint as he spoke softly in that ghost of a breath.
Whispering against one of her ears.

"I think I fell in love with you long ago, that's why I never chose to go off with any female that we saw during our travels...I...I never wanted to leave you...I love you Shairi..."

He was never one for lieing, so as always, it was only and always truth.

-Her ears lifted softly higher as his words delicately brushed within them, her eyes widening just a little with the admission.

It shouldn't have been a surprise really.. her feelings mirroring his when it came to think of the other. All that jealously and worry from before that she'd hidden. She was too inexperienced to realize it then, but it was just as he said. She loved him too.

A gigantic, fluffy, and sweet lion and a candy colored cheetahess. All the differences couldn't even begin to tarnish the similarities, or the fact that with all the pieces askew and different, they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

Voice rising, more determined and sure of herself now, it took on the sound of her familar sing-song tone.- "And I love you Zimwi. Not only did you save me.. and care for me while others would have left.. you brought the joy back to my days, and my songs."

The lion sighed in relief as he heard the words enter his ears, smiling more, at this point his cheeks had begun to hurt so much.
But it was deffinatly worth it.
His tail stopped it's attack of the water within his joy, only to gently lap at the fur on the back of her neck and purr deeply.

This wonderful female, he just had her way of making him happier and happier, didn't she?

Such an odd pair they made, two completely opposite species that attracted perfectly.
To other's, he supposed it would've been looked on as bad or taboo even in a way.
But he personally didn't care, he loved her and she loved him.

And that's really what mattered.

-As he made his way further from the rocks, and she settled on his back he debated letting the illusion slip away. It was obvious they weren't waiting for Taabu.. soo.. was there a reason for him to stay concealed once they were out of eyeshot?

Her words lifted his ears, and he shook his head a little.- "I'm afraid I don't. But not knowing people has never stopped me from talking to them."

"Exactly how long are you intent on staying?"

She could well believe that such an obstacle of being strangers wouldn't keep him from talking to someone, but it would have helped if he had known someone here. Then they wouldn't have to look around for somebody worthy of conversation. But then again, why would he come here? No one believed in what he was, except perhaps the outsiders that joined the pride.

"I don't know how long. It all depends on how I'm supposed to get home. I'll need to be back by dark, or my mother will panic. And she'll kill me if she ever finds out I left the borders of our pride lands."

-A smirk touched him, and he teased lightly, as if his intent hadn't been to return her just as he'd plucked her.- "Goodness.. demanding my services around are we? I suppose I can give you a lift back.. since you probably wouldn't make it back home by nightfall on foot."

-Eyes touching the savvanah he looked for something or someone of interest. Seemingly irked that the Flower's entertainment had been cut short before. He wasn't much of a Pleasure god if he couldn't even keep a little one amused and pleased for a day.-

Perhaps a little noisy, but she was getting better at this. Her legs carried her more swiftly now, and mice each time escaped by less and less luck, even though the young lioness was yet to catch something. She had also learned to try and sneak on mice, even if they still heard her.

She also groomed her fur so her father didn't wake up and find his daughter a mess, clearly having wandered off while he slept. Anyone who had known Swaii, would have no doubt she was his daughter, almost a perfect portrait of him, if not the fact Kimaji was a girl.

Her fur was still groomed and tidy, she haden't been out for long, and was yet to find something to chase. She was creeping, or trying to; if a mouse was around, she'd have to be carefulnot to scare it.

Sound caught her ears, and she went in that direction, not as quiet, knowing mice didn't quite.. talk, like lions did. These were lions, afterall. She peeked from the bushes smiling; she was a friendly creature, and would never pop up with an unfriendly expression, unless theother choice would be confused.

"Hi! "

Ny started at the sudden appearance of Kimaji, blinking a little in surprise. She hadn't suspected so soon, nor had she expected whoever they found to find them, especially not lively as this girl.

"Hi," she returned, with a smile to match the young femme's, as the politeness she'd shown to Mufasa earlier was still swimming through her system. But then she frowned, brow furrowing in confusion. This girl looked familiar. Quite familiar. Ny felt sure she'd seen her before, and the only place she'd have seen her would be in the Umande'mfuni lands. Had she been one of the many visitors to the land that Nyunya had glimpsed when exploring the various paths of her home?

Puzzling over this, Ny doesn't realise that she's staring quite intently at Kimaji, perhaps a tad rudely.

"Hello there." -He nodded gently, taking in the sight of this new young lioness, and for a moment he glowered inwardly at his 'luck' and why the children seemed attracted to him today. But the thought faded away after a moment. It wasn't like Flower had ruined his day or anything.. this girl might not be so bad either.

Picking up his game once again he cast a fatherly smile back to Nyunya, tail swaying slowly back and forth.- "Would you like to play with someone closer to your age, my dear little Flower?"

"I'm Kimaji, " She began, apperently unnafected by Ny's staring. "Are ya from out here? Here much different than when me and Momo flew! " She said with a grin, before it faded slightly. "Do you know who Momo is? " The juvenile questions, if they did know her, good, if they didn't, it woulden't hurt to explain, right? Though, Swaii haden't beleived her when she mentioned Momo, and he didn't seem too keen on the same thing when she talked about Mtima and Sei, either.

She looks back, only to find she'd wandered further than she had expected to. She gives her shoulder an uneasy, half uncomfortable lick, unsure of how to ge back, and how Swaii would react. Looking back at the two, she shrugged the thought away... The male looked like he was the little girls daddy.