Nitarin paced away from his father's pride, considering all Rellick had told him.. They'd had one of those serious father-son talks, away from his sisters, his daughters, his mate... Rellick had dove right into the heart of the first matter...
His pain.
A son's pain carried to his father, no doubt about it. So Nitarin had told him.. Told his father how he had failed Insiri... His beautiful, loving mate who had known so much pain, so much death... He had failed to protect her...
Losing cubs was not easy for any mother....
With a sigh the Dusk Prince paced on through the unclaimed lands... Wandering while his thoughts chased each other like cubs after a mouse...
This roaming around thing was getting easier. At least he didn't have to watch over 5 cubs at once... they were all grown now and surprisingly some of them had children... and were happy. Mekare was happy once until he messed it up, trying not to let this idea float to far in his mind. Looking around he wished he had someone to talk too, Sashiko was off roaming along with his own family and only came to see him once since he left... He was so lonely...
After his wandering had taken him a distance he looked up and away from his paws. It was then his gaze caught onto another lion, walking around, and what seemed to him, just as hopelessly as he was. "Hey..." He said loud enough to hopefully get his attention.
Nitarin turned instantly, crouching, ready to fight. The other male was still a good distance off, but didn't look threatening.. Still... Slowly he straightened to his full height, muscles rolling beneat his coat as he took a step toward the stranger.
"Hello." He rumbled by way of greeting, watching the stranger closely. He looked, familiar... Like Nitarin had seen him before, but perhaps he'd just heard of the male? Or maybe he was losing his mind....
Mekare took a step back instantly when the other male took a defensive position. "Whoa... easy..." He said mostly too himself but it was possible for the other male to hear. As the male straightened Mekare seemed to shrink. He definately had lost his will to battle when he lost the love of his life... yet somehow this male reminded him of her... was it the smell? He certainly didn't look like her. "Truce? I didn't mean an intrusion..." He said as he walked cautiously closer. Had he invaded some other pride? He hadn't smelt the border...
"You aren't intruding." Nitarin replied, stalking forward out of some instinct to keep this male away from his land... His family's lands...
The unspoken 'yet' that accompanied those words hung in the air between them, but Nitarin didn't really care. He paced toward the male, considering him, deciding it wouldn't need to be a battle... If he did cross any lines, this stranger would be sorry... "I am Nitarin, of Scarlet Shadows... And you?"
Mekare held his ground but he hoped this male wasn't meaning business... heck all he said was hi... "I'm Mekare... from Heaven's Guardians..." Being somewhat familiar with these lands he frowned a little. "Nitarin... arn't you a ways away from Scarlet Shadows? I thought that pride stayed awefully close to its borders... not trying to be foul or opposing..." He said, eyeing the male.... Rellick... was the male in that pride that Nox talked about... Oh Nox... I'm sorry...
Nitarin bristled, tension singing through his muscular form. "Actually," He replied. "My family is well known for its wanderings... So no, we don't tend to specifically stay 'close' to the borders... As we have allianced with prides as far as the mountains... It would be foolish to stay..."
He narrowed his eyes, wondering at the expressions chasing across the stranger's face. "Mekare... You're wandering a bit yourself."
