[PRP] - Lost and Found (End!)

[Daffupanda]

-- AIM RP between Ntombi and Kioo ((DFA & Ume))

She was lost.

Terribly, horribly, and increadibly lost.

Turning her head, the princess paused her padding, taking a moment to peer left, and then right, but the territory she padded was not familiar in the least; in fact, if anyone were have asked Ntombi, she'd have claimed to be in the middle of no where. A twitch of her eye signaled the fact her mind simply could cope no longer, and as she sat down, she gripped her head with her front paws, "HOW is this POSSIBLE?!" she yelled, "I can NOT be lost! IT IS NOT POSIBLE!" her shouts, which she directed at the sky, almost as if it were to blame for her predicament, grew shrill, "This isn't happening to ME!" growling, she stomped a front paw on the ground, lifting a cloud of dust, which in turn forced her to cough. If anything, it was clear today was not.... Ntombi's day.

Kioo was a grump right down to the very core, or at least pretty close. He was a guy pretty used to hiding every vulnerable spot -or at least all the ones he recognized as vulnerable - burried deep down in a black safe in a black whole in his heart. That way, in a moment of goodness and selfless acts, he still couldn't reach through the darkness to reach it. As it was, his body itself might have been a stone fortress. He didn't move or even seem to breath except when a creature came close enough to inspect him. Those he growled or snapped at. He had gotten a rather pathetic lunch that way ...not that he planned on bragging about it. No, it wasn't until he heard a cry that he made a real move.

The sound of the female's frustration was enough to interest him. They say misery only attracts more misery. The same could be said for the miserable. With his curse, he was only more grumpy. It didn;t help that that acted as a huge roadblock on his way for doing good deeds.

The lioness was grey, an unremarkable color, but tattooed with markings clearly associated with fighting. To what degree he had no idea. But the markings gave her a little respect from him. But her state, however, put a stopper on how much respect he afforded her. His mind couldn't come up with a retort so he settled for looked at her with a smug look, one that was amused by her state as though there was nothing more amusingly pathetic and waited for a remark to come to mind.

Unlike Kioo, Ntombi wasn't bad. Or mean, or evil. Not really; in fact, half the time she hurt others through her words, she hardly even noticed the damage she'd done... mostly because she never took a glance back, much too busy with the 'nows' to think about the 'thens'. Vain, uptight and perhaps just a bit spoiled... the princess was used to getting what she wanted, when she wanted it. It didn' help that she was naturaly rather pretty, and finely made; without a doubt her royal lineague showed in her features...sleek and powerful legs, and steady body. Granted, she was a little on the lithe side, but that had never bothered her; it only seemed to accentuate her royal features further, and give her an air of sweetness, even though she was far from when angered.

As it was, she had no real idea how she'd gotten lost; as a msaka, she was known for wandering long distances away from Mteo borders, in seek of prey. Earlier the previous day however, she'd followed a random buck just a bit too far away. The animal had weaved her through brushes and savanah... grasslands and thornfield till Ntombi had absolutely NO idea where she was.

It was right about then that the scent of the male reached her nostrils, and rather than doing the intelligent thing; aka, ask for directions, and perhaps show a bit of humility doing so, her frustration got the best of her and the lioness seethed at him, "What are YOU looking at, Mongrel?!" she snapped at him, the tuff of hair framing the left side of her head before she turned her head to SCOWL heatedly at the sky.

Kioo smirked. "That's a bit refreshing. Most people who bother to insult me are usually more creative with their insults. So I guess a little more blantant insult is a nice change. Of course, there's also that factor of how most people address me as your highness." It was a bit of a stretch. He hadn't been a prince, much less an heir to anything but death for a long time now. But one thing he was good at was anonymity which allowed him to pretend to still be so.

He wasn't a great hunter, only a good one. Really, he wasn't a professional at anything but selfishness. "But alright, Mongrel it is. That shall be my name for today. And you shall be Lady Distress." he figured it'd be a big enough insult without the need for creativity. It'd insult any bit of strength she prided herself in having. "Because that's what I'm looking at."

She stiffened slightly, her eyes narrowing a tad; why would others bother to insult him on such a... normal basis? She was used to others ignoring the insults or feling mildly offended; never sarcastic over them, "The fact you're insulted on a regular basis doesn't really say much in your favour," the words were dry, drawled back at him as she took one last look at the sky before padding over towards the male.

It would just NOT do to keep on yelling across the bleeding savanah at him. Maybe, just MAYBE he knew where they were? Letting out a sigh, she ran a paw over her face, the tattos that marked her fur never smudging, "Right, your highness," she sneered, "Would you and your obvious court know where the HELL we are?" a pause as her blue eyes narrowed an a claw came to peek out of her white mitt, which she promptly pointed at him, "And don't you DARE gimme some snarky response like 'Africa, of course!' or I swear, I'll eat your...." she looked him up and down, and frowned; he was much bigger than her, "Ears," she told him, still scowling, "I don't care if I'm 4 bloody inches smaller; I will!" she stomped a paw as he spoke onward, "It's NTOMBI you ignorant!" she frowned again, her ears flopping down, and most of her spark died for a moment as she leaned in, haunched over; Oh why OH WHY her?!  

[Daffupanda]

He made a bow that would have seemed respectful except for the smirk on his face. "My fair Lady Distress, we are in the savannah a long way from any place you would probably consider home. I hope that's not a problem....?" He acted as though he were searching her face for the answer. "Oh it is? Hmm. Well then, I'll just have to lead you home, won't I?"

But he paused and considered something. Her attitude suggested she was spoiled. So what did most spoiled children do (not thinking that in this moment he was comparing her to his past)? They ran away from home when things got rough. "Or is that why you're out here?" He laughed and shook his head. "If so, well Lady Distress, you can't live in my ears. You're just not the right size. We'll just have to find you some other place. I mean, I know they're just the prettiest thing but sorry. They're mine." He let insults amuse him so he had no issue saying things that would only get insults flung back. The more she rose to the occasion, the more fun he'd have.

She stared at him for a long, had moment, and then, her eyes narrowed, and an ear flicked, "I'm eatting your ears for dinner," she told him matter of factly; so dry was her tone that one would've almost expected her to be 100% serious in what she was proclaiming to do. A sigh was offered then, "Just my luck; a whole bloody savannah, and I stumble upon idiot number one. Who the hell ever told ME to hunt that buck?!" oh, granted, she'd taken it down, beat it and had had her share; in fact, her kill was hidden not a long way away. However, no sooner had she killed the buck that.... she'd noticed she had no idea where she was, and thus, no general idea of how to get the food BACK to the pride.

Oh woe was her.

"Because YOU would know where Mteo'nyungu Lands are, my prince?" she arched a skeptical brow up till it hid under the locks of hair that cascaded over the side of her face. It was interesting to note how she was mocking his title when she herself, was a pureblooded princess; alas, he did not know that, and something told her that releasing would not be in her favour today, "You and what army is going to lead me back hom?" she peered over his shoulder, making a show of seeking someone, ANYONE that might be behind him, "Sorry to imform, me lord, you forgot your court back in kingdom-come."

She snorted at him, "Hardly; I was hunting. I am a Msaka; I hunt. I lost track of where I am, was, or what-the-HELL ever!" she was frustrated again and lifted her paws in the air, "I can't believe this is HAPPENINING to me!"

She eyed him for a moment before scowling, "They look rather crunchy, actualy," she proclaimed before turning away from him, padding a few steps to her right, and then doing the same... onto to her left. She was a GOOD Msaka; she had no idea what had happened to lead her so far away! In fact, the ammount of Tattos on a lioness of the Mteo, indicated his or her level of efficiency at hunting, and/or fighting, depending on the role.

He chuckled. "Because, yes of course, I can't do anything without my court. I'm so handicap on my own. Oh whoa is me," he said with a fake whine. He really never even had a court. His uncle's court was composed of people he trusted and people he had do things for him. But Kioo had never had command over anything more than his family's personal slave. So the idea that a court might actually follow their leader around dutifully almost like an entourage or like a wall of echoing voices to offer support. It could even be said that no one back home outside of his family liked him much, though him too high and mighty for his age and self. "Ever think I left them? I'm not so incapible of finding my way around, my fair Lady. Distress be your name but vulnerability be your pain."

He laughed that she exposed her situation so freely and openly before him. It suggested a couple of things being that a. she considered him nothing better than a rock and so not worth treating as able to comprehend her secrets or b. she was incapible of keeping them or even c. she really wanted his pity and him to help her.

"Well rather than parading yourself before me so that I can admire your stress-ridden body, perhaps you'd like to come try for yourself?" He didn't know whether or not he expected her to actually come up and try. There was actually a good chance she would but he was a big guy. His estimation of the pain she could inflict on him was minimual. So he bowed his head, tilting it so that an ear was conveniently near the level of her mouth.

He actually began to think that maybe he should be trying to whiddle a good deed out of her. However, this was too much fun. Bite away, Lady Distress, he thought. Let's see how far it gets you.

"Seriously? You look like you can't very well lift a finger without your court of honor," she stopped her pacing to look at him momentarily, however, whom was she to talk? SHE was the one that was hopelessly lost and away from home. Not HIM. Which put him, inmediately at an advantage, whilst leaving her at a clear disadvantage. Ntombi was intelligence enough to know this, yes, but she was also stuburn enough to not act on those thoughts. In fact, she was doing quite the oposite; she was digging her own tomb, deeper and deeper and deeper...

The princess was, in fact, almost certain she'd reach Hell if she kept on digging for just a few more minutes. Of course, her pride demanded she keep on going, rather than save her sorry life, and thus she struggled, obviously to an outlooker's eye, to regain control of the situation. Finaly, she stomped her foot again, "It is NTOMBI! Or are you just too small brammmmmdfgdsf....!" she shut her mouth and merely mumbled the rest of the phrase, looking sullen, miserable and unhapy. She didn't CARE who he was. And she didn't really care if he was mighty king of Egypt itself, so long he could help her get home, where she belonged. Tell truth, had Kioo been able to look into her mind, he'd have noted it was perhaps, a lot of a) and...... just a tad of b). Letter c) was never even concidered, for after all, pity was extremely over rated. Ntombi much rather attention, and degrading herself to asking for help was entirely out of character for her. It meant having to admit she'd been wrong... and had, in fact, made a mistake.

It meant to admiting she was less than perfect.

And then.... the ear was offered at her and the lioness seethed, her maw offering him a dry grimace. The hesitation was minal however and she soon enough pounced at him; her lithe body aiming to grasp at him as her maw came to close over the ear, however, as soon as she grabbed a hold of it, she did not bite, but rather, nibbled and murmured, "I'm lost, and alone, and oh god, I'm with an idiot, and I'm being an idiot, and what would my my father say if he saw me and how am I going to GET the bloody kill back to Mteo and WHYYYYYYYYY am I here and WHYYYYYY is it you?! Why can't a knight in shinning armour appear when I NEED it?!" all this was said between a mouthful of pelt and thus sounded more than a bit muffled, perhaps unintelligent; she even accentuated several word by flopping her left paw over him, 'hitting' him softly as one would have a pillow... without strength.

Perhaps the snail on his bottom was a symbol of what he was like, not something greatly appreciated by others but with a purpose. Knowing that purpose, some might still think it useless and a disgrace. But the snail is proud of itself and loves itself when no one else did. And so did Kioo. "Hunny, my armor shines. You just need to learn to look behind white and silver." He bowed. "But I'm at your service. You've won my ear over and now I'm at its will. So would you still have me take you or should I let the vultures?" He gestured up to the sky where one or two flew over head lazily, looking for something to pick at for themselves.

Kioo never asked for something. In that they were similar. He didn't ask. He demanded. He was used to getting his way bluntly and if not, then overtly. Nor was he one to offer help. But he had little to do. And he had that slight fantasy that he could meet her father and tell him how much of a spoiled brat she was. Of course, if he did, that would probably be the death of him. But his brain had the habit of leaving out certain details ...like pridal lands where lions live ...lions who'd tear a stranger apart for insulting one of their respected own.

But he was perfectly blind to the truth. "But yes, I hope you enjoyed my ear. That doesn't happen very often. My limbs like to keep to themselves." He winked at her as though to suggest that he was flirting. Although based on his previous statements throughout the conversation, it was clear it was just a jest. "So where does this Mteo place exist? Describe it to me." Oh no. He just realized what he probably doomed himself to. A very patriotic, exaggerated description of one trying to convince another that they lived in the perfect place. But he had asked for it. So he guessed he'd have to wait for the answer.

"And guess what?" he teased as though she were a child. "Be good and I might call you by your real name." He hadn't given her his name but that was her fault. And he didn't exactly feel like offering it. At least not yet.  

[Daffupanda]

She remain, amusingly enough, attatched to him and that ear, grumbling under her breath as she nibbled at it, perhaps drooling on the poor apendague just a tad. It was only when he raised his head (raising Ntombi off the ground slightly in the process) that she let go, flopping down in a sitting position beisde him, one paw over his body still, "I don't see any armour..." she mumbled lamely as she lowered herself off his body and to the floor. One peek at the vultures though and the princess suddenly pressed herself to his side, her ears flopping back, hidden amongst her gray pelt, "Uhm," another peek up to the sky, and then at him; she was already lost. What wrong would it do for him to guide her for a bit? It wasn't like it was posible to get further more... lost than she already was.

She did not answer his question, but simply flattened her ears a bit further against her pelt if posible, still pressing her form against his, as if using it to hide herself from inminent danger. Then.... she let out a sigh and looked away, "Can't get any more lost; I don't mind following you. For a while," maybe the male would have better luck than she had. She frowned, lifting her head, her bangs cascading to the side of her face, revealing both her eyes in the process as she pondered, " South of the Pridelander territory," she informed, "North east of Kusini territory.... Mteo is small, secluded. Slightly hidden," she shrugged slightly as she continued, "It's a land like most others. Grasslands, baobabs.... other than the fact it's hard to reach, it's not particularly diferent from others," she frowned up at him; what did he expect her to say anyhow? "If we're near enough, I can find the way back thanks to pointers, but given there are NO BLOODY pointers here, we are NO WHERE near," she gritted her teeth at the end of the sentence an pulled away from him, padding a few paces to the left again, and a few to the right before he spoke again. She offered him a dry look.

"Ha, Ha," she said dourly at him before flopping down on the floor, allowing her head to rest over her paws. Now that she'd allowed the frustration to seep away from her and she wasn't particular insulting him, or throwing a fit, she looked almost normal, "I'm not sharing my meals with YOU unless you call me by NAME you......" she paused, realising she didn't know his name, "You.... you.... male," she finalised, obviously seeped out of insults. And in the process, runing the fine picture of innocence she'd been weaving whilst silent, "Knight in shinning armour; my a**."

Kioo was amazed by the indiscrimination, how she pressed against him in fear when moments before she would have rather truly bit off his ear than share an intimate space. But then, he thought with a sigh, she was a female and what could he say other than that females are the weaker sex. Maybe not in hunting, since the gods clearly designed them for that, but in emotional states, males ranked on top.

Nextly, he didn't know whether to give her props or to criticize her lack of imagination. She did not, in fact, describe it the way he had feared she would but had been realistic. However, he had no clue what the Pridelands was or where it was. Nor had he heard of the Kusini. Such landmarks were useless to him ...as they weren't exactly landmarks. But hard to reach was the key. Hard to reach meant rocks ...usually. Or mountains. Or any other terrain that could make it difficult for one to travel through successful unless they knew the way, much less an army. Kusini meant south. But she said Kusini and Pridelands as though they were well-known, which meant they weren't secluded. Probably had easy access. So in his mental brain he marked them as open space, savannah, but probably lush so that they supported enough life for lions to live there in great enough numbers for a lion to expect another to know about them. And this was all good. It gave him an idea. He knew of a mountainous region near a suitable place for a pride. It was as good of a Southwardly direction than any.

"Well, Lady Distress, your shouting has done you less good than your explanations. No matter. If you would care to proceed, I shall lead the way." he smirked. "Don't worry. We'll pick up some armor for your a** on the way. Although with it being that size... hmmmm." Now as to whether he meant too large or too small or if it even affected her depending on if she was willing to feel insecure about it in any manner. But he expected a rise out of her and inside was all bubbly in anticipation of receiving her retort. Of course, she'd have to catch up to deliver it.

He set off in the calculated direction, the sun on just the right angle of his haunch. The wind was a comforting guide for the moment. But one could never trust the wind. As fickle and inconstant as a woman.

Emotional was one to describe the female; it was obvious, if anything, that she could shift from emotion to emotion in a moment, making 180º emotional turns. This could be a good thing, or a bad thing; as it was, at the moment it was clearly the later, for her frizzled nerves were not allowing her t do much than twitch nervously, from one feeling to another. Rage, fear, annoyance, frustration... all of them seemed to cloud her mind at the same time, one after another till she'd been left entirely drained and devoid feeling. This was, in fact, a good thing; it meant she was less likely to get into trouble.

"Mteo is southen-ward... but I don't know where I AM, so padding southen-ward might take me awa- STOP CALLING ME THAT!" she stomped on HIS feet with her own this time, alas, of course, she wasn't particularly large, and she was drained and devoid energy, so it probably didn't even hurt him; not like she cared either way, really. She just wished to get her point across, though something told her... it was futile. For now.

She turned around, trying to ignoring the 'a**' bit, however, her tail flicked and aimed to smack him on his nose; again, still devoid energy, it was a futile movement, though it did make him feel better, "You wouldn't know a royal a** if it danced before your eyes," she murmured as she followed after him. She paused momentarily to look to her left, "I left a perfectly good catch..." her blue eyes then slowly moved to regard him, narrowing, "We might as well use if before getting any further lost."

Kioo's emotions seemed rather limited to bemused [at another's expense], bitter, and angsty. They fluxated, The first was caused by the second but never appeared in betwix the other two wheras the latter two almost always coincided at the same time. While such a state might exhaust others, he had a ready store and seemed to recycle and fix whatever was damaged so that the cycle continued unaffected. So while she could drain herself, he couldn't. While it was probably a bad thing, he didn't recognize it at all.

His amusement at her retorts was dampened, a stomp on his foot and flick of tail to the face souring his expression. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, he brushed it off. His level of excitement was too high to be properly distinguished by minimual abuse. However, it slid back on track. "Well your dainty little royal hinny ain't going to survive out here very well with only tattoes for protection. As one royal a** to another, you don't have subjects out here to praise you. Only me. And I'm not exactly a fountain of flattering lies."

He eyed her quizzically but still amused at the mention of a burried kill. He usually just left his out in the open. He was done when he was done. Not like he planned to have any more of what he had already eaten. The vultures could have at it if they so pleased. He'd just get another one when he was hungry again. "Waste not want not" was a phrase lost on him. "Fine, lead us there if you so please. Eat your fill so that we can move along."

His downfall, of course, was the refusal of her offer. It was clearly begrudging of her to offer but he felt like prickling her just a bit more by refusing. That and he was just a little bit stubborn. He was having fun playing her superior in the ways of the rogue and wayward lion and wasn't about to let that wall fall long enough to eat what she so "graciously" offered.

"Oh, it'd survive well enough," she snapped back, "I VERY much rather return HOME though. A rogue's life isn't for me; it has nothing to do with can do or won't do. It has to do with WANT to," she sneered as she lead the way towards the kill she'd taken down earlier before realising just how... far away she'd gone out to do so, "Looks like you'd know a lot about 'want', too," she let out another sigh, shaking her head; staying angry at him was emotionaly draining. Where he could, amusingly enough, probably keep it up all day... it was obvious she couldn't, "My kingdom for a map, and direction, not protection," she murmured.

However, it was then she'd come to ponder just how... annoyingly right he was; she was one single lite female, out in a rogue's world, where just about anyone larger than her could snarl and try to take her down, or worse. Of course, this didn't mean she'd allow herself to be taken down by just about anyone; needless to say she'd put up a hearthy fight. However... she was not a warrior. She was no Shuuja. And size was, unfortunately, not on her side at the time being.

"Flattering lies," she snorted as she padded on, her gaze turning towards him, "I don't think I've heard one flattering thing come out of that mouth. Lie or not," she reached the bushed where she'd taken down the buck, lifting her head at his refusal; rahter be offended, the female looked up at him in confussion, her eyes blinking once, twice before she decided he really WAS an idiot. She then shrugged, "Suit yourself," and this said, she lay down to eat from the kill which she'd been saving to take back to the pride. Sadly... there was no way she could drag it back to Mteo, so might as well enjoy it and leave the rest for whatever hungry animal came along. Circle of life, and all that rott, she figured as she hug in; her maw and front legs soon enough marred red from the gore.

Only when she was done did she stand up, frowning at her now blood-marred pelt, "Water hole?"  

[Daffupanda]

He snorted. "Well I'm glad to see you have such faith in me. I happen to have a huge store of understanding on 'want', on 'need', on 'desire'. Don't doubt that, if you're going to doubt anything." His playfulness still held itself on his face but there was a hard seriousness that glazed in his eyes as though he so desired to yell at her "what do you know?!" But of course, he didn't. That was a vunlerable spot. And exposing it would only lead to an open wound, a gash in his side. And the memory that he was cursed on top of many other things. He had gone through things that could make or break a person. But it was up to an observer as to which catagory he fell under.

Kioo was a large lion. Kioo was a strong lion. But Kioo was not a wise lion. His expertise involved in what ways people can hurt you and what ways you can inflict revenge. On how to survive in the wilderness alone but not how to make friends. It was an incomplete undesirable wisdom if wisedom at all. But honesty he did use when it suited him. "Darling, that's precisely the point. I'm not going to flatter unless I see something worthy of it. Which is the difference between me and many another lion."

And he did suit himself. Sat there with his back turned to her, focusing on other matters, turning inward to reflect upon thoughts that liked to plague him at the worst of times. But snapped out of his daze, he turned back to the matter at hand. He chuckled to find her not the graceful eater. He had half-expected it the way she hinted that she was proud of her pedigree. "Yea... over there." He led the way to a nearby waterhole. It was small in size and seasonal really, but it would suit her purpose. Hopefully she wasn't used to being able to take baths in waterholes. He did not want to have to deal with that sort of whining.

"Doesn't look like it," she paused as she shook herself, taking one last look at the meat; what a pity... such a waste. As a huntress, and despite her personality, if there was one thing she'd learnt well enough, it was to respect food and prey.

She did look over at him in time to see that gaze flash.... something in his eyes, and it was about then that the lioness wondered why the blasted hell he was helping her, to beging with. He did not act like a hero, or like someone that helped out the his heart, and so... the whole scenery was suddenly moronic, in her eyes, "Are we going to biquer all the way to Mteo?" she murmured as she followed after him, "Or do you just particularly enjoy the reluctant anti-hero role? I don't even know what the hell you're thinking; what have you to gain from this anyhow?" because honestly, he didn't strike her as the type that'd do anything less it was in his gain, and try as she might, she could not understand what he was gaining from this.

His words perked her attention and she arched a brow, "I'll take that," she told him, "I've never liked blanant lies to please anyhow," she saw plenty of that at home; many did not particularly like her. She knew that. Yest they acted like they did, which was, at times... nice, and yet at others, annoying. Slipping away from his side, she lay by the water and splashed her front paws in the cristaline liquid. Soon enough, the ghost of a smile haunted at the corner of her maw, her paws playing mildly in the little water, her claws extending and retracting as she cleaned herself. It looked as if the water had soothed her, or as if, perhaps, she'd forgoten her current company, till she addressed him, her back turned to him, "What's your deal anyhow?"

Kioo'vunjika had received his name from a crazed father but had been given the attainability of the throne by his Uncle to have it pulled out from under him. A truly pampered spoiled brat such as himself knew how far one could fall. He also knew what ridicule and snide comments felt like about something which mattered to you, which you were senstive about. So he wasn't just about to go parading his lifestory before her just so he could relive those feelings.

"Let's just say that you asked me to help you and if I had said no and went along my merry way, the next time I come across a lion carcass I might have to ask myself if I let that happen to you. No thanks. I'd rather save a life than condemn it." Maybe ...just maybe she'd get the truth from him. The full untarnished truth. Until then, she'd either need to have a convenient run-in with the goddess of truth or be patient until he felt like telling her. "But the bickering does add a healthy bit of flavoring. But I can keep quiet if that's what you're asking."

He raised a brow at her splashing and good ole fun in the waterhole, submerging the slight fear, slight beat that she'd try to splash him purposefully. He wasn't the biggest fan of getting wet unless it was his idea. When she turned around, he quickly pulled himself into a bland state of mind so that she couldn't tell what he had been thinking. "What's my deal? With what, may I ask?"

"Hmmm..." she arched a brow, but did not press the issue further; she knew a lie when she saw one. There was.... more to this than he was letting on, alas, she couldn't very well pry it out of him, "Thank you," it was said suddenly, seriously, the hint of the smile that'd been playing her lips having banished as she addressed him, her head turning to look at him out the corner of one eye as she cleaned herself away. It was just two words, granted, but two words she'd not given freely to just about anyone; Ntombi felt they were words best reserved for situations of gratitude, not falsehood. And thus, though he'd not told her why he was doing this, she figured that maybe... it didn't really matter right now.

This in mind, she turned back to the water and smiled again, rinsing herself off till the blood was long gone and only her tattoes remain. Taking her limbs out of liquid, she proceeded to drink and then rinse her face off and only when completely satisfied did she recoil slightly away from the water hole, "Your deal. With everything. Everyone," she sat down and licked her paws, narrowing her eyes, as if trying to see through him, past whatever sort of wall he'd built, "You don't look like you're really the most cheerful of lions, and..." she seemed to actualy ponder at this point, "No, don't remain silent. I rather biquering than silence," another pause as she mock bowed her head, like a prince would to a princess, which was.... rather ironic, given the circumstances, "Lead the way then."

He smiled and shook his head but in a playful manner. "You're welcome," he said softly. He didn't feel the need to say it since the aid wasn't exactly selfless but he said it if practically inaudible so that one couldn't accuse him of being inpolite by not saying it.

While she drank, he afforded himself a drink and then straightened himself out until her response was spoken. "Well you know I'm a prince. And you know I'm no where near a pride I could be prince of. We can make it like a game, a trade if you will. You'll have to trade me information about yourself for info about me. The more valuable the information you give me, the more valuable my own shall be. Deal?" He doubted she had probably done or experienced anything significant enough to be worthy of his secret. That, of course, was to his benefit in that he wouldn't have to give it up unless he wanted to offer it of his own free will. And of course, hopefully he didn't just promise himself to a very boring trip. Upon reflection, he could find that she had led the most boring life ever and would have to listen to the dullest tales until they finally made it far enough. Looks like he might have to relie on his tongue afterall, to liven things up and keep it from getting boring. Snarky was in his vocabulary. And he made use of it indirectly everyday.

Picking up the direction he had originally set out in, he oberved the time around him. It was perhaps mid-day. He had no clue how long she had traveled to get here or how long it would take them to get her back. He thought to himself, this better pay off.  

[Daffupanda]

Oh, she knew the aid wasn't selfless; she didn't know what he was gaining, or why, or HOW, but at the moment, she figured that... well, it didn't really matter. No matter what agenda he had, or what reasons, fact was, he was helping her; that warranted a bit of gratitude.

Her head tilted to one side as he spoke, and then she smiled, "Well, at least it'll be an entertaining trip," she murmured, "Sounds like a game," she said as she followed after him, allowing him to lead them to.... wherever it was he was leading them to.

With any luck, it'd be home.

End!