Something was in the air. Mkorogo could smell it, as could anybody who knew what to look for. The leopard slipped away from the dens, ears flicking a moment to listen to Kohpi, sleeping with their cubs. His cubs... His offspring... The product of their love. It made him smile. Stepping carefully, he got clear of the dens, where nobody would hear him.
Each careful pawstep took a moment of thought, a mindful observation of the surroundings. Sayen, after all, refused to get hurt. She was cautious to a great degree, or as best she could be. Pausing at a log, she sniffed it, ears perking up. He'd been here... Multiple times! A quick scan soon picked up a bit of fur stuck to a branch, and closer inspection proved it to be the red-orange color only two leopards she knew posessed. She was close...
Following a familiar path, Mkorogo pondered what could be out there. As the wind shifted, he knew... It was something only he could face. Jumping on the log crossing the ravine, he stared across it. "Sayen.." His sister, his only sister... But if she was here... He looked around, wary of who could be lurking. Was Lakshmana close? He worried about running into his father, especially after what Sayuri had said. "What are you doing here?"
Looking up, her eyes lit up. It was him! "Mkorogo!" Rushing over, the clay-brown leopardess rubbed on her brother, a rumble in her chest. She'd found him! She'd found her missing brother! "I had to find you, Kory... The colony's in shambles..." She looked up at him, eyes filled with sorrow. "You have to come back... We need you... You need to take your place there..."
He looked at her, and felt a piece of his heart break. "Yenny... I... Can't..." He looked away, ears pinning back. "I have no place there. I never did, and I never will. If I can't live somewhere, where my mate and children are safe... Then I can't live there at all." He knew what would happen if he brought Kohpi or one of their children to the Usafi. They'd be killed on the spot, while he watched. Turning, he started to pad away.
Sayen shook her head, following her brother. "Kory..." She got in front of him, stopping him. "At least... At least visit. I haven't seen Papa or Mama in a while. I don't think you'll have to worry about running into him..." She knew that was the biggest thing he worried about. After all, who would want to get in Lakshmana's way? "Let them know you're alive, at least! Give them some form of hope!"
"What hope can I give them?!" He growled, trying to get around her. When she stood her ground, he glared. "What can I tell them? 'Hi, it's me, the prince that abandoned you all for a lion!' I'd be murdered, or worse, laughed back out!" He motioned with a paw, westward. "Give me a reason to go back there, even for a visit. My place is here, with the Matembezi."
She watched him, eyes filled with sadness. "Okay..." She rubbed her cheek on his shoulder, eyes closed. "I'll miss you, then... I'll make sure to give Mawi a couple kicks now and then... For you..." Turning, she began to walk, head and ears low. Her tail swayed, brushing the bushes she passed nowand then. Each paw step took her away from the Matembezi, and back towards the Usafi.
Looking back towards the dens, Mkorogo.. Hesitated. His gaze returned to his sister, walking away rather sadly. He frowned, paced, then went trotting after. "Sayen... Wait..." He caught up, this time the one to block her. "Fine, I'll go back... But only to visit, and only to tell them I formally leave the colony."
Sayen's face lit up, before she rubbed against her brother. "Thank you, Kory... This means a lot..." As they padded through the trees, Sayen looked up, spotting the stars. "This is almost like home... And yet not quite..." She looked at her brother, smiling. "Does this have something to do with why you live here and not out on the plains?" It was something unique to be able to look at the sky through trees, to have moonlight mottled on your fur.
"It's where it's safe... But I guess..." He jumped over a fallen tree, then stepped out into the open. The plains were haunted looking at night, when the moon was high. He took a deep breath of the night air, closing his eyes. He'd be back... He just hoped Kohpi didn't worry. A tug on his tail had him looking, spotting a familiar green hare. "Darshana..." He leaned over, so the hare could hear better. "Tell Kohpi I'll be back. I'm just paying my old home a visit." He nudged the hare, then turned, walking away.
Watching the hare leave, Sayen tilted her head. Curious creature... She turned, following after Mkorogo. Each step brought then closer to the Usafi lands... Closer to home, closer to the temples. She hadn't been there in so long, and she missed it. She looked forward to seeing Kamawi, Fu, and Nava again. How was the colony doing? Were they recovering? She hoped so...
