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Khaem-Shu would never forgive Msimbo’Sorin for as long as he lived. First Tsopa had gone back to the Swamplands without him after saying since they were cubs that they’d take their Name Quest together. Now Sorin had come with him to the Dawnwalkers and then just up and left when he couldn’t /get any tail/. Just because he couldn’t get any of the females here to just mate with him, his suppose friend had just left. With barely even a word!

Fortunately he was otherwise settled in the pride now. It took his mind off things to learn about their history or be out here in the desert. The sun was baking hot overhead and he’d become as good at crossing the sand as he’d been wading in the swamp. Shu was out on patrol and not thinking about being so mad at Sorin…sort of.

*

Zuri was naive, one would think at her age, on the cusp of adulthood she would be beyond reckless roaming. She had never grown out of roaming though, for the young female had never found a place to settle, a place to call home. She had learned about many prides, many bands of lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Yet not one had called to her, not one had been willing to accept her and let her share in their traditions. Still she forged onward with a smile unwilling to let herself be unhappy. She had herself and she ate well, she was a fair huntress, and no disaster had ever struck her young life. She had never lost a friend for she had never made one.

Inexperienced, that was Zuri, and it was that inexperience that had led her to wander into the sandy heat. She had continued onward with dogged determination certain that food or water were up ahead. There was always something up ahead, just around the bend, but not this time...

Just as she felt her paws sway under her, just as her vision swam, Zuri considered that it might have been wise to have turned back. Yet before she could get her body around the sun stroked her fur and her eyes closed as she swayed and fell.

*

While they were not to be feared unless in large organised groups, with their loyal lion slaves who willingly served them, you still kept an eye on vultures in this desert. The harsh cry of a large vulture carried to where Khaem-Shu was patrolling and he half turned to stare in it’s direction, his ears pricked while his eyes watched. It circled somewhere towards the border. This was the far side of the desert from the river where the herds lived so unless a prey animal had strayed far… well, it was worth checking on at any rate.

As he neared where it circled, he climbed over a dune, and from the higher vantage point he could see a white and grey bundle of fur beneath where the bird was. With a growl the small lion sped up. If that wasn’t a lion, he was an elephant.

“Get away, child of Nekhbet! That one is not for you.” The roared challenge was enough to make the vulture think twice. It was alone, not in a group, and it had no slaves who’d answer its cry. Shu saw it off before turning to the lioness.

*

Zuri's mind swam in and out of consciousness but the roar, the mighty roar finally made her force her eyes open. She felt so strange, as if her entire body had been drained of energy. Her eyes rolled to one side trying to determine her location while her paws struggled to get her upright. Oh but she felt woozy, finally she managed to get herself halfway towards a sitting position.

"Nekhbet?" She murmured curiously and settled her yellow eyes on the stranger before her. He appeared to be about her age, and she wondered if that roar had come from him.

*

“The goddess of vultures and one of the protectors of this land.” Supposedly. Shu tended to think of such gods as great spirits, melding the Swampland beliefs with the religion of his new pride. He came closer as he explained, lowering his head to talk to her on her level as she tried to get up. She’d clearly collapsed once and she didn’t look so good. Like she might faint again.

“You shouldn’t try to get up yet…How do you feel? Have your drunk anything lately?” Shu didn't mean to sound gruff, just in charge, reassuring. But what he meant to do didn't always happen.

*

Hmm Goddesses and Gods, another unique outlook, she wondered with so many believing in such beings if they weren't really around after all. She would need to try and pay better attention to things, maybe then she would notice them too. Her paws trembled under her and she tried to keep her eyes focused on the male.

"I...no I don't think I have...I had a drink..." Had it been yesterday? Had it been longer? How long had she lain in the sand? "It was a while ago...yesterday I think...there wasn't anything around to drink while I was walking."

She tried to smile, tried to be polite, unaware of how close she was to simply passing out again, unused to the heat, and certainly in need of hydration. "I'm Zuri...Do you...do you happen to know where we are?"

*

“They call me Khaem-Shu and you’re in the Tuait’tekem pridelands, Zuri.”

Sod being polite, Shu moved to place a paw against her side, trying to get a measure of her heartbeat. The rate would have increased in the heat. She seemed confused and dizzy, so coupled with the heart rate he didn’t feel the need to stick his paw in her mouth to find out if it was dry and her saliva thick. Three symptoms out of five were enough to let him know she was dehydrated. Better get her to the Oasis and then either get her to the Temple or fetch a healer.

“I know what to do, we get trained for this… will you let me help you?”

*

"Oh...yes...a pride that's...that's good." Really she was having quite a hard time getting his words to seep in. She nodded softly as if she understood. Her head tilted down as she felt his paw against her side and she gave a soft gasp as vertigo hit her.

Oh dear, but now she felt quite ill, his words managed to reach her though and she nodded. "Yes please...help...thank you Khaem-Shu...may I call you Shu?" She almost laughed at how her manners were managing to surpass her sickly state. Had she eaten something bad? She didn't recall ever feeling quite like this.

*

“Yes if you want. Now hold on. I’m going to have to lift you since you’re probably too weak to walk.”

It was not easy to pull the female on his back. Thank goodness that she wasn’t an adult lioness. Shu didn’t need reminding he was undersize, he knew it well enough, and she needed someone with the strength to get her out of here. He had to lie beside her and pull her over his shoulder. It’d be like getting a large kill back home but with less dragging, more carrying.

“We need to get you water.”

*

Lift her? That was absurd she had never been carried about, she couldn't even lift herself at the moment. She gave a small gasp as he managed to indeed lift her onto his back. Well, it seemed she was proven wrong after all. "You...your rather strong...I've never been carried anywhere." She mumbled softly trying not to sound so surprised.

Then he said the magic word, water, water sounded divine! Her tongue was a heavy mass in her mouth, and she could feel a deep scratch in her throat. "Water...would help." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I am sorry to be such a bother..." She finally croaked out, and truly she felt rather ashamed for having gotten so hopelessly lost then sick.

*

“Just try to rest…I’ll get you to the water quick as I can.”

It was not easy to carry another similar sized lion on your back, to be honest. Shu had to avoid going up and down dunes as much as possible so she didn’t slid off, instead walking along their valleys and crests towards the oasis instead. By the time they reached the shade, he could do with a drink himself. Finding a place where the shade of a palm covered out into the water, he knelt down and tried to gently slide her off.

“Zuri? Wake up.” He nudged her shoulder with the flat of his nose. She needed to drink. Now what else had the healers said…

"Okay..." Zuri nodded at his instructions then wished she hadn't, oh but her head throbbed. She lifted her paws up against his side and leaned in to bite at the reeds. The taste was strange, not unpleasant, but very very different. She lapped at them carefully getting the sap out.

When she finished she peered at the male curiously. "Where did you learn how to do that?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath feeling herself slowly starting to re-stabalize.

*

“I took lessons when I came to live in the pride. Everyone gets taught basic survival here. Only someone really stupid would forget it, since we live out in the desert.”

Shu tossed the used up reeds over his shoulder when she was done with them. She seemed to be improving with the herbal remedy and the water. Didn’t seem any immediate danger, a quick paw touch showed her heart was slowing and she seemed much more aware. They could rest here before heading back to the temple, rather than him running off for a healer now.

“I’m guessing you’ve not been in a desert before Zuri?”

*

Well now she felt rather sheepish, she had been wandering straight into a desert not just a patch of dry land. When would she ever learn? She sighed and shook her head softly trying not to start up the throbbing. "No I haven't, I'm lucky you found me...thank you again."

The only reason she had probably managed to make it as far as she had was her white coat and sheer stubborn determination. "It must be tough to live out here, your pride must be very strong."

*

“That’s alright.” He nodded sharply.

Now she was feeling better, he pulled away and sat down. Giving her some room. Zuri probably didn’t want her paws all draped up on a stranger anyway.

“You should see the dens. You will see them anyway, because I’m supposed to ask you to come with me. If only to check in with a healer.”

*

He was a bit intimidating this male, if he hadn't been her salvation she might have thanked him and been back on her way. As it was she didn't look forward to trekking through the desert again, and his pride intrigued her. She was tired of wandering, maybe it would be nice to have a look around and relax for a day or two.

"Well alright then I'll come with you..." She wanted to ask him if he was feeling alright, or if he always sounded so...tough. She took his pulling away to mean she ought to get up and moved to get her paws under herself.

*

“Hey, hey now…you should rest a while.” Now that sounded a bit softer, like the tone you’d use to a panicked kid, a slight pleading tone mixed with the concern. Shu didn’t want her getting up and trying to walk and collapsing once more. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to carry her again and it wasn’t good for her either.

“There’s no rush to get going yet and you were quite ill not long ago, Zuri. Stay here a while? I can answer any questions you have…about the pride or…?”

*

"Yeah...maybe that would be best..." She flopped back over and let out a soft laugh. "You must think I'm dreadfully lazy, I just feel boneless..." She smiled at his tone of voice, it made him sound younger, sweeter.

"I still feel a bit woozy...but yes maybe you could tell me about your pride? What kind of traditions do you have?" Her passion, traditions, a special connection to the past and future. How she wished she had some of her own, but she was alone. No traditions for her, she missed her family and wondered where they were now, if they thought of her. How silly of her to want to wander away and find a place to belong, when she realized she belonged with them it was too late.

*

“I wasn’t born here. My old pride…I wandered for…” He started, because his first instinct was to talk about swamps and spirits and the quest for a name. How he’d crossed so much ground and seen so many lands looking for a name. But that was all in his past. He lived here now and it was the Dawnwalkers that Zuri would want to hear about.

“Anyway I do know quite a bit about this pride. They’re very welcoming and they’re fond of everyone been taught about how to survive out here and all about their culture.”

He laid down after a pause, since they’d be here a while and it might encourage her to stay down too.

“They’ve got a long history, they worship a bunch of gods – some of which live here, my grandfather’s one – and everyone gets a job. You got your usual hunters and guardians like me who can fight but there’s also artisans. They dance, sing, make things…”

*

"Oh how nice, the pride must be very happy then." She could just imagine how wonderful it would be to live in a pride and dance and make beautiful things. Gods and Goddesses, again no doubt they were real then and he said his grandfather was one!

"And your pride before? You weren't happy there?" She tilted her head wondering why he had cut off at the start.

*

“I can’t go back.” He growled before glancing at her ashamedly. “Sorry. If I ever snap it’s because I’m still hurting. I shouldn’t take it out on others.”

His ears back he laid his head on his paws and looked out at the water before looking to her again. Very shamefaced and apologetic.

“My present is better. This is a good place. They’re very kind.” He didn’t say he was happy now however but he did seem to wait to leave Zuri with a good impression. Shu didn’t want to scare her off.

*

She was a bit taken aback by his growl her ears falling back, "Oh...it's alright...I'm sorry to have brought it up." She was dying to ask why he couldn't go back to his own pride, but the subject was clearly sensitive. She offered him a small smile instead her ears perking back up quickly enough. Nothing kept her down for very long, se softly touched her paw against his.

"This does seem like a kind pride, especially if they have you. Do you think it would be okay if I stayed for a while? Have you been here long?"

*

“I brought it up. My fault.”

Surprised, he moved his paw to hold her offered one for a moment and the he tried to return the smile.

“Visitors are allowed to stay, the pride is very hospitable. I found this place with might friend, we were traveling together for a long while and I was only going to stay a few weeks myself but I’ve been here…oh, since the princesses were younger. Must be ten seasons now.”

Which would have made him a cub when he arrived but he’d said he’d been traveling before that…unless Shu was counting a season as less time than most animals did.

"The pride try to make all friendly visitors feel at home. Did such a good job with me I've stayed."

*

"Oh good, I should like to visit for a time..." In truth she wondered if she shouldn't stay, the pride seemed nice enough, and she was already here. Maybe this was a place she could finally settle down in, ease her wanderlust and loneliness.

Zuri tilted her head curious again and blinked, "You were traveling that young? It's a good thing you stayed..." She was surprised he had set off from home as just a cub.

*

“I wasn’t travelling young…Oh.” He’d looked at her confused before realizing that she’d put two and two together and come up with four when by his count it was two and two and two and two that should make up eight.

“You’ll find out if you’re coming to meet the pride, if you see my grandfather. I’ve looked like this for a long time now. I’m an adult. The males in my family…we sometimes stay like this. Young.” He wrinkled his nose and tried not to growl.

This was why he could never go home and be seen as an adult there. The family blessing. The family curse more like.

"This land has more magic in it than some."

*

"You mean, your older then you look?" She raised a brow curiously, somekind of enchantment? Why would the males of his family stay so young looking?

"Magic? Is that what keeps you young?" She peered at him now more curious then ever. She wondered if he was immune to anything besides aging. An adult he said, yet his mane wasn't fully in and his form still allowed room for growth. Perhaps he was toying with her? Yet to what end?

"That must be incredible...to be young forever." She murmured softly.

*

“It’s not so great. Imagine everyone you know growing older than you while you still look young…kind of makes it harder keep friends.” And impossible keep a potential mate. The one female he’d cared for, she’d left once she’d realized that while he stayed youthful until the day he died while she would grow old, lose her looks, and everything else that’d come with age.

“It’s one of the reasons I get so angry. My homeland you leave as a youth and go back when you’re an adult. I don’t look much older than you do I?” Shu asked, though he was surprised he wasn’t growling and not talking by now. Perhaps it was because Zuri seemed so innocent. She didn’t know anything.

Least not enough to wander into a desert anyway.