Feleji walked out of the den grateful to have slept someplace where sand couldn’t get into. Although it didn’t matter since he was still covered in what he was laying in from the day before. He lifted up his hind leg and scratched at his huge mane having bits of sand fall out as he did. He couldn’t understand how Shani liked the sand so much. It itched like the dickens.
Feleji looked around when the light of the outside hit him. Shani seamed to be missing. It was like her to do such a thing. But he worried for her; this was a new pride and she couldn’t go off embarrassing them like when they were greeted by that poor manned wolf.
He turned back towards Val and nudged her. “Have you seen Shani? She’s seams to have run off again.” He sighed to himself.
Val padded out from the den, her tongue curling from her maw as she yawned deeply. She blinked a little, just to wake herself up. She loved her beauty sleep, but it seemed that every time she slept too long, Shani seemed to wander off.
She yawned again, but her ruby eyes looked around her and she lifted her nose to the air. She was no wolf, but she could certainly catch a scent if it was there.
"Shes been around here lately... But no telling exactly how long. Why does she always do this?"
She asked, a growl emitting from her throat.
"I wonder if shes exploring the pride?" That thought worried her a little.
Some part of him really hoped she wasn’t exploring without them. She would he assumed annoy every member of the pride with her childish antics until they were all kicked out of the lands. “I think we should go find her before she gets herself into some serious trouble.” He groaned now wishing that he had straightened her out as a cub.
Shani on the other hand had actually been doing what her mother had told her several days before. And answering all her inner questions and curiosities about the pride itself. The one place she found most interesting were the temples. They were so pretty with there bright colors and scents to the gods. She hadn’t had any classes but this was the area that she knew she wanted to spend most of her time at.
Valenera looked at the big male and nuzzled him, her face taking on a bemused look.
"Calm down, Superlion. We'll get to her. She's around here somewhere."
The white lioness knew that Shani was not stupid enough to cause too much trouble. As of lately, she was mostly trying to make the introduction up to the both of them.
Her paws carried her at a good slow pace, and she looked behind her at Feleji with a chuckle.
They had discussed another litter.. She would be a mother again. It had brought more hope to her future.
"Where should we look first?"
Her touch calmed him slightly and he butted his own head up against hers. “Well if you were our daughter…and were attracted to shiny objects…where would you go?” He asked honestly no even knowing the first place that she would stray too. The pride itself from the oasis to the temples were the perfect place for a troublesome adolescent looking for ‘snorks’ as she called them. Why did he encourage her adventures for those things? He should have just told her that they weren’t real and set her straight! But then he thought about it for a moment. He rather liked his daughters troublesome spirit. He needed to calm himself he was over reacting. “Maybe we should try to Oasis first. She dose enjoy playing in the sand.”
She shook her head, and kept moving forward, a smile playing her lips. She had a feeling, that with how much Shani had been sucking up lately, that she'd likely still be doing it. She shook her head with a sigh and giggled.
"I'll bet you that shes deciding what she wants to be, ya know.. Thinking it over and looking at the other jobs that are available. Shes getting older now, and shes going to feel the call of the pride, just as I did.
"What do you think? Is it a stupid idea?" She asked, eyes mischevious.
”I guess I should give her the benefit of the doubt…she’s not a bad cub-“ He had to stop himself. “She’s not really a cub after all is she?” A smile fell over his lips. “Our baby is all grown up.” He secretly wished that she was still a cub, he missed his babies looking up at him, wanting to be just like mummy and daddy. Maybe a second family would be a good thing for him.
“I’m not sure what jobs exist in the pride though. Or ones that would even appeal to our daughter. Frankly I’m not even sure where half the things are in this pride aside from the main temple and our den.”
"Then, its high time you and I explore for ourselves. We should know our lands. Though we're not too far off from where we were first brought. So honestly, I think we're close. Just,.. lets keep going, and see if we run into her along the way."
She flicked her tail, and looked at him with a little smile. He was such a large lion, sometimes his goofiness seemed to get by others.. But she caught it each time, and she loved him for it.
"It'll give us a chance to explore."
”I’m all up for that idea.” He’d put his search for Shani on the back burner. She was old enough to take care of herself at this point. He knew she knew right from wrong. It was just he was worried like a good father should for his cubs. And maybe he was just a bit over protective of her since she really was the last of his cubs to stick around. He too missed the others and it was starting to sink in more and more as he realized that none of them were with them anymore. And that he doubted he would see any of them again.
“Would you like to see this Oasis that everyone is talking about?”
She smiled, nodding, and headbutting him with affection. Her tail curled around his back legs, and the tuft hit his leg.
"Oh yes, that sounds lovely. Maybe Shani will have to come looking for us."
She laughed out loud, and began humming as she walked with Feleji, the love of her life.
"So..where do we go from here to get to it?" She asked, hoping to spark some knowledge in him
He shrugged his large shoulders. “I’m not really sure where it is. But I’m sure if we find an area that’s covered in trees. There should be water close by. Or at least that’s the theory.” He scanned the distance with his blue eyes until he saw a patch in the distance that was dominated by green. “Shall we go that way?”
She shook her head in amusement, and could only let out a chuckle. She didn't know why he was such an oddball.. Sometimes it hindered them, others she adored him. They were a match made in heaven, though and she nodded.
"Yes I suppose we should." The bright sun beamed against her back, and warmed her enough to make her quite content.
He looked at her with a grin over his maw glad he found the other half to his puzzle. With him that might have been hard because he like Shani was a lion of his own color personality-wise. He turned and licked at her nose with his rough sandpapery tongue. Then strode forth towards the direction he thought the Oasis was in feeling more confident in himself and less worried at Shani.
“I defiantly think it’s this way. I smell water don’t you?”
When she saw the oasis, she grinned brightly, and looked to Feleji with a triumphant smile.
"You did it Fel, you did it." She smiled, and licked him once before looking back to the oasis and staring at its beauty.
"I love our new home.."
He felt proud of himself actually leading them in the correct direction. Normally he wasn’t good at that sort of thing. He even let out a little triumphant growl as his eyes slide from one end of the oasis to the other. But his mind frowned slightly as he didn’t see his daughter. He would have assumed that she came this way. But he calmed himself once more. The pride was big she could be anywhere. He walked forward and took a drink from the clear water and smiled back at his love. “As do I. A perfect place to raise a new family.”
