Tlaloc crouched, lapping at the water in the river. Not too far, up beyond the bank, Kizuka was resting. The gold lion glanced back, tilting his head a bit while regarding her. He couldn't see her, but that didn't mean he didn't THINK about her being up there. The male let out a huff, standing to wander down river just a bit. They weren't far from a pride's borders... He didn't want to be too close to them. There was no telling what might greet him, or who. As he rounded a bend, he noticed paw prints in the mud. Closer inspection told him they were lion pawprints... Two lions, one male, one female. The green-eyed lion looked up, following the path until it climbed up to solid ground. They weren't alone out here... Maybe it was a pair heading the same way, or maybe something else. Regardless, he went after the paw prints, climbing his way up. What greeted him, nose-to-nose, made him let go in surprise and slide back down.
Walking on the river bank had been Minoru's idea. The brown lioness hadn't been TOO keen on it, but had complied. It turned out to be faster, if anything. Now, back up on level ground for sleep, Meztli was restless. She got up and went to poke around, even go back to the river for water. All that walking tended to make one thirsty, after all. When she got there, though, she heard somebody climbing the bank. Was it a rogue come to try to attack them? Not that they'd succeed... She was a E-he'Anda lioness! And Minoru was... Well, comparatively large for a lion. When she crouched at the edge waiting, she was greeted not by an unknown rogue, but a familiar pair of green eyes. And then they were gone... Leaning over, Meztli stared down. "Tlaloc!"
Laying on his belly, splayed out in the mud, Tlaloc could only blink. After a moment, the other lion up above spoke. He knew that voice, those eyes... Tlaloc looked up at Meztli. "Oh... Hi, Meztli! Fine day for a stroll on the river, isn't it?" He carefully picked himself up before climbing back up the river bank. Mud went flying as he shook himself off at the top, though he didn't fully notice or acknowledge the fact. When he looked at Meztli, there were bits of mud on her, as well as a sour expression on her face. "Oh... Um... Sorry about that..."
The lioness let out a growl, then reached out, grabbing Tlaloc by the cheek. "Where have you been, Tlaloc? We've been looking all over for you! We were starting to worry that the humans had made off with you for good!" She didn't necissarily show it, but Meztli was a worried sister. She didn't want harm to come to her only brother, after all. "Lord Ganon is WAITING... And he's already probably not going to be happy that we'll be returning without Nenetl."
Tlaloc ignored the pain in his cheek from Meztli grabbing him in favor of something his mind found more pressing. "Where's Nenetl that she's not going home...?" Swatting Meztli's paw away from hsi faced, he rubbed his cheek. "And... I'm not going home... I've found somewhere more suited to me, Meztli." He glanced back up river. "I'm also kind of escorting somebody there... So I can't just drop everything and leave her." When he looked back, his sister had a mixed look of anger and pain. "Meztli...?"
Meztli looked away, body trembling. "Nenetl... Found a lion in the swamps... She said he needs her, to help him... I let her go..." It was hard and painful to do, but it had to be done. It would help Nenetl, too... She'd already started to use actual sentances for conversation instead of song. Gold eyes turned back towards green, as the dark brown lioness frowned. "So just like that, you found a tail to chase and abandoned your sisters? You'd best be happy I found Minoru..." Not that she needed to be protected, but it was easier on life with more than one lion.
Well that was good... Nenetl spent a bit too much time singing her words. Tlaloc pulled his sister into a hug, ears folding back. Letting their sister go was a pain he could understand. She was the baby, after all, the youngest of them all."I'm not chasing a tail, Meztli... I'm finding where I myself belong. The E'he-Anda life... Just isn't meant for me. I belong somewhere else. Besides..." He offered her a mischievous grin, eyes twinkling. "You can always visit me to be slipped a new girl or two for the pride..." He had a feeling, though, that he'd likely never see his sister again. It was just one of those gut feelings, and the words were more for his own comfort than hers. "By the by, Minoru IS treating you well, right...?"
"Of course he is. Why wouldn't he?" The lioness let out a huff, giving Tlaloc a flat look. "If he acts up, I can just beat him into submission." It was a simple solution. Now to just make sure he didn't act up in the first place. Meztli let out a heavy sigh, looking up into the sky. "Tlaloc... I've been dreaming about her again..." There was no direct mention of her, who she was or what she was, or even her name. Just... Her.
The gold male withdrew his paw, staring at his sister. "Again...?" He frowned, eyes searching for... He didn't know what. "Meztli, you know she's dead... Just like our parents..." He looked up at the sky, contemplating the early twilight. He'd heard from a wandering rogue, once, that great kings made the stars. What about common rogues and pride members? The golden-brown lion huffed, shaking his head a bit. "We shouldn't look at the past... But the present and what the future might hold. That's one of your problems, Meztli... You look too much at the past. You should focus on the here and now, and be happy."
Meztli spared a glance at her brother, one eyebrow up. "Is that why you've got new scars on you? Because you lived in the here and now?" She had to admit curiosity at who'd managed to catch her brother. He'd always been a sly one, at least with his tongue. Those marks meant he'd been unable to talk his way out of a beating.
Standing up, Tlaloc stretched out. "Yeah, I passed through the Motoujamii desert. One of the guards caught me, and I wasn't fast enough to escape." He made a face, back twinging. "I'm not making that mistake again. When I get where I'm going... I'm not leaving without a good reason." He started to walk away, pausing to look back at his sister. "I'll see you around Meztli...Work on living in the present please... And look at the future carefully, think about your actions... Don't always think short-term." He offered a smile, then turned and headed back up river, back to Kizuka. If he was lucky, she'd be stirring and ready to move on.
She watched her brother leave, whispering a goodbye. When he was out of sight, Meztli turned and headed back towards Minoru. Whatever direction Tlaloc was heading, she'd head a different way. For the time being, she decided, they'd head north and west, go around the inland sea. Who knew, maybe they'd find something up there worth their time, if a bit of it.
