Kame was still that afternoon, with the sun high and beating against his black fur he found himself tiring easily. He found it best simply to take it easy, standing watch while his mates, Tai and Kinaya, rested their weary blue and pink selves. They had traveled some time towards the place they would soon be calling home, and the excitement within them all was borderlined. On one hand they were tired and was unsure of how much farther they had to go, on the other, the prospect of being able to rest and relax when they arrived was an enticing remind of what all their hard trecking would bring. For now though, he would rest.
Mach yawned as he trotted on, entirely unsure of where he was at the moment. But he knew which way to go to get home. If he ever felt like it. He wasn't entirely sure he WANTED to go home. It was a nice enough place, and all his sisters were there but...it just didn't...FEEL right all the time. Not to mention he was related to nearly EVERYONE in the pride. If he didn't have luck in finding a mate outside, he'd return long enough to say goodbye. Because he WANTED a family. He wanted cubs of his own someday; little girls to protect and cherish, and little boys to teach how to be big and strong and protect their sisters and future mates and daughters!
Dark red ears perked up as a scent reached his nose. Eh? Others? He raised a brow, then changed his course. Perhaps these strangers knew where 'here' was. Once he saw another form, a male by the looks, he called out. "Heya!"
Kame's ears flicked up quickly in alert, but his eyes opened slowly from their resting position. As they focused the young red male came into view, and Kame lifted his head up slowly. With the boy being so young, Kame felt no immediate threat, after all, he had a lot fo weight on the boy before him, and even if he was getting up there in age, he was very positive that he could beat the snot out of the kid if need be. Though for right now, it would be best to figure out what the boy wanted from him beforing jumping into any kind of scrap.
"Greetings," Kame called back, though he did not get up. He would not waver his position as he guarded Tai and Kinaya, even if this was only a boy before him, there could be others lurking about in which he had not seen yet. It was always best to be cautious.
Mach stopped a lion-length from the other lion, looking him over. Hopefully, the other didn't feel martially inclined towards him. He smiled. "Sorry for bothering you, but I'm wondering if you know whereabouts 'here' is. I'm not from around here at all." His smile turned sheepish.
There whereabouts of here? Kame question in his head. Quite frankly he did not know. All he knew is that if he continued in the direction he was going currently, he'd find the pride in which he was looking for. Really, that was all he wanted to know for now. Shaking hsi head to the boy he answered, "I do not. My mates and I are traveling through, searching for a certain pride. We don't know what these lands are called, or who they belong to."
"Ah. Darn." Mach frowned, reaching a paw up and scratching his opposite shoulder. "Huh. What pride is it you guys are lookin' for?" If it was his pride...well, he could point them in the right direction! If not...well, he wasn't sure what to do if not. Probably rest a little with them, if they'd let him, then part ways.
"We are looking for the Ukuucha'wafalme," Kame stated, relaxing himself before Mach, a gesture that Kame poses no threat to Mach, since Mach had posed no threat to Kame. If the lad wanted to attacked him, Tai and Kinaya, he would have done so by now. By not doing so, Kame decided the boy was no threat, and therefore felt no need to keep himself overly alert.
"We wish to make it our new homelands, so that in the event that I pass, my mates will be well taken care of by others," He said plainly.
Mach blinked. Well...he'd never heard of that place. Huh. "Darn, can't help you there either." He relaxed more when the other did, an unconscious reaction. "So...both of them are your mates? You must have your paws full." He chuckled. "Not that that's a bad thing. It's good you wanna make sure they're taken care of though. I know I'd want my mate cared for if I passed on. Well...once I find a mate."
Kame cracked a small grin at Mach's comment. He surprisingly didn't have his paws as full as he thought he would. Tai was very much like him, calm, cool, collected, enjoying what may come to pass. Kinaya was the younger and more energetic of the two, and she sometimes needed reprimanded on what good behavior consisted of. Granted, she had only been away from her mother's side for a few months, attesting to how very young she really was. He only hoped that when they had a litter of cubs, she would calm herself some, if not from the added maturity, than the exhaustion.
"Yes. Both are my mates. At least for the time being," Kame said, lifting up a paw to scratch at his ear. There were lots of gnats around this area and they really liked to chew on him for some reason. "Are you currently searching for one?"
Mach nodded. "I am looking for one. I'm...sadly related to most of my pride. It needs some new blood, so we don't...have issues." He chuckled and grinned. "No worries, though. I won't even joke at making a pass at another lion's mate. Just ain't right." He rubbed his head, ears drooping. "Not to mention the thumping I'd get from some of my relatives. Yeesh."
"You're related to most of the pride?" Kame questioned, wondering exactly how small the pride happened to be where you were related to practically everyone who was there. Or, how fertile the females of his family were where they were producing cubs everywhere. Either way, Kame couldn't help but be amazed at the fact one family could intermingle that much throughout a pride.
There had never been anything like that back in Kame's old pride. Sure, there were the bigger families, but none were so big as they would be related to everyone in the pride. It was a little unsettleing to think of. At the very least, Mach had done the smart thing and looked outside the pride for a mate. Kame would have been a little disgusted to know if Mach had decided to take a mate within the pride. In-breeding leads to weakness, not strength.
Mach nodded. "We've...had some hard times. And the fact our pride is kinda isolated probably doesn't help matters." He sighed. "I'm hoping that I can manage to bring in some new blood, even if I don't manage to find a mate. Maybe somehow make a friend that goes home with me." He smiled again. "Would be nice if I could find one of my sisters a mate while I'm out here."
"I think your sisters would have to do that for themslves," Kame commented idly, "You may have lived with them your whole life, but only they know who they'd want to be with in the end."
Kame let the idea of one of Mach's sisters coming with him to the Ukuucha lands swim in his head for a brief moment. A passing idea to keep his mind awake. He didn't need another female with him, at least not at the moment. Tai and Kinaya were enough for him to travel with and bask in the company of. Also he wasn't sure how well another would go over with the two, especially so soon. They were still getting used to each other afterall.
Mach nodded. "Very true. But...wanna help keep options open." He sighed and looked around. "Uh...would you mind if I rested with you a bit? I've been on my paws a while now, and I've probably still got a lot of wanderin' to do."
"It's fine." Kame said, resting his head back down on his paws, "We're going to be here for awhile, till the sun isn't so high in the sky. My mates and I are going to be heading off after that though."
Kame didn't mind the lad resting with them, and it never hurt to have an extra set of eyes patrolling the area. After all, he was younger so hopefully his senses were much sharper than Kame's. Either way, the more the merrier.
Mach smiled, settling. "That's fine." He set to keeping an eye out, like a good lion in the rogue lands did, but was obviously relieved. He liked company. And this group seemed a nice one to rest with a bit.
