The cries were rather unmistakeable, a cub in the swamps calling for help. The male paddled across a channel, climbing out and following the sound on solid ground. It didn't sound like a cub he knew, not one from the pride. Every bit of his being listened not for just the cub, but for... Whoever was out there, that might try to snatch a cub. On instinct, the lion scrambled up a fallen tree, looking around. He stood out like a beacon in the swamps, something dangerous alone in these times.. But his small size made him confident in escaping danger. Orange eyes scanning the swampland, he soon spotted a small white... Something... Jumping down, he hurried to see if that was the cub.
She'd wandered away from her family group, ending up in a strange, new place. The various sights and sounds of the swamp were fascinating to her. As she'd gone deeper, she heard less and less of the world beyond the borders. Now and then she'd spot paw prints coming out of the water... Rarely going INTO it, though. It made her wonder a bit... As she'd wandered, she hadn't paid much attention, even when her paws sank slightly. It wasn't until she was struggling to pull not only her paws but her entire legs out that she realized the error in her lack of attention. So she did the only thing she could think of - She panicked, struggled, and yelled. "HELP!"
When he got close, Mle recognized the small form as a cub, sinking into the mud. He looked around the swamp, before deciding to risk it. There was nothing close to help, and he had no thumbs. Paws flying, he ran out into the mud, grabbing the cub by the scruff and heartilly yanking it out, heading for the water and hitting it with a splash. The mud sucked at his paws, trying to keep him rooted, but even his small body had enough power to pull his paws free. When the water was all he felt, he relaxed only marginally, paddling his way to the shore.
She was in the mud, and then she... Wasn't. Ying-tai was confused with how suddenly things changed, but she was well aware of someone carrying her through the water. When she was deposited on solid ground, she blinked, before looking up into worried orange eyes with her own wide brown. The lion was as white as she, almost as if they were related. The juvenile blinked owlishly, before clinging onto a wet leg. "Oh THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!"
Mle let out a surprised sound, doing his best not to jerk back. It wasn't that he didn't like the contact, it was just that it was... Well... Very unexpected. When the smaller lion finally quieted, he leaned down. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? You didn't run into anybody... Shady...?" Worry kicked back in, and he did his best to turn the other lion over, looking for signs of harm. All he found was a soggy and slightly muddy lion. "It's dangerous being out here alone!"
Alone... Where WAS she, anyway? Ying went back to owlish blinking, before looking around. Her ears fell as she realized... She was far from her mother and sister... Looking back at the bigger lion, she shook her head. "I didn't meet anyone but you... And you saved me from that sticky mud!" She moved, huddling against him. "You're all pretty white like me..." Looking up, her eyes were filled with a curious glimmer. "Are you my daddy? Even if you're not, can I call you Daddy...?"
Well, this one was full of questions! One that left him sputtering just a bit. Him, being called daddy? It was a surprise question, if anything. But, in a way... It made him smile. "Yeah, I guess you can... What's your name, anyway?" It seemed he was getting little choice in the matter, the cub was adopting HIM. "If you're calling me daddy, I need to call YOU something... And where's your mother?" That was a pretty important question!
Ying hestitated. "I dunno where Mama is..." It made her sad. But at the same time... She smiled up at him. "If you got a mate, I can call HER Mommy... And I'm Ying-tai!" And just like that, she spotted something and went running after it. The dragonfly seemed to dance in the air, just avoiding her swimping paws and claws. As she was about to jump off the end of a fallen tree after it, she felt her scruff being grabbed, and then she was back on solid ground, a confused look on her face.
Ying-tai... It was short... Ish... And simple. It fit well withint the pride's... Where did she just go? Mle looked around, standing up, then spotted her chasing a dragonfly. Horror passed over his face before he took off after her, the soft ground muffling his paw-falls. Grabbing her as she got ready to launch off the log, he swung around and dropped her on the ground, putting a paw on her tail. "Ying-tai, you can't go running off like that! There's a murderer out here somewhere, and we're already in danger since I'm only one lion!" He frowned, getting down by her. "I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm saying it to protect you... Do you understand..?" Almost sadly, it didn't occur to him that she might not know how to swim.
At the worried look, Ying's ears went back. His words sank in, and she realized with fear that things were NOT safe here. It may have looked magical, but it was dangerous. She swallowed, then moved, huddling against Mle. "I don't wanna be out here anymore, I wanna be near other lions..." She looked up at him, ears still back and down. "Can we go see them now...? Where it's safe...?"
His expression softened, and Mle smiled gently. "Okay... Come on, Ying-tai..." He turned and started walking, the end of his tail landing on her head as if to becon her. Paws moving carefully, he left a trail for her to follow, in case she wandered again. Not that he'd LET her... Her attention seemed... Fleeting. Or not. His tail apparently provided a great source of attention, right to the heart of the pride and the safest place in the swamp.
