[PRP] Meeting the Sun [Blota x Seija]

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The day was young, sun high in the sky and her paws felt heavy. Her dark pelt was terrible to her and she felt like practically giving up and drying out where she stood. Flopping to the ground and just laying there, but something stirred her to keep going and so she did. Eventually she got lucky enough to come across a nice small tree, nothing grand, but a place where she can curl up and just relax.

Her body twitched as she lay down, arguing with her, each muscle tensing and untensing, fretting over her pausing in step. She didn't worry much longer about it. For soon she was resting and relaxing. Her mind soothed and then slowly she slipped into a light sleep.

Completely vulnerable, but uncaring her body lay there in plain sight. The heat was just getting that bad.  

[Annchen]

Blota was steadily trotting in a direction he hoped was homewards. His sense of direction was not excellent and lately he had been forced to coax directions out of any creature that had the sense to speak, even if they would normally be considered prey. From what he had gathered when talking to lions and the occasional other animal he should be getting closer.

It would soon be time to rest since it promised to be a hot day. He tried to stay out of the midday sun and walk at night when he could, but what if he was close? Shouldn't he start to recognise the land soon if he was? That tree in the distance for example... The silhouette was oddly familiar but wrong somehow. As he got closer he realised it seemed wrong because he might have seen it from another direction when he was leaving the Dhati territory.

Yes, he was pretty sure he had seen this tree before. Only that time he had been in a lot more hurry, and there hadn't been a lioness sleeping under it. Wait, what? His curiosity got the better of him and he slowly walked towards the lioness in the shadow. If she was Dhati he was toast... But a Dhati guard would have noticed him by now, and shouldn't the Spirits have defeated them, and... Wow... She looked like she had been through a lot.

"Um... Are you all right?" he asked cautiously, ready to bolt or try to fight if she should turn hostile on him.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

First there was water, lots of it, tropical paradise of sorts, she was enjoying it when out of her dream came a males voice and with the tension of muscle the dream vanished.

She was in the heat of the Savannah again, dry and unpleasant. "All you boys just bring issues, from broken heartzs to heat." She grumbled openly, thinking terrible things about her 'brother' she hadn't known was her brother.

"No I'm not alright, the sun, plus my black pelt makes for a long day, lucky you with your orangey pelt, fire boy." She growls at him lazily.  

[Annchen]

When the female woke up and spoke to him she was not making much sense at all to Blota. He could at least be fairly certain that she wasn't Dhati since she didn't look or act like one of them. For all he knew it could be a trick, but so be it then. Today was the first day in a long time when he actually recognised his surroundings. He was so close to home, and if the Spirits wanted him to fail just before reaching Mizimu territory, he couldn't really do much about it.

It was hot out in the sun, and he didn't know how the dark female would react if he joined her in the small shadowed area under the tree. She didn't seem to be in a very good mood, and it irked him a little bit. Perhaps because of his own tendency to sulk. It was no fun when someone else was all negative.

"It's rather toasty in this pelt too," he said and inched closer to the shadow. "You haven't run into any... ah... fighting in this area?"  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

She eye-balled him as he approached her shade, her shade, not his. But when push came to shove she didn't argue his entry into the protected area form the sun and shifted quite a bit to give him room. She disliked males, but didn't need one to roast beside her.

"Well I suppose Fire Boy, just that little bit luckier then myself, though it seems my luck hit first with thsi tree here." She smiled fondly at the large trunk and withering leaves. It made the hot, intense day just that much more enjoyable, if before it coudl be enjoyable at all.

"No, well.. not yet. I haven't really been here long enough to see what goes on about here. As far as I know... there is a group of lions, or something quite a ways from here.. but near enough I suppose." She wasn't on the sure-dar today, that's' for sure. The irony. "Perhaps we'll get a show, something about you screams 'I know this place'." She nodded slowly, after giving him a hard look. Being familiar with somewhere gave off a bit of a tweak.. as compared to when someone knows nothing.  

[Annchen]

When the female moved over he took it as an invitation and sat down next to her, taking care not to hog too much of the shade. She came across as irritated and unfriendly, even if she wasn't openly hostile, and he didn't want to endanger this delicate truce by upsetting her in any way. He wasn't sure if he should offer his name or not, so he kept talking.

"I think you would have noticed if they were still fighting," he said and looked at the sky, pleased to notice that there were no vultures as far as he could see. "It was pretty intense when I escaped."

To entertain himself he quietly watched the female from the corner of his eye, trying to figure out what her Spirit was like. Older than his, he supposed, spiritual and loyal with aggressive tendencies? It was hard to tell.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The room he left was much appreciated, she smiled slightly, just at the corner of her mouth. A pause, awkward silence? Probably where an exchange of names should have been. The lioness gave no notice though and was just as quiet while he moved on to new words.

"Escaped eh?" She asked with light interest ignoring his other statements and not even seeing his gaze to the sky. "Why would you escape a pride?" Her tone bewildered as the look on her face. She wasn't to interested in joining a pride herself, but she presumed once one was in a pride they wouldn't want out.

Seija went silent quickly, her voice echoing into a fade and then gone with the wind. She looked back at him and stared coldly. His eyes were on her now, she couldn't tell what he was doing, but she didn't liek it very much.  

[Annchen]

"Oh, I wasn't escaping from my pride," he said, but he could see why she would make that assumption, "It's a long story I guess."

Her stare was disconcerting so he watched his front paws instead, flexing his claws. Out, in. A lot of things had happened to him since he left, and he was sure a lot of things had happened back home too. But if she wasn't familiar with the area she wouldn't know any about the war or the situation here now. The longer he travelled and the more people he met the smaller his pride seemed in the world.

"I was tricked into an ambush and then held captive by some lions at war with my pride," he continued, deciding not to elaborate unless she asked, "I managed to escape from them and fled from the fighting instead of running straight back. Got lost, found my way and now I'm heading back home. Hopefully they'll take me back..."  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Seija listened patiently, his story was short and to the point. A nice change from some of the lions she'd passed by here that would talk a lioness' ear off if she wasn't careful! Her smirk remained unwavered and she cooed softly to him. "Sounds like you really miss your pride then. It's unfortunate when events take place that you can't control or can't be controlled by anyone for that matter." Her words were meant to be something like comfort and she hoped they came across in such a way, recalling an old friend she smiled largely for a brief moment. He had told her that whether she was trying to be nice or not she always sounded so cruel and mocking. Luckily he had known her well, very well. But that friendship had long been over as far as she knew.

"I've never been in a pride myself before, I don't know what dedication or work goes into it, so it's interesting to hear the devotion you have. Traveling all the way back, you have your reasons I assume? Or is it simply because it's home?" Honest to goodness curiosity struck the lioness and sort of tumbled out of her jaws, taking her by surprise though she never showed or would admit it. After speaking she began to reposition herself so that she was cooler again, it seemed the sun had changed his mind again as to what temperature it would be and it only seemed to get worse.  

[Annchen]

Blota didn't answer her question straight away. Why was he trying to get back? He hadn't thought to ask himself that question. Not going back wasn't an option he'd considered, and he was so close now. Why had he gone to all the trouble? Because it was home? That was part of the answer, but there was more.

"Well," he said and drew a line in the dust with his claw, "I wasn't supposed to leave in the first place..."

No, that wasn't it either. Even if he had been a honoured Sacrifice when he was kidnapped he wasn't sure they'd welcome him back as if nothing had happened. He hadn't left willingly, but he knew that he had put himself in a position where he was at risk. He might not be considered a Sacrifice now. But despite that he had continued his travels. And then the answer came to him, as if the spirits themselves had put it on his tongue.

"The spirits led me home," he finally said, "That must mean I have things left to do in my pride."  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

A troubled look flashed across his face, which told Seija immediately that he hadn't completely thought this through, spontaneous? That could be a good time, she almost laughed at the thought then brushed it aside. Silliness could get a lioness killed and so she simply smiled. "The soul can do wierd things, so long as it does what you truly want.. then you're in the right direction." She would admit again and again she just followed her paw steps and assumed it was her soul or spirit taking her whatever way she needed to be, but she found no need to really be anywhere and often wondered what was to happen to her.

"What do you think will happen when you get home? I'm sure they missed you." She asked this slowly, unsure of where to go. The topic of prides was a mystery to her.  

[Annchen]

Blota looked to the sky, squinting to protect his eyes from the sunlight filtering through the tree. The sun had moved ever so slightly but it was still a long while until he could travel comfortably again. He was so close, but he wouldn't get there by passing out from the heat.

"Yes," he said, absentmindedly, "I hope they missed me."

What did he think would happen? He lowered his head again, and rested his chin on his paws. Hopefully he wouldn't be mistaken for one of those. There had been lions among the rebels that had left the pride willingly and happily fought against the pride that had raised them and nurtured them. But they had to understand that he wasn't a traitor, right? Right? Speaking his fears aloud would make them more real so he didn't.

"Oh I don't know," he said, "It'll be nice to see my friends again. Um... Where are you headed?"  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

She wasn't paying close attention to him much anymore. Her eye's looked to the sky when he began speaking again. Seija was relaxed as could be and then shifted to look at her when he asked his question.

"I'm not really going anywhere, I have no home, no family and no really life goals. So I'm not going anywhere at all." She was blabbing away as her gaze shifted some more, not meeting his eye's, but she made it obvious that she wanted no remorse for her lack of anything.

"It's hard to tell if you look forward to going home or you fear it.." She stated blantantly.  

[Annchen]

"I guess," Blota said, "It's a bit of both perhaps. But I really want to get home."

He wondered what it was like, having no home, no purpose. It wasn't something he cared to try, and it seemed rude to ask more about it. He'd ask her to join hom, but that didn't feel right either. The heat was making him feel sleepy and he shifted into a more comfortable position. He would need his rest, because after he left the shade he didn't plan to stop until he reached his home.

"I think I'll try to get some sleep," he said, "I can get there today or tomorrow if I run when it starts to cool down a bit."  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Seija could only nod, he was probably right. She was sure they were near a pride and if so then he could make it there more quickly if he went by night, the cooler time of day.

"Well, I hope you find your home." She muttered, a bit bitterly. She was deep in thought about not having such a place to return too. "I'm sure you'll find it." She let her head drop and closed her eyes. Sleep was upon her quickly in the heat.