Mzaaliwaale'mwale had settled into pride life rather well, as far as she could tell. She rose early every morning, still used to being woken up by someone else as soon as the sun rose above the horizon, and found it rather easy to stay awake once she was up. Excitement was still coursing through her. Coming home was exciting on its own, but after her meeting with the Avatar, and being suggested to the rank of Fire Sage, well... Her whole body just thrummed with excitement as she walked out of the den she'd claimed as her own. It felt familiar to her, but she couldn't know for certain if it was her family's den. In all likelihood, it was taken by another family, or destroyed. Nonetheless, the den was hers now, her home, and it felt nice to have it.
She left the den early that morning like she had been doing since she arrived, and padded across the sandy desert towards the river for a drink. She would go hunting later, she'd decided. It was less a matter of food and more a matter of honing skills. She didn't like the idea of growing lazy, and hunting promised her the physical release she craved. It cleared her mind for intellectual thinking, another 'must do' on her schedule.
The river came into view quickly, and Mwale stopped beside it, looking down into her reflection with a rare, honest smile. Home. It was still funny thinking that word, but... There she was. In the Fire Nation.
Grinning a little, Mwale dunked her head down to drink from the river, clawing at the dirt beneath her paws as she drank in the cool water from the Mountain.
