Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tabi'Nasi was wondering just how she was going about things wrong. She was still feeling a little lonely, something she never liked to admit about herself. The lioness was getting along fine with her fellow clan members, but that wasn't really enough. No one she could call a friend. Perhaps it was time to lessen up, to stop being such a...hard a**.

The grey lioness let her paws linger around the borders of the Ela'wadiyi lands. She had no interest in leaving, but it was an idea she enjoyed flirting with. Where would she go, though? No pride that she had come across was as interesting as the Ela'wadiyi. With a concentrated look, she continued to wander.

An ear twitched. "Mmm?" Tabi felt like ignoring it, but being out on the borders made her a little more wary than if she was in the heart of the pride. Glancing up, she caught sight of a form moving around out there. Not wanting to stray from the border (though it offered zero protection, with no one else immediately around) she watched with curiosity as he, with the ever obvious mane, didn't appear to make a move in either direction.

It did make the lioness stop her aimless wanderings, however, and turn her full attention to the stranger. Though she herself was an ex-rogue, as many of the now-large Ela'wadiyi pride was made up of, she still felt a little surprised to see a rogue. It brought back a flood of memories, and reassurance that she never wanted that lifestyle again.

Her ears flicked as the wind tickled them. Intrigued already with his manners, she offered him a polite nod when he approached. He seemed truthful in his promise, though one could not only weight them on their words. Intent was the most important.

"You would never intrude upon these lands unless you wished harm on them," she said with a soft smile. "The Ela'wadiyi are quite welcoming, though our current leader can be a little wary of strangers at times." Ah, to see Tawa'di as his old self again. Can't live in the past forever.

"If you merely linger here for the moment, however, nothing with happen." She chuckled. "Not that it would, but...well, Skan can be jumpy."

She offered a polite nod to him, grateful for a name and not merely thinking of him as 'stranger'. "I am Tabi'nasi," she answered as was only polite when exchanging names.

Before she could really think of what to mention next, as she assumed that explaining the clans might be a little much at the moment, he had a question of his own. She nodded, understanding from a stranger's point of view how puzzling it must be.

"The reason is one that no one surviving remembers, except maybe one or two. Long ago the Ela'wadiyi were driven from their old homelands by a large group of lions they had taken in. They brought illness with them, shrinking the numbers of the Ela, and in turn these strange lions drove what Ela survived out. Skan's father remembered this, and told the story to everyone as merely a word of caution as well as part of the history of the pride. Skan took it much more seriously than his father expected." She took a breath. "So while strangers are welcomed, it is safe to say that they are watched carefully, if only to make sure their intentions are good."

Tabi only nodded. "I haven't been here for a long time, only a little over one turn of the seasons, but it is comforting to know that even if my blood doesn't originate from here, care is still taken seriously for the safety of all."

She glanced over him, intrigued that he seemed so interested. She was not used to strangers caring about the history. Usually they only craved a safe place to rest at night, and an almost certainty of a full belly when it grew empty.

"If you care to, I could be an escort of sorts if you're interested in learning more. I'm certain no one would mind too much, as long as everyone around you knows your intentions."

Tabi just smiled. "Just an ex-rogue. I have a sister I left, but that was after I knew she had a mate that could take care of her. We were never really meant to stay together." Tabi took the time to pause, debating on what to do next. It was one thing to offer being an escort, but it was another to follow through with it.

"A lot of history comes with these lands, and while I'm certain I could tell you a few stories, perhaps some of the far back history should come from those born here. We will find out soon enough, no?" she asked with a playful smile. "Starting in the Shadow Clan, where I live, might be a good place to start. We can see if there's something to eat, and show you the river that keeps us from being thirsty."

Tabi smiled coyly. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind at all. Some of us like to share with strangers more than you might think."

She was already starting to like him. At least he had some brains in that skull of his. Perhaps she would indeed look outside of her clan more often than she had before. She fit into Shadow quite well.

"If you follow me, I would be happy to introduce you to our leading family of the Shadow Clan."

"Now why would I let you look like a fool?" she said with a smirk. She couldn't resist that little jab. "I'll do just enough to make you look wet behind the ears, but not so little that you'll trip over yourself. Besides, I don't think you could find a nicer bunch of lions than those in the Ela'wadiyi."

She flicked her tail, ready to go, when she was a little surprised at how forward he was. "Oh. You're welcome. I'll warn you that their niceness does rub off on you." She smiled, interested to see how Arlo would take to the pride.