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Amefungwa had done a round of her entire pride in one day. She talked to every single lion and every familiar and muse she could find. She even asked some people twice, she was so eager to get the information that she needed. Sadly no one knew what she was talking about or who she was looking for, and no one, obviously, had seen anyone matching her description. That made her very sad. She'd hoped she could find the mystery sister for her new mystery friend! He was a very handsome rogue lion, and he'd come looking for his twin sister. But not even her own muse had been able to help. The grasshoppers encouraged her for doing something so nice, and told her not to give up, but no, they hadn't seen that lioness either. Finally she was forced to admit that she was finding nothing, and turn back to find the rogue again. He was probably going to feel like he'd wasted his time...
Pahale was restless. Rogues had attacked his pride as they went about their ritual migration ceremony. For the majority of the year they lived in one place, but for one month every five years they'd go wandering, seeing what'd changed in the world, leaving only a few pride mates behind to guard the lands and those too young or old to go. They hadn't anticipated running into the roving band of marauders, but had driven them back thanks to their own greater numbers. There had been casualties, unfortunately, and one was Pahale's own twin sister. She was not dead, that much he knew, but it was possible she'd been taken hostage, or given chase to the retreating barbarians. He'd set out days ago to try to track her, but alas, nothing had come up yet. He had run up against a member of a pride however, a fetching if strange red lioness who'd sworn to ask her whole pride about his sister. He had his doubts about her being in this area, but he'd decided to wait and see just in case.
Ame came bounding through the trees and bushes with great aplomb. Just because she had failed in her task didn't mean she had to be sad. She was going to get to see the handsome stranger again! That was worth smiling over, even if he left right after. She felt a little bad for keeping him here, but eh! It would have been worth it if she had found anything. "Pahale! I'm back! Did you sleep well? I can't imagine what it'd be like sleeping in the open. Did you dig a den? I bet males aren't as good as females at that. Don't you have a mate? Why didn't she come? She could dig you a really nice den I bet." Now why had she asked that? She didn't want him to have a mate, and she certainly didn't want to hear about her if he did! He was just too handsome, she wanted to at least be able to imagine him...
He raised a sculpted brow at the female's arrival. She certainly was loud. No one would miss her if they were wandering through the area. She certainly seemed happy enough, perhaps she'd found something? "I have no mate," He swiftly dismissed all of her questions and probing with one statement. "What of my sister? Has your pride seen her?" He stood, moving to meet her. He so hoped they had. He was more than eager to return to his ancestral home, where lions were normal colors and composed, and not nearly this...erratic.
Her face fell immediately. Uh oh. He jumped right to the question, huh? "Well, uh, you see...No one has seen her. I asked them all to keep their eyes out, and to try to stop her if they saw her. So hopefully she'll come back! Uhm. I'm sorry no one saw her. And that I made you stay. And that now you might be even farther behind. And please don't be mad at me, okay?" She shuffled her paws a little. He was handsome AND disappointed in her, most likely, and she wanted to look back at his gorgeous eyes, but she was afraid to see that disappointment there.
Of course he was slightly disappointed. More than slightly. But he could tell by looking at the lioness that she had tried, and was feeling bad about not getting him the answers he wanted. His tail swished behind him, and he rumbled, thinking. "It is alright. I know you tried. IF they had seen her it would have been worth the wait. And, I thank you for trying to find her. With your pride watching for her I assure you it will have done me a great favor. I will not need to come back through this area again, perhaps. I will tell you how to find my pride, if she is spotted, so that you can tell her how to return to us. You see that hill there?" He motioned to a low rise off to the south. "That way, is my pride. If she stays between it and the setting sun, she will find the way. Can you remember that?"
The lioness peered the way he'd pointed. "I think so, yes. What is your pride called, by the way?" She asked, partly out of curiosity, and partly as a ploy just to get him to stay around longer. It seemed to work, as he settled and rested his tail upon his paws.
"I cannot tell you the name, but I can tell you about our culture, if you like." And she did, and so he did. In fact, the pair talked so long that the day passed swiftly, and it was nearly dusk before either realized how much time had passed. Ame offered the male to come and share her den for the night, as it would be more protected from the elements or wandering rogues with ill intentions. He, at first, seemed reluctant, but eventually gave in, and followed behind her to her home.
