[PRP] the meeting

[Lethrossen]

Aagiro's muscles tensed as she crouched low and shuffled several steps forward. Her dark gaze was focused completely on the small rabbit not far off, grazing and nervously lifting it's head. It's nose was twitching and it's ears constantly working... Aagiro had the feeling the little b*****d knew of her presence, but could not prove it with sound, smell or sight. She was good at hunting, it was a skill you learned to be skillful with when you were on your own. So when she continued forward and heard the loud CRACK of a stray twig she flinched and snarled, immediately the rabbit jetted off. She lunged for it anyway, there was no point in blaming her empty belly on someone else's folly. But it was no use, she could already tell the small beast would outrun her and as she pulled up short she caught the scent of the one who must have caused the surprising noise.

Her ears pinned back to her skull, her dark eyes narrowed as her white tipped tail lashed even more angrily behind her. "Well thank you for ruining my hunt." She spat the words out angrily, scanning the area warily. She had yet to lay eyes on the jerk who'd ruined her meal for the night.

 

[KasaiLoki]

He had recently just left the pride he had established as his ‘own’ just a few moons ago. They called themselves ‘ghosts’ and that is truly how they acted. The land was quiet, barren almost—even graveyard-like. Life did not seem to thrive as it would normally in a rather large pride. If it were the old west, a nice tumbleweed would be floating around pushed by the whistling wind.

Ammon’nen didn’t think about that though. He left, and dared never to turn back. After all, he really couldn’t consider a place like that home. One day he would find something, but for now---well, he just traveled by Artemis’ glow. He slept in the shadows when the great ball of fire broke from his own slumber, and awoke when the silver goddess resumed her nightly watch.

It was on this night the star-pelted lion moved quicker than normal. The sun would soon be out, and he had to find somewhere QUICKLY to hide. If not, his mask of darkness would be revealed, and that was something Ammon’nen did not want to look forward too. His steps were swift, but not silent. Large paws rustled the drying grasses (rain had yet to make an appearance this summer), and snapped a long twig from a fallen tree with a rather loud CRACK. Normally Nen wouldn’t care, but the sounds of a chase, and then an angry voice to follow made him slow down.

He could see the shadow of a lioness, and couldn’t help but smirk.

“Well, you’re quite welcome! Though, next time I would suggest actually getting…whatever it was you were trying to hunt. It’ll leave you less hungry for the time being.” Ammon’nen stated, stopping momentarily to focus on the lioness.  

[Lethrossen]

Her eyes flashed dangerously at his words, her gaze finally landing on him. One look and she wondered how she'd missed that snowy white mane in the first place. Her lip curled to show her teeth, clear displeasure set on her features. Of course it had been a male to disturb her hunt... the giant oafs had no feel for what a real hunt was. He was probably some pretty little pride lion who'd never hunted anything in his life, just sat back at his den all pretty and waited for his pride females to bring him something. "Well well, quite the massive intellect on this one." She stated mockingly, moving forward toward him.

"Normally I would have caught such easy pray if it hadn't been for a certain oaf clumsily making his way through the night. Perhaps you are half deaf and did not notice the amount of noise caused just from the twig alone?" In the silence of the night a twig snapping could sound as similar as an explosion. "Now, how will you repay me?" Because now he owed her, as she saw it. Something equivalent to a rabbit, or better if the gods willed it. Aagiro was beginning to make a slow circle around the larger male, clearly looking him over. You had to know what sort of threats you were dealing with, in this world.

 

[KasaiLoki]

He didn’t move as she approached him. The sarcastic-ness of her tone had no emphasis on him either. He was use to the hormonal females and their attitude way when he had once traveled the southlands; why should this female be any different?

“Or perhaps a lion like myself would think someone else would be out here at this time of night,” well, more so morning now as dawn was rapidly approaching, “wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you to get ganged up by some big nasty males now.” He took a moment to step towards the female, whispering to her “you know that dangers lurk in these lands.” Ammon’nen backed a few feet away from the female. “Besides, a little snap of a twig would not make you lose your dinner. Obviously your reflexes are slow,” he jabbed at her.

Repay her? Was she serious? He rolled his eyes, “and what may I ask, do you want in exchange for your loss meal? Another one to replace it?” Why he was even entertaining the thought, Nen didn’t know. He just glanced quickly to the sky, this girl better hurry up.  

[Lethrossen]

She chuckled, though the sound lacked mirth. "So you're implying only the big and bad come out to play at night now, hmm? And no, we wouldn't want that." Though the idea of multiple lions ganging up on her... that was laughable. This guy sure was dense... her reflexes slow! Her eyes flashed annoyance as she growled low and throaty. "Maybe I should show you just how quick I am." She murmured, gaze flicking over his body. "I could have your guts out in minutes, perhaps those can replace the meal I've just lost from your folly." Her gaze flickered up and met his, though she'd gone another full circle around him before moving a few pad falls away and sitting, her tail still twitching against the ground with hints of anger that still lurked.

She smirked, shaking her head softly. "Oh no, it would have been something like just a replaced meal but you've been rather rude." Now... what could she get from this male? Her nose scrunched as she glanced toward the sky. Day would be upon them soon, which would be good for Aagiro, as she'd risen from sleep only an hour before this ill fated meeting. "Ah." She smirked, deciding she would have a little fun with this. "Have you heard of the vast lands of sand?" She'd heard of the fierce pride that lived in the desert, but it was still something she wanted to see before she died. How strange it must have been to live without grass or shrubs... what sort of creatures did they even hunt?

 

[KasaiLoki]

“Well, consider all the ‘goodys’ come out in broad daylight because the big black night scares them…” he pondered, the idea of a grown lion running into his den as soon as night hit was rather amusing to him. “Glad you see it my way,” a brief smirk again, before the frown replaced it. “Temper, temper.” A tsking noise was emitting from his vocals as he shook his head. “I bet your mother wouldn’t be too happy with your attitude right now. What would she think?” It was like a game the Ammon’nen was playing with this female. She took shots at him, he would reply with a response. And so the rebuttal would continue. “Though, I don’t think I would be as tasty. I might even get your sick.” Her attitude did not bother him.

Ammon’nen wanted to reply with “you’re the one being rude”, but he held it off. The sooner he relinquished to her demands, the sooner he could leave her. He may have not liked this female, but he sure also wasn’t one that would just leave in the middle of a…confrontational situation…

“Vast lands of the sand? Honey, you got to be more specific. This whole plains feels like a vast land of sand.” He had heard of a few places before, one in particularly held large red lions that (rumors have it) once held slaves in their ranks. Another lands, seemingly more quieter than the previous mentioned, took residence in the desert. He had never been to either, only heard stories.

“Let me guess, you want to go there?” Where ever ‘there was’.  

[Lethrossen]

She snorted. How many moons had she been away from her mother's teat already? "Do your mother's words still sway your actions? Ah, a mother's boy." She chuckled at the thought, her laugh much more pleasant than her brash attitude. She shifted and climbed back to all fours, stretching out her limbs and letting a yawn crack her jaw. She eyed him skeptically and chuckled again at his words. "Trust me, I do not need to consume your flesh to know you'd make me sick." The implications were clearly there; he was already making her a little sick.

Still, a guide was a guide and she hadn't run into another lion in a good while. A lion she didn't get on well with was just as good as a lion who mooned over her or something. "Honey?" Her brows shot up and she looked even more skeptical. What ungodly hole had this male crawled from? If only she knew the damn pride names... she shrugged lightly, tail flicking as she tilted her head. "The lands of sand and the lands of grass are much different." Not that she knew that for fact, as she'd never been away from the plains. "I hear that the sky-fire can shrivel a lion in it's skin while living in the deserts, from lack of shade." She seemed amused by this, and truly it was something she wanted to witness herself.

"My you're a clever one. Yes, I want to go there... but clearly you've never been as you can hardly distinguish the desert from the plains anyhow." Her words were challenging and taunting; I bet you can't bring me, they seemed to infer. But if he did not rise to the challenge? Well she'd head in the right direction all the same and just figure it out from there.

 

[KasaiLoki]

“And if I am a mother’s boy, what’s it to you?” Not that he really was, “but besides that, my mother’s dead. Her words have not ‘swayed my actions’” as she happened to put it, “one bit. Though, there are times I would like to think that she can see me and may be proud somehow. But, if she is looking down on me now, I know she will think nothing of the sort, speaking with someone like...” he eyed her all the way from her tail up, “…well you, to be so blunt.

“Glad you see it my way then.” He really wouldn’t be a tasty snack.

“Mhmm…Well then, I have heard stories of ‘lands of the sand’, but do be more specific if you can. I know two, but they may not be the ones you are thinking about. Think, if your brain can handle it.” Though, her next comment made him uneasy. The land without shade…he did not want to venture that way. Where would he sleep with the sun took its place in the sky? He’d certainly burn with the bright white hair that surrounded his neck, and those long stockings on his legs.

…Oh yeah? She wanted to play that game, so be it.

“Wanna bet, sweet cheeks?” Ammon’nen kept up with the petty names. “I’ll take you to the ‘vast land of sand’.” His eyes narrowed.

“Maybe you’ll be the lion that shrivel in the sun,” he muttered under his breath.  

[Lethrossen]

Her ears flicked but she made no response to the fact that his mother had passed on. It was all part of the circle of life, and she felt no pity. She wasn't even sure if he'd said it to make her feel bad or not, but the way the whole conversation had been going... Her eyes narrowed as hiw own gaze traveled over her body and her tail lashed angrily. "Ha, if she has judgment as similar as yours that may be true but I've always understood lions like me to be of the good, strong stock." Oh he was making her fur bristle!

He knew of two different deserts... ah! She recalled stories... "I want to pass through the large mountain peaks that will lead us into this land of sand and ruin." She said slowly. Yes, if she was going to make him bring her anywhere it might as well been through the tall mountains... wait... why was he agreeing? She gestured to the north east, ears flickering. "Is that still too hard to comprehend? Will you need more detail than that?" Her words were once again mocking.

Sweet cheeks? Her fur did stand on end at this comment and her gaze narrowed. If he kept that up she would slit his throat while he slept, surely. "Fine, what is the wager?" Her maw curled into something of a smile. He wanted to bet did he? Well she enjoyed a good bet every now and then. It made life interesting, didn't it? "If you can not lead the way to my sun-stained destination than you will have to be my servent for three moons." Her tone was almost amused, but her face was stern and serious. Betting was no laughing matter!

Her ears flicked at his muttering, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What was that?"

 

[KasaiLoki]

“Lions like you eh? Heh.” He just left it at that.

“I know of this pass you speak of” at least, he thought he did. It had been many whole moons since he had last traveled as a rogue, he would have to remember it as he saw it from cub-hood. “And no, I do not need more detail than that. But let me ask you, darling, do you think you can handle such treacherous treks? You don’t want to break a nail now.” He could equally return her mocking tone. Who would win round one?

“Oh I just said maybe we’d find some lions that want to make you their number one!” He tried to come up with some sentence that would fit the words he muttered. It…sort of worked?

“Wager?” he thought for a moment for a sly grin popped onto his maw. “Fine. If I cannot lead you so your dreamy destination, then I will be your servant for three moons.” Three moons was nothing. But his bargain would be much…longer than three moons for her. “But…If I do happen to lead you to your wonderful sun bleached lands, you will have the honor of bearing me a litter of children,” if the sly grin could get anymore devious. “I’ll need to have someone to pass on my bloodlines.” Besides, if this male was going to be traveling a long ways with this female, he would certainly need…some female attention afterwards.

“Do we have a deal?” He held out his paw to shake.  

[Lethrossen]

She smiled bitterly at him and ignored the little quips he put out. He would get well what he deserved on some other day, she was sure of it. Besides everything that came tumbling from his mouth was beginning to just sound like a lot of waterbuck dung to her. In other words? Why pay attention? Besides... she'd just caught the scent of something far tastier than the little rabbit that had so nicely brought them together. Her gaze had flickered away from him for a moment and instead she looked to their left. Yes, it was that way. She only listened to every couple of words he said, so when she heard him so pleasantly agreeing with her terms she didn't really bother paying mind to what his were. He didn't sound as if he really knew where he was going anyways.

She glanced back to him and spotted the paw and without a word moved forward to shake it with her own. Only when her paw was in his did her eyes go wide and her mind registered what she'd only have been listening to. "Wait, what?" She snarled, snatching her paw back. What the hell had he just said? Had she heard something about litters? Bloodlines? She looked completely dumbfounded for a moment before she forced herself to regain composure. "Hah, as if that will ever happen. You'll have us lost within the week." She mumbled, though there was something nervous she could not hide in her tone seeping through. He couldn't truly want that... right?

He had to be. Hadn't he just been speaking of what a vile lioness she was? She smirked, seeing through his lie and rolled his eyes. "Yeah whatever, my first borns are yours." She finally said, though sarcastically. She shifted and scented the air again. Yes, it must have been a zebra... a young one that strayed from its mother? She could only hope... but what about him? She glanced to him. "I'm going to go hunt now seeing as my stomach is still empty." Yes, she was jabbing back at the whole reason they met. "Are you coming?" She couldn't lose her guide, even if he wasn't going to get her where she wanted going.

 

[KasaiLoki]

“You heard me.” There was no joking to his tone. He was dead serious.

“Oh, I bet you’d be surprised and…you will be surprised.” Ammon’nen could have been referring to multiple points in that statement, but he left it up to the female’s interpretation. “Besides, you need to know I too, was once a rogue. I know how to navigate my way around most these lands.” If she wasn’t nervous before, she had better be nervous now. Another wicked grin, “good. I’m sure we will have strong healthy boys.” Boys that will look like him! Though, he secretly would wish for a girl just to spoil.

“Oh my, already a couple! You’re going to hunt for me! Why then yes, yes I’m coming dear!” he would trollup after the female in an almost mock giddy manner. “After the hunt, we shall rest and travel by night. I don’t want you passing out from the heat,” plus he didn’t want to travel in the sun.  

[Lethrossen]

She wanted to groan but she wouldn't give him the pleasure of knowing just how far he'd managed to get under her skin. Why had she gotten herself into such a twisted situation like this? The gods were surely laughing at her right now... in some ways she thought she might look back at today and laugh as well. But right now? She felt sick and angry. And hungry. It was best to focus on the hunger. "Once? And how long ago was that?" She snorted, her anger slightly diminishing when she realized she'd been right. He was a pride cat, sitting pretty. She had been a rogue basically her whole life. She couldn't recall ever being part of a pride... though perhaps when she'd been very young? Her tail lashed and the light touch of merriment she was feeling was yanked away when he again referenced her giving him cubs. She'd rather throw herself from a mountain cliff than lay with him for the night.

She hissed as he continued to mock and her ears pinned to her skull. She found herself instantly sitting on her rump. She wouldn't budge another inch if he was going to keep this s**t up. "You watch it." She growled, eyes narrowed. She looked quite adorable with her eyes narrowed and her fur fluffed from being so pissed off. "And like hell I'm hunting for you. Go eat some rocks." She then bounded to her paws and shook her fur. "Bah, we travel when I say. I'm the one who wants to go." Like hell she was letting him get his way after he'd tricked her into such an insane bet! She began to stalk off- in the opposite direction of where she knew the prey to be. She suddenly had no appetite. "Forget it, we travel now."

 

[KasaiLoki]

“I’m not as old as you may think, just for your information. My white hair can be misleading,” he smirked. Though he wasn’t a youngster anymore, he was by no means ancient, or well into senior-hood. He liked to believe he was in the prime of his life! “So, I won’t tell you just how long ago that was.” And he left it at that.

His ears perked forward as he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Success! Ammon’nen one! This lioness – zero! He feigned a frown, “but I’m hunnnngrrrry,” he whined. “Rocks will just slow me downnnn! Come on Kitten, let’s just get a quick bite!” He stood a bit away from her, knowing soon the female would get agitated enough to take a swipe at his starred face. Ammon’nen frowned when she said she wanted to travel now, instead of hunting. He had been traveling all night…surely enough he wouldn’t be able to make it the whole day of continuous movement! The lion grumbled, glaring at the female with an actual pout on his face. He hated traveling in the sun…

“Fine, we travel when you want, you hunt when I want.” It was pretty much a win-lose situation for both lions, though she too probably wouldn’t agree to it either.

…I guess now the score was this lioness 1, Ammon’nen 1…

Great. A tie.  

[Lethrossen]

Man he sure thought fondly of himself, didn't he? Drawing attention to his mane like some prissy... Her tail flicked in response and she gave no other indication that she was listening to him. If she'd been born a male she would have had just as snowy a mane as he, if her tail was any indication. She snorted at the thought, amusing herself by picturing a mane fluffy about her face. If she just constantly tuned him out he couldn't piss her off, right?

Kitten?! Her lip curled, ears flickering but she still forced herself not to reply to the big oaf. Kitten her rump. Instead she just decided that they would be leaving now, even though her stomach was growing uncomfortable from lack of food. Another few hours wouldn't kill her, just make her more enthusiastic about hunting her next prey beast. He could go die in some retched hole if he thought for one second she'd share her hard earned catch, too.

She blinked and halted when he finally stated his condition to letting them travel now, half turning to scowl at him. "I hunt?" She repeated, sounding both amazed and a little bit offended. She sighed deeply and muttered under her breath before turning again. "Hmph, whatever." Damn she really didn't want to share her earnings with him... still, it just meant she was completely spot on about him. Pretty boy, she thought she might start calling him. As in, pretty incompetent at life. She started to laugh at the thought, full and throaty and completely disregarding the fact that he was following behind her and probably questioning why she was laughing at 'nothing'. Oh this would be a long and surely miserable journey... but she could not back out of the terms now, no matter how foolish they were and how accidental it had been to agree.

-end-