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Days had passed since the old lion had left his old home in search of Kujali, wishing to find her before he settled down somewhere. Questions popped up and floating around his mind as he went, with no one to talk to he had nothing else to do but wonder. What had happened to her old mate? Why did they leave? Who was this new male? Also he wondered, trying to ignore any other questions which could not be answered until he found Kujali, if he ever did, where would he settle? There had been many a nice pride he traveled through, but he wasn't sure which one he could see as home.

Jark continued to wonder where he might go afterwards, wandering silently. The sun was starting to reach it's zenith in the sky when he thought he saw some lions ahead. His pace quickened a bit as he turned to make his way towards them, though he watched as one form left. It was a lioness, and as the female turned her head he saw a familiar face. "Kujali!" He slowed his pace a bit as he neared her, grinning broadly at his old friend.

Talk of their next hunt had been exchanged but it had been interrupted by another voice, a more masculine one, calling out her name. It did not belong to the brown male that watched out for her and the other lionesses and that was what struck her as strange. Kujali's head snapped to the direction of the unknown voice, her ears pressed back to her skull until her pale eyes caught sight of who had called to her. "Jarkevaa?" The name was called out more in surprise then anything else. "What in creator Mkodi's name are you doing out here?"

The lioness that had left had done what Kujali would have done had it been almost any other male; get Durin. As the other had explained that the black lion had come up and greeted Kujali as a friend, a bit of rage that another was speaking to his beloved Kujali in such a manner. The other lioness was left behind in the haste of Durin's pace to reach the two of them.

Jarkevaa bounced slightly in his steps as he lessened the distance between him and Kujali, glad to hear her confirm his previous thoughts. It was her, hearing her say his name made it certain. “I’ve been out looking for you! I recently returned back to our old home and was surprised to find you were gone, as well as your mate.” His brows furrowed slightly. “or former mate?” He put the question forth hesitantly, unsure if there had been something unfortunate that had happened, something that might be painful. He didn’t wish to cause her pain from a and memory, but he couldn’t stop wondering where his other old friend had disappeared off to. “Spoke to a few who said you had left some time ago and was pointed in this direction. I am pleasantly surprised to find you so quickly though.”

"Former, indeed. He disappeared along with a hunting party during a time of hardship and lack of herds to prey on. They had searched for food to feed the cubs. He...did not return. No one did." Kujali replied in answer to his question of the status of her late mate. She did not usually refer to him as her former, but as her late as everything pointed to his death. "Enough of the past though, what in the gods' names are you doing out here? Do you have any idea of what kind of trouble you and I would be in if he-"

Another body stood in the background, a brown body and the one that had seemingly slipped Kujali's mind as she had been suddenly visited by her old friend. "Kujali!" Durin's loud voice called, his golden eyes narrowed and teeth already bared. The new male was far too close to his lioness for his liking. "Stranger, I don't know who you think you are, but you'd best be leaving before your blood is spilled."

“I see. I am sorry to hear..” Jarkevaa lowered his head slightly, ears perking forward as Kujali spoke and then was cut off by another voice. The voice was behind him and Jarkevaa spun to face it’s owner, coming around to see a large, brown male lion had come up behind him. This was no doubt the one the leopard had mentioned, though he had not been told of what this lion was like. At the threat he glanced hesitantly back at Kujali. “I am a friend of Kujali’s, I simply came here looking for her. I don’t wish to fight, but I also do not wish to leave so soon. It has been a long time since I saw her and would very much like to speak with her longer, to catch up on missed times.” Jark kept his ground, not wishing to back down so quickly. He was not much of a fighter at all, and doubted he could win in a fight, but he couldn’t leave just yet, not when he had come all this way looking for his friend and had actually found her.

Kujali nudged Jarkevaa's shoulder slightly, trying to push him behind her slightly all while hoping Durin would cease his threatening behavior in favor of not harming her. "He speaks the truth, Durin. He is a friend of my late mate's and I. Please, he means no harm, he only-"

"Silence!" The hulking male snapped, the sound of teeth hitting one another heard over the otherwise new silence. "I will not have another male speaking with my lionesses, and you are no exception from this, Kujali, as I'm sure you know." Despite him claiming to be a friend of her's and the lioness agreeing to it, he could not risk letting his guard down or letting other males see that he lets them into his pride without contest.

With those thoughts in his head, Durin charged the two, seemingly uncaring of the fact that the elderly female had put herself in front of the threat. She was pushed aside with relative ease compared to his large size. His claws were already unsheathed and maw open as he meant to push Jarkevaa from his lands.

Kujali’s attempt at reasoning with the other male was unsuccessful. Before he could even try to put forth another attempt to reason with him the other male charged forward. Without realizing it Jark had ended up behind Kujali, and before he could do anything about that either she was swept aside. “Kujali!” His attention snapped quickly back to the male, very aware of the present dangers. He did a clumsy dodge to the side, managing to avoid the teeth, however pain shot though his left leg as laws scraped across the upper part, close to his shoulder. “Please cease, I do not wish to fight you!” Jark stumbled slightly from the pain, catching himself so that he did not fall over. If he hit the ground he didn’t know what this lion would do to him, and he was less likely to get away from such a position.

However his mind was also worrying about Kujali. She was older than he was, and he was getting pretty old. Jarkevaa looked over at her, trying to both see if she had any apparent injuries and keep an eye on the aggressive male. “Are you alright?” He managed to get the question out before turning his attention’s back to his attacker.

Kujali laid on the ground for a moment, whether from fear of what he may do if she was to get up or shock from him actually doing that to her after he had expressed his wishes to her. The black male's concern for her was...comforting though. "I'm alright...You should have left, you stupid, thick-headed lion." Of course she was scolding him. It was her way of showing that she cared. "Behind you!" The lioness exclaimed suddenly as her eyes finally focused enough to see Durin turning to attempt to knock Jarkevaa to the ground.

That was his tactic after-all. Once on the ground, they were nearly helpless and due to how Jarkevaa was fighting already, Durin could gather that he wasn't much of a fighter anyways. "It doesn't appear you have a choice then." The words came out mixed with a snarl. "You are not welcome here!"

The widow moved as quickly as she could, pushing herself up and in front of her childhood friend, seeing him as her late mate for a moment, needing her help. Maybe she was delusional, but she could have sworn that Jarkevaa was him. With a swing of her paw, claws out, she caught Durin's cheek. Her movement caught him by surprise, causing her pride leader to howl in pain as blood began to stain his fur. "W-what...Kujali? Why?! Why do you defend this intruder?!"

"He's a friend, Durin!"

"He's here to take you from me!"

Finally his fear had been shared for the other lionesses that had come to watch the fight, Kujali and Jarkevaa to know. "Oh Durin...I was never truly yours. I thought you already knew that." Her words were at least soft, trying to be kind though her words were probably more hurtful then the wound on his cheek. The pale elder approached him, limping slightly. She reached out, licking his wound. "You already know where this is going, don't you?"

The male looked to the side, not daring to meet her eyes in fear of what he may do. "Go, before I change my mind."

It was all a blur, moving too quick for him to really focus his thoughts on what was happening. Kujali spoke, or rather chided him. He couldn't help but smile at it, even in the current situation. At her exclamation he took a couple quick steps back, trying to get more distance between him and the brown male in hopes he could react better at a new attack. The male wasn't going to let him stay, he could see this, hear it, but he knew if this continued then the male would seriously injure him.

Before the brown male could strike him however the female was between the two. She struck out and caught the other male on the cheek, leaving bloody scratches behind. He was shocked, nearly missing the conversation between the two in it. So that was why the male had attacked, he thought Jark had some to 'steal' Kujali away? Jarkevaa wondered on it a moment. ti had not been his intentions, although he knew that deep down he had been hopeful she would leave with him.

When the pairs conversation was finished the other male seemed to accept this and was letting them go. He wasn't sure what to do at first, another couple steps back. "Kujali?"

"Come on, Jarkevaa. We should leave while we're given the chance." This was not how she had wanted to leave the larger male's company, not in anger and what felt like betrayal, but there was little choice now. There was no way she could ever be happy with him. Kujali nudged him once more, moving him in the way he had come, away from the three remaining lionesses, the two cubs and Durin.

Golden eyes stared away from the old female as she left with the stranger. He was confused and hurt that she had so willingly left him with someone who had only been in their company for less then an hour. She had been with him for what had seemed like years! Did that mean nothing. With one last glance, he looked to her and scoffed. Maybe he would be better off without her. With that though, he turned and went opposite of them, back to his acacia tree.