The African savanna was quiet on this deliriously warm afternoon. The large lion was glad for his coat as he picked his way through the tall grasses. It was pale, it kept off the worst of the heat, but even so he was miserable. Honestly, he couldn't imagine what it might be like to have possessed a black coat. The sun, he imagines, was hot enough without dark fur keeping in the heat!
The giant walked slowly, panting as he pushed his way onward, destination unknown. What he wouldn't kill to find a watering hole or some sort of relief . . . . These lands were unknown to the great male, but that was nothing new. As of late, the roguelands were the only home he knew, and their scenery changed on a daily basis. He didn't often linger in one place for long, and when he did, the faces he met were like mere phantoms, drifting away, rarely to be seen again.
Jawara hadn't always roamed, he remembered the pride he had originated from, though it had long since been demolished. There had been some political issues that stirred up those of lower rank to rise up against those in power. He had been young, very young, but he remembered some of his siblings had gotten involved. . . and the results had not been pretty.
His pride had always been one that encouraged brute strength and a warriors attitude, but even as a cub, the pale lion had not quite fit. He did his best to study, to please his family, but it never felt right and there were things he had done he regretted. Unfortunately, the resultant civil war became an ugly and bloody affair. Jawara had left near the end, after the death of the royal line and the slaughter of those in charge of the coup. Many of his siblings had been persecuted or killed and by the end of it, there was no more government, no more pride. Just a bunch of lions battling over nothing . . . Many had just shaken their heads and walked away, hoping to find a new and better life.
Jawara was one of them.
Unfortunately, all he'd found was emptiness. . . There were no prides yet that called his attention for long, and he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to settle. He had no reason at this point, only a desire to see where his paws might take him, to learn from each new experience, to soak up the culture and beliefs of the world. There was much to learn and much to embrace, but today, right now, all he wanted was some shade!
