Word Count: 1124
They had parted ways with fond farewells and wishes of good fortune...
Eremerus had led her back to almost familiar lands and Mrengo had given significant reassurances that she knew exactly where she was going. As Eremerus had plans to move in the opposite direction from her from this point, he had then elected to leave, but she was fairly certain he would have stayed if he had realised that she wasn't actually clear on where she was going. ruth be told she had been very persuasive in her arguments and had even pointed out a number of landmarks accurately...but now that she was on her own she wasn't feeling terribly confident. At some point she had taken a wrong turn, because while she knew the swamps were nearby the coast, they were far enough inland to not smell of salt air.
In short, she was lost.
Even worse, she was now in trouble.
Nevertheless as fate would have it the goddess of luck had favoured her as it had done so throughout her journey and as she sat in a dejected fashion under a nearby palm tree, she was graced with the presence of a very weathered leopard. For a short while she merely stared at him as he approached, but as she drew nearer there was something oddly familiar about him - she didn't know him precisely, but there was a wisdom in his eyes that reminded her of Eremerus. She began to wonder if this was how all leopards were and truth be told, if they were and Eremerus ended up looking half as attractive as this one did when he was older then he was going to make a lioness very happy someday!
Yup, while he may not have floated her boat the entire way she could appreciate that he was attractive.
"You are lost," he observed without any form of introduction, his observational capabilities unsettling her ever so slightly. Weather beaten and tired, he seemed to have little inclination towards hositilities but she wasn't sure she liked anyone or anything that seemed to be able to read her mind. "Your body language gives you away," he explained, seeming to read her mind again and despite herself, she flattened her ears against her head in discomfort. He paused briefly, reconsidering his approach and then simply shook his head.
"Allow me to explain," he said finally, having conceded that perhaps some additional explanation might be required when it came to the young lioness. "Your fur denotes that you are not a lion of this region, it is too soft and lacks the curls that would come from exposure to the sea air," he began and motioned to her paws, he then motioned to his own and gave it a gentle 'brush', revealing that it was exceptionally thick and fluffy... she knew that this meant he tended to live in colder regions. "You are also sat under a tree with a dejected expression on your features and every so often you flick your gaze anxiously to certain areas of the horizon."
"How -"
"You are looking for landmarks," he shrugged his shoulders loosely and sat down, flexing a claw as he began to draw the horizon and the land around it on the sand caked soil beneath his paws. "I have been on this earth many more years than you, when you are aware of common behavioural traits, these things become easy," he explained.
"Oh, but it's really freaky if you do that without even saying hello, or without introducing yourself for that matter," Mrengo pointed out, her lips flicking into an uncertain smile as she turned her gaze towards his drawing and blinked. He was drawing what he could see and more. A sketch of a map that existed within his own memory including landmarks and on occasions what looked like weather patterns.
"So I've been told," he hazarded a smile of his own and paused in his cartography, "My name is Raja," he introduced himself at last and you are?"
"Mren -" she froze and shook her head, no, this wasn't her name anymore. She'd found her name with the help of Eremerus and it was only right that she start to use it. "Avichayil'Cayla," she said at last and then giggled as a sense of recognition flashed across his features.
"Quite the mouthful, but symbolic all the same."
"You know what it means?" she asked, though she wasn't surprised.
"I'm getting old," he stated simply, a hint of humour in his voice as he observed the female. "Now, Avichayil'Cayla - where is it that you were seeking to head? You are too tender and well kept to be on the windswept shores."
"The swamps," she confessed and he nodded slowly, continuing to draw his map. It was only when he had finished it that he drew a circle and then began to draw a line away from it.
"You are here," he stated, pointing to the dot. He then raised his paw and motioned towards the horizon where two mountains seemed to cross over, the peaks forming a 'v'. "In order to reach your required destination you will need to head towards those mountains, directly in the middle...do not deviate."
"Why, what happens?"
"You will end up in the desert."
"Ah..."
"When you reach a river, which will be full at this time of year due to good rain, you will then turn right and follow it. It will bring you directly to the borders you seek."
"It's that easy?" she seemed incredulous as she regarded his directions and then looked over her shoulder towards her destination, by the sounds of it, she'd only taken one wrong turn and just needed to adjust to get back on the right track.
"Your pridal lands are not as far away as you might think, even though they prefer isolation, I am still aware of them," he confirmed and lowered his paw, observing the female as she took in his instructions. "I have no doubt you will be there by nightfall if you elect to leave now," he added.
"Walking or running?" she asked as she wasn't really thrilled at the prospect of running, her paws were aching from all the travel, but she did want to go home.
"Walking," he shrugged loosely and stood up again. "Just be careful of the wildebeast, they will be in the process of moving," he warned and with that, he gathered his wits and continued down the coast once more. As quickly as he had arrived, the leopard was gone...leaving a very grateful lioness in his wake.
She wasn't lost anymore!
...She could finally go home.
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