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Every day was a new day in the hunt. Moons, seasons, years he'd been searching now. His quarry had been decently easy to track in the early days - just follow the trail of war - and his main problem had been trying to determine how to best dispose of the creature. Unfortunately, his quarry had retained her martial skill and honed it...and that ability had always surpassed his own.

He'd tried ambushes. He'd tried assasination. Nothing worked. Nothing phased her.

Even that last time, he'd thought for sure he'd gotten her, having coached a group to lead her and her own troop far from aid and to pursue them relentlessly. But when he followed the trail, he'd found only the bodies of his own hired thugs. The wind had long swept away any other tracks to the point where he hadn't even a clue as to what direction his quarry had gone in.

But the hunt continued. She couldn't hide forever. He knew what drew her out, and it was as bloody as ever. So, he merely needed to seek out war. Find that, and he would find his quarry.

And then...and then the story would be complete.

The lands around him looked the same as other lands he'd passed through and different from many. Water was not overly plentiful, but there was enough to support a remarkable amount of life. There was grass even, which told of small creatures running through it, and larger creatures which hunted them down.

A good enough place as any to search. Not that he would ever be so crude as to let anyone else know what it was he did here.

Ah, perfect. Another lion. Though...this other lion's stomach was rumbling audibly. Perhaps a way to ingratiate himself existed here. Facio was never one to turn another away, that was far too rude. Not to mention counterproductive.

"Ah, good day," he called out to the brown lion. Now, how to put this? He didn't want to offend the younger lion, for there was something about the other's posture and fur that inclined him to think the boy was at least several moons his junior. Possibly more, but it didn't matter. The brown lion clearly had his full growth and deserved to be treated as the adult he was.

"I hate to say it, but I think the prey can hear your stomach growling," the pink lion offered diffidently.

"Perhaps one alone cannot do much for an empty stomach," the older lion replied, "but two together might yet." He smiled winningly at the brown lion.

"I have seen a herd of gazelle just two rises over, and from the dust on that horizon, I would say they are still there. I think it likely that, together, we could fasten onto one of the slower and weaker members of the herd," Facio went on. In his experience, once you'd hunted together, you became very good friends and people would tell you just about anything.

On reflection, that "anything" was rather literal and he'd heard a few things he could have gone without knowing over the years. Ah well, no information was ever wasted.

"I am Facio," he answered with a slight bow. "And you, my new partner?" the pink lion asked in return. This was going quite well indeed. Not only would they both get a decent meal out of it, but he would have a chance to learn a very great deal.

It didn't matter how young the brown lion was. He could learn a great deal from what the other lion said and didn't say. Facio was, after all, a stranger in these lands and even knowing if this spring was particularly wet or dry was useful information to him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well," Facio told the younger lion with a smile. It truly was good to meet him...and the genuine feeling in the pink lion's voice should flatter the brown. If it didn't, well, he would find other ways to do so. What mattered was that Amali should trust Facio completely, and that the pink lion should seem, in all ways, to be worthy of such trust.

He would be too, he had no intention of seeing the younger lion injured or dead, especially not as a direct result of consorting with him. That would be far too obvious a clue to any others around. The game Facio was playing went far deeper, and so his surface seeming must be as genuine as what he kept hidden. It was unlikely that most creatures would be able to pick up on what he was doing.

"Indeed, let us examine the herd and determine a strategy that will see us both fed full," he replied after only a couple of moments. His fuchsia eyes glinted at the future prospects.

"Yes," the pink lion confirmed, pacing in step next to Amali as they headed for the herd. He too was hungry, but he refused to allow such a little thing to distract him from his purpose. Food, in his experience, could always wait a little longer. Hunger sharpened the senses, made the hunt more thrilling. However, before they could get to the actual hunt, they would need some strategy.

"Now I'm sure you've had experience with various preybeasts before, but have you ever hunted gazelle...?"

Of course, what Facio was actually hunting was not the meat to fill his stomach, but the trust and regard of Amali. It was a pity, but the brown lion really didn't stand a chance. And that would make the upcoming physical hunt sweet indeed for the pink lion.