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GAIRNÉAD

The red lion was following Mziwanda (yes, that was the name of the lioness he'd rescued, as he'd learned sometime between rescuing her from the stampede and their arrival in what she called the Mwezi'Johari) and looking around with wide green eyes. There were so many lions here! More than he'd ever seen at once in his life! And she said there were even more that were either working or sleeping or just not here where he could see them...!

It was mind-boggling, to say the least. He couldn't even put words into sentences and ask her questions, just followed and nodded at everything she said.

Halili was bustling about, going from one task to another when she came upon the pair. The purple lioness was familiar looking, no one she'd actually interacted with yet, but definitely a pride member. The bemused red male following her around, however, was definitely a new face. The brown lioness stopped a moment to survey the pair.

Yes, the purple lioness looked to be quite, quite happy, and continually bestowed adoring gazes upon the male with her. He, on the other hand, just looked overwhelmed and bemused. Not necessarily a bad thing.

"Well, hello there!" Halili called out to the pair of them, coming up closer where they could talk more easily. "I know I've seen you around before," she continued, nodding to the other lioness, "but you, sir, must be new! Have you just joined?"

"Not yet, but I hope he will!" The words were out of Mziwanda's mouth before she could stop them, and she was silent for half a moment to feel her cheeks heat at her outburst before she hastened to explain. "He saved my life! Pulled me out of a thundering stampede, after I thought my life was surely lost!" Her language was growing more flowery, and would only become moreso the more she repeated the tale. A good story had to sound nice, too!

Gairnéad looked from one lioness to the other, starting to panic. He wasn't certain what Mziwanda was talking about, hoping he would join something. And her description of his earlier actions was getting even more elaborate. That...couldn't be good, could it?

And now this other lioness, whose name he didn't even know, was calling him a hero. He already had the sinking suspicion that with this kind of confirmation, the purple lioness would never let him live it down.

But at least he knew more about "joining". They wanted him in their pride and he supposed that from the brown lioness' point of view, there was no downside. But he'd only just met Mziwanda, totally on accident and so much had happened in such a short time...it was rather a lot to take in.

"I'll, ah, have to take it into consideration?" he offered in return.

Halili gave Gairnéad a reassuring smile as she considered what Mziwanda had said. It could very well be the Great Lion's idea to bring such a heroic male to their pride! Of course that was something that a Priest, or maybe the Shaman would be better placed to determine, but it was certainly a fun notion.

"Yes, you certainly could! It seems that this lovely Lady," Halili used the term in jest, she wasn't certain as to the purple lioness' actual rank, "has declared you her devoted knight!" The beige lioness considered this before adding "You do seem like good Guard material though, based on what she says."

"Oh, that would be perfect!" Mziwanda exclaimed. "I think he's definitely brave enough to be a Guard, protecting us all from the many dangers lurking in the rogue lands!" She beamed at Gairnéad, still relatively oblivious to his discomfiture. "What do you think?"

Green eyes wide, Gairnéad looked from one lioness to the other, feeling control of his own life slipping ever further away. Not that he was against anything they were suggesting, far from it! He did actually like the idea of being a Guard and he was pleased that the beige lioness was so perfectly happy to take him (them?) straight to the lion to talk to about it.

It was just happening so fast!

"I, uh, sure?" the red lion managed to get out as a response.

"This sounds like a perfect plan!" Halili agreed. "So let me be the first to welcome you to the Mwezi'Johari!" she told the big red lion. He looked a little confused and unsure, but she was sure that his heart was in the right place. Mziwanda was so enthusiastic and sure, and the beige lioness was happy to put her faith in the other female's judgement.

"So if the pair of you will just follow me, we can get this all taken care of and then find something to eat," she continued cheerfully before turning to lead the lovebirds deeper into the pride.

A new member, it was so very exciting!