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It was a beautiful day and the grey lioness savored the breeze, the sunshine, and the absolute freedom it brought with it. She hadn't stayed in any place more than a few days since the Mwezi'Johari, and that was how life was supposed to be. Oh sure, she'd returned to a few places repeatedly, but never the pride. Which was something of a shame as there had been some lions there she'd be interested in seeing again, but Ieiunium had absolutely no desire to come into contact with Yareha Afaer.

Or their children.

As time went on, she'd come to regret not even visiting them once as they grew up, but the longer she put off seeing them, the less she could say to justify her absence. In the end, it was easiest to simply ignore them altogether. A pity, but there it was. And it was a mistake that she'd be sure to rectify the next time she had children.

Yes, she would definitely have children again. But this time it would be in the time and place that she chose, and they'd live her life - that of a wandering rogue - instead of being tied to a single pride.

It was a nice daydream, at least. She'd just have to turn up an acceptable male to father them. But Iei was in no rush for that. She was still young enough that there were no pressing time constraints on what she did. Indeed, her life was free of so many constraints. She was obliged to hunt, of course, and it was always best if she found a good, comfortable place to hole up each night. But aside from that? There was no place she couldn't go, no people depending on her and certainly no one that she herself relied on.

This was freedom.

Today the breeze carried more than just the ordinary scents and sounds on it, Iei noted with interest. Today she heard words. Intrigued, she followed the breeze towards its source. A rise or two over of where she had been she found it. A black lion. He was younger than her, for sure, but what his real age could be was a total mystery. And, at the end of the day, not a mystery that needed solving.

The way he was moving said a great deal for his internal stress levels and just why he would have been talking to himself out loud. Really, his entire body language said that he was frustrated or annoyed. Still, maybe the young male just needed someone to vent to. If so, Ieiunium would be happy to assist a fellow rogue.

"Got troubles, do you? Need an ear?" she offered when she came close enough to talk, but not so close that he might think she meant him harm.

Ieiunium nodded sympathetically. She hadn't always been a skilled huntress and sometimes prey still escaped her to this very day. Not the proudest admission a lioness could make, but no less true. And this youngster was what, half her age? He had that much less experience.

"I know what you mean. Perhaps you'd like a bit of help?" she offered. The grey female wasn't actually that hungry, so it would be fairly simple for her to help the black male find and kill his own meal without wanting a bite for herself.

That was assuming any hunting actually got done if he took her up on it. Iei figured the odds were even that if he did, she might be able to get him to unbottle the stresses within and let loose. Which would of course deter any attempt at hunting, but be much healthier for him in the long run.

Blue eyes - eyes the exact same shade as the lion before her, though neither of them realized it - blinked in surprise at the unexpected statement. This boy had a sibling who looked like her? Even superficially? That was...remarkable.

Well, the boy before her was definitely not one of her four children, whom she would recognize if she saw them, despite how much time had passed. Still, the thought didn't even cross her mind that said children were old enough to be parents in their own right. It was easier to accept that the gods had arranged for other lions out there to have similar markings to her own.

"Well, I can assure you I'm not your sibling," Iei replied with a smile. "My name is Ieiunium." And if it had been as long as he said since the dark lion had last eaten, then perhaps she should make it a priority to get some food into him, then convince him to unburden himself.

"I saw some zebra over that way," she gestured with her chin, "the other day. Perhaps we should see if they're in need of culling?"

"Frankly, I doubt there's any kinship between us," Iei told the younger lion a bit gently. She hated to crush his hopes, but really, the likelihood was next to zero and she didn't want to encourage the kid's hopes.

"Well then, what say you and I hunt down some zebra?" she suggested as a way of distracting the other lion and putting off conversation for a bit. Not that she didn't still want to help him, but she'd rather not focus on the remote possibility that they might be related. Especially since she absolutely could not see how such a thing could be.