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Ithemba wandered the lands surrounding the temple, lost in thought. Her footfalls were completely silent but the beads around her neck clattered together with each step. It wasn't a loud sound, but compared to her normally noiseless movement it was somewhat bothersome to her. As a youngling and as a padawan she only had round beads that lay quietly together on their strand, but these new ones were heavy and elongated, and as far as she was concerned, far noisier than she liked.

Not that she didn't want them, far from it. Passing her trials and becoming a knight meant the world to the young leopard, and she would gladly endure their clickity-clacking if it meant that she had made her master proud.

Still, the noise (along with being independent of her master) was something that would take some getting used to. When Ithemba finally took a look around to see where she had wandered to, she saw the still waters of the meditation pond and her lips curled into a slight smile. "How appropriate. A place to think." She breathed, climbing onto a smooth stone and stretching out onto it, taking in its warmth and letting a relaxed sigh. "If there is one thing I am completely certain of, it is that there is still much to learn. No amount of trials or meditation can bring knowledge of everything, though the effort is as important as the knowledge gained."

Ithemba snapped to attention at the noise, sitting up so as to locate the source. Her eyes and ears locked onto his face the moment it appeared, focused and ready to react if need be. He had clearly surprised her, something she wasn't all that accustomed to. Still, she had been distracted and lost in her own thoughts, perhaps she should have expected someone to hear her musings.

She lowered her head slightly and her ears swiveled back, the leopard was clearly uncomfortable. "My apologies, I didn't see you there." Her voice was soft now, if he weren't already listening he would probably not hear. She wasn't entirely sure why she was apologizing. It only took one look at him to tell that he was a member of their order, not a threat, but she couldn't help but feel as though she was being a bother. Old memories that still affected her thoughts and, on occasion, her actions compelled her to get out of everyone's way. Her master had always told her that letting go of them would make her stronger and bring her closer to enlightenment. He was right of course, but letting go of those particular memories wasn't something she had ever been able to do.

"I... My name is Ithemba..."

Ithemba. He nodded a bit when she introduced herself and continued to watch her. "Robke Anvid," he murmured quietly, voice radiating calmness. "It's fine that you did not see me," he said, trying to calm her down. Robke saw how uncomfortable she looked and he didn't want to stress her out any more than she already was. He just settled down and gave her a soft look before shifting his weight from paw to paw.

"What is troubling you, Ithemba?" He was all ears. It was his job after all, as peacekeeper. If she looked at his necklace she would see that was indeed his profession, so he could be trusted to be unbiased and nonjudgmental for the time being.

Seeing how the leopardess was steadying herself, Robke just settled more comfortably, letting her come to him. He watched her with light blue eyes that were not judging and full of patience. It was the same way one might look at a cub that wasn't yours. Understanding that some just needed extra coaxing. It wasn't meant to be an insult, but it is what he picked up through his lessons to become a what he was. The lion's tail curled around his front paws, twitching this way and that.

Then she began and he just nodded quietly.

"Trust isn't given easily by all," he began, thinking. His words were slow, weighted almost. "Do not fear if you can not trust everyone. Some have to get to know someone before trust is given. I find trust is often earned over time. Earned by that someone not hurting you." He dipped his head a little as if nodding to his own words. "I to, struggled with trust when I was a cub. With me, I've learned that someone not trusting me is not my fault, nor is it really theirs. Everyone's lives are different. Everyone trusts in different ways.

"Tell me more about your past. What do you think is the root of the issue?" Robke's question would end up stirring up unpleasant memories for most, but they had to be asked. Issues needed to be tackled dead on, in his belief, for the one in question to move forward. "If you can not answer now, then that is fine. Think upon it and we can have more meetings somewhere in the future if you wish."