Baatar noticed someone come towards them seemingly from nowhere, and as a gesture he stepped a little further away from Mati. He wanted to make it clear that he was no threat. Some of the prides he had encountered had wrongly believed him to be one. He looked from Mati to the stranger and nodded his head gently. "He seems to know you! Do you know him, Mati?" Baatar walked up to meet the male. "Greetings! I found Mati wondering a little way off, she seems a little confused so I offered to help her find someone she knows. I understand this is a pride?" His blood red eyes glanced to and from the lioness to the lion quickly.
Mati was quite glad that Bataar had helped her back into the lands. Well, for all she knew, he could be leading her away, but he was nice! She didn't mind. Of course, that's when she saw a somewhat familiar face. She felt she knew him at least, though she couldn't quite place the face.
And he knew her name! That was something! "Hello!" She said cheerfully, greeting the lion she sort of remembered. "I kind of remember you. Are we still in the lands then?" She asked.
Kale nodded deeply to Baatar, and did not seem to take him as a threat. "Yes, you are in the Pridelands. I am Kale" He announced with a slight rumble. "We are welcoming here, and it is not unknown for us to allow rogues to take safe passage through our lands, but we are still wary." He narrowed his eyes slightly. They were just a touch darker than the rogues. "We are very near the borders, but still within the lands, yes.It would probably be wise to come further inside, though" Kale was probably as far away from paternal and nurturing as you could get, especially still being such a young male by adult standards. But still, he couldn't help but want to look after Mati, perhaps that was how the rogue felt too. She had the kind of personality that was entirely likeable, and it would be very unsettling if anything bad were to happen to her. "You may come too, perhaps you wish to hear more about these lands...Maybe Mati could do with a refresher." He let out a low laugh.
"Kale, I am Baatar, it's nice to meet you. Mati, I'm glad you remember him. We should get you a little closer to the others." He could see lions of all colours and sizes dotted in the grasses. "That sounds wonderful." But first, he seemed intent on making sure that the lioness to his side was aware of what was going on. "Are you okay?" He was unsure whether she would have a sudden blinding recollection of everything, or if she truly was just a forgetful soul.
"Oh, good!" She nodded. "I went to sleep and when I woke up, I couldn't remember where I was," She admitted. It happened sometimes - she could go for days or weeks without forgetting anything, and then all of it would go away. "But I'm okay now. Everything's a little fuzzy, but I remember you, Kale! Your voice, at least," she said cheerfully. It was a small victory, but a grand one, nonetheless.
The problem was, she never really regained the lost memories. If the fuzzy recollection wasn't there, she wouldn't remember anything at all. Sometimes, if she didn't refresh her memory of those things, she'd forget them completely, and she hated that.
But there was nothing wrong with being optimistic.
"Good" Baatar bobbed his head from side to side. He was very glad that Mati had somewhere she could call home, somewhere that would protect her and others who knew her. A forgetful lioness out on their own in the rogue lands would be an easy target for some more unsavoury characters. He shuddered to think about it. Luckily, in his duties, he had not come across such tradegy. In all honesty he couldn't guess what his emotional response would be in such a situation. He snapped out of his thoughts. He could hear Kale talking, but kept his eyes on the female. It concerned him that one was able to wake up and simply forget such big events.
History and royal lineage - Kale rumbled on about it all for a little while before turning to Mati with a slight frown. "What were you doing so close to the roguelands, was it just a mistake?" Perhaps someone ought to keep an eye on this lioness. The grey rogue certainly seemed like a dutiful and helpful type, maybe he could be of use. They were approaching more members of the pride, and more colours peeked from the golden grasses, Pride Rock now visibly larger than before.
Mati walked alone with the pair of lions, listening along to Kale's words on the history of the pride. She found she remembered some of it as he said it, but it was limited. "Oh, I don't know. Its a bit fuzzy!" Mati said. Perhaps she'd been hunting, or anything really. She truly couldn't remember. Normally she was further inland, of course, but something made her come out this way and she couldn't remember why, but that wasn't terribly abnormal for her memory to just go.
She looked up at the pride's symbolic structure - that was something!
Baatar couldn't help but feel concerned. He could feel the call of duty brewing inside him - that was the problem with being a do-gooder, the urge was always there and sometimes it wouldn't go away until you had done what was right. He wanted to stay and look after Mati, if he could. The pride didn't seem too strict on strangers, but he would have to stay near the borders of course. He wanted to do anything he could to help her. He imagined it was quite scary not to know what was going on.
Kales brow furrowed gently. Between the two of them, perhaps they could keep an eye on her for awhile. Maybe she would remember more, or maybe she wouldn't. Either way she was relatively safe in the Pridelands, but today was proof that anyone can get a little confused and wander off. "Perhaps we need to keep an eye on you." He said, half-joking, half serious.
Mati gave a small laugh - having a watcher wouldn't be such a bad plan. She did tend to wander when she woke up without much memory, but that probably wasn't going to change. "Perhaps, perhaps," she said cheerfully. It would be helpful anyhow.
Perhaps they could find someone to keep an eye on her - or set up a rotation. She did like the pride of what she knew of it, but what she mostly knew is thatt the pride felt safe, and like a home and she wanted to stay here.
Kale looked to Baatar and eyed him up and down again. He seemed a nice sort of fella, and he had been with Mati on his own, so if there were any ill intentions he would have revealed them then, he supposed. Maybe he was hoping to infiltrate the pride and used her as an excuse? No, he seemed like a genuinely good guy, and beside there were enough lions here to ward him off if anything bad did happen. As a visitor he would have to stay near the borders. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps, you can stay near the borders, and I can watch Mati from the pride." He didn't mean for it to sound patronizing to the female, so put it out there as a suggestion. "Or whatever you feel comfortable with, Mati, I mean no offense." He smiled at her gently.
Baatar nodded his head, not wanting to seem too eager as to give off any weird or ill intentions. A stranger showing up at your door with a confused pride member in tow perhaps wasn't the best way to introduce himself, but Kale seemed to get what Baatar was all about. If the male was wary then Baatar would prove him wrong over time. He nodded deeply. "Yes of course, I don't wish to intrude on the prides business." He said simply. Staying near the borders would mean he was less of a potential threat too, of course.
Mati looked between the two males for a moment. "Oh, no offense taken, Mister Kale. I know I can get really confused a lot, especially right when I wake up," she tilted her head in a agreement. She wouldn't mind being guided back into the pride. Sometimes she woke and wanted to run as fast as she could away from the pride - not recognizing scents or sounds.
Sometimes the memories came back. "I'd appreciate it, actually - well, until you all get a little bored from keeping an eye on me. I don't mean to cause trouble," Mati said shyly. She didn't know either male very well - they had no obligation to help her out at all.
Kale nodded with a smile. "That's settled then." He looked to Mati sympathetically, he knew it could be confusing to be new, without having her memory problems. "And I can keep an eye on this one." He looked to Baatar seriously. He really needed to work on his tone when it came to jokes, being quite a serious fellow and all.
"I'm sure you're not a trouble maker." Baatar smiled at her. He was happy with his new position to look after her, and would aid Kale in doing so too. He eyed the male warily, he seemed quite serious. "I will stay by the borders, and if you ever want to talk to me then feel free." He hoped the female would do so. It would be nice to spend some time together even though she might not remember him. He nodded to Kale and Mati and made off towards the borders with a smile. Another good deed done.
Seaki
