The moon was up and with it, Kankri was awake walking the borders to think of the best route for a hunt. The moon was brilliant and bright and he looked up occasionally to admire the light filtering from the big rock in the sky. It was a lovely rock and the male smiled to see it, tail swaying behind him at the silver and blue glow on the world around and he stretched. Kabi was feeling better, and the pride was safe. Many were eager to damage - and not kill - the nat whom made his mate cry - even Kankri felt no remorse or desire to forgive, stunning Sufferer into a silence. It was peaceful and calm out, and Kankri stretched as he pad along before noticing a rather new scent of a stranger, fresh and recent. Not an intruder - they stayed respectfully on the border - but it piqued his curiosity and he chose to investigate instead. Perhaps fresh blood to join, or some sweet pale lion with poor luck at birth needing protection? He wondered, and pad to look.
Kankri happened a dark female with a vibrant coat admiring a kill, the female smiling as she circled it, carefully removing the pelt and purring softly. She seemed content if unobservant, and he tilted his head as she hummed, working slowly with her claws, and she made little sound until it snapped off.
The pelt was a good one and Aile looked forward to her kill, oblivious to the male watching with large curious red eyes. Today was a day to work and while Aile didn't normally skin, it might make a fetching present for the nice male in the prode nearby she'd met before. He was sweet and charming and she thought he's appreciate a gift. Aile had no gift for crafting well, but the seer did know how to present a plain gift, and she prepared to pull it to dry when she spotted the male peering in her den.
He wasn't too large or small, like many in her family seemed, but rather average and lean, and as he realized he was spotted he tried drawing himself up larger.
"You poached." Kankri scolded accusingly. Aile blinked, and scowled.
"I did no such thing I was outside of your territory the whole time, how dare you accuse me?" The female snapped. What Aile lacked in size, she made up for in her ability to pass off as problematic to handle, squaring her shoulders and scowling promptly. Kankri blinked, head tilting.
"I dare because these lands belong to my pride." He huffed. "The Aegnor'hini."
Aile rolled her eyes. She liked the last male better, and the female's ears hung with an unimpressed look. Kankri eyed it.
"You know. Demons."
"Oh, my, heaven forfend I step in Demon territory." Aile aid with mock horror. "Ye gods, I'd never esca-peh. Never. NEVAR." Aile gasped melodramatically, and Kankri pinned his ears, pouting like a cub.
"That's offensive, you should be ashamed you don't make fun of people why-" He went off rapidly, cubhood ranting overcoming him to scold this outsider, and outsider whom reached and calmly shut his mouth, entirely unimpressed by his ranting. Kankri hissed.
"Look. Honey. Sugar. I'm not intruding here." She rolled her eyes. "Check your damn borders. As for my dinner, ain't from your land either. My mama taught me better." Oh how Mama Tanwyn taught better, and Papa Emil. There were enough problems with intruding and enslavement in the family history and more wasn't good. Even if one family member seemed, in her visions, to lack the sense to not avoid the nasty habit of abused slaved. Thinking on it, the Aegnor'hini were an enigma to her and she idly wondered if they even kept slaved. The Aikanaro'hini had but not all were - bad off. But they - waaaaiiiit.
"Aegnor'hini you said?" Aile raised her brows in curiousity. "Related to the Aikanaro'hini?"
Kankri blinked. This lioness was weird, changing topics and darting her conversation about like a bird. Dark pelt or not, was she special? In the head?
"Yes?"
Aile's ears pricked a bit and she grinned, nodding and stretching. "Oh, good." She nodded. "I was in the Peponi'pya. You're fine, whatevs about that. Some of my aunts and uncles ended up there." She shrugged. "Much appreciate the help for 'em really. They're all pridefolk."
Kankri stared, then puffed up again.
"Well.... You're still intruding!" He scolded. Aile stared, and suddenly pawed his nose.
"Yeah and my cousin is totally banging Moricorm, what of it?"
Kankri was taken aback by the female's bluntness and jumped back, eyes wide in surprise. Was she a seer too? The pride was filled with them, and they permeated everything.
"How-"
"Seer, ********." Aile huffed, rolling her eyes. "And he hauled folks there when s**t hit. Either way, you're qa pest. Feck off." Aile motioned a 'shoo'ing motion and Kankri scowled.
"No! I don't think I will!" And the male tried pressing further in, finding the female easy to push until she rooted herself in, and swiped with a clawless paw.
She essentially slapped him. She slapped him and Kankri stared with wide, large eyes at the female as she puffed up, sniffing.
"Step off you little s**t, find your own. Thjeif!" The female scolded. "You theif!"
And suddenly Kankri found himself stumbling back as the female pressed towards him, ranting.
"You rude little b*****d! Did your mother not teach you good manners? I ought t' pop your nuts off!" Aile snorted, glaring. "You ******** rude theiving son of a b***h b*****d licking a** sniffing shitstain!"
Kankri's ears pinned at the insult spewed his way, and whined, stepping back slowly towards his pride border, Aile following - but surprisingly, she didn't come too close to the edge.
"You better run you little s**t!" Aile snapped. "You'd better get lost! Or I'll ******** you UP."
Kankri backed away slowly, blinking.
Had some non-demon just run him to his land? .... PROBABLY, and she didn't look inclined to let him near her now, based on the growling and gnashing of teeth, so the fluffy male turned, bolting into the underbrush to go see to his mate. This outsider wasn't - a threat? He hoped? - but frightening, and the male scampered to his mate before she did try to carry a threat out.
When Kankri fled, Aile relaxed, suddenly less furious but somewhat tired, smug. She wasn't sure she couldn't be harmed by that male, and she rather waited for Filou and explain to him. He was a sensible male, he'd understand, and Aile stretched to knock some stiffness out before bouncing back to her temporary den, to finish the task she'd begun and drag the pelt out to dry.
All in all, a good plan so far, and she hummed as she pad back inside.
