Zapalito had had a VERY eventful few days! The pride had slowed to a crawl in the wake of several rather rough wind and sand storms. Anything recognizeable as far as landmarks had been buried, blotted right out of existence before their very eyes, and new stony outcroppings, and a few ruins too, had been similarly exposed. There had been the barest whisper of worry that the way would be lost, though those who had been wit hthe pride long enough to have seen such storms before tamped it down soon. And just a few days' wondering showed them right in the end. Zap'd had to shake his head at it. The pride's leaders could find their way around even deaf and blind, he was sure.
And then two days out on their new trail, they'd come across a small gaggle of folks aiming to join them! Offspring of those youths that had dispersed some time ago, perhaps, either way they'd been welcome. A visit from a god (though not their own Goddess, of course) too, and there had been nothing but constantly flowing gossip up and down the huge column of travelers.
Zap himself had added plenty to it at first, but then become busy. The new ruins they were passing by had been buried for years, and he wouldn't be left out of the hunt for new relics, trinkets, maybe even some cloth. He'd found a length of just that in a strange square-ish cave that had been partly sealed by debris, and was toting it along now in his teeth. There were several members due additional fabric for upcoming births or similar events, but it was terribly hard to measure and make clean cuts while walking. It was a miracle he hadn't crashed into anyone yet...!
Kianzi had marched along with the rest of the pride, paws never wavering desipite the sand and grit in her eyes, nose, ears, mouth...everywhere! She had been with the pride since her birth and had been through plenty of storms like this, although that didn't mean she liked them any more than the next lion. Landmarks were obscured for a time and the newer members would always worry about getting lost, but she knew not to fret. It was also slightly amusing to see new recruits flit about once the sands died down, worrying amongst themselves, so she never told them their fears were unfounded.
As always, the sands settled and they continued on their way. She focused on her paws in the sand, the movement of the tiny pebbles between her toes soothing. She could almost close her eyes and follow the smells around her to let her know where she was go-
A sudden jolt against her shoulder made her snap her eyes open and jump out of the way. She hadn't meant to actually close her eyes, but it seemed her day dream had carried her away. "Sorry," she said quickly to the lion mostly obscured by fabric, both on his head and in his mouth. "I ah..wasn't paying attention." That wasn't very like the red lioness and she lowered her head in embarrassment, her dark tuft of fur and red cloth sliding down over her eyes a bit to hide.
Zap had leapt back at the contact, his apologies muffled both by her own and the fabric in his mouth. He went almost cross-eyed for a moment, staring at the rolled bundle, before flashing apologetic eyes and slowing down just long enough to drape it over his back. The bundle unwound part of the way, and he'd have to pick his way along rather cautiously, but it'd do for now.
"I meant to say sorry about that, too. To be honest I wasn't watching my feet or my way. Got a bit wrapped up, so to say." His eyes scanned her, both half-hidden face and her scarf. Some prides, he'd heard, wore their stories painted into their fur. Others wore beads or braids to display their rank. Here in the desert, scarves and wrapped veils were the way one did it. He recognized a fair bit from that, enough to call to mind a name at least. It was hard to know everyone personally, but not hard to know names.
"You're Kianzi, right? I think we've talked before." In the ever-shifting throng of walkers you eventually rubbed shoulders with just about everyone once or twice. "Zapalito. I didn't bump you too hard, right? Woah..." He wobbled, shifting himself under the bundle of cloth before it slid off his back.
The apologies from the lion she hit - that hit her? Probably a joint effort - made her lift her head just enough to peer up at him from under her hood and fur. He seemed to have found a nice bundle of fabric in the ruins that had been uncovered and she wondered if she had ruined it in their accident. Hopefully not...that would be just her luck.
At her name she nodded and lifted her head a bit more. "Zapalito...that's right," she said, taking in his hood and scarf. He was a Seeker, that much was obvious from the bolt of cloth on his back, and she had seen him on other occasions coming back from various ruins.
"No, not too hard. I didn't bump you too hard, did I?" she asked as the male wobbled and shifted, trying to steady his prize. "Here...let me help. It's got all it's weight on one side.'
He slowed just long enough to let her help him set the cloth to rights, grinning and glad for the assistance. "And I'll thank you again for that. It's not often you find so much in one go...Frankly, early as it is, I can't wait to stop this evening. It's too hard to cut and trim so much while walking. And you hardly touched me, honestly. Both of us were just distracted. If everyone that had a little bump in this pride got upset, we'd have half the pride in arguments all the time, yeah?"
Thankfully that wasn't the case. If you couldn't handle this sort of close-contact life, usually you left at the cusp of adulthood. It kept the mood mellow and peaceful, that was for sure.
The lion blinked against the shifting light as the pride passed through the shadow of a tall, almost spire-like ruin that cast dappling bursts of too-bright light and deeper shadow. He sighed a happy breath, looking around at the rising side of rough stone opposite from the ruin. Last year this valley had been filled with sand, and though he could tell by the sun and The Mountain that he'd walked this same path before, it looked entirely different now. A canyon, almost, of stone and ruins, a bed of sand in the middle. He was so enamored that he nearly crashed into the poor Kianzi again. "Sorry, sorry! It's just...it never ceases to surprise me. It's lovely, isn't it? And we'll probably never see it again."
Kianzi made a little 'psh' noise as Zap thanked her again. Honestly, anyone would have done the same, right? She did give him a little smile and nod, though, and then continued to walk beside him.
"I can't imagine what it's like to try to cut the cloth while still, let alone moving," she admitted. "It seems like a rather important task." While Kianzi was very good at paying attention to detail, it seemed bad luck liked to follow her and no matter how meticulous she was at a job, something was bound to go wrong. Perhaps it was just a pessimistic attitude that did the job, but certainly there was a god somewhere smiling at her small misfortunes.
Zap's misstep made her shake her head, her smile growing just a bit. "It's all right. You have a good excuse to stare," she added, turning her grey eyes to the spire as well. "It's always fun to see new things. I've had new comers ask me why the same path is walked every year, don’t' we get bored of the sights? But how can we when they change so often."
Zap nodded in accord. "I've only been here a few circles, but it still awes me every time. You'd never know this was here, last year. Just wide sand. Wow." He looked up, up, up at the cusp of the ruins. "Amazing to think we were probably what? Fifty? Sixty feet higher in this same spot last year? Like I said, amazing!"
The sound of the pride's chatter echoed oddly in the semi-enclosed space, making it sound like far, far more lions were in the small gap. It swelled, rising for a moment, then settled back to a dull roar as voices dropped to whispers, the pride's people working without thought to provide an easy listening volume for all. Zap too, dropped his tone softer and lower.
"It's not too bad. Usually just straight lines, basic bits of scarf. I hear there's some expectant mothers, so they'll need starter cloth for the cubs. This alone won't be enough of course, but that's why there's plenty of seekers I guess." He seemed to think for a moment, and then continued. "You wouldn't be in the market for any, would you?" Cloth, he totally meant cloth. Not cubs. That came out a bit awkward, yikes!
"Mm. It's amazing what the wind can do," Kianzi murmured, her voice toning down as well so as not to overwhelm everyone's ears. Her own twitched under her scarf, adjusting to the echoed chorus of voices that bounced off the ruins and back to them. It was a little disorienting but nothing she couldn't get used to.
"Straight lines...I'm not sure I've ever made one of those in my life," she said with a wry smile as Zap spoke. "Which is why I'm not a Seeker. I'll leave the more delicate details to more qualified lions.
His question made her pause and, once she worked out what he meant, had to laugh softly. Oh dear, Zap was lucky she wasn't one of the more...delicate members of the pride who might take things like that personally.
"Well...the cubs come first, of course, but I was part of the hunting party that brought down the elephant a few months back," she said, recalling the massive feast it had ended in. "I believe those involved were told we'd get another scrap of cloth but, as I said, there are far more important things to give it out to."
Zap would have thrown his head back in a booming laugh, but bit it down into a strange sort of cough instead. "That did come out a bit odd, huh? Oh wow, really? I had some of that, it was amazing!" It was so rare for an elephant to come into their hunting range, the pride had stopped for an unprecedented three days just to feast and celebrate their rare treat. It'd been a clear sign of luck and prosperity for the pride. They were ever-blessed.
"That was ages ago though! I think everyone else got their piece already, you didn't?" It was true, her scarf didn't look any longer than he last remembered. "Well that settles it. You'll get the first piece when we stop for the night!" He nudged her shoulder. "You should stop with me when the halt time comes, see what strip you like best!"
"I wouldn't say ages," she said, licking her lips to get rid of some of the lingering sand. She was used to crunching it by now. "But yes, I told the others that had helped I'd go last. They were all fairly young adults and were eager for their next scrap of cloth."
As Zap spoke again she glanced away, slightly embarrassed. "Oh...well. Thank you. I appreciate it." She'd take the least interesting bit of fabric of course, as she wanted the cubs to have the fun designs and colors. She was quite happy that she had been given matching fabric from her own cub scarf when she had become an adult. It was time to add a bit more patchwork to it.
"And you can show me how a professional cuts the cloth," she added, trying to shake her mild embarrassment.