"Sehemu! Hey, wait!" The white bird flew after the lioness, running down the slope. "Where do you think you are going?!" The bird shouted, flapping her wings to keep up with the feline. The pride was disbanded, and since then Sehemu was always on a run. One look and Anozira found herself missing the dark lioness. "You know, one of these days I am not going to follow you!" She chirped angrily, finally catching up with her bonded pair.

"I'm sorry, Ano." Sehemu stated, slowing. "I just... needed to run, you know? I feel like something is drawing me this way." The dark lioness scanned the area, deciding which direction she would want to head next.

"Yeah, but a nice warning would have been nice." The bird huffed, landing on the green forelock of her bond. The two had been together for years. When Anozira had first met the lioness, she was as confused as a newborn chick. Her memory would lapse. Somehow, little triggers would set Sehemu off, and she found herself remembering her past little by little. It was a few months after the initial meeting where the lioness had woke with a start, remembering the landslide that had knocked her out, and the pride she had grown up in.

Anozira decided she would depart from the lioness then. She was home, with old friends and pride mates. She was not needed. When the day came that Ano decided to leave, Sehemu persuaded her to stay. She had a good life, the lions of the Aka'mleli would share their spoils of hunts, plus there was a lot of other avians in the pride the white bird could mingle with. So she stayed.

Together, Sehemu and Ano became a great pair. Anozira would listen to Sehemu unravel her past to her, and in return Sehemu's memory grew, and Anozira found comfort in a friend.

Those definitely were the days. Slowly, right before their eyes, the pride began to diminish. Anozira did not realize what had happened until it was done. Some lions stayed in the lands, enjoying what life they had. Sehemu did not; and since the two were bonded so closely, where Sehemu went, Anozira followed.

"Where does your heart lead you to now?" Anozira questioned softly from atop the dark lioness' head.

Sehemu shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we will know when we get there."

"You know," Anozira started, puffing up her feathers, "I think I liked you better when you kept saying how pretty a butterfly was." The bird was flustered. She missed the pride life, the safety of everyone around them. Being in the Southlands was jus ready for trouble.

"You don't mean that." Sehemu chided.

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't." She countered

The two began to bicker back and forth until the sun was lowering below the horizon. The silver glow of the moon began to overtake the once golden light.

"I guess we should stop for the night." Sehemu stated, her walking slowing to almost a snail's pace. Her avian friend nodded in agreement. She had been flying for most of the day, scouting routes and paths, and watching for danger."Does here sound good?"

Anozira looked around. "I would prefer to have somewhere that trees were located." It seemed they had travelled through the plains. Not even a baobab tree was in site. Her beady eyes softened at the frown plaguing Sehemu's maw. "Here is fine." She huffed, trying to give Sehemu a reassuring smile.

"Okay..." The dark lioness wasn't very reassured. The lioness laid on the ground. The white bird took a moment to waddle off the lioness, fluffing up the dirt around them. "Hey Anozira?" The lioness started.

"Yes?" The bird questioned, a small annoyed tone masked in his voice.

"Where do you think we should head tomorrow?"

The avian shrugged, pecking slightly at her feathers. "As long as you don't continue to run off," she smirked slightly, "I saw we head towards the mountains."

"Mountains?"

Ano nodded. "Yeah. When daylight returns, we will see them. It'll be a different scene than what we are use to. When I was younger, I remember flying through the rocky ridge. It was a little cooler up there too." If the two started at first light, they would probably make it to the base of the mountains by the next night fall.

"Cool." Was all Sehemu said. The land was quiet around them. Anozira found herself slowly falling asleep before a small cough brought her from her near slumber.

"Hey...Anozira?" The lioness turned her green eyes towards her tired friend.

"Yes?" She didn't open her eyes. Instead, she continued to rest them, listening for the next words her friend would say. This was how their nightly rituals went. Sometimes Sehemu spoke of her past, wanting Ano to listen to a new story. Other nights, she continuously asked questions until either Ano refused to answer, or Sehemu fell asleep herself.

"Do you think we will ever find a new home?" It was a question that was wracking Sehemu's mind since leaving the Aka'mleli lands.

There was a silence between the two. Home was what you made it, not where you were. If the two wanted, they could make this spot under the twinkling stars their home, and probably be happy. But, Ano knew what Sehemu wanted. She missed her friends, and while the bond was enough company sometimes, being with your own kind was just needed as certain points.

"I'm sure we will." Anozira hummed. Her eyes opened to gaze at the lioness, who's own eyes were closed. The slow rise and fall of her chest let the green-marked avian know she had fallen asleep.

With a small whisper, the bird waddled over to her lioness bond, rubbing up against her next. The body heat of each other would keep them both warm on these cool African nights.

"I am sure we will..." and with a gentle lull of the wind against the night air, Anozira fell asleep.

(WC: 1005)