The Pridelands were boring: nothing ever happened! Or at least it felt that way to Kuat, who at late had begun to feel stifled by what most called peace, but he called monotony. It was remarkable, really, that such a large pride could be so...so...uninteresting! Oh, there was gossip here and there, stupid silly things about the King, occasional stuff about gods, all sorts of stuff he barely paid any attention to and didn't care about. But for the most part, everything stayed the same, just talk and hunting and new members, both joining and born into the pride. What the appeal was in joining, he couldn't say, having been enamored all his life by tales of other lands and prides. Why on earth would anyone leave all that for the Pridelands? It made no sense to him, not one bit. And settling down? Having cubs? Ugh, please! That would mean being trapped in perpetual boredom forever. No, he'd decided that it was high time to get as far away from all of that as possible, before he found himself stagnating, whiling his life away hour by hour, day by day, year by year. So, a mere few days ago, he'd done it! He'd stepped his paws over the border and left it behind, off in search of something better. What that would be, well, he hadn't quite figured that out yet, but that was half the fun! He was free to go anywhere and do anything he wanted, finally!
Kuat revelled in breathing the air of the unclaimed territories between one pride and the next, imagining all the possibilities ahead of him. Perhaps he would make his way to the Firekin, who celebrated strength, and red pelts just like his, in their exotic desert homeland. Or there were the Stormborn, away by the sea - the sea, a concept he couldn't even begin to grasp! - who lived for battle and took what they wanted. Or there was far-away Tianxia, allies of the Pridelands, with their strange hierarchy and even stranger names...but no, if he was going to go somewhere, better to go somewhere without such formal ties to the Pridelands. Otherwise, why bother? Of course, he could just wander forever, making his own way in the world, with no one to depend on and no one to depend on him. The possibilities were endless and enchanting.
First, he had supposed, he might as well go and have a look at the Firekin, at least. Their lands lay fairly close to the Pridelands and, although the proximity was less than ideal were he to consider living there, it was a logical first stop. He knew enough from what he'd heard that if he was interested, he should find one of their outposts, and so he sought one eagerly, although he wasn't exactly possessed of the best sense of direction, having never left his native lands before. Eventually, one of the rogues (a real rogue!!) he'd encountered had pointed him in the correct direction, in which he was now headed. He now found himself at a scent-marked boundary laid out amongst sparse grasses, a discovery which gave him no pause at all. He was, after all, looking for a pridal territory, and could only assume that this was it! It was a bit less desert-y than he had expected, but their lands probably just...extended down a bit?
As he mused over this, he managed to miss that he had been spotted, and was being carefully watched from afar. Unbeknownst to Kuat, a dark figure moved stealthily around to flank him, approaching him from behind. As he drew near, the large male cleared his throat, prompting Kuat to jump, startled, and turn to face him with red eyes wide. And then look very, very embarassed, because that hadn't been dignified at all, and the way the stranger was staring at him so intently was...disquieting.
"Can I help you?" the dark brown lion inquired, although by his expression and tone, Kuat could tell that he wasn't feeling 'helpful' at all.
The Pridelander also noted that he was...not red. Firekin weren't supposed to be brown. Had he taken a wrong turn somewhere? "I, uh...I was looking for the Firekin?"
The stranger grunted, and a tiny hint of a smile flashed across his expression before it was gone as quickly as it had come, some small amusement at his expense. "Naturally." Pink eyes stared him down, critical and assessing, before the other male spoke again. "You're almost there, but not quite. You're on Ithambo'hlabathi territory, technically."
"I-Ithambo...what?"
"Bonelands, if that's easier for you," the dark lion supplied. This red male wasn't coming across as the brightest star, but if he was strong, the Firekin might not mind too much. "Be that as it may, you're not quite north enough, if it's the Outpost you're looking for."
"Yes! The Outpost!" Kuat latched on to this information eagerly. "I mean, yes, I am looking for the Outpost. Is it far?"
"No, it's not." The lead male of the Ithambo'hlabathi regarded the almost-intruder again, and sighed inwardly to himself. If he left him here, the fool would probably manage to drift back into their territory, and he didn't want to risk criticism from the females if he got far enough in to be noticed. That, or Faust or Ahlaq might come upon him, or one of the Inselele, and they'd be having some version of this conversation again, unless they just drove him away outright. The chances of one or the other were about equal. "They'll welcome you at the Outpost if you wish to join, but we're less...tolerant here to rogues such as yourself, and I can't trust you to stay to your course, if the desert is indeed your goal." The look he gave him was pointedly skeptical, though privately, he doubted this red-furred outsider was clever enough for guile.
"Oh, I, um, I'm...sorry?" Kuat stuttered, eyes widening again. He was no smaller than the stranger, but between the look he was giving him and the scars, he was quite certain he wanted nothing to do with offending him. "I uh...I'll just be on my way, then. More north, you said?"
"I did," he confirmed, "And you will. And I'll be keeping an eye on you, to make sure you arrive safely." The words were heavy with threat rather than helpfulness.
"I, uh- That won't- Well, that is to say, if you think that's necessary, I uh...of course. I would be...most grateful for your assitance, sir." Kuat gulped, and with that, started slinking his way north under the watchful eye of the dark lion.