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The dark form of Zakiya moved towards the body of water the pup played in, silent as the shadows she blended effortlessly with. The idea had been to get in a little late night hunting while her cubs slept, but once she'd begun moving, travelling like old times, she'd found the experience too pleasurable to give up, and had continued to let her limbs propel her forward at a moderate pace, heedless of the various prey beasts she'd passed. She'd made sure not to stray far from the two waiting for her, though.

For a moment, she watched the little wild dog female at her play, before deliberately shifting her paw to dislodge a stone, sending it into the water with a quiet splash, just to let the little pup know she was there. She didn't want to startle the young female, but she was in need of a drink. Crouching, she laps slowly at the water, her tail flicking around behind her.

She had watched the little pup dive under the water, and it hadn't surprised her. Often younger animals would try to hide or flee from an adult, especially one of another species, she'd found. But the pup had disappeared under the surface for a long time, and the cheetah femme had started to grow concerned over her wellfare. Just as she'd made the decision to go in after her, the pup, thankfully, had resurfaced, making diving in and saving her unnecessary.

"What are you doing out here alone?" she asks quietly, curious. Was this pup perhaps one of the young animals running around without a family to call their own? If she was, Kiya knew she'd have to help her, if the pup would accept the help. It went totally against her nature not to help her, even though the little female wasn't even feline.

For a moment, Kiya was rendered speechless by the pup's odd way of speaking, her light purple eyes, almost lilac, widening a little in her surprise. She'd never heard speech quite like that before, despite being well-travelled. But a soft laugh floats out of her maw nonetheless, and she lowers herself to a seating position, flicking her tail behind her.

"You have a point there, Kizaki," she murmurs, a smile stretching her muzzle. "I guess you're not alone at all anymore. But why were you alone before I came?" Amusing speech was not going to distract Kiya from her concern that this pup may be a lone wanderer, and perhaps in need of care... although she didn't look in bad shape at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. Perhaps this female had a family after all.

"Ah..." Zakiya nods slowly, turning to look at the newcomer, obviously this pup's mother, or at least a close relative. The young female wasn't alone in the wilds, then; that was good.

Of course, Zakiya picked up on that same vibe that Temari got from her. It's always nice to find a kindred spirit, especially when that soul is found in an unlikely place at an unlikely time.

"Good evening," she murmurs in reply, her smile stretching with added amusement at being addressed in such a strange way. Still, it wasn't an unpleasant monicker to be given, and it's not something that bothers her in the slightest. "My name is Zakiya," she offers without prompt, usually always the first to invite further friendly conversation after a meeting with a stranger.

"Thank you," she murmurs in reply, although she noticed that Temari never offered her name in return. It didn't bother her; after all, she could tell, despite the wild dog femme's kind manner, that she was wary of her. Perhaps it was a thing mothers could sense about each other. So she didn't comment on it.

"I'm a wanderer," she then says, in response to Temari's next inquiry. "Despite being in these lands for a while, I only recently learned there were other cheetahs nearby. I've only met one of them as it is." She had no real desire to meet the others, actually; she'd always survived best and felt most comfortable either alone or in the company of her brother. Well, with the exception of the little cubs she'd taken in, of course. Travelling as she had, Kiya rarely had the chance to make long-term friendships, so she usually avoided contact, especially from others of her kind.

The dark female slowly let herself lower into a sphinx-like laying position, delicately crossing her forepaws one over the other. "Yes, the arrival of cubs in my life stopped my days of wandering, but they're not mine, not really. They were two homeless cubs I find completely by chance and took in."

"There's nothing to forgive, sister," she then says, adopting Temari's way of speaking. "It's a very pretty name you have, too." Zakiya paid no mind to Temari pulling her pup back. In fact, the cheetah femme would have found it odd if she hadn't, although, of course, Kiya would never harm one so young. In fact, she would only harm anyone at all if it was absolutely necessary. But, of course, this wild dog female doesn't know that.

She had been about to respond to Temari when Kizaki suddenly made her great leap for the freedom of the water. Immediately, the dark cheetah femme was on her feet, craning her neck forward to try and look for the vanished pup. It had been instinct that propelled her to her feet, in concern for the young female. But, unfortunately, there wasn't much Kiya could do. She could swim, yes, but she wasn't particularly fast at it.

Still, the young wild dog had showed remarkable skill at swimming. Zakiya was sure she'd be fine, and this lessened her instinctive worry enough to let her posture relax just a bit.