Hadaya raised his head toward the sky, drinking in the cool temperature of the morning. The sun had not fully risen, but there was enough of a warm glow on the ground for him to see by. It was not a time of morning he was usually up and about by, he had to admit: he did enjoy laying in as long as possible before getting up to greet the fully formed day. Life was leisurely here in the Pride Lands, and it was exactly what he wanted for so long, he was thankful for each day he got to live in it. Of course, that did not mean nothing ever happened, and even his relaxing days sometimes turned out to be… strange.

It was just his luck, really. He had gotten used to that, for the most part, as it was something he had to deal with since he was a cub. If something could go wrong, it probably would, and not in a way that Hadaya could ever predict. Even his seer abilities failed to help him almost one hundred percent of the time, considering they only showed him things that were about to happen literally a few moments later. Usually it was too late for him to do anything about it, by then.

So when he got the vision of a leopardess crouched down, and lion swatting at her, he was afraid he was already too late to help her.

The strange ball of orange and black fur was trembling, and some kind of mumbles escaped it, but no matter what Rangi and his wing man, Ngome, did could make the little thing uncurl. Rangi crouched down beside her, where he assumed her head was, hoping to speak closer to her ear so she knew he was there to talk and not attempting to eat her. Why a leopard would think a lion wanted to eat them was beyond him: he could not think of anything more vile. And such a waste of a beautiful pelt! No, this leopardess not only deserved to live, but needed to understand that some lions held no threat to her at all.

Some lions just wanted to tell her they thought her coat was nice, honestly. Could a guy not give a simple compliment these days, without being met with suspicion of nefarious intention?

Ngome stood quietly beside Rangi, his ears perking as he heard someone running toward them. He turned his head slowly, spotting the loping form of the tan lion easily enough. He took a step toward the other male, standing between him and the ball of fur that was presumably a living leopard. His expression was unreadable, and he stared at Hadaya blandly as the older male came to a stop just in front of him.

“What are you two doing to that poor girl?” Hadaya asked, trying to sound as tough as he could. He had a doughy look about him, though, and soft, warm eyes that betrayed the fact that he had no intention of ever hurting anyone, under any circumstances. He was not even very good at hunting, and usually left that to other, more capable lions. Still, he hated seeing someone weak being picked on, and the idea of leaving someone in danger did not sit well with him. Two male lions poking around an obviously terrified female leopard did not seem like something he could just ignore.

“Hey, hey, now,” Rangi said, lifting his head away from Ume and offering a debonair smile to Hadaya. He sauntered over, leaning against the much bigger form of Ngome languidly. Hadaya noted the difference in size, but quickly realized that it was the small lion who seemed to be the one in control of this dynamic, possibly dangerous, duo. The rainbow maned lion shook his head, as if reading Hadaya’s thoughts, though really it was just a lucky guess. “We’re not up to anything nasty, I promise you that much. I am a true gentleman, through and through. I simply saw this female looking lost and afraid, and when I approached her to inform her she had a beautiful coat, she turned into the ball you now see before you. I have not yet figured out how to draw her from her submissive posture, however.”

“He scared her,” Ngome summed up, his water-like mane reminding Hadaya of the oceans he left behind, “she doesn’t want to talk to him.”

“Everyone wants to talk to me, Ngome, she just has not given me the chance,” Rangi shot back, squinting up at the large, impassive male. Ngomi ignored him.

“Do you know her? She needs help.”

Hadaya shook his head, but moved to see if he could help the poor leopardess unwind. Maybe she was just stuck: he had gotten himself curled up in his own paws a few times before. It was embarrassing, yes, but not something he was unfamiliar with. He sat down next to Ume, noticing the way the orange and black leopardess shuddered fearfully. Her breathing was heavy and his heart sank sympathetically as he softly spoke to her.

“Are you lost, little one?”

“Yes,” came the muffled reply.

“Where are you trying to go?”

“Baik.”

“I… I’m afraid I don’t know what that means, little one. Please, you’re safe here, I promise. These two boys will keep their distance. My name is Hadaya, and you are on the borders of the Pride Lands. But you are safe, I promise.”

The voice was warm and gentle, and Umesahau found herself wanting to believe it. She was not used to so many different creatures talking to her, let alone trying to help her. Her experiences were mostly negative, save with Baik, and she just wanted to get back to him. How she managed to lose him, she had no idea, but she hated herself for it and blamed it on her own stupidity. She lifted one paw to reveal a wary, searching eye. The soft voiced male smiled at her as she looked up at him, and he seemed so very gentle that Ume was reminded of something warm and loving from long ago. Something she had forgotten, and lost. She uncurled herself at length, sitting up, though she kept her paws tucked into her body and her eyes downcast, ears folded back shyly.

“Please help me.” 1,062