[PRP] Eyes on the Horizon (Inkumbulo & Nyarai)

[Anderleit]

Such a dreary morning. As much as he tried to resist it, Inkumbulo found the shades of grey wearing on his temperament, so much so that his usual patrol had stagnated some time ago. He'd stood here, for longer than he would have liked to admit, just watching the clouds roll by. He frowned at them, as if the weight of his displeasure alone could move the dull skies along. Funny idea, if an utterly useless one. He couldn't even make things he wanted happen down here - where did he get off commanding the sky?

The male shook his head, mane of grey-green haloing out around him. Would be that his thoughts shook away so easily. Instead, Inkumbulo found his ideas taking on a tinge as unseemly as the bleak above, and him unable to do a thing about it. Blast it all. What he wouldn't give right about now for just a glimpse of the sun!

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Anderleit

It had been a hard time.

Nyarai had done her very best to ignore the fact, smile through the uncertainty the best she could. The orange lioness was trying to keep everyone's spirits high and their bellies full; taking on the role of a hunter within the Pride. Though, every so often, even she had to admit a wave of sorrow brushed over her body. They had lost so much, they were struggling with their depleted numbers, and with the trials underway there was no sign of things settling down anytime soon. The fate of the Pride was as ever-changing as the skies above and she felt like a storm was coming on the horizon.

Still, when she came across Inkumbulo, she forced that same smile on her face. Her orange pelt bright and vibrant like the sun that was hiding behind the clouds. The lioness was also on patrol when she had caught his trail, then his scent, she had tracked him and found him stood with his eyes towards the sky. Shoulders rolled as his feet carried her lean body to stand by his side. Trying not to startle him, but he was so intently looking at the clouds she did not know if she could help it.

“Inkumbulo. What are you staring at?” She asked with a soft voice thick with amusement, a coy smile on her face. Her patrol might not have born any fruits, but if she could take the weight off of one lion's shoulders, then today would not be a total waste.  

[Anderleit]

The soft-spoken voice of one lioness, on any other day, probably wouldn't have caught him off-guard. In this particular moment, however - with the atmosphere gloomy as it was and the lion's own anxieties... Inkumbulo jumped about a foot before he'd even registered who had come up beside him.

"Nyarai!" The male's head whipped around to face her, swallowing against the embarrassment that came with such a fright. If he hadn't been nervous to see her before, he certainly was now. "I'm sorry, I was just- I mean, I was looking at the sky." As if that hadn't been obvious. He turned away from her, grateful for the unruly white lock of mane that chose just then to drift over his eyes. "Looks likely to rain."

But he couldn't spend too much time being ashamed of himself, and after a moment's pause, Inkumbulo's eyes turned to the clouds again. It didn't take much longer after that for him to speak. "Be good if it does, don't you think? A nice little rainstorm might bring the herds closer, make the hunting a little easier." Maybe he was just trying to shake himself out of that funk - or trying to make his company worthy of the lioness' smile. Either way, a little small talk was surely better than awkward silence.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Anderleit

Nyarai starred as he jumped, using every ounce of her will not to laugh, though she could not help the small smirk that came across her face as her ears folded backwards. She blinked a couple of times, then moved to stand in the exact spot he had been, squinting and looking upwards as if to try and locate the exact patch of sky he had been gazing at with such interest. Surely enough, there were only clouds. Her brow furrowed, his thoughts must be heavy today, her vibrant eyes left the sky, resting on him with concern.

Oh joy, more rain. She almost rolled her eyes, Nyarai always seemed to get caught in it. Every. Damn. Time. But not today. “Well, maybe we should preemptively find some shelter?” She asked, her eyes trying to find him, but his attention already seemed to have returned to the sky. She instead looked at the ground, to her paws. It was she that stepped forward first, head rolling to guide his attention to a tree not too far away, its shade enough to keep them both dry if the heavens opened.

Her tail swayed as she walked, looking over her shoulder back towards the male. “It might; though I have said it time and time again, finding prey is not the issue. We need more hunters in order for our ambushes to be more successful.” They needed more numbers in general, to replace the ones that the plague had taken from them. She smiled, her gaze drifting ahead. She mourned them, mourned what the Pride once was, even though she could not truly remember it.

“So hurry up and find a nice girl, and make me some.” She laughed audibly from upfront, her stole quickening into a rather joyful bounce. She hoped it would be enough to distract him, maybe at a push make him smile.  

[Anderleit]

There it was. Inkumbulo's ears flicked backwards, touching his skull for just a moment. It had only been in her eyes for a moment, but it had still been there, sure as anything. That look. That concern. He really didn't want to make her feel that way, not on his behalf. Especially not when she had some looking for him...

Plum-furred shoulders bunched together, the guilty reflex disguising itself as movement when he stepped forward. 'Bulo agreed with her suggestion, for sure - he wasn't much for standing out in the damp - but he had his patrol to consider. And he'd almost opened his mouth to say as much, before realizing that he'd be voicing his complaint to her retreating tail. Not that it was a bad tail, by any means; he couldn't help thinking as he turned to follow. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than he was ashamed of it, immediately made grateful that Nyarai couldn't see his thoroughly mortified face.

Though combine it with her comment just moments later, and 'thoroughly mortified' turned into a blush so deep he was absolutely sure that his spots were turning pink.

Even if she somehow missed that, his balking would likely give him away. "Me?!" Despite his embarrassment at the idea, Inkumbulo couldn't keep from smiling as he said it. Must have been her laughter getting to him. "What about you? You're more likely to put out tenacious little huntresses than I am - and you can't tell me no one's asked." He picked up the pace himself, breaking into a bound or two in attempts to draw even with her. Once he was certain he had his expression under control, of course. Well - as much as it could be. He might still have a goofy smile, but at least he was no longer blushing.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Anderleit

Nyarai did not notice the blush, maybe because she was not looking for it. Her sense of humour had always been quite blunt and to the point; she had thought most had become used to it by now. She looked up towards him, seeing that he took it in good spirits. “Are you kidding? With girls like Afya and Juu in the Pride? Offers are just flooding in.” Her eyes rolled so hard that they might fall from their sockets. The Nezi was home to some beautiful lionesses, all with very demure and elegant coats. They were ones that wore pelts like the dusk, others that looked like stormclouds, others that were as black at the night sky. Nyarai? A very strange shade of orange that was not bright like the sun, nor like the sand. Her and Khwezi? They were odd, though he certainly wore their colouration better than she did with his blue eyes and stripes.

”Tenacious? I don’t know what you are talking about.” She added, as she walked by his side. Nyarai was really trying to make an effort to get closer to the members of the Pride. With things changing so much as of late, everyone needed to rally together. ”Besides, we can not have the Pride’s star huntress falling pregnant.” She joked, she was far from the best huntress in the Pride, that again probably was Afya’s title, or at the very least she was probably the most passionate one. No, Nyarai was very much a follower, a side character in the story of the Nezi.

She was the first to arrive at the shelter, standing under the tree and looking out towards the horizon. The sky was growing darker, the rain would fall soon. The orange female laid down on the cool ground, tail flicking as she looked up at the male who, from this position, towered over more than he usually did. If nothing else, at least his thoughts seemed to have been taken away from the heavy topics that had been clouding his mind before she approached him. ”How is life treating you? Are you sharing a Den with the Agadi still? And you are N’echebe now, that is exciting?” Not that she was keeping a track on everyone's situation and status.

Though she totally was.  

[Anderleit]

How long had it been since he'd done this? Chuckled at someone else's words, and laughed with them. Since he'd joked? It was too easy to get wrapped up in work and the trauma of their pride. "Tsch! Of course you don't." His reply came with a snort, following shortly by a bark of laughter at the 'head huntress'. "You're all stars as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if I could do what you do." Though he'd love to hear what a choice few other lionesses thought of any one of them claiming such a title, he wasn't going to argue it now.

The shadow of their chosen tree swept over them, and Ink tilted his head back just in time for it to pass over his face. His features softened further under the shade; his sigh was almost one of relief. Now that he was closer to it - and not quite so distracted by his companion - he could tell that this particular tree was no stranger to him. He had sheltered under its branches before, on one of his very first patrols. Odd that he hadn't happened to seek refuge with it again until now. Then again, he supposed, he had just made a habit out of standing in the rain as of late.

Now there was the problem of getting comfortable. Inkumbulo studied his options a moment or two, unintentionally looming over the lioness as he did so. After a moment, he chose a patch of ground just behind her - close enough so they could still talk, but far enough away to appease his sense of propriety. They weren't exactly cubs anymore. "Life's fine. As well as it can be, I guess?" He paused to settle against the roots, folding his paws against his chest. "I still sleep in the main den, but I've been meaning to find my own. It's too crowded in with everyone else... That's one of the biggest reasons I like scouting. It's nice, walking the perimeter most of the time. Quiet. I haven't gotten to keep vigil yet, but I know that's gonna be, y'know. Thrilling." He wrinkled his nose, but didn't dare make the face too long. Tedious or not, it was still part of who they were.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Anderleit

It was one of those sobering moments when she realised she was no longer a cub, and that her childhood friends were beginning to treat her differently. She did not turn around as Inkumbulo laid behind her and got comfortable amongst the roots of the trees, nor did she let her face fall too much. Instead, her tail just flicked behind her, it’s blonde tip stroking the ground. “Do you think so?” She cleared her throat slightly as she talked, wondering why all the Protectors in the Pride were so keen to be alone with their own thoughts, maybe it was a male disposition that she would never be able to understand. Nyarai herself loved the company and she loved being surrounded by those she loved. If she was so romantically inclined, she would fill her home with cubs so she would never be alone again.

“I love sharing a Den. I love talking into the early hours, stealing warmth from Khwezi, having somebody to say goodnight and good morning to. To worry about me if I am not back at a certain time of the sky. I have had that my whole life, living on my own - I am not looking forward to it.” She shook her head, if anything happened to that brother of hers then Death would have to take her too. Hunting did not scare her, the disease did not scare her, but the thought of walking this world isolated and alone was too much for a young heart to bare. A smile at his comment she finally turned her head to look at the male, her tail flicking the whole time with minor irritation. A grown woman she might be, but she was still as affectionate and touchy as she was as a cub.

“It is what you signed up for, and you are one of the best suited for it really - with that dark coat of yours. Could you imagine me trying to prowl at night? With my orange a**?” Her hips almost wiggled to draw attention to it, since he must have a decent view from back there. Nyarai was not a night stalker for sure, in fact, it was a wonder she was able to hunt at all since she was so noticeable against grass and dirt. Maybe she would have better look out in the golden sands, or on a nice warm beach. Her tail finally stopped flicking, having decided she had enough to this distance game, and she started to shuffle backwards in some kind of strange, inelegant reverse crawl.

“So why? Did you take up the role I mean? Not that I do not think you are a fit, I am just curious to your reasoning behind it.” She asked as she settled by his side.  

[Anderleit]

Clearly, Nyarai had Inkumbulo's undivided attention. Pale amethyst eyes that watched her every word proved it well. He blinked only occasionally, the kind of slow, contemplative motion that came from considering an opinion different to his own. "I mean...it doesn't sound too bad, when you put it like that. Maybe it's the difference between having a brother, and being an only cub." Because he definitely didn't feel that close to the rest of his family. The knowledge that he wasn't really related to them might very well be part of that. If he had a sister, would he have felt that kind of closeness with her? A brother? The will of Death forbid, a mate?

Her response made him laugh, although Ink wished she hadn't turned at quite that moment to see it. He was all too aware of her wiggling, and took a moment to congratulate himself for not letting her hips steal more than a steady glance. Far from perfect? Yes, but at least he could say he wasn't a total boor. "Nah, sharp eyes are more important than your pelt any day. You could totally do it. Just go more for intimidation than stealth: bright colors mean danger. Stay away!"

Teeth would've been bared for effect, but he'd just realized that she was closing the distance between them with the most ridiculous scoot he'd ever seen, and he broke into laughter again. He reached out to cast a big paw about her shoulders, shifting slightly to help her get comfortable. If her goal was to circumvent awkwardness through the power of helpless chuckles, the golden lady had succeeded and then some; it hardly occurred to Ink to do a damn thing to stop her. Then he could feel his own laughter against the curve of her back, and it was warm and nice and he wouldn't have dared.

"I'm not sure why I chose it, honestly. I just couldn't see myself doing much else. I'm not a lot of good in a group, and since that's what most things require... N'echebe let me stretch my legs, strike out on my own. And what else was there? Amusu?" His smile tilted wryly. Nevermind that the position was taken... He was no Nchapu, even if he wanted to be. "Didn't seem much like the role for me. Besides, I kind of like the idea of keeping us safe. You hope you never have to, of course, but I like to think - if something tries to ruin us again, maybe I can stop it." Surely that 'us' encompassed all of the pride, but in this moment, he settled a bit closer to Nyarai out of reflex. He wasn't quite silly enough to think he would be anybody's hero, but if the time came, he'd settle for being a very hearty protector indeed.

Z o m b i k ii

 

[Z o m b i k ii]

Anderleit

Fin.

Nyarai closed her eyes as she felt a heavy paw on her shoulder, her body going limp as he rolled her. Comfortable and absorbing his warmth the golden female was almost purring. She listened to his words and hummed, it got her thinking; trying to see the world through his eyes. Nyarai did not take what she had for granted, but Ink seemed to make her appreciate it even more. She wondered when was the last time he laid with someone. When was the last time he allowed himself to get this close?

I kind of like the idea of keeping us safe. Admittedly, that sentence made her blush slightly, something about it seemed rather intimate. Though, the colouration soon faded as she twisted her head, so her nose was surrounded by his moss green mane. ”I believe in you.” She reassured him, though she too wished that such a day would never come to pass. She hoped that the role of a protector remained more ceremonial than practical, so she did not have to worry about them.

Closing her eyes again, tail flicking behind her, Nyarai began to nibble at his mane; running her tongue across the long hair. The rain broke whilst she was grooming him, sharing a quiet moment in shelter as the heavens opened.