[PRP] A chance meeting (Dhati and Itri)

[Midnightglow18]

Itri had been on the move through the rouge lands for a long time, but he didn't really like living there and he didn't really want to live by himself. He had grown up in a family in the mountains, he had been on a journey on his own to find himself. When he returned he found his pride was gone. He didn't know where his parents or his siblings had gone. For all he knew they had been killed or they thought he had been killed. That was how Itri found himself at the edge of a lush jungle. It was strange after all the time he had spent running the rouge lands. Also, he was not used to such a site since his last home had been in the mountains.

He was curious what sort of pride might live in these lands, he had heard of harsh prides and prides with harem and neither of those sorts of prides was for him. Itri wanted a family again, he wanted to find one mate to give his heart to. He wanted to take care of and protect his mate and build a family. It was a simple wish, but not one every pride shared.  

[belloblossom]

Dhati, as usual, was making her rounds for the day. Since there weren't many Daughters for her to train, she spend a lot of her time patrolling the jungle's borders. She had been as surprised as the rest of the pride when Kivuli, the young healer, returned with a litter of cubs. He had explained that two of the boys had gone to live with their mother, something Dhati hadn't been bothered by. The girls of the pride had stayed and that was more than enough for her.

Still, while Dhati had trained Yozora for a bit, Koura soon took up the reins in training the young adolescent and her sister, so it was back to patrols for Dhati. Nothing exciting really happened to the Indlovukati since that litter, but she knew better than to wish for any sort of conflict. Peace was for the best, even if Dhati sometimes wished for bigger things.

Being a mother herself wasn't one of them, but seeing Koura swooning over her mate, Zambarau did strike a chord with her, somewhere deep in her heart. Dhati shook her head, as she often did when the notion of love and mates came to her mind. She still had a while yet before she had to make any choices about whether she wanted to take up a mate or not. No need to rush things.

She was so distracted with her thoughts that it took her longer than usual to pick up the scent of the stranger and by the time she had, she could see their silhouette. She tensed and froze when she did, but then strolled forward. It was a male and she narrowed her eyes.
"You there!" She called, her voice commanding and stern. "What is your purpose in the jungle?"

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

belloblossom

Itri looked at the lioness who was yelling at him, he wondered why she was so cranky. His purpose that was the problem wasn't it. He didn't have a purpose at this time. His homeland pride was gone and he had been living a listless life no goal, no direction. Itri had not even found his adult name and without his pride he wasn't sure if he would ever find it. "Nothing I suppose, I am Itri and you are?" He said simply. Looking the brown lioness over, she was clearly territorial so he breathed in searching for scent parkers of a pride. He should have thought to check that before.  

[belloblossom]

At the male's casual reply, Dhati bristled, but her training kept her from speaking out of turn or in any biting reply.
"I am Dhati, a guard of the pride whose territory you are trespassing upon." She replied.

She flexed her claws. This male didn't look like much; she was certain she would be able to chase him off and give him a mark that wouldn't have him returning to her peaceful pride, but as she watched him, she couldn't help wondering what he was about.

His stance was relaxed and he didn't look hostile. This was the first rogue she had seen in seasons. She flicked her ears and was suddenly uncertain of herself.
"Why are you here, Itri?" She asked him. "What brings you to my pride? We won't stand for hostile lions in our midst." She added, pointedly.

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

belloblossom

Itri shook his head "I mean your pride no harm." Itri said in a kind tone "I was in a pride with my family once, but it disbanded long ago, so I wander along now." He shrugged his shoulders looking at the beautiful jungle rainforest still curious what secrets the forest hid. "Your home is very beautiful, so yes I was curious about it. But if you want me to go then I will." Itri wasn't about to try to assert his dominance over this lioness if he really had any. Some days he wondered since he had never gotten an adult name it made him wonder if in some ways perhaps he was still just a cub in an adults body.

Itri didn't feel like he was ready to have a pride of his own, perhaps he wasn't even ready to be a member of a pride. He did however like his memories of his family and was sad that those days were gone. His tail moved about calmly as he looked at the forest and waited for this lioness' verdict on if he needed to get lost and continue his search for a new home or if she would talk to him and tell him more about her pride.  

[belloblossom]

Dhati blinked at the lion's reply and tilted her head to one side,
her gaze sympathetic. To have one's pride disband... that must've been horrible.
Eventually she sighed. This newcomer didn't look like a threat and she could easily best him, she was certain, in a fight. If it came to that at all.

"I'm sorry to hear about your pride." She told him. "So long as you don't mean us any harm, you can stay." She took a step to the side, offering for him to approach. "We are called the Indlovukati. I hope you forgive my initial hostility, those of us who have been raised in the pride, like myself, were taught to be wary of lions. Males, in particular." She didn't give him any more explanation than that, wondering if he would ask about it or leave it be, regardles of his answer, she was unsure about taking him to the main part of her pride yet and so would show him the outskirts, until she found out if he really wanted to stay or not.

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

belloblossom

Itri nodded he wasn't sure if this was the right place for him but he respected Dhati's feelings. "You don't need to be sorry if that's how your pride it, it's your right to protect yourselves. Not sure if it's the right home for me but it was nice meeting you." Itri said in a warm tone. He meant it. Even though she was protective of her people that wasn't a reason to dislike her. "If you would like to tell me more about your people that would be cool." He said in a calm laid back way. It was how Itri normally was. He didn't let much ruffle his fur.  

[belloblossom]

Dhati relaxed a little when the lion confirmed that he wasn't going to be staying and nodded. When he asked to know more about her pride despite that, she felt a little suspicious, but realizing that she may not get the chance to talk to someone new again, she shrugged and nodded.

"Alright, well, we're majorly a female pride. That is to say, female lionesses, no other species, save for familiars, I guess, get to be here." She paused. "Well, occasionally leopons or cheetons, but rarely and only if they're female, I think." She shook her head. "Anyway, the pride came to be on the knowledge that should any come to our borders that were male, we would protect our borders against the aggressive lions and protect our ladies inside the pride. I guess our Queen must've had a few bad run-ins with some males out there..." She shrugged, not wanting to divulge the dark past of the royal family to a stranger, so she kept it light.

"Anyway, we live in the jungle, we protect each other, though it's only we lionesses who do any of the fighting and the males... they're the hunters and providers for us." She blinked at the other, appraising him. "I'm not entirely surprised that a rogue like you wouldn't want to stay here. I suspect it's very different from wherever you come from." She informed him.

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

belloblossom

Itri nodded "I don't remember much about my pride, it disbanded when I was young but I had a mother and father and they both hunted for the pride. So yea I'm sorry I don't think your pride has what I need." Itri nodded to the lioness and turned away. He turned back and grinned "I hope that changes someday, I know I want to find a mate and love, good luck and take care." With that Itri took off through the jungle to seek his next adventure.  

[belloblossom]

Dhati nodded her head, having expected as much of a reply.
"Same to you." She replied to the stranger, watching him go. Though he was not aware, she followed him all the way to the border and watched him until he was out of sight. Perhaps if she had been more friendly, he would have stayed. Yet she hadn't and he hadn't. It was time to get a move on. Now that he was gone, it was time for her to look back at her own life and go from there.

It was time to go home.

Midnightglow18

Fin!