[BORDER] Following Feathers || Akaari + Dharma'dido

[viatorai]

With the jagged rocks digging deep into still-too-soft pawpads, there was a wonderment as to whether or not to continue. Everything was elevated, and the fur on the lion's body prickled with anticipation and maybe a bit of fear. Then again, it could also the the storm that seemed to be rolling in. It was a land that the lion could have easily been a part of, and easily able to blend in and sneak, if the bird on their back hadn't been such a bright blue and white color...and, well, if it wasn't currently squawking loudly and insistently.

"I don't know if she'd come this way, Delta!" the lion hissed at their bird, trying to quiet the feathery fiend. But instead of completely silencing, Delta instead began to make warbling sounds, head turning this way and that way and fluffing her feathers out. Although it was an improvement to the near-screaming, Akaari sighed as they continued onwards. The heavy scent of other lions in the area didn't deter them, this area was someplace their lost bird could have easily gotten lost in.

Though, it was a risk. Akaari had no idea what kind of lands these were, and they had no way of knowing where to go if a defense was needed. Maybe behind a cluster of rocks, if they got close enough? But what if their bird spooked and flew away? Although they had both been carefully trained and cared for, Akaari was still looking for one of them now, weren't they?

A deep sigh later, they stopped again to sit and rest a bit. Delta, unconcerned for her safety or her guardian's, started ascending into the sky, doing a few loop-de-loops and eventually coming to land a few feet away on a conveniently standing boulder. After all, one must preen if they were going to go on trips, right?  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Wandering ran in the family and the purple, speckled son of Ali-dido had begun to feel the urges or calling of the roguelands late in his adolescence. Fortunately the prides habits allowed flexibility in his desires and so he was keeping true to himself.

Dharma encountered a number of things to test his patience, the number one offender was a couple patches of mud. Would reaving always be so.. filthy? The thought stayed with him and essentially his head was in the clouds as he considered the dirt of the world. The adolescent wouldn't soon forget the vigorous cleaning his mother would give him as a cub when he returned from outings. Dirty or not.

"Damn it." Quickly he was brought back to reality as his paw dropped heavily into a muddy patch. He watched in horror as the bright green of his pelt disappeared into a mossy brown. "Maybe I'll become a Lawspeaker." He muttered to himself angrily as he ripped his paw from the mud, subsequently covering the rest of himself in flecks of mud, before giving it a good shake and gazing around for some water. There was no. Way. He would allow that muck to enter his body.

Limping as though he were injured, but truthfully he was avoiding adding debris to the mess, he began his search for a small body of water - hell he would throw himself to the fast pace of the river if it meant being clean. It was during this dramatic scene that his eyes looked to the skies and spied a nimble looking bird in flight. It wouldn't be that peculiar except around the same time he smelled a lioness. Curiosity overtook him and he continued his walk of shame towards the birds location.  

[viatorai]

"Well, we should find someone, ready?" Akaari whistled to their bird, but wrinkled their nose when said bird ignored them.

Simply continuing to preen, running her feathers through her beak in an attempt to get rid of every single particle of dust that had been attaching to her on their search, Delta found little to no reason to move right now. If her nestmate was around, she wouldn't go anywhere anytime soon, but if she wasn't....Nope, she had to be here. Ekko liked dirty places, an excuse usually for baths. Delta couldn't understand such a drive, why not just--

Jerking her head up, the blue bird looked around several times. There was sounds of someone walking, and walking closer. It wasn't too far off, but it wasn't close enough to panic quite yet. Unsure of what to do, she let out a soft peep of a warning, freezing on the spot right after.

"...Delta?" Akaari questioned, looking up from picking out shards of rock from between their toes.

"Shh." Delta peeped, looking back and forth, trying to see if she could at least see if there was anything.

Rolling her eyes, Akaari took a moment to remove just one more shard, shaking themself a bit before standing up and walking over to the boulder. Used to their birds seeing things that looked dangerous, but weren't actually, kept them of guard for a moment. Up until the scent hit her nose. Someone coming.

Well, running was out of the question, they were in terrain that was unfamiliar, and for all they knew, they'd run themselves into a trap. Better to stand, wait--

"..'Llo?" They called without thinking. The regret was instantaneous.

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Were those voices? The smell had faded briefly, dancing away on a breeze he had considered absent until just then. Perhaps the voices were all in his head? Dharma paused in his step and gave his head a good shake - which required setting down that very muddy paw, much to his dismay. "Oh shoot." He cursed quietly to himself as he lifted his paw and gazed pathetically at the now extremely filthy stub that was the end of his leg. He didn't dare continue this display of weakness althought it killed him to be so filthy.

"Hello?" He echoed the voice, a single one now. The other had been a peep? A sharp sound? It made his ears twitch uncontrollably as they attempted to grasp the whereabouts. The greeting in a female voice firmed the direction of the 'intruders'. "Who's out there?" Dharm attempted for a deeper, bigger tone to make himself seem a bit more monstrous - even though he wasn't. Lanky, pathetic looking, and whiny.. he was anything, but monstrous.

Carelessly he put one hesitant paw forward and then another. Without putting much thought into what he was doing, who could be out there.. he was curious. This was likely why his siblings and the others cubs he grew up with weren't allowed near the borders or that river. There was little time to ponder those ideas and quickly Dharma swept them away in favor of focusing on the direction of that voice.

Kivras

 

[viatorai]

"I'm not here to fight!" Akaari's voice wavered ever so slightly as their 'hello' was answered. Rather than wait to be confronted fully, they decided to explain themselves. To someone who might not even listen. Who might be ready to kill them right now. "I'm, um, I'm just...Looking for..." Damn, how would they explain they were looking for a small blue bird? Er...probably just like that, actually...

But before they could gather their thoughts, Delta started to puff up, posture a bit, and took to the air. For a moment she thought about diving down and giving the approaching lion an eyeful of claw. Thankfully, before she did, Akaari sounded a shrill whistle that meant, clearly, 'Get your feathery butt back here or you're in huge trouble'.

Once Delta landed on their shoulder, Akaari took a deep breath and stepped out around the boulder to face whomever it was that was approaching.

Ctrl F Greenie