[PRV] An old song and dance (Andranis/Seaki) [Fin]

[Andranis]

The border wasn't often somewhere Umut went near, content to spend her days well within the pride's lands hunting or sunning herself on the warm sands of the beach. It was relaxing here, living more in the moment than worrying about tomorrow. She didn't fret about what she'd drink every day, finding plenty of water in the river. She didn't go hungry, with plenty of prey to go around. And she was never want for shade if the sun turned too much, for trees were everywhere.

It was because of the wave-marked lioness she was here now, wandering near the border. It wasn't so much patrolling, as Irmak and Gabedi were off doing that.

"Pff, patrolling..." She smiled good-naturedly at the thought.

No, she was simply... Wandering. Looking. The lioness, Chafuko'dimbwi, had said she'd meet somebody important on the border. Important for what, she didn't know, only that it would be two different encounters. There had been nothing more told to her about it.

Her nose twitched, trying to smell if any strange lions were near. If there were, though, they were downwind from her, as the breeze blew in from the sea, bringing to her only the now-familiar smells of the pride and ocean.  

[Seaki]

It was Kumul's suggestion that they go separate ways for a few days before meeting back up in a few days. Ofke had argued, of course, but with Arazi as a go between Kumul pushed his daughter to go find something in the opposite direction.

They would share what they found and decide their path from there. Cesaret had followed her mate 's decision and pushed her children off to find their own way for a bit. She hummed as she walked. It was a change from the desert wasteland of their old pride, but she was getting used to the constant roaming.

"It smells like water," she offered, glancing towards Kumul. It was distant water, though, and smelled of the ocean. Maybe there would be something drinkable, though. Kumul looked at his mate, wondering if they should proceed. There had been an oasis near the ocean, perhaps there would be one here.

Ceraset looked at her mate and grinned. "Come on," She said, nudging him a bit as they walked. "A peek won't hurt."  

[Andranis]

Umut slowed in her walking, still smelling the air. If she squinted, she could just... Make out... There was somebody on the horizon - Two somebodies. For some reason, the old instinct that it was somebody seeking a fight rose up in her. What made her fur prickle so? The Bahari'mtoto were peaceful, fighting wasn't always a thing they did.

No, there was something about them... And when they got closer, she dimly recognized them. Not their names, of course, or their markings entirely, but she recognized enough to know they were Jahy Sarlarin lions, but not from the Burkuteshti. So that was why her fur prickled...

Umut had spent so long around Irmak, the only other born-and-bred Jahy lion she knew, who had by now let go of the old feud between settling in a new pride and Umut setting differences aside to help her when the other lioness had been younger, that the thought that she could ever get attacked by a former Jahy lion didn't fully arise. "Do my eyes deceive me or are you folks from the Jahy Sarlarin lands?"  

[Seaki]

When the pair neared the lands, they did not expect to see anyone there to greet them. Let alone an old member of the Jahy Salarin. Kumul warily pressed closer to his mate, but despite his brawn, he was not a fighter by nature. He was far more gentle than his mate.

Ceraset, however, took a step out from her mate, not exactly guarding him. It was almost as if she could feel the Burkuteshti on the other lioness, but she stood proudly before the other lioness.

"We do," she declared easily. "I feel that you are from the lands as well." Kumul gave a sharp glance to his mate. The other lioness was clearly not from their faction, which could only mean she was an enemy, and that they should leave! Perhaps other Burkuteshti members were about and would chase them off!

Ceraset, however, huffed at her mate's tense nature.

"We're not here to cause trouble," she directing the statement at both her mate and the other lioness. Two on one would be a decent advantage, but Ceraset and Kumul had traveled and were hungry, the other lioness was clearly far more healthy and the lands smelled of a pride.

They would not fight, that would be silly. Still, Ceraset remained bold, but tried to make herself seem as nonthreatening as possible.  

[Andranis]

The stance the male took told her enough. Not everything, but enough. "I can see the question in your stance - Yes, I was Burkuteshti." Was. It was a fascinating word, so short. But it could convey so much. She nodded with her head, back in the direction of the ocean. "Now I am Bahari'mtoto, as is one of your own, Irmak bint Melek. It's a far more peaceful pride, with plentiful... Everything." She pointed slightly southward with her chin, "There's a river near here, with clean fresh water, if you're thirsty, and plenty of herds for hunting near by. So long as you behave, we don't mind visitors." And, indeed, one former Jahy lion interacting with two others could be considered by others as the latter two being visitors.  

[Seaki]

Kumul remained wary, but Ceraset perked up considerably. The other lioness offered them the ability to hunt for themselves and clean water. That was more than anyone would have done if they were still at home. If their home still existed...

"Kumul, calm down. There is no longer a feud, our home is no more. Everyone has moved on," She said sternly, and Kumul had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed by his stance against the other lioness.

"Irmak," Kumul repeated the name. He recognized it as one of the Qyrhy and hummed thoughtfully. "I know of them..." He murmured. Ceraset gave her mate a fond look before turning her attention back towards Umut.

"We won't stay long," Ceraset told the other. "Only long enough to feed ourselves and bring some food back to our children." She was pleased by the lioness's kindness. "Perhaps the wound between the two factions can now begin to heal now that the pride has fractured beyond repair...  

[Andranis]

Umut let out an amused sound, "It seems ironic that the pride facturing to the point we all scattered to the four winds is what started us upon the path to recovery." She hummed, then started for the river. "Come, I'll show you the way to the river." If anybody else from the pride saw the pair, there'd be far less questions with Umut near by.  

[Seaki]

Ceraset nudged Kumul gently. "That's fine with us," She said, kindly. "I'm sure time will heal it even further." Kumul walked closely to his mate as they followed Umut to the river. Ceraset snorted at her mate balefully, but allowed him to cling to her side. He was like a needy cub, it was kind of shameful.

"I don't think we would have found the river on our own," Ceraset hummed. "There's too much water tainting the air." If they would have stumbled across it, it would have been a downright miracle. "Thank you for showing it to us."  

[Andranis]

"The ocean's scent does tend to drown things out, besides the equally-strong scent of the pride." Somewhere in the distance, to their left, were the trees that separated the grasslands from the beach. It was there, for the most part, that the lions of the pride would relax, and on the rises of sea cliffs that they lived. But it was still to the grasslands they traveled, in order to eat, and to the river, which soon enough came into view, that they drank. It wasn't down at the delta, where fresh and salt water mixed freely, but further up stream. With the river in view, the prey, too, came into view. Umut stopped and took a deep breath, smiling at the other two lions. "Here we are! Just be careful of the buffalo. They can and WILL gore a lion in the side." She wasn't sure if they'd run into buffalo yet, in the eastward journey, but it was better safe to warn them than have them get injured. "Other than that... If you ever want to join,
the pride's on the other side of the jungle down that way. An easy way to reach it is to follow the river, just be mindful that there's a pride on the other side that doesn't take nearly as kindly to strange lions."  

[Seaki]

When the river came into sight, Kumul relaxed. It was a source of clean water, and surely there was prey lumbering about. He hadn't seen flowing water in - well, not in a long time. He couldn't remember when. So far they had only come across still ponds that were nearly dry that they shared between all of the ones that had stuck close to them.

He almost dashed forward to get at the water, but Ceraset hadn't rushed forward yet so he stuck close to her side.

"Thank you, again! We will consider your pride, but there's a strong chance we will move on," Ceraset told the other lioness. She was quite pleased. They may be able to follow the river in the opposite direction and lead their children to the river without being so close to a pride.

"Your kindness has been much appreciated. If you ever need our aid, you can call on us if you have an eagle or falcon to carry your word to us."

With that note, Ceraset nudged her mate towards the water for him to drink his fill.