[PRP] The ocean? What's that? (Anya & Sjunheal)

[MangoMeow]

The watering hole was quiet, only a few birds twittering along the edges, but the water was clear and probably refreshing. It was with this in mind that Anya trotted over to take a drink. She did sort of wish that she could have met someone new here too - it'd been so long since she had had a good conversation - but she would settle with getting some water down her parched throat.

Growing up in a desert had made the brown lioness appreciate a good water source when she came across it. Though she did have to admit that she missed feeling course sand underneath her, even if it did come with little water.... Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she settling her paws at the edge and hummed happily at the dampness against her claws before lowering her head to lap at the water.

Her two-toned tail waved gently behind her in satisfaction. She probably should have come looking for a drink sooner, but she was having fun traveling! And, admittedly, she was also keeping an eye out for new things or places, maybe even a new pride.... She was getting lonely, wandering around by herself, and it would be nice to find somewhere to call home.

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

The water's quiet was broken by bawdy song barreled out in a booming baritone. The singer was a massive lion, his pelt a dark mark on the sunlit plain, who strolled up to the watering hole without a care in the world. The only exception to his tonal black was a glowing scythe cut into the bottom of his mane and over his chest, and an equally blonde mask cast over his smiling face.

The birds nearby took wing at his raucous approach, but this didn't seem to bother the lion overmuch. The male reared onto his hind legs, playfully pawing at the fleeing avians. The warsong of his youth halted, forgotten in the onset of equally resonant laughter and the rushing flutter of feathers.

It was in mid-swat at one particular bird - retreating rather close to his snapping jaws - that Sjunheal managed to look over and realize that he wasn't alone. Golden eyes widened before a sheepish grin crinkled their edges. "Hello to you, miss! Sorry to disturb your drinkin'," called the jovial giant, managing a wave with one colossal paw before rather abashedly returning to all fours.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

Anya was so focused on sating her thirst that the loud singing made her jump. What could have... Lifting her head, she looked around wide-eyed for the source before finally spotting the large black lion nearby. He was big! Much bigger than her, but she found that she didn't feel threatened. Maybe it was a by-product of her good-nature, or maybe it was the easy going way he portrayed himself, but she didn't think he would mean any harm. That and she enjoyed meeting new people. That was half of the fun of traveling!

She giggled as his singing made the birds fly away frantically. Clearly they didn't know what to make of this lion. The brown lioness cocked her head as she listened, wondering what it was he was singing.

Before she could think much more on it though, he spoke up. Ears perked, she smiled and shook her head. "Oh it's fine. You didn't bother me." She paused and then lifted her paws out of the water, front feet shuffling in an excited motion as she hummed, "What was it you were singing, by the way? I don't think I've ever heard that song before." She always loved discovering something new. It was one of the few things that made being a lonely rogue bearable.

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

The cheeky grin Sjun aimed her way was filled with teeth. It had frightened lions before, he was fairly certain, and maybe that's why he did it. More likely, though, it was only a reflex. Besides, there was no guarantee it would scare this particular lioness. "What, tha' old thing?" He replied, laughing. "Don't worry yourself about it, m'gel. Only an old, old warsong in the language I knew as a cub.

"It's just a pretty little ditty now, but oh, if y' could hear it in its heyday! We'd pitch the song over the rocky peaks, lettin' the roars bounce through the air and let everyone know that we were comin'." The big male's chest puffed out, claws kneading at the earth beneath them. An impish smile crossed his muzzle. His eyes, large and brown as they were, took on a shine of memories past. "Imagine it if you would, darlin'! Sound echoes through the mountains, y'know. Your voice rolls out, strong and clear, mixin' with your mates' until the lot of you are singing thunder! Then the mountain takes up th' chorus, with every echo to mark your passin'!"

The big male's smile tightened at the edges. After a moment, he shrugged, and it passed as quickly as it had come. "But th' mountain is gone now, and the language is lost. Still makes for a mighty pretty tune though, eh?"

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

Anya's ears perked up as he spoke. She hasn't visited a mountain yet, but she has seen them from afar. She didn't know they echoed people's voices! She wondered what it would be like to be wandering about the mountain and have another lion's voice echoing around you. It must be really fun!

Her ears flattened back down when he mentioned that it was gone. Can mountains disappear? She didn't think they did, but then, she really didn't know that much about the world around her yet. Either way, his home was gone, and that WAS something she could relate with. Not only that though, apparently the language was gone too, which she couldn't imagine losing that too. She looked down for a moment, considering his words, before looking up and smiling.

"Well, not completely lost if you're still singing it." She hopped around so she was facing him more directly, uncaring of the water that splashed against her legs as she ended up with her paws partially submerged. In fact, she rather enjoyed the feeling, evidenced by her humming happily at the feeling. "It is a really pretty tune though. Loud, but in a good way." She paused, and then chuckled, "Although I'm sure the birds would beg to differ with that opinion."

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

His smile softened a little. His own ears, at the sight of hers, temporarily flattened as well; he hadn't meant to upset her at all! But it seemed that whatever discomfort stirred in her thoughts was fleeting, as her eyes soon met his again, accompanied by a smile. Sjunheal's widened once more into that toothy, jolly grin. Good! Good. It would hardly due for him to go about causing upset to fair dames he'd scarcely met!

"Do you know, m'gel, I think you may be right!" The lion loosed a chuckle that resonated low as a growl. "Surely does the song of the mountain still stir in my heart! Hell, who's to say that I won't teach others one of these days, eh?" Maybe his own wee whelps, at that! How much fun would it be to have a passel of dear lil' cubs, all golden fur and sable coats, singing the old songs? The thought was enough to make him giddy with wishing.

He stepped a little closer himself, wading into the water at her side. "Y' do me much joy to say so, lass. Bless you, but what would a bird know? They only like the high, fluting melodies - so above we mere earthbound creatures." The gentle giant's face grew momentarily serious...but he couldn't hold the expression for long. It started with a twinkle in his eye, a slight smirk at the sight of what birds had returned, primly picking along the outskirts of the water. Then he turned his head and beamed at her, cheerily chuckling at his own pun.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

The brown lioness gave a chuckle of her own and nodded, "You should. That way, it'll never die! You can even make it a family tradition." And wasn't that something she wished she had from her old home. Would the stories and culture of her pride die some day? Perhaps it already had, now that she thought about it. She rarely came across anyone who knew who the Dawnwalkers were. At least she had her pride's old jewelry to remember them by. She would make sure to keep it in good condition, maybe pass one of her bracelets or something to one of her cubs.

Anya let out a laugh at his comment, glancing over at the returning birds. Brave of them, deciding to come back after having a lion batting at them, but she supposed that they'd simply deemed it safe again. "Well, it must be a wondrous thing indeed to take to the skies. I can only imagine what it must be like." Her eyes sparkled at the thought, before shaking her head with another laugh, "Of course, then everything and everyone would consider you prey. So maybe not."

Clucking her tongue, she lifted a paw and started splashing at the water. It was amazing to her how much there was out here in the roguelands, and she found that she loved to play with it. Wiggling happily at the feel of her soggy fur, she glanced back up. "So what brings you here? Just traveling through?"

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

"A family tradition," the lion crooned, low and soft as velvet. The idea appealed to him mightily. Sure, maybe he could never take his family back up into the old mountains - but there was nothing saying he couldn't find a new range for them to traverse. The song would stay alive in his heart forever, after all. Teaching it to a new generation of bountiful babes would be simple in comparison. "You're all full of good ideas, my canny lass!" Sjunheal laughed, flicking a paw through the water in response to her splashing. And if a wee spatter of water happened to land on her as he did? Well, he could hardly be blamed!

"An' wise too? Y' slay me, pretty one, if y' haven't gotten it in one." His muzzle split into a grin again, Sjunheal lifted a large paw to his heart. He feigned a swoon in the honor of the fatal beauty he now sat beside. "Aye, I'm surely a traveler and nothing more. Just a proper old rogue, me." Winking at her, he wiggled his toes in the silt. Nothing at all wrong with a bit of soggy fur now and again.

"Though I s'pose that's not entirely true. While I've traveled, I heard tell of a vast plain, all of it water. Stretchin' out as far as the eye can see. Rumor tells there's a pride there, can you imagine? Livin' beside a lake as large as the sky?" The massive male looked up, back arching to fill his gaze with the blue and birds above. "I couldn't fathom it, so I decided to take a look for m'self. That's where I'm bound just now."

MangoMeow

I'm so sorry that I lost this! D:

 

[MangoMeow]

She giggled at his antics, and then paused at his answer. A plain of water, as large as the sky? That... that sounded amazing! Anya's eyes were practically sparkling as she thought about it. Having grown up in a desert, the concept of so much water was foreign and farfetched, but she's heard of mountains and snow and other equally different areas too. So why wouldn't a vast lake exist as well?

"Really? That sounds incredible! I would love to see it too!" Her tail swished through the water, making smalls waves across the surface. "And they live there? What are they like? Are they nice?" She had so many questions, inquisitive soul that she is. What kind of creatures lived there? With so much water, they must be flourishing. Was it rocky? Was it sandy, like the rivers she grew up with?

She was just wandering right now, but maybe she should go see it for herself. She certainly had nowhere else she needed to be.

"I can't imagine living next to that." She glanced up at the sky too, watching a bird flit through the sky and wondering if the fish there did so as well. Humming, she hopped in the water, splashing a bit in the air, "I grew up in a desert, where water is scarce." Which was probably largely why she liked water so much now. Something so precious should be cherished.

Anderleit

 

[Anderleit]

There was a foolish idea circulating in Sjunheal's mind. He pondered it, all the while smiling at the lioness and her exuberance. Time ago, he never would have considered something like this. With the mountain gone, though, and all by his lonesome... Well, things had changed. Maybe he was going soft without the old, wartime ways to try him. That was troubling, but it wasn't something he felt like worrying about today. Not with the sun on his face and a pretty lass at his side; this was the sort of moment his old gran'da would have said a warrior should be thankful for.

"Well then, m'gel - why don' we travel together? Surely would eight paws be better than four on th' journey." He pulled his eyes from the sky to look at her askance, his smile sly. "Afraid I can't answer any o' those questions, as I've only rumor t' go on, m'self. But there's no reason we can't suss out th' truth o' things when we get there." Unless, of course, the pride that lived on the water's edge was unfriendly. He couldn't see any reason they would be, having such a precious resource directly available. But if it so happened that they were, then traveling with a companion would be all the better.

MangoMeow

 

[MangoMeow]

Travel there together, huh? Well, she was awfully curious about this pride and its mass of water - she'd love to meet them! - and having someone to travel with her there would make it all the better. Safer in numbers, after all, and she didn't feel like this was an untrustworthy lion to travel with.

Glancing down at her wet paws, the lioness shifted back and forth through the water. She wondered, would it be cold? Hot? Would it rush past her paws in a current or stand still like this watering hole? Yes, she would love to find out for herself.

Looking back up with a grin, Anya gave a chipper nod. "Sure, why not? I've nowhere else to be, and I would love to see them for myself."

Anderleit