Where was she?

The thought raced through Umochozi's head as he hurried through the roguelands. The terrain around him had started to harden, away from the gentle rolling hills of the Savannah and into rocky outcropping. Grass became sparse, short and brown instead of shimmering gold and vibrant green. The land was definitely turning more foreboding. If she really came this way, she must be dead set on leaving the rest of her family behind. Elea would be torn apart, but perhaps this was for the best.

Maybe the family did finally need to part after all. The pride had disbanded, so it was time for them to do the same. He had just wished she hadn't left with absolutely no notice besides her bird relaying the fact that she was fine, but gone. Javik had disappeared along with her, and though for a while they had traveled together to try and find Njia... it had been short lived. His cousin had vanished along with her vulture companion.

At least the two were together now.

Out of habit, Umochozi looked up to the sky as if he would spot the vulture's large wingspan in the air. Nothing yet, not even a shadow of a bird danced across the ground. For the most part, all he had seen were birds associated with coastal lands. He was near a coast, but for the life of him could not hear or see it. The air even began to feel different, brisk and refreshing, though he supposed one could interpret it as cold and unwelcoming.

The lion pressed forward, his dark form maneuvering around sharp rocks among a rigid landscape. The sun had moved to the center of the horizon when he realized a presence was watching him. He had been so lost in his own thoughts and focused on the trail ahead of him that he had failed to notice anything else around him. Now, he was no longer alone, and almost anxiously he glanced behind him, pink eyes falling upon a small but familiar form.

"You're still following her?" Javik asked. The large vulture was perched upon a dead tree, the limbs bare of bark underneath the bird's talons. The fact that it did not snap from Javik's weight was a miracle. Javik didn't seem to think he was at any risk of a tumble. He was cool and confident now that he had found Umochozi.

"Of course. You were too, weren't you? So we can bring her back home to her mother. Elea's worried sick over her." Umochozi turned to face the vulture, and crept up to the base of the tree. He had to tilt his head up to see the avian, and his neck soon developed and uncomfortable soreness.

"She's not coming home." Javik admitted this with a shrug of his wings, as if the information no longer bothered him. He had given up on convincing Njia to return to her family. It was so clear she no longer wanted to be burdened by them. "Njia's joining this pride, whether we like it or not. I don't even think it's because of the male lion she met. I think she just wants to... move on."

Umochozi cringed at the memory of Ciro, but at least Javik had confirmed one thing... that Ciro hadn't forced himself on Njia. She wouldn't be running to his pride if he had. He still didn't like the thought of the lion taking advantage of his dear cousin, but he supposed Njia was old enough now to make her own decisions. That meant, and he hated to admit it, that she could make her own decisions about leaving behind her mother. "So she's going to abandon everyone, and you're going to sit back and let that happen, Javik?"

Javik clicked his beak at Umochozi, annoyed by the accusations from a lion who didn't have all that much more loyalty to family than Njia. Perhaps it was a family trait, though he had yet to see it crop up in Elea. "I tried to change her mind. She wouldn't be persuaded. So either I leave her or I stay with her, and I am her bird, and she is my lion. I will not leave her, not for you, not for Elea." For a moment, Javik considered dropping an unpleasant present on Umo. But, he was certain Umo could jump high enough and quick enough to catch him if he tried.

From the air then.

Maybe.

"Should you not go back to Elea? She needs someone by her side now, more than just Nadra." Javik inquired with a stern, almost parenting look.

The question took Umochozi aback a little. He should go back to Elea. The lioness would struggle to live on her own, sure... but at times he felt they had underestimated Njia's mother. There were plenty of times where Elea had hunted on her own successfully, and if she could do that, she could survive. Umochozi didn't have to go back to her, but he should. The lion realized then that he didn't really want to be tied down by family too.

Njia had run from them both, and so he had chased her. Now, he wasn't even sure he wanted to find her. Right now, he could turn towards whichever direction he pleased and leave them all behind. He could also go towards the pride Njia had headed to. It was where that pale beauty Astrus was from, and though he had been made to swear not to mess with her again that hardly meant he wouldn't. Some thug of lion wasn't going to stop him from indulging in a pretty lioness.

Besides, he was sure Astrus was starting to enjoy his company before they had been forced to part. If he went to the Stormborn, he was sure to find her there, and then there would be little one could to do to keep him from her.

He smirked at the thought, and lifted his gaze back up to Javik. "Lead me there. I'll join too, then."