[PRP] Lost

[KasaiLoki]

The white cub was lost.

All he wanted to do was find his father, prove to him he could be of help on a hunt. Look where that got him. Lost, wandering the Southlands with his short cub legs, hoping to see a similar flash of white.

"Daddddd!" He called out, multicolored eyes scanning the area. The land was becoming softer, less grass. In the distance were those...leafless trees? The dual colored orbs shifted, spotting a river that seemed to completely separate the termite mounds with browning grasses. With a bit more focus, the cub found an opening, along with a few sets of pawprints. Those looked like the size of his father's feet. Perhaps he was just past these rivers?

Deciding to follow, Lumine quickly trotted into the unknown territory.

"Dad?" He called out again. "Where are you?"  

[MangoMeow]

As it stood, Evadne was in the middle of hunting, but admittedly, she wasn't having the best luck finding anything. With a sigh, the lioness contemplated just heading home for the day. Some other hunting parties might have found something, and she was almost to the edge of the Outlands by this point. She paused, though, at the sound of someone calling out.

Her first reaction was to tense up. Easy-going as she was, she was not a fan of trespassers. Her next reaction was confusion. That voice sounded awfully young, after all. And then her third reaction was concern. If that was a cub... hopefully it wasn't one of theirs. Though she didn't think that there were very many cubs in their pride at the moment, and it didn't sound like any of the ones she knew.

Finally, that concern won out. Of their pride or not - a cub in need of aid wasn't something she could ignore.

Bounding forward, Eva moved closer until she could spot the white form moving ahead. Indeed a cub, and one that was on the hunt for his father, it seems.

Aww, he was cute! His white fur made him stick out terribly against the dirt, but it also made him look like a little white cloud. Eva plopped herself down into a sitting position, and decided to address him. "Are you alright?"

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

The sound of shifting caught his attention, and the bright lion cub turned his gaze quickly towards the sound.

"Dad---no. Oh." He said quietly, shrinking down as the female came closer, sitting near him. His ears pinned back, small claws shifting out of his paws, ready to fend off the other if it came to that.

Lumine was silent, looking around to see if there was anyone else around. Not spotting anyone, he shook his head.

"Have you seen my dad? He's white...with some black on his paw and face." the cub tried to describe him, though realized he was probably failing miserably. His eyes stared right at the other, the slight gold on the left eye shimmering against the bright sun.  

[MangoMeow]

Aw, he was so little and nervous and looked like he was ready to fight or flight. It was adorable. With a hum, Eva smiled brightly if a bit apologetically. "Sorry, I don't think I've ever seen anyone like that before."

She paused, not sure if the cub ever would find his dad around here. The Outlands weren't a place that accepted outsiders... but his father could simply be someone that she had never come across before. After all, there were a lot of new members lately.

The lioness hummed, "Well, I can help you look, if you'd like. You shouldn't be wandering around here on your own anyway." And without waiting for an answer, she stood back up and began trotting away. "Come on, come on!"

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

"Oh..." Lumine sighed dejectedly, looking away from the female as if to scan the area himself for his missing father. He did not know if he had come this way, but sure all adults knew where others liked to hang out...right?

The bright lion perked up just a bit at the mention of helping him look. "Really!?" His voice was excited as his multicolored eye brightened.

"Um. Okay. Wait for me!" Lumine called out, hampering after the female, further into the Outlands territory.

"What...is this place anyways." The cub asked, shifting his gaze towards the tall termite mounds. "Looks nothing like that big rock dad took me to see." Pride Rock, although Lumine did not remember the name although the look of it was still present in his mind.  

[MangoMeow]

Evadne was humming cheerfully, before her nose scrunched up at his words. She supposed that she couldn't quite blame him for not knowing where he was, but that was something she wanted to fix immediately.

And okay, maybe she also wanted to boast a little bit about her home. There weren't very many "big rocks" that people around here were referencing unless they were talking about the you-know-whos.

"You're in the Outlands, little one." She puffed out her chest proudly, "We're a powerful pride, newly returned to our home and all the stronger for our hardships." She paused to leap up atop a low-hanging anthill, gazing around for any signs of life besides them and then turning to look back at him, "What's your name? Mine's Evadne."

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

Outlands?

The name wasn't familiar to Lumine. But, the lioness seemed rather proud of her home, so it must have been a good place. Right?

The bright lion flashed Evadne a smile. "Oh. Lumine!" His ear flickered at his mismatched gazed to the large anthill she stood upon. With a look of determination, the cub scrambled up the softened dirt pile, trying to scan the area for the familiar form of his father. Not seeing one, he shook his head. Maybe he wasn't here after all?

But...should he head back out of the lands? Maybe if he were to stay put, his father would eventually find him. "Do you think dad could be here?" Lumine asked towards Eva, his eyes hopeful.  

[MangoMeow]

Evadne withheld a chuckle as she watched him scramble up the anthill beside her. She worked with cubs, and she knew that some would sometimes take offense if she laughed. It was funny to watch though.

"Well, it's good to meet you Lumine." She frowned, "Perhaps. Our lands are vast though, and many of them extend into the tunnels." Though if he wandered in there, said father would have far different things to worry about. Outsiders weren't typically welcomed that far in.

She glanced away. Come to think of it, this cub was very young, and it was dangerous for one like him to wander around on his own. Such an irresponsible parent, to leave him like this.

She chuckled her tongue. Well, she wouldn't allow it. "You could always stick around and find out. It's better than wandering. He should come looking, I would think." And if he didn't, well, Lumine was probably better off anyway.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

Lumine nodded. "I probably should do that. Stay here I mean. Because...well...if he isn't here, and I go away and he turns up, then what would happen?" For a cub, it was a very logical question to ask. "We'd never see each other again!" He cried out, not wanting to think of it.

His multicolored gaze looked down towards the pride. "Whoa." He mouth was agape as he glanced to the pride 'The Outlands' as Evadne had said. "Did...did you say tunnels?" His eyes were wide with curiosity. "Can you show me those?" He asked hopefully, his front paws shifting the dirt, giving the female the biggest set up puppy dog eyes he could muster.  

[MangoMeow]

She had not quite been expecting the distressed cry, but she didn't react outwardly to it aside from cooing and snuggling the side of his head. Hanging around cubs all day had taught her that they could be sort of dramatic sometimes. "All the more reason to stick in one place then."

At his curiosity over the tunnels, Eva grinned. "Well, today's your lucky day! We don't normally allow non-Outlanders that far into the tunnels, unleeeeesss they have an escort."

The pale lioness tossed her head back and started walking in the direction of home. "Come along and keep close!"

KasaiLoki