[SRP] Sanctuary

[SilverLutz]

Moana had been walking for a few days before she came across what she had been looking for. There had been a handful of lions that she had come across claiming to be Herders in a pride call Suzat, She had picked their brains about the pride in general and when she finally was satisfied that it would be a safe place to bring pregnant mothers from the Bahari. The only thing she had to do was speak to the leader of the pride to gain his approval.

The Herders had brought her from the rogue lands into the heart of the pride and she had to admit, it looked like a nice place. There were soft, rolling green hills in the area where the dens were located and she was told that there was a river to the east, a vast marsh to the south, and a wide mountain range in the west that she could see from her current location. All wonderful natural borders that offered protection and in the case of the river, a fresh water source.

Moana stood outside the den of the Thain, waiting for the Herder to emerge with the leader.  

[SilverLutz]

The Suzat were known to be hospitable and they prided themselves on welcoming rogues and travelers to rest their paws and experience their culture while they did so. Arkani had been Thain for quite a while now and he had seen many creatures come for a spell, but what the Herder was telling him about a lioness that had come from a sea-side pride was certainly new. He had told the Herder not to give him all the details and to let the visitor state her business on her own, not wanting things to get jumbled up or lost in translation so to speak.

The yellow lion emerged from his large den to find the blue lioness waiting for him. He gave her a warm smile and a little bow, thanking her for her company without verbally conveying that.

"Thank you for waiting, Moana. I'm Arkani, the leader of this pride. I was told you sought us out for a specific purpose. Could I ask what that purpose is?"  

[SilverLutz]

Moana shifted her weight from paw to paw as she waited, unsure of what to expect the ruler to be like. She had heard this pride was very friendly to outsiders but that didn't mean the current king or whatever they called the position here would be. Her ears perked up as shuffling from within the cave drew closer and she gave the Herder that had brought her here a little nod before turning her gaze back to the mouth of the den.

Relief washed over her at the warm greeting from Arkani and she gave him a smile in return. Phew...there was one worry out of her mind for the time being.

"Not a problem! And yes, I'd love to talk to you about why I'm here. It's a bit of a long story, though," she said, her ears drooping ever so slightly. "Would you mind if we walked a bit? I think better when my paws are moving."  

[SilverLutz]

"Of course we can walk," Arkani said with a little nod, motioning with his head for Moana to follow him as he turned left from the mouth of his den to head down a winding path through the foothills. They passed other dens as they walked, some empty and some with voices within laughing or talking.

"Now," he said once they had been walking for a bit. "This trouble back at your home pride...the Bahari'mtoto was it? I believe one of our Fallohides visited there many years ago, long before I was born, but I've heard stories that it's right on the sea." He had never been to the sea himself but the Fallohides came and went to enough places that he had a pretty good idea of what it was. It must be beautiful to see but also dangerous as storms could turn the salty waters into deadly, powerful waves.  

[SilverLutz]

Moana followed Arkani as he led her down a few footpaths. The scenery was such a change from what she was used to that it made her pause in telling her story as she took it all in. She was used to seeing nothing but trees and jungle or wide open sea, but here there were grassy, open hills that were as green as any tree she had seen that slowly grew in the distance to stand as tall, cold mountains. It was fantastic to see and she wondered how long it would take to reach the base of that range.

"Yes, that's right," she said, drawn back into the conversation by the Thain. "I suppose I should start from the beginning." As they walked Moana told Arkani about the former alliance between the Kizingo'zaa and her pride and how everything had fallen to pieces recently with the invasion of the dark lions, the death of their king, and the two young rulers who had crushed the pact their fathers had made.

"Now there's nowhere for our females to go should they find themselves with cubs without a father and I had heard that this pride was welcoming to all who wished to stay or even just visit," she said, looking up at the male hopefully. "So I was wondering if perhaps you might offer a temporary or permanent sanctuary for the mothers and their cubs who might wish to come here."  

[SilverLutz]

Arkani listened politely as Moana told him the story of her pride in the recent years. He knew that there were strict prides out there and he had no place to say what they did or didn't do, but he couldn't help but wonder why they were so adamant about marriage when it came to cubs. There were other prides that welcomed all types of creatures to stay and live, though, so to them the Suzat might seem restrictive as only lions were allowed to live here permanently. It was a wide, wonderful world they lived in and Arkani wouldn't judge others in hopes that others wouldn't judge him.

As Moana finished up with the question he nodded without hesitation.

"Of course! Anyone is welcome here and should any lion decide they like it enough here to stay, we have plenty of room for that. Any lion at all that seeks peace from your home pride may come here to visit or to stay. I'll alert the Herders that there may be lionesses coming our way in the future so they'll keep an eye out for them. We can even prepare some dens if there are any that need to come immediately."  

[SilverLutz]

Moana smiled in relief, the weight on her chest lifting completely. She had been so worried for the pregnant mothers in the pride once the Kizi closed their doors, but now they had somewhere to go. It was a much longer trip than a short jaunt through the woods, that much was true, but Moana would guide them here herself if she had to!

"Thank you so much, Thain Arkani," she said with a bow of her head. "I will relay the news to my pride for any who wish to seek you out." She was practically vibrating with delight now as she raised her head, the grin on her face wide and unforced. The whole trip here she had been terrified and anxious, not wanting the answer to be 'no', and now she knew this whole excursion would mean something.  

[SilverLutz]

The genuine delight coming from the lioness made Arkani laugh softly. It was always a pleasure to help others in need and he was sure the pride as a whole would make any expecting mother that came here feel right at home. She wouldn't have to lift a paw!

"It's my pleasure, Moana. And please, just Arkani," he added with a wink before motioning for them to turn around. They'd been walking for a while now and the dens were growing a bit more scarce, indicating they would reach steeper hills soon.

"Now that we've made an agreement let's seal the deal with a hearty meal! You've come a long way and you need to experience our hospitality first hand so you can report back to your pride and tell them just what lays in wait for them here. Food, fun, Brew, and smiles all around."  

[SilverLutz]

Moana didn't need to be told twice to stay a bit longer to rest and recover from the trip here. It wasn't an arduous journey for a healthy lion but going from the Bahari, here, and back in the span of a few days would definitely be taxing. A nice meal and a good day's sleep would see her off at nightfall refreshed and rejuvenated.

"I'd love to, thank you so much!" she said, a little bounce in her step as she turned with Arkani to head back to the main part of the pride. "I'd love to see and learn a bit more too so I can tell the pride what to expect." She knew there were other ambassadors going out to other prides to see if they would have room for a few displaced females, but she liked that they'd have options now.  

[SilverLutz]

"Of course, of course," Arkani said as he strode off with the lioness at his side. "I'll answer any questions you may have and you're welcome to speak to anyone else we come across as well. You don't need to be shy around here, everyone is always willing to help."

They made their way back to the center of the pride where all the activity happened, the hub of all four Farthings and the most bustling part of the pride. He knew that Moana would leave with a good impression and he only hoped the pride would live up to the expectations that would be placed upon it. Arkani knew that the Hobbits from his home would do their best to make any mother and her cubs feel welcome here whether or not they decided to return to their home pride once they were old enough to do so.

FIN