[PRP] River Exploring

[MangoMeow]

He always enjoyed walking alongside the Great River; it was wide and it protected their home like a wall, but it was also more than that. It was power, fury and beauty packaged together and streaming forward with conviction, with a knowledge of what it will do and what it can do.

Or maybe he was just getting poetic as he aged.

Atreyu meandered through the sprawling bushes and fallen logs until he came across the edge of the Mto’s border. His advisors often spoke against him going this far out - it wouldn’t do for their leader to run into trouble - but they didn’t bother stopping him when he did either. Their pride was still veiled in mystery, as far as the outer world was concerned, with little to know one knowing of them. Perhaps someday he would change that...

But not today. Today he just wanted to explore for a bit, see could find.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

Denahi didn't really know why he thought it was a good idea to leave the Kusini as the 'ambassador' so to speak, yet here he was, old crippling self hobbling along the well traveled rogue lands, with a bouncing cub by his side.

Najia.

She wasn't exactly planned, and through the older male through a loop when she had arrived at his tiny den with her mother by her side. The adult female hadn't lasted through the night before she was gone, vanished like a ghost.

Denahi sighed. His children were grown, his days of fatherhood long gone, and yet, Najia was here, a bundle of purr investigating everything.

"Be careful." The charcoal male said gruffly, as his daughter examined the rather steep terrain. Not more than a few moments went by, when a small squeal, and the dark cub's form disappeared from his immediate sight.

"Najia!" Denahi shouted, peering over the edge as his small daughter rolled towards a great river.  

[MangoMeow]

It was the shout that had caught his attention first, putting him immediately on edge and focusing in on the lion who had made th noise, and his dark gaze moved down to see the little bundle of something tumbling down th cliff.

Atreyu squinted uncertainly before his brain finally caught up with his eyes and identified what was falling down, and hardly given the strange rogue a second thought, the lion bolted forward. He wasn’t fast enough to stop her from falling in, he realized with a grimace as he watched her get swept into the water - but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of helping.

Veering slightly, the dark male angled himself to meet her halfway down the river and dove in headfirst.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

There was no way he would reach her, but man did he try.

The older lion sprung to his feet, chasing after his daughter, feeling his bones creak and crack as they shifted in places they hadn’t been in a while. Denahi found himself groaning, his dark blue eyes locking with Najia’s tumbling form before her small body hit the water.

For what seemed like eternity but likely only a second did his daughter surface, struggling to swim as the current pushed her further down. He readied himself to jump into the water, a feeling of deja vu hitting him as this situation happened with his son many moons ago.

Najia’s form slipped under the water as she struggled to stay afloat. Although the current not as strong as a raging river, for a little cub it was enough to keep her bobbing. “Daddy! Help!” She squealed when she surfaced, gasping as another small wave pushed her down.

Just as Denahi was about to jump in, he heard a splash as a darker male dove into the water, heading straight towards his child. The frantic father had paced the river bed, his age catching up to him as he slowed, paws entering the shore line knee deep as the other male swam towards Najia.  

[MangoMeow]

There was something about being in the River that always gave him a rush, but he ignored it for the time being, or perhaps that was the wrong word. Used it was probably more correct, as he allowed th adrenaline to push himself further until he was coming up beside where the cub was.

With a grunt, Atreyu dipped down and used some of the rocks to launch himself that little bit closer so her could latch onto her with a paw and bring her around so he could grab her by her scruff. Water flooded into his mouth at the action but he ignored it, used to the feeling by now, and forced his muzzle up to try and keep her above the water.

Well, that was one step covered - now to get them both out of here. Kicking out his paws, the lion paddling his way back to shore, a task that was made easier as he used the current for momentum but also harder with a struggling, panicking cub.

Finally, his feet hit solid ground and he heaved them both up and out of the water.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

Denahi wished he was younger. In those days, he would have jumped into the river and swam to Najia's aid. But, knowing another was going after her, and helping her he found himself holding back, holding his breath as his daughter was pull towards the unknown feline, and finally brought to shore.

Once the male and his daughter made their way to land, the elder male hurried to her, swooping her up.

"I told you to be careful." Denahi huffed, checking the cub for any injury.

"'m fine..." Najia said weakly, her bright blue eyes glancing around towards her savior. "He helped me~" She had stated, glancing at Atreyu.

"Yes, he did." It was Denahi's turn to look at the other. "Thank you for helping her." He said appreciatively. It was an unusual tone for the older male, but age had mellowed him. Plus, being a father for the third time probably had some say to it as well.

"I am Denahi, and this," he ruffled the cub's head, who had started licking herself to dry off. "Is my daughter, Najia."  

[MangoMeow]

As the other male (Denahi, he would find out in a moment) scooped up his cub and began checking her over, Atreyu shook himself out to try and rid himself of some of the dampness. It was impossible to get it completely gone around here, but that didn't mean he needed to keep himself drenched to the bone.

Finally, turning back to the two strangers, he grinned at their words. "Pleasure, though I wish it could have been in different circumstances. The name's Atreyu."

He turned his gaze over to Najia, "He's right, you know. The river can sweep away even the biggest of lions if they don't know how to handle it. I'm glad I was here to help though." Then his attention went back up to Denahi, "So aside from river adventures, what brings you around these parts?" He was, after all, still a leader of his pride, and these two were getting rather close to their territory, not that they knew it.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

"Likewise." Denahi found himself grunting nonchalantly, giving Najia the side eye once he was satisfied that she wasn't injured. Someone needed to remind him that having children had the potential of taking years off your life. Denahi was sure he didn't have that much time left. "In our lands, we have a river grand like this one, just more angry. Najia knows to stay away from that." Now she would have reason after today.

Najia found herself shying away from the adult stranger as he spoke to her. Shyness towards strangers was something that always stuck with her. She mumbled something incomprehensible, even Denahi had to strain to understand it.

Denahi glanced back to Atreyu. "We are heading to a pride that word has it is looking for allies. We come from the Kusini'mwezi lands, and as much as I hate to think our pride is as great as it once been, staying isolated as we once were will only lead to our downfall." From this great river, the charcoal male was curious how far the Suzat lands were now. Trekking back up the cliffside to get back on their trail would probably cut some time into their trip.

"You wouldn't happen to know an easier way to get back up the cliffside? You seem to know this terrain better than us."  

[MangoMeow]

Atreyu tilted his head, interest clear in his eyes at the mention of pride looking for allies. He could understand where Denahi was coming from - it was a thought that he, himself, had had of late. Perhaps it wouldn't be so difficult to find alliances as he thought it might... but then, he had no idea what these prides were like. Best to dig a bit before jumping head first into it.

Instead, he looked up at the cliff side, debating the best option for them. "The ground evens out a bit further down the river...." He trailed off a bit at the end. That path would lead them further into the Mto's territory, but then, as long as they had an escort to keep them from veering away from their path, they should be fine. Especially one that his pride mates couldn't exactly argue against.

So he grinned, "Here, follow me. I'll get you both back on track, quick as a hare." Then, with a jerk of his head, he started walking.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

MangoMeow

fin smile

Denahi nodded, glancing at his young daughter. He lowered himself to the ground, letting the still damp cub to scramble up an onto his back. Soon, she would be too big for him to carry. Already he found her weight a bit burdensome, but that would be due to his age more than anything.

Najia nuzzled into the dry mane of her father, as Denahi glanced towards the area Atreyu motioned at.

"You youngin's and your comparisions." The charcoal male grunted, shaking his head with a small chuckle. He did not dally as he followed after the darker male, though, perhaps not as quick as the other would have intended.

The young cub on his back clinged on, taking a few moments once she caught her balance to continue to try and dry herself before she would take in the scenery. "We should come back here." Najia said with a nod.

Denahi nodded slowly as his answer, but otherwise remained quiet. They had other things to deal with first.