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While her cubs spent time with their father, Shula was taking a chance to get out and about, stretching her legs. Above her, her eagle companion flew, keeping perfect pace as the lioness traversed sand dunes in search of... She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she knew Shumusi was having a much easier time of it. She let out a good-natured huff at the thought.

As she slid down the shallow side of a dune, she looked up as Pende'shumusi suddenly banked and dove down. Maybe she was after some sort of prey. But no, the bird instead flared her wings and landed on the lioness's back. "What's the matter, Shumusi?" It wasn't like her to fly down like that.

"There's an unknown lioness approaching." The bird looked up, black eyes narrowing. While she knew Shula wasn't a guard, it was still worth mentioning to her. She shifted, fluffing her feathers a little, before starting to preen sand out of them. For now... She remained on the red lioness' back, enjoying the ride and rest for her wings, while Shula climbed the next dune.

Mpeko trotted to see the newcomer curiously, ears alert as she walked to investigate, tails swaying.

"Hullo there!" She smiled. "Are you lost?"

"I am neither lost, nor looking to join." She said simply. Which was partially true. She considered this an evaluation more than anything. Just because this pride had Yoan's attention, didn't mean it had hers. She'd only promised him to go this far. Now it was up to her own fickle feelings. Elcca did not have fond memories of prides, no matter how grand this desert kin might have been. "But I don't harm either. I don't carry whatever the sickness is. You can trust that."

The red lioness paused. "As well as you can trust any stranger, I suppose. But I happen to be...very good at knowing things about myself. Most of the lions migrating don't seem to be carriers. Whatever the sickness was, it came and went quickly." It spread quickly too, which made her wonder. Plenty of prides that had vanished had done so without any trace of common connection between them. Had Elcca been a noble sort, she would have investigated.

If she hadn't been alone, anyways. "If I joined, I would need to best a lion from this pride, is that true?"

"Some might say any fool can best another," Elcca said flatly. It seemed like something of a flawed system. Yes, you ensured only the strong got in. But in her experience, the 'strong' ran just as high a chance of being fools as small folks did. Perhaps there was some charm to being in an exclusive club? Yoan would want to be in an exclusive club for big tough red-blooded lions, wouldn't he? This was the sort of place Elcca wouldn't have been caught dead in under any other circumstances.

Unfortunately, her circumstances were a bit changed as of late. "But I suppose I'm not one to judge."

Like the first, the new lion seemed equipped with a bird in hand. It made her uncomfortable. She was never one for birds. They had strange little beady eyes and thoughts that were not like hers. "Nothing at all. I'm simply a curious traveler fleeing the plagues. Mostly."

"Plagues to the south, armies to the north, drought here." She swayed. "It seems I've got my pick of things."

Elcca arched her brow. "While flattering, I think you overestimate my knowledge. I simply know rumors. Surprising that you haven't heard of this though...everyone I'd heard the rumors from had had some connection to your pride. I assumed you'd had some contact or skirmish with the group by now." The fiery cat strode forward, for a moment seemingly lost in her own thoughts. She had a serious face- the kind of face that spent a lot of time knotted inside itself. "And as for the illness, I'm no medic. I simply know that it attacked fast, left fast. Seemingly at random."

The last thing Elcca wanted was to be escorted to the leaders. It would be better to find a way out of that obligation- truly, she didn't have much to add. She had maybe a bit more knowledge then she was willing to divulge, but even that wasn't much. Anecdotal, dreams. She doubted firekin traveled much on magic theories. But Yoan would have wanted to play the hero.

Elcca wasn't so heroic. At least, not anymore. "I think it better if I stay at the borders. Being needed is not enough reason to join a group." If she had wanted to be needed, she would have run around calling herself the lost princess of ___. It seemed to be all the rage, particularly amongst refugees looking for handouts. "If there was to be some attack. Do you think your pride is strong enough to fend for itself?"

She turned her head. Her ears swept forward. "Hypothetically speaking. I'm not trying to find out your strategies. But if I was to find a new home, I wouldn't exactly want it to be the shortest new home I ever had, yes?"

"Defense..." Mpeko had to think on her answer, eying the others before looking to the Newcomer.

"I suppose stragety or not that seems an odd quiestion to ask, definaitely one left from person to person to ask. Only the military knows for certain, specifically the higher ups, now wouldn't it?" She sat, grooming a paw.

"So if you aren't lost, you ask odd questions, and you aren't here to join, why did you come?"

Mpeko tried to be brave... It was so hard.

"I don't disagree. I merely mean, if a fool is against another, it doesn't matter who the winner is. Surely, the firekin are not without their fools," the lioness mused. But then again, perhaps they were as stubborn as the rumors said. She wouldn't have been even half surprised if they truly did think themselves the greatest warriors in the lands. "You'll note that in such scenario, I was one of the fools. I don't mean insult."

This was really the place she had come to?

"What I hear is that a group of lions destroyed by the Nergui seem to think they're on the move. I also heard the firekin had taken in refugees from the Hongshan. I put two and two together, and assumed all the rumors were coming from here. This is the farthest north you can get without quite a bit of desert walking," Elcca continued. "But I could be wrong. I certainly don't have first hand knowledge of any of it."

So to speak.

"I came to this place on a promise to go here. Joining wasn't apart of it." She paused. "At least, not the current state of things, anyways."