Ula had taken to walking along the golden shore quite regularly in search of some more beautiful materials to use for her crafts. She loved her pride, but it was days like today, where the sun sparkled on the deep blue sea, and created glistening rays of light, that she loved her pride even more. The sun had warmed the sand to a gentle temperature, not hot enough to make it unbearable, but warm enough that it felt like a rather invigorating process. Yawning, though she wasn't really tired, the grey blue lioness kept her eyes peeled for something pretty, an interesting shell perhaps? Her role as a bumani meant she was always looking for something new to use, and though she was often asked to build structures that served a purpose within the pride, she considered her speciality, personally, to be jewellery and other 'pretty' trinkets. In that sense, she supposed she could be a little shallow.
The sea looked strange today, though, almost hungry. As much as it fascinated many of the lions, and it provided life and food for the Bahari, Ula supposed it could be equally as terrifying. She had heard of many stories since joining the pride, and there were reminders of the tsunami that the pride had suffered through too. Keeping her eyes focused for any additional glimmering object in the sand, she drew her head closer.
Jennis on the other hand, had visited the beach for an entirely different purpose. The rousing waves had taken his interest, and the daredevil focused his dark, mysterious eyes on the sea as it lurched to and fro, like an unsteady sailor aboard a rocking ship. He stared at it, quite intensely, as if he were willing it to do something.
Ula turned her head just as she saw the white male throw himself into the sea with a leap. Her heart fluttered rapidly. He had thrown himself out quite far and she wasn't entirely sure why. What was happening? Perhaps a cub had been swept out to sea? It didn't look to her like the ordinary pride member that had just gone for a casual swim, so without further thought she found herself running, paws slipping in the wet sand, towards the white figure fighting the waves.
The male had taken a deep breath, and could feel the water filling his mane, his pelt and his ears. The swirling sound of the liquid invading his ears meant that any sounds uttered, or indeed shouted by the female who had ran to his rescue, were lost. His strong legs kicked under the water. Aware that, at any moment, the tide and the sea itself could decide to swallow him forever, his heart skipped a beat and adrenaline rushed through his body. The amount of air in his large lungs coupled with his skill at treading water were keeping him afloat, and with a huge gasp he flung his blue-maned head back and began to fight against the tide. He had learned not to go too far, after all. The thrill and the excitement was all in the danger for Jennis, the more dangerous, the better. He could only think of all the worry he had caused his parents whilst he had been growing up. He advanced beyond the last few feet of water by throwing himself onto the back and riding the wave until it disappeared on the shore. Sodden mane hanging onto his face and blocking his vision, he released a hot funnel of air from his mouth and pushed his mane aside with his paws He let out a deep and excited whoop.
The female, meanwhile, hadn't exactly known what to do once she reached the water's edge, and once she saw that the male seemed more than capable of swimming back, she had stood there out of sheer curiosity. What on earth was he doing? He appeared to be surfing the waves with his body... She had heard of such a strange thing before, but he seemed to do it with such reckless abandon that it was worrying. The male looked, and she felt bad to think such a thing, but he looked really ghastly, all wet and splayed on the golden sand. His chest rose and fell heavily and finally his eyes snapped open to reveal the darkest pair she had ever seen.
“What... were you doing?”
Jennis hadn't expected company, and shot up rather rapidly into a semi-respectable sitting position, though he looked slightly irate at having to justify his hobby to another yet again.
“Surfin', why, what did it look like?”
Ula didn't much appreciate his tone, and frowned. “Suicide, quite frankly.” Her voice came out haughtier than she'd ever heard it before, and it shocked her.
“No, I know what I'm doing.” She was killing his buzz, and he stood up to shake part of his body dry, though it wouldn't take long to dry in the heat today.
“It just looks... dangerous, is all.” Her voice had softened slightly, though the curiosity was still laced with vague judgment.
“Yeah, it's not really a walk in the park, but that's what makes it exciting.” His voice was dry, as if he were pointing out the absolute obvious, though it was accompanied with a smile. It was the sort of smile a cub gave it's mother when it had been out hunting too far, but she didn't know. “I'm guessing it's not something you've tried.”
“No... I tend to value my life.” Her haughty tone had been replaced by a soft chiding one, and Ula's eyes flickered over the male. “How on earth did you get into such things?” Her eyes widened. “I mean, I know that this pride includes many many lions that love the sea, and even I like to go for a swim every now and then, but not that far... and not in these conditions!”
Jennis let out a laugh, and looked at Ula as if he had been asked this question so many times before that he was considering writing a stock answer.
“Well, walk with me if you're that interested, and I'll tell you.”
((END, WC: 1036))
