Miakis:Night had fallen hours ago, it was prehaps the best time to be out on the beach. The water had withdrawn from the beach, leaving all sorts of things exposed that would normally have gone hidden under the bubbling tide. Miakis saw it as an excuse to go treasure hunting.

Presently, the cub circled around a tidepool, watching in interest as 'water flowers' opened up and closed again when she flicked a bit of sand or rock into them. They were alive! Land flowers didn't do that!

Hadithi:"you'll want to watch out for those, Mia," Hadithi said from the shore. He'd noticed the cub leaving the den. He wasn't her father, perhaps, but he felt the same kinship with the child that he did with her father, and all other members of the pride. "They sting, if you touch them."

The brown male sat down not too far away, merely watching the cub's game. He didn't want a child out here by themselves, not with all the accidents that could be gotten into, but nor would he put a heavy hand into what she did. Her mistakes, after all, were hers to make--so long as they weren't too dangerous. "What are you doing out here so late?"

Miakis:"They sting?" She looked up, seemingly unsuprised by the male coming out to keep an eye on her. She didn't mind, perhaps she could even get him to play with her a bit. It wasn't as fun finding treasure alone. She had no one to show them to!

"Oh...I...." She flicked her tail and glanced back towards the water. "The water goes back real far at night... you can find things. Like shells that aren't broken as much and little fish stuck in the pools." She glanced back with a wide grin, "It's my secret!"

Hadithi:He smiled, choosing not to disabuse the girl of the notion that this was a secret only for her eyes--he'd thought as much himself, when he was her age. Kapuki, the baharimoto child, thought something similar as well. It was, he thought, common among children and perhaps of those that belonged to the sea. It was much too early, however, to be labeling this one with such titles.

"Just a little. They sting fish so they can eat them." Hadithi chuckled. His eyes roamed out across the wide--at the moment--beach. The beads and leaves of his decorations rustled and clinked with his movements, sending a soft song all their own to play upon the shore's wind. "There are many gifts the ocean sends us every day. But it can be a harsh muse, as well as a giving one.. sometimes these gifts are dangerous, and we must always remember that."

Miakis:"The sea-flowers eat fish?" She gaped at the notion. "Well Nili says that flowers just sit there and look pretty. They don't do anything fun." She looked back into the water and flicked some more sand down to watch the 'flowers' close up again, "Looks like any kind of flower doesn't like dirt though..." She'd have to tease the princeling about that later.

"I'll remember it." She promised and looked back out to the water. "Daddy said I had to stay away from the water. If it moves up, I have to move away. He says there's waves that can sneak up on you."

Hadithi:Hadithi nodded and chuckled, "The sea is a playful creature, but a powerful one. Until you're older, its best you stay out of the water--perhaps one day, when he returns, you can ask Tau about that. He strayed into the water, one day, and it took him far down the beach before he could do anything about it. As 'punishment', it gave him to a young lioness that lived there, for he had much to learn from her and would not do it otherwise."

Miakis:"At least something's playful." She grumbled and pawed lightly at the surface of the pool. Now that she knew better, she'd not dip her paw in too far, "Nili's boring. He never wants to play, just to look pretty."

Hadithi:"Well.. perhaps making himself pretty is how Nili plays?" Hadithi suggested. He smield at the cub. "Besides, the new cubs are growing fast. They'll be old enough to leave the den in a sennight or so. I'm sure one or two of them will be willing to play some games with you."

Miakis:"I hope so." She got herself up and started walking through the mushy sand, now and then pausing to flick some sand off some shells and sea dollars. Nothing whole yet. She wanted a bunch of them so she could make a necklace. Everyone had at least one, she'd make one for her father too! He'd like that.

"Being pretty isn't too fun though. I'd rather get dirty if I get to run around. Nili's gonna grow roots in his bum."

Hadithi:Hadithi had to laugh at that. It was a 'charming' mental image, that was certain! He watched the little cub as she walked herself around the beach. "Well, you'd certainly get along with Tau, now wouldn't you?" The question was more for him than her, as she'd never met the irritating 'scamp' of a prince. still. "There are many creatures that live around here. The lemurs, and crabs, for instance."

Miakis:"I've seen crabs." She chuckled, and immitated how they walked as best a cub could, "They walk like this... it's funny. And they have mouths at the end of their paws. I don't touch them, I heard they hurt."

Hadithi:"They can," The nganolinda laughed and nodded his head, "But some of them are nice, and they're interesting to talk to. Of course, most things are." He gazed out lovingly across the dark swell of the ocean. After a long moment, Hadithi gave a contented sigh. "There's one that lives quite near here named Willy. Odd name, that, but..." He shrugged, "Muses are given to odd names. He took a liking to Tau, when Tau remained with us."

Miakis:"I've not found mine yet. I hope it's fun. Maybe I can play with mine!" She glanced out towards the ocean then back to the coast. "How do you know when you've found it? Do they tell you?"

Hadithi:"Well the muses arn't really found... they find you." He chuckled, "Some people know right away, their specific muse tells them.. some have to spend a long time while the muses debate over them. Its nice to know which one you come from.. but a wise lion knows to listen to them all, for they all have good things to say."

Miakis:"The muses debate over us." She flicked some more sand off a shell. It looked whole! Save for a hole in the bottom of it, but it was perfectly round. A starfish had sucked whatever it was out of its home, it made a perfect trinket for a necklace.

"What's that mean?"

Hadithi:"Mmm you know.." He chuckled, "I don't know for certain. They've never thought it necessary to explain that, though i think it means that it isn't always apparant where our soul came from, so they have to spend time deciding."

Miakis:"Ooh...", She wanted to understand, or rather, wanted him to think she did. "Well I want a fun one, and a strong one! My daddy would be proud. I bet I can be like him too. Nili will be jealous."

Hadithi:Hadithi smiled softly, looking back towards the cub after a moment. "Be careful what you wish for, little one. ALways be careful what you wish for."

Miakis:"Is that a bad thing?" She frowned a bit, for the moment abandoning her mission to free the shell from the spongey sand.

Hadithi:"No.. not always." He surged to his feet and padded forward to dig the shell out of the sand for her. Being larger than she, it was a short matter to work it free. "You'll understand when you're older."

Miakis:She pawed the shell close to her and dusted it off. "I gotta be careful though... is daddy dangerous?" She leaned forward a bit.

Hadithi:"No.. your father isn't dangerous." He shook his head, "Not to you, at least. But everything in this world has the potential to be dangerous, if misused or poorly treated."

Miakis:She nodded and looked down to the shell. "I won't treat him bad then. You think he'll like this one? It's big."

Hadithi:"It is very big." He considered that, and nodded, "But very pretty. I think your father would like it very much." Hadithi offered her a smile. He reached out and gave her a gentle nudge forward, "Why don't you go show it to him?"

Miakis:She brightened up instantly and reached down to pick the shell up. It was pretty big for a cub, so her scampering turned into an akward waddle back up the beach.