[ORP] This is it

[Mimsey]

[Open to anyone, but no posting order this time. emotion_bigheart ]

Go north, they said.

Not exactly the most reliable directions she'd ever been given... an unfortunate side effect of falling in with vagrants.

Maybe vagrants was an incorrect term. The plagues had ignited something of a diaspora in the savannah; multitudes of lions were migrating. Leaving forgotten places or just stumbling around hoping that someone would scoop them up and coddle them. Elcca had meshed in well enough with the overflow. No one even questioned. Just another rogue lost as the disease spread.

Not that she was running. It was just the irony of it. To think, she had struggled for so long to escape the various hands that had held her as a child. Now all a cub had to do was take two steps outside his borders and suddenly he was a refugee, not a runaway. Her fault for not being born a year later, she supposed.

At least the directions had held. They were sketchy, but as it turned out it was hard to miss a giant desert in the north. From what she understood, she'd have to go at least another few days journey to the west to even get past it. For some reason, it had made the choice to continue all the more difficult. At least if she had gotten lost, it would have been happenstance guiding her footsteps. Now she had to make a concise choice about throwing her lot in with a bunch of brutes.

Chasing a dream that wasn't even hers.

She crinkled her nose, staring out over the blistering sands. "Well- is it everything you thought it would be, Yoan?" she said to a ghost. Her throat immediately grew tight. How pathetic. Elcca pushed back the feeling and continued forward.
 

[Andranis]

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.  

[Mimsey]

A lion in the distance, flanked by some sort of bird.

They were prompt, she'd give them that. But only that. Anyone could watch a border, particularly one where the lions stood out like an anomaly on the endless stretch. Maybe she was a bit too critical, judging a group before words had even made their way from the natives throats. It just didn't... it didn't feel like coming home. Just another stop on the road.

But to Elcca's credit, she was anything but shy. She kept pace with the native female, until they were face to face on the sloping dunes. Her bright blue eyes scanned the stranger, subconsciously making a laundry list of judgements. Feeling for memories that weren't hers to have. She didn't feel particularly comforted by having none.

"Wha kaok, dalo raav?" Elcca had no reason to believe the lions from this land spoke any particular dialect. Yoan had once said she liked to put people on their back feet upon meeting them. It had earned her about as many friends as one could imagine.

"Sorry, sorry." She apologized in a voice that wasn't altogether sincere. Her ears flipped upwards. "I suppose I'm not that far north yet. I will assume you understood one of those things, firekin."  

[Eos Galvus]

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

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

[Andranis]

She looked at her bird companion, then the other lioness. "No, I'm afraid not. But what I do understand..." She took a slight step closer. "Is that you already know about us, yet still came to our desert..." She took another step. "Which I can only imagine means you're looking to join our ranks."

"Or she's here to hurt us..." The bird ruffled her feathers. "More migratory birds have brought word from the lands beyond of disease..." Shumusi eyed the lioness. "We can trust you won't bring it to us, can't we?" Not that she figured she'd get whatever the disease was. But if there was a chance it could jump the species divide from lion to bird... She didn't want any chances taken.  

[Mimsey]

"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?"  

[Sabra Knight]

Xennek walked through the desert sands. His paws ached from the feeling of the dry ground, but he never once winced to show that he was near exhausted. As it was the lion had been thinking about heading back to the dens to take a break from watching the borders. But then his curiosity won over. Ears perking up at hearing some noise in the distance Xennek turned and headed towards the small group. Tilting his head the lion studied them from a distance. Was there a new comer to the pride?

Wings fluttered above him and the lion winced as talons dug into his back, “What’s going on, Xennek?”

“I don’t know Bhajara.” Hissed the lion angrily to the avian that was attached to his back, “I was hoping you might have overheard something knowing the snoop you are.”

Ruffling her feathers the bird just looked forward, “Disease maybe?” She blinked, “But I believe she said she’s clean from what I heard…but as it is go see!” She chirped and with a sigh Xennek moved forward. Not that she was the reason for his movement; he was going to approach at first either way. He just wished that the bird had heard more. What was this about disease and moving lions? Was there more than just a drought hitting the prides?

He arrived just in time to hear the question. Pushing aside his worries Xennek put on a grin, “Most certainly. The question is can you best a lion from our pride?” Despite everything the warrior was good at putting on a relaxed expression. Though his gaze skirted over the strange lioness before he turned to Shula, “Now that I answered that question…What’s going on here?”

 

[Mimsey]

"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."
 

[Andranis]

Shula let out a hm, glancing at her companion bird, then looked over at Xennek. "Hello, Xennek, how's the sand treating you today?"

Her gaze suddenly returned to the lioness. "Armies to the north?" She stepped closer. "What armies?" She suddenly worried for her children. It seemed like forever, but they were growing in leaps and bounds now. Yesterday her boys had been rolly-poly cubs, the next morning they seemed to be growing manes in and crowding her and Kosuke out of the den. And that was without the help of their sisters. Well, except Tyson... Would they have to fight already, so soon in their lives?

The eagle ruffled her feathers a bit. "Maybe we should take her to the Regents." She turned her head, eyeballing the new lioness. "She may have information they'll enjoy..." She then looked down at Shula. "And do kindly avoid that grouchy medic and her historian twin... When their pale-haired sister went missing, I don't remember which, but she INSULTED me.." Shumus, it seemed, knew how to hold a grudge and was quite willing to do so. "Didn't even bother to take the time to understand what I was saying..."  

[Mimsey]

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?"  

[Sabra Knight]

Looking at his fellow firekin Xennek smiled, “As well as it can, I suppose.” He normally would have asked her about her day, but since there was another there the lion just let the norm drop. There was plenty of time for chitchat later. This situation needed more than pleasantries it seemed. Xennek grinned at the other’s answer. Any fool can best a fool eh? “Battles are more complex than just swinging one blow at the other.” He commented softly before letting the topic drop.

It seemed that there was more at hand than just their drought.

Where plagues would make them even more wary of refuges it was the more recent stories he had heard from the own group that he had traveled with which made him alert. Armies to the north? As if repeating the lion’s thoughts to herself the avian peered closely at the new lioness. “Still we would want to know what exactly you heard about these armies.” Bhjara added in as she eyed the lioness. She had to deal with Xennek on a daily basis now and so she treated none with a light manner. It was so hard to believe felines, always holding something back or twisting the truth.

“You needn’t worry about our strength.” Xennek shook his head causing Bhajara to fall back before looking back at the lioness. Despite his grim expression there was a light in his gaze, “This pride would never fall easily nor quickly.” If it ever fell…the thought made him chuckle in his thoughts. Now that would be some battle. The firekin were not to be taken lightly after all.
 

[Eos Galvus]

"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.  

[Andranis]

"A pride's strength isn't everything if it can't keep out a bleeding sniffle..." The eagle stretched her wings a bit. "At any rate... I doubt they'll let you just hang around the border. The last lions who did that... Well, they got rounded up and inducted." She hopped off Shula's back. "And anyway, wouldn't you rather be surrounded by a pride, nice and safe, for a while? They might let you stay as a guest..." At the least, it was a thought. And she looked able-bodied enough to hunt.

Shula let out a light huff at the bird. "Oh, Shumusi... Nothing will get in our pride to hurt us! Not rogues, not another pride, and NOT some silly sniffles. We can handle ANYTHING."

Shumusi turned her head to the side, watching Shula. "That's not what your father said, about a once upon a time when he was but a cub..." The bird then spread her wings, pushing of the sand and flying up into the air to circle and watch.

The red lioness shook her head a bit, then turned to the new lioness. "What Xennek said earlier is right, actually... Duels and battles can be dances... Elaborate, flowing..." She stepped to the side, moving through several fluid steps of dance.  

[Mimsey]

"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."  

[Andranis]

Shula watched her bird fly away a moment, then looked to the other lioness. "You would assume right that there are Hongshan lions here. And that there ARE a few fools running around the pride..." No village was without an idiot or two, as it were. Her ears then went back. "I would say that if the Nergui are on the move..." Shula nodded with her head toward the pride's center. "Maybe you SHOULD come chat with the Regents. This is information we may find useful so we can put everybody up on guard... And maybe move the cubs to a more protected location." The only question she had, really, was... Where? Was there a spot in the pride's lands that was truly safe for the cubs to hide in? She just hoped it didn't come to that type of measure any time soon.