[PRP] Caring Time Two (Atawhai x Sha)

[nessiaing]

Atawhai yawned and stretched leaping down from the rock her had chosen for a good nap. The striped lion looked around the area, there didn't seem to be anyone around so he moved towards the lake he knew to be in the area. He was sure that there would likely be someone down there, and if not he could get a good drink and probably a quick swim.

Atawhai was light on his feet as he made it down to the waters edge enjoying the feeling of the sand squishing between his toes. The male had been wondering the rogue lands for so long now he barely remembered his old pride. He wanted more in life though, a home, a purpose... something.

hihi-tea

 

[hibi-tea]

It had been some time since the disbanding of the pride she briefly knew as home. She had hung around the lands with the rest of the wandering folk who had no idea what to do next for themselves until she had caught wind of a pride that was in desperate need of healers. Apparently they were rampant with a disease that claimed the lives of many, and were left with little people of good health who could help them. Upon hearing this, Sha knew she needed to head to the pride for it was where she could do the most good.

Hearing the tell tale sounds of water, Sha took the opportunity to quench her thirst as her journey still had many miles to go and she was not entirely certain as to when she'd find another body of water. As she approached the water's source she spotted the lone male across the way and froze for a moment to watch him. He had an interesting color to his coat which reminded her of the setting sun along the desert sands from her old home.

"Hello," Sha greeted, although her greeting was a bit of a formality to gauge whether or not this male was to be seen as a threat or not.
 

[nessiaing]

Atawhai lifted his head from the drink he had been having to see a lioness standing across the way. He smiled warmly to her. Atawhai had never had to deal with someone wanting to fight before, everyone he had met was pleasant and he saw no reason not to assume this lioness would be as well.

"Why hello there." he said happily. Wadding into the water he moved towards her, he didn't really want to conduct a conversation over top of the water. He swam over in no time and pulled himself onto the shore. He did his best to stand away from her when he gave himself a quick shake. He moved back towards her and took a seat.

"My name is Atawhai, its nice to meet you." he said.  

[hibi-tea]

Nessiaing

Sha watched as the eccentric male returned her greeting and began to wade his way through the water towards her. She was mildly taken aback by his decision to come up to her as brusquely as he had, but there seemed to be no threatening body language behind it. Sha shifted slightly where she was in an attempt to make herself comfortably as she quickly took a drink of water.

The male offered her his name, which was Atawhai, and Sha lifted her head from the water and wiped her mouth before answering, "I am Sha-emhlabeni."

She looked him over for a moment, his wet fur beginning to gather the dust around it. He was intriguing, and he knew how to swim, apparently. Sha did not know how to swim. She never lived in a place with deep enough water to swim within, and the few occasions where she encountered large bodies of water she was warned never to get too close to fast-flowing portions lest she be swept away by currents.

So, clearly, her instinctive reaction was to ask, "Who taught you how to swim?"  

[nessiaing]

The stripped male relaxed even further when the female proved to have no threatening intentions at the moment. He licked his paws a little trying to keep them clean and get the dampness away while she finished having her drink.

"Sha-emhalbeni, well thats a mouth full" he said a chuckle in his voice. Though he could say much Atawhai didn't always roll of the tongue either.

When she mentioned his swimming he cocked his head to the side, "I learned from a wondering rogue. Why do you not know?" when Atawhai had admitted that he hadn't known how to swim the wondering rogue had acted like he was the strangest thing in the world. Now he felt a little better about it.

"Did you want me to teach you?" he offered.  

[hibi-tea]

nessiaing

Sha's maw pursed slightly at the idea of her name being a mouthful for anyone. She always prided her name. It matched her goals in life. She wanted to make an impression on this world, one that matched her namesake. She wanted to brand the world with her presence, so they never forgot that she existed.

"You can call me Sha if it's that difficult," She muttered, before giving the male a side look at his offer to teach her to swim.

"Of course I don't know. Large water bodies are dangerous, they can sweep you away. No one would ever see you again...," She trailed off, looking back to the watering hole before them.

This wasn't a roaring current, however. And he seemed to be able traverse the gap easily enough. And he was offering to teach her to swim. Maybe she should take him up on the offer, since he was offering so kindly.

"I don't know... I don't want to drown," Sha admitted, "And I might lose too much sunlight in my journey."  

[nessiaing]

Atawhai frowned, he was pretty sure that he had insulted the female somehow and that made him feel guilty. Perhaps the comment about her name wasn't a good one... he hadn't meant it as a bad thing though. "Sha" he repeated with a nod, even a ninny like him could manage that.

"Well I don't think this can sweep us away, look you can see the edges in every direction." he told her looking up and down the little lake. "As for your travels how about I accompany you, then you can travel later into the night. Surely two sets of eyes will keep us travelling safely." Atawhai really wanted to make it up to the female and teaching her to swim and accompanying her on her travels was just about the only thing he could think to do. He didn't much mind where they were travelling, he had nothing tying him down anywhere.

hibi-tea

 

[hibi-tea]

nessiaing

Sha contemplated the male's proposal for a moment. She did feel the occasional pang of loneliness now that she no longer had a pride, or her mother, or her friend. But she couldn't allow this male to come with her. Not to where she was going. He would not be able to follow, and if he did follow her would never be able to leave.

No. This was something she would need to do alone.

"I couldn't ask you to come with me," Sha replied, "Where I am going, you can never leave from. I travel to a pride I have heard of, who suffer from disease. They are in need of healers, and I have the skill and no one to heal."

She looked to the water, and then back to Atawhai for a moment before deciding on an answer to at least one part of his offer, "I would like to learn how to swim, though."  

[nessiaing]

Atawhai thought about what the female had said, he found himself interested in the pride she spoke of. He had wondered enjoyed caring for all his life. Perhaps following her wouldn't be such a bad idea, one step at a time though.

"Well lets make a deal I will teach you to swim and I will travel with you for a little while." he figured that was the best deal he could make up. It would give him time to think about the pride she had spoke of her certainly knew that he had questions about it.

"How does that sound to you Sha?" he hoped very much that she would agree.

hibi-tea