Painted Moose
There wasn't an ounce of Tiela that wanted to be alone. He wasn't built for it, and the very concept of it frightened him. At some point in his life he had known that going on his pilgrimage would test that fear, but the young lion had placed it in the back of his mind. Why worry about something so far away? At least, that was the logic, until suddenly he was in the rogue lands, lost, alone and no where near any mountain that might have looked familiar. The adolescent turned, trying to sniff out something in the wind, but he wasn't the most proficent tracker. No, he was just lost and that wasn't the best of signs.

Seaki
Sometimes, Saren was allowed outside of the pride if he was accompanied by a hybrid. More often than not, he was stuck within the pride's borders. He had a wandering spirit like both of his parents, so he often became grumpy and agitated, pacing and frustrated lately.

It didn’t take any convincing to get Chozi to agree. “Lets go, then,” Chozi said softly, yawning. They would have to sneak away, though. Chozi was quite proficient, already. He had learned the guard’s patrol, and slipped passed them with Saren in tow.

They had made it quite far from the lands, Saren having a lot more energy than Chozi. Even so, he stuck close to his parent.

Painted Moose
Tiela picked through the muck that seemed only to grasp that much tighter to his legs in a vain attempt to find dry ground. He could feel what bit of his energy remained being pulled into the porous earth. It took every bit of him not to cry. This was hell! It was cold, wet, dirty, and -

Was that mud moving? The closer Tiela became to the mud the more he noticed it was felines instead. Weird, skinny ones. One looked like a lion, but smaller while the other was just...he didn't have a word for it. He stood hesitantly off to the side, unsure if he should approach or not. What if they were specters? Or some sort of demon?

Seaki
It was Saren who noticed the other figure first, standing off to the side and nearly neatly out of the way. Saren, curiously almost darted off on his own to check it out, but he nudged Chozi instead, who looked to where his son was gesturing. Chozi gave a soft sigh, mostly humoring Saren’s hyperactive antics, but was surprised when he found that Saren had actually pointed out an interesting figure. He gave a small note of praise to the almost cub-like adult and allowed them to move towards the new figure.

“Hello,” The cheeton greeted the figure. His voice was soft and a little wheezy, now that he rose his voice above the quiet whisper he used to speak to Saren with.

Painted Moose
Not exactly sure if he should be wary or not, Tiela shifted from paw to paw in the porous earth without saying much of anything. At least, not at first. "Hello." His normally chipper voice was quiet, and reserved. These were the types of creatures he had been taught to avoid, but they weren't being rude to him so he wouldn't be rude to them.

Or so he wanted to believe.

"What...what are you? The two of you. Are you a skinny lion?" There still were no words to describe the other one. They were nice enough, so he didn't think they were demons, but then what manner of creature were they?

Seaki
Saren glanced towards Chozi before focusing his mismatched gaze on the new likon-creature. He wanted to tease the lion, but he nearly bit his tongue trying to hold the comment back.

Chozi, being older than both of the new lion and his son, he knew there were places in which hybrids were not allowed - practically killed on sight! "My son here," He started, his voice rasping a little. "Is a cheetah. I am a hybrid, though. Seems only my cheetah blood passed down to him."

The cheeton paused to cough, and Saren looked at his father in concern. Chozi hadn't talked so loudly in a little bit. His voice was raw and torn from not being able to keep his voice down and it scratched at his throat.

"My mother was a lion, much like you, though." He explained gently, as if to one of his own cubs when he had to explain their status as they grew older.

Painted Moose
Son?! So that...came from that? Tiela opened his mouth soundlessly, closed it and tightened his lips. That was...even weirder than he had originally expected, honestly. The rasping of the hybrid's voice had gotten his attention, if barely, but the cough had his full concern. "Are you alright? You don't sound good. Do you need some water to drink?"

Mothers and fathers, cheetahs and lions could wait - Tiela wasn't going to make him answer anymore questions if he was sick. He looked to the hybrid's son, momentarily taken aback by the hetero-chromatic look. It was...absolutely stunning. "Is he...is okay for him to be wandering around like this?"

Seaki
Chozi hummed a bit. He probably could use a drink, especially when it felt like a sharp rock lodged itself in his throat. He leaned a bit more against Saren for a moment who gave a small whine of concern.

"I'm fine," Chozi said, rasping but stubborn. "There's a small lake just that way," He knew the area fairly well. It was within his wandering range when he was well.

Saren, personally, gave a shrug. He was Chozi's child, sure, but he was raised a slave. While he had far more liberties than captured slaves, he couldn't really tell his dad not to go travel. "I can only do so much," He answered instead, shifting so he would bear more of Chozi's weight. "I can take you to the water, though," Saren said, knowing the area Chozi was referring to.

Painted Moose
Seeing Saren's efforts put a little quirk in Tiela's frown. Shouldering him like that would only get them so far and it would tire him out. "Well, then let me do what I can do." Without even being given permission, Tiela moved closer, ducked his body low, wriggled underneath Chozi and stood up, effectively shifting the cheeton's weight onto his back. "I'm used to carrying my sisters and you aren't much different than them." In fact, he was a little lighter, which hadn't been expected. Surely that couldn't have been a good sign.

Tiela grunted as he started out until the balance shifted more in his favor and walking came easier. "You lead the way, and I'll carry your pop." Walking through the muck this way didn't seem so bad. He barely noticed it now that he was focused on the other males.
Seaki
Both Saren and Chozi were quite surprised. Chozi gave a small yelp as he was lifted up. He'd never been liften this way, not since he was a cub and his mother lifted him up. Saren was more surprised by the sudden shift of weight, nearly stumbling over.

He paused for a moment.

"Ah, this way," the normally chipper Cheetah was suddenly serious, now that he was given a direction and a mission to follow through! The lake wasn't far. Perhaps a 10 minute walk. It would have probably taken twice that time, if Saren continued to carry his father.

Painted Moose
Tiela wasn't completely ignorant to their surprise, but he definitely wasn't as phased by it. Where he was from you just helped; it's what they did. In many ways he had taken after his older brother, who was more of a father figure thanks to the age gap between them. Uongo had taught him a lot about chivalry, and that extended to male hybrids in distress!

"I'm right behind you. I'll let you be my eyes." He smiled. Tiela tried to turn his head to look at Chozi, but since that didn't work he settled for just walking. "You hang on tight, alright? It's not a long walk but you can nap if you want to. I'll try to walk steady."

Seaki
Chozi hummed again, yawning immediately after. The small cheeton gave into the gentle lull of the lion's walk, dozing off as Saren led them to the water. Saren, of course, bounced as he walked. but they would make it to the water safely, even as Chozi dozed off, unable to reign in Saren's enthusiasm.