Tasnim was growing concerned, which meant that Su-nakshatra was becoming even moreso. There wasn't much that worried his mate, a side effect of her warrior upbringing: the golden-eyed lioness was strong, confident, and so far as he had seen in all their time together, nigh unshakeable. Even when her pride had fallen apart at the seams and she had had to change her entire way of life, she'd managed. She adjusted, and had found a new path, and together they, along with her brother, had ultimately made their way to the Pridelands and settled here. Peaceful, open, with a laidback attitude and a carefree atmosphere, far from the structure and hierarchy of the Kunada'Nakhun. She had gone from a high-status warrior to just another huntress and taken it in stride, and then they'd started a family together - and it hadn't mattered what colors they inherited, or whether they were male or female. They were all equal, normal members of this large but altogether simple pride. Tasnim hadn't exactly stopped believing in everything she had been taught in her birth pride; she did still hold to her belief in reincarnation, and even the idea that color and the brightness of it was an external marker of the honor or lack thereof a soul brought with it from one life to the next, but she no longer thought that males were the lowest on the chain of rebirth. Nor did she think that one's previous life should dictate their opportunities in this one: this was a new life, a new chance, and they should all be free to do what they will with that chance.
She had taught their children the same thing, and though she herself still possessed the spirit of a warrior, hadn't insisted that any of them accept the lessons that she offered. One who hadn't was their daughter Ataullah, named for Tasnim's mother; the girl had been a daydreamer from the start, gentle and starry-eyed and with an insatiable appetite for stories. As such, it had been no great surprise or worry that as she got older, she started venturing out past the borders in search of new stories, new people to meet, new experiences. She'd never gone far, but it was not uncommon for the young Huntress to be gone for a few days at a time, or even a week. This time, when a week had passed, they had just shrugged and agreed with each other that she would return in another day or two, she'd likely just found something or someone especially interesting and had lost track of time. Then another week had passed, and then another. Three and a half weeks now. Nearly a month. Something was very, very wrong, it had to be. Even if she had found something so compelling that she had decided to leave home permanently, she would have come back first to let them know, to say goodbye.
But nothing. Day after day of nothing, day after day of each of them pacing the border and beyond, looking for any sign at all of their wayward daughter, as the creeping tendrils of doubt began to make their way in. The unclaimed lands could be dangerous - she could have been hurt, or killed, or captured. There had been more and more stories lately of roving bands of conquerors, of slavers on the hunt for vulnerable individuals to be subjugated and pressed into service, and Ataullah was harmless and lovely and...
Even as he set his jaw and shook his head, trying to cast off the dark thoughts, he saw movement on the late afternoon horizon, and squinted to see the telltale bright orange of his mate - and a smaller purple figure walking beside her. Ataullah. She'd found her! Relief flooded him, and Su-nakshatra leapt into a run from a standstill, bounding the distance between them. When he reached them, he slowed just enough to stop from crashing into his daughter, but did bump into her with enthusiasm, brushign his cheek against hers and down to her shoulder, inhaling her scent and stepping back just long enough to look her over before bumping heads with her again. "You're...you're back! You're alright! You are alright, aren't you?" A little panic in his voice as he again took a step back to appraise her condition and saw no obvious injuries. "Where have you been? What happened?"
"It's alright, Dad. I'm alright," she responded soothingly, returning his enthusiastic greeting with a calmer one of her own, rubbing her cheek against his while beside her, her mother beamed. "I, well, it's a really long story, but I'm alright, okay? No worse for wear, I promise."
He narrowed his eyes and continued to scrutinize her, but still found nothing of concern. Meanwhile, Tasnim, ever steadfast, let him do all the fussing. "But you were gone for so long, we were so worried-"
"I know, I'm sorry. I went a little too far, and- and I did get into a little trouble, but I'm alright, I really am. I almost wasn't, but someone helped me. She, um, she's my aunt, actually, it turns out-"
"You're aunt? Who? Which one?" Finally Tasnim piped up.
"Not one of your littermates, she's your half-sister I think, your father is her father. Her name's Intiha-ka, and she was with a lot of friends - my grandfather, and her mother, and a bunch of others. They're...they want to bring back the Kunanda'Nakhun, Mother. Not exactly the same, but they're going to do it, and I- I want to go, too. I want to help."
Her mother was quiet for a long moment, eyes hard and assessing, before she nodded. "If that's what you want, then that's what you should do."
"You...really?" Su-nakshatra was rather surprised that his mate was so accepting of this sudden choice, but thena gain, maybe he shouldn't have been.
"Yes, it's what I want, I'm sure," Taullah confirmed. "Do you want to come, too? I'm sure they'd be glad to have you, too."
"No," Tasnim answered, shaking her head. "This is home for us now. Do you have time to stay awhile before you go?"
"Of course." The younger lioness rubbed cheeks with both of her parents, and they walked together back into the Pridelands. One more time.