[PRP] WAY out on the borders...

[Light Atago]

Jua Na-Taka hadn't ever been this far out before! The land was so... different. She glanced behind her, to see if she was being followed, but she wasn't. She gave a little smirk and took a few bounds forward, closer and closer to the border. The ground was fairly desolate, it was getting warmer, but Taka didn't seem to even notice. She sang and danced a little bit, random tones and random steps, but she was so absorbed in it, she didn't even notice when she actually crossed the border. She wasn't far out when she noticed. She looked back again, expecting a grey figure to be bounding out, telling her to get back into the lands right now. But she was gleeful when her pink eyes found no such sight, but empty horizon. She'd actually sneaked out of the lands!

"Ha ha!!!! I did it!" She exclaimed happily as she bounced farther and farther out, just to go farther out.  

[wooga Paes]

Taka should have paid more attention.

She had successfully crossed from one border to another, and, if her mothers gray shape did come chasing after her, it would be for the best. She'd crossed right into the Motoujamii lands, or at least, she was right on top of the borders. And when a firekin did see someone from outside.. its unlikely borders even mattered. Or at least, thats how he'd been raised to believe. Outsiders much be chased away...

He'd come to the borders today, practicing on patrolling and guarding, the hardworking juvenile would die for his pride without a second thought on the matter. He wanted to be a perfect firekin, all they could hope for..

But Spaki was soft. He was friends with a slave, and he owned a slave, his friends daughter. But a slave was to be mistreated, beat into submission... He couldn't do it, so instead, he hid away when he was with Hua'Yin, going further out into the desert to pretend to be doing whatever a slave owner would do, at her-- and his, age. But they were friends, not master and charge. Should another firekin come into sight, he'd pretend to scowl at her, and he knew she wouldn't think he meant it; they had that plan. It was all pretend.

But he had to try. And he'd defend the borders tooth and nail-- and Taka ran by. She was further ahead, and there weren't many sand dunes just yet. For now, the soil was smply a bit looser, softer. Her furrowed his brows, crouching. In the pale surrounding, even his white plt didn't stand out just as much, and she might just miss him. Spaki was lager, older than the golden female...

He should leave, let her be, and if someone meaner came up, then so be it. But the pride.. he obviously could chase her away no problem; Spaki was trained for fighting, built for it, and had it in his mind, to protect the borders, be the best he could be...

But when it came the time to slash some random person for simply stepping across the border, he faltered. He didn't feel the urge to punish someone for passing through, for slipping in. He didn't feel that cruel drive most firekin did towards outsiders. He found himself superior; or he thought he did. But to want to be, and to be, was far too different.

But this golden cub was in their territory! With a final breath, Spaki loped towards her, ducking in the few remaining ferns before the desert and then jumping out, staying between where she was now, and her pride's territory behind him.

"Trespasser! " He hissed, folding his ears back and lowering his head. To a full grown lion, he might not look that bad or threatning; firekin or not, he wasn't fully grown, but to her, a much younger female..

It might just do the trick.  

[Light Atago]

Taka jumped at the sound of another's voice, she hadn't expected a soul to be out here! Her eyes fell on the most odd looking lion she'd ever seen. He wasn't an adult, but he was a lot bigger than her. White and dark red... the only one she knew that was red was her sister, could this stranger be related to them?

He didn't seem like the type to just out-and-out ask that question anyway. Like she'd observed, he was pretty big... Her ears folded back immediately, but she still had no idea what he was talking about. She took only one step backwards, but didn't move beyond a twitching tail after that.

"What do you mean, trespasser? These aren't anyone's lands," she defended, her singing stopped. To the furthest extent of her knowledge (which wasn't very far beyond her pride's history,) nobody lived out here, it was the roguelands. "And what's your name, stranger?" Maybe if she knew his name, she'd be able to find out if they were related... It was a good start to getting that question answered.  

[wooga Paes]

"Yes, trespasser. " He snorted, walking a bit closer with his eyes narrowed. He could talk mean pretty easily, and the fact that she had trespassed did drill him a bit more, though he didn't quite feel like hitting her for it-- on eonly needed a warning, right?! "There are the lands of the Motoujamii. And Trespassers are not welcome. " He hissed, folding his ears backwards and flicking his tail, flexing his claws out. Intimidating was easy enough, he thought.

He'd have to get fixed, to stop being so soft. Another firekin would probably have pounced this girl by now, or be luring her further into the desert. "That is, unless you want to be enslaved. " The juvenile half closed his eyes, stepping to the side a bit as if to block an exit. If she did run, he'd at least pretend he'd tried to stop her, like a firekin probably would do.  

[Light Atago]

Taka's eyes narrowed, she didn't like the sound of this male. No, they couldn't possibly be related, she'd decided by now. She picked up on his side-step and decided that staying put was the right decision at the moment. She'd be chased if she ran, that's what she picked up. And the stranger, having longer legs, could definitely outrun her.

"I'm still not sure you're right," she said fairly tentatively. She was pretty sure these were roguelands. "Maybe I'm close to these... Motojam lands, but I don't think I'm in them," she said, not remembering the full name of the firekin pride.

"At any rate, if you want me gone, I'll go. I don't wanna be a slave, after all," She said coolly. Perhaps if she acted like she didn't care much... it'd hide the fear. In all honesty, Taka wanted out of the situation fast. She wasn't entirely sure he'd let her escape.  

[wooga Paes]

"Let me put it this way, we don't care if you're in them or not. you're just too close. " He said, smirking slightly and getting closer, circling around her. "We're not very nice lions, I'm sure you've noticed. " He said cooly, clearly untouched by how relaxed Taka seemed. He sniffed, narrowing his eyes slightly. There was an other-ish scent to her, like she had a family.. perhaps she had siblings. Biting his lower lip slightly, he stood a few inches before her.

If he did just let her go, and this girl was too proud to mention him, some he defiiately wouldn't like to mention getting intimidated out, a sibling might just come over.. And maybe someone else than he would find them.

"Those are your pridelands back there. " He said quietly, through half closed eyes. This was a statement, not a question. He shouldn't be doing this.. he really, really shouldn't. Glancing around and making sur ethere wer eno other firekin in sight or earshot, he nudged the younger lioness roughly. "Come on, now. " He hissed into her ears, trotting towards the boundaries in a low gait, almost as if hunting. "Hurry, before anyone else sees you! "  

[Light Atago]

Taka nodded when he told her she was too close. She'd remember not to come this way again, part of her wanted to tell her mother that she'd been right... No, she was too proud for that too. She lowered her body when the stranger started to circle, but not very much.

Taka's face turned to one of confusion at his sudden change of mind. "What?" She asked quickly, but picked up his idea and trotted off after him. "You're, you're helping me?" She asked as she ran after him, ducking too. "I thought..." She gave him a weird look, what was he doing? Was this a trick?

"I'm Taka, by the way," she said, not giving her full name. Though, she wasn't doing that for anyone anymore. Taka was just so much shorter than Jua Na-Taka, why give the full name if they don't need to know it?  

[wooga Paes]

Shut up and stay low! " Spaki hissed, folding his ears back. Though none were around, it didn't mean he was positive, and if they did hear Taka seeming so at ease with him around, Spaki would be in trouble. He blinked at how easy walking on more solid terrain was, though. While his pads might start hurting, as they were used to the soft sands of the desert, he needed less brute force to move and push himself forward, so it was a quick trip into the Nchi'Mahadhi borders.

Once there, it was more grassy, and he knew this 'Taka' would know the way better than he did, but wasn't about to let her go ahead. Instead, he swerved to the left where there was a tree-- a tree! He smiled quietly, in the desert, you hardly ever saw trees, unless at the few bodies of water.

"Come on, " He said, talking more normally now, and sitting at the base of the tree. He'd gone kind-of blindly into this new territory, and wasn't so pleased with it; but he hadn't gone very deep, the border was only a few hundred yards away. He'd only gone this far, because a firekin might not betray the border and go a bit in it, he didn't think his pride was the type that thought too much about walking into someone else's territory.

So now, Spaki waited for this Taka, glancing around uneasily. If anyone from his pride found out he were here with an outsider..  

[Light Atago]

"Don't worry," Taka said as she padded up to him at the tree. He'd been fast, but she had been able to keep up. She picked up some nervousness, though didn't get the right source of his stress. "The Nchi'Mahadhi are welcoming to anyone, unless they're out to kill." Judging his last act, she doubted he was about to go around killing other lions.

"Who are you? Why didn't you hurt me?" she asked, assuming the latter was the typical punishment for strangers who dared get too close. She sat at the tree's base in the shade, glad for a cool spot in the day. "Seems contradictory to what you were saying, let alone how you were acting," she gave him a searching look, trying to figure out for herself without asking him.

"Not that I want you to be mean!" She said immediately, convinced that he wouldn't turn mean all of a sudden. "But I'm curious..."  

[wooga Paes]

"Its not your pride I'm worried about. " He snorted, raising his head to peer over the grasses before allowing himself to relax, at least a bit, in the tree shade. "And going to kill isn't so far. I'm a firekin, we kill a lot, in case you haven't noticed. " He narrowed his eyes, twitching his tail tip idly. "I'm surprised they haven't warned their cubs yet. " He shrugged. If they lived sharing borders, then how come they hadn't even bothered warning their cubs?

"So you want to get hurt? " Spaki said sarcastically, lifting a paw and flexing his claws out again; even for a juvenile, it was clear he was ready to fight-- firekin were trained since young. That was the way. "Thats not hard. " He quirked a brow,then sighed slightly, setting his paw back down again.

"Because I knew you probably wouldn't tell your folks about 'getting chased away by a mean boy!' " He snorted. "And that'd make you admit that, I'm assuming your parents doesn't approve of wandering out of the borders-- " Most didn't. "So I doubt you'd say squat. And if you have siblings, eventually they're going to the border too. And I might not be the one thats there for once. " He flicked an ear, eying the beginning of the dunes yards away.

"Just about anyone else would happily kill a cub, or enslave it. They do it to adults too. " He shrugged. "And what I'm doing now is very wrong by them. I'm not supposed to help outsiders-- especially not one like you that trespassed. "

"So if you don't tell your parents, at least tell any sibling you might have. Adults are probably not dumb enough to cross anyway. " He had just sort-of called her dumb, but it was clear that, if Taka threw a fit, sheprobably wouldn't get a desirable reaction from Moto'Spaki.  

[Light Atago]

"No no no! I don't want a fight!" She exclaimed, flinching for a moment until he set his paw back down. She gave him a quick chuckle at her own fear. Taka'd never been in a fight, never seen a fight. She wasn't exactly strong, nor the fighting type.

When he spoke of his Pride, Taka's face turned to one that... well, in all honesty, was very difficult to read. Even she didn't know what her reaction was! She'd never heard anything like what Spaki was describing. Her pride was open, anyone was welcome to meander on through as long as they had no bad intentions. Heck, even a hyena would be welcome to come learn about rhythm! The Nchi never turned anyone away... Or at least, very very rarely turned them away.

"You're right about that, I won't be telling anyone that I came out here and met you, I'd have my hide tanned!" She realized the pun in her sentence. She was already a little tan... But he was right, she'd have to tell Mawi. She trusted her sister and doubted that Mawi would turn her in. She picked up on his insult and cast it off carelessly. If you focused on that sort of stuff, what fun would life be?

"Well, I'm lucky I ran into you, aren't I? Thank you... for helping me." She said quite solemnly with a little nod. "I really appreciate it," He was rough around the edges, but a good guy at heart, she decided.  

[wooga Paes]

(( he didn't say his name yet ;D *will just pretend she didn't say it so Spaki doesn't go OMGWTF D: *))

"Good. " He said cooly as Taka denied wanting a fight-- he hadn't expected her to want one anyway. "You wouldn't stand a chance. " He smirked slightly. Spaki trained hard, and was proud of himself for that-- even if he had to break the rules so often..

"I figured. I don't think my parents would care as much about me trespassing myself, so long as I wasn't 'friendly' to an outsider. " He snorted. He loved his pride, he worked hard to be the best he could be-- but it was kind of funny. "But they don't need to know squat. If anything, I just have to brag about chasing you off. " The juvenile shrugged. "Or I just don't mention you. " He twitched his tail tip.

"Yea, well. " He looked away, it wasn't often he was complimented for doing something so wrong. He wasn't so pleased with himself for this 'betrayal' to his own pride, but he couldn't help it.  

[Light Atago]

((*smacks self on the head* I edited it so it doesn't say his name. XD That would be weird if she could just come up with his name. O.o))

"Well, you did drive me off, you'll notice I'm practically back in my own pride's lands. And you did scare me, even if I don't show it." Jua Na-Taka admitted with a sheepish grin, ears folded back. "I'm sorry for getting close to your lands..." though, she doubted at this point that the apology was necessary.

And then, the curiosity of a cub came out in her. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, does your Pride have music? Like, do you have drums and stuff?" She hadn't ever been in another Pride's territory, she didn't know that others didn't have drums like her Pride did. "Or dances and songs? And pretty shells?" She remembered the time she went shell collecting with Nsundu... When she'd said that there were mean lions in the world. Taka guessed that their pride was proof of it... That someone would enslave a cub? Yes, that was pretty definite in her mind.  

[wooga Paes]

(( it would XD especially in IC~ ))

"So I noticed. " He smiled, for real this time, softening his sharp olive gaze a bit before looking away again,as if to make sure once more no Firekin had caught his scent or anything.

He blinked at her next question, flicking an ea. Would it be further treachery to tell her about his pride..? Well, he wouldn't give her details, simple. "No. " He said, twitching his tail tip quietly. "We have no use for 'music', our power is in our strength and belief in Finar-si. " At least, thats what he'd always been told. The firekin were stronger, smarter, better than other prides, and that one should always believe and trust Finar-si... wlel, the second thing, about Finar-si, not so much, at least not from his parents.

"And I've no idea what a shell is, we don't have them in th desert. Just skulls, bones, sand and rock. There's the sources of water, the oasis', but thats it. No 'shells'. "  

[Light Atago]

The news that not every Pride believed in Rhythm astounded the young cub. The idea was... unheard of, to say the least! She had no need to conceal facts about her Pride. "We have a great drum circle, we pound on them all the time! And there's singing, and dancing... If you listen carefully..." She perked up an ear to hear if her mother was drumming away already. Isithunzi had a habit of testing the drums each day, today would be no different. Sure enough, very faint, but audible if one was "searching" for the sound, a slow, steady beat could be heard. Taka knew it belonged to someone long gone, but she didn't know who.
"... You can hear the drums. I'll be able to get my own soon," she said proudly, puffing out her chest. "And I'll have the most catchy tune..." Taka said dreamily.