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(( Note: Have permission, RP is with Kim. ))



Since the earthquake, Kijibwa had been separated from his mate, from his entire family in fact-- all of them, except for Hiba. He didn't know what he would do without his son walking beside him. When they hadn't been able to find Siku again, when they finally gave up looking for her in the savanna, they decided to head for the jungle. In Kiji's mind, it was the only place she would think to go and wait for him to find her. She would be there, she had to be there. Waiting for him to smarten up and come find her. In his rush through the desert, the quickest route to the part of the jungle he had lived when he was younger, he had brought them far too close to the firekin lands. Kijibwa knew the dangers, he had always known, but it had slipped his mind.



Hiba was having trouble in the desert. If his father wasn't walking at a reasonable pace, he would have had to jog to keep up in the unsteady terrain. He definitely didn't like the sand. He faithfully followed his father, though, determined to stay with him. He hoped they would find his mother but he was starting to doubt it, keeping it to himself, of course. He wasn't sure how his father would handle it if his mother wasn't in the jungle waiting for them now, he was worried about what might happen. He hoped for the best but he was preparing himself for the worst.

He hadn't been told of the desert lions before, he had no idea they were trespassing in any territory. After the fiasco with their first litter, his parents didn't really talk about their travels much. It had been a surprise to learn they had lived in the jungle at all, but he couldn't really hold it against them. They hadn't asked questions that specific before.

Grumbling to himself, he followed unquestioningly. Neither had much to say today, it seemed.

Kijibwa wasn't paying enough attention to the world around him, he was letting his mind wander. He was thinking about Siku, he was thinking about how scattered their family had become suddenly, how happy she would be to find him and Hiba safe and sound. How happy he would be, he could get through this if he could just find her.

He sighed, trying to think of something to say to Hiba to make it less awkward- looking toward the ground in front of him rather than anywhere around him.

Hiba was just as thoughtful but he wasn't so distracted, he was more paranoid, more worried in general. He wanted to say something reassuring, or say something distracting but he couldn't think of anything. He was the first to notice Kidondo, and to realize that he didn't quite look friendly.

"Dad," he muttered urgently, picking up the pace a bit and nearly running right into his father, "Someone is coming-"

Kijibwa froze when Hiba brushed into him, announcing that someone had spotted them. His dull blue eyes widened as he realized the mistake he had made, the trouble he and his family had successfully avoided several times before.. was not avoided this time. He didn't recognize the red lion though he might have if he had had a clearer mind. He didn't have time to think it through, he had been thinking only of himself and Siku so far but he knew well enough to step in front of Hiba. If he had to, he would do his best to give his son a chance to escape.

"We are only passing by, accidentally strayed from the usual path through the desert toward the jungle," Kiji said honestly, sounding more sincere and brave than he normally was, "We're no threat."

They certainly didn't look threatening. The one being brave was old and thin and the young, healthy one looked nervous and hid behind the other.

Hiba was wide-eyed and silent as soon as his dad stepped in front of him, nothing he said would make things any better so he kept his trap shut. He didn't notice any of the things his dad said that he hadn't realized before, only that they were trespassing on 'Firekin' lands. He had no idea who they were but if this was a representative he had been happier not knowing. Nervously, he glanced around, wondering if they were going to be ambushed or something. His sheltered life was not helping him keep calm in anything that had happened lately.

Kiji was relieved when he said slavery was abolished but then the alternative was mentioned and, well, it wasn't much happier. Showed what he got for not paying attention, what a mess he was becoming. He would have sighed if he wasn't in such a dangerous position.

"It won't happen again," he said, though his voice got quieter than he intended. This had happened before, he recalled. He'd run into somebody, a cub. But had that been this far in before? How far in were they? He couldn't help but take a look around them.

"We have to go to the jungle, someone is waiting there for us," he said, looking back when Kidondo commented. He didn't sound so sure that someone was waiting there for them but he had to say it out loud.

Hiba was not so hesitant or careful to control his expression. His eyes were wide and he looked around nervously. He had no idea such a pride could exist let alone did exist. Dad had let them wander so far into the lands of a pride that used to take slaves and now would attack and kill trespassers.. they weren't going to make it to the jungle. He frowned, looking back to his father and then to the red lion before him.

"Yes," Kiji answered slowly when Kidondo asked if he had been to the Jungle before, wondering at the sudden change in tone and general questioning until he realized. On his way to the Jungle with Siku the first time, before they had their girls, when he was taking her back to where he had spent his youth.. he had met a cub, talked to him about the pride here, about the Jungle where he lived. Thinking back on the cub, he looked Kidondo up and down, trying to figure out if that was who had found them. He had been the heir to the pride, would he really be the one addressing trespassers? It sounded possible.

"Are you-"

He paused, he couldn't quite remember the name. Was it worth mentioning that he had been around before when they'd been warned about next time? It was a long time ago, anyway..

"Have we met?"

Hiba was getting anxious to leave when the topic suddenly changed, he had nothing to add and nothing really to say. He blinked and raised a brow at Kijibwa's question to the red one, looking to see what the answer might be. He didn't know enough about his parents, obviously.

Kiji's ears perked at the introduction. He didn't know what a regent was exactly but it sounded important and the confession to calling outsiders inferior was a clear give away. Plus, the name absolutely rang a bell.

"It is you!" he said, "You've gotten much bigger--"

He hesitated in looking the red lion up and down. This was normal, friendly behavior for an old acquaintance but with the threats looming and the obvious important ranking of Kidondo.. it was hard to continue freely in such personal, friendly conversation.

Hiba looked positively dumbfounded when his father recognized the red lion and declared it with more certainty. Of all the things he had expected to happen next, this certainly wasn't one of them. He looked back and forth between the two lion and finally just sat down.

His dad obviously had many untold stories and now, whether or not he thought they were safe, he had to sit down as he tried to absorb what was going on.

Visibly relaxing when Kidondo smiled, Kiji returned a smile of his own. He even dared to step closer as Kidondo corrected his greeting and apologized. He shook his head, always forgiving- and truthfully, he had known the dangers.

"It's my fault, I knew what to expect here but let my mind wander," he said, nodding at the question about the yellow lion behind him and turning to smile at Hiba, "This is my oldest son, Hiba."

Hiba kept his eyes on the pair of lions now, listening as they exchanged words. He almost jumped when suddenly he was addressed, scrambling to his feet and politely nodding his head.

"I- It's nice to meet you," he muttered, not sure what else to say.

Kijibwa smiled at Kidondo when he said he might have accidentally come in the right direction, starting to feel that way himself. It was good to see the little one again, though looking at how big he was, how old he had become made him think of his own daughters. They were born shortly after the journey through the desert where Kiji had run into the little Kidondo, they would be just a short time younger than he was. The longer he spent without Siku, the more he reflected and the worse he began to feel about everything. He needed her back or he would not be happy again.

He tried to focus back in on the story Kidondo told, noticing many differences from the story he told when they first met and the rumors he had heard from before that meeting.

"It sounds like a lot has changed," he commented with an approving smile, assuming that Kidondo had something to do with it- and if he didn't, he said he was happy so that was OK.

"We were separated from my mate, his mother, in ah- the earthquake some time ago," Kiji said, frowning a bit, not thinking of much else that had happened in his life that was worth mentioning, "We are going to meet up with her in the jungle."

Hiba, who had been looking on attentively, looked away when Kijibwa said they were going to meet Siku in the jungle. It obviously wasn't something he thought would actually happen. Hiba was caught somewhere between trying to deal with the loss of his mother and figuring out a way to help his father when he realized it too. He didn't want to be hopeless but he felt it would be better he prepared for the worst. Then only one, not both, would be proven wrong. If Hiba was, he would be happy for it but..