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There had been just enough time to find Kaa a suitable resting place, and Zuri had made sure she was close by, before the storm rolled in. He'd left the the pretty lady to her new home, surprisingly reluctantly, and managed to skirt inside his own cave in the nick of time.

The sky turned black with the onslaught of the storm. Thunder rolled. Lightning crackled across the sky, and illuminated the sandy beach below with an eerie light. The ride roared against the cliffs and Zuri, who was not unused to such noise, found himself almost lulled to sleep by the combined sounds of the storm.

He rested at the base of his cave, paws tucked under his chin, and watched the dark sky outside as it exploded with light, and then didn't explode with light.

Wrapped into all of that lovely chaos were the hypnotic voices of his muse. The purple lion listened attentively as the stone spoke to him, but thoughts of Kaa lingered at the back of his mind.

She had been very nice. He'd rather liked her.

The fury of the storm picked up. Wind whistled passed the caves with an unsettling ferocity, and the ominous sound of its anger made Zuri shiver. It had been some time since he'd seen a storm this wild, and he hoped that it didn't change Kaa's mind about making the Kizingo'zaa her new home.

It would have been a pity if she'd left before he got a chance to know her better. In all honesty, he was surprised that he actually wanted to see her again.

It wasn't everyday somebody, let alone a complete stranger, left such an impression on him.

And, when he thought about it, nothing particular special had passed between them! Why, then, was he so interested? Zuri frowned, and his brow furred in thought.

The sound of Kaa's yelp from the neighbouring cave, which was rather smaller than his own, made the young lion sit up a little straighter. He strained his ears for any repeat of the noise, but a crash of thunder drowned everything else out temporarily.

Her scream was carried to him on the wind. Zuri's fullt attention, which had already been perked by the yelp he thought he'd heard earlier, instantly belonged to the plight of the poor lady he'd abandoned in her own dark and creepy cave. His heart went out to her, and the young lion instantly regretted his decision to leave her alone.

Damn his awkward personality and need for personal space. It made him even more uncomfortable to think that he'd enabled the suffering of another creature.

At once he was on his feet, prepared to go out into the rain and rescue her from the storm and whatever else plagued her, but it turned out he didn't need to go very far at all. Kaa flung herself into his home, and Zuri let out a little 'oomph' of surprise when her soft body connected with his larger one. She'd hit him with enough force to knock him onto his a**, and he fell onto it with a dull thud. It hadn't hurt.

He stared at her. Lightning flashed overhead, and the cave they currently shared brightened ominously for only a moment.

"I was just coming to get you," he informed her calmly, even though his heart was racing with guilt and the fact that she was there. He wasn't used to having guests.

One moment she was not touching him, and the next she was. Zuri tensed when she pressed closer to him, surprised by the proximity, but relaxed easily when he realized that it wasn't totally opposed to his liking. In fact, if he was going to be completely honest, he'd have to admit that he was even enjoying it.

Her terror upset him and, while he longed to soother her, it also made him feel brave and strong. These things made him feel manly and Zuri liked that. Being manly was good.

"Its fine," he murmured quietly, understanding, "you don't have to explain anything to me."

After growing up in the Kizingo'zaa, Zuri was used to erratic and occasionally crazy behaviour. This was not the first time he'd had his home invaded, although he'd never cuddled with any of the intruders before.

He tried not to think about that. Kaa may have been a stranger, but she seemed to need this from him right now. It wouldn't kill him to share this much of himself with her. Would it?

Something she'd said stuck a cord, however, and he sighed in realization.

"Hearing voices, are you?" It was a completely serious question.

He knew exactly what was going on, and he felt sorry for not filling her in earlier. As a native to these lands, he had grown up with the voices; had known about them since the day of his birth, had shared them with his family and fellow pride members. It hadn't occurred to him that a foreigner would not be familiar with the ways of the people, and the nature of their lands.

"Yes, you're crazy," There was a teasing lilt to his voice and he winked at her. After clearing his throat, he continued more seriously. "It is not something to be afraid of, though. It is this place. The lands- it happens."

"Everyone here can hear voices." He explained patiently, and fancied himself a good teacher, "It is your muse, reaching out to you. Listen when it speaks to you, and everything will make more sense."

It was quite possible that he sounded crazy. Zuri didn't know how this knowledge would fall on the ears of a stranger. He braced himself for more questions.

Her skepticism did not catch him off guard. For the first time since inviting this lioness to stay in his cave, and with the exception of the way they huddled together so closely, Zuri felt in his element. He knew his homelands, and he knew that he could not expect her to just believe everything that he proposed.

It would have been foolish and stupid of her to do so, and Zuri admired her for possessing sense enough to doubt him.

"We accept it because it is natural," he corrected her gently, "It is the way it has always been for us."

Her other questions were more personal. His heart beat ominously for a pair of silent seconds before he offered her the truth.

"I hear voices," he murmured honestly, "the stone speaks to me."

It was true. Even now, he could hear the whispers at the back of his head, but did not wish to repeat their words. They were awfully forward, these rocks.

The strangeness of the Kizingo'zaa lands was certainly not a bad thing. They were a peaceful, eccentric people who loved life and offered a safe haven for friends, family and even passing strangers to rest and live comfortably. His home was a wonderfully unique place, and Zuri was profoundly proud of his heritage. He was the song of the Song Keeper and also of the Protector. There was a lot for him to take pride in.

He watched through hooded eyes as Kaa stood up and flew to the aid of the soaking bat that had collapsed at the mouth of his cave. A soft smile lightened up his face in the gloom, and Zuri felt a swell of appreciation for this pretty lady as she spoke to the little black mammal. She was beginning to accept what he'd told her as the truth, and a part of him liked to think her smooth transition was a reflection of his teaching. It made him feel good.

"I believe you've found your muse," he smirked knowledgeably at her.

"You have made a couple of friends tonight," Zuri agreed, and tried to keep the stiffness out of his voice. He was glad that she had found her muse, and glad that the little bat was unharmed, but he hoped that she wouldn't forget about him now that everything was making sense. A part of him was worried that she wouldn't need him anymore.

It was silly of him to be so concerned, and the young male did his best to hide it. They had only just met, after all! She had no obligation to like him simply because he'd been the first of their people to show her kindness.

It was just that… well, it was rare for him to meet somebody that he could get along with so easily. Not because he was mean or even crazy, but because he was so painfully shy.

Outside the storm continued to rage. Rain hammered a relentless tattoo against the cliffs and Zuri, demonstrating a bit more brass than usual, gestured for her to return to his side with a paw.

"Would you like to sleep out the storm together?"