The sounds and smells of the evening were all around. Zeru smiled, red eyes shining. It wasn't so much because of the encroaching evening, but because of where she was. She was home. She had returned to the swamplands, having learned from her experiences out in the big wide world. Like covering her head up... She paused, the beads and feathers of her hood swinging a bit as she took a deap breath of swamp air, smiling broadly.

The return didn't go unnoticed, as Pata'chasi stalked a bit. The hood was a curious new item, something she'd never seen her sister wear before. To say the least, it was fascinating, between the beads and the feathers and the whole stitched leather thing. Where'd she get it? At any rate... She wanted to greet Zeru. Smiling broadly herself, she soon jumped out at her 'sister.' "BOO!"

So wrapped up in the joy of being home, Zeru was surprised when her 'sister' snuck up on her. To say the least, she screamed, turned around... And then began to swat her, claws held in. "YING-TAI, DON'T DO THAT TO ME EVER AGAIN!" Despite her anger, her frustration turned to laughter. "What are you DOING out here at this hour?!"

The gray and white lioness grinned, rolling over as she took the swatting. Then she reached up, taking advantage of her slightly larger size to place a paw over Zeru's mouth. "Ah, it's not Ying-tai anymore! It's Pata'chasi wenzi! And I'm out here, because of that." She rolled over, pointing at a kill she'd almost fully dragged back. It was a young zebra, about six months old. "I have cubs now, they need feeding."

The albino lioness stared for a moment at the young dead zebra, then looked at her 'sister'. "You got your new name..." There were mixed emotions in the statement. Awe, jealousy... A bit of happiness... And then... "You have cubs! Oooh, how many? Do I have more nieces than nephews? Or is it a whole litter of one or the other?!" Cubs! She was an aunt! She was just... So EXCITED!

Pata grinned, getting up. "Four girls and a boy. And before you ask, Kivuli's having no problems with having so many sisters. After all, there's PLENTY of other male cubs in the pride!" Then she grinned at her sister. "So what did you learn out there? You HAVE to tell me!"

"Well, I learned that I have an aunt who's a demon..." She noticed Pata roll her eyes. "Yeah, I know, weird, isn't it? But I found my mother.. She came in here with me, with her new mate, but she went another way." She looked off to the distance, tail flicking. "I met a god out there, too."

Pata's grin vanished, replaced by surprise. "Mama Asali?" Did gods leave their prides? Had Mama Asali wandered off somewhere? It'd be surprising to her if they did. But then, she'd never heard of any other gods BESIDES Mama Asali. "Or was it some other god? Are there other gods?"

Zeru shook her head. "No, not Mama Asali. He said his name was Xavier..." Her tail moved another way. "The God of the Cursed." She then shook her head. "He said that... Knowing one's identity.. Is important..." A smile spread on her face. "And I know I belong in the dark of the night, like a ghost..." She loved the night, was most comfortable with it.

Pata chuckled. "I think you found your name, then!"

The white lioness thought about it, one ear flicking, before, slowly, she smiled. "Yeah.. Yeah, I did... I walk in the night..."

"Mimi Kutembea'usiku!" Then Pata motioned with her head. "Come on, let's get going before something comes to try and pick at my food!" Smile on her maw, she gathered her kill, leading Zeru onward into the pride's lands.