[PRP] Wanderlust or Homeland? [Ahna & Behk]

[Kaelyndra]

"Now, now, boys," the delicate, rolled accent purred out from Ahna's throat. "You're not allowed past the border."

A lopsided grin had plastered its way across young Hanyu's throat and he flopped onto his rump. A deep outward breath escaped his lungs in a pleasant puff. The red and grey lion next to him remained standing, head lightly cocked at the exiting frame of a finely shaped lioness-rump and a playfully flicking tail.

"I think she's not into boys," was his only comment.

"Nonsense, Csoa. Soon as she sees her family, she'll come crawling right back to me. That cat is in the bag." A triumphant giggle erupted from the back of his throat before he stood himself back up. "Let's go see if there are any young virgins traipsing the outskirts."

Once they were out of her sight, Ahna's footfalls quickened until she had reached a jog on the sandy, coarse grains of soil. The long, stretching trees with bushy heads were familiar and strangely comforting. It had been many passings of the sun. Would anyone recognize her? Would she want them to?

There was a small itch in her side that grew the more inward she traveled. There were deities to see to while she was here; ones she had been neglecting.  

[Neon Fly]

Giving the Oasis a wide berth, Bekh-pena instead trotted steadily across the pale gold sand towards the river where there were likely to be less spectators leering at him. It was farther from the temple, but the farther away he could get right now, the better. The rest of the sparring class was likely to be at the Oasis anyway, and seriously, who needed to deal with that s**t?

Spitting a mouthful of blood into the ground, the watered down fluid seeped into the thirsty dunes almost instantly. The wound from biting his tongue after catching a shoulder blade in the face was still fresh. Leaving an unfavorable metallic taste in his mouth. Bekh could hear his brothers complaining, they were training to be guardians too.

Why can't you try harder to fit in?
Can't you just ignore them?

Their pleas fell on deaf ears. There was no way he could have just ignored being called out in front of the entire class. For some reason they seemed okay with the lionesses in class who had chosen to take up the mantle of a Guardian, but not Bekh. Not a guy who blatantly stood against them. Mocking them, threatening them or at least that was how they seemed to feel.

Tell me I can't take him in a fight, he can go screw the quill-side of a porcupine, cht. Muttering foully under his breath, it was only the cooling shift of wet sand at the river's edge that drew Bekh from his reverie. A half-hearted glance into the surprisingly placid surface of the water--which normally twisted and churned ruthlessly as it surged from one place to another--revealed little more than superficial damage. A few shallow scrapes, not that he stared long. Disquieted by the androgynous, even pretty, face that peered back.

Somewhat ticked that his opponent hadn't come out with more damage than himself at least he could take comfort in the fact that there wasn't less. Bekh didn't though. Convinced that if their teacher hadn't separated them he would have had the fight under his paw. For all the trouble it was worth they'd both be wearing their scuffle for next few days. The thought didn't make returning home to his parents any more appealing. He was sure to get an earful when he got back.
 

[Kaelyndra]

Already, Ahna felt herself pulled in the directions of the temples. As a juvenille, she'd grown an obsessive compulsion to see their insides. She'd wanted to become a priestess and may have served well. Then, she had neglected her studies, and answered a greater need. A need which was inexplicable and not unlike the one that had brought her back.

The young lioness remembered the path to the river in brief, distorted images that only vaguely resembled the path she chose to follow. Ahna would stop, eyes narrowed, ears flat, at the appearance of a rock formation she was sure she had not seen before. There were new saplings, the sand had been stirred, and she swallowed as she realized she simply did not remember it as it was. Her young mind had altered memories she once though fresh, and her eyes were now telling her a new story.

When she found the river, she found others. Some were merely scents, but others were visible. One, small, muscled, looked dirtied, bruised. Ahna passed by without comment and took no hesitation in first dipping her feet and then wading up to her chin. She did miss daily baths, though she rarely suffered a day where she did not have the companionship of a warm tongue to clean her.

A pair of blue eyes glanced back, coming to a stop on a sky-painted pelt. Features that would perhaps have been considered fine, had there not been a scowl wrinkling and hardening all edges. Instead, it left the creature a mix of the two, and so Ahna dawned her the description of 'cute'.

"Hey there," she called out just before she briefly dunked her head. "You're going to scare everyone away with frown like that." It was a light-hearted, playful jab. Ahna was wading through the river towards Bekh soon after it was said.  

[Neon Fly]

Engrossed in washing the crusting blood from his velvet black face the guardian-in-training plunged head-long beneath the surface. Granted Bekh wasn't willing to throw himself entirely into the river, whipping a wet forelock back from the crown of his head to lay heavily against his neck. With water snaking in forked paths down the arc of his neck and trickling streams off his brow and across striped cheeks blurring his vision Bekh thought the water nymph some sort of illusion at first.

It wasn't until he'd shaken himself free of the dewy droplets that he realized the gilded beauty was no figment of his imagination. She was real. As real as the water that drenched her pelt causing it to lay thin against a body any lion would have killed his brother for. Like some kind of ******** temptress.

Wet as the lioness was she could have passed for a desert Goddess with those undulating stripes and fur that seemed to mimic the churning sands. Bekh begrudgingly admitted to himself that she was gorgeous. Begrudgingly, because he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about, well, how he felt.

At least she seemed to have a pleasant disposition and a voice that rolled so smoothly off her tongue that he was caught off guard by the chill that caused his spine to bristle. Not unpleasantly, despite the fact that his guard was clearly in place. Already in a less than accommodating mood, however, a brow arched in the female's direction indignantly. Yea? And what's it to you if I do?

As it was Bekh could at least recognize she wasn't from around these parts--or at least wasn't anymore. As a future guardian it was his obligation to keep the pride safe from potential threats. Reluctantly adding after a moment of awkward silence, You lost or something? You're on pride lands, you know.
 

[Kaelyndra]

The brash, hardened response seemed to delight her. Footsteps turned light, she splashed her way to shore through the shallowing water.

That lurid water nymph wasted no effort in producing a smooth response. "I thought I might say hello." The water was tickling only the edges of her toes now. A smudged bunching of hair was smoothed down with her tongue. Though water dripped down her belly and legs, she did not shake it free.

"Oh, I know." The guardian received a smile and a look that passed over the entirety of the star-pelted's body.

She let that face grow sour. Her tongue clacked against her mouth as if in reprimand for any thought Bekh was having. "I have family here," she explained.

"You're going to get wrinkles."  

[Neon Fly]

Hello. Bekh answered plainly in response to what felt like a greeting possessing some underlying message as he turned to trudge to the shoreline where the intruder now stood. Granted he paused for a moment to watch the water gather at the lowest points of her and drip into the sand and the edge of the river creating tiny, rippling waves where they fell. He couldn't quite put his paw on what it was about her that drew his eyes, not being familiar with words like exotic or alluring or others that held suggestion of more adult themes. Carnal pleasures were a thing the young lion had yet to explore given the awkward nature of his existence.

Forcefully turning a cheek towards the long lost Dawn Walker--or so she claimed--in an effort to hide what blush might have threatened to show through his dark fur a strained sigh escaped him. The fight with that little d**k in class had all but sapped any desire to start a new grudge with someone new. For the minute anyway. Sluggish steps finally making a second attempt to plod towards dry land, Mm.. guess I owe you a welcome home then, stranger. I'm Bekh-pena, son of Aagiro and Ammon'nen.

The cool water was beginning to return some of the rebellious guardian's fighting spirit as a dry wind blew across the deep purple dashes along his back and eased some of the ache in shallow claw marks. A rekindled attitude visible enough by the way he rubbed a paw against his damp nose with something akin to an arrogant sniff. When finally able to look squarely at the captivating lioness without gawking the adolescent made a point to add-- Don't think you'd know my parents though. We're new to this pride. Me 'n my siblings are the first generation of our family to be born here and speaking of wrinkles..

A brazen and startlingly--or maybe not so much given the rest of his appearance--striking grin crooked Bekh's muzzle. Isn't that something someone like you should be worried about?
 

[Kaelyndra]

What a long introduction! Ahna had almost forgotten about the formality in the roguelands. No one really cared for titles and small talk out there. It was like advertising you were new to the wild world. The red-gold lioness found herself full of a sweetened laughter which bubbled out her mouth. "I'm Ahna." Whomever she was daughter to would remain a mystery.

She raised both brows at this Bekh and watched a grin spread across her muzzle. Again, laughter. "No," she responded as though it were the funniest question Bekh could have asked. "Why would I worry about wrinkles?"

That was something for old age, and for people who consistently frowned. "But, at least you are capable of smiling. I'd wondered, for a moment."

Ahna turned her eyes from the other lioness for a moment, to look across the river and towards dunes that had shifted and changed. They were completely wrong now, and she could only speculate that the majority of the Oasis still lie to the east of them.  

[Neon Fly]

Straight to the point, wasn't she? Bekh mused at the thought, making no real effort to nose deeper into Ahna's lineage. His own greeting was annoyingly ingrained by tradition, though he wasn't entirely sure why he needed to bother. All of the children of Aagiro and Ammon'nen were easily distinguished from the rest of the Dawn Walkers by their unusual starlight pelts and manes.

Her laughter was sweet like the flesh of fruit born from trees that grew sparsely across the desert. Sweet and rejuvenating in the way that a lion unconscious from heat stroke could be revived by water after being slapped in the face with it. Yes. Bekh had compared Ahna to a slap in the face. Finding her an altogether strange entity with a frivolousness that was infectious or would have been if the guardian didn't keep his wits about him. A task that was proving more difficult than it sounded.

Why would she have to worry? A brow inclined wryly in silent indication, though Bekh wasn't rude enough to state the obvious. Something along the lines of; no matter how young you look, you're still older than me! His grin faltering for a moment when struck by Ahna's playful observation. Wh--oh, that. Yea, not my best moment..

Following her gaze to the familiar lands that sat in the distance Bekh grimaced inwardly. Even if he knew what was likely to happen next, it didn't mean he had to go along with it willingly, reluctant to return to the pride just yet. I don't suppose you want to an escort? Doubt the pride's changed much since you've been gone, but I could show you around if y'want.

Wait.. what? Where the hell had that come from?! The last thing Bekh wanted was to see his class mates again so soon, but for some reason the thought of them drooling on Ahna ruffled his fur in all the wrong ways. At least if he was giving her the tour he could be certain the other eligible wouldn't have a chance to climb all over her. ******** horn dogs.
 

[Kaelyndra]

One of Ahna's brows raised high but her eyes remained in the distant topography. She let the silence stretch, ticking by one moment at a time until she heard the air stir with voice.

"Are you escorting?" she asked with her laugh. Both brows rose and her gaze flicked up and down the others body. "Or are you watching?"

Ahna exposed her cheek, looking at Bekh from underneath skeptical brows. An inward sigh accompanied the words, "I suppose it may have changed. Alright, then. Impress me. I'd like to see how you show someone 'round."  

[Neon Fly]

Don't see anyone else around to do the job. He answered without hesitation and before even hearing Ahna's wry remark about watching. It wasn't a question he entirely understood the meaning of, though by the way her gaze raked over him--another chill which was forcefully hidden rolling down his spine--there seemed to be some manner of innuendo to her words. Bekh tried not to appear confused. Deciding it was better to simply keep his mouth shut than draw attention to his own ignorance. After all, he'd gotten what he'd wanted hadn't he?

Impress me. Somehow, he suddenly wasn't so sure. The guardian couldn't help but wonder if all females had the ability to make a guy suddenly regret his actions. A wry sort of grin tugging the corners of his muzzle as a drying forelock fell across eyes so dark that almost all the green in them was swallowed by shadows. Uneasy or not about what may lay ahead the roughed up adolescent wouldn't back down from the challenge or bait. Youthful vigor being incapable of telling the difference between the two. Alright, follow me then. If you can keep up.

With a chuckle Bekh took off sprinting, ignoring what soreness may have lingered in his young muscles from the battle earlier this morning. Maybe she'd noticed and maybe she hadn't that he had no intention of telling her just where they were headed first. Hopefully the element of surprise worked in his favor.
 

[Kaelyndra]

Wrinkles crinkled around her soft eyes as she grinned at Bekh. It was as if she had fallen into a trap, and Ahna was tickled with how shy Bekh's face had started to look.

Still, the lioness seemed to be recooperating. The flurry of dust into the air was sudden, and Ahna was left registering the words.

"Hey!" she called after, as if attempting to stop the runner in her tracks. But, full of some sort of endorphin, Bekh was already off.

Ahna looked at the river for a moment, and then back at a dusty trail before swinging on her hind end and loping off after the sand prints. Ahna was no sprinter - her sleek long muscles were the endurance of a rogue. Following was definitely a good word for it.