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Gepeto spent most of the journey in perturbed and disgruntled silence. He wanted to believe that, just as Meshindi had said, if s**t hit the fan they would gladly abandon this hunt for redemption. He wanted to trust his gut in knowing that there would never be any love found for any pride--not even his best friends; that the life of a lone lion was by far better then any other in comparison.

But a large part of Gepeto doubted himself. He was worried that, just as Meshindi had said, he would end up really liking things. Truly liking them. And that uncertainty both worried and infuriated the large male.

"Mm." A look had surely been given to the black lion. One of great indignation. "I think we've passed that tree ten times now. You're lost." And in turn, Meshindi had gotten Gepeto lost. He said this even as the other took to a quicker stride, maybe even because Meshindi seemed to become more overtly excited.

"I'll believe it when I see it." He muttered begrudgingly, shifting his weight onto each paw faster in order to keep up.

They had long since crossed over the boarder onto claimed territory. The change in terrain and the varying smells all around them bold welcomes and warnings to those who belonged and those who did not. Strangers with no names or faces left their marks close to one another, strong odors that did nothing more than remind him of what he had once left behind. Out one door and into another...

And yet, even Gepeto found himself repeating it. He would hate himself later for it, certainly, but for now the lion was unable to control the adrenaline rush and nervousness and excitement…

We are close.

And he was prepared. The brown lion fully expected his companion to take the reins on this. He was the one who had a promised position within the pride; He was the one to drag Gepeto all the way up a hill and through some trees for deliverances sake. All Gepeto was responsible for was seeing to it that he gave this place a chance. One. Possibly. So long as it fit their needs. Gepeto had no intention of helping Meshindi in outside of that. None.

But sometimes life threw curve-balls when you expected an easy home-run. Nothing was that simple, especially not when it came to them.

"It's you! It's you!"

He had seen her in the distance. He had given Meshindi, the stranger, and himself a spacious gap for which they could talk; figure things out. The scene played out in his head one way: Meshindi would address her and expect whatever kind of 'welcome back to the pride' initiation while Gepeto would…wait. Watch silently from a comfortable distance, tense and completely aware of his surrounding area. He would be ready for a fight if it was brought to them.

But he wasn’t expecting her to bypass the dark male ahead of him. Gepeto was not expecting her to stand before him, eyes alight with recognition that he could not reciprocate.

That he could not quite understand.

When she finally fell silent, Gepeto raised a single brow before shooting Meshindi a very expectant (if not irritated) look. This was not his problem to be dealing with.

Take care of this, please?

Before he had a chance to, Zilly said it. That should have been all she needed to say for Meshindi to take over. To do what he had come here to do. Gepeto didn't know her. Help a brother out.

But he didn't speak up. And the more Zilly rambled off the more confusing everything became. The angrier Gepeto felt. Was this an inside joke shared between Vikings? Was it Meshindi's intention to ridicule Gepeto in front of the whole pride? Was this really the first sign of what things would come?

'I was worried you'd starve out there since you're so awful at hunting...'

.......If there were a cliff close by, he would have jumped off of it.

It took all his strength not to lash out violently, golden eyes setting HEAVILY on Meshindi. Every bit of anger he had in him was sent telepathically to his companion. "I do not know you. I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Get out of my way."

And with that the brown lion moved past Zilly. He kept his gaze on Meshindi until he too was behind him. Gepeto had no idea where he would go or what he would do when he got there, but he was done.

If only for Meshindi, and just for this one time; he would walk away.

"Crazy..." The lion spat back, rolling his shoulder dismissively in mid-stride. That she was, but that was also not the point. While never one to admit it, Gepeto was embarrassed. More than he had anticipated he would be if ever something like this were to come up. On the surface the large, brown lion would deny her claim fiercely. He had taken down prey before...once.

Unfortunately deep down inside Gepeto knew the truth.

He had always known. That didn't mean he had to like it.

A rare sign of interest sent his tail whipping to the side. Zilly, a seer. A huria of the Firekin lands, with his basic knowledge of these sort of occurrences, would have laughed in her face if he didn't have some doubts. Still, it wasn't enough to slow him down. Instead, he looked over a shoulder and made a Tch noise.

"You'll get yourself into trouble spitting off lies like that."

"Fuc--"

Thick skulls. Lions had them. Gepeto had one. But it wasn't thick enough to keep out the dull ringing in his ears or the dizziness that followed Zilly's abrupt and unprovoked attack. Whatever words that had been on his tongue were now bitten down into by the clatter of his teeth. Blood filled his mouth and coated the white fangs that bared, the foul taste of metal burning his nose.

Before he had bothered to open his eyes again, to see that he had stumbled several paces in the direction they had come, Gepeto released a pained roar that, not to be overlooked, was also filled with a seething rage that continued to build in ferocity the longer he suffered. His snout was wrinkled, his golden eyes watering...

"b***h..." The lion hissed as he stepped forward. Zilly had tried his patience for much too long. Gepeto had succumbed to civility for much too long. There were no amount of words he could say that would express the message of a perfectly placed bite. Or a heavy swing of his large, taloned paws. Stepping into their Meshindi-barrier without having noticed he was even there, the male expelled a very heavy breath before muttering.

"Move." It was clear what Gepeto had in mind for their following 'seer'.