[PRP] Homeward bound (Like, four lions)

[Andranis]

Blue paws stepped across the border for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. The lioness who owned them looked around, equally-blue eyes almost dancing. It was a long journey, one that should have ended ages ago but got prolonged by, rather shockingly, unforeseen circumstances. She should have been crossing this border with cubs, not the two adults who walked with her, but she had brought new blood. That was the point, though, bringing back new blood. She smiled, then turned to her travel companions. "Welcome to the Kitwana'antara lands... I hope they're kind to you."

Close at the bright blue lioness' side was a dark pink male. Stone-blue eyes looked around, taking it all in. So these were the lands his Shinkai had come from... He hadn't been to sure about it, though he'd also been very unsure about everything after what had happened to the Ukuucha lands. The pride had fallen apart, disbanded... And many rendered homeless. The signs should have been seen ahead of time, of course. Lionesses leaving when they shouldn't have... Nilofer had been dedicated, though, waiting for Lutfi to return from his Banu hunt. He'd returned in time for them to have to leave. Now he had hopes for the future. He returned Shinkai's smile, then turned toward Nilofer. "Well, what do you think?"

She had waited, indeed. Nilofer hadn't been happy when Lutfi's father had brought home a trio of lionesses as prizes for his sons, and had instantly become rather jealous of the white and black creatures. She could hardly think of them as other lionesses, possessive as she was of Lutfi. He was, after all, HER Pad, nobody else's. And then he'd brought Shinkai home... The insufferable blue lioness had managed to worm her way into Nilofer's shell, and when they needed to find a new home, she'd found herself agreeing that the Kitwana'antara was a good place to go. They'd grown closer in the journey, at least, and now Nilofer felt the same possessiveness for Shinkai as she felt for Lutfi. She wasn't sure what to make of that. "I don't think they know what they're getting into, with lions like us coming in." She smiled, though it was very different from Lutfi and Shinkai's smile. Just a bit... Dangerous...  

[mouselet]

Jani was heading back home with a hare dangling from her mouth when she saw a group of lions ahead of her. This was less than surprising as it was left to the discretion of Hunters and Huntresses as to how they would group themselves on a daily basis. Some preferred working together to take down larger prey, while others preferred to work alone. Jani herself had a tendency to switch back and forth between the two according to need, mood, and practice.

The unusual thing here was the fact that she didn't recognize a single one of the three. Two females and a male, clearly traveling together. One pink, one blue, and one black and blue. Hm.

She came up closer and, dropping the hare so that she could talk properly, called out to them.

"You might not want to go any further!" she warned them. "If you do, you won't be able to leave."  

[Andranis]

Shinkai looked over at the call from the approaching lioness, a splash of green on the savannah. A smile lit up her face. "Oh, no, we know full well about the pride!" She turned and walked toward the green lioness, ignoring the look that Nilofer was giving from behind her. "I hail from the Kitwana." She gave a slight bow. "Shinkai, one of the immune. My brother and I stepped outside the pride some time ago to bring in new blood through flings with outsiders... Unfortunately, my brother won't be returning..." She looked beyond the border sadly, a glint in her eye.

Hearing the slight growl in Nilofer's throat, Lutfi stepped forward and in front of Shinkai. "She's already educated us on the pride's ways and why most don't leave the borders. We're willing to take the risk." He regarded the lioness that had approached them, taking in her colors and markings. Green... He wasn't fond of green on its own. If she'd had spots, that would sweeten the deal. But he couldn't get past that green, it made him think of Nilofer's brother, Bopa. Was she Nilofer's niece, sired while Bopa was on his OWN Banu hunt?

Lutfi wasn't the only one comparing the lioness to Bopa. If her eyes were yellow, it'd complete the image, but they were blue instead. None of her relatives, that she could recall, had blue eyes. And there were spots ever-present... She stepped up closer, pressing at Lutfi's side as she eyed the blue-eyed green lioness that reminded her of her brother. "What's your name, huntress? And who are you related to?" If she didn't know who her own father was... Well, that didn't change much other than the eerie similarity. The green wasn't the only similarity - Some of her markings looked like the stripes Bopa bore on his nose and sides, some of them bearing a resemblance to an x. She'd have to investigate this stranger's family to ensure a lack of relation.  

[mouselet]

Well then! This was certainly an unexpected surprise. Jani was aware that some immune lions awere asked to leave the pride and return with new blood, in the form of children, mates, or simply friends. But, not everyone returned. It seemed to her that this Shinkai must have left long before Jani was born.

"I see. Well then, it's very nice to meet you all-" the green lioness stopped speaking as the spotted female came up close and demanded to know who she was. Jani was somewhat surprised, but did her best to cover it up and smile again.

"My name is Jani, daughter of Tarafa," she told the other lioness gently. The Huntress considered listing her siblings, but decided that would be unnecessary. Especially since she doubted any of these three would know anyone from her generation.  

[Andranis]

Her ears pricked up, eyes taking on a new light. "Tarafa? I know Tarafa! Our families' dens were near one another when we were cubs!" She inspected the green lioness, nodding. "You look a lot like your mother! Except green." The nose marking was definitely different from Tarafa's, that was for sure, but the resemblance was unmistakable to Shinkai. "How's she doing? Is the disease treating her well?" She hoped the other lioness hadn't died. It'd make things rather... Tragic. "I wish I'd come home sooner, I'd get to see her cubs grow up!"

The green lioness was native to the lands? Well that made things more interesting. He pondered if maybe she WAS sired by Bepo when he was out wandering. "You wouldn't happen to know who your father is, would you? You look an awful lot like Nilofer's brother, Bepo..." Even just the passing resemblance turned him off. He mentally filed her and any female relatives under 'do not touch' with quite a few other lions he'd run across in his journeys beyond the Ukuucha borders.

Nilofer's own ears flicked as she listened to Shinkai, then eyed the green lioness. If Shinkai knew her... She'd relax. A little. The blue lioness frowned a bit, ears folding back for a moment, before they flicked forward, listening. She had to admit, she WAS a bit curious. What was this lioness's story? Was she truly related? She glanced at Lutfi and saw the look in his eye and relaxed further. She wouldn't have to be possessive around this lioness. He wasn't going to touch her. For the moment, she settled with watching and listening, curiousity taking hold more and more.  

[mouselet]

The green lioness felt herself relaxing slightly as Shinkai pounced on her mother's name. She hadn't quite believed that the blue lioness was from the Kitwana'antara until that moment. Jani hated to be so suspicious, but it had been drilled into her by her mother all her life. Of course, this gave rise to another problem. Shinkai thought Tarafa was still alive...

Jani was quiet as Shinkai rambled on and the male spoke up as well, both asking questions of her. At least the spotted lioness, Nilofer, was quiet for the moment. The green lioness gave a half-smile and answered the male first.

"No, I'm afraid not. If my mom ever knew his name, she didn't tell any of us." It had been a source of debate at times, but nothing had ever been conclusively proved one way or another. It was simply one of the mysteries of life. Though, to be fair, Jani suspected that Mittere had something to do with the silence on the subject. It was likely that her other mother hadn't wanted to hear anything at all about the mysterious male who fathered Jani and her siblings.

The green lioness fell silent again as she considered the questions Shinkai had asked. Then, finally, she spoke.

"Mom - Tarafa - she died. A year ago," Jani spoke softly, mere steps above a whisper. That didn't even begin to cover the fact that her own sister had died almost a year and a half ago, or that her nephew had passed away less than half a year ago. The family was still in mourning, despite the fact that there were six more members in it than there had been.  

[Andranis]

Shinkai's eyes widened and her ears fell back, mouth opening and closing a moment. Tarafa was... Dead? A year... She'd been dead a year... The blue lioness sat down heavily, grief washing over her. "I've been gone too long..." She blinked back tears. "I never should have left the Kitwana..." So much had happened in the past year as it was. She looked at the ground, and for a moment wondered if it was beginning to rain. But the weight of knowing Tarafa was gone, coupled with her brother's death by crocodiles finally catching up with her emotions, she soon realized the plops of moisture on the dirt beneath her was from tears sliding down her muzzle.

Well now things were awkward... He cringed a little, unsure of how to react. Lutfi wasn't exactly the greatest with crying... Anythings. Nilofer had set a high bar on how he anticipated lionesses to react to things, and crying had never been her thing. Proud, stubborn, never shedding a tear... Angry at times... But never sobbing. He hesitated and lifted a paw, patting Shinkai's back. "I-it's okay... These things happen... It sounds like she's in a better place.. Without coughing a lung up..."

The spotted lioness watched the male with something akin to amusement. He was so amusingly awkward around a crying lioness... She calmly shoved him out of the way and sat down, hugging Shinkai as best a lion could hug another lion. "Shhh, it's okay... Even Seers can't anticipate everything in their lives... He's right, though... She's not suffering anymore... She's with the gods now..." She glanced at Jani. "I don't suppose you could lead us in? She's in no shape to be leading anybody anywhere right now..." She paused. "And don't think we'll blame you for her being in this state, she'd find out eventually." It was best, sometimes, to just get the pleasantries of death announcements out of the way and over with.  

[mouselet]

It was distinctly odd to be here, watching this lioness she'd never met before in her life crying over Jani's dead mother. Sure the green lioness missed her mom - often - but for the most part she'd learned how to move on with her life. The wound wasn't raw anymore.

And the male wasn't helping things at all. He didn't seem to know how to cope with another's grief - well, he wasn't from the Kitwana'antara, so he almost certainly had less experience than anyone who'd been born here. Not to mention that his poor choice of words about coughing up a lung made Jani wince inwardly.

At least the spotted lioness seemed to understand and be able to keep things...if not under control, then at least moving forward. That was something. Jani nodded to Nilofer and grabbed her hare, draping the small corpse over her back so that she could talk while she walked.

"I can do that," she agreed, moving to take the lead position. "And it's true, Mom wasn't doing particularly well at the end. Mother said that the pregnancy was too much of a strain on her, just like Nyesha's..."

Oh...s**t. She hadn't meant to bring up Nyesha. Crap.  

[Andranis]

The lung comment, well-intentioned joke though it was, hadn't helped and the quiet tears had turned into sobs. At the urgings of the black and blue lioness, Shinkai stood up and started to walk, quietly walking. Her sobs that had quickly come and just as quickly subsided, replaced by a silent grief. She had told herself, as a cub, that she shouldn't get attached to others, because they would eventually die before her. Her parents had, her brothers and sisters... Gone before they'd fully lived. Wrapped up in her own world, she didn't notice Jani's words continue.

Lutfi's ears folded back. "I'm sorry, that was a bad joke..." He hadn't missed the looks he'd gotten from it from Shinkai and Nilofer. If Jani had given him a look, he'd missed that one. He flicked his ears, opting to listen instead. Nilofer looked more talkative, so he decided to let her take the conversational reigns. As they moved deeper into the lands, he glanced around, taking note of how some of the lions looked. He suddenly hoped he didn't get sick... Or if he did, he was immune as Shinkai said she was. Or a carrier... She said they didn't suffer much... He didn't think he wanted to die just yet.

She watched the green lioness, listening curiously. "So being pregnant and sick.. Isn't a really good idea..." She cringed, hoping herself that she didn't end up overtly sick. She didn't want to die right after having cubs. Her ear pricked suddenly and she looked back at Jani. "Nyesha? Who's Nyesha, if I may ask...?" Names tended, quite often, to be rather gender-neutral. From the sounds of it, though, Nyesha was female, possibly a friend, sister, aunt, cousin... Some form of relative. She hadn't missed the use of 'mom' and 'mother' referring to two different lions, of course, but for a lioness from the Ukuucha... A cub had multiple mothers and one father. It wasn't unusual to her to hear such a thing.  

[mouselet]

Jani refrained from commenting on the poor attempt at a joke and the subsequent apology. The male would learn. Or he'd find himself ostracized. It was that simple. As for the black and blue lioness...Jani supposed she should reply to Nilofer.

"It doesn't always happen that way, but the way Mother explained it, it's that being pregnant is going to strain a lioness' body no matter what. If the person in question is already suffering from a disease, it severely lessens the chance that they'll survive childbirth." It was a little odd, at first, to have a Warrior discussing this. But if there was anything Mittere knew as well as a Healer, or better, it was how much strain a body could take. Jani had never heard of a case where the pink lioness pushed one of her trainees to their breaking point, and she knew that while Mittere took the training seriously, she also respected the effects the disease could have on her students.

But there was one more question to answer.

"Nyesha..." Jani paused, swallowed, and tried again. "Nyesha was my sister." Strange, how it was harder to say that, though it had been so long since Nyesha had gone. She had thought she'd been doing better with that particular grief. Apparently she'd been wrong.  

[Andranis]

She glanced at Jani, feeling a new sense of grief, though it wasn't so much for the green lioness' sister. It was entirely for her own brothers and sisters, her parents, any cousins, any other relatives.. The sorrow of loss of her family, the knowledge that she was all that was left of it. She gave a snuffle, pausing to rub her nose on an arm. "I'm... I'm so sorry for your loss, Jani... I know that feeling, of losing loved ones... You have my condolences."

The male gave the spotted lioness a look, feeling like she'd just crossed a line. Granted, she'd been polite, but still! His gaze returned to Jani. "I... I hope you don't lose anymore like that... So young..." He could only guess how young her sister was when she'd died. Jani herself didn't look all that old, even in a pride where most of the members were ravaged with disease. He spied a lion here and there who, despite looking gaunt and ill, themselves didn't look that old. He paused, openly gawking at a black lioness that had markings on her face that looked like part of her cheek had rotted away to expose her teeth. "These are some interesting markings in this pride..." He let out a surprised sound as he felt a paw swat the back of his head.

Nilofer grabbed Lutfi by his mane, yanking him down to her level. "Be a dear, love, and STOP GAWKING. It's not polite." She let him go, continuing to walk. She looked at Jani, offering a smile. "If it's any consolation... I've no idea if one of my sisters is alive or dead. She vanished from our birth pride with her Pad.." She paused. "Ah, Pad being the rank of all the males in the pride.. But they vanished and never returned. Nobody knew where they went." She sighed, frowning. "The Ukuucha collapsed not too long after that... Now I don't know where ANY of my brothers and sisters are, or any of my mothers."  

[mouselet]

"Thanks," Jani replied quietly, acknowledging the sympathy of the lions she led. It helped a little, but not that much. Especially not when the male talked of how young Nyesha must have been, given the green lioness' age. He didn't even know the half of it. Not about Kua...and Jani resolved not to bring up her nephew.

She barely heard the interplay about markings. Even if the Huntress had, she'd likely have ignored it, simply because markings were markings. You were born with them and you passed them onto your children. What more was there?

"We're well into pride lands now," the lioness said instead. "I think you can probably find your way from here."

Without another word she headed off. Maybe Amani would be free. Then she could cry into his mane for a while.  

[Andranis]

Shinkai watched Jani go, offering the green lioness a smile. "Have a good day, Jani..." As good as one could when they were ill. She didn't personally know of Jani's ailment status, but like many, she assumed any lion to be ill until they said otherwise. She looked at the two with her and motioned with her head. "Come on, we should go this way..." She didn't give a reason, only started to walk, leading the way.

Lutfi glanced after Jani one last time, then turned and followed Shinkai. He had no idea how life was about to change for him, here in the Kitwana. He wouldn't be leaving again... Ever.

Letting out a puff of air, Nilofer followed the other two. Could she raise cubs here? There was some thought, before she nodded to herself. Yes, yes she could. The circumstances of the pride weren't necessarily pleasant, but it was also a pride, and they had all the core beliefs OF a pride... Which was any at all. Plus... They weren't EATING each other, so she'd give them that. And growing up in a pride where they allowed hybrids and non-lions... She couldn't complain. The blue-marked lioness glanced at some of the other lions, then hurried to catch up.