The sun was starting to set over the Bahari'mtoto lands, the sky painted a beautiful canvas for those below to enjoy. Kawai was watching the changing colors from the border of the pride, far from the crashing waves and soft sands and instead at the treeline where the jungle ceased and the plains began. She didn't come this way often, too worried about possibly begin caught alone and unaware, but today something called her to the less populated side of the pride. Perhaps she was seeking that old peace and comfort that she had known growing up before that Stormborn captain had brought his woes to her pride.

She gave a soft sigh as she settled down in the tall grass, looking up as the first stars began to come out, shining defiantly against the still setting sun. Things had been so much easier before. Now her father was gone and her brother, though she loved him dearly, wasn't the ruler Ram had been. Things were...tense. Off. It was like everyone was waiting on barnacle rocks for the next catastrophy to happen.

A rustling in the grass not far from where she was startled her. Blue eyes were wide and she fell silent as someone approached. Hopefully they would just pass right on by.

Nantale, however, was walking straight for the hidden lioness without realizing she was there. She wasn't heading purposefully towards the Bahari though she could tell there was a pride here by the smell alone. She and Ndoto were about done being rogues and she wished to find a new place to settle and finally relax, but they needed to find a willing place to take them in first. They were taking their time and not rushing into anything, wandering around and trying to find nice environments first, prides second. She could smell the faint salt of the sea on the breeze and shivered, her memories of being swept up in a flood giving her pause for a moment.

It was then that her nose caught the scent of another lioness...very close. Alert and wary, Nantale slowed her pace but almost stumbled upon the hidden lioness anyway. The two froze when they saw one another but neither presented any aggressive body language, slowly relaxing the pair.

"Ah...hello," Kawai said with a tiny smile, hoping to break the ice. Nantale backed up a few paces to give the other lioness a bit of room, lowering her head a bit.

"I apologize for intruding. I didn't realize you were there."

"Oh, no, it's all right! I was sort of hidden, wasn't I?" Kawai gave a weak laugh as she rose to her paws, shaking out her fur to relax a little. It seemed the stranger wasn't here to intrude on purpose. Nantale glanced around, realizing the edge of the forest was probably where the pride lands began. Turning her gaze back to the blue stranger, she tilted her head very slightly in question.

"Are you a member of the pride here?"

"Oh, yes! I'm Kawai, and this is the Bahari'mtoto." Kawai gave the other lioness a wide smile, hopeful to make a good impression for her homeland. Even if it was in a bit of turmoil still she loved it with all of her heart and wouldn't deny her heritage. Nantale nodded slightly as she was given both the name of the pride and the lioness, wondering what sort of pride was hidden in the trees.

"I am Nantale. My mate Ndoto is around here somewhere, though I doubt he'll follow me this far," she said, giving Kawai her name in return. "We're looking for a place to call home. Would you tell me about your pride?" The excitement in Kawai's eyes was a good sign, but Nantale was wary of new places that smelled like water. She doubted she'd want to give this place a try but it didn't hurt to ask.

"Oh, of course! We're a fairly relaxed pride, we have a beautiful beach and everyone loves the sea. A lot of our culture revolves around it, in fact. My brother is the current ruler and I'm sure he'd be happy to greet you if you wanted to stay here. Ah..." Kawai's smile faltered just a bit, remembering that newcomers were still a bit suspicious to some here.

"Though we haven't been having the best political climate for a while. Things are a bit...tense. Newcomers are welcome but are watched. We had a bad run-in with some rather awful lions, you see. Everyone's a bit on edge still." That news made Nantale frown, more strikes piling up against this pride. Kawai seemed like a very nice lioness and she didn't doubt the lands were beautiful, but she didn't want more stress piling up on her like it had back home. Perhaps it would be best to move on to another spot.

"It sounds like a lovely place," she said, not wanting to be rude. "But I'm not terribly fond of water so I'm not sure I'd be a good fit here." That much was true, at least. Even looking at water brought back terrible flashes of memories. Anything larger than a watering hole was a bit too much for her.

Kawai nodded with an understanding expression, a bit sad that Nantale and her mate wouldn't come to explore but she understood fears. She didn't blame them either if they wanted to steer clear of potentially chilly political environments. She knew if she had the choice she wouldn't live in a pride where things were always tense. But the Bahari was her home, as she had thought before, and she wouldn't leave unless forced.

"Well, I wish you luck on your search, Nantale. May you and your mate find the best possible pride for the both of you."

"Ah...thank you," Nantale said with a little bob of her head. For having been the ruler of the Nchi for so long one would think her social skills would have improved, but no. Ah well. She wasn't in charge anymore for a reason. "I'll leave you to your...whatever you were doing."

"Oh, just watching the sun set," Kawai said pleasantly as Nantale turned to go. The blue lioness settled back down in the grass as she watched the stranger leave, her tail curling around her legs as she got comfortable. "Farewell!" she called out once Nantale had disappeared back into the grass.

Nantale paused at the final word, wondering if she should say something in return, but decided against it. The brown lioness pushed through the tall grass and soon the two were too far apart to see or hear or smell one another, exiting each others lives as quickly as they had entered.

FIN
WC: 1124