(Private for TheWhistlerify)

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Siri kicked her legs in delight and she rolled around. Her laughs became so uncontrollable that her eyes welled up with happy tears. When she became exhausted from the laughter she asked Laini to stop, and of course she did. The cub was ecstatic about all the attention she had received; when she heard Dakari's distinguishable voice she grew even happier.

Mjuvi also felt happier at the sight of his brother, even if he had startled him ever so slightly from emerging from the tall grass. He gave him a nod and a smile; the thought of a nice cool drink made his smile grow.
"Nice one" he replied, appreciative of his efforts. Siri had clambered out of the sunken ground just as Mjuvi stood in the spot he had sat in and turned to face his sisters. "Dakari has found a waterhole" he said, more-so to Laini than his youngest sister, who was already bounding towards their eldest brother.

[TheWhistlerify]

Laini tickled her little sister, enjoying every second of being able to make Siri laugh after the way She'd cried earlier. Eventually she had no choice but to stop and that was when she also heard Dakari's voice. Following the cub outside, she felt relief wash over her as Mjuvi informed her that their brother had been successful in finding water. "Thank goodness..." she said quietly. Since they were in an area they were unfamilliar with she'd been concerned about whether there even was any water around to begin with.

Dakari smiled warmly as he saw Siri run in his direction. While she was always happy to see him, there was no doubt that Laini and Mjuvi had kept her mood up during his absence. "I found some water for you." he said softly, nuzzling the cub as she rubbed her little body against his nose. "But while we go there I need you to remain absolutely quiet. Don't make a sound." Just because he hasn't come across anything dangerous yet did not mean there wasn't one nearby. He looked at his other siblings. "We'll head through the tall grass." They'll be hidden that way and, as a result, safer.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Siri purred for a few moments, but the purr soon died when Dakari told them all to not make a sound. She glanced at the tall grass and thought how easy it would be to get lost in there. Mjuvi just gave another firm nod at Dakari's words. He wondered if there were any other animals at the waterhole. Dakari would have mentioned them if they had been a threat though.

With a sense of hesitancy in the air, the four began to move through the tall grass. Mjuvi stayed at the back allowing his sisters in front of him and his brother to lead. Siri was almost walking underneath Dakari; she didn't want to distance herself from him. The rustling that they were making themselves made her cautious, but she trusted in her brother.

[TheWhistlerify]

Having expected Dakari to pick Siri up and carry her so to reduce the chances of her running off, Laini made sure to keep an eye on her little sister the whole time. Even if the cub did look worried about straying away from Dakari, there was no telling what might happen.

As Dakari slowly and cautiously led his siblings towards their destination he made sure to constantly listen out for anything that might sound suspicious and to look behind him briefly every once in a few seconds to make sure nobody has wondered off. He also tried to identify the scent of anything that might be a threat to them, but he couldn't find anything. After a not so long period of time they reached what marked the end of the tall grass.

Dakari halted, making sure Siri wouldn't run directly towards the waterhole which was now before their very eyes. There were no animals next to it, but he still had one reservation about this whole thingml. The waterhole was right in the middle of a wide, open clearing. "Wait here." They still needed water, however. The best way to find out whether there was any threat waiting for them to reveal themselves was to do just that.

Making sure his siboings stayed where they were, the young adult slowly made his way out of their hiding place and towards the edge of the water. Listening out carefully, he simply stood there motionlessly for what felt like forever to Laini, before turning around to face them with a smile. At least for now, they were alone. "You can come out now." he said, happy that they could all get the water they needed now.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Mjuvi, while rather brash and bold most of the time, definitely felt apprehensive after ever step he took. The horror they had experienced made them all more nervous than normal. When Siri heard Dakari say wait here, she stopped dead in her tracks. If this had been a more casual situation she'd be bounding among the tall grass. As soon as Dakari gave the approval, Siri skipped over to him, nuzzled his leg and then approached the water's edge. She began lapping up the cool liquid, flicking away a fly with her ear. Mjuvi was close behind. He moved a little slower than Siri.

He stood and stared down at the water for a moment, noticing movement below the liquid. A few small fish scattered as he lent over to drink. The young cub didn't need too much to satisfy her thirst, so she flopped by the water, dipping her paws in. Unlike most lions, she didn't mind water too much. She hadn't attempted to swim because her mother always told her she was too young.

[TheWhistlerify]

While Dakari's approval did reassure Laini quite a bit, there was still evident hesitation in her as she slowly followed Mjuvi over to the edge of the waterhole. Since the sun has only begun to rise, the water was quite cold after the night. Because of how thirsty she's been since yesterday, the feeling of cool water run down her throat had to be one of the most refreshing sensations she'd felt in quite a while. The adolescent kept on drinking, eventually surprising herself with just how thirsty she actually was. She never imagined a lion or lioness her size could drink so much water at one go.

Dakari continued to stand next to the waterhole, watching his siblings as they all satisfied their first. During that time he also kept listening out carefully for anything that might sound suspicious. For all he knew, they could be in another pride's territory or by a tiger's favorite water source. It was only after a few more moments that he began to drink as well, again making sure to remain as focused on their surroundings as he could. Much like Laini, he too was thirstier than he thought he was.

After he'd finally finished drinking he stared at his reflection for a few moments. This was probably the first time he didn't feel like diving right into a waterhole after lapping up some water. Not having a problem with water was something he and Siri had in common. Looking around, he soon realized that he didn't have any idea what to do next. Sure, they had water and a sleeping spot not so far from it, but should they stay there? Should they maybe look for another pride to join, or would that be too big of a risk? For now, at least, they had what they needed; water, a well hidden place to sleep and plenty of potential prey around.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Siri, bot under Dakari's gaze at that time and feeling a littler bolder, stepped into the water. The depth only rose to halfway up her forelegs. Mjuvi noticed her and was about to say something; the cub felt something touch her paw, probably a small fish. She squealed and recoiled backwards, falling head first into the shallow water. Mjuvi let out a loud laugh, but soon controlled himself to just a chuckle. She re-emerged and stood in the water, an angry frown across her face.

"Mjuvi don't laugh at me" she complained. He smiled and shook his head. She was just as silly as he could be. The adolescent felt his stomach grumble. He couldn't be that hungry. The pride had fed the day before last. If he was hungry then he could bet that Siri was too; she needed her food. The same questions running through Dakari's mind had run through his; although he wasn't too keen to join a pride.

[TheWhistlerify]

While Dakari had to admit that Siri's antics were adorable and even laughable at times, he kept his reaction down to a small smile, not making a big deal out of Mjuvi's laughter because there really was nothing to make a big deal of. "Now, Siri," he said with a chuckle, placing his paw on her frowny little head. "what happened? I thought you loved water." He enjoyed asking her questions about random things. Sometimes the naivety and youthfulness of her answers reminded him of how it was like when he was her age.

Laini meanwhile wasn't paying much attention to her little sister. Instead she looked at Mjuvi, who was still quite amused by Siri's little stunt. "Where do you think we are?" she asked. She doubted he had an answer, but she still felt like asking. To her it looked like the middle of nowhere, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. That is, depending on what other animals lived in the area. As long as she was with her brothers and sister, she couldn't care less about where exactly they all were as long as they were safe.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

"I do love water" Siri protested. Shaking his paw off so she could shake her body free of the remaining water. "But a monster touched my paw...so I fell over". She gestured towards the water and glared. She assumed it was a monster of some sort; nothing else would be so evil as to make her jump back like that.

Mjuvi on the other hand was observing his surroundings, a small smile still across his maw because of Siri. He turned to look at Laini when she asked him a question. He sighed and gave a little shrug.
"Somewhere beyond the Western border of our old territory maybe". It was an educated guess. He remembered roughly which way they had left their old den to begin with.

Spoiler: show

Sorry my reply has taken so long, I went for dinner ^^

[TheWhistlerify]

Dakari couldn't help but chuckle as Siri shook off his paw followed by the water that was still soaked into her fur. "A monster?" he asked, putting on a playful expression that was somehow serious at the same time. "What sort of monster would perform such an evil act?" It was impossible for him to prevent himself from grinning by that point. He bent over to take a close look, his head close to his little sister who was still standing in the shallow water. "Good grief, Siri!" he suddenly exclaimed. "That's a fish!"

Mjuvi's answer, in a way, was actually more than Laini had expected to hear. If anything, what her brother had just said could help her find their old home again. Then a thought crossed her mind. Surely some of their pride members were still alive. But she soon dismissed the option of going back. It would be way too big of a risk. "I wonder whether anybody lives here..." Although, on second thought, it might be better if nobody lived in the area they were now in.