A Change of Plans [PRIVATE: AC & The Whistlerify]

[AustralianChaos]

Nala managed to smile at her mother. Yes, they were seperating, for what would be a long time...but Nala got the feeling that everything would be okay. She quickly jumped up to her mother, giving her a prolonged, warm nuzzle. "Take care of yourself, mum...I'll see you in a few months."

With those words, she turned to Simba, her voice sad, but strong. "I guess we'd better go."

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba looked at Nala and Sarafina. Nala seemed to be handling the seperation from her mother pretty well. He nodded at Nala as the two began to walk away, leaving Sarafina behind. After a short silence Simba decided to trya nd start a talk. "Don't worry, everything will be fine, I promise." he said in an attempt to cheer her up. After all it would be up to him to over throw Scar when the time arrived, so he didn't feel like lying when he promised he would set everything right. He couldn't wait to get revenge at Scar for everything he did.

[AustralianChaos]

Nala sighed, looking back as the two of them headed towards the south. "I know...and that's the only reason I can bear leaving right now. Well, that...and I'd be left in the Pridelands without any friends left!" she added, some of her usual playfullness returning to her. "You really think I'm gonna sit back and let you have all the fun with Tanga and Marini!"

Thinking of her two friends caused another grin to sprout on her face...anything to distract her from the fact that she was leaving her mother behind was a help. "After what we saw yesterday, what do think's happened between those two?" she asked, a sly grin on her face at the thought of all the teasing that would most likely be awaiting Tanga and Marini.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba was quite surprised when Nala's playfullness came back to her so quickly. He was happy that she got over it this quickly. "I don't know." he said, wondering how the two of them had been untill now and if something happend between the two. Nala's question caused him to think about him and her, but decided not to bring that up. At least not for the time being. "I'm sure Marini was having fun though." he said with a grin

[AustralianChaos]

Nala laughed, using the distraction to it's fullest. Sarafina and Scar...and their exile...still clung to the back of her mind, but right now she fully intended to keep their situation as light-hearted as possible. All she had to do was think of how much worse it could have been, and she knew that everything was going to be fine.

"Knowing how shy Tanga can be, I'm sure she's driving him insane! But still, when I revealed that Tanga had a crush on her, you should have seen her. The way she talked to me at the top of Pride Rock makes she certain she likes him a lot, too."

And there it was. When Nala mentioned Pride Rock, her good mood vanished as her attempt to distract herself crumbled to dust. Looking back towards the home they could no longer live in for close to a year, Nala released a heavy sigh, her eyes growing misty as tears began to swim in them. "I'm sure mum will be fine," she said softly. "But still...I'm really going to miss her, and Pride Rock, too. I just hope Scar doesn't make her do anything..."

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba noticed Nala's quick change of mood and felt like he had to comfort her. He tried to hold himself, so he wont do anything stupid beside using words. "Don't worry, Sarafina's too smart for him. She'll be fine." he said calmly, even though when it came to Scar, you could never know for sure

[AustralianChaos]

Nala managed a weak smile at Simba. "Thanks, Simba...you seem to know just what to say to help me out."

She then look at where they were heading, noticing that they were close to the river Sarabi had told them about in her directions to Tanga and Marini. She looked back one last time towards their home, nothing more than an indistinct shape on the distant horizon. "Still, I guess we'll be coming back here to hunt...and once your older, and ready to take Pride Rock yourself, everything will go back to normal, won't it?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba was again reminded about his and Nala's betrothal. He was about to say something about that when she spoke about their need to come into the Pride Lands to hunt. "I promise you, I'll make Pride Rock a peaceful home like it used to be. We will all go back and have a normal life. Tanga and Marini will be back, you will see your mother again." he nudged her slightly with his paw to make sure she was listening, I'll set everything right. He then looked back at the distant shape which he used to live at untill now, "We'll have to make sure no one sees us when we go hunting though." he said and sighed

[AustralianChaos]

Nala could see that there was something bothering Simba other than their exile, but decided not to ask about it...he would tell her when he was ready, and she really wanted time to get accustomed to everything that had happened in just two short days before piling more issues into her already crammed head.

The two of them reached the river just as Simba finished speaking about their new hunting regimen, which involved avoiding the rest of the pride. "Yeah..." she said distantly to his words, before pulling herself out of her thoughts and looking at the river, hesitating.

Nala was not exactly afraid of water...but he have a massive desire to avoid it at all costs, except when drinking. It was another one of the reasons she avoided playing at the waterhole whenever she could. Sarabi had described this series of bends in the river as the crossing point, but Nala could tell she was going to have to swim to get across. "Is...is there another way across?" she asked Simba meeky, hoping he would not notice her hesitation, and put her question down to simply not wanting to get her fur wet.

[TheWhistlerify]

Simba was busy looking at the river and searching for the two trees, which the crossing point was mentioned to be between. "Mom said there's a shallower part between two trees..." he said, before seeing it a little to their right "There."