Secrets of the Past [AustralianChaos & KiarasMate]

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga listened intently, pausing in his meal as Singa explain her tradition, and the Ancient Leonid words she spoke over the killed zebra, watching as she showed the actions and words, and explained their meaning, smiling as he began to understand it. "Ah...I understand now. Thank you, Singa...despite what you've told me about your pride, I think this is one tradition I'd like to adopt," he said softly, promising himself that he would remember this for the next hunt he performed as he returned to his meal, surprised Singa was deliberately avoiding the most nourishing parts of the zebra, leaving them for him. She was almost too polite and respectful, in a way. But he knew that lions could live without the bonus nourishment, as for long stretches in his life he'd done so himself...he just hoped Singa would come to understand that out here, she could look after herself as well.

As Tanga himself felt his belly beginning to protest just how much he was filling it, he looked over at Singa, cleaning his muzzle as she spoke to him, looking much more content now that her belly was filled. He ducked his head slightly as she gave her eternal gratitude. "It was nothing, Singa...I was taught to be kind to anyone I met unless they gave me reason to act otherwise. You owe me nothing...it's just nice to see you so much happier," he said, only to pause once more as she continued. "You don't have to do anything for me...like I said, I owed you this meal for accidentally ruining your hunt. And please, I have no intentions of leaving...if you don't mind me staying, that is. I haven't had a chance for company in quite a number of moons now, I really don't want to lose this chance."

Tanga once more ducked his head, his somewhat shy side coming out now that their continued companionship was no longer by virtue of self-preservation. "I...I guess my family never really imposed themselves on anyone who didn't want our company...but because we were rogues, there was pretty much no-one who eanted our company, so we were always sent on our way. And when they were...killed...it's just been me since..." he looked back up at her, realising he was inadvertantly using his harsh upbringing to almost guilt-trip her into letting him stay. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to go on and on about my sob story. I'm not used to having others around, so I can just think aloud when I shouldn't. I won't say any more...if you don't want me around, I can leave, it isn't a problem." Despite his words, his tone of voice told a different story, that while he would willingly leave if she wished it, he was silently praying that she would accept his company. He really wanted something to hang about with, someone to talk to.

[KiarasMate]

Secretly feeling relieved that Tanga wasn’t planning on leaving right away, as she was enjoying his company more than she would have even anticipated from their initial encounter with one another, another warm smile etched its way across Singa’s countenance as she took in everything the golden furred lion was saying. The more she thought about things, the more she realized that Tanga was unlike every other male she known up to this point in her life. For one thing, he was humble, and by choice it seemed, rather than by decree as it had been in her pride for all the lionesses. There also didn’t appear to be a single arrogant bone within the black maned male’s body, something Singa was most grateful for as well. She had had quite enough of dealing with inflated egos from the males of her former family, if one could even call them that, and finally being able to breathe on her own without worrying about repercussions or restrictions was truly a welcomed change of pace.

”Well then Tanga-Mwokozi, if you insist that I not hunt for you out of payment for your kindness, perhaps you will allow me the honor of at least hunting for you as a friend?” Singa replied in a lighthearted tone.

Continuing to hang onto every word Tanga spoke, Singa’s jubilant smile slowly began to melt into a frown as her company brought up the subject of his murdered family once more, causing that same pang of guilt and remorse to cut through the tawny furred lioness’ heart, making her wince openly. Trying her best not to look as though his statement had soured the mood by any means however, Singa quickly shook her head and replaced her previous smile with a new one before replying to Tanga’s second remark, her fore paws slowly caressing over her swollen tummy to try and help with the digestion process, or so it came off as looking that way.

”Despite the way fate decided to bring us together upon this day Tanga, I truly am being sincere when I say that I have enjoyed your company immensely, and I would be doing myself a disservice by asking you to leave. I can’t promise you though, that my presence is worth keeping around, but if you’ll tolerate me for as long as possible, I will do what needs to be done to make sure that both of our lives are enriched somehow.”

Rising to all fours, the young lioness leisurely strolled over next to Tanga before lightly bumping her head against his, something that was perceived as being a show of friendship and goodwill towards one another in the ways of the Ancient Leonids. Pausing for a second as she looked deeply into the young male’s captivating blue eyes until she became aware of the fact that she was staring quite intrusively at her guest, Singa shyly broke eye contact as she stayed quiet for a minute, her thoughts being a mixed bag of emotions as she pondered over the day’s events thus far. It wasn’t until a faint whooping sound that was being carried upon the wind, reached her ears did Singa snap back to reality as she scoffed aloud.

”Wanyama! Filthy hyena vermin!” Singa scowled as she glanced down at the remains of the zebra carcass. Both she and Tanga had eaten their fill it appeared, and there didn’t look to be enough left over that was worth putting up a fight against the spotted scavengers for. Turning to the black maned lion, Singa resumed speaking, the malice now absent from her voice. ”Shall we be going Tanga-Mwokozi? To be honest, I can’t stand the smell of those cackling mongrels. Makes me almost want to retch on the spot thinking about them eating off the same kill that my own muzzle touched.”

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga looked up, a small, shy smile reaching his muzzle at her suggestion that she help hunt for him out of friendship. "I...I guess I'd be a fool to say no to that...as long as you let me do the same," he replied softly, still trying to get the fact that she was open to a friendship between them to sink in fully. No-one outside his immediate famly wanted anything to do with him, and now this lioness was fully prepared to offer him something he had only wished for before now...a friend.

He frowned slightly as she accepted his companionship, but with a warning that suggested she thought of herself as rather unbearable company. "I'm sure your presence will be more than tolerable, and is definitely worth keeping around. I had to put up with a little brother who had the energy of an entire pride of cubs all to himself...trust me, I can very patient." While the mention of his deceased little brother brought a pained look to his features, he managed to keep the humour in his tone, refusing to let the memories drag the cheery mood between them down any longer. "And trust me, Singa, I intend to try my best to help us out as much as possible, too. I would be dishonouring the memories of my family by doing otherwise."

Tanga was somewhat surprised when Singa padded forward and bumped her head against his own, in what only be interpreted as some sort of affectionate gesture. The yellow-furred lion, though, was unfamiliar with the gesture, and that, couple with Singa's presence deep within his personal space as she stared at him, caused him to stare back for a moment, before ducking his head shyly, not really sure what to say or do.

He was distracted from the potentially awkward moment, however, when he heard the faint, distant whooping that alerted him to an approaching group of hyenas, sighing slightly as Singa scoffed. It seemed that, even among the hyena packs, his compassionate reputation preceeded him. Once, when hyenas attempted to steal his kill, he had managed to talk them down, striking a deal that if they let him eat first, and in peace, then everything that was left over could be claimed by them without protest. The first few groups he had done this deal with had been surprised to find he often left a good portion of the really nutritious and tasty sections for them, despite having the first access to the meal.

And now it seemed, his reputation had started spreading between packs, if they were onto his kill this early. Fortunately, as he looked over what was left of the zebra, he noticed there was enough meat left to feet a few of the whooping canines, and he'd even left a few of the succulent morsels alone out of sheer habit, something he was sure the hyenas would appreciate. But there was still a chance the hyenas might want to pick a fight, and he wanted to avoid that, even as Singa suggested they leave.

"Go on ahead, Singa...I'll talk with them. I've done this before, and I'd rather not risk them chasing after us. As you can see, I'm not exactly built for fighting," he commented dryly, gesturing to his lean, undersized frame. Despite being the only cub of his parents first litter, he had still ended up being a runt, and such, he had a distinct lack of brute strength, meaning he was not a very capable fighter, even if he was able to run away from a conflict much more ably than most other lions. He just hoped he wouldn't need to use such measures himself, as he sat calmly beside the zebra carcass, waiting for the arrival of the hyenas.

((OOC: You think you could play the hyenas for this small part, KM?))

[KiarasMate]

[OOC: Sure thing.}

”You mean to tell me that you are going to try and reason with those dirty half-wits Tanga?” Singa uttered in a befuddled voice as she paused in mid step, glancing back over her shoulder to examine her company’s expression for any signs of jest. She found no such thing however, as Tanga’s countenance showed no evidence that he was kidding. Coming to the split second conclusion that there would be no point in arguing against the black maned lion’s decision, as foolish of a notion it seemed to Singa herself, the tawny furred lioness merely shook her head as she padded off quickly, muttering something in Ancient Leonid incoherently under her breath as she did so.

As much as she knew she didn’t want to, Singa’s initial response was to simply be on her way, as in her mind, Tanga’s fate would probably be sealed by however many of the filthy hyenas that would show up and surely do him in. Sure, it was absolutely spineless of her to leave him to fend for himself, yet desperate times called for even more desperate measures and Singa wasn’t about to put her own life in jeopardy, even if it was to protect a friend, or so she had thought, but the further she distanced herself from where she had parted ways with the young male, something deep within her being, urged her to double back. Torn between ensuring a secure future for herself, or running the risk of getting killed alongside Tanga, Singa reluctantly turned back the way she had come. Making her way as quietly as possible until she could once again see Tanga off in the distance with the small clan of hyenas closing in fast, the young lioness took cover within the tall grass of the savannah, her presence practically undetectable to the untrained eye.

”Luck be with you Tanga-Mwokozi.” Singa thought to herself as she looked on nervously. While she was too far off from Tanga’s location to actually pick up anything that would be verbally exchanged, Singa could easily see that the odds were grossly in the favor of the hyenas as they were five strong, and there was only one of Tanga. ”Little good I am to you Tanga.” Singa thought as she held her breath, just waiting for something bad to happen, but what took place next surprised her completely.

As the small clan of five hyenas drew closer to where Tanga was positioned, two of the members splintered off from the rest and began to approach the seemingly lone lion. The largest of the clan members, a female with very distinct patterning’s of spots adorning her rather unkempt looking pelt, led the advance, a slightly smaller male with unusually beady looking eyes following close behind her, brought up by the remaining three hyenas in the rear ranks. Upon a swift unspoken signal given by the large female, the three lingering hyena clan members halted in their tracks, now being roughly a hundred or so paws length away from where Tanga stood. Continuing to close the remaining distance between herself and the golden furred lion, all the while being shadowed by the smaller male hyena,, it didn’t appear as though there was any hesitation in the look of either parties eyes. Something that perplexed Singa greatly.

”So, you weren’t lyin’ after all Kicheko.” The large spotted female grumbled as she stopped directly in front of where Tanga was stationed, the dead zebra carcass being the only thing between herself and the black maned feline.

”I told ya! I told ya!” The smaller hyena, who was trailing behind the large female, exclaimed, his words punctuated with fits of laughter. ”It’s him! It’s him!”

”So it is.” The large female hyena cooed back thoughtfully to Kicheko as she eyed Tanga curiously before directing her conversation to the solitary lion in front of her. ”Would ya happen to be Tanga by any chance there Fluff Ball?” She inquired, making sure to keep her tone of voice as civilized as she could to illustrate that she wasn’t here to cause any ill tidings.

”Yeah yeah, are ya, are ya?” Kicheko chimed in right away. Seemingly annoyed by the smaller male’s unnecessary addition to the question she had just posed, the large female shot Kicheko an icy stare, instantly making him cower as he murmured apologetically. ”Sorry Azani, sorry Azani.”

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga watched as Singa left, nodding slightly...he had doubted she would want to stay, considering the possible danger. He just hoped he would be able to catch up with her later on. But his thoughts of his new friend were pulled away as the hyenas arrived, the larger female speaking up, clearly the leader of the small pack before. He glanced at the carcass, and figured there would be enough for the five of them to eat a comfortable amount. I would hardly be a feast, but they shouldn't have to ration either, especially with the few organs left over.

Tanga watched their initial exchange with some interest. Unlike most other lions, who seemed to despise hyenas, Tanga had a certain curiosity towards the creatures. He wanted to understand them, not shun them. He quickly discerned that the leader was named Azani, and the smaller, excited male with her was called Kicheko. He smiled at Kicheko's antics, which actually reminded him a little of his late younger brother, before answering the leader. "I am Tanga, miss," he said politely, giving her a respectful nod. "And by the sound of things, it seems someone here has already heard of me," he added, giving a small, but relatively warm smile to Kicheko.

He quickly turned back to Azani, though. "Now, if you've heard of me, you've probably heard of my dealings with other hyena packs nearby in the past. But today, there's small a small change. I had company today, and as such, there isn't as much left over as I usually leave. I'm afraid my company had gone without sustenance for some days, and really needed it. But as you can see, there is still plenty, and as always, I've some of the best morsels for you. There should be enough for all of you," he said, gesturing over to three hyenas waiting in the near distance. He just hoped this explanation would be enough to avoid a confrontation...the other hyena packs had been agreeable enough, but the fewer leftovers today could be a sticking point, even if there was still enough for them.

[KiarasMate]

Upon hearing Tanga’s verbal confirmation that he was, in fact, the specific feline he thought he had been, Kicheko let out an eager sounding yip as he spun around in place several times, obviously excited over the prospects of what was to come. Keeping a more dignified air about her however, Azani remained impassive as she nodded once to acknowledge the golden furred lion’s reply. Glancing momentarily over at her energetic clan member, flashing him another stern gaze which instantaneously caused him to cease his antics, Azani turned her attention back to Tanga as she answered in an auspicious voice.

”Your reputation precedes ya Tanga. I’ll be frank with ya. When my sister told me about your generosity, I swore she had gone mad, but apparently it is true then? Ya don’t mind sharin’ a meal with me and my clan? You know that prey is getting’ harder and harder to come by ever since those strange creatures started showing up all over the lands.”

Seemingly not needing affirmance that the tasty looking zebra carcass was now fair game, Kicheko bounded forward, a greedy looking grin plastered across his muzzle as small strands of opaque looking drool began to form at the corners of his muzzle from the thought of sinking his teeth into what looked to be relatively fresh zebra meat. Right as his jaws were about to lay claim to the mouthwatering delicacy in front of him however, the small male seemed to suddenly be captivated by something. Taking a minute to sniff around the hind quarters of the slain beast, Kicheko’s ears drooped as he started to whine solicitously. Staring over at Azani with a hesitant look in his beady eyes, the once hyper male now appeared to be quite nervous.

”What’s gotten into ya Kicheko? Don’t tell me a free meal isn’t good enough for His Royal Glutton?” Azani grumbled indignantly as she made her way over to where her fellow clan member was situated. As soon as she reached the end of the zebra carcass where Kicheko was standing, her acute sense of smell immediately picked up upon what had disturbed him. ”Arimathea…” Azani hissed between clenched teeth before gazing back towards Tanga, a distrusting expression now chiseled upon her countenance. ”What kind of trickery are ya tryin’ to pull here Fluff Ball? Ya tryin’ to get my clan killed?” Azani stated, her tone turning dead serious as both she and Kicheko inched their way away from the deceased zebra.

”Not again! Not Again!” Kicheko whimpered as the two of them rejoined their three comrades before beating a hasty retreat, Azani giving Tanga one last apprehensive stare before the small clan of hyenas vanished out of sight, their distressed sounding calls slowly fading in the distance as they departed.

Noticing that the hyenas were leaving, Singa herself bid a hasty retreat as well, as she didn’t want Tanga to know that she had been ease dropping from afar. Both amazed by the way Tanga was able to keep a cool head during the whole confrontation, yet a little confused from the way the hyenas had suddenly up and left for no apparent reason that she could comprehend, the tawny furred lioness found herself arriving at a nearby waterhole after a few minutes of swift running. Figuring that this locale would be as good of a place as any to wait for Tanga, Singa helped herself to a drink from the murky looking water. It tasted nowhere near as good as the water had been at the grove she and Tanga had been at earlier that day, but it was sufficient enough to quell her thirst. Finding a suitable place to wait for her company to find her at, in the form of a flat surfaced rock near the bank of the waterhole, the young lioness lazily sprawled herself out on her back, letting the golden rays of the soon to be setting sun bathe her belly in warmth as she kept a sharp look out for Tanga’s arrival.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga watched as Azani seemed to consider his generosity, before speaking up, nodding at her words. "Trust me, I just met those creatures earlier today...not an experience I want to repeat. And really, I've already eaten my fill...if you don't take it, then it will just be left to waste and rot away. I really don't see the point in that, so you have your fill, and I'll be on my way." Having said that, and feeling confident that the pack was not a threat to him or Singa any more, he backed off slightly, ready to move on and catch up with his new friend.

But he paused as Kicheko seemed to become nervous about something, frowning in confusion. When Azani investigated, only to mutter something and snap at Tanga, leaving the yellow lion watching in stunned bewilderment as they turned and fled. What had that been all about? The meat was still fresh and good to eat, and he and Singa had been the only ones near it...what had made them treat it as if it was rotten and poisonous?

Realising an answer would not be forthcoming, as the hyena's actions just made no sense to him, Tanga turned and wandered off, heading the direction he had seen Singa leave before the hyenas had arrived, still trying to make sense of the hyena's behaviour even when he caught up to her some time later. "It just doesn't make any sense..." he muttered to himself. "They take one sniff of what's left, and then just bolt as it's going to get up and kill them." He looked up, though, soon spotting Singa. "Oh, hey, didn't see you there," he said softly. "Sorry, Singa, but we may have to keep moving. I have no idea what happened, but something has made the hyenas really uneasy, and I don't want to risk them coming after us."

[KiarasMate]

As soon as Tanga came into view, Singa leisurely clambered off of the rock she had been sunning herself upon before she sidled up to the black maned male. Almost immediately, she noticed his rather downtrodden look, causing her to speculate that something must have been verbally exchanged between the golden furred lion and the large female hyena, who Singa could tell just by instinct alone, was the clan leader. As the tawny furred lioness was right about to speak up and inquire about what had taken place after she had allegedly left the scene, even though she already knew part of the story from what she had witnessed from her secretive vantage point, Tanga’s words cut her off. Quickly reflecting over what the young male was telling her, Singa’s confusion only grew inside her. It made no sense that anything would have scared off five hyenas against a solitary lone lion, especially a lion of Tanga’s stature.

Knowing full well that dwelling upon the topic would do neither of them any good however, Singa nodded in agreement to Tanga’s suggestion as she started to make her way due south, taking lead for the mean time as her mind continued to cerebrate over what possibly could have spooked the hyenas enough for them to flee without even taking any of the freshly killed zebra. Sure, Singa knew that hyenas had strange beliefs and were overly superstitious in their customs and traditions, but usually a free meal was never abandoned in such a way as it had been. Realizing that she was gradually becoming lost in her own thoughts though, Singa pushed the thought from her mind as she addressed Tanga in a quiet voice, slowing her pace so that she was now walking side by side with him.

”Regardless of what happened back there between you and those despicable hyenas Tanga, I have to say that you showed great courage and tenacity. I’ve never heard of any lion or lioness even attempt to compromise with those thoughtless heathens. You must realize that as far back as the Ancient Leonid prides go; hyenas have always been mortal enemies with our kind. I know I was always taught from the very beginning, to loathe their existence, although I’ve never really found a valid reason to do so, aside from the obvious fact that they compete for the same prey that we do, and that they are such unusual creatures to begin with.”

A cool breeze gently rustled through Singa’s fur, indicating that dusk was fast approaching as the sun had already started its descent into the western skies. Feeling as though the day had gone by relatively smoothly, and had been quite productive to say the least, the young female’s thoughts shifted over to finding a suitable place to rest for the approaching evening. Although most felines were well adapted for nocturnal life, Singa had her own reasons for wanting to find refuge before night fell upon the savannah. Hoping that luck might remain on her side, the tawny coated lioness scanned ahead, her dark eyes searching for any signs of a secluded looking abode, which there didn’t seem to be any of in their current location.

”Looks like we might be sleeping under the stars tonight Tanga.” Singa remarked in a halfhearted tone, trying her utmost to suppress the nervousness that she was beginning to feel build in the pit of her stomach. While she had put a great deal of distance between herself and the Arimathea Pride’s territory, Singa couldn’t help but to feel uneasy as she glanced behind her for a second before returning her gaze back to Tanga and the path ahead of her.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga simply followed along behind Singa as they set off southward, looking back at the where the zebra carcass had been. Why had the hyenas run off so suddenly like that? What had spooked them so badly? He sighed, knowing he would not get any answers, and also knowing that he would have a much harder time keeping good relations with any future packs now. It had taken him a long time to build up his kind reputation, but he knew, when it came to hyenas, all it took was one mis-step for that reputation to be ground to dust and blown to the winds, which is exactly what Tanga believed had happened.

Tanga looked up, listening as Singa spoke, blushing lightly and ducking his ehad at her praise of his bravery, letting her finish before replying. "I've always believed that no single creature is inherently good or evil, Singa...everyone, no matter who they are, has a reason for their actions, only some reasons are better than others. Hyenas steal our food because their smaller size makes it more difficult for them to hunt their own prey...they're just desperate, but I believe I'm the only one who's bothered to find this out," he said the last part in a small voice, no self-pride evident. "So, rather than fighting with them over food I'm not going to eat, I just let them have it, usually talking with them first to ensure they don't think something suspicious is up and try to chase me down. The horrible relations we have with these creatures is born of misunderstanding because prides like your old one, no offence, judge things before they know anything about them, and refuse to change their minds when the evidence is right in front of them. I won't say I haven't done that myself, but I like to think I at least try to understand when my way of thinking is wrong or different to somebody else's."

It was true to some extent, too. When he was younger, he had hated hyenas, much the same as any other lion, believing them to be foul thieves who preyed on the fresh kill of lions just for the fun of watching families like his starve. But with some gentle coaching from his mother, he'd learned to give all creatures a chance, and after his family's murder, soon learned the truth about the hyenas, and from there, started to treat them with a bit more sympathy. He held no illusions that he would be the start of a revolution in lion-hyena relations, but knew he was doing the right thing, which was enough to put his mind at ease.

Tanga looked up as Singa commented about sleeping under the stars, looking around himself, finding nothing but empty grassland and a few scattered trees all around them. "That's not such a bad thing, Singa," he responded softly, having caught her reluctant tone. "I've slept under the stars many nights. The only trouble with it is during the rainy season, otherwise it's actually a really pleasant experience, I kind of find the wind in my fur rather soothing when I'm trying to sleep. And tonight looks like it will be a good one for sleeping under the stars," he added, looking up at the evening sky, smiling at the near-complete lack of clouds. It would be a calm night, that was for sure. "Still, if you don't like it, I can help look for something. Sometimes a usable den is nearby, just hiding well," he offered, not realising the true reason for Singa's reluctance to sleep in the open.

[KiarasMate]

”It’s fine Tanga. There’s no need for that.” Singa spoke rather objectionably directly after the last word had left the young male’s muzzle. The last thing she wanted was to give off the impression that she was uncomfortable with sleeping out in the open, let alone, that there was a valid reason for her uptightness about the subject. Hoping not to offend her company by the sudden change in tone of her voice however, the tawny furred female quickly sported a thankful looking smile before resuming her speech in a more favorable pitch to help offset her previous remark. ”Just let me pick where we’ll settle down for the night, okay?”

Much like she had done before when the two felines had tracked their way out of the secluded grove from earlier, Singa lifted her tail tuft into the air, testing the directions of the winds for a minute before continuing the trek southward, all the while, her black orbs taking in every little detail of the panorama in front of her, clearly being on the lookout for something specific. This came in the form of a snarled group of acacia trees that gradually came into view as the pair progressed in their travels. Hoping that this was precisely what she had been searching for, Singa bounded ahead, her nose lifted skyward as she inhaled deeply. A content looking expression materialized on the young lioness’ face as it seemed she had found exactly what she had been looking for.

”Lets sleep here Tanga.” Singa suggested as she moved behind the southernmost point of the small gathering of acacia trees before slowly lowering herself down to the cool grass below.

This was a perfect spot to sleep for the night, or at least, in Singa’s predicament, it was. While she gave no explanation on why she had chosen such a seemingly random spot to settle down at, especially one that was rather odiferous with the scents of cheetahs wafting all around the clustered bunch of acacia trees, Singa hoped she wouldn’t need to go into detail about her pick of resting places. It was obvious that the small band of trees would offer protection against any northern winds, to which the wind direction was currently blowing, but more importantly to Singa, the trees themselves, or more specifically, what was on said trees, was what she had been after. The heavy scent of cheetahs would mask her own scent if the winds shifted northward, and on top of that, with the way the winds were gusting at the moment, any traces of smell would be easily detectable from the spot where she and Tanga were now positioned at, as long as one’s sense of smell was precisely attuned to discern anything past the pungent aroma of cheetah scent marks.

Hoping that her company wouldn’t be repulsed by her selection of sleeping grounds, yet not about to compromise her own safety, Singa gingerly stretched herself out in the grass while watching the setting sun sink lower beneath the multi-colored horizon. Recapitulating over what Tanga had said about how every creature had its own rhyme and reason for its actions and being, and how his open minded approach to life reminded her so distinctly of her former mate. Sighing dejectedly at the thoughts that were gradually trickling back into her mind, the young female rested her head down upon her fore paws before letting her eyelids droop slightly. Sleep never came easy to Singa however, and before she knew it, she found herself striking up a new conversation with Tanga, the topic of his previous statement headlining the dialog.

”What you said back there Tanga, you know, about how my old pride doesn’t understand the ways of others because they are too far gone in the old traditions and beliefs of the Ancient Leonids? You know, that’s exactly one of the reasons I decided to up and leave…among other things. There was just so many contradictions that I came to notice the more I studied how my pride acted, and how they viewed others. It’s really nice to know that there are others out there, like yourself…and my mate…who can see beyond the simple misconceptions and falsehoods of life, something I myself still have trouble doing.” Briefly glancing over toward Tanga’s general vicinity, Singa added in. ”You know, you remind me a lot of my mate. You two think very closely alike. You would have gotten along great with him…I’m sure of it.”

Feeling her voice beginning to quaver slightly as the memories of her mate became more clear within her thoughts, Singa looked away before the black maned lion could notice the change in look upon her countenance. Oh, how she missed him, how she wished he was still here. Swallowing hard to try and bottle back up the sadness that was rapidly filling her heart, gently brushing one of her fore paws over her eyes to wipe away the beginning fragments of tears from the corner of her dark eyes, Singa took several deep breaths before falling silent, her ears falling limply against her head as she mentally reminisced with herself, trying her utmost to keep her composure as the last thing she wanted to do was to break down in front of a relative stranger, even if Tanga was perceived as a friend to her now, it would still be too much for her to contend with.