Wandering Thoughts

Silvery grey stomach pressed to an outcropping of rock, a lion sat looking over the field of sharpened rocks that guarded the area of the Outlands. His darkened grey pelts almost blended with the stones around him, if not for the completely black mane and bright pair of frost blue eyes it might not have been apparent he was even there. As it was though his tail curled and uncurled as he contemplated the similarities of this field and the pride that he had recently joined, a small smirk on his maw. It was a neutral land, innocent, until you mistepped and then it became a hazard, a completely different thing that cut your paws. He had his own small cut on one of his pads from a slip and he turned over the large paw before licking it once again to clear away some of the dirt and excess blood.

A snort came from his nose and he let it roll back over before looking back towards the borders. He hadn't been here long at all, he hadn't even had much time to flirt though he'd done so a few times with those females he had spotted among the ranks. One really caught his eye, the daughter of the King no less, she was petite and a vivid shade of gold that he enjoyed, but he was watching himself. He need not get kicked out of a pride so quickly for trying to chat up the Princess, he didn't doubt her father was the unforgiving kind, King Kiume appeared stressed and on edge if he read him right. He'd been told about the 'all out war' decree and he couldn't deny he'd love to get his claws into a hyena or two. It wasn't because he hated Scar, he knew little about him, no it was just because he would have enjoyed the thrill of battle more than sitting around doing nothing.

Waiting killed him, and he'd taken to tempting fate with the Crocodiles on the edge of the swamp that bordered the Pridelands. Maybe it was time he sought out company but so far he'd stuck to himself, sizing everyone up and trying to pick out those he might have the best luck with. It was a time consuming activity but one that was probably worth it if he wanted to keep himself safely in the pride and not kicked back out on his own again.

All of her life, Tao had been waiting. But for what? Even now that she stood as tall as she would ever be, sky blue eyes scanning the barren landscape, Tao could not say what it was she was looking for. Despite the threat of war, the Outlands were the same as they had been the day before that, and every day in memory. A few new lions came, some went, and life continued no matter what. Each day, Tao circled the territory in a loop, on a trail she had created herself over years of traveling that way. She never strayed beyond the borders, remaining vigilant at all times because she was a generally cautious creature. Kiume had warned her years ago to be careful and it was a part of her gentle demeanor in adulthood, a lifelong trait.

Seldom did Tao find anything of interest along her daily hike. It was rare that she would even come across another Outlander during the greater part of the day. For one who noticed so much around her, Tao remained oblivious when it came to social manners. She had seen the slate gray lion who recently joined the pride, but gave him little though. She had never been the type of lioness who took notice of the opposite gender, though his unusual pelt color had caught her attention from a distance. There weren't many gray lions around, but she had been told her mother had a pelt the shade of pale moonlight, silver and ivory. In her dreams, she had appeared so, but Tao was never certain whether that was how she looked or if her imagination had conjured up the beautiful image. She had wondered vaguely if the newcomer came from the same place as her mother.

Now she saw Usiku in the distance, blending in well with surroundings except for his dark mane. He was sitting in her usual path. Tao's steps slowed and for a moment, she wondered if it would be better to turn around and go a different way. Usiku had kept to his own business since arriving, and Tao had never made an effort to speak to him. Such behavior was certainly not queen-like, she reasoned to herself as she regained her usual relaxed, sauntering pace. She hadn't always been so anti-social, and she decided then to do something about it. As she approached Usiku, she offered a polite nod. "Hello," she said, her voice soft as always. "Usiku, right?"

He was so sure that he wasn't getting any company today, he'd taken to rolling a smooth stone between his paws and a yawn had his mauve tongue curling out. The low noise that came from his maw full of bass that his thin body might not have hinted at. He had his back to the lands he now called home and his nose was pointed towards the Savannah, sniffing at the air that filtered towards him, he didn't miss it per say. Just the ability to hunt on it, not that it was more bountiful than some of the other lands or even that bountiful lately but it was something, something this place left to be desired most days. But a lion had to be tough to live out here and he'd always been tough, he could say this was just another feather in his mane, surviving in the Outlands.

A flash of gold caught the dark lions eye and the frost blue orbs moved to glance towards the moving figure. He almost laughed when he saw who it was, the fates were either feeling very ironic today or they were smiling on him, the figure of the very princess he had been thinking of earlier was moving towards him at a relaxed pace and she even greeted him when she got close. He moved to sit in an upright position and smiled the most charming one that he could, "Flattering for the Princess to know my name, yes it is Usiku" he said and dipped his head slightly at her before fixing his eyes on her again. He admired the splash of brown on her nose, a perfect triangle, a unique trait much like the sideways teardrop markings under his eyes. "I'm afraid I haven't caught your name Princess, I haven't been around long, though I've seen you plenty of times. It's hard not to notice someone so beautiful after all" even despite his promises to himself he couldn't stop his habits completely.

He gave her a slightly cheekier grin. He hadn't noticed much about her except that she seemed calm, she'd certainly never giggled at him when she'd caught him looking at her like some of the lionesses he'd met. It was intriguing, but perhaps it was because her father was over protective? Who knew. It was possible he was playing with fire her but she had come to speak to him first, that was good enough for him, and he had wanted company. He needed to do more than ask her name though and his mind cast about for a good topic to keep her speaking with him before he settled on an obvious question, "What are you doing so far out on your own? Surely not patrolling alone" he showed a friendly concern at his last comment though at this point it wasn't really sincere, he didn't know her or her family enough to really be concerned and he just wasn't the type of lion to worry over strangers.

It was unsurprising to the princess that her name was unknown to the newcomer. There was little reason to speak of Tao amongst the Outlanders, unless one was commenting on her strangeness or her absence. The pride was polite because she was the daughter of their king, but most understood that the young lioness was different in many ways. She seemed more interested in what was growing in the territory, and less interested in the males, despite her maturity. There were other lionesses who pined away, longed for love, but Tao was not like the rest. She failed to notice the charming smile that appeared on the gray lion’s muzzle. She opened her mouth to inform the lion of her name but Usiku continued, calling her beautiful, and it took a good deal of will power to keep from laughing outright. It wasn’t that Tao thought she was unattractive. She simply couldn’t believe someone would have the nerve to point it out. A thin brow arched high. "My name is Tao," she offered, somewhat reluctantly.

Suddenly, the feel of his eyes upon her peachy pelt felt oppressive and Tao began to shift uncomfortably. Whether or not Usiku guessed how she felt, he asked another question to keep her attention. But instead of being a relief, his words caused Tao to stare down at her pale paws. She felt a slight outrage at the notion that she shouldn’t be out there alone, but she was a master of her emotions and her thoughts. Tao only looked back up again and met his eyes, with a new simmering fierceness in her own. "Actually, I spend a lot of time on my own. My father’s kingdom is a safe one." If you forget about the occasional hyena intruder, of course.. But most of the Outlanders saw the mangy beasts as a blessing in disguise when their bellies were empty. Tao was not like the others.

Her blazing sky blue eyes seemed not to blink as she regarded the lion with her head held high. "There is little need for patrolling in the Outlands. There are few who choose to come here willingly," she said, barely concealing her suspicion. Her proud posture was a purposeful contradiction to her statement. "Where did you live before you came to the Outlands?" And more importantly, why did he choose to stay? But this most important of questions went unasked, as Tao hoped he would offer his information on his own. The lioness made no attempt to come closer now, still regarding the lion from a safe distance. No lion had ever flirted with her before, and she found it more unnerving than flattering.

She seemed hesitant to give up her name after he called her beautiful and he wondered if she was the shy type, she acted like it most of the time, not really one to usually start conversation that was for sure. When she shifted, he moved his eyes away, he knew this dance, he needed to ease off for the moment to give her more comfort before tossing another compliment out. No big deal, he'd played this game before, not that he was looking to woo her at the moment, he was too curious about her to scare her off with that. His question made her look down and he raised a brow, had he hit a soft spot with her? Was she an outcast of some kind? When she looked up however he could see the fierce light in her eyes and almost laughed himself, she was offended by his concern.

Well well...she wasn't so simple then, not one to fit into his usual easy categorization of females that he'd met. She wasn't a damsel but she wasn't exactly a heroine either, curious he didn't fail to keep eye contact with her and he looked slightly bemused. "Ahh but safety is always a fickle thing my Princess, you never know when it might just disappear on you. Then again I always have been a bit cynical" he said with a soft chuckle to show he was trying not to rain on her parade so to speak. Her questions might have seemed harmless but he could feel that there was more than just innocent curiosity behind them. He lifted a paw and examined it lazily before dropping it again and shrugging his dark charcoal shoulders.

"I lived far from here, in a land shrouded in mists and rain with my mother. We were rogues you see, traveling on our own to find a new home for ourselves. For whatever reason my mother always found something wrong with the lands we passed and so we never stopped traveling" his face was carefully composed in a smooth, nonchalant mask, "I was the only one of my siblings who survived, and my mother died not long ago...a hunting accident near a gorge, she slipped and fell...I couldn't save her" his tone had softened near the end. He wasn't heartless and he still felt pain over his mother's demise, he had loved her like any son would have loved their mother, and maybe more because she had been the last thing he'd had solidly in the world.

He let his mourning show for only a moment before clearing his throat and looking to the female again. "I found the Outlands not long after and I decided that perfect or imperfect it was time I settled down. Besides I have always loved a challenge to survive, so what better place to do so?" he was smiling again and winked at her roguishly. "What about you Princess? What is your prides story, why do they stay here if most won't?" he asked curiously.

Tao felt increasingly uncomfortable as she felt the lion’s cool, pale eyes upon her, inspecting her, trying to understand. The bemused expression on his features confused Tao, and her heart was beating as fast as a vulture's wings after a stampede. Perhaps she was more out of touch with her own species than she realized. His comment about safety did nothing to reassure Tao, and she pursed her lips, unable to conjure up the proper words to argue or agree with Usiku. She shifted nervously on her paws as he inspected one of his own. How dark his fur seemed compared with her own light peachy hue! Tao caught herself staring for a moment, but she turned her gaze away the moment she realized what she was doing, focusing instead on a sharp piece of rock near her front paws as if it were the most interesting rock she had ever seen.

Mists and rain were like foreign words to the Outlander’s mind, and she blinked as she tried to imagine such a place. In her dreams, she had seen other places, but she had never strayed far from her father’s kingdom and so she had a difficult time conceptualizing Usiku’s homelands. At the mention of his mother’s hunting accident, Tao’s piercing blue eyes seemed to soften, finally. His features remained stoic but the way his voice lowered was enough for Tao to recognize the sadness within the grown male. The loss of one’s mother was something Tao was intimately familiar with, and she had empathy for Usiku for his loss. ”Please, call me Tao,” she requested first. The royal title felt strange to the lioness. She seemed more relaxed now, if only a little.

”I was born in the Outlands. It is the only home I have ever known. My father became the king before my birth, but he is a Pridelander by birth, exiled to this place as a punishment.” Here she paused, glancing to the male’s eyes to see if the mention of their neighbors would mean anything to Usiku. His unusual dark, stone colored pelt was unlike anything she had seen, and she knew from other banished pride mates that the Pridelanders looked more like Tao than Usiku, with golden pelts. Her ears drooped noticeably when she spoke again. ”My mother came here on her own volition. She has been dead for as many years as I have lived.” The words stung as she uttered them, but she continued quickly. ”The Outlands are a haven to any and all lions who don't belong anywhere else.” And certainly Usiku fit this description, so he deserved a chance, Tao reasoned to herself as an unbalanced half smile appeared on her lips.

Her expression softened for him after his story of his mother, he wondered if she felt sympathy or empathy, after all he had seen nor heard of a Queen here. He knew better than to bring such a thing up, his own mothers loss made him ache, and he didn't want to see the princess cry any tears because of his lack of tact. Her request amused him and he chuckled, the first lioness to ever dislike the title of Princess that he knew of, "Of course Prin-...Tao" he corrected himself with an indulgent smile before lifting his chin slightly to fix his icy eyes on her own. Even if he wished he could take in more of her, he knew she was already uncomfortable because of his wandering eyes, he'd just be sneakier about it. For now.

His body didn't flinch, nor did his gaze when she mentioned the other Pride for he had no idea what was going on there. He didn't know he'd come to a land of exiles or that the Pridelanders were under the rule of a tyrant, she seemed expectant though and he nodded his head so she might continue. When she did her ears had fallen flat and she looked slightly dejected, it became apparent why when she came to her last words. Her mother had been dead for as many years as she had lived...a pretty way to say that her mother had died during her cubs birth, a sad occurrence. It was his turn to soften and he gave her a sympathetic look, his ears pinning back to his head for a moment, the poor girl, he knew the pain of losing a mother but she hadn't even gotten to meet her own. "I'm sorry to hear that" he said quickly before she continued on.

Something changed with her description of the Outlands though and he returned her smile gently, his ears perking back up again. "Well then I'm glad I picked this place, it sounds like it'll be the most interesting place in or near the Savannah" he said with a chuckle. His smile once again turned charming against his volition and he looked into her eyes, "I'm already liking it more than anywhere else" he said and raised both eyebrows in a wiggle before letting them drop. It was a compliment for her again, and he wondered if she would swat him for it or if it would reduce her to blushes. Either way he anticipated a reaction from her more than he would have anyone else.

Maybe it was playing with fire since she was the King's daughter or maybe it was that he felt some sort of connection over their almost shared sadness, maybe he could make a friend from the Princess if nothing more.

The lioness watched the unusual lion closely, still wary but unwilling to walk away now. The way he smiled made Tao uneasy, but she tried her best to hide the fact, adopting a stoic expression as she spoke until she talked about her mother. The meaning of her words seemed to dawn on Usiku without explanation and for this Tao was secretly grateful. She was also glad that he didn’t point out the sadness that revealed itself in those moments. She didn’t dare tell him that she still communicated with her mother despite her death. Many of the Outlanders thought she was strange. Usiku would figure it out on his own, sooner or later, and he didn't need her help in making this discovery. Her daily activities, from harvesting herbs and roots to conversing with other species, made her an oddity within a pride filled with unique personalities.

His sneaky compliment didn’t cause Tao to blush nervously or lash out with just, regal outrage. Instead, she only laughed, apparently terribly amused by the way Usiku’s eyebrows had wiggled in an attempt to flirt again. Not one for tact, Tao blurted out, ”Your eyebrows remind me of little furry caterpillars.” Immediately, she realized her comment could come off as rude and she shook her head, now looking a little embarrassed, but not because he had attempted to flirt with someone as willing as a mud puddle. ”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean.. I’ve never been very good at, you know, talking,” she said, head lowering as she sighed. ”You have very nice eyebrows, really. I’m sorry.” An apologetic smile appeared on her pale muzzle.

”So, uh, Usiku. That means night, doesn’t it?” She paused for a second to allow him to confirm or deny, though she was fairly certain of it because of a particular herb her mentor called Usiku because it would knock a grown lion out cold for hours. ”Night is my favorite time,” she offered, just trying to seem more friendly and less socially awkward, while also hoping that the lion would not take this as an invitation to flirt some more. In a quieter, reverent voice, she added, ”I love the stars at night.” She glanced over to see if the lion agreed, hoping that she had not offended the first new lion she had met in ages. A princess should have poise and grace, attributes Tao was certain she lacked through and through.

Instead of being angry at him for his compliment she laughed at him and he rose a brow, it was different than what he had expected and he cocked his head to the side watching her. His eyes widened when she explained why she had laughed, she thought his eyebrows looked like caterpillars? He was both offended and amused at once and he wished there was some water around to check them, he brought his paw to his forehead quickly to feel them but they weren't extremely bushy from what he could tell. Then again he could be biased but when she apologized he looked nonchalant and waved a paw at her, "Tch, don't worry about it Tao, I'll just chalk it up to my good looks awing you" he said and grinned at her winningly before brushing a paw over his eyebrows one last time.

She'd asked about his name, "Yep! Mother said it fit, something about being as dark as night and having eyes like stars, she was kind of corny" he said it fondly though, sure his mother had been corny but it had been a good kind of corny. He felt himself warming up to the lioness more when she said that night was her favorite time and he smirked slightly, glancing to the sky quickly, it wasn't dark but he could agree with her. Night was beautiful, full of stars and the moon, not too bad for dark lions to sneak around either. She mentioned the stars and he looked back down at her, with an actual friendly smile rather than any charming one, "Yeah, the night is pretty cool. It's definitely the most romantic time of day. I'm a romantic at heart" he said and pressed a paw to his chest.

He chuckled to show he wasn't flirting this time, he could see she was really trying to get to know him and making her uncomfortable wouldn't exactly get him brownie points. He could call it quits on that, for now, or at least for as long as he could stave off his natural need to be flirtatious. She seemed like a good gal, a bit quiet but a good girl none the less and the fact that she seemed lonely made him more willing to want to stick around to actually make friends rather than chase her off with a useless flirting assault like he would have done most shy lionesses. "I like the moon myself, my mothers eyes were grey, it reminds me of them" he said and looked to the sky, distant for a moment, "So, um, what does Tao mean? I've never heard it before? It's a nice name though" he made sure to add the last so as not to seem rude.

Not even Tao's thoughtless comment could dampen Usiku's flirtatious spirit, but now he seemed quite harmless to the peachy lioness, and she appeared to be more relaxed now after her caterpillar comment. His flustered moment was the first that Tao had any inkling of romantic inclinations towards him; whether or not he realized it, Usiku was more charming when he was vaguely offended and amused than overtly flirtatious. But Tao was simply not the type of lioness who considered romance or relationships, for a number of reasons that she kept to herself. She was too awkward for love, she had convinced herself, and like her mother before her, Tao was petite for an African lioness. She couldn't envision herself as a lover or a mother, and so all those ideas were dismissed. Better to never want in the first place then to end up disappointed when you never get it. A soft chuckle was her only response to Usiku's comment. If he couldn't be discouraged from flirting, then she wouldn't bother, being dismissive instead.

Speaking of his mother, Usiku's demeanor was markedly changed. Tao could sense immediately that mother and son had been very close. While some lionesses could have given Usiku a tough time about his obvious love for his mother, Tao found it endearing and sweet. If there was anyone who could understand the sadness of losing a mother, it was undoubtedly Tao. As he pressed a paw to his chest proudly and declared that he was a romantic at heart, Tao could only shake her head as she laughed a little under her breath. "Well, yes, I can see that." His comment about the moon and his mother caused Tao to nod slowly, though for a second, she said nothing. Her thoughts turned back to her own mother: a lioness she had never laid eyes upon in her lifetime, but instead, who she had seen in countless dreams. It was only because of those dreams that Tao had any idea who her mother looked like, since neither she nor her brothers were themselves the spitting image of Ilani.

Usiku had already informed the princess that his mother had been killed in an accident, and Tao didn't miss the vacant look that appeared as the lion remembered his deceased family member. "My mother was gray," she said softly, eyes still fixed on Usiku. "Not very dark, like you are, but a soft gray, pale like the moon." She bit back a mournful sigh that normally accompanied such conversation. "Tao means 'twist'," she offered, pronouncing her name carefully, which rhymed with 'now.' "I guess my mother knew that something was going to happen. And I guess she was right. No one had expected her to die, but she was a small lioness." Indeed, the most noticable traits Tao had inherited from her mother were her piercing blue eyes and her diminutive stature: subconscious reasons that had convinced Tao that she would never fall in love or raise a family.