Quiet Beginings

[Accalia]

Keteze trudged over the moist ground surrounding the waterhole, this pride had let him stay, but he had no idea how long for, he didn't know much anymore. He collapsed to the ground with a quiet grunt as he let him paw dangle into the cool water. His eyes looked in the reflection and he studied himself and his burn. He remained there for quite some time, frowning at the water. He opened his eyes and placed his cool paw across his face, he hated his face, he missed his brother. He rolled onto his back and let out a puff of air as his thoughts consumed him.

[Deleted]

Sanura yawned, the dazingly hot sun heating her fur, she caught the scent of a new lion "Huh? This could be interesting..." she breathed lightly standing up lazily, rarely being like this, she embraced her quiet side, for once. Sanny pushed her muzzle through the bush behind the lion, not allowing her head to fit, she gave in the the bush then climbed up a tree near by, "Hello." the young lion smiled, standing on the branch above him, her tail dusting the branch as it flickered. As the sun's effects dulled and wore off, Sanny began to seem more and more happy and playful.

[Accalia]

The sudden voice of another lion caused Keteze to slowly move his vision to her and coack his head at an angle, a rye smile spreading across his face. The sun danced across her body and he seemed to forget about he was just doing, it seemed more important that he interact. He missed the conversations he used to have with the many people he knew before leaving, but this lioness seemed as if she knew how to have a fun time. "Hey there, I'm Keteze. Whats your name?" He said lightly. Moving to get out of the direct rays of the sun he looked up at her, perched on her branch.

[Deleted]

Sanura looked at the lion and giggled "I'm Sanura, some lions call me Sanny or Kitten. What are you doing here? Not many lions wander this way." she added, trying not to sound rude, the sun bounced of her fur easily, it being a light colour, Sanny decided to jump down, he seemed nice enough, she only noticed the burn when she lay down next to him, she tried not to let that sway her opinion, as her first opinion is usually the right one. She had a good feeling about him. Her tail gently bounced as her gazed turned to a little frog, hopping out of the shallows, Sanny's paw tapped it before it jumped back into the cool water, Sanura felt the water briefly before turning back to Keteze.

[Accalia]

Keteze looked to the ground briefly "Just surviving.." He trailed off "What are you doing around here?" He said looking to Sanny who was now laid beside him. He rolled over and watched as she tapped the small frog. He let off a low chuckle as it jumped back into the water and showed its large eyes just over the surface of the water. He tapped the water and watched the ripples spread out. Then he said "Where are you headed??" He was trying his best to make conversation, it wasn't really his strong point, but he was trying his best. He tried to hide his burn discretely, but he hadn't magically grown a fringe to hide it and so had to move his paw back to the water and exhaled.

[Deleted]

Sanura smiled "Oh, okay. Well I kinda live her I guess, I followed the herds to this area." she looked at his burn, "It's okay, I don't mind it." she smiled, stretching before standing then wandering into the water, "So where are you heading?" she asked, getting off the subject before he could notice her ear. Sanny laughed as the frog jumped onto her head then onto Keteze's "Do you have any family?" she asked, briefly remembering her own brother.

[Accalia]

Her dismissal of his burn surprised her and he furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment or two before her next question hit her. "Well, I-" The arrival of the frog on his forehead surprised him and he shook his head in surprise, slightly embarrassed, but soon he laughed along with sanura. "I'm heading to any where that will take me in I guess." He paused for a second "Yes.. I did at least. However my brother has long since rejected me.." He desperately fought his approaching tears and hesitated before asking sanura "Do you have any family?" He knew it could be a sensitive subject, but he asked anyway, he didn't want the conversation to be orientated around him. He felt the sting of tears flow through his nose and quickly shook his head, he didn't want to linger on the past. "Where are you headed?" He added.

[Deleted]

Sanura turned her head away slightly as he asked of her own family "Well, I live in a pride when I was a cub, my mother the Queen and brother heir to the throne, me after if his life was cut short... That was when I was a cub though..." she looked back to him, trying to still look happy, for the most part she did, however in her eyes anyone could see that she missed them dearly, "Then I was raised by a mother cheetah named Minor." she added trying to find a way of the subject. "Oh, I just follow the herds, take any weak or sick from them, so they don't suffer." Sanny looked back at Keteze and tapped the frog, it hopped onto her muzzle then into the water again. "Do you get lonely, not knowing when you'll meet another lion?" she asked, genuinely asking out of kind heart.

[Accalia]

Keteze listened intently to her history and said quietly "I'm sorry.." And as she tapped the frog on his head and it leaped across her maw he gave a short laugh and smiled. "Yes, I guess I do.. but you get used to it I suppose." He said with a slight smile before splashing her face with some of the cool water and laughing at her soaked face. It felt good to laugh, but it was almost as if it were just a distant memory to do so like this. He smiled at her and noticed a small chunk of her ear missing but for now decided to ignore it. "Do you not get bored of just having the herd as company?"

[Deleted]

Sanura giggled "It's okay." she looked at his colouration, it was similar to her's but different in the same way, interesting. "Yeah I guess the company of the dead and dying isn't the greatest..."she murmured, as a bird landed on the other side of the oasis-like pool, the water hit her face, cooling her down and wetting her fur as it ran off of her silky coat, the sun hit the water and her fur as she splashed him back, this is the fun she had missed and craved since she and Minor had parted. "So what's it like, I mean travelling where your spirit takes you?" she asked, wiping her right ear, trying not to catch the wound as she brushed the water away. Something sparked in her thoughts, he could stay her for awhile, with her "You could stay here for awhile if you want..."

[Accalia]

The cool water hit his face and he flinched slightly, the sudden arrival of the calming cool had surprised him and he soon laughed at his own surprise and the fact that he had forgotten what fun felt like. "I guess that it is free, I don't feel as if I have to do or be anything, but I often miss the company of others." He said giving a slight smile towards Sanura. At her suggestion his face lit up but he swiftly tried to get his facial expressions under control. Once he had composed himself he smiled and said with a slightly excited voice "That would be amazing." He smiled and splashed her once again, this time by jumping and landing with as much force as she could in the water directly infront of her. His maw displaying a smug, happy smile.

[Deleted]

Sanura cannon-balled as he accepted her invitation, pushing water into his face with high strength, she was lightly dazed as she landed. "The herds can sustain a few prides anyway, so we wont have to worry about that..." she smiled her thought trailing off to the bird, she was smaller then him, still being in her adolescent years. Sanny crept up an the hornbill and pounced, catching it in her mouth and walking back, it flapped and escaped her mouth, "Aw..." she sighed as it flew into the sunset, blowing a raspberry at her as it left "You get back here into my mouth!" she growled, climbing up the tree before falling out of it. "Ouch." she muttered, wobbling around, dazed. "I get you." she murmured, swatting at imaginary hornbills flying around her head. "Where'd you go?" she asked, the fall warring off she looked at Keteze with an childish smile.

[Accalia]

He laughed and splashed water, his body splashing the water around him. Keteze watched, amused as sanny stalked and pounced on the large hornbill bird. He laughed as it flew away and chased after it, but wasn't able to climb the tree. Suddenly as Sanura fell he lurched backwards in surprise, but quickly rushed back towards her, holding her dazed body from swaying. He couldn't suppress a laugh and as she smiled at him he exploded into laughter. He hadn't felt this at ease for several weeks.. He felt young again, as if he were his actual age. He slowly stopped his laughter and sat up, a bit morse sensible now "Are you ok?" He said with a slight chuckle. It would take him a while to get over what had just happened. He looked up to the branch she had fallen from and saw nothing but a jutting out, broken stump. He gave a wide smile and added "You did quite a number on that tree!" He smiled and looked between Sanura and the broken branch, they were becoming fast friends and was glad he could remain with her, even if it was only for a while.

[Deleted]

Sanura smiled "I'm good." she giggled, slowly standing, "You know, I haven't had this much fun since I was with my brother, I learn't to climb from him too." she sighed, looking at Keteze "I ran away from my family hen I was a cub, a few weeks old, not even weaned, yet I had no other choice." she wan't to tell someone, and Keteze was her friend, even if he was going to stay for a shor... No Sanny would stay with him from now on, neither would trek alone after today, she swore on her brother, that Sanura River would not leave Keteze, ever in her life, or death, her heart trembled as it pumped after she promised her brother, just his name made her feel a sweet kind of sorrow, only good memories ran through her mind, yet one miss placed thought followed as her last memory, the terrible beast that separated her family... She truley was her father's daughter, the fur and attitude.

[Deleted]

(Hello? Accalia, you here?)

[Accalia]

((Yes sorry I just got back from a bike ride ))

Keteze gave a relieved smile as she said how she was alright. As she told him of her brother he gave her a glance of concentration, he didn't show much emotion for he didn't really know what to feel. He felt her pain and yet he saw how she was fond of the memories and he wanted to smile as he thought of his brother and how he did miss him so. He walked over to Sanura and sat right beside her, letting their fur touch the others, it was his way of saying I understand. "I was blind and I left my brother, I miss him.. He saved me.. Several times." he gestured to his burn and gave a fond smile, "I guess I could go back to him, but I doubt that he would be able to look at me and remember me as his brother. I miss that, the ability to say I have a brother and I love him.." he gave a slight disappointed smile and breathed in before shaking head gently and standing once more and running around the waterhole and lowing into a playful position and pushing large amounts of water in Sanura's general direction, he wanted to hold onto the fun whilst it was here and he wanted to pass on from his brother as he knew he had long ago done.

[Deleted]

(Dat's okay Sorry I took So long, was editing some line art of new charries :0 I said too much xD)

Sanura nodded understanding what he meant, she was an adult yet still, in her mind, an adolescent, the same size as well, which confused many, even herself. Sanny ran into the watering hole, splashing everything as she stopped after full speed "You know, I think I'm an adult but I'm the size of an adolescent?" she stated, making it into more of a question, ending it by splashing him in his face, not too bothered by her scar on her right ear anymore, her tail swatted at the air, hitting nothing as the moon rose high into the dark sky.

[Accalia]

He stopped for a minute taking in her size and strangely adolescent body and said "So you are, I didn't notice before.. I feel as if I'm old sometimes." He shrugs and splashes her again, their light coats looking almost fluorescent in the moonlight. "What do you miss most about your brother?" He asked inquisitively. He knew that he missed the affection and relation he had to him, but he didn't know what she missed about hers, maybe it was different. He gave her a good natured smile and added swiftly "You don't have to talk about him if you don't want to." He had suddenly remembered the tears he once cried for his brother and rubbed at his long since healed burn.

[Deleted]

(like my new avatar? )

Sanura smiled "Well, I think you look like me!" she laughed then added "I mean age, not that you look like a lioness." she shook of the water and ran into the deeper water, and diving under, she acted as if she was in danger to attract her prey... Her paws pulled her up before they pushed her back under, she roared "Help!" trying not to smile, she acted serious, her eyes gleamed with mischief while her body grew tired.

[Accalia]

(Yea it's really cool ^-^)

Keteze blushes and fumbles with his words, not sure how to respond. His brother was better at those types of things. He watched shocked as she ran into the deeper water and as she flailed he ran in after her, going closer and closer to her telling her to relax. He had never been good in situations like these and was panicking more then Sanura was. He felt the cool floor of the watering hole become too deep for his paws and began to awkwardly swim closer to Sanura, hoping to save her. He was too busy trying to stay calm to notice the half smirks that she could barely contain and continue swimming closer.

[Deleted]

(Yay!)
Sanura went under the water and swan behind Keteze " Hello!" she laughed coming up behind him, she was tired but still happy "Did I get ya?" she asked, not aware of how worried he had been "Are you alright? Ya look kinda pale." her smile straightened as she looked at him.

[Accalia]

((^-^))

Keteze spun in the water as Sanura suddenly appeared behind him. He spluttered and gave a relieved exhale of air as his tired legs continued moving as to keep him afloat. He gave a brief smile "Yea you got me real good.." He blushed slightly and as she said he looked kinda pale he said in return "Don't I always?!" He smiled and chuckled before slowly making his way to the shallower water. When he felt the stone beneath his feet he relaxed and felt his aching muscles almost give way. He had never been a strong swimmer. He smiled at Sanura and for the first time he remembered that sleep was needed. He gave a short yawn and hoped sanny was tired too.

[Deleted]

Sanura yawned "I meant you look more pale than usu- Oh, the moon's out..." she almost nodded off while still in the water, thankfully, the shallow water.As the moon light bathed the two lions, Sanny laid down in the mud "Must get to tree." she yawned, pulling herself towards the tree, briefly stopping only when she reached the bushes "Well, this will do I-" she murmured, ending it with gibberish as she fell into dreams.

[Accalia]

He smiled weakly and followed her almost numbly. His tired eyes blinking regularly. Sanura's sudden sleep caused him to smile and said to her sleeping body "Good night." He walked several metres off and laid his aching frame to rest on the cool ground, watching the glistening pool with caring eyes before, slowly, he fell asleep.

He awoke well before the sunrise and smiled up at the familiar moon, it's cool, blue light greeting him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He walked to the pool drowsily and rested a paw in its temporarily icy water. It's temperature causing his eyes to open quickly, but he did not jerk away. He looked to where Sanura had fallen asleep and hoped to find her there. He didn't want to loose his quickly formed friend, the only one he had in this world.

[Deleted]

Sanura blinked lazily as she woke, she was surprised to see her friend looking at her from the edge of the water, though she thought nothing of it. As the moon's gentle rays bathed the two, Sanny sat up, "Why up so early..." she asked, her tone that of a yawning hippo, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she stood. Her grace was that of a cheetah though still tired, she somehow retained her ability to walk better than when awake.

[Accalia]

He gave her a lazy smile and said "I'm simply not tired anymore" He watched as she gracefully approached him and he looked back to the glistening water. He rolled onto his back and twisted his mane whilst he thought of his brother in his home land "What u wanna do today?" He asked her curiously, he gave a slight yawn and smiled contently, he was awake now and would easily last the day without sleep.

[Deleted]

Sanura rolled towards him " Well I still kinda am." she giggled as she rubbed her side up against his and stood back up, "Follow me!" she insistied as she ran off through the bushes towards a cave. Sanny's heart leapt a mile a minute as she waited for Keteze about 10 minutes from where they met, she could see him fine, that was however not what she was thinking, she was thinking that if Chance had some paworganizing them to meet, why? Sanny thought more about Keteze and if they'd be more than friends one day, hoping that day would be soon...

[Accalia]

Her contact sent shivers up his spine and as she began running off he ran after her. He smiled as he ran after her, his tail swaying from side to side slightly as he chased after her. His mind began to wonder to the future and he tried to imagine him as a father but he just let out a small snigger and dismissed such a thought. It would be a long time before any lioness thought that he was attractive. He continued to chase after and as they reached the cave he slowed down and looked around, smiling. "This seems like a cool place" He said with a smirk.

((Managed to sneak enough time to post this, sorry it took so long I was really busy today and decided to play mc with u instead ^-^ That was really fun btw thx for looking after me :3))

[Deleted]

((That's okay It was fun.))

She giggled "Yeah, I come here when it gets to hot." she looked at Keteze, her tail twitching as the cool air removed her heat. She sat down next to Keteze, brushing her fur against him again, she was trying to show that she liked him, without it being too obvious, "So, how long were you traveling for before you found the watering hole?" she asked, before adding, "And me?" Her fur laid smooth and flat, as she smiled at Keteze, she felt confused, not showing it though. "I think you look hansome, ya know." she didn't want to sound like she was hitting on him, but said it anyway.

[Accalia]

Keteze looked into her eyes and found himself lost, he thought about her question for several moments before saying "You know what.. I cant remember how long its been since I left my brother, but its been more then a lifetime since ive been this happy." He gave her a sly smile and with her sudden compliment he blushed and felt the need to hide beneath his mane, but he said simply "I don't believe such a graceful and beautiful lioness such as you could see me as handsome.." He gave her an honest smile, his cheeks still flushed. He felt a sudden urge to lick her cheek, but he with held, he had no idea if Sanura would ever want him like that. He had little experience with lionesses.