The Wind In The Sand

Vumbi often wandered away from the Pride, for she became restless. Whilst the others seemed quite content to relax all day with their idle chatter and each other to accompany them, Vumbi did not care for such practices. Their gossip bored her, and their laziness made her restless. She was an active lioness, and preferred to be outside exploring than within their cave, dozing. This was why it came to no real surprise to anyone if they found Vumbi completely alone, trotting around like she always did. Even though she had none to keep her company, she was much happier with moving around and being lonely, than dozing and having company.

The mild-mannered lioness let her eyes shut as a breeze washed over her fur, ruffling it. She felt sand whip against her, and waited until the wind had died down before she let her eyes slide open once more. She could remember that when she had been a cub, she had been frolicking with the others when the sand was lifted up and carried by the wind. She had shut her eyes, but heard the wails of another cub and when each of the cubs opened their eyes again, the one who had not shut them had gone blind. The sand was harsh when carried by fast winds, and can rip open the eye causing blindness.

Vumbi came upon their oasis, and realised with a jolt that she was desperately thirsty. She had not had a drink since yesterday morning, and the harsh climate made her thirsty easily. She trotted over to the side of the Oasis and dipped her head to drink the water. It was cool, despite the sun on it, and very refreshing. She lapped up the water eagerly.

There was an outsider trekking through the Desertlands that day, in spite of the blistering. He had a wild look about him, and a dangerous look in his green eyes as his search for water dragged on endlessly. His dull sandy fur blended in well with the desert terrain, and Korofi found himself lost hopelessly, climbing over an endless series of dunes with not a single sign of life. Well, he certainly hadn't come to the desert to die, and his life as a rogue had made the lion lean, but powerful. He would walk all day, if need be, as the sun beat down on his long, brownish mane.

Finally, in the distance, he thought that he could see the tops of some palm trees swaying in the warm breeze. Without water there would be no trees, and Korofi knew he was fortunate. Panting, he made his way over a final sand dune, and the merciful sight of water was met with a quickened pace. Korofi noticed the lioness drinking at the desert oasis almost instantly. He was lucky today, indeed, and could not help the smile that crossed his muzzle.

"Pardon," he called out as he approached the lioness. Her scent lingered in the hot air, and Korofi realized it had been a long time since he had been close to a lioness. He was fully grown now, and with maturity came the desire for the opposite sex. Korofi was a lion not accustomed to following will power, but he kept his distance now, though the smell of the lioness was nearly too enticing for him to bear. Duty first, he reminded himself. He was there with a purpose, and the unknown lioness could be just what he was looking for to gain certain information. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. I am new to the desert and in desperate need of refreshment... if it's not too much trouble." His voice was deep, and raspy, as if he had been sick for a long time.

As the coolness of the water refreshed Vumbi, she felt her body relax and she became less worried about who would be around. That was until a very light breeze brought an un-familiar scent, and she looked up in surprise as an un-known lion approached her. She was not one to be rude to strangers, unless they posed a threat. He seemed harmless enough, and spoke with a raspy voice as if he was sick, or incredibly parched. She felt sorry for this poor lion, for in these desert lands he may have been wandering for days in search of water, or a way out, or some place to stay. She felt horrible for him.

With a gentle smile, she lifted her head from where her muzzle had been lingering near the water and made her way over to his side until her fur brushed against his. She nudged him in the direction of the water and followed after him as he went to drink. "Please, be my guest." She informed him, and waited for him to take a drink as she sniffed the air once again. His scent was musky, and foreign though this was because she had never seen him before. He looked only just out of his adolescent days, much like herself.

Vumbi's eyes trailed over his coat and she examined him carefully, sitting down with her tail wrapped around her. He had a light, grey-ish toned coat with an under-pelt that looked almost identical to said coat. His eyes, if she could remember correctly, were a vivid green that she wasn't sure whether they held warmth or warning. His mane was strangely shaped, and was of both light and dark shades of brown. She wondered why he was here.

The lioness didn't act as if she was fearful of the unknown lion, and Korofi would use this to his advantage. She was also young and quite alone. The youthful rogue couldn't have planned it better himself, and Korofi kept up the rouse of being a desperate vagabond in need of assistance. "You're too kind, ma'am, thank you," he said quietly under his breath as he stepped up beside her to lap up the cool liquid. He could feel the deep blue eyes of the lioness upon his form as she inspected him, and he pretended not to notice.

Once he had his fill, Korofi sat back with a satisfied sigh, offering another grateful smile to the lioness. "Thanks again... I'm sorry, what was your name?" If the lioness knew any Swahili at all, there was a chance she would know what 'Korofi' meant, and that would not do him any favors. "My name is Koro," he lied easily. "I've just been cast out of my pride." Many matured males were exiled, so his story was not too outrageous to be believed, and he feigned a look of hopeless despair.

As he spoke, his sharp green eyes strayed from her eyes to her soft brown pelt. The lioness looked as if she was active, for she was fit and trim. She wasn't too thin, nor was she too muscular. All in all, Korofi enjoyed the look of the newly found desert lioness, and once again had to make a conscious effort to keep his paws to himself. "Forgive me if I stare. You're the first lion I've seen in days. Do you call this kingdom your home, miss..?"

Vumbi smiled at Korofi and waited as he drank. She watched him, and frowned as he did not seem so desperate to drink. This irked her suspicion, but she would not be rude to a stranger. However, she reasoned with herself, being careful was not being rude at all, was it? She smiled gently and decided that she would be cautious. With Scar as leader of the Pridelands, she had become suspicious of anyone she didn't know nowadays. This lion would be given the benefit of the doubt.

Vumbi immediately went to blurt out her name, but she paused. Giving out her name was like giving out her identity, and that just would not do. She could not think of any mysterious names, so she lamely said the first one that came to mind, which coincidentally was the name of her late sister. "Adhra. My name is Adhra." She said simply. She liked his name, though the meaning was boring. 'To Shrink', that was it. She had to hold back a laugh.

When he mentioned being cast out of his pride, Vumbi frowned. She knew that it was common for a mature lion to be cast out of his pride, but it was still slightly un-fair. She tilted her head and gave him a pitiful look. "How horrible. And yes, I do." The words escaped her before she could ponder how to respond, but she quickly covered that up and spoke in a dull tone. "I have an agreement with the King of these lands, I can stay so long as I do not go near the Pride, so im really a rogue here."

The outsider nodded slowly when the lioness offered a false name. The moniker of the lioness was unimportant anyway, as Korofi didn't plan to see her again after their initial encounter. He could see that his sob story had worked and the lioness felt sorry for him, so he ducked his head to continue the act. But what she said next about being a rogue within a kingdom surprised him, and he was unable to hide the look of confusion that registered on his sharp features.

Korofi's situation was similar to Vumbi's, in that Scar tolerated the vagabond's presence in the Pridelands, so long as the younger male stayed away from his lionesses. He wondered if this lioness had done something wrong in order to be kept a safe distance away. Perhaps she had a dark streak that she hid well beneath her pleasant interior? He grinned inadvertently at the prospect. "Why has the king not taken you into his pride? Does he have a jealous queen who doesn't like the competition of a pretty young lioness like yourself?"

He was vaguely curious about the lioness who called herself Adhra, but Korofi was most interested in gaining whatever information he could about the desert's royal family: how big it was, and how strong. Why would the king not willing accept such a youthful, attractive lioness into his ranks? Korofi was not the type who was naturally charming, and he was totally inexperienced when it came to the opposite sex, but now was as good a time as any to try his luck at flirting. "Frankly, I am shocked that a king would not choose you. The desert queen must be someone very special. Do you know her, as well?"

Vumbi felt another surge of pity and sadness directed at this un-known lion as he ducked his head. A small voice in the back of her mind questioned the reality and truth within his words, but she ignored it. She did not care for his story all too much, but would show sympathy in case it was real. She did not intend to release any valuable information as to her desert kingdom, and she had no plans to ever see him again so she decided that it did not matter if he was lying to her. Nothing bad would come of this interaction so long as she kept her secrets close and covered her life in lies.

Vumbi licked her suddenly dry lips at his confused expression, and she tried to look as innocent and young as possible. The young were always portrayed as foolish, weak, and they often gave away all of their secrets without even thinking about it, so this would be good if he deemed her younger than she was. Not that she was all that old anyways, mind you. Vumbi ducked her head in embarrassment at his compliment, and she scratched her claws lightly against the earth, acting as if she were flustered and un-sure how to respond to such a compliment.

Vumbi was aware of what he was doing, and she had to admit that it was working just the smallest amount. She wouldn't fall into his trap, but he was quite charming with a mysteriousness surrounding him. "Bah, pretty, a little old thing like me? Hardly so, the Pride sees me as a child and slightly a nuisance. No, I don't know her, I only know the King, and even then I don't know him all too well. He called me a child, and said that I should stay so long as I do not venture near the Pride, or their hunting grounds."

Korofi was a master at detecting the words that were not being uttered, the hidden meaning behind innocent looks and pauses in speech. The rogue had spent enough time on his own to know when someone was lying, when someone was keeping a secret, and just how a lion really felt, despite the words they uttered. He could sense that Vumbi was beginning to fall for his act -- partially, anyway, but the lioness was smarter than he had anticipated, and seemed to know something was amiss.

Well, the pale lion certainly couldn't allow that, so he would attempt once more to rouse the sympathy that so often lurked within a young lioness. Vumbi had no valuable information to share, Korofi soon learned, but it was just as well. The mission he had been sent on and the tyrant king who had sent him were the last thing on his mind now. "I was also considered a nuisance to my pride," he said softly, though this was to be the one true fact he offered that day. "But what do they know? I'm far better off with them, the lot of them," he muttered, a dark look shadowing his features.

"Why don't you come with me? I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes, the crazy ideas are the most fun," he suggested with a wide, toothy grin. "You don't need this pride, a lovely, strong, mature lioness like yourself." Unsettling jade eyes were now exploring Vumbi's soft brown form again. Korofi found it increasingly difficult to keep up his charade of niceties and pleasantness, and he began to slide closer to her, wicked smile growing on his muzzle.

With every passing second, Vumbi did not feel her suspicion dying down like it usually did when she interacted with an un-known lion or lioness. They would soon fain her trust and she would treat them like a friend - without giving out special details of her life - and they would be most kind towards one another. This left something to be observed carefully by her mind, and her eyes raked over his form once more. Something was off, something she didn't like at all and she felt frightened. Was this lion here to kill? She told herself she was being ridiculous, and tried to calm down.

Vumbi's fear died down at his soft tone, and she felt that compassion that was often found within a lioness tugged at, and she smiled sadly at him. She reached out a paw and placed it over his own in a way of offering comfort. "Its not a nice feeling, is it? And im sure you're a lot better off without them! You look great, so thats saying something." She smiled, hoping that she'd helped to cheer him up. She felt guilty for doubting his intentions, though the dark look was slightly disturbing she knew its reason now, and the reason why he was a bit strange. At least, she thought she did.

If Vumbi really was under the circumstances that she claimed to be under, she would have agreed to go with him more than happily, however, as it was she was not under said circumstances at all. She wasn't sure how to let him down without hurting him, but at his compliments she looked down at her paws with a shy smile before looking back up at him. She'd humour him, just for now, though that wicked smile was quite intimidating. "And why exactly would I leave here where I am... welcomed, sort of, to go with you?" She grinned.

Korofi wasn't flattered by Vumbi's compliments, but he pretended to be pleased when she commented on how he looked, despite being a rogue. Then the lioness made a mistake she would no doubt regret: she made physical contact. It was not much, the simple comforting gesture of touching his paw, but it seemed to set something off inside of Korofi's brain. While he had been trying so hard to win her over, now he was tired of talking. He wanted more.

"Like I said," he began tensely, his patience now wearing thin, though it was clear his ploy was at least somewhat successful already. Her paw was had touched his, and he couldn't recall the last time another living creature had come that close to him... Unless it was something bloody and soon to be destroyed by Korofi's claws. Now the lioness was undearably near and he could no longer dictate his own impulses. Enough was enough. "It'll be fun."

If the pride was as far away as Vumbi claimed, Korofi knew it would be easy enough. He didn't realize that she was also lying about her circumstances, but even that didn't really matter now. The only scents that lingered in the stifling desert air were his own musky stench and Vumbi's enticing aroma. For Korofi, it was as if she was nothing but a piece of meat, free for the taking. It was her own fault for straying from her pride, leaving herself so vulnerable.

In an instant, Korofi had filled the small space between the two, using his brute strength to shove Vumbi onto the ground. "Lots of fun. For me, anyway." Now, his green eyes had lost any sense of gentleness he had feigned, and there was a hungry look that he no longer attempted to hide as he pinned her done. He felt no remorse for what he wished to do, though in a way, he felt sorry for lionesses as a whole. So weak, so easy to take. They couldn't seem to shake that inborn sense of decency that so often lead to trouble for them. Helping a stranger... Well, Vumbi would learn her lesson that day that not all lions could be trusted. She would have been better off following her instinct, but now Korofi grinned down at her with such a devious laugh that it surprised even the rogue himself. He opened his mouth as if to speak, about to say that she needn't worry, the rogue would never be back again, but thought better of it. Her terror made it all the more entertaining.