Through the Thickets (Closed)

[attr="class","lekanin"]Curiosity wasn't often what stole Lekan away from his senses. However, the buzz of happiness that still crackled through his limbs and soaked through his brain seemed to have altered his mood. No matter if it was temporary or not, he was happy. It was definitely a contrast to his usual sulky, standoffish behavior. A small smile broke out whenever one of his pridemates glanced in his direction and he would catch himself offering them a tiny nod of greeting nearly every time. In the short amount of time that he'd been here, Lekan had been warmly welcomed. Whether this be the cause or not, Lekan's curiosity had resurfaced from his days as a teenager. And so when he'd caught the scent of an unfamiliar female, something within him had urged him to follow it. He had no idea why the compulsion to tail it was creeping up on him now, it felt so unnecessary. Reasoning that he simply wished to interact with the members of his new pride, Lekan's paws began to walk along the scent's trail.

It came as a surprise to the male when the female's scent hadn't turned back after a few good minutes of walking. Where had she gone off to? And why had she gone so far to get there? Was she meeting someone? An endless array of questions and wild theories haunted his mind. Briefly did Lekan wonder if following her had been the brightest idea, considering that if he were to catch her doing something of the disloyal sort he would have no alibi in claiming that he was not involved. Just the idea of it made his insides feel as if they were made of rock. Still, he trudged on. If anything, the thought of such a scandal had driven his curiosity into a frenzy. With a low rumble of displeasure at the back of his throat, he hoped that maybe she'd just gotten herself lost.

Distractions were quick to present themselves, however. As he walked, the Katanga male was hardly capable of eyeing anything but the greenery. Even the Dakarai cat's scent was beginning to fade away, dispersing into the leaves and blades of the plants surrounding him. The distant sound of running water, powerful enough for Lekan to assume it a waterfall, churned within his ears. The feline hadn't realized until now that he was thirsty and the nagging scratchiness of his throat prevented him from forgetting it. With a new goal in mind, Lekan began a light jog, catching sight of the shimmering surface of water soon enough. Without second thoughts he moved towards it, ignoring the protest of the plants as their arms wrapped around the width of his powerful limbs. Crouching by the muddied edge of the pool, Lekan's tongue shot out, scooping the satisfying liquid down his parched throat. After about thirty seconds of this, he looked back up, eyelids drooping slightly with contentment. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity shot through him, causing him to twitch. She was perched a good distance away, but she was close enough that he could see the stiffness of her muscles and the faded cub spots dancing along her back. How could he have not noticed until now?

In the highly likely case that he'd been spotted himself, Lekan would rise up, tail twitching lightly and eyes calculating as they appraised the other. He would wait for her to speak first, to see what she had to say.

Should the smaller cat not have taken note of his presence, the male would stiffen for a moment, wondering what he should do. Finally, he would decide to stand up until he had her attention.

[attr="class","lekanin"] The silence that had spread between the two was an uncomfortable one for Lekan Jalloh. The female's intense, fearful eyes were scanning him, he could definitely tell that much. The male's muscles stiffened beneath them, unsure of what they should do. For the moment, however, they remained immobile. Lekan's own gaze was somewhat searching as it focused on his pridemate's face, seeking some kind of reaction. At the moment, she seemed only shocked at having been spotted. This caused the male's eyes to narrow in the slightest. What she'd been doing had seemed innocent enough... and yet her face was telling of a whole other story. What had she been doing before he'd gotten here? Coal-toned nose twitching beneath the breeze, the lion was unable to discern any scent. The water spread beside them and the unfamiliarity of the territory made sure of that. How suspicious!

With a flick of her obsidian ears, she was suddenly struck with her senses and immediately took up a defensive position. Lekan could hardly hear her rumbling growl over the deafening roar of the falls. He was tempted to mirror the behavior but instead found his face morphing into an expression of uncertainty. Surely she knew that she didn't pose much of a threat to a male such as he? Despite this, he couldn't have helped the twinge of skepticism that rocked through him. What if she truly was a threat? If she was desperate enough to keep whatever secret she had buried? And what if she had friends lurking nearby? Possibly watching? His brown eyes quickly scanned the territory before returning to their original target.

As he'd allowed, the stranger spoke first. In a tone that held very little in terms of confidence, she asked him who he was. Would a guilty party not question why he was here instead? Hmm... Shaking away any sign of emotion from his features, he said, "I am Lekan Jalloh." A single ear flicking, he could feel his eyes freezing over her, once again gauging her response. As he knew his name would mean very little to her, he clarified with, "I belong to Dakarai... same as you." At this, he took a few steps forward. He did not want the entirety of this conversation to be carried out over raised voices just so as to overcome the water's. "If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing so far from our lands?" Clearly not one for beating around the bush, Lekan had barely been hesitant in voicing his curiosity.

[attr="class","lekanin"] Lekan could see that, as he spoke, the other seemed to have gradually calmed down. Rather than keeping up her aggressive stance, the lioness had slowly begun to grow softer in demeanor. Her ears perked forward, head tilting sideways like a cub who couldn't quite grasp what she'd been told. At her words, the lion simply mirrored the slight angling of her skull and the perk of her ears, an action that wordlessly said, "apparently". He didn't speak aloud, not yet, as he watched her fumble around. The lioness seemed stuck for something to say, or maybe she just had so much going on in her brain that she had a hard time choosing what to utter.

After repeating his question, she confessed having wandered and she was fearful of the repercussions. With an inaudible grunt, Lekan realized that perhaps she was one of those cats. All jittery and stupid and more akin to a bird than a lioness. He'd met a couple of them in his lifetime and they'd both been excruciatingly painful to endure. His eyes hardened as he watched her lean back from him, the slight curling of his lip betraying his thoughts. The male would much rather she stand her ground, hell, bat him away, even! At least she hadn't stepped back. That would have been the end of her. It's worse that you haven't tried, he wanted to tell her, but she'd already continued speaking. Her question, despite its being expected, still caused Lekan to hesitate. Should he be honest with the female? Admit to her that he'd followed her, or just play it off as a mere coincidence? He doubted that she'd believe such a lie, though, and opted for the truth. 

A little ashamedly, he rumbled out, "I caught your scent while exploring Dakarai borders-" okay, maybe not the complete truth "-and grew curious. A little suspicious, too, I suppose." Shrugging, the tan creature added, "I was expecting something a little more scandalous than a waterfall." 

Snorting at his own joke, he found his eyes gravitating towards the roaring falls. It was no doubt a beautiful place, and Lekan wondered if maybe she hadn't just wandered off. Maybe she'd just come here to admire the scenery. He couldn't really have blamed her if that were the case, though he was sure that Akuma wouldn't really take too kindly to it. With a sour feeling now spreading across his chest, Lekan remembered the King. He'd been in Dakarai for what felt only like seconds and already he'd run off with some female in a secluded place. Not that females were exactly his cup of tea, but the others probably weren't aware of that. What if someone chose to follow their scents? Lekan suddenly felt a very strong urge to flee... but leaving the stranger here alone (he had to admit he was still unsure what she was truly doing here) was out of the question. He would wait until she made a move to leave. 

"Could I ask you your name?"