Second Chances

nyota talking - others talking

Perhaps her nose had misled her, because there were far more lions here than she had originally perceived. It was a comforting notion, and Nyota was not all too bothered by the size of the pride. She'd only ever known her family, having never been raised in a pride, and though strange as it was she welcomed the change. Nyota would have to readjust to cooperative living, though it was a challenge she was confident of herself with. It didn't take long for Nyota to be noticed and approached, and she was rather impressed both by that and the apparent king of the pride. He was quite a bit larger than her, with attention catching silver eyes. He appeared to be very well-groomed, and Nyota would admit that he was quite handsome. The tip of Nyota’s tail flicked once as she finished sizing him up, noticing appreciatively he kept a distance between them. He spoke formally, voice neutral and devoid of any particular bias.

"Salamu, my name is Akuma, and I am King of these lands. You have found the pride, Dakarai. How can I assist you?"

Nyota listened to the words he spoke, head dipping to him very slightly for a moment though her eyes never left his face. Unlike others, he did not try to assert himself, though his tone seemed to demand respect without being overbearing. Akuma Nyota repeated in her head, Interesting name. Nyota allowed her body to relax, sensing Akuma’s non-hostility, but would still throw in a nonchalant stretch on occasion to display her muscles. As Akuma’s words came to an end, Nyota spoke.

”Salamu,” She returned, ”I am Nyota, and I am but a wayfaring loner. I’ve come in from off the reserve, in search of something better and safer than the life I left behind. Would you say your pride, Dakarai, fits my needs?" Nyota finished, wanting to be sure of this place and what it had to offer before she dove right in. She was hoping, though, that after her long time wandering she'd finally found a place to settle down.

nyota talking - others talking

The corner of Nyota's lips turned up slightly at the compliment, noting the kind way he spoke. The King did not budge in his ways, and Nyota took comfort in knowing Dakarai had a firm foundation. A wavering, indecisive leader, she’d learned, could bring destruction upon themselves and their group. From what Nyota had gathered, Dakarai was not an unstable place, and that brought comfort to the lioness. At the mention of being a member of a family again, Nyota’s grin flourished further. Perhaps this was her chance to get the family she’d never had growing up. Akuma seemed nothing like her father, and for that Nyota was grateful. Though the rules of never travelling alone irked the voyager, Nyota could assume there was some sense in the law.

“If you see a human on the reserve, let it be.”

Nyota grimaced at the thought of humans, rather disappointed that her hopes of avoiding them for the rest of her life seemed improbable. She would do her best to steer clear of any she happened across, though wished she didn’t have to come into contact with the brutes at all. Nyota was relieved that the topic was brushed upon only briefly and they could move on to other matters. Nyota prided herself on her hunting skills, having survived alone for so long using them, but there would be difficulty now in hunting for lions other than herself. While Nyota did possess a very minor self-taught knowledge of herbs, just enough to throw something together to keep from bleeding out, she did not believe herself (and rightly so) fit for the position of a healer. Herbs and remedies were lost on her, and she much preffered the thrill of hunting to sniffing out plants.

“I do not see myself to be fit for any healer position of sorts, no.” Nyota replied with a shake of her head, falling silent to listen to the King. Nyota was once again relieved as he did not press for any information of her history, not willing to share at the moment though figuring later she would grow comfortable enough to do so. A smile was a nice look on him, and that combined with his next question brought a grin to Nyota’s face. While the promise seemed daunting, Nyota would not be turning back now, not after how far she had come to get here.

“I do.”