Jaromir paused in his wandering to look behind his shoulder at the lands below. His muddied, worn paws had carried him far this time; across the body of water that had once separated his pride from the mainland, across miles and miles of open savannah plains, and up into the low mountains. Here, where the air and wind was chilled, and the stones and boulders were slick with mist in the early morning, he felt a sudden sense of belonging. Something he hadn't felt in a long time...
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the damp air filling his lungs and relaxing his mind. He continued walking, the earth beneath his paws damp and squelching between his toes with each step. The fog around him steadily thinned, and before him within the aged stone ledge that rose above him was a moderately sized cave.
"What a stroke of luck," he thought to himself. He trotted forward eagerly, his creamy mane billowing behind him luxuriously, beads of moisture shining on the strands. The shadow of the cave's entrance was relatively chilly, but he paid that no mind as he nosed about inspecting the interior. This could work. This WOULD work.

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The lioness's body lay sprawled across the cold flooring of the stone den; Its' overhang had proven itself a reliable and hardy shelter after having been claimed by the wild cat. The darkness stowed away the animal, forbidding those too far to see that her mitts were small, petite and heavily padded whereas her coat was a glossy orange complete with faint stripes that ran along the length of the frame. Her musculature was a fragile one, but her slightly elongated fangs betrayed her true capabilities.
This lioness was not one to be trifled with if others were to encounter her, that was plain to see but her body wasn't riddled with scars and various blemishes..although her auditories were cropped and torn.
The image she portrayed was that she was a fierce and an aggressive brawler but perhaps her body, without any scars to prove her ferocity, would have been taken as a lie. That she wasn't who she sought to be, or maybe she was just so darn good that nobody could lay a claw on her healthy pelt?
Whatever it may be, the female was defenseless at the moment, or so it seemed. Her rib-cage rose and fell with each breath, but the ears upon her head never seemed to stay, always pin-pointing each little sound made. She rest quietly, awaiting the moment for which she would wake.

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Overhanging shrub brushed against the top of Jaromir's head as he pushed it through the mouth of the cave. His pupils widened as they soaked in as much light as they could, but also because his nostrils quivered at the scent of something. He blinked, straining to see further inside the cool darkness, but with little success.
"Must be deeper than I thought," he mused to himself, his creamy paws stepping softly inside. The tips of his claws clicked on the stone surface, echoing softly around him. The scent grew stronger with every small step.
A few yards inside, and with his eyes fully adjusted, he saw a shadowed mass huddled against the wall of the cave. He flicked his ear when he heard it sigh sleepily, and his nose began to wrinkle defensively, the hackles around his neck slowly bristling. What was this shadow hiding in *his* new cave?

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The tapping of nails on stone had awoken the slumbering animal. She brought herself to a standing position only to retreat into the darkest of shadows after having spotted a lion at the mouth of the den. The female's hindquarters immediately dropped, allowing just enough room to avoid brushing her belly against the floor. She crept forward, careful to remain out of sight. Her nostrils flared in anticipation; The stranger appeared healthy and he didn't look very happy.
Was he looking to injure or kill someone for this den? That'd be the only valid reason to have stuck around. The lioness dared hiss for she knew it to be a haunting sound to those who couldn't see the source.

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Jaromir's lip lifted at the sound of the hiss, but his ears pricked curiously.
"You might as well come out of the shadows," he grunted in a no-nonsense voice. "You're backed against a wall; literally. And I'm too tired to go chasing and tussling with strangers today." He tossed his creamy locks from his eyes, narrowing them with a huff of impatience. (s)

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The fae's voice echoed throughout the cave as she spoke, "Then perhaps ye should be on yer way, lad. That sounds like a mighty fine idea right about now, considering your position." She remarked as she left the safety of the shade. The transition was swift and fluid, an eerie grace almost. The female approached the other tentatively.

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Jaromir blinked with surprise as the lioness stepped into the light. She was stunning by anyone's standards, lithe with grace and beauty. He was rather taken aback for a few heartbeats before he cleared his throat.
"I have no intention of leaving," he said flatly. His own voice, hoarse and rough, stayed low. "I've been traveling for days now, maybe weeks. I've lost track, to be frank. Even if I can't stay here permanently, I'm going to get some rest where I can, and this is clearly the place to do that." His tail flicked from side to side, his muscles clenched, preparing to spring should the lioness make any sudden attack. "I didn't know this was your home, though," he added, his gaze shifting to the side almost apologetically. "I didn't expect any lions this far north."

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The female studied the lion, silver-blue visionaries running up and down his hide. "We are few and far in-between," she paused for a moment to think, "I suspect this is the only suitable resting place ye've come across during yer journey, yes? If that is true, ye may stay until yer good to go. I could use the company." She answered coolly, evidently confident enough in her abilities if any disagreements arose. "The name's Zavier, and where ye've wandered is a dangerous and unforgiving land for it bears a great many prey fit for a king."

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"I'm no king," Jaromir muttered, sitting down on his haunches with a thump. "I'm a rogue; the last of my pride." He lifted a paw and examined his claws casually. "Which pride do you come from anyway?" he inquired, lifting the paw to his teeth to chew out a pebble from between his toes. "Your accent is... different. Nothing I've ever heard before, in any case." He dislodged the pebble and spit it off to the side of the cave. "Not trying to sound rude, of course," he added. (s)

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"I've not thought of prides for many years," Zavier's face fell sullen, "I watched them die. A Xanex lion had decided my pride was to be his and everyone knows when the lead sire fails to protect his pride..His cubs die to allow room for new litters. Excluding me, my litter was killed off," she stated. "Only a few months were we, the litter and I. My den mother had chased me off and stayed behind to help ensure my survival..But lad, that was four years ago and I think I've done a fine job in keeping my ass outta trouble since then. Perhaps that would explain this accent." The lionesss shook off her pelt, squared her shoulders and sat upright. "I decided a long time ago that the death of a litter and a pride I hardly knew wasn't going to bother me. It's done and passed. Anyways, my story is done. Now tell me, where is yer's?" she asked. The new curiousity had uplifted her mood and the thoughts she had once forgotten prior to the arrival were now, as always, buried and locked away in the darkest of her mind's mental boxes.

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"Dead and buried, or scattered," Jaromir shrugged lightly. His shoulders were hunched now, and his mane fell into his eyes, shadowing his face. "I was born into the largest pride known in my lands. I served them, protected them, I even held a place on the council due to my abilities as a strategist and warrior." His voice, already low, became slightly bitter. "Even though we were at the top of the food chain, it wasn't enough. The pride fell, and it was no one's fault but our own." His tail wrapped around his paws and the tip flicked periodically. "I was the last Umafisi lion on the island before I said goodbye to the graves of my friends, my family.." He cleared his throat roughly, but it didn't alleviate the hoarseness that permanently riddled his vocal chords.

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Zavier averted her gaze and opted for the darkening skies behind the masculine brute. She brushed past him and settled down upon the coarse prairie grasses, her paws tucked beneath the chest and breast bones. The lioness drew back her lips in a frightful yawn, exposing much of the precious ivories set within the powerful jaws for rest she would.. Night had come suddenly and quietly, for even the woodpeckers, the mountain dwellers and burrowing inhabitants of this wild country had been put to bed without a sound more.
Zavier leaned forward and let her orbits fall shut. True sleep had taken her in it's gentle grasp; something she longed for everyday. Her breathing again was shallow and few.

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Jaromir watched Zavier exit the cave. A whiff of her scent hit him momentarily; as cold and as sweet as mountain air. He glanced from the corner of his eye as she made herself comfortable outside the cave, soon drifting into sleep beneath the stars.
He laid down just within the mouth of the cave with a groan of tiredness. He stretched his back legs out to the side and rested his jaw on his forelegs, gazing outside until his eyes grew heavy. He let out an audible snore; he was asleep within minutes. (s)

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Grandmother Moon had taken her rightful place among the galactic hierarchy up above before Father Sun had pushed her back below with a show of pastel paints. Zavier's wakening proved the magnificent show of colors made an excellent reminder. She stood up, the upper half of her bodice falling to the ground as her haunches tensed and claws flexed the sleep out of her system. She fixed her contorted image and stared out into the sun-rise. Her nostrils flared with anticipation for today she would hunt. It'd been 'round maybe a week or so since she last ate and she'd been eyeing an injured Ibex for the past few days.
Zavier waited for Jaromir to awaken. She wouldn't want to be perceived as rude if he had found her absent.

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Jaromir woke with a start and blinked drowsily. His maw opened hugely as he yawned, his pink tongue lolling out over the bottom rack of teeth in his jaw. Stretching his forelegs out before him, his neck sank into the warmth of his mane, his eyes squeezed shut as he forced his muscles to loosen. Then he stretched his back legs, one by one, grunting with relief as they each gave out a stiff pop. He rolled his shoulders, ligaments still popping lightly. With a final shake of his mane he padded out into the early morning sun, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the pale light.
"Morning," he said briskly to Zavier, slightly relieved that she was already up and about. Some inner voice had told him that she probably wasn't the nicest lion should she be woken up before she were ready. "So," he said after a moment's silence. "What kind of prey can I find around here? I haven't eaten in a few days, and I hadn't seen much on my way up here once I hit the slopes." As if in response his stomach gave out a protesting gurgle, and he felt the skin beneath the fur on his face grow hot.

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