Umgiyo woke up before the sun had fully finished setting. He had barely been able to fall asleep the night before as all he could do was go over the interaction he had had with Thula the night before. It was as if all his dreams had come true at ones and he was nervous that if he fell asleep he would find out that it was exactly that all a dream.

The darkly coloured lion moved out from hsi den. He turned westward towards the setting sun. The sky was pink and it immediately brought Thula and her pink pelt into his mind. The hunter wasn't really sure where he would find the lady that had captured his heart would be or if she would even be up yet.

---

Sleep had been restless for her. Sometimes during the day she had been up and wandered about as everyone slept quietly. The pink lionesses thoughts upon the male whom she had helped. Also whom she had wanted to be a mated pair with. His dark pelt haunted her as the night began to drag over the world.

Where could she find her mate. Her mate in secret for now. Trepidation settled in her heart before she banished it away. Things were different now. Or they would be.

"Umgiyo." Her voice low as she nearly chirped the words out looking for the dark male.

---

It had surprised Umgiyo when he had heard his name ringing in his ears as he stepped through the darkness of the pride. He would know the voice anywhere and he moved towards it without even thinking.

While he moved towards the pink lioness his mind began to drift back to the worries that he had his whole life when it came to Thula. He was just a low-middle class lion and she was a high class lady. By mating to here Umgiyo would move up through the ranks to become a high class lion in the pride. He was affraid that it would be looked down upon him mating with her. Though Umigyo would never mate someone jsut for their rank he was excited to know that he would now be able to do the job he had always dreamed of guarding the pride that hopefully soon would be righted with proper leadership.

---

He was like a vision as the pink female saw him there. She had always coveted him like some secret and now she felt, regardless of anything that she would take him as her own mate. So what if everyone looked down on her after. Things were changing, hopefully. The old king had been killed and now they weere waiting for the next ruler. Things were pretty much up in the air.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she ended up standing only a few feet from him. "Better since the quills?"

---

Umgiyo felt himself relax the more she spoke. Reaching her side he hesitated for just a moment before he leaned in and gave her a nuzzle. It felt good to touch her in an affectionate way. He pulled back giving a look around to see if anyone had spotten them. It was still early in the evening though and very few lions were awake.

"I am feeling much better now that I am with you." he told her his voice a hushed whisper. "How abot you did you sleep okay?" he asked. Again his mind begain to drift as he thought about how wonderful it would be to sleep beside her, soon he told himself soon.

----

The affection was well needed after the sleep. Although she had gotten plenty of it it had been somewhat restless. Maybe it was the fact that she had wanted to curl up next to the male before her. Or maybe it was something else. Heaving a sigh she leaned into him for a moment, just wanting to basque in his presence.

"Fitful but I got a lot of rest." She purred as she nuzzled him back. "Everything seems better now that you are here." She gave a small chuckle, almost like a hiccuping sound. "What should we do today while we can?" Curious as to what the pair could do without too much attention being brought upon them.

---

The darkly coloured male felt his chest swell with pride and excitment. He had an overwhelming fear that she would change her mind about them while they slept but to hear that she sounded just in love with him as he was with her.

"Well I'm not on a hunt team today so I have all night to spend with you." he told her cooing slightly as he spoke. Umgiyo was a large male but quite and gentle and being around THala only brought that side of him out more and more. "Why don't we go find a nice place to lay in the grass and watch the stars?" he offered her.

---

Thula grinned at the male. The big dark male always brought a smile to her face. "No hunt today huh. Well good. Spending the entire night with you sounds like a better plan anyway." The female agreed as she scooted closer to the other.

Star gazing. Now that was very romantic. "Take me wherever you want to so that we may lay beneath the heavens."

---

Umgiyo felt the urge to pinch himself finding it hard to believe that he really was this lucky. A night wiht the lady of his dreams, and she seemed just as excited as him about it. He really couldn't believe his luck. He really felt blessed.

"Right this way then." he told her leading her towards his favourite spot in the pride, an open field of long grass by a river. He moved slowly staying right at the Thula's side not wanting to move far from her.

[Fin]