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Njiru was settled at the base of a small hill, in the shade despite it already being night out. The moonlight shining down on him did nothing for his mood as it brought back memories he preferred to believe were long, long gone and tucked away in the furthest reaches of his mind. He sighed as they came to the fore once again, not quite fouling his mood but not doing anything to keep him even remotely happy, either. If anything, he did his best to remind himself that while his current standing in the pride was that of an average member, he still somehow managed to find contentment in that.

Yet he was still alone. His mate was long gone now, off to find a better life for herself. He did nothing to make her want to stay either; theirs was an unhappy marriage, to say the least, and in his young adult years he was far too ambitious that he couldn't quite bring himself to be happy with anything and anyone he had in his life, his own children included. Now? They were estranged to him, and he had no choice but to be fine with that.

He sighed skyward, eyes on the moon as he rolled onto his side. "I suppose nothing was ever meant to go very well for me," he mused quietly. "Had I accepted that sooner you might have changed your mind somewhere along the way and shown me at least a little bit of favor."

How long had it been since the pride had disbanded? Months....years? All time seemed to mesh together these days, leaving Ruya no concept of anything. She couldn't tell the seasons while still in the southern grasslands, as it seemed the same all year around. Dead. Or dying, that was always a fun term to use.

Ruya finally mustered up the courage to leave the home she had called for many years. It would be a long journey, but she would find something one day to fill the hole in her heart the Kusini lands had once consumed.

She was tired and found her feet dragging as she walked across the land. She stopped to rest a few times here and there, but she continued on, almost desperate to find a home. Finally when she could not walk any further, she collapsed, a sigh escaping her maw. Who was she kidding. She should have stayed in the land she called home.

The light seemed to shift slightly, which made him sigh once again before chuckling wryly. "Or not," he went on as he rolled onto his belly. It was only then that he noticed something strange about the land before his eyes. Something new, something...different, that he hadn't noticed moments earlier. Standing to his feet, he felt it was still part of his duty to protect his home so he went to go see what it was.

As he got closer he finally realized it was another lion, so he hurried over, brows scrunched together in a mix of suspicion and concern.

"Hello?" he started, still several feet away as he called. He glanced around to see if there were others nearby before his eyes once again settled on the one lying on the ground. He saw no one else and sensed no eyes on him so he inched closer, slowly. "Are you alright? Did you maybe need some help?" For all he knew they liked sleeping out in the open like this.

At the sound of the other approaching, Ruya wrenched her eyes open to focus on the male. Great. She wasn't prepared to deal with another right now. Shakily, she rose to her feet. "I'm...okay. Just tired." The lioness murmured. "I've been traveling for a while now, just can't seem to take a rest." Another sigh left her maw. Her expression showed her weariness.

"Could you perhaps show me if there is a water hole nearby?" Maybe if she drank something she would wake up a little more and find a more..suitable place to rest. "I didn't realize this land was occupied." She was so use to the roguelands and everything spaced out that she never thought about coming across another, or possibly a pride, which now that she had scented the air was quite aware she was close to.

"Tell me...where are we?"

As she explained further he inched closer still, until finally he was just a few steps from her, a polite distance. Wanderers passed by often, and he happened upon them often enough that he could only sigh and nod at her request. "There is at least one, but it's still quite a way's away from here, and within pride borders." Normally at this point he would redirect them to one a bit further away and certainly not within the borders, but she seemed so tired and he honestly felt bad. And it was already well into the night, so he sighed.

"This is the outskirts of the Mwezi'johari," he went on to explain, "we're a peaceful pride, if a bit wary of outsiders wandering the lands on their own. If you don't mind an escort I will gladly take you to that watering hole. My name is Njiru, by the way. May I ask yours?"

Shaking her head, Ru agreed. "I don't mind." She was not a lioness that would try anything funny (plus she was getting up there in age, not the spritely youth she once was). "I can understand the weariness. My old pride suffered a murder of the monarch that they never really recovered." The poor family, torn apart from a vile act.

"I appreciate any assistance, Njiru." She said, repeating the other's name. "My name is Ruyao'jinamizi. Although, most just call me Ruya or Ru for short." She knew her name could be a mouthful to say, so the nickname never bothered her.

"I have never heard of the Mwezi'johari lands." Mwezi...fitting for her, as she had come from the Kusini'mwezi lands. She deduced it must have had something to do with the moon. "What is it like?" She asked in regards to the pride.

As they walked, Ru's legs dragged a bit. She did have as much energy as she would have hoped to seeing another lion. Come on, perk up. she tried to persuade herself, failing miserably.

News of a monarch being murdered, even if it was in a distant pride, brought Njiru's lips down into a frown. "An unfortunate thing," was all he could think to say, "both the murder and the end of a pride. The end of a way of life for its members, I imagine it'd be incredibly difficult to move on from." Despite everything, the turmoil involving the throne of his pride, he couldn't imagine the Mwezi no longer existing. And for the first time he was grateful that someone had been willing, each time, to step up to take the lead.

At mention of her name he couldn't help but smirk. "I will use the nickname Ruya, if you don't mind. That is quite a name."

He started leading her toward that water hole, sticking close just a few steps ahead of her. "Life here is simple, truth be told. We follow the lead of the Great Lion, ever watchful and protecting us through the day-to-day. There is a heirarchy, as in any pride. Those shown great favor by the Great Lion are higher in rank, and those shown less favor are lower in rank. All are respected and have their place, though, so to me...at this point in life?" He sighed. "Ranks are nothing more than formality."

"By all means," she jested.

"The Great Lion?" She questioned. "Who is that?" She would have guessed The Great Lion was some sort of monarch, but where he said about the hierarchy, she figured that wasn't right. The Kusini lands worshipped the harvest deity, but faith in it waned when life never prospered.

"Are ranks a...big thing here?" The subject seemed foreign to her. Were there not just hunters and scouts and baby sitters like a normal pride would have? What did it mean to have a higher rank? To her, it sounded just as Njiru had explained it, a formality.

"Our deity," came his simple answer. It wasn't long before the watering hole came into view, but he did notice she was slowing down a bit so he slowed enough that he was walking in-step with her. "And yes, in a way. It determines what you will eventually do for the pride. Positions within are what they might be in any other pride--hunters and guards and the like."

He stepped a bit closer then, eyes forward on their destination despite the silent gesture for a shoulder to physically lean on in case she needed it. "So tell me, if it isn't too painful to recall, about where you came from. I have not left my home in many, many moons, so my knowledge of the world beyond our borders if limited."

The sight of the water made the other perk up just a bit. When the other slowed to match her pace, she was thankful for the closeness of the male. If they needed to travel any further, she was sure she be sprawled against his shoulder, her weight shifting to his form rather than hers.

She didn't though. She stepped right up to the cool liquid, feeling the water run on her paws before dipping her head low to lap up the sweet liquid. Once sated, she just needed to find a place to rest.

"It's not too painful, everything happened so long ago." She turned her golden gaze towards Njiru. "Our pride was relatively simple. We had a lot of members, welcomed lions and non-lions alike. We followed the Harvest deity, offering fresh kills and fresh vegetation, in hopes to have a prosperous year." She recollected. "The land was called the Kusini'mwezi. Southern Moon" It was fitting, the lands were south Pridelands, and the moon always seemed the largest just beyond the lost forest borders.

"Not much else really to say about it." She sighed.

"I...hate to burden you, you've been so helpful already. Is there a place nearby that would allow someone like me to rest until morning? I understand if there is not....but...there seems to be a safety within the borders here the roguelands just doesn't seem to offer.

He settled quietly just nearby, deep blue eyes on her form as she drank to her heart's content. He couldn't imagine living in the rogue lands, truth be told. It had nothing to do with being spoiled by the security of living in the safety of a pride, it was just...he hated wandering. He liked having a place to call home, and that would never change.

Njiru's lips turned up into a soft smile as she recalled her previous home rather fondly, and when she was done he nodded a bit. "It sounds somewhat similar to here, except we don't accept non-lions. We never have, and I doubt that'll change. At least not in my lifetime."

He continued to watch her as he considered her next request. His gaze was soft if a bit scrutinizing. She seemed kind enough, and was almost certainly alone and perhaps not of a good age to escape should anyone attempt to ambush her or something of the like while she tried to sleep. "You are safe here so long as you're within these borders and show no ill intent, which you haven't," he said very matter-of-factly, "so yes, there is a small den nearby. If you're all done here I could take you there."

The gray lioness nodded. The allowance of non-lions into the pride was something that was established after the Queen had died. She had no ill will against the species, but she also was not a lioness to interbreed with them as some had done amongst the land.

The liquid having refreshed her a bit, the lioness bobbed her head. "I think I am done," if the den was nearby, she could always come out again for another sip. However, she knew once she was comfortable amongst the confines of the shelter, she would be fast asleep, catching up on the many missed days of slumber from her travel.

"Lead the way," she said with a smile.

Njiru stood to his feet as soon as she said she was ready, amusement clear in his eyes at her choice of phrase. No one had ever actually said those words in that specific order to him that he could remember, and despite all else he rather liked the sound of it.

"This way, then," he said, a quiet but surprisingly happy rumble escaping him as he showed her the way to the den. It was, as promised, not too far away, and he stood at the mouth and gestured for her to go on ahead of him.

"I hope you regain your strength to continue on in your travels, Ruya. If you have more questions about the Mwezi, though, or would like to consider staying, I'll meet you at the watering hole tomorrow morning." At that the dark lion offered her the smallest of smiles and a nod before he turned to make his leave, ready to carry on with what he was doing before he happened upon her collapsed form. Though in hindsight, considering what he was pondering at the time, maybe it was some kind of sign from the Great Lion.