[PRP] So far that we can't get back

[Krysin]

She looked back over her shoulder when she realized he was not following her, curiosity furrowing her brows. Belkane tilted her head at him, an innocent gesture carried over from her youth. Her pace slowed to a stop when she realized that he wasn't quite sure what to think of what she said. Belkane did not see the importance of it, that her mother was on the pride's Council. "The pride's Council," she started to explain.

"They help the King make decisions about the pride, its safety and protection. The pride has grown so large that he can't make all the decisions on his own, so its good for him to have input from valued members of the pride. My mother specializes in the health and vitality of the Pridelands' herds and vegetation." Her mother was an avid hunter, and a natural fit for the Council considering her heritage. They were distantly related to one of the first kings over the Pridelands, but so was many in the pride.

It was a fair bet that any gold-pelted lion was a descendant of Mufasa. "Uh... Taj? Are we going?" she asked hesitantly, since the male seemed frozen in his tracks.  

[Pandorus Sphinx]

What on earth had he stumbled upon? Taj felt his chest tremble and race with a certain restlessness as she spoke. This couldn't be real. He knew this was too good to be true. This was his first time away from his family, his first real time on his own without the shadow of his father looming over him in disapproval. All he wanted was to have a day to himself, a day without urgency or anguish and here she was, standing in front of him as beautiful as the day and he could hardly look at her without feeling remorseful.

It's not like Taj had even done anything to warrant feeling such guilt, but he did. His eyes lowered as he did his best to resist the urge to run away from her and this current situation.

"Yeah, yeah. I knew that, sorry. I get confused sometimes."

He forced a smile and spoke again, this time his voice sounded a little more put together. He was trying...

"Let's find your sister."