[SRP] Ducks out of Water (See Inside)

[Epine de Rose]

 

[Epine de Rose]

"I severely underestimated how cold it was up here," Durama confessed as he hunched against his companion's leg. Much to his annoyance, Gus appeared to be in a reasonably good mood and didn't even seem to be shivering. Durama recalled the temperature back in this lion's homeland and how he wasn't discomfited by this environment was beyond him. Quite frankly, Gus should have been quaking in his furry paws against the biting winds, in fact, Durama was even sure that his toes were going to fall off given how uncomfortable they were!

"You under estimated how cold it was and yet you saw the white when you were looking at it from afar?" Gus asked and shook his head. "Have you never seen snow before?" he queried. Yes, the pale lion might have been accustomed to slightly warmer climates but not all of the pridal territory in which he lived was quite so pleasant. As part of his training he had been required to adjust to differing climates and to not cave in at the slightest sign of difficulty. He didn't have to like it, he just had to accept that was how things were and get on with it.

"Can't say I have," Durama replied with a wrinkling of his nose. "We don't really get this at home," he gave the snow a slight kick of irritation and heaved a sigh. They had kept climbing since they hit the slopes with the rabbit hoping that eventually they would get a clear view of the surrounding lands, however, the higher they climbed the worse the visibility seemed to be and they were left at a bit of a loss. Or rather, he was left at a loss... Gus seemed to be enjoying himself to a certain degree in the sense that he was simply enjoying the view.

Bloody tourists...

"Well, this stuff tends to feature quite heavily at higher altitudes," Gus replied in an easy tone and shook his head. "If your delicate paws are feeling poorly you can always get on my back, Princess," he teased. It was enough for the rabbit to puff out his chest in indignation. Durama had always been easy to taunt when it came to his capabilities and this would be no exception, his pride simply wouldn't let him concede to this one.

"I am not getting on your back," he snapped as he bounced further along the snow, Gus followed a very short distance behind.

Unsurprisingly, their route took them further up the slopes and it was only then that they finally managed to encounter life - life in the form of another lion and another rabbit. At first Durama hadn't even seen the rabbit, it had blended in to the snow perfectly, but as they drew nearer it became apparent he was most assuredly there. Gus on the other hand, seemed more intrigued by the very burly lion, suffice it to say that he had never seen anyone quite so puffy, but he supposed that one really did have to adapt when it came to these climates.

"Good Morning," Gus was the first to speak as Durama attempted to collect himself.

"Good Morning," the lion responded in kind and then raised a brow. "I'm not sure what you're looking for but there's absolutely nothing this far up," he said finally. Ra wasn't often one to be curt, but given the unusual altitude he had found them at (admittedly Nodi had spotted Durama's coat from below), he was rather determined to have them turn back before they got themselves hurt. After all, it would reflect poorly on him if foreigners succumbed to mother nature's wrath out here...even in the height of summer the very highest points of this peak could be freezing.

"We were looking for a view point," Gus saw no reason to hide the purpose and fortunately, neither did Durama.

"We're trying to get home...well I am," Durama explained as he regarded Nodi. The white rabbit responded with a stare of his own and then a quick glance towards the accompanying lion. "He's just along for the ride to be honest," Durama flicked his own gaze back towards Gus.

"You'll not see anything up here," Nodi said and shook his head. His voice was quiet and he was evidently a rabbit who saw no real reason to speak at volume. One might have surmised that he was the type to remain calm while the world collapsed around him, probably a useful trait, but not one the clouded bunny possessed. "You're actually too high up to see anything of use," he pointed towards the world beneath them and then waved his paws at the cloudy expanse. The pair of foreigners had undeniably seen this fog on their way up, they just hadn't necessarily put two and two together on that score.

"Uh..." Durama shook his head. "So how are we meant to get a view point?"

"By going lower," Ra interjected as he scooped Nodi onto his head and chuckled. "This cloud never moves, well it does, but you could be waiting several weeks for it to do so and by that time you'd probably be dead from starvation," he pointed out and motioned for them to follow him.

Amusingly, Durama and Gus had chosen the most awkward way to ascend the slopes and they would soon find this out as the tan lion led them back towards a more reasonable level.

"So you're telling me that these mountains touch the sky..."

"I imagine just the clouds touch the mountain, the sky goes much higher," Gus remarked, Durama supplied him with a scathing look.

"Your companion is right," Nodi turned around to face the pair as they followed and smiled. "If you look above you, you'll notice there are clouds far above us too, this cloud is just rather partial to the mountain," he added. "But why did you not simply ask for directions further down if you didn't know your way home, surely someone knows?"

"I can't honestly say I know how many people visit us at home," Durama confessed sheepishly. "Or what they look like, they could just send us on a wild goose chase and I'm kind of stretched for time right now."

"Oh...?" Ra seemed to be intrigued as he glanced over his shoulder towards the pair, albeit briefly. "Why the rush?"

"We're trying to make someone better and he's not doing very well right now," Durama didn't go into details, though he did eventually concede to being scooped up and set on Gus's head. Now that he was mirroring Nodi, it didn't seem quite so questionable from a pride point of view. His ego could handle this one for now and so could his feet if he really thought about it, they needed the opportunity to warm up anyway.

"So who are you guys anyway?" Gus asked, a question that he was aware would become more and more repetitive as he drew further away from home.

"We're Schnee," Ra replied. "A snow pride, this is our home." He explained. "And...you?"

"I'm Bahari'mtoto," Durama replied dutifully and patted his chest.

"Al-Siq." Gus replied.

There was a moment of pause as all parties involved absorbed the information, it was only then that they began to converse again. It was clear that there were several questions, and based on Ra's reaction, Gus began to speculate that he might actually know exactly who the Bahari'mtoto were - ah, but wasn't that an added bonus if that was the case!

"I have no idea who the Al-Siq are," Ra concluded and raised a brow.

"That's the general consensus," Gus conceded with a wry smile and shook his head. "We're fairly inclined towards isolation at the moment, we don't really make a point of introducing ourselves to those nearby," he added.

"Noted," Nodi gave a nod. "But I'm pretty sure we know who the Bahari are, don't we?" The white rabbit glanced at his own companion for confirmation and Ra's expression became neutral for a moment as he attempted to recall the information. It was true that he could recall the information to a degree, he just wasn't entirely sure of how he knew the name.

"I feel like we do," Ra agreed slowly and shook his head. "I just can't remember how right now," he chuckled and glanced back towards Durama. "Perhaps you can describe it and I might be able to jog my memory?" he urged. He was met with a quiet stare from the clouded bunny, who didn't seem to know how best to begin. Beyond 'ocean' and 'jungle' he wasn't very good at this sort of thing!

"From what I've gathered they live by the ocean," Gus offered helpfully and smiled. "Near a jungle too," he added after a moment.

"Hm..." Ra sounded non-commital and shook his head, it wasn't coming to him. Nodi however, seemed to have had an epiphany and was enthusiastically clapping his paws at the prospect that he might indeed know where they were talking about.

"Oh oh oh!" He announced and finally drummed his chest, it was an action not expected of one so softly spoken to say the least. "I think your King came to visit us during our Spring celebration," he said finally and clucked his tongue. "With two of his children, very boisterous and excitable."

"Fiery mane and a paler mane?" Ra asked slowly as if clarifying.

"Aye," Nodi agreed. "Swirls on their backsides," he added.

"Oh good gods you met Huo and Shui?" Durama lifted a paw to his forehead and finally smiled. "No wonder you forgot, they can be quite traumatic," he mused. Gus glanced at him in surprise, not entirely sure of how he should respond to such a declaration, did this mean the lions in question were dangerous or...

"Oh I don't know, they seemed all right to me," Nodi replied and shrugged his shoulders. "Just young and full of energy."

"That really hasn't changed." Durama remarked.

"Fortunately," Ra finally spoke. "I do in fact know where that is, once we reach an appropriate vantage point I'll show you how to get there," he concluded and continued on his way. He vaguely recalled conversing with the King, Ram had provided him with some reasonably detailed information regarding the Bahari and where they were situated. Following the young family's departure, Ra had been one of those curious guards who had looked towards the east and the shores far beyond his own home. He would know where to point once he saw it, he was certain of this.

...Provided that the white lion and his clouded companion followed those directions, they should both be able to return safely, or at least he hoped so, he couldn't really guarantee their safety if the stubborn bunny decided he would prefer to take a short cut through a region that might look like it possessed a short cut...but simply didn't have one.

"That would be most appreciated," Gus spoke up, matching Ra's stride as Nodi and Durama seemed to strike up a conversation regarding local cuisine. At least the clouded rabbit had perked up a bit now that there seemed to be an end to this misadventure into the clouds!

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