[B] Giant Sandbox (Asha x Drani character)

[Midnightglow18]

Asha had no idea how she ended up in this land of burning sand and way to much sun, she was not used to this land and she was very lost at the moment. She turned around trying to get her bearings so she could get back to the rogue lands where she at least knew where she could find food and water. If there were lions living out here she had no idea how they managed to do that. As far as her eye could see all she could see was sand. Wow. "I have never seen this much sand in my entire life." She grumbled and flicked her tail about in annoyance. Hot, sandy and lost, how could this day get any worse?  

[Andranis]

It wasn't hard for Aurinko to pop out in the desert. Kiran managed to have an easier time blending in, due in part to his blindingly white a**, but Aurinko... She was more akin to a shadow. Even with her dark coat, though, she was used to the desert heat, the sun beating down on her back, the way it warmed her fur. Even wandering out into the roguelands, it was the only home she knew and the only home she would ever want to be in.

She was also painfully aware it was not for everybody, and not all who entered the desert sought to become one with the giants of the sands. It was no surprise, then, that she found a lioness who looked lost while out on patrol. "You lost, there, stranger?" It wasn't unusual to find lions who had no idea just how vast the desert was, or how the dunes looked the same to the untrained eye, had wandered in trying to cross it on their way somewhere else, or got curious and then lost.  

[Midnightglow18]

Andranis

Asha looked at the strong looking black lioness with her red streaks and she was relieved she had sooner thought she would die out her lost. Then she had expected to meet a lioness who didn't appear to be bothered by this heat at all. "Yes I am, can you direct me back to the rogue lands and maybe to some water before I make my journey back to a place that isn't a giant hotbox of sand. How do you deal with this?" Asha asked she shook her head the heat out in this dessert was insane. "I'm Asha by the way." She said in a polite tone.  

[Andranis]

Chuckling, the dark lioness walked up to her. "I was born and raised here, this is my home." She looked up at the sky, mentally tracing the sun's path. "I can't say there's water near here, not without heading back out into the roguelands. The nearest water otherwise is at the outpost, and that's rationed, and beyond that the pride's center... And nobody'll let you near that, even guided." She remembered a time, as a cub, when they hadn't had much water. Everything was rationed, and lions were often thirsty. It was a desert, yes, but even deserts had to get rain at some point, right? "I can guide you back to the border, it's far closer."

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

Andranis

Asha laughed and shook her head "Your people must be amazing if you can take this kind of heat without batting an eyelash, give me a tree for shade and a beautiful river." She said. "That's alright I have no interest in joining your people, I doubt I would survive hanging out in your territory for long." She chuckled. Asha wasn't offended that she wasn't welcomed into their territory. She had ended up her by accident and had been lucky enough to met someone nice. She could have ended up meeting someone who was threatening to kill her or trying to force her to fight in this heat. "I would greatly appreciate if you showed me back to the border." She said in a tired tone this heat was not her thing.  

[Andranis]

"With pleasure!" Grinning, Aurinko started off in the direction of the grasslands. "We're a tough breed of lion, not everybody can take it out here. Most of the pride has at least some old blood to the ancient roots of the first lions to tread upon the sands, and for them this is just part and parcel with their heritage. Then there's those like me, whose parents joined later, and while they grew up elsewhere, they found this to be more home than their birthplace." A good case in point was that her mother had been born in the lush and verdant Pridelands, then joined the Motoujamii later. Her father had been, himself, a rogue. "What were you doing coming this way, anyway, Asha?" Then something occurred to her. "Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Aurinko!"

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

Andranis

Asha smiled as she listened to the females talk of her people. "Nice to meet you Aurinko." Asha shook her head as they traveled back towards the grasslands. "I'm not really sure." She pondered "I must have been delirious I think I heard the voice of my parents and must have gone into a state because I'm not sure how I ended up in a giant sandbox." Asha said with a frown. "There have been some strange things happening lately." Asha sighed "I suppose I just need to go hunt and rest, then again if the land gets crazier I'm not sure if that will help." Just as Asha said that the shy dimmed a little bit. She glared at the sky so not normal. Then again at least if it suddenly got darker that would be a cooler trip, right? "How do you find your way in all this sand?"  

[Andranis]

As if on cue, a whisper reached Aurinko's ear. It twitched and she shook her head, then looked around, brow furrowed. "Well that's just odd..." Shaking her head more slowly, she turned back to the... Well, it was all sand, so it couldn't really be called a path, could it? "We grow up in it, so we know every dune by heart. Even those who generally stay at the pride's center, like the medics and historians, know every inch of this desert. While the sand does shift and move, and dunes can migrate, they don't go THAT fast, so it's easy to find landmark dunes for us." It did make her realize, though, that they would have to start actually... Marking them...

Aurinko looked down when the sand stopped shifting so much, bits of grass starting to poke out. "Looks like we're close to the grasslands!"

Midnightglow18

 

[Midnightglow18]

Andranis

Asha smiled "Your people must be very skilled to have learned to tell one mound of sand from another." She laughed "They all look alike to me." She shook her head hard trying to ignore the half-spoken words she heard and sighed out deeply when she saw the grasslands again. Since she didn't have a home right now, as long as she was back in the rogue lands she would be fine till she would a home that would feel right to her. "Thank you so much Aurinko. If our paths never cross again, I hope your life is full of growth and joy." Asha said in a happy tone. Ready to take herself the rest of the way home.  

[Andranis]

Aurinko bowed her head, smiling at Asha, "It comes part and parcel with growing up here. May your path lead you somewhere your paws may rest, Asha." She turned, tail flicking. "Safe travels out there! It looks like the wind's changing, so it'd be best to hurry as far from the desert as you can get before it gets bad!"