The brisk air of the Doiman territory was always something to refresh the mind and body, but today's work took Yangu from her perch in the oman territory into the bordering roguelands, because the naturally painted lioness was following the scent of something... New. Yangu knew the scents of every Doman by now currently living and even the frequent 'visitor' to the king, and currently, there was something... New. Perhaps... Even someone whom didn't know the story of her ancestor the traitor. Yangu, of course, wanted to meet this lion, leopard, or... A twitch of the nose said the species -- another cheetah! How about that, she supposed, and maybe they'd be open to coming to the Domans besides. She could use another set of paws, especially with Hanami producing the geiko. That meant more work which meant paws needed, and Yangu moved hopefully after the scent with her tail swaying and posture calm, looking about. Unlike Hien, Yangu was not a warrior, nor was she a fainting violet -- her mother had been embitteed by the whispers and sharpness of her pridemates long ago, and, unlike Yangu, was at deatha bitter, angry old lioness cursing her husband to their mutual, diseased grave, and her own children besides. Yangu was... To say unbothered was a lie. She was very bothered, but tried to prove herself, often... Too hard, afraid of jeering. It was, so far, working out -- not just every pride member talked to the royal house, and she still felt blessed by Hien's trust, eager to keep it as shre spied a flash of color. Ever eager to please her pride, the liuoness shot after it, and pounced a smaller, silver and brown cheetah... Whom promptly panicked, and swiped at her, using her surprise to pull himself into an unconfortable, huddled position against a cliff wall.

Zephirin had been trying to locate Grinnaux and Paulecraine. his former knight brothers exiled with him. As he'd roamed, they had settled into a devastated pride welcoming their strong blood and keen claws, and Zephirin was.... Well, pleased by it. Still he'd seen the dark lioness whom had ruinted their lives in the area, and, seeking to smuggle Ormr and Jin in, he had spirited close to seek the loysal duo, only to spy a pride member abnormally far out. He didn't know thius lioness, the dark eyed female was usually working near shrines or collecting baubles or something, but today she was out with porpuse, a sparkle to her eye, and he'd barely managed to squirrel away inyo brush to hide, when he was caught, with a paw to the tail, and did wehat any self-respecting animal might. He swiped, then pulled away. He knew his old friends might not harm him, but, this lioness might, and his eyes narrowed warningly as she blinked, and sat.

"....Sorry... I didn't mean to frighten you." Yangu murmured to the startled cheetah with a soft voice and calm cadence, looking properly apologetic as she sat, lowering her head with the air of one used to being scolded, and Zephirin couldn't help the fluffing his fur was beginning to do.

"I would think one trying not to frighten wouldn't pounce tails." Zephirin responded calmly. Yangu winced, swhrinking as the seeming expected scolding came, and Zephirin frowned. What was....?

"Sorry, I just. I saw your tail and only wanted to stop you from hiding. I'm not dangerous. I'm only a kojin, not one of the warriors. Sacred artifacts, not... Not fighting, I promise." She offered a weak smile, and then looked away as if ashamed.

"I wouldn't feel right as a warrior with my ancestry." She added then, ears drooping significantly, and Zephirin felt his own ears p***k up, nodding understandingly.

"Honor is a difficult afffair to address. Where I am from, it's also hereditary, but divided into lines as children are born.... Myy family may be dishonored by me, but, they have the power to prove themselves my betters -- to salvage what I scarred. Did... One of your siblings tarnish your honor?" Zephirin asked softly. Yangu looked surprised, before sighing.

"My ancestor betrayed our pride to enemies a very long time ago, after mothering a litter of children and casting them out because of her husband's ill conduct. She saught revenge for all she suffered. Her brother too, took his parents, and left to join the enemy altogether... And yet." Yangu sighed. "My ancestor was put down. My family never recovered, but... Most of them perished in the plague that swept our lands. Those whom didn't, fled or hid. Even now there's.. Fear. I want to prove it was only one bad group, not.. That we were all wicked. My mother... Was driven to hater and anger like our ancestors by the priude's shame, and took it out on us. I.... Seek to be better. And.. Maybe gain my own honort."

"So you want to prove yourself."Zephirin concluyded, and smiled softly. "To atone for another. Perhaps I am too quick to judge. I was misled to atrocity by a dark pelted lioness in myhome, and exiled. Now I seek to atone for my sins as a knight serving the gods." Zephirin explained softly. This time, Yangu was to react, offering Zephirin a faint smile, nodding a bit.

"I can respect that. Good souls on't try to ignore misdeeds. And..." She paused. "You kind of remind me of Paulecraine or Grinnaux in that way." She shruged, then started as Zephirin rose, seeming on fire from his sudden calm.

"You... Know my knight brotyhers?" Zephirin asked, eyes wide with hope. Yangu blinked, head tilting.

"Those two? Of course, I'm the only kojin right now -- I need to know everyone to do my job sometimes. They're GOOFBALLS."

Zephirin laughed gently, seeming to relax as he did so before smiling to the female warmly, bowqing his head politely.

"Please, forgive me then my lady. I am Ser Zephirin, a brother knight of their home before yours. I must warn them of a situation in your home. If you're able to offer an escort of some kind -- I'd hate to intrude, but...."

Yangu blinked, before raising a oaw, a lopsided grin on her face, awkward, but amused.

"No clue wherte the goon boys are right at the moment, but probably with this cheetah they're wooing. But if there's a threat to Doma, I can help." Yangu beamed a bit meekly, Zephirin looking perplexed at her words, before Yangu puffed her chest.

"I am a friend to the king himself." Yangu admitted, then looked shy. "Hien -- well, we met as children and... He gave me a chance. I owe him much, and he's always been kind to me. Technically he wants me out to bring blood into the pride but my duties don't let me. But if you need hjis ear..."

"...You can help me." Zephirin blinked, and finally, he smiled, exhaling. Yangu nodded.,

"I can try. His adopted sister's children are also in the pride -- his neice is even one of the nobility. If a job needs done, I know whom to speak to. But... Pray tell, what's going on?" Yangu tilted her head. "You mentioned needing to speak to Grinnaux and Paulecraine?"

"I did." Zephirin then grew dark, serious, and frowned, eyes narrowing. "A dark-pelted lioness and a follower are near this place, whispering to a male dark of makle and tail tuft, pale of body -- yellow, blue, black, and...."

"Oh, that." Yangu's nose curled, and Zephirin looked shocked at her expression -- and calm. Yangu scowled, then.

"She came in the last couple of days offering Hien the will of the gods, but... She did seem strange. Minu knows who she is -- a priest you can say of ours -- and she was eager to listen, but even she'sbeen... Wary. And the lioness with her also looks uncomfortable. Minu says... She's the daughter of that weirdo and a god."

Silence, Yangu frowning in concern, and Zephirin felt his breath hitcvh.

A child. The lioness had mothered children with a god.... This was both terrifying and confusing, and Zephirin shivered, looking to Yangu questioningly, the female frowning.

"Minu says she asked for children, and was given a litter by a god of Leadership. But.... Her children left her to walk different paths. Bar one... Her daughter Efah, a seer. She's a little black and blue girl with gold accent. She... She doesn't seem talkative. She does open up to Minu -- Minu suspects Efah is unhappy, but... Her mother won't let her leave -- she believes her path is pure and others merely don't understand. But this lioness is... Frightening. I don't know what she's telling Hien, though."

"Nacht speaks with a silver tongue. When she came to my home, she left our artchbishop and my knight brothers and I in exile when the pride turned on us, showing us the heresies she whispered, and the.. Heresies our ancestors left us. She ruined lives -- Grinnaux and Paulecraine, my own... The others. I seek to stop her,and then my archbishop to aid my compasnions. And you believe this priestess followed once...?"

"I'm almost posaitive Minu did. They know one another, so Minu knows her words. She's concerned, but she's considered gathering the others they knew." Yangu sighed, looking at her paws before looking to Zephirin.

"There were many. Nacht... Was one of many students a long time ago of the lion Zodiark. Minu says Zodiark's favorite became a pale lion named Elidibus, whom left to follow the love of a female whom his brother loved as well. Zodiark had a god complex, and believed himself a god of Dark, balanced by his mate, a goddess of light -- bnoth are mortal, though. Zodiark isn't... Malicious -- I understand his path is one of balance, and a lesson Elidibus learned well. Nacht... Nacht seeks power." The female frowned, then, looking contemplative. "And she claims her child is a seer... If Efah is truly a seer... I can speak to Hien of warning, but her chikld might know how to find her mentor, or even this... Elidibus. One of them might know how to speak to her."

Zephirin nodded, listening quietly to the lioness' words seriously as his tail curled around him, grateful fot her words. It was much needed help, the sort gifted but rarely.... And often at cost. That gave Zephirin a pause, and the male looked to Yangu in caution.

"You share nmuch most ask a price for. What are you seeking..."

"What, in payment? I am kojin. We seek the sacred, and the mundane. We serve the priests, the king, and the pride, protecting treasures and bartering non-sacred for the sacred. I ask nothing, and only seek to help my home. I want to prove better than my ancestor, to do right, and to claim honor for myself and my children. I don't want to be like my mother, cursing my father giving her children to the grave, dying of illness." The lioness' gaze snapped away sharply, a look of pain in her eyes, and Zephirin blinked.

This. This was a lonely soul, one whom only wished good and was given coldness in return, and in a sense, he understood. At home, she'd have easuily proven herself, he realized, and the male's gaze went over her gently before he smiled sadly.

"If you were but in a place whom judged honor less sharply, or in different paws, you would perhaps have made a fine knight, especially in my home." Zephirin soothed, before sighing. "But I cvannot give title, nor honor, only gratitude and my promise to help., I won't let her defile your home, this I--"

"I can have Minu help you speak to Efah." Yangu interrupted suddenly, voice soft... Even shaking. "Efah might talk to you away from her mother. I don;'t know how seers work, but... She might know what her mother wants. It's... Something. And Minu may know how to find her old teacher at best. It's something." Yangu exhaled then and trembled. She ached to do more, to reach oiut with her paws and stop things herself, but she was a kojin, no shinobi, no samurai, no royal.

She was the dishonored descendant of a traitor, nd if the pride knew anything and that she was the one learning, they'd demand she handle it. It was a weight she had to carry, and suddenly Zephirin seemed to sense it, reaching a paw out and gently, lightly placing it on hers.

"I would be most grateful. And... I would still like toi speak to Grinnaux and Paulecraine, at some point." Zephirin said, in a tone that was meant to be soothing. Yangu blinked, but relaxed, nodding.

"I can bringyou into the territory now if you like." Yangu offered. Zephirin smiled, then motioned with a smaller paw than her own.

"I've friends whom might aid us as well. Runaway lovers, I suspect. If I may bring them as well?" He asked. Yangu smiled.

"All are welcome in Doma if they bring no ill will." She responded, laughing. "I promise."

Zephirin nodded, and rose, beckining to Yangu, the female nodding before padding after the male slowly, tail swaying as the pair began moving for Ormr and Jin. Soon, there would be much work to do.