The sun was sinking, and her legs were getting tired of trekking up the mountainous region. The higher she got, the less she felt like it was as good of an idea as she'd hoped- but the vantage point she'd seen from below was an impressive one. She would be able to see for absolute miles and maybe this could help her plot her next move. Find out where her next destination was in her personal little adventure.

But man it was a hike. A hike not just in itself but one after she'd already spent the day crossing the plains below. She was so close though, so so close to the flat top of the lookout...

All that was left between her and it was a narrow path, nonchalantly placed next to a nice drop-off. Not one as extreme as the overlook itself (good god), but enough to make her tread carefully as she got closer to it to observe just how far down it went.

Conclusively? Not far and not all that steep either, but an annoyance if she found herself tumbling down it and having to climb back up again. It would probably leave her a little sore too.

@Osik

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The open air. The vast expanse of both nothingness and everything! An unconquerable space. No one could own the sky. The clouds. The birds.
The stars.

Like a kitten in a tree, Osik had found himself at a great height. But he did not mew out for aide. Oh no. The black lion was very much at home here. And it wasn't that he had been born and raised within a mountain range. In fact he had grown up in a veldt. He found comfort and familiarity with such an altitude simply because he liked it and nothing more. The skies called to him and often he envied all things avian.

Dark ears flicker to the sounds of steps oblivious to his presence. Osik peaked around a corner, red mane falling into amethyst eyes, and there he found something else of familiarity. A giddiness spread through his breast like wildfire, fueling the grin spilling across his handsome face.

The black lion placed himself on high, but still out of view, cleared his throat and allowed his voice to boom down the mountain path. "WhO dARes AsCENd MY MounTAIN?!"

@Circe

Of all the things she maybe could have expected, a booming voice out of literally nowhere wasn't one of them. Her hackles rose on instinct, whatever words had been yelled hadn't exactly registered just yet- only the proximity to her and the loudness rolling down the path. She whipped around to try and seek out the call in case it was some sort of ambush. Someone about to storm down the path and chase her down. But hold on a second.

"...What?"

Your mountain? She thought, suddenly realizing she hasn't smelt a single scent marker coming up here- how the hell? But that realization was about a second too late anyway.

The tacky edge of the little drop she'd been looking over began to slide over the precipice with her back feet going right with it.

"shit Shit SHIT-" She yelped. Sky blue eyes grew wide and her front paws splayed out in an attempt to stop herself from sliding further down or at the very least get it under her control.

@Osik

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Oh ho! He could only imagine the look on her face! The guy was like a kid on Christmas morning. He had to sneak just one peak!

Osik slithered over to peer once more around the corner. Just as he did so, purple eyes grow wide and ears shoot forward to hear the repeated outburst and witness the red lioness slipping over the side of the path.

Shitshitshit indeed! Osik pushed forward, dropping to the ground mid run, stomach sliding against the ground as his front paws bullet out to plant atop her own. Claws anchor into the lioness's wrists as his hind half performs a little shimmy to straighten his body out for better leverage.

"Y'know, when they say you fall in love, I don't think they mean for you to take it literal." The young dark lion offered with a rather goofy smile. From this position she was too heavy to simply pull up by her wrists. So instead he lay there, anchoring her in and leaving it open for her to finish the job.

@Circe

Her head tucked under for a moment as she fought the downward force, but shot back up when she felt paws fall over her own and claws digging into her wrists to suddenly steady her. She glanced up for a moment but grimaced at the pain, instead choosing to use the opportunity to start heaving herself back up, looking at her paws to try and find better footing-

Y'know, when they say you fall in love, I don't think they mean for you to take it literal.

Her face grew hot- with annoyance. Her lip raised into a snarl as she aimed to look whoever this was right in the eye. "WHO DO YOU THIN-"

But she stopped, baffled, and the snarl fell from her face and into a look of perplexion. There was that big, dumb, goofy grin right in her face again. And those two big violet eyes.

Of course.

"You."

-Was all she could manage to say before her back feet started to slowly slip again, and this time she decided to shut up and just pull herself the rest of the way up before she got to the point of no return. Using him as her leverage she used her upper body strength to heave herself back onto the safe side of the ledge, brushing past him and giving her pelt an indignant shake-off.

After a moment of readjusting herself, she turned back to him. Half wanting to chew him out, but half... Refreshed? By seeing something of a familiar face. He was lucky in that regard because she was still pissed.

"Scare me like that again and I'll throw you off that ledge myself." She hissed the petty threat, a lash of her tail for good measure to let him know just how serious she was. But she quickly gathered herself, lifting her head and giving him a curious once over.

"I'm surprised to see you made it out of the old lands in one piece..."

@Osik

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His lips pressed together as Circe began to spit out her retort. Mirth danced freely behind amaranthine orbs when she finally looked up and recognition quickly registered.

Just as intended, the lioness used his hold to her advantage and quickly worked to lift herself up. When she was on even ground, Osik looked her upon her with a stifled chuckle. "Never know. I might sprout wings and just fly away instead." It was clear the lion did not take the woman's ire with much seriousness.

Even though it was all in good fun, Osik did take a moment to look his friend - Yes he dared go so far as to say friend - over and make sure that she was in one piece. They hadn't known each other very long but he knew already how tough the lass was. So he wasn't surprised she'd be more concerned about him getting out of that hellscape. "Worried for me were ya?" The boy jested, mocking a look of, Awe shucks, ya shouldn't have.
But nope, he was here. He had managed to get himself out with hardly a scrape.
I look pretty good for a dead bitch.. He's alive!
"Honestly, I'm surprised you made it out. What with me not being there to save your tail and all." Osik had turned away and was in the midst of returning back up to the landing but he grinned over his shoulder as he spoke.

@Circe

"Ha! Yeah. When warthogs fly." Circe retorted to his first silly little quip about flying, turning away from him for a moment to shake off her pelt and give her shoulder a few quick licks to flatten some ruffled fur. She'd never admit it to even herself but she miigghhtt be a little self-conscious at this moment. Just a little. Of all the people that could have helped her up...

"Oh no no. Don't start getting full of yourself Mr. Funny Guy. I don't need anyone to save my tail. Especially not you."

She called over her shoulder, finishing up fixing herself before turning back to him again, realizing that he was heading back up toward the landing. Grinning over his dumb little shoulder.

Oh you're just gonna walk away like that huh? Absolutely not.

She padded to catch up with him, little red whip of a tail ticking behind her. She was heading up there anyway, and she definitely didn't plan on going all the way back down now either way.

As she walked though, her gaze turned ever so slightly more serious. If he made it here too, then maybe...

"Have you... Happened across a lioness named Flare? Orange, striped, fiery eyes..? Anyone like that when you crossed?"

@Osik

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Osik gave no response but shook his head with a small smile. She could say she didn't need his help all she wanted but he would still remain unconvinced. After all, wasn't he the one who saved her from charging elephants?

He offered the lioness a sidelong glance when she finally rejoined his side. An ear ticked as he moved to look ahead in thought.
So many faces had passed him on the way over the bridge. None he had really stuck around with for very long. And none of them he would describe such as she had.

After another pondering moment or two his head gave a slow shake. "No. I can't say that I have." With a tilted head and curious expression he added, "Is she part of that family you went looking for?" Vaguely he had remembered her describing her father to him. A red man with thick black stripes. Even if @Circe lacked stripes, didn't mean any siblings of hers couldn't also have them.

"No, she's not." She muttered, not trying as hard as she normally would to hide the disappointment in her voice at learning that, yet again, no one had seen Flare. It wasn't his fault though of course. It was simply... Wearing on her, was all.

"You remember I told you I'd been travelling with another lioness too? You never got a chance to meet her."

It had been on her to-do list at one point, but just as with everything else the influx of rogues chasing them away from the old lands put a wrench in those plans.

"She's the one that-" She paused, realizing how little she wanted to say that Flare saved her life. It was already bad enough he thought he'd saved her tail a couple of times. Best not to give him more ammo in that regard, she'd never hear the end of it.

"-that I helped fight off her... Uh. Ex? I guess you could call him that? More of a bastard in my opinion. But I lost track of her after I went to find my father. Which... By the way... Didn't find him either..." She trailed out this time, slowing her pace a bit. The weight of that statement was hitting her again, and even if she didn't mean for it to, it visibly made her slump.

"At least I managed to find one familiar face."

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Dark ears slide back as a look of sympathy crossed his features. It was a nasty business; being all alone. And Osik wished there was something he could do for her. Something to at least lift her spirits. If only by a smidge.

Red mane shifted as his head gave a small bob. He vaguely remembered Circe briefly speak of the companion she had before running into him. And then she was really pulling on his heart strings as she then confirmed also not being able to locate her father.
Nono! No sad faces while he was on duty!

Osik jogged forward a bit, taking a leap and swinging his body around mid air to face her full on. "And I don't plan on leaving any time soon!" His front half briefly lowering into a play like position before he was upright once more. "Me and you! Stuck together like glue!" His voice lifting into a sing song tone as he grinned down at her.
His attention moved behind him, eyes looking over the vast expanse of land before them. "I'll help you find them." Osik declared, softer this time. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one after all."

@Circe