This had been a shockingly frustrating couple of days for Totem. She had decided to spend some time in the swamp instead of exploring the desert or mountains. She'd gone as far as she could before the ache set in, in all directions, anyway. This way she could stay closer to her family and use the waters and confusing scents of the waters and marshes to train her younger lion.

A lion that did not want to train at present. They'd been doing a lot of good work, and the little acha knew now that More would alert her to dangers and help her move confidently through the world ... However, Totem could not trust the young lion to guide her to where she wanted to go. Already today she'd been: Splashed with water as the large cat threw herself after a frog, been led on a chase after a wild chicken, and been walked into a thicket occupied by an angry badger.

Totem clicked and whistled for More to move with her towards where the RRT were currently residing, and hoped that the lion would listen.

She did not.

Instead the lion started making a noise that could only be described as barking, and started nipping at Totem's hooves to get her to move in the opposite direction of where she wanted to go.

The opposite direction just so happened to take Totem and their lion through the outskirts of the Death family's territory. Near thick bushes of wild raspberries where a spindly, pale zikwa was carefully plucking berries to bring home to their new babes. At the moment Death was tending the foals while they slept, and Born was happily taking advantage of a rare moment of peace.

Of course, Haven was with them, and at the sound of approaching paws and hooves the sanddog sat up from where they'd been laying on a patch of moss, ears trained and posture poised.

Born heard it too, and they paused in what they were doing, head turning to listen intently. Haven gave a soft like a whine of a yawn, then stood to walk over to Born, sitting between the zikwa's from feet, leaning against one of their ankles.

lolli qaq wrote: