A New Arrival

[Sekhmet]

Golden paws marked by darker rosettes rose and fell silently as the lioness strolled through the territory. The small herds of animals around her kept their distance but didn't run, there was no need for it. Sekhmet was not hunting for food, but for the pride that lived here. The tall, dead grass of the plains could have hidden her well if she used it, but she was standing tall, amber eyes scouted for others. It was not often that she would risk entering a pride's land for any reason and she was smarter than to think she could just waltz in here like everything was going to be alright. No, she had to watch her rump.

Round ears rotated constantly, each one stopped every few seconds to independently seek out noises that could be another cat. Sekhmet was anything but stupid. From what she could gather, two males ruled this area and she had no intention of getting on their bad sides. An angry, territorial pride of lionesses was bad enough, she didn't need two large males hunting her down as well. She had every intention to have things go the exact opposite direction; she wanted to join them, not make an enemy of them. This was a difficult feat for an unrelated, unknown intruder. Would it help if she was in heat? Probably not because she had no intention of mating this year, she had much more important things on her mind.

Sekhmet wasn't scared. No, quite the opposite, she was perfectly calm. Being alert and thinking out the possibilities to come was not always considered paranoid or any other psychological problem. In Sekh's world, it was her way of keeping herself alive. She knew the power even an unexperienced male had and she knew what power it took to gain control of a pride, she didn't want to mess with that if she could help it. Catching a strong scent, she dipped her head to investigate further, opening her mouth to taste the air. Her tail flicked at the tip, a typical show of emotion for her. Much as she liked her tail, it seemed to have a mind of its own for it often betrayed her in showing her emotions, especially those she wasn't so intent on showing. She was getting closer.

[[Ooc :: Bleh. I hate intro posts. This isn't a very good representation of her, but don't worry, she'll show her real colors in the next post.]]

[tinypup]

Nala appeared from atop of a small hill. It wasn't huge or anything. It just gave her a better vantage point of the land. She was quite heavily pregnant by now. He tummy was bulging. Vallion and Scar both had ordered her to stay by the dens were they could keep an eye on her, but she couldn't stay in a den until her cubs came. That would be very boring.

She was scanning the earth for any sign of prey when she noticed a lioness walking by. How stupid, She thought. The lioness must be stupid if she was walking through the territory of two male lion, a male tiger a tigress and a lioness close to giving birth. She looked behind her and around her to see if anyone was acompanying her. Nothing. She looked around for Scar, Vallion, Sasha, or even Vernost. She wasn't in any position to fight so close to birth. Maybe if she looked intimidating, she the lioness would get scared and leave. Nala stood up and walked threatingly closer to the lioness. She stayed her distance though. If the other lioness attacked, she wasn't going to go and start fighting her, she would have to run and hope someone would save her.

[Sekhmet]

It didn't take long for Sekhmet to notice the lioness standing on the hill a short ways away. When one was on alert for something, they often saw it quicker than they would have otherwise. Round ears turned and fixed on the lioness as deep amber eyes ran along the distant figure's outline. Her tail flicked with excitement, a wide movement that rustled the grasses behind her followed by a few smaller movements before the whip was calmed again. The fact the female wasn't charging was a good sign and Sekhmet intended to make the most of it by lowering her head stepping a few feet closer so that they could hear one another.

"My dear lioness, who should I talk to about joining this pride?" Her tone was polite and not nearly as dangerous as it usually was which was difficult when one was yelling over a considerable distance. Her looked over the other, being descreet about doing so because to be very open about it would make the other feel threatened and for once, that wasn't what she wanted. The closer she was now made it easy to see the bulging stomach the lioness had. It was not the bulge one would expect to find when full of food. No, she knew a pregnant belly when she saw one and she knew the intense emotions that came with it. She didn't like the idea of messing with this one, she was likely the head lioness anyway. This would be interesting.

[tinypup]

Nala glared silently at the lioness for a few moments. "Why do you want to join the pride?" She inquired. She hated new lionesses around newborn cubs. She didn't know they lioness very well, actually not at all. But what would happen if she killed one, or even all, of her cubs. She would never forgive herself for letting this intruder into their land. And did this lioness even like cubs?

Nala still stood her ground defensively. This lioness wouldn't be getting into her land so easily. Just because you ask, it doesn't mean you will get total exception, atleast not from her. She could feel the cubs moving around just inside her tummy. She would definatly be due soon, and she couldn't have this lioness around waiting patiently to kill them. She would do anything to protect the cubs, even if it meant sacraficing herself to keep them safe. She would also have Scar and Vallion and most likely Sasha to back her up and help protect her cubs. She wouldn't let any of her cubs die without a fight.

[Sekhmet]

To say the other lioness was tense was an understatement. The way she looked at Sekhmet seemed like she just might be on the verge of panic. Nala had no reason to trust her or even like her, she hadn't given her any cause to. No, this would not to. A nervous, nearly paranoid and pregnant lioness would not be the best avenue to pursue if she wanted in the pride. Sekhmet was stuck with her though with no foreseeable way out so her only option was to change her feelings toward her. She gave a quiet sigh, invisible to Nala from their distance apart. Whether the lioness was the one she wanted or not, she was the one who was acting as the leader and therefore, Sekh had no choice but to give her what she wanted.

"Why do I want to join?" She echoed in a fluid voice, nearly crooning. Her body settled, muscles loose and relaxed in stark comparison to the mother-to-be. "Why does anyone want to join a pride?" It was a rhetorical question and it was obvious that she meantion answer it because she gave no room for an answer. "For companionship, loyalty, love, respect. To be something more than yourself. This, more than the others, is why I seek to join a pride. As for why I've come to yours is another question entirely. It's not hard to do research on what your pride is like. Strong, hardy, healthy. A force against the flea-bitten canines, a growing force." Sekhmet rose her eyebrows at Nala's belly as her tail danced behind her with amusement.

"I offer the pride my loyalty, my life, and my mind. I want to join a pride where I can be of the most help and where I can agree with and respect the decisions of the leaders. I feel this could be that place." Her expression hardened enough to be taken seriously. This was no game to her, she wasn't even having her typical amount of fun regarding the situation. "I have not come here to harm anyone no matter of the leaders' decision of whether to allow me acceptance." She was being nothing but honest, if the lioness could not see through her best attempts at being so then it wasn't for any reason Sekhmet was able to change. Some would simply see things as they want to see them and that was it. She hoped for numerous reasons that this was not the case with this lioness.

[tinypup]

Nala eyed the lioness suspicously. "So you think you can just waltz in and think everyone will immediatly give you acceptance?" She asked hostily. If that was the case, she wouldn't get it so easily. "And if you offer your loyalty and all that junk, what happened to your pride?" She asked. Lionesses usually stayed in the same pride their entire lives unless something changed. But she knew that lionesses rarely got kicked out of their pride.

She wondered if by any chance, Scar or Vallion would be walking by. She didn't like being all alone with this lioness. She felt unsafe around her. Unsafe and vunerable. And those were the two worst things that she could be at a time like this. A horrible time like this. She only hoped that the lioness wouldn't attack her. Nala would be virtually defenseless. "And, what is your name?" She asked. She couldn't help not wanting to the call her 'lioness' all the time. It seemed unproper to her. You should always have something to call yourself. No matter the case. It felt wierd to her. To call someone by their species.