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While the lionesses had tended to their other new Umholi, Andhaka had stepped back and away, positioning himself at the edge of group but within line of sight, watching and mind racing. Unable to be still, he paced, glancing away periodically only to go back to staring. Such behavior was most unusual for the unflinchingly cool and composed male, and he finally forced himself to stopand sit. His paws clenched, claws digging into the ground, but no one was near enough to see. He looked calmer, at least, if still tense. Very tense.

Once the Abazingeli had finished with the golden newcomer, Andhaka had risen and jerked his head in an indication for him to follow him, and strode off, saying nothing. He continued in silence long enough for them to get well away from any prying ears and eyes, then pounced.

When he jumped at the other male, a coiled spring of energy built up from tension, but the move wasn't as violent as the lionesses would likely have assumed it to be, had they been within sight. It was a glancing hit at best, intentionally so, and without claws, and followed up with...bouncing. Andhaka would vehemently deny ever doing anything of the sort, but there was most definitely a little bit of a bounce to the way he moved as her circled the other Umholi, tail whipping back and forth.

"You! What are you doing here?!" The snark that had been mistaken for apprehension by the others earlier was gone, replaced with open astonishment and eagerness.

Depite being in somewhat rough shape himself after the incident with the rogue males, Andhaka was full of more energy than he had displayed in months, always carefully self-assured and serious, watching his manners and his back. Once he'd circled back around to Bangizwe's front, he finally managed to settle himself a little, shaking off some of the excess energy.

"Come on, is it that hard to believe?" The striped lion laughed, something had had done only rarely for a very long time. "Fine, fine, as long as you tell me how on earth you ended up with Njalo!"

"I decided the Firekin weren't for me," he explained with a shrug, "But their neighbors...their neighbors I liked the look of. I challenged one of the Inselele and won, but then the Abaholi decided to up and off each other for some reason, and the lionesses decided I'd do. Well, some of them. You may have noticed they're not all fans of mine."

He frowned in annoyance at the thought. "Simosihle in particular. Sorry to glare at you so much, but I didn't want her to realize I knew you. She might have changed her mind!"