The picture is basically what Kopa looks like at this point in the story

Dedicated to Lizardgurl simply because she is awesome.

Seven months later...

Kopa had grown. He was about seven inches taller than he was whenever Rossena had first found him, and a thick russet red mane was beginning to grow. (At this age for a lion, Kopa would be about 15)

For the last two months, the lion and the grizzly had been traveling east, trying to find the 'Sacred Watch', as Rossena called it. She wouldn't say exactly what it was, only that it was beautiful, and it was perfect for a lion like him, much better than 'wandering around in the winter while a sleep', as she put it.

However, to Kopa, that was fine.

It was all he'd ever known, considering he couldn't remember his life before Rossena had found him.

They'd traveled far. They were now in a snowy forest, filled with deer and elk.

Kopa's favorite pastime was to chase down any prey he could find, from elk to squirrels.

"Are we almost there?" Kopa asked, shaking his head to clear snow from his ears, as it was snowing hard.

"Shouldn't be that long." Replied Rossena, looking up with squinted eyes. At first, it had been hard for Kopa to understand her, with her gruff accent, (sounds remotely like Russian) however it was easy now... Kopa himself had picked up the same way of speaking.

"So do you think we'll get there before sunset?"

"We better." Rossena grunted. "We'll miss the best part if we get there any later."

"The best part?" Kopa huffed. "The best part of what? Come on, Rossena, what's at the Sacred Watch!?"

Rossena chuckled at the lion's desperation. "You'll find out."

"But I wanna know now!" Kopa stomped the frozen ground with one paw in a fit as he lashed his tail.

"Well too bad!" Rossena said with a playful grin. "You'll have to wait." She froze, sniffing the air. Her voice lowered to a serious tone. "Do you smell that?"

Kopa nodded, having already smelled the elk a second before she did. "I got it." He walked slowly, stepping lightly, careful to avoid any rocks or sticks. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a limping elk trailing behind the herd.

"And three... two..." He wiggled his haunches, preparing to spring. "One." Kopa let out a snarl as he leapt out of his hiding place, landing with his front paws on the elk's back. Digging his claws into its spine, steadying his back pack paws as the elk staggered, off balance, he used his powerful jaws to rip a gaping hole in the back of it's neck.

He jumped off, ignoring the pounding of hooves as the other elk scattered, as he watched the elk twitch in pre-death spasms. Remembering with Rossena had said about what to do after finishing a kill, he laid down, staring into the elk's eyes.

He had forgotten what the practice was called, however he remembered that wolves did it to show the animal that their lives were not wasted.

As the elk finally took its last breath, Kopa stood up. "Rossena!" He yelled, his voice echoing across the forest. "I got it!"

"Oh, you got it, eh?" A male elf owl flew in front of Kopa's face. "I think it was me, actually!" He pecked Kopa in the forehead. Kopa jerked his head back.

"Ow! What in Ursa's name-"

"Kopa!" Rossena jumped in front of the lion. "Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine, Rossena." Kopa said. "I've had worse, remember the time that buck kicked me in the flank?" He glared at the owl. "This stupid owl pecked me!"

Rossena's eyes widened as she saw the owl. "Tousu!?"

The owl huffed. "Well, hello, Rossena! Yes, it is the amazingness that is me, but this kitty got my kill!"

"Your kill?" said Kopa incredulously. "I don't think you're the one that cut its neck!"

"I was just about to drop a coal in its eye!" Tousu snorted, lifting up his talon that was holding a glowing orange coal. "But then you just jumped it!"

Kopa bared his teeth. "How stupid are you!?"

"Stupid? Tt." Tousu rolled his eyes. "I won the smartness award back in my family!"

"Oh yeah? What's the most well-known constellation?"

"The Great Talons!"

"Wrong! It's The Great Claws!"

"Great Talons!"

"Great Claws!"

"Great Talons!"

"Great Claws!"

The two pushed their forehead against the other's, a comical exchange considering Tousu had to flap his wings constantly to say in the air.

Rossena sighed, shaking her head. "They remind me of Medis and Folgi..."

"What's it called whenever you have to fly slightly sideways whenever the wind is too strong?" Tousu huffed, still pressing his forehead to Kopa's.

"I don't know, I don't have wings, because I'm not lazy!" Kopa growled in response.

"You don't know!" Tousu said smugly. "It's called 'crabbing'!"

"Oh, how nice! You named a move after a shell with pincers that taste amazing!" Kopa retorted.

"I didn't name it!"

"The who did, huh!? Your mother!?"

"Don't bring my mother into this!!"

"Oh, so you're a Mama's Boy, huh?"

"No!"

"Bet you are!" Kopa smirked. "Bet you're mama's little boy!"

Tousu narrowed his eyes further in anger. "Just who do you think you are!?"

"Kopa, a lion! What're you supposed to be, you stupid bird!?"

"What kind of a name is 'Kopa'!?" Tousu huffed. "And my name is Tousu, a rogue collier! I was trained by the daughter of Gwyndor!"

"Who the heck is Gwyndor!?"

Tousu puffed up his chest. "He is only the greatest collier that ever walked the Earth!"

"Walked!? Pfft. More like flew! You owls don't know how to walk!" Kopa snorted. "And Kopa is a way better name than Tousu! It sounds like 'toe soup'!"

"Why you little-"

"Would you two stop!?" Rossena growled, and immediately Kopa and Tousu separated.

"If we want to get to the Watch before sunset," Rossena began. "We need to stop arguing."

"The Watch?" Tousu echoed. "I'm headed over there myself! I'll be happy to accompany you!"

Kopa bristled. "Nobody asked you to-" he broke off at Rossena's glare, and fell silent.

"Of course you can come, Tousu." Said Rossena. "You're Folgi's younger brother."

Kopa gritted his teeth to stop himself from saying something that Rossena would smack him for.

Rossena ripped out one of the elk's ribs, and began to strip off the meat.

"What're you doing?" Tousu and Kopa asked in sync, before glaring at each other. "Hey! Don't copy me! Shut up!"

"Here." Rossena interrupted, dropping the now-clean bone at Kopa's paws. "Practice carving with your teeth, I don't know, 'The Great Claws' while we walk."

Tousu's eyes widened. "Wait, you aren't gonna-"

"Yes, Tousu, I am." Replied Rossena, cutting the owl off with a glare that clearly said 'don't spoil the surprise'. "I think he'd be perfect for it."

Tousu looked like he wanted to say something snarky, however he thought better of it. "Whatever you say, Rossena. I'm not sure what Fengo will think, but okay."

"I have a history with the Fengo." Rossena replied. "He'll listen." Tousu gasped dramatically.

"You had an affair with another animal!?!?"

Rossena took a swipe at the elf owl. "No, you idiot! I'm a grizzly, Fengo makes a point to know all the grizzlies in the Beyond!"

"Oh." Tousu seemed visibly relieved. "I was worried there for a second."

"Hakuna Matata." Kopa said without thinking. Tousu and Rissena gave him confused looks.

"Hakuna-ma-whatsits?" Tousu asked.

Kopa frowned. "I... Don't know. It just came to me."

Rossena shrugged. "Oh well. Let's just get going."