[PRP]The new home.

[Split Personality]

Ukoo wasn't so sure where she was. The knock on the head had sent her into a deep sleep-in which her seer dreams haunted her relentlessly. The marked child of her grandfather and fire, her cubs alone. And the male of stripes. She had not set eyes on him but already she knew what await her red eyes; when they opened. She was not afraid to open them, but did not want to see where she was. No doubt she was far from the Mwana.. Far from her Cubs and Far far away from her birthlands. She was even more lost than ever.

She shifted, her olive ears twitching as she listened to what may await her. What was this place, and who where the lions who had come and taken her. She lay in silence, her head slightly achy and her body weary from her seer dreams. They always sapped her of her energy.

She wondered if they even knew she was an adult. She was not the size she should be, an adolescent at best. Maybe that was why they took her. She suddenly felt self conscious of the scar on her throat, where the king from her past pride drew blood from her. Though not overly visible behind her darkish pelt, it was still an object of shame and embarrassment for her. She was now afraid to move and cover it.  

[[Eskimo]]

Tariq was watching her.

Situated at the far side of his den, back against cool rock wall and arms folded in front of him, he was watching her.

She was a small female; very small. But not all all frail or sickly-looking. It had been easy for Tariq to discover she was an adult despite her size, by scent and closer inspection. The male had a fondness for very large lionesses, but somehow after seeing this female during one of the raids, he felt drawn to her. Something about her was...Broken. That, combined with her size, had made Tariq become overwhelmed with a want to have her all to himself, either for protection or merely as a little possession; it wasn't clear which...yet.

As the female stirred, waking up, Tariq grinned and relaxed his gaze. He pondered whether he should speak, or wait for her to discover him. By the looks of things, she was fatigued and disoriented. But that would pass...

"Good evening." Tariq greeted in a quiet, cheerful way from where he was lying. The female had been asleep for quite some time. It was already sunset, and not even the day the raid had taken place.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo wasn't sure if she was alone but she felt comforted where ever she was. The ground was cool to the touch. With a final twitch her crimson eyes opened slowly. She was ready to see what awaited her fate. She was not surprised to see the black striped male across from her. This must be his den. She sat up slowly, her black marked cheeks weary. She was so tired. She lifted her gaze to the stranger-whom she knew she would soon know.

She would know him very well.

His voice was deep and some what frightening to her but she did not show fear. She feared not much at all. The only thing she feared was her cubs being taken from her... like she had been as a child. And now, they were old enough to be on their own. Which she guessed-they would be.

"H-hello." She said a bit uncertain-like. She wasn't sure how she should respond to him. If she should even respond. He was nothing like her King Moses in his physical appearance. "Where am I?"  

[[Eskimo]]

Tariq grinned, eyes squinting in his mirth. He was coming to like the girl more and more, just by hearing her speak. He would normally have his banu speak only when spoken to; asking useless questions was stepping out of line in his eyes. But for now, he let it slide. After all, the girl didn't know any better. She had only just recently arrived, after all. And she was tired. But she'd get the hang of things soon...

Though, he hoped she wouldn't bend too quickly...

"You're in my den; our den, in a sense." he answered, tail flicking to coil around his side. "I've given you the privilege of sharing it with me, and the others..." his voice trailed off, eyes flickering over the female's face as he wondered what his other banu were up to. But he got back to what was happening presently.

"In the Ukuucha'Wafalme." Tariq'ra'd said, finishing any other loose ends his answer may have had previously. He shifted his paws, one eye glowing in the shadows, while the other was lit up by sunlight filtering through his den and splashing one side of his body.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo turned to look out at the entrance of the den. Their den? She sort of felt uncomfortable at that thought. She didn't have anyone to share a den with her ever. Just her children. Her whole life, she lived without love or compassion or anyone to watch over her. She had to grow up fast and lose most of true personality. She was still a slave in her head-shut into a world where her blood was not even hers. "The others?" She asked, shifting her legs uncomfortably. She must have been sleeping for a while-her paws hurt from laying.

She sort of knew what he meant by others. "The white and blue one-the female... she lives with us too." She said, recalling her uneasy dream. She said those words with a bit of a dazed look, like she was slipping in and out of the dream itself, but her eyes became normal again after only a brief second.

She had not heard of the Ukuucha'wafalme. She only knew the Mwana. "So this is your home-your den." She said softly, looking around. She felt a loneliness at not seeing her three cubs wandering around and happy. She hoped they were okay. She wished to stand up and walk around but didn't want to do anything to make him angry-she had seen blood on his paws in her dreams.  

[[Eskimo]]

Some sort of thrill ran through Tariq. He felt it in his heart and in his head. He couldn't shake the white grin that stretched across his face as he listened to the lioness's words. They were puzzling words; riddles with hidden meanings. He didn't understand them, yet he did understand them. But one thing was certain; this female was very, very different.

And he liked it.

"Yes, others..." Tariq'ra'd answered, tail lifting and dropping slowly every few moments. "There are two besides you." he informed her. "...For now." His mind danced with the idea of getting even more females. Why did he like them so much? Mm, there were so many reasons why...It made his head spin to think about it.

"How did you know about O'tep?" Tariq asked in an excited breath after a moment, eyes wavering over the female's face. It was in Tariq's nature to ask questions and gather information, even when it came to his banu. After a time, any banu would get used to it and feel somewhat comfortable talking to the male for some length of time. That is, until they said just one wrong thing...And he tore them into their place in ways unspoken...  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo for one did not know if her seer powers were good or not. She was told in her pride that it was a gift and nothing to hide. She was still in that mind set. She lowered her head slightly-a bit confused on how to start her explanation. "I dream of things." She said, shutting her crimson eyes for a moment. "When I sleep I sometimes have dreams that tell me things... sometimes good things and sometimes bad things. I sometimes see my family back where I was once from... sometimes what I see is not what I think it is..."

She paused. She wasn't sure if he would care to know anything about her past. "I think its called a 'seer." She said softly. Both she and her brother had the gift. Hers was more like a curse. She was stunted in size because of it. As a cub, she did not sleep much at all and everyone knows when cubs sleep was when they grow most. She was ill as a cub and received her first bit of cruelty from an uncle.

"O'tep. She is the white and blue lioness." She said, looking around to see if she was around. Perhaps here she could gain a new life with this pride. "She is O'tep and I am Ukoo... what shall I call you?" She asked, the sound of her voice was that of a cub perhaps. A smart cub.  

[[Eskimo]]

'Seer'...?

Tariq had heard that term before...But it was strangely foreign to him. Familiar, but still foreign...Somehow...

Eyes narrowing in thought, Tariq was silent for several moments, listening to the female's words and mulling them over.

So, she knew of O'tep. That was so strange...She dreamed, and she saw things in those dreams. She saw...REAL things; not only real things, but things that had actually taken place. Things that existed and were true, without Ukoo even seeing them first-hand. What an odd female...

What an intriguing female...

As per pride customs, after a raid, the females that had been captured were kept together and observed for temperament. They were told of the pride they were now a part of, told of the rules, told of the customs, and told of what was to happen to them. But Ukoo had been asleep. Once word got out that she was awake, she would be brought to the others and it would be decided her true fate. Tariq was, perhaps, breaking rules, then. He had decided she would be his banu before it was even official. But who would question him? Who would go against him? No one...Besides, it had been he who had taken her in the first place.

"Ukoo..." The male tested. "I am Tariq'ra'd." he said, a boyish grin taking over his face. "I give you permission to call me by that name," he said, which was a rather shocking honor. "but if I ever seem cross, Ukoo, you would do best to call me Master." he warned quietly, still smiling, not at all bothered by the thought of his cruel tendencies.

In fact, he rather enjoyed them.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo knew that some where not familiar with the term. At first she didn't even know what it was that plagued her as a cub until her brother began to talk of his strange feelings and stuff. Then it dawned on her that she was seeing things. Sometimes her interpretations of what she was seeing were wrong. When she saw the white lion in her dreams, she thought he would be her mate. He was no where near that.

"Tariq'ra'd." She said it softly. In her dreams never came words, just strong feelings and pictures. She could see this striped male in her dream, standing over many forms, all smaller than he was. She guessed she should always listen and respect him and do as he said-even though that was her way. She was told to bear her throat and she did.

"Yes. I will call you Master." She said. She in fact would only call him by his real name when alone with him or quiet after calling him Master. "I have a question... Will I be required to-bear my throat to you?" She asked, looking a bit frightened. The scar on her neck seemed like it was raw and bleeding like it was the day her king fed from her. Perhaps Tariq would be different than him.

Perhaps her master would appreciate her gestures and her gifts. Would he be happy that she brought him food. "Can you tell me what is expected of me... more than being yours? I mean-what do you expect of me... do you wish me to hunt for you? I will bear my throat... I will." She said, nodding.  

[[Eskimo]]

Tariq raised a brow, immediately looking to the girl's throat after she asked her question.

"Bear your throat?" he echoed, not hiding his confusion. And interest. Ohhhh, yes, he was interested...

Pink eyes caught sight of pink tissue on the female's neck; a scar. But it wasn't completely healed. It was as if she had been injured, then healed, then injured again in the same spot, over and over again. What kind of pride was it that they had taken her from? It was easy to get her to obey, it seemed, but it made Tariq wonder why. Still, he had to sort out his mind and get himself to focus on one thing at a time. Anything he wished to know about Ukoo would be revealed over its own course, not all at once, after all.

"I won't need your throat..." the male said slowly, after a moment of silent observation. Then he met the female's eyes once again. "But you are to do whatever I ask just the same." Then he grinned. "As for what's expected of you: whatever I say."

And that was that. He trusted she understood.  

[Split Personality]

She nodded and exposed her throat to him more, fully showing her scar. Indeed, it had been opened and healed over many times. It was her job as a blood binder. To give her king blood. Her soul purpose. She then tucked her scar away, like it shamed her-she wasn't even sure why. "I was required to bear my throat to my past king and give him my blood when he saw fit." She said simply, like it was not a big deal at all. She had known much cruelty in her life time-much pain and fear.

For some reason she was not afraid.

When his eyes met hers, she nodded. It wasn't even necessary to say it. She would have obeyed everything-well... almost everything. She would never hurt someone for instance. She was mostly just a pawn, so to speak. "I will do that then." She said. No need to get herself hurt over something as easy as an order.

Did this male think he had plucked up a unruly lioness who would not obey? Would he be happy that she did so willingly? Perhaps she would even earn herself a spot in someone's life. "Are the other lionesses that live here-to be my sisters? Am I to treat them like sisters?" She asked, almost afraid. What if they didn't like her? She looked a bit paniced. She for one, had never been in a situation where she had to be around others all the time. She was a bit reclusive in the past.

Just to think, this once sad and lonely lioness might have a chance to be happy occasionally. "May I ask Tariq'ra'd... why you brought me here?" She asked. She could tell by seeing O'tep in her dream that she was not the most beautiful lioness under his roof. "If it is not to bold of me to ask."  

[[Eskimo]]

So that was it.

She'd been like a slave in that dark, red pride that smelled of blood and mist. What sort of pride was it? To drink the blood of slaves...It was so...Odd. But strangely interesting. Though Tariq' didn't wish to dwell on the subject of another pride for too long. He only wanted to know about the female, really; not her past pride.

Her willingness was a pleasant surprise in the eyes of the male. Though he loved it when females were hot with rebellious fire, it was always, always good to be listened to. She wouldn't be hard to break. In fact, she couldn't be broken; she probably already was.

"You don't necessarily have to like them, Ukoo." the male replied, chuckling in an over-amused way, as if he was speaking to a cute, silly cub. "Treat them like sisters if you wish." He wasn't exactly telling her to like them or dislike them, get along with them or not get along with them. Drama between his banu seemed...Fun, in a sense, so it wasn't against it, as long as they always did what he told them to.

At her next question, Tariq mentally went back to the raid; that dark raid, covered in a shield of trees lit red by the sun. Everything else was dark, and it was eerily quiet, like everyone was sleeping; all but one...A female that Tariq spotted, wandering alone several feet away. She looked like a small, solemn creature. If Tariq didn't have a nose on him, he would've thought she was an adolescent. But he knew better. The way she carried herself, and her very aura attracted Tariq to her. She was small and broken. He liked it. And so he decided he wanted her. He acted quickly, charging for her. She was out within seconds.

"I wanted you, Ukoo." Tariq'ra'd answered simply. He smirked, narrowing his eyes. "Think of it as...love at first sight." he said. His words were true, but the phrase rolled off his tongue in an almost sarcastic way.

Tail sliding behind him and paws scraping the ground, the male got to his feet and shook his mane. He licked his lips and glanced over his shoulder at the entrance of the den, then back at Ukoo.

"I think it's time I take you out to the others. You want to meet your sisters, don't you?" Tariq asked, grinning, like it was a joke.  

[Split Personality]

Ukoo was sort of stunned at the words that felled his lips. Love at first sight. If only he knew what was reeling in her head. When she first seen Moses she thought he would be her love-and was wrong. Then, seeing this dark male in her slumber she did not know what to think-but love. She didn't know if she believed him or not but either way what choice did she have?

She stood up too, feeling very small against his large frame. She shook the dust off from her pelt, feeling achy in every way... and her head began to ring again. She nodded, seriousness in her eyes. The concept of not being alone was enlightening to her.

"Yes I do... I'd very much like that Tariq'ra'd." She said softly, her voice very young and youthful and nothing like it had been a few nights before. She flicked her ears and waited until he lead her out of the den. For one, she didn't know where they were going and two, something told her he wouldn't like her leading.

In her heart-she was tempted to thank him for saving her. Perhaps someday she would.

Fin