[PRV] Of semi-political matters

[Andranis]

The word about interviews hadn't been missed, not in the least. Keahilani padded across the sand, face blank of emotion and voice silent. While his sister would chatter with her snake, the fire-haired male and his snake were silent as the sands. The skull he wore waved back and forth as he moved, the orb in its teeth now and then catching the sunlight.

The lion of few words only looked up as he approached the training grounds. Blue eyes glimmered for a moment, before he started down. The one he sought wasn't hard to miss, even amid the multitudes of other red and white lions with similar markings. It wasn't so much the colors and markings that stood out, it was the air she stood with - One that commanded attention and respect. He only stopped when he got near her, and only then did he open his mouth. "I've come about the Legate position. I heard on the wind that you're searching for someone to temporarily fill it."  

[Kaelyndra]

As a sentinel-based soldier, Moto'Seide had spent hours being aware of all things around her at all times. The practice was not always perfect, and this was the case now. It was not until Keahilani had almost reached her that Seide's brain noted him out of the corner of her eye.

She'd been focused on one of the soldiers giving instruction to another, and the techniques were ones with which she was less familiar. Perhaps it had been introduced by one of the Brigadiers or Corporals in her absence. It intrigued her enough that it was only until the male lion spoke that she turned to him.

"The rumor is correct," she assured him as he finished speaking. Though he was a soldier, his name did not come to her memory. He had perhaps been under the jurisdiction of another corporal, or he had simply never approached her directly for aid.

"Your name, Firekin?" she requested of him. Then, when he had given her that she gave a bob of her head. "Come with me, then."

She led him out across the sands to a spot where their voices did not carry and did not echo. It was away from the prying eyes and the rumbles of the dens, but the training sands could still be seen at a distance.

"When you are ready, explain to me a strength and a weakness. Do not repeat what others have told you, but what you yourself believe. Give examples of both. You may take your time in gathering your thoughts. Do not feel rushed."

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Kaelyndra

Feeling rushed... Keahilani never rushed, and while others may have tried to, he never gave in to the pressure. It was easy, then, for him to come to a conclusion about a strength and a weakness. "Patience is a strength... As impatience is a weakness. The patient lion will get the gemsbok, while the impatient will get either a face full of sand or hooves to the face." He took a seat on the warm sand, not minding the heat. "So it applies to tactics of military movements. If one moves their army too soon, they could easily risk the whole unit being slaughtered in battle with not enough intel on the enemy, where as the patient commander will find more information to move against their enemy with." He drew a circle in the sand. "The patient commander will form a noose... While the impatient will rush in, and if the potential enemy is not, in fact, a hostile enemy, they risk creating more enemies for themselves, while the patient commander, in gathering information, could potentially gain an ally to scratch their back later." It may have been more than she meant, but it felt a valid explanation to the otherwise black and white lion.  

[Kaelyndra]

To show she had heard and understood him, Moto'Seide bobbed her head in his direction. She would give him no more information on whether it had been a good answer or a bad one.

No, it seemed that Moto'Seide was in fact perfectly content to push Keahilani through the interview with the speed and efficiency of a leader with many things to do. While Moto'Seide had time, in battle, no one did. Being expected to begin thinking at a moments notice was a good start.

"Now give me an example where your strength becomes your weakness, and your weakness your strength."

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Kaelyndra

The male gave a wry grin. "Too patient, and the lion could either waste an opportunity or have their army decimated anyway because they took too long." He licked his maw, not usually speaking quite this much. It was worth his time to do it, though. "A lion who rushes in head-long stands the chance of catching the enemy by surprise and ruining them before they can begin to comprehend what is happening around them." He shifted. "That is how the strength of patience can become a weakness, while a weakness of impatience can become a strength."  

[Kaelyndra]

"Good," Moto'Seide told him, though the word had nothing to do with the succes he may or may not have had in his answer.

Her eyes scanned the sands, and the Legate remained quiet for a long moment. No mind was paid to Keahilani. In fact, her eyes never grazed him at all.

Eventually, she took a deep breath and jerked her head in a particular direction.

"There is a lion, there, a soldier." Moto'Seide paused so that Keahilani could locate the Honshan refugee, his coat black and his body patterned with bone.

"I'd like you to convince him to let you give him a very short practice lesson, and then for you to give that lesson."

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Kaelyndra

Can I say I hate how work kills my muse when I close all the time?

Keahilani flicked an ear, listening to the word. Good... It wasn't much indication as to if he answered well or not. He frowned a bit to himself, watching her while mindful of those around them, attention divided between her and them. He looked to the indicated lion. One of the Hongshan... He remember only THAT much, because the only other Firekin with bone markings were all related to that white-eyed lioness. His cousin, Finar-si bless him, was skilled at speaking the Hongshan tongue. Keahilani... Not so much. Being a lion of few words, he didn't exactly pick up the Northern dialect. At all. He gave a nod, going over to the lion and clearing his throat. "You. Hongshan? Practice?" Short words... Hopefully, they were just enough words to convey the message. He could never remember which ones spoke the Southern dialect the Firekin did, though there were a few. The weird moon-faced one did a passable job, as did his... Cousin? Brother? Distant uncle Richard with the freaky toe? He couldn't even remember who was related to who. He'd have to work on that.  

[Kaelyndra]

The lion in question glanced up and looked over at the interrupter. He shook his head, and with it, his burly mane swayed.

He seemed to eye Keahilani carefully, deciding whether or not he wanted to fight such a creature. Then, he slowly nodded his head once in agreement. He understood what the Firekin called them, and he understood the word 'practice' and 'fight'. That was enough.

The lion wasted no time in moving his way further into the sands, to an open training square that was still full of indentations from previously fighting feet. There, he waited patiently for Keahilani to join him.

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Kaelyndra

Now for the fun part. What did this other lion know? He couldn't just ASK, could he? The fire-maned male thought about it, then mentally shrugged. Well, that couldn't hurt. "What do you know? I can teach you... Something new, maybe?" They could cover what the other lion knew, and if Keahilani knew something he didn't. Hopefully that didn't prove to just be dancing... Though that could benefit in combat, making one more limber. Or so his mother said...