Things weren't the same. Tamana knew THAT for a fact. His uncle, Shupavu, had always been something of an a**...it was just who and what Shupavu was. It'd gotten worse when Tama's mother had died. And now...well, he was even more...OFF. And it did NOT sit well with him. At all. Where had the nice parts of his uncle gone? The green-maned lion found himself pacing the border, tail lashing behind him as he thought. He didn't really think like this often...but he was troubled. So very troubled.
If you left, you were a traitor? That wasn't right! It just wasn't! He did leave now and again, but he always came back! He was a NAVIGATOR, for Mkodi's sake! It was his job to map out the lands around, so that when diplomats or units went out, they didn't get lost! Not to mention his sons and daughter deserved to see their mother and siblings in the Aikanaro! THEY certainly weren't traitors for simply wanting to see their family! And what about visiting their Mwako allies? What would they tell them, if a Mwako came...and then wasn't allowed to leave? And then there was the fact there were pride members outside the pride when Shupavu had made the declaration, who were doing their duty, or trying to find new blood! What about Diplomat Kipofu and her friend Nasiha? Or Accendo? What about poor Bokoboko?
Would that mean those who left could no longer visit their families? Like Na'ima's son Kismet. What about those who weren't part of the pride, but had family here, like Tanwyn's brothers and sisters? Or those who passed through, needing only temporary sanctuary? It wouldn't be right to hold them against their will...it'd make them no better than the creatures they sought to protect others from!
“Oh! I wasn't expecting anyone else to be here...” Tamana's hackles went up and his ears back as he turned and met bright blue eyes. Seeing the lion owning them, he calmed immensely. He knew the other lion, and was friends with him, despite their large gap in age.
“Oh...hey Asim.” The gray-maned lion trotted over to Tama and sat beside him, nodding in greeting before smiling slightly.
“Hello. Come out here to think?” There was a friendly, joking undertone of 'for once in your life'. The younger lion laughed and nodded.
“Yeah. Not about anything good, though.” Asim's smile disappeared and he sighed, nodding.
“I'm not surprised. Not with Shupavu being as he is now.” His ears went back, eyes turned to the ground. Everything was...becoming different. Not at all what he'd grown up in. “What went wrong?” He'd meant for the question to not have an answer. But Tamana was silent a moment, sitting, and then answered.
“Mother died. If she'd lived...he wouldn't be like this.” There was pain in his voice, making him sound much older than he truly was. The wound that was the loss of his mother had never fully healed, would likely never fully heal. “Why did she have to leave so soon...” Asim shifted to place a paw over one of Tamana's, trying to offer some comfort. He'd never lost a parent...but he knew what it was like to never know one. That was a sort of loss.
“She was old, Tamana. Not as old as your grandmother...but old. And she'd been hurt very badly many times. She never fully healed, Mother says. She was always broken and scarred inside as well as out.” Tamana knew that was true...but it was hard to accept, still. He'd loved his mother very much, in the way a cub loves. He still loved her very much.
“So...what now?” Asim closed his eyes and thought. What could they do? What might bring the pride back to how it was, without trying to drag Mioyo back. All their former Commander wanted was peace.
“We find a way to make Shupavu see reason. Or...should that fail...we'll find another way.” Tama nodded.
“Perhaps Commander Dovev can help. He's a family of his own, now, but he'll understand how wrong Shupavu's ruling is.” He had always admired the leopard. “And there must be others who feel as we do.” Asim nodded. Yes. There had to be! After all...if THEY'D thought this way...what of the more...opinionated members of the pride?
“There must be. Mother is likely one of them. I can see about my siblings left in the pride. What of you?” Tama thought, scratching his chin-fur with his free paw.
“I can talk with Emil and Tanwyn. Perhaps Aunt Nyx and my cousins.” Kyouko especially. Though his cousin weirded him out a LOT...she Saw things no one else could (except maybe Miira) and was stronger than she looked. “Mayhaps...one of us could ask the Mwako for help if needed, or gather our family that had gone outside the pride.” Asim shook his head. No...that wasn't the right course. Not yet.
“Not now. Save that idea for later. For now...we need to keep it within ourselves. And pray we can solve this without outside intervention. Or bloodshed.” The half-joka'simba didn't want to see any blood split. They were supposed to be a PRIDE, a unified whole. This division caused by Shupavu's madness was bad enough. Hopefully...no one stood beside him. That would hurt the pride most of all, to have two sides warring. Asim moved his paw from Tama's, standing. “We'd best get back to our duties. Meet me here tomorrow eve?” Tama stood as well, nodding. This was a start. A good start.
“Yes. And I'll bring whoever I found that thinks the same as us.” Hopefully, it would be everyone that he thought of. Asim nodded and made his way back towards the heart of the pride. And Tama sighed heavily, making his way back as well. Hopefully, this would start...something.
He prayed this would soon solve itself, so that he could see Mvua and their dark cubs again. He missed them so very much...