[SRP] Rise to the Top (Shunqa x Shula)

[Hopefolly]

Wordcount: 1,358

Shula should have been too young to pull off a scowl as intense as the one stuck to her face. Her stamina for being a grouch was unwavering in the shadow of the spire. For the sixth time she circled it. For the sixth time she jumped and clung to the smooth, stone surface. For the sixth time she almost made it to the top of her so-called mountain.

Almost was a merciless word and not one Shula liked at all!

She had lost her patience after her first shortcoming, so this would be the fifth tantrum she had. The cub stomped her paws into the sand, walked in a circle, and glowered at the rock.

One more time. She only needed once more and she could do it!  

[Hopefolly]

There was one in every family, and Shunqa very well may have been the most boring lion in his. He took his duties seriously and he was a proficient enough hunter to do the rank proud, but when push came to shove -- and the Firekin were all about pushing and shoving -- what difference did it make? He hadn't felt anxious about his position in the pride until these savages they called Nergui started making a fuss. After that mess, he had to wonder if he was in the right line of work.

He took into consideration it could be boredom bogging him down with these bothersome thoughts of "finding himself". If anyone else needed to find him, they knew where to look: he frequented the exact same areas at almost the exact same times day in and day out.

Predictable. Dull. That was Shunqa for you. He'd been this mundane since he was a cub. Where had his fire gone?

The newest batch of little ones seemed to have plenty of it. He was on his way to speak to his father when he spotted one from Azar and Khin'del's latest brood. He watched her as she clambered up the side of the spire, fell, and tried again.

What in the world...?

Curious, Shunqa made his way over. "You need help, kid?" he asked politely.  

[Hopefolly]

Shula! Shu-la! How hard was it?!

Shula did an about face, ready to launch one complaint after another to this lion and anyone else who insisted on calling her kid. She only got as far as the first syllable of her reprimanding when she remembered --

You need to work on your manners.

The cub's jaws snapped shut and she raked her claws through the sand.

Manners. Manners. Work on her manners.

"Just climbing, sir," she mumbled. "I don't need any help."
 

[Hopefolly]

Wasn't this was one born lucky? Fit right in already. Shunqa didn't take her attitude to heart. More so, he was amused by her last ditch effort to conceal it under the guise of respect for her elders.

"Climbing, hm?" He stepped up the stone and brushed his paw against it. As smooth as it looked. No wonder she hadn't been successful. "Wouldn't that be more fun with one of your friends to help you?"  

[Hopefolly]

"I don't have any." Shula did not sound put out by this, nor hesitant to share it. Confessing a complete lack of comradery didn't shame her at all. Some might ask what kind of cub didn't have any friends.

Her. That's who. And she was content with it. She had her siblings, her parents, and her ambitions. What more did she need? Other than a mentor, but if she kept at it, she'd soon have that too.

Growing old enough to be a proper apprentice was taking too long. If she absolutely had to wait, she would do so while making good use of her time. First order of business: climb this stupid rock. Without any help!

"I'm training." Shula raised her nose in the air. "By myself."  

[Hopefolly]

Shunqa had to give it to the kid, she was determined for her age. Him as a cub? A lot of lounging, whining for more food, and sleeping in. Far be it by him to discourage her work ethic. But he couldn't help but wonder where the rock came into play.

"Training for what, exactly?" Shunqa asked. He'd wager solider. Most cubs wanted to be one at some point. "Prepping for the army already?"  

[Hopefolly]

"No." Shula sprang forward and latched onto the rock. "I'm... gonna be... a guard," she panted. Climbing and talking were not easily accomplished when you were bound and determined to do both at once. If this lion wasn't going to make any plans to leave, Shula would work around him. Who said you couldn't be productive and polite? Multi-tasking was a good skill to have!

Shula felt much higher off the ground than she was. From her prospective, she was half way there; in reality, Shunqa could have reached up and swatted her with his paw.

She ceased all movement, save for her mouth, convinced she could wait out the inevitable fall. Her claws were starting to slip, but Shula held firm.

"It's the guards that meet the enemy first," Shula said. With a voice like that, you'd think Shunqa was the one that had things to learn. "The guards are the first one to fight the Nergui and the first to die. They've gotta train hard and be tough. Alone."  

[Hopefolly]

A guard? Not as expected as soldier, but still a frequent answer. Shunqa found nothing out of place about it until the cub started on about Nergui and dying. Those were awfully adult subjects for her to know so much about. He was no nanny, but any idiot knew at her age she had to have gotten this insight directly from the mouth of someone older. The real question was, who? One of her parents?

It wasn't his place to try and change anything if it were her mother or father who had been so forthcoming. Kind of made him queasy, though. He understood why they trained all the adults in combat. He was for that. But did their cubs really need to grow up so fast?

Shunqa resisted reaching out and helping her. She'd obviously not appreciate it. "That's true, they do meet enemies first. They're pretty important to the pride. But they don't train alone. Even the guards had mentors at one point. Is one of your parents a guard? I'm sure you could be their apprentice."  

[Hopefolly]

Bested once more by the rock, Shula came tumbling down. Clearly irritated, she stayed earthbound for the time being.

This might be easier if she could focus properly. Without these distractions all over the place.

"Not train alone," she corrected. "Be tough alone. Guards are out alone for days on patrol, staring at shadows." That hadn't been quite what Azar'bijan had told her. Still, she had remembered most of it and overall pretty precisely.

"I don't need to apprentice to my parents." What kind of loser did that? Not her, thank you. She was no incapable runt that needed extra attention just because she was a reg... ge... regsomething. "Azar'bijan is going to train me. When I'm bigger."  

[Hopefolly]

Shunqa now had a hunch, and if he were right, everything made a lot more sense. He couldn't recall ever speaking directly to that grouchy Corporal Azar'bijani. On the other paw, he did have at least one memory of thinking how he never wanted to. This cub sounded sure and proud of her affiliation with him. That spoke volumes on behalf of her personality.

"Did you ask him already?" Shunqa queried. "Is he the one who told you about guards?"  

[Hopefolly]

Forget it! Just forget it! She was not going to reach the top today with the whole world determined to stall her progress! Next thing she knew, her siblings would be out here trying to usurp her throne and steal her title as Shula, Queen of This Rock She Couldn't Climb (Yet).

"Yes," she said peevishly.

Manners, chirped a little voice in her head.

"Yes, sir." Ironically, she'd sounded more polite the first time. "Excuse me, sir. I have to find my mom."

Shula did not look back, not unlike someone else she knew.