[PRP] A Maze Defeated

[Tristan Thorne]

She staggered out of the trees, breath ragged in her throat. For a moment she stood, shock freezing her limbs and nearly her heart. Had she...

Had she really found it?

She gaped. The pridelands were different and the same all at once. Mountains loomed to the north, granite guardians that stood sentinel better than any mortal guard ever could. Late afternoon light gleamed across the surface of the twin lakes to either side of her. She could feel the water in the air, and the scent was her childhood. It was as if she had paused her life and stepped away for a just moment, only a moment...

The thought jerked her back to reality, back to the burning in her legs and lungs. Her mouth curled into a bitter twist.

No, it's not that simple.

She'd been young! And foolish, so foolish. So long she'd wanted desperately to undue her mistakes! Gods, how she'd begged the fates for second chance! But done was done. If she'd learned nothing else, she'd learned that. Kilua lifted her nose to the wind and took a deep breath.

She might not be able to slip back into the spot she'd left, but maybe she could make a new space for herself. Kilua took a hesitant step forward. She'd dreamed about this moment for so long, through all the dark nights and lonely days. But now that the time came, she found herself almost afraid to leave the shade of the forest. She'd played this scene over and over and over in her head, lived it in a thousand different ways.

But... what if they didn't want her? Things had changed, that much was certain. She had changed, and she didn't think it was all for the better. What if --

Idiot! Kilua ground her teeth together. Move!

Following her own advice, she took a breath and walked into the light.  

[KasaiLoki]

Tristan Thorne

Things had been interesting as of late for the bright red lioness. Her twin brother, who’s mate she had conceived four blessed children with, ended up being a real father himself! It was too uncanny about little Inzi’s pelt being exactly like her’s and Azima’s, just in the blue hue to not be related. She knew her family line was large, but she hadn’t known anyone in it with such a color tinge to it.

She smiled at the thought of the child. Keaira was glad that he had found his father, even if his father wasn’t all too keen on finding him. It did play for some amusing scenes to unfold before her.

The again Mwindaji trekked her homelands before finding a nice soft spot on the ground. Her crimson body landed with a small ‘thud’, as her head fell quietly to rest.

The sounds of rustling and heavy breath caught her on her guard. Her blue eyes bright and alert, she lifted her head from its current angle, watching, waiting, for whoever was trying to enter the lands. Not many people knew how to conquer the forest boundary that protected the Kusini lands from most outsiders. Her ears swiveled with curiosity, wondering just who was this newcomer?

To say that Keaira knew a lot of members of the pride would be a stretch. Although the pride was not as grand as it once had been, there were still numerous of others she had yet to meet.

Her gaze settled upon the intruder.

“Who goes there?” She called out, rising out from the grasses. She stuck out like a sore thumb, quite literally. The Kusini lands were not of bright green grass; instead, they were jaded, browning, a dead like quality to them. With her red pelt, it would be hard to miss the contrast between the two colors.  

[Tristan Thorne]

The lioness appeared out of nowhere. All of Kilua's thoughts about homecoming were abandoned as her instincts came screaming to the forefront.

The cheeton dropped into a crouch, ears flattening to her skull. For a moment her fear ruled her; her breath came in quick pants and adrenaline pumped her full of a bright, false strength. But as her mind caught up with her body, Kilua slowly forced herself to relax. The lioness wasn't attacking. She wasn't even acting threatening. Kilua straightened slowly, reluctantly, her ears flickering nervously as she eyed the bright red lioness. Her coat was especially vivid against the dull landscape, and the cheeton berated herself for not spotting what should have been obvious.

While her mind might have overruled her instincts to bolt (for now), Kilua was far from calm. Memories ripped at her, trying to surface even as she refused to acknowledge them. The last time she'd stumbled into another pride, she'd --! The cheeton swallowed hard and veered away from that line of thinking, but her thoughts scurried in small circles like trapped prey. The last time... the last time...!

Kilua shoved her rising panic to the back of her mind, where she could feel it quivering and waiting. The lioness was waiting for a response, but Kilua was sure she wouldn't wait forever. The cheeton's pale eyes darted to the woods and back to the lioness, judging the possibility of escape, just in case. The dry grass rustled and broke under her paws a she shifted her weight. This was her home, but people changed. She'd changed.

"It's--" Kilua started, but it came out as a hoarse grunt. She licked her lips and tried again. "I'm Kilua."

And I'm back. I'm back! She thought. For some reason she was afraid to say the words aloud. She waited, poised to run, and started to think this had all been a mistake.  

[KasaiLoki]

Tristan Thorne

The lioness observed the other.

Her first thought was the appearance of the other. Although she wasn’t the smallest creature she had seen, Keaira could tell she was larger than the other. Her pelt seemed a bit fluffier compared to that of a lion, and her frame was more lithe when matched up to her own species. When blue eyes settled on her tail, her head tilted to the side. Just from this short examination, the lioness agreed to herself that Kilua was not a lion, but something similar to it.

The Kusini lands were no strangers to other species. If anyone needed a home, the Southern Moon pride would welcome anyone and everyone as long as they had no ill-intentions. This other female did not seem to offer hostility towards the pride--- rather quite the opposite. If Keaira took a wrong step, she was sure the other would be back tracking her way into the woods.

She had to make sure she expressed to the new arrival that she intended no harm.

Keaira decided instead of standing where she was, she would sit.

“Kilua?” Just as she thought, she didn’t know the other. Usually hearing a name would ring some kind of bells in her head, but this one did not. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the lioness said with a smile, trying to reassure the other she meant no harm.

“I’m Keaira. I must say, not everyone is able to navigate through those woods.” A nod ensued, followed by a quick gaze to the Kilango’ta borders.

“What brings you to these lands?”  

[Tristan Thorne]

KasaiLoki

Kilua felt some of the tension knotting her muscles dissipate as the red lioness sat. She knew the larger female was trying to put her at ease, and it was a realization that made Kilua oddly embarrassed. But the part of the cheeton that had survived on its own in the rogue lands - that part would do what needed to be done. That part mearly waited, ready to run if it came down to it.

So while Kilua didn't relax entirely, she didn't bolt back into the woods either. She remained standing, and although her eyes stayed focused alertly on the red lioness, her expression quieted.

"Keaira." Kilua said, repeating the new name quietly under her breath. She didn't recognize it. Of course not, silly! It's been a long time. There will be strangers in the pride now. The cheeton blew out a soft breath. No, I'm the stranger now.

"I know the path." She said abrupty, loud enough for the lioness to hear. "I learned it when I was a cub. My parents taught me, and my sister." Kilua offered the lioness a tentative smile. "Are they still here? Chukari and Hasidi? Nakupenda?"

Hope thumped painfully in her chest, worse than fear.  

[KasaiLoki]

So, Keaira had been on the right track. She just didn’t want to voice her thoughts in case she was wrong.

“It’s hard to forget something that one teaches us, especially if it something that would be quite arduous to remember as an adult.” As many times as she trekked the path, she was sure she would never forget it ---no matter how far in age she could got.

Upon hearing the names, Keaira frowned. “Unfortunately, I am probably not the best one to ask about this…” Keaira had left for a short period during the pride’s ‘darker days’. When she had returned, all she knew was her mother had disappeared, and her estranged uncle had returned but not claimed the throne like many thought he would. She stood by her family though, for they were that: family.

The said family member would be the best person to ask about her family too.

“My Uncle---Denahi, he would know. He’s become the…” what should she call him. He technically was the leader, although he did not want to accept that title. She settled for his normal rank. “…the Mshauri of the pride.” She didn’t know if Kilua remembered the ranks or not. If she had been gone for a while, she might have forgotten.

“I’m sorry I’m not much more help.” She said with an apologetic smile. “There are still quite a few members from when I was younger that I see roam, although I may not know them personally, one of them may be who you speak?” Kea offered.

Tristan Thorne

 

[Tristan Thorne]

KasaiLoki

"I don't think I could forget it if I tried." Kilua replied, her shy smile growing. She'd gone over the path in her head a thousand times, terrified that the memory would fade.

At Keaira's next words, Kilua's whole body seemed to droop. Her pale eyes dropped to the dry grass beneath her small paws. Her words lodged in her throat. She'd dreamed of arriving, of being taken to her family, of tearful reunions and a new chance at life together. Now that dream was evaporating like mist in the sunlight and she grieved to let it go.

But as Keaira continued, the cheeton felt a small spring of hope again. The pride had grown since she was a cub. It seemed strange to believe that one member of the pride wouldn't know all the others, but perhaps if the Kusini'mwezi really had grown that much... there was still a chance. The cheeton was almost afraid to hope, but she couldn't stop. Kilua raised her pale eyes to meet Keaira's bright ones.

"Mshauri." She repeated slowly. "Do you think I could talk to him?"

Her instincts still muttered darkly, a nagging voice in the back of her mind. But Keaira was quickly putting her at ease despite herself. Kilua curled her tail nervously around her body and waited.