|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:27 pm
Hauzu'l-Kausar, a hunter in the Kusini'Mwezi pride, was brooding - something he did with increasing frequency of late. These lands were supposed to be his home, and for a long time now he had considered them to be so. In the past few months, however, he had started to doubt, to wonder. Day after day his mind drifted back to his childhood, to the wandering existence he'd lived with his father, the rogue Al-Hattal, and the looks back were nearly all fond ones - of meeting a cheetah, of meeting the lioness Nyota'ausi, who had helped to sway his father's feelings about having a child to take care of.
What had happened to her? he wondered. Where was his father now? What new and wonderful things was he seeing, what lands passed under his paws? What was out there, just waiting to be found?
Heaving a sigh, Hauzu'l rolled from his side and onto his stomach, staring out at the horizon.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:35 pm
A small, bluish-gray snake (who thought himself rather drab) slithered through the grasses, fearlessly approaching the huge bulk of lion that lay sulking in its den. Zuri had no reason at all to fear him, despite his great size; he had known Hauzu'l since he'd been a tiny, newborn cub. His mother, Aahiliki, had been his very best friend, until the combination of sickness and childbirth had taken her life. It had been Zuri who had gone in search of the cub's father, found him and convinced him of his obligation to his blood.
Ever since, he had been the constant companion and steadfast friend of Aahiliki's son. As such, it had been impossible to miss the change in him that had been gradually taking place. What he needed, Zuri had decided, wwas a good talking-to.
"Hauzsssu'l," he hissed as he drew close, coiling up at his friend's forepaws.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:40 pm
It was always easy to miss Zuri's approach and arrival, seeing as he was so small and quiet - he didn't actually have any paws to step with, after all! It was the snake's familiar voice that caught his attention, and he looked down at his old friend with a blink.
"Oh. Hey, Zuri," he greeted blandly, "What's up? Seen your girlfriend lately?" The teasing added the slightest hint of flavor to his voice. Still, it was halfhearted, not done with anywhere near the usual vigorousness of the lion's teasing. He just loved to poke fun at Zuri over the bright pink snake he'd taken a shine too.
Today, however, it just wasn't there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:48 pm
"Asss a matter of fact I have," he answered, lifting his head with a flick of his tongue - his serpentine equivalent of an indignant sniff. "And she'ss as beautiful asss ever."
"She wasss going to come vissit, but I told her there wassn't any ssenssse in it with you being ssuch a ssstick in the mud lately," he prodded. "All you do anymore iss ssstare at nothing. Ssilly lion, tchah! Surely you have ssomething better to do than sstick your head in the cloudss and mope while you ignore your friendss."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:54 pm
"As pink as ever, you mean," Hauzu'l muttered, continuing the teasing more out of habit than anything else. It was always all in good fun, of course! Brightly-colored though she might be, Safi'gamba was quite pleasant to be in the company of, and he thought of her as a friend as well. Having grown up with a snake as his very best - and for a long time only - friend, it didn't strike the lion as being odd at all.
At that longtime friend's accusation, Hauzu'l's ears fell back and his eyes filled with guilt. He didn't even try to deny it; even he couldn't miss the change in himself. "I'm sorry, Zuri, I don't mean to. Really, I promise."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:58 pm
"Pink isss a beautiful color," Zuri retorted, forked tongue flicking out once more. It was there that the joking died off, however, because neither was in the mood to keep it up. There were other things going on, and they needed to be addressed. Perhaps he should have called the lion on it sooner, even...but at least he was doing it now, on Safi's gentle advice. They were both worried about the lion with the sunny mane and usually sunny disposition.
"If you don't mean to," he pushed, "Then why are you doing it? Ssomething'ss eating you, it'ss imposssible to misssss. What'ss gotten into you, Hauzsssu'l?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:04 pm
"I don't know," he confessed with a moan, covering his eyes with one large paw for a moment as though he had a headache. "I'm just...not happy, Zuri. I don't understand it! I have a home, and friends, but all I can think about anymore is how things used to be, you know? I wish I knew what's getting into me."
"I mean, look at this place! Everyone's always settling down and popping out babies, but I don't care. I just sit around on my own and think about the past, like some stupid bump on a log who doesn't have anything better to do."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:08 pm
"Of courssse you have ssomething better to do!" Zuri said, feeling slightly hurt for a moment. "You have friendss, jussst like you ssaid!"
"I sure hope it'ss not usss you're unhappy about. Maybe it'ss thiss placsse? ALthough I hope it'ss not that either. I like it here, and sso does Sssafi, and I thought you did too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:10 pm
"So did I," he said quietly, as though ashamed to admit that that may have changed, "So did I..."
"I'm just not sure anymore! I keep thinking about my dad, wondering what he's doing, what he's seeing that I'm missing. I keep...I keep thinking about the world, and what a big place it is. This is just a little little piece, and here I am, stuck in it." Hauzu'l rested his head on his paws with a sad sigh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:15 pm
Zuri was quiet for what seemed like a very long time as his friend's words sank in. Perhaps it had been inevitable that the blood of Hauzu'l's wandering father would begin to call one day, but he had always hoped not. He liked it here, in the comfort and safety of pridal lands, not on the move from day to day, month to month. He'd even found a beautiful girl to spend the rest of his life with.
But now...that might all be coming to an end. At last, he said with reluctant slowness, "No one ever sssaid you had to sstay forever."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:19 pm
"But I..." the lion cut himself off, hovering, hesitating. Zuri was right; no one had ever told him he had to live here for the rest of his life. He'd just assumed he would. "But dad brought me here, and you're here, and Safi's here, and it's safe..."
"Oh, Zuri, what am I supposed to do? I should stay, shouldn't I?" But Hauzu'l's eyes begged him to say no.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:22 pm
Snake or no, Zuri was no liar, and wouldn't even think to tell his friend to stay, to be miserable. Though Zuri had been happy to make his home here, he would follow Hauzu'l to the very ends of the earth; not only because he had promised Aahiliki, but because they were friends. And as long as they were together, Zuri would be happy.
"No," he answered with a hissing sigh, "No, you shouldn't sstay. Not if you're unhappy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:25 pm
Hauzu'l gulped. "You...really think so? But what about you? What about Safi? You guys live here too!"
He simply couldn't bear the thought of leaving his friends, of wandering all alone for the rest of his life. That would be every bit as miserable as ignoring the call of adventure and staying here to lead a boring life, tied to a single small piece of land.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:27 pm
Zuri laughed, although the sound was strained. "Oh, come on! Like I'd let you sssilly lion out of my ssight! Who knowss what kind of trouble you'd get yoursself into, and then who would ssave you?"
"If you go, Hauzssu'l, so do I. We're a pair, remember? No matter what."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:30 pm
A sad smile touched Hauzu'l's lips, and he shook his head slowly, wisps of mane falling into his face. "I'm not a kid anymore, Zuri. You don't have to look after me anymore, you know that."
"You like it here, I know you do, and you have Safi! I could never just make you leave that behind."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
