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 Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 5:49 pm
The sun was halfway below the horizon already, and Kiume looked in awe at the beauty of the sunset. Red, pink, and purple hues tinging the naturally blue sky, slowly but surely beginning to submit to the darkness that is the night. The wolf had found shelter amongst some boulders just minutes ago, and he settled in quickly, hoping to sleep better that night since he was, at the very least, partially hidden. It was much better than sleeping out in the complete open.
His eyes started to droop, though he willed himself to stay awake until at last the last of the brilliant colors of the sunset had faded away, and only the twinkling of the heavens was left in its wake. Kiume found his mind empty of all but the thoughts of what heaven would be like. Much better than this purgatory, he figured.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 5:58 pm
 Shula found the landscape equally startling. She was still on the move, traveling back to her home from the pridelands. She had seen a similar celestial display the other night...and yet it was different. Every night, every place was unique. She never spared a thought for the after life. There was too much in the life she had now to value and love to warrent such thoughts. Every day was an adventure, a new experience. At least, that's how she saw it.
She kep traveling despite the comming dark. When she grew tired she'd settle down...but for now things were going fine and her vison was adjusting easly to the night.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 6:13 pm
As his vision slowly adjusted to the darkness, a wind from the north had come in, and his body tensed slightly. He'd caught the scent of another predator of the land, mostly likely a rogue, but he could never be sure. His ears pricked up, and he became alert almost instantaneously after his body had tensed. He scanned the terrain in his line of vision, and he faintly saw the silhouette of another. He was now fairly sure that it was a lion, male or female he didn't know. He stood up immediately, his experience with rogues generally being unpleasant.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 6:35 pm
Had he not stood she might have overlooked him. Her perifferal vison, however, saw something shift and she turned her head to see it more clearly. Finally paying attention to the scents around her, aside from the crisp smell of grass, she noted something unfamiliar. Her eyes suggested it was canine...but Shula had never met a maned wolf before. Her only true experience was with the hyena in their pride. Regardless of his fact she offered a welcoming smile as she moved to greet him, "Hello there! Fine night, isn't it?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 7:11 pm
Kiume wriggled his ears slightly, waiting for any note of hostility in her voice. He found none, and he sat down, beginning to lick his paw. It had begun to ache for some reason, since he stood up. He said nothing to her for about a minute, then looked up and replied, "Good evening. Yes...it is.."
He was at a loss for what else to say. This would be the first time a rogue would have spoken to him.........well, in a friendly manner. Usually they say one or two threatening phrases, then jump and attack. A new experience for him, he had to admit. After all, he was in captivity for a long while, and only knew maned wolves for that portion of his life.
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Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:44 pm
Shula had learned from her father that not all others were as social or friendly as she. She had also learned that sometimes an outreach to those people was more valuable then numerous conversations with those who wanted your friendship. So she was not surprised or upset by his reluctance to speak. In fact, she took a seat near by, gazing out across the landscape as she waited patiently for an answer.
She finally got one, though it wasn't much. She did notice, however, that he was tending to his paw. "Does it hurt much?" she questioned, genuine concern in her voice. She was usually able to read symptoms of pain decently. She admited, though, that she was nothing like her mother who was a professional herbalist and healer of sorts.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:34 am
Kiume looked back at the rogue lioness, a small smile appearing on his face, followed a very slight shake of the head. A motion she most likely hadn't seen. Her concern, however, brought even more surprise, and again his reply seemed to be nothing more than silence for a few moments. The maned wolf really had nothing to say, but he forced himself to think of something. It would be a while, he guessed, before he'd find another rogue who had no intention of harming him whatsoever. He thought it best to make the most out of the situation.
"No..." he finally said. "A small ache, and nothing more. I suppose it could be from this mark--" and he stopped abruptly. It wasn't considered wise to share your life story with a stranger, so he went quiet again. For a while he did nothing more than stare up at the sky, watching the stars and keeping a lookout for a falling one. Make a wish, an old friend had once told him, whenever you see one.
Finally Kiume cleared his throat, intending to start some sort of conversation with this lioness, no matter how meager the attempt may be. "So..." he started, wondering what he could say. The wolf thought an introduction would be best. At least to start the conversation... "What brings you to the middle of nowhere at this time of night?"
...Maybe not.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:03 am
Shula was a very attentive listener. She never missed a beat. Even when he mentioned something that might have been personal, she did not seem phaised. And it wasn't because she had missed it. If he didn't wish to share, she wouldn't ask him to. It was his decision, after all.
She, on the other hand, didn't mind sharing personal bits about herself. Smiling, she explained, "I'm on my way home, actually. My pride's in this direction. I've been traveling a bit, taking after my father I suppose. Couldn't expect any less from an apprentice ambasador."
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:43 am
"I see," the wolf replied, again not knowing what else he could possibly say, being a stranger to the land. The word 'pride' caught his attention however. Prides tended to be around areas with plenty of game, as well as water and shade from the sweltering afternoon heat. And she said she was going home, so she must've been coming from somewhere, perhaps another pack that was nearby. A thought came to the silver-pelted canine, however he pushed it aside. Rather, he figured a polite introduction would be necessary to continue the conversation.
"My name is Kiume, by the way," he said. "And who might you be?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:46 pm
Shula didn't mind that he wasn't very talkative. She appreciated the company anyway. If she noticed his slight interest in her "pride", she said nothing of it. It was funny though...pride was only a general term. They had creatures joined that weren't lions or even felines, after all. It was home and that was all that mattered. "A pleasure to meet you," she humed with warmth, offering a smile, "I'm Shula." She dipped her head in a slight nod or bow.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:16 pm
Kiume nodded in return, the looked back up at the sky for a second or two, thinking of what to say next. When he managed to think of something he looked back at her. "You said you were going back home, right? Where exactly are you coming from...? Traveling alone is hard enough, but with the lack of game as well...it makes it harder to survive..." Kiume only hinted to the fact that he's hungry, and quite frankly lost. He hoped that she didn't notice, and took the question and statement as a request for directions.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:33 pm
Shula chuckled, "Well, I've learned the tricks to finding game when I'm on the road...and I was visiting the pridelands...they're well known for pleantiful food. And my pride has more then enough to go around...so I suppose I'm do fairly well." Despite her light words, she watched him closely with blue eyes. She wasn't stupid enough to miss the suggestion...and with a wound like that it must be harder to hunt still. Hm....her mind buzzed with some ideas on perhaps helping this kind canine, if only for the night.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:59 pm
After hearing her response he looked on in the direction of the Pridelands, somewhat hoping that they didn't mind mixed company, even if it's for just a moment to eat properly and get a good drink of water. Kiume tore his eyes away from the distant view of the general direction he knew he would eventually be going in and brought it back to Shula.
"I see. I suppose we all play to our strengths when we have to. Unfortunately for me, I'm a bit...rusty, when it comes to hunting."
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:03 pm
"Mmm....well, rest is key," she said, getting a bit of a twinkle in her eye. She stood, the smile remaining brightly on her face. "Why don't you just do that...I'm going to be right back," she offered him a friendly wink and headed off back the way she came, oppsite the direction of her homeland. Regardless of her purpose for leaving she'd be coming back-because she was going the wrong direction! What the young female was up to was a mystery.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:00 pm
Kiume listened and nodded when mentioning rest. The wolf, however, was surprised when she excused herself and started heading in the direction she came from. He thought she was going home...which was...the other way? He frowned slightly, then lowered his head to his paws and closed his eyes. Though he was only pretending to sleep, it ought to be believable from far away.
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