Aliona
Wide brown eyes looked around the territory; granted her mother had warned her off leaving past certain borders she'd marked, mainly around the main cove-area where most of the pride resided. Needless to say however, that cubs will be cubs, and in her enthusiasm, she'd gotten lost inside the rejuvenating vegetation.
It all looked the same! Her nose wiggled as the dark brown and black female padded here and there, sniffing the ferns and the trees, taking in the humid scent of the air with child-like curiosity. The Outside was still fascinating... more so than the den they'd lived within for so long, but Aliona wished to return to the main caves, not wishing to upset either mother of father, "Jump, jump, jump!" she chirped as she jumped from puddle to puddle, splashing mud and water here and there as she... well, made little progress in her return. She WAS a curious cub after all.
Taban & Maji
The rains had died down earlier that morning, which ironically had Maji feeling more at peace than when they'd fallen. He and Kisulisuli had moved from the main pride towards the outer cliffs where they shared a den. Suli opted to hunt rather than walk with the b*****d prince. He didn't much care for the company that Maji kept anyway. Taban was cocky, arrogant, and acted as if he had predicted the recent turn outs.
Maji, however, felt comfort in the cheetah's words. They made sense, logical sense. Something he'd neglected for far too long. The cheetah had seen much of the world beyond the jungle where as Maji barely brought himself to hunt along its boarders. Different as it was, it was his home still.
"You cannot isolate yourself forever you know." The cheetah chided, glancing over to the lion with a raised brow, "Sooner or later they will bring you before your sister to establish your rank here."
"Don't remind me." Maji grumbled. He paused and lifted his head up a bit. Both he and Taban had caught the sound of splashing and a young voice just a few yards ahead.
"Cubs?" Taban frowned a bit. There'd not been cubs here since... well the invasion.
Aliona
"Jump, jump, jump!" the voice still chirped on as the cub kept on her slow pace, still jumping from puddle to puddle; she was still young, but confident in her movements. Why should she not? She'd not met any evil, nor had she seen anyone that wasn't less than over-protective of her. Her parents, Momo, and a few other adults she'd met and seen all acted as if the cubs were small treasures.... sweet little things to protect. As it was, she knew no bad, and thus padded on happily, confident that no harm would come to her.
She stopped only when mid-jump, she hit herself against two sturdy lion legs, sending her reeling back, rolling and landing awkwardly, "Owwww..." she rubbed her head, her paw racking under the locks of pure white hair face. All in all, Aliona was no doubt, a mistweaver. Her complexion was darker than the average misty, and her body was larger, mostly thanks to her godly heritage, but the structure and elegance of her body, even at such a young age, had been inherited from her mother's side.
Bright brown eyes lifted to look at Taban and Maji and then after just a moment's pause, the small cub smiled brightly at them.
Taban & Maji
Maji looked down to the cub with a somewhat pained smile. He'd always had a soft spot for cubs. Likely one of the newcomer's cubs. "Well good morning to you too."
"Quite the little jumper we have here." The cheetah smirked and tipped his head to look the cub over. Not Masika's. Nothing about her features bore any resemblance to her. Ush perhaps? Yes she had her father's large build and strong shoulders. He made a mental note that he should go send his congratulations later.
Aliona
The cub looked up at both males, still smiling widely, "Hello!" it was chirped as if she really had not a worry in the world, however, there was something ... odd about the cub as she paused and looked down at the puddle of water at her feet. It was muddy, hardly crystalline but she tilted her head, her eyes flashing before she looked back up at Maji, "Cheer up!" she said suddenly out of the blue, "Things'll be better soon! You'll see!" it was said so strangely out of place, that there was no logic to her words.
As if not minding her own words, Aliona stood then, shaking herself free of the excess water she'd gotten during her tumbling to the floor. After a moment's pause, she looked up at Taban naively, her eyes fluttering in blinks, "You're not a lion, why? What're you? You smell nice!" she ran up to him and sniffled along the cheetah's paws; inquisitive and blunt.
Taban & Maji
Taban laughed. "Why you're quite right... I am what your kind calls a cheetah. But do not be fooled by appearances, young lady. I am not completely a cheetah either." He sat himself down and crouched his head down to get a bit more down to her level, "And my smell is that of the wind. You see, I am the only one of my kind to have ever caught the wind. If you fancy stories I'll have to tell that tale to you some time."
Maji winced and stepped back. Cheer up? How did she know he was in a bad mood? He'd been smiling.... what a strange thing for a cub to say. "Perhaps." Was his only answer. He'd not go into it with a cub.
Aliona
"No?" the cub actually gasped, her paws reaching her cheeks, almost as if amazed, "Why not? What are you? Half bird?" her curious nature had given way to questions without answers... question that really made no sense at all, but after all, Aliona knew little more than the trees around them and the soggy, humid lands she'd come to call home. Nothing beyond the borders, and no other animals were known to the small, dark pelted female, "Wow!" she too sat down awkwardly, hardly ladylike as she clapped her paws, "I wanna catch the wind too!" a pause, an ear flickering somewhat as she wrinkled her nose, "How did you catch the wind? You can't see the wind!" obviously, Taban had just found himself an attentive audience.
After just a moment's pause, the cub caught Maji's single word and the way he winced. She turned to gaze at him with a smile still written over her features, "No, not perhaps," she said softly, with such tenderness in her words that only a cub would be able to process for a stranger, "It will. The water told me; it never lies. Even if it was muddy and hard to see," with such cryptic words, she turned back her attention to the cheetah.
Taban & Maji
"Well there, hear my first lesson to you, little one." Taban grinned, very much enjoying his little 'student'. "Any creature be them lion or ant, great or small has two sides. The first is what they are born to be. The second, is what they make of themselves. I, for instance, was born a cheetah. But cheetahs are simple creatures with simple lives. I, my little lady, am a tactition. Tact and deception are more powerful than any claw or fang. Bear that in mind."
Maji's eyes narrowed a bit, not in a glare, but rather a confused, perhaps even curious, stare. "...the water told that to you then?" He found that terribly ironic considering the meaning of his own name. "Water is a flighty thing, little miss. It flows strong and quickly one day and the next.." He looked down to the puddle she'd been gazing into, "It finds itself surrounded by unfriendly earth."
Thalion Koi: "I'm working on him." Taban winked, "We'll get him to smile yet.
Aliona
"Two sides?" obviously this was a new concept for such a young creature and she wrinkled her nose, standing up to walk around herself; how odd, she could not see any other sides than that which she had been born with! Of course, this lasted mere moments before she flopped back down on the ground and looked up at the older cheetah, blinking as she listened his words, "Daddy's name means deception!" it was said as soon as Taban had spoken, amused for some reason; of course, she like her siblings did not know of her father's nature, but still, the blood flowed through her veins, "Daddy says words are better than brawn!" a pause as she wrinkled her nose, "I don't think Kimau understood, because he calls Jasisi names," she tsked at this, "Name calling is bad!"
Turning her head to Maji, the child looked surprised, "Of course it did, silly!" why would it not? She'd never really known a time when the water hadn't told her what would happen. She trusted it, "It doesn't matter what type of water; with mud it's harder to see it, but it's there. There'll come happiness. You should smile more!" she wholeheartedly agreed with the cheetah.
Taban & Maji
"Two sides yes." Taban chuckled, "The first one anyone can see.... but few people can see the second half of themselves. Myself? I know what my second half is. I have never had any doubt. My friend here, however...." He glanced towards Maji who shot the cheetah a short glare, "He does not know what his second half is. That is something everyone finds in time. Sometimes you find it sooner than later. Some never find it." He shrugged and sat himself back.
She reminded him of the young cub that had chased leaves in the river back when his mane was barely coming in... a strange cub that had come out of no where. "Ah... well I will certainly try. What's your name then?"
She saw things in the water? Perhaps it was a childhood game. It was hard to say. "My name is Taban." He put a paw to his chest, "And this old boy is Maji."
Aliona
"Mommy calls me Aliona!" she said rather happily, an ear flicking towards them as she pressed a paw to her chest, "Daddy told me... that it means 'She Saw'," she seemed confused as she voiced this, almost as if she could not understand the words, but shrugged it off soon enough, her tail wiggling behind her, "Hi, Taban and Maji! Pleased to meet you!" despite her young age she was well raised; it was hard to do so, with so many sibblings as she had, but her parents were doing a fine job, it seemed.
Introductions done, she stood, her tail wiggling in the air, "That's good! Trying is good! Smile; everything... looks better when you're happy. Even if it isn't, really, it still does," then she turned to Taban and grinned; it wasn't eerie, by any means, however, a flash of something passed her eyes, the expression no doubt inherited from her father, "I know what my other half is!" she declared as she puffed herself up, "Imma be a princess! And I'm going to go on adventures, and befriend a dragon! And then a hero will save me from the evil grasps of...." she faltered at this point and seemed to ponder for a moment, "Of Evilness!"
Taban & Maji
Maji opened his mouth but Taban caught him with a short glare. The cheetah was right. Let her have her fun. "Ah I see... well try to keep your adventures inside the jungle. It's not safe beyond the trees."
"Befriend a dragon?" Taban laughed a bit, "Well I'm afraid the closest anyone here can come to a dragon is perhaps an elephant. They should be returning as soon as the place gets a little more green actually. They tower up as high as a tree, they can even knock them down. Quite strange brutes but relatively gentle so long as you don't make them cross." He chuckled, "Perhaps when you're older."
"Kisulisuli had an elephant friend." Maji couldn't help but smirk at that. The grouchy youth was a hard oen to figure out. However, elephants could never be prey for a lion. It would take a large pride to bring down one... even then the cost would be too high. As companions, however, they were insightful.
Aliona
She tilted her head innocently, "Why not?" she paused and looked up to the sky, her eyes seemingly lost, though a nostalgic smile passed her maw, "Daddy told me... that once, long, long ago... there were dragons. They are no longer here though, but I'll find one!" she jumped to her feet then, nodding at her own words; likely a bed-time story which the young girl had turned into a fantasy, however, it was nice for youth to have dreams.... dreams were something many had lost sight of. Dreams made life so much better.
"Elephant?" she tried to imagine said beast, and the only thing that came to mind.... was a very big lion, towering over the trees, which was hardly the reality of the situation.
Aliona looked rather excited despite herself though, "I want to see one! Do they fly? Like dragons do?" after a moment, she turned to face Maji, seemingly in thought, "I won't ever leave these trees; I will live here. I am meant to." it was said so solemnly... it didn't seem to come from the same cub that had happily been chirping moments ago.
Taban & Maji
"No no no..." Taban chuckled, "They're herbivores. They eat from the trees, grass, bark. That sort of thing. They're normally gray in color with thick skin and long tusks coming out the front of their mouths...and their noses are very long, they use them to pick at the trees." He lifted an ear and glanced to Maji. "Why don't you show her? There's no harm in it."
"Show?" Maji seemed taken off-guard by the question. For a moment he thought the cheetah meant to actually find one of the beasts. He'd just said there weren't any in the valley yet! The only other was was to...
"...oh....", He frowned a bit and looked to the ground. He'd not drawn or written in a while. The ground was spongy...he could always erase it afterwards. "Well...they look something like this..."
The silvery lion dipped one of his paws down and dragged one of his claws through the mud, eventually sketching out an elephant in the dirt. It would resemble a cave-painting of sorts but it was enough to give the cub an idea of what they were talking about.
Aliona
The cub in question stood, padded over to Maji's side and flopped herelf down to watch the adult draw. Her head tilted this way and that as the old lion stroked the earth with a claw, and only when the drawing was finished did she stand to alk around it. She looked at it this way, and that, and that way again before she settled herself down again and turned to smile at Maji, "Thank you," it wasn't chirped this time, but softer, almost as if for some odd reason or other, she knew something... had happened. Something special in it's own way, "That's lovely," after a moment's pause though, whatever understanding had passed through her eyes was edged away as she closed her eyes and chirped, "I want to meet an elephant! They look more interesting than dragons!" it was said with a cheer as she clapped her paws together, bouncing in the place for effect.
"Let me try! Le me try!" one of the cub's claws peeked out of it's refuge and she slowly dipped it in the mud, creating squily lines all about the mud and earth, "I can do it too! That's us!" needless to say the squigles bore no more resemblance to a lion than a tree did to an elephant.
Taban & Maji
Maji smiled softly down to the cub and kind of shook his paw to remove the mud that had built up on it. He'd have to lick it clean later, but for the moment, that was good enough. "You are very welcome."
His smile only grew when he watched her make little squiggles in the dirt. While they looked...nothing like any of them he still nodded his approval. "Oh I see... that must be my mane there?" He pointed out one of the larger loops from the squiggle.
Taban had watched the drawing with interest as well. Half of why he remained around was because the gift of drawing and writing were ones that he badly wanted to obtain. The uses that he could have for them went without saying.
However, he still couldn't shake the cub's insistance that the water was somehow speaking to her. She was the child of a god...perhaps it had given her some abilities as well. "Say... when you look into the water...what exactly do you see? What does it tell you?"
Aliona
It was clear the cub was Oh-so-proud of her squiggles. She sat down proudly to admire them before smiling up at the larger creatures with her, "Yes!" she chirped, and pointed to another bundle of squiggles, "And that's Taban!" and then she pointed to yet another bundle of them, smaller than the other two, "And that's me!" it was obvious in her mind; the poor girl had no idea it wasn't as obvious to the rest of the world, but given time...
An ear perked towards the cheetah then, her tail lashing about; this was familiar territory. This she knew. This she could handle easily, "It depends!" she seemed to pause to think, then without another word, padded to the side and towards a small puddle of water; this one was cleaner, less muddy than the other one, but still had very little water, "You look into it," and she did so, then dipped a paw to touch it's surface, the ripples breaking the calm of the water, "And it tells you stuff!" content she'd explained this, she raised her head to Taban.
Taban & Maji
"For some perhaps." He looked into a puddle beside him and tapped it with his paw. "I only see my reflection." Good lord, he didn't groom his mantle as well as he thought he did this morning! How embarrassing. Not that a cub would mind, but now that -he- new it was messy he couldn't just leave it. Taban began running his paw over the fluff at the top of his head, occasionally licking it to help control the mess.
Maji glanced down into a puddle off to one side and sneered a bit. Nothing. And he could care less if his mane was starting to look a bit unkept. It was fluffed out rather than slicked down like he liked to keep it. "Well that is an impressive talent, I'll admit." He looked back to the cub, "Some can do things that others can't. Could be the same way with your water-speaking. I can't possibly run as fast as Taban, and he cannot roar." He shrugged a bit, then froze as Taban shot over a dangerous glare. "Apologies."
"The wind stole my roar." The cheetah put in defensively. "Cheetahs once had a roar like the skies. The wind taunts us with the thunder now and then to remind us what we lost to her. A treacherous beauty that one."
Aliona
"Daddy said it's normal, and that I don't need to be scared of it; and I should not ill use it," she nodded sagely then paused and frowned at the exchange between both males, then slowly, lifted herself on her hind legs, so that she was walking on them rather awkwardly for a bare few seconds, and pressed her pads into Maji's mane, nibbling at the strands, tugging, pulling and grooming at the knots, "You need someone to groom you; mommy gives the best baths. Maybe you should ask someone," as she said this, she worked on the lower ones, untangling and actualy managing to make the mane look rather nice in a record time. The fact she was so small though forced her to retreat when she'd fixed all what she could, turning to Taban, gasping slightly, one paw still within the adult lion's mane.
The idea the wind would do such a thing was rather strange to Aliona, "Why'd it do such a thing?" she asked the cheetah with wide eyes, curiosity filled her and slowly she lowered herself back to the ground, her paws leaving maji's mane, then she seemed to think twice and wrinkled her nose, "It doesn't matter. You don't need to roar to do good things," wise words for one so young.
Maji & Taban
"Indeed not! I make my voice known in other ways. Besides, a roar is a lion's battlecry. I am hardly the type of creature that would do well fighting in a battle. But guiding one." He winked, "That is the key. You do not have to be powerful to turn the tides of a battle. Ask your father sometime. It was I who detoured an invasion here. A tyrant wanted these lands. He stole one of Ramses' offspring and went into the desert. That's why you have to be careful of the boarder- there's a lot of brutes out there that would love to take you folk into slavery."
"Or come in and force us out of our home." Maji added, his ears rolling back as he recalled a firekin of all things tromping around like he had a right to the place.
His paw slowly moved over the part of his mane that the cub had groomed. He'd not seen it like that in quite a while. "...I should go for a while. If it's all the same to the both of you."
Aliona
The conversation at hand seemed to make the cub tilt her head mildly, then she smiled, "No one's comming now," it was said with such confidence, one would almost believe she knew first hand, "Though...." she looked to the sky and something flashed her eyes, but it soon vanished, "Time will tell," flicking an ear towards Maji she smiled at him again, "Okay!" all wisdom, where ever it'd come from, was gone again, leavehing behind the innocent cub, however as an after-thought, she lifted herself on her hind legs agains and frowned at the large male, pressing her pads to his chest, reaching up as high as she could, "You should smile more... and you should be happy. You should also live life. You know? 'Cause if you don't... you'll be alone and sad. Don't do that.
Find someone to groom your mane; everyone needs someone. Daddy told me, that even the Gods themselves need someone," this said, she lowered herself down and skipped over to Taban, "I'm trying to get back to the main caves by the way!"
A pause from the female as she leaned in, almost as if about to do something naughty. She placed a paw to the side of her maw and whispered, "I kinna got lost... I need to get back...." all whispering lost, she spread her paws, "Uncle-Taban! Take me back!!" she seemed to only then remember her manner and chirped, "Please!" as an after-thought.
Taban & Maji
Maji didn't quite know what to say to the cub. She was young and the situation was a bit more...complicated than simply 'finding someone' and 'being happy'. Far more. The only females around, aside from cubs- if there were any more, were either somewhat related to him or taken. And the thought of stepping out of the boarders sent a chill down his back.
"Perhaps." He echoed and offered a smile, "I'll have to come around here more often. It was a pleasure meeting you, Aliona."
Uncle? The word brought a strange smirk to the cheetah's maw. She'd only knew him for a few moments! There was no harm in it though. Let her call him what she wanted. It was better than a 'cute' nickname anyway. "Very well. If you let me carry you, I can get you back quicker. Much quicker, in fact. I cannot go as quickly here, but quick enough to out-run your father I'd wager."
Aliona
"Bye bye!" she waved to the other lion before turning to the cheetah; the poor soul being ever innocent simply smiled up at him, "Okay!" she padded over to him, where she expected to be gripped by the scruff of her neck, "No one can outrun Daddy," she seemed smug over this, but it faultered then and she frowned slightly, "But that's because he sorta cheats," she nodded somewhat but didn't explain te train of thought further, instead waiting to be picked up.
Taban:
Taban chuckled and bent down to grab the cub gently around the nape of her neck. It was a bit of a mouthful for a cheetah to lift a lion cub, especially a god-blooded lion cub, but he managed it.
With a nod towards his friend he turned and started to trot back along the riverside, then broke into a gallop, not full speed, but enough to give a small display of what he was capable of.
In a matter of moments he was slowing himself to a casual walk, the main cliffs and caves of the pride casting a shadow over the pair.
Aliona & Ush
Needless to say, that the cub actualy enjoyed this very much! The run along the river not only seemed to confirm the cheetah's story (Wow, he WAS faster than the wind, wasn't he?), it was also and adventure. One she would later retell her sibblings once they were put back into the den. Gigles washed the shores as the cheetah ran, and the cub encouraged him, "Faster!" she chirped, "Faster! Faster!" she baited him till they were going so fast Alione had to close her eyes or face the tears that would come from the wind that itched against her face. Her giggles never receeded though.
As they neared the cliffs, a diferent shadow befell them, and seemingly dropping from the trees fell a large green beast; blood red eyes fixed themselves pointedly upon the cub that Taban carried, a brow arching.
The cub in question grinned sheepishly and lifted a paw from her position, waving, "Hi daddy!"
"Yes, Hi to you too, you little rascal; I take one second to look at your brother, and you go wandering by yourself," the cub seemed proud of this and puffed herself up. Rolling his eyes, Ushaufu turned towards the cheetah, "Thanks for bringing her back; hopefuly she wasn't of bother?"
Taban:
Taban chuckled as he lowered the cub down to the ground. "Not at all." He was panting pretty hard by then. Perhaps he shouldn't have tried to show off. "I...well we... quite enjoyed...the company... it was nice...to speak to someone...positive for ...once. Quite a...clever girl you...have there. I knew she...was yours." He reached lifted a paw and waved it a bit, "Terribly....sorry. She seemed...to enjoy my...running a bit."
Aliona & Ush
A snort from the god-in-disguise, whom took the child with a paw, dragged her over and gave her a lick, "What gave it away?" he asked, almost amused, "The size, the color, or the fact she's a Seer?" the girl in question was much too busy sniffing around 'daddy', almost as if wishing to figure out what had happened in her absense.
Another snort as he watched the Cheetah pant, "Quote a little bundle of nerves; I think she could get a firekin to bow down and give her candy, with her smiles; regardless, catch your breath, mate."
Taban:
The cheetah took that as enough excuse to plop his haunches down and finish catching his breath. It took about a minute before he could at least speak normally.
"Well the first two are reasonable enough, and the scent logically." He chuckled, "But I have never encountered a seer. I've even barely heard of them. She was talking about seeing things in the puddles. I must admit, I've not seen Maji so at a loss for words in my life." He chuckled again, "But it should be good for him. If you don't mind I would like to visit from time to time? I don't imagine the others mind my presense here nearly as much as the other two hint onto."
Aliona & Ush
The large male did likewise, seating himself down, one eye and one ear always trained on the small cub, "He should stay away from Aliona's twin then," came the smirked reply, "The boy has the odd ability to...." he seemed at a loss for words for a moment, "Live out others' past through dreams; me being a subject to a few of his dreams. The boy drapped around me like an octopus in his sleep and later in the morning told me what he'd seen; it's been a hassle," however, he hd to admit that so far the one that had been touched by the Blood furthest had been Jasisi. He was sure.... the girl could see things others couldn't, including his wings when they weren't even there.
Snapping out of his thoughts the male turned his head towards Taban, "Hmmm?" after a moment's pause he seemed to grasp the conversation at hand and nodded, "Oh, sure; I don't see why not. Kizuka's not grouchy as she was when she was ahh... pregnant, but she's still over-protective. You might want to have a chat with her before you skip right on in, but I doubt she'll say no to another babysitter.... seven cubs is a lot to look after," and all of them seers, he thought to himself, however, the look he gave Taban was enough to voice this, "All halflings are like that, to some extent or another."
Taban:
"Ah. Must be a handful." He couldn't even imagine having to take care of an entire litter. "Do educate them on the threat of the boarders, however. It would be a pity for another situation like that with Ramses' litter to happen again. Seems things are starting to get back on their feet." He glanced to his side a bit, almost as if looking for something. "I have my troupe stationed along the boarder...but only lion lion has opted to join."
Aliona & Ush
"Time's a changing," was the god's reply as he narrowed his eyes towards the borders, then grabbed the cub by the scruff of his neck and prepared to return to the dens; he dared not leave them alone with only kizuka for long. The lioness hardly had 6 eyes to dedicate to the cubs, "Feel free to come along though whenever you want," a pause from the large beast and his gaze softened, "Tell Maji and those with him that he's also welcomed, no matter what he may think. It's foolish to divide forces... regardless of whose fault or whose in the right. Specialy when we're only just barely getting on our feet," this said he marched off through the vegetation.
Taban:
"Easier said than done, my friend. The scars of the heart heal slower than any other." He nodded a bit as the lion scooped up his cub and made his way off.
Taban flicked the end of his tail and turned towards the boarders once more. Best check in with the troupe...they did start to worry...Lucia especially. If he got away without being groomed for three hours he'd be lucky.
