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 Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:12 pm
The occasional Gemsbok moved across the dunes, seeming to melt out of the haze, then right back into it. Unphased by this, a a large red lion stalked the herd.
Though a guard, he wasn't about to make others hunt for him. A stubborn old lion, Bodaway refused to rely on another without it being necessary. If he didn't show the proper caution, he knew it WOULD be necessary.
As a large paw splayed in the sand, he judged carefully how close he was, how much power was needed, how much energy... All were key to being successful in bringing one of the antelope down.
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:34 pm
Umlilo was a huntress, it was her position in the pride and the first time she really had any responsibilities. It wasn't a bad way to start adolescence, either. All of her true responsibilities would now always be and have been with this Motoujamii-simo. Sounded much better if ever she needed to describe her loyalties. Or at least it did in her mind.
She was out on her own, considering brushing up on her hunting skills but for now just enjoying herself. It wasn't hard to spot other lions among the sand, if you were on the right side of the sand dunes that is. The familiar bright red lion crouched in the distance caught Umlilo's attention easily, mostly because she wasn't expecting it.
Silently, she stood and watched a moment before creeping closer.
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:03 pm
His tail didn't twitch or even move as he inched closer. Within range of the Gemsbok, he launched forward, managing to jump on one. The thrashing antelope would almost have been no match for a grown and experienced lion, but Bodaway also wasn't stupid. When it started to involve the horns, he backed off and let it go.
Sides heaving, he turned to head back. And then he saw a familiar dark red pelt. He only saw that shade of red one other place - Streaking down Kiunguza's back. Smiling, he went up the dune. "Umlilo..." One of his daughters...
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:18 pm
She stopped and watched the spectacle when she caught on to the fact that he was hunting. Standing there, she doubted she would have tipped any of the prey off. After all, she herself was not hunting and so they had no reason to be anxious of her. When he wisely gave up, she started walking again until she was face to face with a lion she had not seen in a little while.
"Father," she said with a small smile. If she had to pick a parent, it would have been him. He didn't care who was or was not a seer, though he had been absent on occasion.
"I didn't know you stayed here."
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:36 pm
The aging lion smiled, offering his daughter a lick between the ears. "Of course. My mindset changed far too much from when I was younger than you are now to ignore the problems of the pride and stick to traditions." He glanced southward, ears flicking. "And... My conscience wouldn't allow me to do that."
Tail curling, he sat down. "And you stayed as well. Why?" He smiled, one eye closed. "Couldn't get enough of my tales of traveling the world?" Surely that couldn't be it! His stories weren't THAT good.
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:35 pm
Lilo flinched a bit at the affectionate lick, though it was little more than lowering her ears and she was still smiling. She wasn't at all surprised by his answer about why he stayed with the rebels, and when he asked her she wasn't sure she wanted to answer completely honestly. He didn't need to worry a bit about the argument that made her mind up, and she didn't need to go blabbing that she might have left out of obligation to family had it not happened.
"Maybe," she said, though a change her smile said it leaned more on no. She had no plans to leave the desert herself, "It made more sense to stay, the rebels are right- and the ones who won in the war. Besides, now I have the den all to myself since everybody else left."
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:57 pm
The lion let out a loud laugh, smiling at his daughter. "The wise lion follows the winner." He gently nudged her, having noticed the flinch at the grooming. Time to change affectionate gestures.
He tilted his head, letting out a new chuckle. "And tell me, how long will that den stay empty?" He paused, thinking about that statement. "Just imagine, decorating it with the skulls of your kills and your enemies..." Actually, that was a bit... He shuddered, making a face. "Well, maybe."
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:03 pm
"Exactly," she agreed, her smile brightening a bit at the nudge. It wasn't so bad to have found him again, she supposed. Deep down it made her feel a little less alone. Her sisters were gone, her mother, her only friend. She'd worked at being more social, but someone she knew before, someone she did care about.. it wasn't a bad thing to have.
Lilo chuckled at her father's suggestions of how to fill it, pleased he didn't take a more.. obvious, maybe.. stance on it. Keeping trophies of her successes hadn't really occurred to her. It was morbid, but just maybe.
"We'll see," she said, "Where have you been staying? I've stuck with the old den, you haven't come to check it that I've seen."
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:40 pm
"Morbid decorations aside..." He stretched while walking, joints and back popping a bit. "I sleep wherever there is space to. The den was more your mother's than mine. Who knows, I might find the old den my parents used to occupy..."
He paused, examining a ripple in the sand. It made him think of so many lakes he'd seen, so many ponds... One stone could make one small ripple that grew. To the rebellion, Kidondo was that stone, wasn't he?
Bodaway looked to his daughter, smiling. "A silly old lion I am, I figured you were all with your mother..." He shrugged slightly, looking west. "I must say, even if you had no throne rights... You were all my little princesses... It's nice to know I still get to treat at least one of you as one."
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:27 pm
Umlilo watched her father with her unusual smile, nodding along with his answer. It was true that the den was more her mother's, it was always where she'd been but not always where her father seemed to be. He was not wrong to assume most of them were gone with her, either. Though now Lilo had convinced herself, and quite rightly believed, she was the smarter and better off for her decision.
Even if it took an argument to get her to leave.
"It's.. nice to know I'm not actually alone," she commented, "I always preferred when you were around."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:33 am
"One is never truly alone, Lilo." He smiled warmly, leaning over and grooming her ears. After a moment, he stepped back, fully examining her. "I must say, though... You're not so much a princess anymore but more a lady." He chuckled, tail curling.
In the distance, the herd of Gemsbok nibbled on the desert plant life. They seemed to pay no heed to the lions, though they moved as the lions moved, ever keeping their distance. There would be no lost numbers today.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:16 pm
"No, but it's harder when you're not very social," she argued with a smile, allowing her father the chance to groom her. It was one of few affections she ever seemed to allow, and it wasn't totally unwelcome. She appreciated her father, especially now that he was here and she wasn't as alone as she'd thought.
"Yes, well, it's been a while," she commented. Lilo decided to take a seat, her tail swaying thoughtfully behind her. She felt like they should catch up, like there should be more to the conversation. If she couldn't carry on a conversation with her own father then she was in trouble.
"Are you staying here now?" she asked suddenly, glancing at him, "I mean, for good?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:54 am
He smiled, sitting next to her and hugging her with one paw. "You're still my little princess, though..." Even if it HAD been a while. No matter how old she got, or any of her sisters got... A part of his mind brought up Lilo's half-sisters, too.
"Where else would I go?" Bodaway looked at his daughter, one eyebrow raised. "My whole life was spent seeking to return to this desert. And in that time, I saw many prides with one thing in common... They took in new blood. I came home, and realized that the trickle of old blood returning had ended with me. There was no new blood... So I came and joined Kidondo, and I have no plans to leave." He stretched a bit, then swept a paw through the sand, pulling up a lion's skull. "I plan to do as my parents before me... Die in this desert of a ripe old age."
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:00 pm
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the princess comment, and she focused on the conversation at paw instead. Umlilo made a slight face at her father when he questioned her question, not thinking it to be a very adequate response.
"I haven't seen you in so long, but then I suppose my life has not been too long in comparison," she said with a shrug- and a slight smirk at the implication that her father was old. But the joke was on her when he talked about dying in the desert of old age- and she paused, but chuckled quietly.
"Good, so I'll be seeing you."
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Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:34 pm
Letting out a last chuckle, Bodaway licked Umlilo's ears. "Well, your life is still ahead yet. Mine ends here, one day. I still have life in these old bones yet, but... It'll be soon, I know." Giving a bow of his head, he started in a new direction, on a new hunt. "I will see you back at the den... My little princess." Even if it might ruffle his daughters to be called princesses... He still felt the need to do it. Heading after a distant herd only he seemed to see, he held his head high.
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