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 Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:59 am
She let out an irritated sigh and sat back on her haunches, her tail flickering behind her as she stared down at her paws. She was waiting, both for her own nerves and for a hunter, or a scout, or anyone. She knew they would be along any time now, it never took them long to find someone on the lands or near them. She was glad to be home, so happy to be back with the lions she had missed terribly, but part of her was dreading having to face some of the small demons that were stirring in her. She was simply being dramatic, she knew that, but it didn't put the smile back on her face either. With a bit of a pout on her mug, she raked her claws against the earth, digging a small trench and watching it intently, as if she could drown in the tiny hole.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:24 pm
He, Shujaa, and Dohani had been patrolling the borders in thirds now that the older male had come home. It was good to have help. The lands weren't small and it took almost too much energy for just he and Shujaa to patrol everything.
The pride had been coming back together slowly. He was glad to see two of their stronger elders returned to them along with some of the better hunters. He still had hope that even more of them were out there and would be returning to the lands soon. They needed the numbers now more than ever.
Looking up as he wandered around one of the borders he spotted someone sitting a bit away from where he currently sat. He let a low rumble resonate in his chest, not threatening, but announcing his presence to whoever it was.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:01 pm
Whatever thought had remained in her mind as she sat there staring at the little trench she had dragged through the mud, it fled away as the announcing growl resonated through the air. Emerald eyes flashed up quickly, landing upon a figure she knew all too well. There was no time left to muse over what had happened or what was coming, because what she had been waiting here for had finally come.
"Mfalme," she said, quickly, though she remained sitting - not chancing pushing herself up onto her paws, lest he not recognize her for who she was and take it as an offensive action. She let her maw spread into a swift smile, lighting her face in a familiar way. There were very few times she wasn't smiling or laughing here, and there was no reason to let her thoughts sour this first meeting.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:21 pm
When the lioness didn't bolt at his announcement he headed in her direction. With her relaxed posture she didn't seem to be a threat and she wasn't cowering like most outsiders would have.
As he neared her he recognized the patterning on her fur. He couldn't remember her name exactaly but he knew she was one of theirs. "You've returned." He walked over and nudged her muzzle with his as he was prone to do in greeting.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:27 pm
It was with inward relief that she realized he recognized her, and as he nudged her muzzle, she couldn't help the small, soft peal of laughter that flew from her mug. She returned the soft nudge and shifted, pulling herself back up onto her feet. She had only remained sitting so long to make sure he didn't view her as a threat - the last thing she needed was to be attacked for her forwardness.
"I had a little bit of a setback," she replied calmly, her smile never faltering, though her eyes seemed a little grave at the reminder, "but I finally made my way home." Her eyes swept past him, towards the direction of the pride, her thoughts again wondering whether or not Kisirani had made it home yet. "Have many of the others come back?" She didn't want to ask after her specifically, but she was curious after others just the same.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:31 pm
"Not as many i had hoped, but our strength is returning." He nodded as he stepped back so he could look her over. She seemed to still be in good health so at least she would be able to help with the hunts and with patrolling the borders.
"You returning to is is a good sign." It had been a while since the others had returned and he was starting to once again think that they would be the last.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:54 pm
"Maybe some of the others have simply had problems along the way, like I have, or perhaps they are afraid of what waits them at home." She was trying to be optimistic, for pessimism truly wasn't her forte. She herself hadn't been sure whether or not there would be a pride waiting by the time she finally made it home or not, but she had let fortune and faith guide her.
"I'm sure they will all come in time," she said with nod, though she felt him appraising her. She knew he'd see the scars over her belly, deep and dangerous, though she was back to the perfect picture of health by now.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:59 pm
He nodded slightly. That was what the others had been saying and what he was trying to keep himself remembering. There was always the chance that the others had wandered further than some so it could take longer for them to return.
"There is a wide world for them to have wandered into." And some may have decided even to never return. They could have found something out there for them. Some he knew had no reason to return with their families gone.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:57 pm
She shifted lightly on her feet and nodded to his words, agreeing whole-heartedly. She had wanted nothing more than to come back to her homelands, where she had felt like she belonged. As soon as she had left, especially when she and Kisirani had parted ways, she had felt estranged to everything around her. Being back felt so.. comforting. She couldn't blame the others for any choices they made, though, for they were all different souls.
"Has.. Kisirani returned, Mfalme?" she asked finally, slowly, her gaze turning to look back up at him. It had been eating at her to know, and she couldn't bite back the question any longer.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:02 pm
He paused at her question. "She has. It was a bit odd to see her come home alone though." He had expected the two would return together just as they had left.
It was not his place to pry though. IF they had issues then there was their business. So long as it did not cause problems in side the pride then they could do what they wished. "She is with the rest of the hunters."
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:13 pm
The fact that she was here gave her a strange mixed sense of relief and hurt. Relief that she was home safely, hurt because she was going to have to face her and the past sooner or later. She simply nodded, pleasantly, at his news. "We got separated," she offered - not the whole truth, but not exactly a lie. She didn't know if Kisirani would have come back to find her if she hadn't had the accident. She might have gone looking for her herself, instead, if she had been able.
"I'm glad she made it home safely, then." She nodded, those words entirely truthful. She shifted, bringing herself up to stand beside him, staring off in the direction of the pride. "I should head to the hunters myself, soon, so that they know I'm home." It would be nice to see the familiar faces.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:17 pm
"I'm sure they will welcome your return." They needed the numbers. The more hunters there were the more they could spare to help patrol the borders. With their warriors in such short supply they needed the female's strength.
"There are far too few of us to guard the borders as we once did. If you are not hunting i would beware a visit from Dohani so that he may recruit you to do so." he should at least warn her that the old lion was roaming about with goals in mind.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:35 pm
She smiled at that thought, nodding as she thought of the lionesses that would be waiting for her. It would be nice to have companions again, to be able to help her pride. "I'm sure they will too," she said softly, though in her head, again, she had let her mind roam back to wondering just how welcomed she would be by Kisirani.
"Oh, is he?" she said, her bright eyes gleaming as she turned them to look back up at him. She let out a little laugh at that, shaking her head. It didn't surprise her, and her shoulders rolled with a little shrug. "If the hunters are getting all the food the pride needs without me, then I would be more than happy to oblige him. The pride needs protecting." She glanced down at the scars over her stomach, frowning momentarily, and shook her head. She might not have been a warrior, but she knew the dangers of rogues first hand. Until the pride had enough numbers again, she'd help where she was needed.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:40 pm
"If you would prefer doing that then laying about when they are not hunting." He smirked as he turned to continue on his patrol. "He should be easy enough to find. I believe i last saw him heading toward the eastern borders." He nodded his head in that direction.
Dohani was keeping an eye out for others just as he was and would be glad to see more returning. The old lion had reverted back into his usual habits quickly enough and wasn't about to let anyone slack.
"Though i would suggest finding your companions first. They will give you far warmer welcomes"
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:47 pm
"I think that's far more helpful than laying about," she said, turning to look over her shoulder at him as he began to walk away - presumably to continue his patrol. Her eyes shifted out towards the direction he indicated, scrutinizing it as if the old lion would come bounding this way any second. She had been gone so long, much longer than she intended, and she would make up for it.
"Thank you, Mfalme," she said, nodding her head at him before she turned back towards the pride. She would just have to suck it up and face Kisirani, though she really did feel it was more the other's fault than her own. She gave him one last parting glance before she started towards the pride, her head held a little higher than before, and her feet carrying her a little more sure down the path towards home.
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