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 Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:45 am
The hour was still early, the sun just over the tops of the trees. This time of day was her favorite to patrol. With the night just ending, everything was fresh and new, a chance for Kiuma to be out and see things before any of the other pride members. It was also a chance to deal with anything undesirable that had moved in and oust it before one of her daughters happened upon it. As always, their safety was of the utmost in her mind.
Old bones clicking softly in the necklaces she wore, she slipped through the brush like a fish through water, a long history of walking this same path lending her a familiarity with the terrain.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:25 pm
Despite her muscles aching for rest with each step she took, Carnadhiel kept her head high and her white eyes focused on the path before her. She had been traveling for days, searching, searching for some place she could be of service. Searching for a new home.
Her neck itched from the vines her enemies had tied around her neck and their jeering was still fresh in her mind. Her heart fluttered with shame and she shook her head, face blank. That would never happen again, of that she was sure.
The more she walked, the more she got lost in her surroundings. Nothing around he was familiar. She missed the smells of dry, rock mountains and dead grass. Carnadhiel tilted her head back and took a deep breath, trying to remember how her homeland smelled. Instead, she smelled something different. But it was shockingly familiar.
A lioness.
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:45 pm
A sound nearby pulled Kiuma up short and she frowned as she lifted her head, scenting the air. There was an unfamiliar scent on the wind and her lips pulled back from her fangs in warning. If this newcomer was a threat, it would be a short-lived threat, muscles under the red fur tightening in anticipation.
Since beating that rogue male into retreat, Kiuma's confidence had risen and firmed, though she was careful not to over estimate herself. Still, she almost relished a fight with a rogue, just to prove to herself that one time wasn't luck, it was her skill.
"Who's there?" She shouted as she looked around, trying to find the source of the scent and the soft sound of approach. "I would show myself if I were you, or you'll find claws in your flesh." Her fangs flashed warning, though she couldn't be sure the hidden lion saw it. If anything, it just made her feel more brave.
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:07 pm
Carnadhiel's insides felt cold at the threatening tone and words of the lioness's voice. But despite that odd feeling, a sense of relief came with it. This voice sounded very authoritative. A queen, perhaps? No, being that optimistic was never a good idea. But still, she hoped. Maybe finally Carnadhiel had found a place to stay; someone to serve? That was all she wanted. That was her purpose in life. She needed orders.
And so, she followed the "suggestion" that had just been given to her.
Stepping forward from the brush, Carnadhiel found herself met with a powerful-looking red lioness, decorated in jewels and markings. She was definitely stately-looking. Carnadhiel stared, stone-faced as always, though she was a bit in awe.
"I apologize for alarming you." she said, bowing her head swiftly. "I am Carnadhiel. I'm...Wandering."
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:17 am
Kiuma watched as the dark lioness stepped out of concealment, her irritation softening a little when she realized the stranger was female. It was a small point in her favor that she wasn't male, a requirement that seemed to be nearly an obsession for the red queen in recent months.
"Carnadhiel... My name is Kiuma and you are trespassing on Antianeira lands. I understand you might not have known these lands existed, but you should know that any threat to my pride will be met with death." Maybe she was feeling a little fierce today, or she felt something strange from the other lioness, leading Kiuma to be a bit more cautious than typical with a new female.
"If you are a friend, or potential friend, however... then you are welcome in these lands." She softened then, letting some of her tension go as she reminded herself it was only males she need reserve her fury for. This was only a female, and a potential pride member if she was a wanderer and could be convinced to join them.
"You'll have to forgive my abrupt greeting. I'm protective of my pride and it's lands, so I can't be too careful with their safety."
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Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:57 pm
For a brief moment, hope and interest shone clearly in Carnadhiel's white eyes.
A pride? She was trespassing; how embarrassing...But at the same time, something in her was glad. So it was a pride, and certainly this lioness was the queen. Or perhaps a general. One so beautiful and powerful-looking couldn't be just a normal member. Yet Carnadhiel somehow couldn't sum up the courage to ask, in spite of her fearless nature.
"I apologize again, Lady Kiuma." Carnadhiel replied humbly, perhaps adding in the title to see if her theory was correct. She felt her muscles relax themselves at the sight of the other lioness relaxing herself. She sighed.
"I know what it is like to be protective of a pride." Carnadhiel answered softly after a moment. Her ears winced for a split second as a flood of memories came to her. Remembering where she was, she put her train of thought back on the right track and spoke again.
"What pride is this?" she asked, unable to hide the interest in her tone.
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Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:06 am
The red lioness drew herself up a little at the title and the respectful tone. It had been a long time since she had had the proper respect from others... if ever, really. In the pridelands, she had been a child. When she traveled, she was no a princess but just another rogue. To have someone acknowledge her station was more pleasing than she had thought it would be. Too much of her pride was family and there was no titles among family.
"The name of the pride is Antianeira and it is a sanctuary for females. Males of any kind are forbidden within the lands, even our sons. We are... reclusive and tend to keep to ourselves. We don't get many visitors." She left out so much of what made her pride what it was, but now was not the time to bring out the history and the newly formed traditions, the rules and ceremonies she was struggling to introduce.
"You said you were wandering... I take it to mean you were once part of a pride, and now are not?" Her tone turned cautious as she wondered. Sure, she herself had left her homeland to strike out, but there were lions in the world who were outcast, and for good reason.
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Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:31 am
A sanctuary for females?
Males were forbidden?
It was reclusive?
Carnadhiel stared, lips slightly parted as she listened. It sounded almost too good to be true. She had been wandering endlessly, searching--no, hoping to find a place just like this. And she had stumbled upon its queen. How had it happened? Was she dreaming? ...No, she never dreamt. It had to be real.
"Antianeira..." Carnadhiel murmured, as though testing the name on her tongue. She didn't have much time to mull over her excited thoughts. Once she heard the tentative tone of the other lioness, she knew she had some explaining to do, however much she didn't want to. But if it would help her to get into that pride, she would've done anything.
"Yes, I left it." she replied. "I was..." she paused, searching for the right word, or perhaps fighting a mental struggle at the memory. "...Betrayed. I was taken from my pride and brought to its rival pride. I was held prisoner there, but I escaped." she explained emotionlessly, leaving out many details in her rushed explanation. But her tone was deceiving. Inside, she was wincing at the flood of memories her explanation brought out. As she spoke, she realized what had happened to her had affected her much more than she first thought.
"I began searching for a place to live and to serve." she said. She stopped speaking for a moment, realizing that the last part of her statement could make others think she had been a slave. "I was once a general." she added.
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:46 pm
Kiuma watched the black female with a growing frown, leaning closer as she felt some echo of her memories resonating in her own. She knew betrayal well and she respected the effort of breaking free, of using one's own strength to direct their life's path. The mention of being a general really caught her and she wondered what god looked down at them and laughed now, to have dropped this lioness into her life. A strong fighter, to teach her daughters how to protect themselves, another strong body to hunt and protect... it seemed too good to be true, and that made her wary again.
"Why would you wish to serve in a pride, after what the last did to you? Wouldn't it be better to live as a rogue, or even start your own pride? And what exactly are you looking for in a pride?" She could hope for a new addition, but she had to be sure she was careful with just who she let in... even if she'd probably let anyone who was female find refuge in her lands. She just didn't like to admit that.
"There are prides north of us and to the East... I'm sure there are many that would suit you."
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:00 pm
Slightly taken aback by the red lioness's question, Carnadhiel stood in silence for a brief moment. She had finally found a place she could truly say she belonged and in that moment, that brief moment of silence, she felt the possibility of it all slipping away. Her ears turned back and her head lowered just slightly. She wasn't sure how to answer. How could she relay the thoughts--the feelings she had about everything; about why and how that very pride called to her so strongly? She had explained what she felt she had to. What else could she say? How could she sum it all up...?
Taking a sharp breath, Carnadhiel spoke.
"I dislike males." she said, louder than she had planned. Even though she was still in disbelief of that truth within her, she knew it would probably never be changed. But she knew that there was no way that would be enough. She was in front of a queen. How could one simple phrase be enough to gain herself entrance into that very queen's "kingdom"?
Claws digging in and out of the earth, Carnadhiel did some quick thought-searching so that she could back up her reasons better. The slightest hint of a frown inched onto Carnadhiel's face at what she found.
She never knew until that moment how little she understood her own self. Ever since she was little, being raised by that elder lioness, when she first realized she had no memory prior to her being a juvenile...It was as if, after everything, she still had no understanding of herself, even in the present. Carnadhiel shifted her white eyes back to the face of the red lioness.
"To serve is my...Purpose." she said monotonously, something awkward in her words. "I still...Need to protect others and serve a ruler; to be of use. Somehow I feel...That this place has been put in front of me for a reason. My strongest wish, after I escaped from the pride that held me captive and set free the female prisoners they had enslaved, was to continue to protect those females; all females. I feel now that it is my purpose to protect them, and in turn teach them to protect themselves. And this pride does...Call to me." Carnadhiel felt her head pulse strangely as she released all the information she had finally learned. She felt relieved that she understood at least that much about herself. And so she waited for whatever the Lady Kiuma would say next.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:27 am
The doubts that had swirled about her head dispersed as Kiuma listened to Carnadhiel speak, hearing the ring of truth in her words. She would have settled for a good deal less, but the small speech fulfilled her wish for assurance, and more.
"I have to be careful, I hope you understand that. My pride and my daughters are more precious to me than my life. By accepting you into these lands, I take a risk and expose myself to you as I do to no other creature. Your words give me some small reassurance." Kiuma's face smoothed into an earnest expression, dropping pretenses and posturing to speak truth. "If you truly wish to be here, Carnadhiel, then I would like to welcome you to Antianeira and fervently hope that this small pride is as fulfilling to you as it is to me. You have skills like few others and I see some of myself in you."
She was used to keeping her distance from others, defending herself with bared fangs and claws. Exposing herself like this was something rather strange to her. "Would you like me to show you around a little?" She offered tentatively, suddenly unsure of herself and perhaps... a little shy.
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Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:51 am
Carnadhiel sighed, suddenly aware that she had been holding her breath. Despite her expression being unchanged as always, a smile danced in her eyes. She was relieved, satisfied and happy. A whole new life lay before her; a new beginning. Some strange feeling of contentment and excitement filled her at the prospect of this new life in that new place. Now, she thought to herself, her true life was starting.
The black lioness bowed her head as she was so used to doing while in the presence of her superiors, honored by the compliments she had been payed. "I would like that very much, Lady Kiuma." Carnadhiel affirmed.
Her eyes automatically shifted to the hanging branches and vines, the odd-colored insects. She listened to the bright sounds of bird calls she was unfamiliar with. The scent of mist and sunshine clung to her nose and she found that she enjoyed it very much. The jungle...The Antianeira...
This was her new home.
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