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 Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:14 pm
"Hahi, don't..."
The elder lioness hadn't stood much of a chance. The second she pounced, it was over. The trademark strike to the shoulder Ohahira would have been infamous for had enough lived to tell tale of it, a slash to the throat. Blood poured and it was done.
Hasana was dead.
The vision had come to Hari early that morning. Visions of danger? Common. Visions of danger that didn't involve her? Not so much. Nothing to dwell on too long. Clearly it had been a gift to her from the goddess imprisoned, not for eternity like everyone thought she'd make sure, but for now.
Other seers were dangerous business, and the pride was getting more of them every time one of these pathetic creatures spawned. Hasana, her granddaughter and there were now whispers of one of the half-breeds showing signs of it. Too risky, and Hari couldn't let it slide.
"It's this way," she said sweetly, leading the trio behind her to a place she promised would be 'so much fun', but in truth would be the place of their death. She'd only really wanted to bring the seer cub and Hasana. It wasn't her fault the annoying sister wouldn't back off. True the vision had only one of the three in it, but who wouldn't take a two for one deal? And, if the other cub had to die, so be it. That lioness, whoever she was, could easily wipe out some old lady and two added little brats. She even breathed like a killer.
Hari would know.
"It's right here," she told them cheerfully. They were just barely outside the pride borders when they'd stopped. "When the sunsets in a little while, it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see in your whole life." Even you, a cocky voice in her head added concerning Hasana. Old bat should've died on her own a while ago.
Hasana saw only a friendly and well meaning smile, which she returned. The two grandchildren had been riding merrily on her back as they did Konja's. Hasana was never the 'I'm too old for this' type, but like Washington she could not tell a lie; ow, her back. "Thank you, Hari. Are you going to be staying with us?"
"Oh, no, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to intrude on family time, besides, I believe your granddaughter wanted to speak to you privately?"
"Yeah, grandma!" Amira agreed as she rolled off her onto the ground.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:33 pm
Tabia's afternoon nap had been interrupted by Hari's insistence that they go and watch a sunset. Wow. A sunset. It was clearly the most thrilling thing she was ever going to see. The young knight didn't see why she had to get up and go with them, but Amira was going and grandma too, so that meant she should go. It was her duty as a knight, after all, to protect her family if any harm came to them. Of course, she'd protect them after she had her nap on grandma's back. She was getting too old for this kind of nonsense.
She stirred when Amira spoke, opening her eyes and blinking to clear them. They were here? Excellent. With a wide yawn, she too rolled off of Hasana's back and landed with an undignified thud on the ground. "Is the sun setting yet?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her face with a paw. She wanted to go back to sleep.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:40 pm
Amira did not approve of her sister's sluggish nature that day. Amira was also a very easily influenced little girl. How many times had she seen Nishan smack Bitty upside the head? Enough that she bopped Tabia lightly on the head for her conduct. Hmph!
"Grandma." She looked up at the lioness in question. "Hari told me you can see stuff too. The future and stuff. I wanted to talk to you about it. Dad and Mom say that can't, and Tabia I don't think can either." Another look her sister's way, obviously asking for confirmation on the issue, but not waiting for it. "Can you tell me about it? And teach me?"
Hari chuckled, almost glowing at the scene before her. 'Ah, family. Such a precious gift.' her stance, expression and tone said. Her mind went with, 'Damn brat. Should have learned to keep your mouth shut and you wouldn't have to die.' Her mouth decided on, "Alright, you three enjoy yourselves. I'm going to go check on Tayhira and her herd of little ones."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:53 pm
Tabia's yawn was interrupted by a bop to the head, and for a moment she simply stared at her sister. Then, her eyes narrowed, and she swatted back at her. Hadn't Fadhi told her to keep her paws to herself? Where did she learn that bop anyways? Probably from one of the boys. Not that Tabia wasn't proud of her sister imitating boy behaviour, because she was, she just wished she wouldn't pick up stupid gestures like that. You don't go bopping knights on the head. That was Not Cool.
At the question about her 'seeing the future' she shook her head. She saw nothing, though she would have been interested to know what Amira saw. Perhaps coming out here would turn out to be too bad after all. Tabia flopped down on her side in a comfortable position, and settled down to watch the discussion. Hari's departure managed to get her to wave one paw, and call, "Good luck!" before she ignored the lioness's presence entirely. Hari wasn't as important as her sister.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:01 pm
...What the?
Oh no she didn't!
Amira lunged at her sibling and there was a flailing pile of paws soon to follow. Raising six daughters and three sons left you with a good idea of how to handle these things and Hasana was proof of it. She grabbed Amira by the scruff of her neck, set her on the opposite side of her sibling, then pushed Tabia back up with one of her larger paws.
The 'princess' fixed her fur and cleared her throat. There was, naturally, no ill intent when she'd pounced her sister. But boys would be boys. Even if those boys were actually girls. Speaking of. "Anyways, I meant this cub out in the rogue lands, and then I saw him later. Like, in a vision. And he was all older and stuff. I think we might have been married."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:06 pm
Tabia yowled at the pounce, knightly instincts kicking in in the form of paw flailing. It was totally an art of cub fighting, and it would have really hurt if she'd had her claws out. However, she didn't get a chance to fully act out her master plan – or so she told herself – as before she could even get a little ground Hasana had separated them. She settled for ruffling her own fur, and then flopped back down to listen.
Until, of course, Amira decided to drop the metaphorical bomb. "Married?! To who? What's his name?" Tabia demanded, a scowl forming on her multicoloured face. She did not like these visions if they were going to involve Amira and boys doing things that boys and girls did. They were supposed to be knights! Knights never got married!
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:14 pm
Hasana was somewhat startled by the news too, just moved by it to a far lesser extent than Tabia. At this point she'd believe anything. Their parents had met as cubs, too, so if anything it only made sense their children of all youngsters would do the same. "Is that so?" she asked gently, with a laugh and a smile.
Amira, however, mirrored her sister and scowled right back. Another skill that had perfected in their knightly training. "I already told you! A boy I met in the rogue lands!" Didn't she listen?!
---
Knightly training? Bah! Bandele would have given them both real training. At least Tabia. If she hadn't decided to up and run off on him to go be lazy and take a nap. The grape vine that was the Mtaishi informed him his grandmother had taken the two, but he didn't find three of them any easier than just one.
Before them, he'd find his mother, and looking frustrated would ask, "Did you see where Hasana went? I really need to see Tabia. She's late for class." The class in question was known among the whole pride at this point, or at least close to it. Lakisa had taken Amira for 'ladyhood' classes, and Bandele had gotten Tabia to train for the army hardly anyone thought they needed. All under Waseme's command. And, well, she was the new queen.
"It's important. Can you help me look?
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:23 pm
Tabia couldn't help but glower at their grandmother. She was encouraging her! Smiling and laughing! What exactly did Hasana think she was doing? Mating and marrying boys, as rare as it was these days, was serious business!
"You didn't even learn his name? How can you be married to someone you don't even know very well?" And, more importantly, "How can you be married and be a knight?" Unless he was going to stay home and having the cubs for her, there was no way that Amira could be married and still be a knight. Married lionesses had cubs and stuff! Amira couldn't be sucked into this! She would put her foot down.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:31 pm
Tabia wasn't the only 'protector' who found naps a delightful passtime. Her sons having wondered out on their own missions and adolescent adventures, Nyumbani was left at peace. The dimming afternoon sun had been a perfect excuse to curl up in a sunned spot not too distant from the flowers that swayed gently in the nearly dead wind. It was a warm position, and that was all that really mattered.
So, naturally, one of her sons had found the time to wake her up from it. She poked an eye open as she heard his footsteps, stretching, yawning and then eying him as he approached. "Hasana?" she repeated. Tabia was with her mother? Odd. Well, it wasn't as if she minded. Still, it wasn't like Hasana to have taken the cubs away from designated class.
Nyumbani chuckled. "Sounds like a cub to me," she whispered to herself, shaking off the dirt as she got to her feet. Her ears went back as her son continued.
Important.
"Of course." She gave him a stern look; perhaps it was more correctly categorized as an analyzing one. If it was important to him, it was also important to her.
My god, he was getting to be an adult. She felt old herself. Frowning off the ill thought, she hopped off the rock outcropping that had been her perch, her eyes already scanning the area for any signs of her mother.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:41 pm
"It's in the future, Tabia!" Amira was getting really annoyed! The key to successful relationships was communication! Didn't she know that?! ...Oh, she probably didn't, because Amira had learned it from Lakisa's classes her sister hadn't taken. Still! "I didn't say I'm going to go marry him I just said it was in the vision! Jeez!"
Watching the banter between her two granddaughters was an endless source of amusement, and distraction. Hasana's foresight may have been worthy of praise, but her eyesight was becoming worse in her age and considering she wasn't paying attention, it was no less than a miracle she'd noticed a black and white lioness (not exactly two eye catching shades) approaching in time.
Could it be...?
Oh, no.
"Amira, Tabia." Her voice was demanding and somewhat harsh, something neither of them or even their father had ever heard. "Go back to the pride. Right now."
It wasn't 'in time' after all. Ohahira was fast approaching them. Seeing Hasana, she froze, and so did she.
"Hahi..."
Meanwhile, Bandele was becoming impatient. Correction. He was always impatient. His impatience was finally starting to become very obvious in his face. The male snorted and turned to his mother, but never made the full circle, because something had caught his eye.
"Ah, there she is!" he called to Nyumbani from his place atop the large rock. "Over there with the girls and... some rogue?" Was it a rogue? He didn't have a good feeling about this.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:49 pm
"Yeah well the visions usually come true don't they?" She wasn't going to let her sister marry some random guy she'd met in the rogue lands. He wasn't even part of their pride! This was not the way to go about finding mates. Besides, Amira was too young right now to be even thinking about it. She hadn't even finished her knight training! Then again, neither had Tabia, but that was because she was skipping and not hanging out with Bandele. But that was always excusable. Bandele was weird.
Their banter was interrupted by Hasana's voice. Tabia's ears flattened instantly, disliking the tone from their usually mild grandmother. Why did they have to go back? Was something wrong? "What's the matter?" She moved instinctively towards Amira in an effort to shield her sister from whatever danger was coming.
--
"Who's over there with the girls and the rogue?"
Fadhi had arrived on the scene. He'd already spoken to Lakisa about getting the girls out of their lessons today so that they could spend some time with him. Lakisa, however, had seemed incredibly upset with him for not only suggesting it, but also for not knowing that Amira had ditched. Now that he saw Bandele, it appeared that Tabia had ditched as well. Somehow, he was not surprised.
He grinned at his sister, before turning his attention back to his cousin. "Is there something the matter?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:57 pm
Nyumbani grinned as she heard Bandele's voice coming from from the rock. He'd found her, good. Then, worry overmasked the joy. Her eyes wandered to the direction that she could see him looking. There was a jolt of joy that was silenced immediately by the fear afterwords.
"No," she whispered under breath. Yes, was the scream from her mind.
It was a combination of excitement and worry that was over her face when she bolted forwards. "Bandele, keep your distance!" she snapped at him. Nearly an adult he may have been, but she was still his mother and protection had always been her sport.
The ground left her feet just as quickly as she'd landed and she made her way with unabated haste towards Hasana. She knew Ohahira's status on their sister. She didn't know if the sixth still lusted for death. In addition, what if that death extended to Hasana? How far had the insanity run?
"Ohahira!" she called. If nothing else, she needed to distract her sister. There were cubs here. Her sons, her cousins, nieces, and a pluther of other relatives. One look at Ohahira told her no fight against this lion would allow her a win; she'd grown less fit in her time as a mother.
But, in the end, the real reason she called was that she had this undying hope that all was forgiven. Hope was such a killer thing.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:10 pm
Hasana felt a terror she'd never felt before, at the paws of her own daughter, which made it that much worse. Her fear was for the children. They hadn't listened. There was no time to scold them now, so instead she moved in front of both and quietly but seriously told them, "Stay behind me."
Until Nyumbani's cry a bit later she wasn't aware any others had found them. Her eyesight was not the only sense dwindling, and Hasana had never been one strong of hearing, scent detection and things like that even in her own youth. "Hahi, you--"
"This is where you've been?" There was something chilling about Ohahira's voice now. So cold, so hard, that even Hari would have shuddered. Her eyes lived up to her tone, and Amira sank behind her sister that much more when they turned to observe the two of them best they could with Hasana blocking them from harms way. "In this pride, with all these flowers?"
"Ohahira, what happened to you?" The question was more specific than one might suspect. Hasana had been eyeing the long, still visible, obviously aged scars stretched across her back. It was likely Ohahira would decide to strike her then, if not for the interruption brought on by a sister of her own. She turned her head that way and breathed in deeply.
"Nyumbani."
"I'm not... sure," Bandele hesitantly provided. This was the first time in his life he'd truly felt uncertain. He didn't like it. He didn't know what to do which made it even worse. What the Hell was happening? Who was this? "Mom?" But she was already gone, dashing to his grandmother and the white stranger with black spots.
White... with black spots?
"Is she related to us?" he wondered.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:28 pm
Tabia was afraid. Hasana had never talked like this before. Their daddy always used to say how nice and good their grandmother was and how they could go and talk to her about anything if they needed it. For some reason this strange black and white rogue was scaring her though, and Tabia didn't like it. She wished she was bigger now, able to at least do something rather than cower being their grandmother. "I'll protect you," she whispered to Amira, even as she hunkered down behind Hasana. A knight always protected their comrades.
Fadhi's feelings were along the same lines as Bandele's. The appearance of this rogue lioness made him uneasy, especially that close to his mother. Would she want him over there? Surely her protectiveness would lose to logic. The more lions that were there the better they could fend off this strange lioness. Judging by her appearance, it would take more than just one of them to chase her away. He'd never seen a lioness look so hard.
"Yes, if she's who I think she is..." That would explain Nyumbani's haste to get there. It might be hard to tell that he was related to his elder sisters, if only because they all were not nearly as marked up as he was. They were either splotched like his father or stripey like his mother, and sometimes a little of both. The splotches on this lioness, however, looked very familiar. Black and white like Hasana, splotchy like Triv'an. "Ohahira."
The sister he'd never met, or one of them at least. For a moment, Fadhi hesitated, then he nodded to Bandele. "Let's go."
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:37 pm
The lioness dug her feet into the ground and slid to a stop just a hop away from Hasana and Ohahira. Her breaths were coming in heavy rasps; there had been no hesitation in her strides to get here.
"Ohahira," she repeated with a softer tone. There was no fear in her eyes. At least, not for herself. It seemed she still had the fool's nature of trusting her sister. A smile crept along the edges of her face, but her eyes flicked to the surroundings nervously. Everything was safe. At the moment.
When she'd last seen her sister, she'd been doing well enough for herself. Angry, defeated, perhaps, but nothing like how she looked now. Those scars ran deep, and she found herself thinking the same question her mother had asked: What had happened? But, unlike her mother, she refused to vocalize it.
In fact, there was little to nothing she could vocalize.
Instead, she took a step closer to her sister. There was so much foolish want in that step. With the 'hated' sister gone and never to return, things should just drop back to normalcy, but things never happened that way.
"You came back," she managed. She swallowed, slowly catching her breath.
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