Ashiki had died a slow death. Nurisha had dreamed of a dark lion, her great love, ever since she was very small. Her imaginary friend, a young girl's whimsy. But these days she never really day dreamed of him and the adult lioness had let go of the obsessive fantasy. She still day dreamed but it was no longer an obsession. Where as while travelling with Banjoko she'd not noticed him in favour of the phantom Ashiki, this time it was Ashiki who wasn't noticed in favour of ....Malakai.
It had been a season since he'd first appeared outside the Kusini lands and as time went by, he'd become a friend.
It was Malakai who she was heading to see now, the cool morning breeze waking her up and the new sun bright.
The dark lion still hovered around the Kusini lands, not quite warming up to the idea of a new, permanent home. He had come to terms that he would never see his homeland again, as he was much too far to find it again. Feverish running had made all recollection of direction impossible. Instead, he had made friends with the lovely Nurisha.
He still wondered if half of it was because he reminded her of his one-sided love of home. She was very similar to the sleek lioness he had deemed his true prize within the wars of his homeland. He would have never guessed he'd find another like her so far from those lands. One that he even spoke to, and became friends with. He had never spoken to his beloved of the past.
His ears swiveled as he listened to the soft sounds of someone approaching. The crisp air hid the scent of the visitor, but he had an idea of whom it would be. He hadn't quite made friends with others yet. He cleared his throat, settling himself up in a stiff, respectful greeting manner. Even with no superiors to correct his form, it was hard to lose what had been drilled into him for so long. He anticipated her approach with concealed excitement, knowing that his heart would stir when she appeared before him.
If his heart stirred, hers leapt when she spotted the black-and-fire of his fur and she smiled. It was wonderful to have a good friend again. She’d still not met Banjoko again since their last meeting, hadn’t wanted to intrude on her family too much and she’d have been so lonely without him. He was like a lifeline or – inwardly, she laughed, for she’d found out what his name meant – an angel.
“Good morning Malakai!” She said, once she’d dropped the scrap of skin she’d been carrying, and sat down. Her icy pale tail tip lay twitching by her feet as her tail curled round.. She’d bring up that in a minute or two.
“Feeling well?”
Malakai's red eyes brightened as he saw her glowing frame slide into view. He let his smile grow as she settled herself down, the male offering a polite bow to the lady before him. He noticed something shift in front of her, but little alarm rose within his chest. These lands were the definition of peace compared to back home. After the first few moons of jumping at every odd sound, he had quickly settled into the normal sounds. Malakai had come to learn that while there were differences in lions, that did not mean that they would wage war against one another. An odd, but very welcoming idea.
"Wonderful sunrise," he complimented back, meaning more than one thing. "The warm rays of the sun will balance out well with the chill air." Today looked to be cool but lovely.
"I'm feeling fine," he offered slowly, not really wanted to seem too excited. They may be friends, but he didn't want to cross over the line. He was used to being a lower-end male, and there was no need to embarass himself over something so silly. "I pray that you're feeling the same, Nurisha."
“I’m good, yes.” She nodded, smiling. She found his politeness and manners so endearing. She’d always dreamed of maidens and ladies and knights errant, and it was sweet how he treated her – and any other females he ran into he supposed.
“I…found something that I thought might interest you. I’ve not seen one before but managed to get hold of this one.” Nurisha nudged the rolled scrap of skin out. It was curiously pliable. It was very roughly tanned leather, though she’d never really seen much leather, and unlike the dried up old empty skins that lay stinking after a big meal. But Nuri wasn’t too worried to know how it was made, she was no crafter.
It was the ‘map’ – something else she wasn’t too familiar with – on the other side that had interested her. She’d traded some old jewllery with some rogues the other day for it and had it explained to her. The berry-dye markings. The pride boundaries and landmarks.
“This is a map of the lands around here. I wondered if we might figure out where your homelands lay with it…if you wished to go home still.”
He had mildly become entranced by her smile that it had taken him a moment to realize that the subject had changed. Quickly he gathered himself up to slip next to her, feeling quite the foolish young boy. He needed to get a grip on himself. It was much more difficult to not act like a fool when there wasn't anyone around to give him a swift kick or a teasing pull on his tail. He was here on his own, and he needed to keep his manners.
After slipping next to her, he glanced down at the scrap of leather. The scent was such a mixture that it was hard to concentrate; it only made him think of food. Foolishly he pushed away his juvenile self, letting the more military-like trained mind take over. It would be a little more brash, but then his mind would stop wandering like a calf into still water. Dangerous and potentially deadly to his happiness.
Examining the map did not quite help him. He had no idea what he was looking at. His eyes scanned the scrap a few times, trying to gather some sort of familiarity to it. If only he could see like a bird, than he would have an idea of decoding it. "I'm sorry, m'lady, but I'm not sure what I'm looking at."
“I luckily had experts to explain it but hopefully I can managed to teach you it too….” She turned to look at him now he’d slipped closer, trying not to notice just how close. Nurisha tended to keep a reasonable amount of space between them, sensing that he wasn’t used to the find of friend who was forever affectionate and all over you – the kind that flops over your belly while your sleeping and dozes off for an example. She was used to that sort of contact from cubhood but it was mildly distracting to have them both bent over the scrap of leather.
Cursed handsome good looks. Malakai’s would be the death of her.
“But yes! This shape here is the Kusini, this one over here with the dark spot is the Pridelands and the spot is their towering rock….these splodges are mountains. That shape is the desert. It’s sort of a bird’s eye view of everything.”
Malakai had pushed most of his nerves away from him, so he didn't really notice how close he had set himself in proximity to her. His attention was wrapped into the fact that there was a slim chance of him returning home. As he continued to stare at the map, his mind raced with the possibilities. Home would mean a lot of different things. It would mean a return to friends and family and familiarity. But that would also mean a life returned to war, to only setting eyes on her, nothing to really look forward to in his life.
Here meant a different sort of home. He was not used to their customs, their life that was much more lax than what he was raised on. But it was a pleseant, peaceful life, and he wanted to see more of it. And if he left, that would mean leaving Nurisha. And after learning more about her, he didn't think that his old flame could even compare to her. At least she bothered to look his way, and he was thrilled to count her as a friend.
Wrapped within his thoughts, it looked like here was merely studying the map. But he had been quiet for a little too long, and it was obvious that he needed help in being dragged from his thoughts, and the options that lay before him.
The pale lioness had pointed out a few more prides while he’d been lost in his thoughts, and mused aloud that perhaps it might not be as useful as she’d thought. After all, some prides and landmarks were ancient but things did change. Nurisha didn’t know how old it was after all. The peddlers hadn’t said. But as she was voicing those thoughts, she realized that Malakai wasn’t really listening. She studied him for a second.
“Are you alright? Following it okay?” she asked after a while and emboldened as she occasionally was she reached out her paw to place over his, hoping to gain his attention once more. She didn’t think he was just staring intently at the map.
The touch jolted him from his daydream, feeling dazed all of a sudden. He awkwardly slipped his paw out from under hers, but quickly reassuring her with a smile. "Yes. I follow some of it, but it all seems foreign to me." Was this a common thing? He didn't quite assume so, but he had never seen a map before.
"I was just trying to imagine how my home would look to a bird in the sky." It seemed much harder than he thought, as things he could see easily wouldn't be so to a bird. Half of his old home had been forest. Or, the parts that were warred over constantly.
"You seem to understand all this far better than me," he said with a smile, complimenting her. He wasn't one that thought outside of hix own box very often. "Perhaps it we figure what is where, I can try to see if my home is on here." He didn't know how far out the map went, and perhaps she didn't either. They would have to work on it together.
“I’ve never seen a map before but I’m good at imagining things …flying is one of the most common day dreams to have. Also I used to travel with Banjoko so I know the basic layout.”
Flying was a dream, falling a nightmare. Nurisha also summoned the image of standing on a big hill, able to look down at the lands and game below. Wrong angle but it wasn’t too much of a stretched. She concentrated on the ideas that made the map make sense and tried not to del on his pa being taken away. Stupid. Feeling like a silly cub again.
“Want to work on this some more now or later? I traded for it so it’s mine. Got all the time in the world.”
Malakai had never been one to dream. He never had time for it in the beginning of his life, and he didn't really think much of it. Nothing negative, but just figured that it wasn't for him. Clearing his throat, he resettled his paws as he gave the map a second glance, trying to look at it from a different point of view.
"No, we should try for a bit longer..." He poked at his memories to try and give them something to work with. "Most of my home was covered in jungle. That would be a good place to start." He remembered steep cliffs....though from his point of view it was more like a steep wall beside him. A good defense if they needed to attack an opposing pride. He'd pick at it more, trying to remembe rlarge enough areas that they could find something. It was a lead, and he'd take it.
"Is there anything like that on it?" he asked, regarding a jungle. "Or are there too many of those to go off of that alone?" he added with a laugh. He felt pretty uselesss in this investigating thing, but Nurisha seemed to be entranced by it all.
She shook her head and sighed. It was so basic really. Just lines and patches and splodges of berry stain on the leather. But those marks had to be for jungles and forests, so if this one here was the Kusini, that was the Unity Walkers, that one with no pride was…
“There’s quite a few. This map doesn’t range too far in either direction or have different marks for forest or jungle but we can rule out the ones we know. It’s not that one – “ she tapped the Kusini one where they were. “ - or this or this or this. But the rest I’m not so sure on.”
“If we find a few possible ones would you want to try them?”
Malakai followed the shifts of her paw, trying to distinguish the different markings on the scrap of leather. He'd figure it out after a bit of more studying, but he was slowly starting to understand what he was looking at.
Nodding as she gestured at the different areas, he finally found his voice again. "That makes sense," he chuckled. "There have to be many jungles out here. We just need to confirm the right area as which to go..."
Which lead himself straight into her question. "I would, m'lady," he said with a grin.
“I’ll see if I can get some help from some of the more traveled pride members or any visiting rogues as well. We’ll narrow it down eventually.” Nurisha said decisively.
“We’ll need to let my family know, so they don’t worry too.” She half-suggested, because she’d automatically assumed that if he went she would too. Nurisha had experience at playing the sidekick, she’d been the shield maiden to Banjoko’s knight act after all. Which was what had prompted her mentioning her family and reminded her to make sure she could in fact come. Last time she’d been just a kid and her half sister Ihlo had been sent to fetch her home.
“Assuming I’m allowed to come along with you?”
Everything seemed to happen so quickly. Was she really going to try to arm herself into going with him? It wasn't like he expected any sort of danger, but the fact that she really wanted to go was something that he hadn't anticipated. Sure, he probably should have since she had more map-reading skills than she did, but he hadn't always thought of her as one to roam into unknown areas. It wouldn't always be a good thing for the two of them.
"If...you are sure, m'lady Nurisha. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to convince you otherwise."
To Nurisha, things weren’t moving fast at all – fast was meeting someone and setting off on an exciting adventure that very minute. That was what she’d known once. This time was rather slow and much more grown up just because they actually were talking and had a plan for a start.
It had taken them time to become friends, then there was the time it took to find and learn about the map, and it wasn’t like they’d set off this very evening. If they set off together at all that was. Nurisha flicked her tail and kept her gaze on the map.
“Do you want to convince me otherwise?” She asked. "Because if we do find your homeland...I'd want to be there to say goodbye at the very least."
Discomfort wormed it's way itno Malakai's heart. "I'm not so sure," he said, getting really to really speak to her. "To be competely honest with you, Nurisha, I'm not completely sure what home will be like." He let her see a worried look on her face, his smile growing a little sheepish.
"If you're sure, then I won't say otherwise." He didn't want to say 'because you're an adult', but it was obviously something unspoken. "We'll have to make sure that we're ready once we do leave."
Malakai knew that once they left on this adventure of theirs, it could be quite a while before they returned. It mattered on how many jungles they were willing to check out, and how many leads they would follow on their mission. He wasn't sure if she'd be up for it, but he would keep those thoughts to himself. If she wanted to prove herself for whatever reason, he would gladly let her. Just as long as they stayed out of trouble.
“I’m sure. There’s still a lot to do before we set off but I’m sure I won’t change my mind in the mean time nor when we’re on the road.” Nurisha didn’t really have anything to prove. She had a bit little of experience and while a daydreamer she was stouthearted and capable enough. Besides she was rather bored of home, it was in her nature to long for more, despite her love for the Kusini and her family. She’d never truly been tested in real real danger but thought – in her dreamy way – that she’d be able to handle it if it arose.
“I’m suppose I’m more worried that I’m barging in more than you want me to. I said I’d help and you’re a good friend – but that doesn’t mean you want me tagging along with you all over Africa or being pushy with a map.”
Malakai shook his head, his mane swaying slightly around his shoulders. He couldn't help but laugh, feeling a little relaxed. "M'lady, I do not mind, but just remember that my old home was full of nothing but wars. I only want you to stay safe. If we tread carefully than everything should be all right."
He offered her a soft bow. "I will be ready to leave when you've made your preparations. I don't want us to leave under false pretenses."
“We’ll be safe enough if we stick together and plan…always better to travel with a friend than travel alone. Not sure I can do anything about the war though.” She offered, with a small grin, though her ears stayed back. Uncomfortable and still worrying. But she had his permission, such as it was and it’d be an adventure to help him find his birth pride, even if she’d end up sad in the end when they had to part ways. Nurisha would lose a friend that day, if it ever came, and be lonely again.
Maybe she wasn’t so grown up still to be worrying more about that than the fact that the road wasn’t always going to be easy and their elusive goal was wartorn.
