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 Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:50 pm
 He wasn't sure how he'd gone so far, traversing from the all too familiar open savannah to unknown territory. It was the new scent that made him realize he was far from his usual haunts. It was sharp and unfamiliar and alluring. The large lion stopped in his meandering tracks, glancing around at the different landscape.
Paoum shook his head, trying to clear out the thoughts that had distracted him enough to lead him this way. He'd been letting his mind wander too much, and his paws had a tendency to do the same as he lost himself in his musings of the day. Usually it was the young who sought to explore the world to it's farthest reaches and the old and getting older who were so content to settle down in one place for the rest of their days.
It was the opposite for him. The great lion had spent his vibrant and youthful days firmly in familiar grounds, content to see the same sights over and over. Now, as he was gaining in years, was the time that he felt the urge - no, the need - to wander. To explore.
Pao blinked, coming back to the present once more. He really had to stop doing that. With a wuffing sigh he sat down, wondering if he should turn back and find his way to familiar lands once more or continue forward and seek the source of the strange new smell.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 7:59 pm
The dark orange lion couldn't help it; day after day, from his 'borrowed den' in the Simbafutaji pride, he would head to the sea. However, he liked to take the long way round, to work out his muscles. Ever since he became bent on joining the pride, he had been hanging around its borders, thus not walking around as much... In the past, wandering would keep him in shape, but now, he had to do it consciously.
However, there seem to be another orange lion in his usual routine today.
In front of him was another lion, but he didn't seem to be part of the Simbafutaji; either that or this is a lion returning from one of those learning trips he had heard about from the pride members. Curiosity got the better of him as usual, and Jasiri found himself approaching the stranger.
"Hello there?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:09 pm
"Hm? Oh." Paoum was pulled once more from his thoughts as another lion aproched. He was of a similar color, though where Pao's mane was a deep grassy green the stranger had dark black. The large lion gave a passive nod of his head as greeting, standing up once more. "Hello." And then, because he wasn't sure... "Are you from around here?"
Surely he must be, though. Pao had never seen this other lion before... perhaps he stuck to the southern tip of the lands rather than the northern, as he did.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:20 pm
"Well, not exactly," Jasiri'ka replied, tilting his head upwards a little in thought, his eyes rolled to the sides as he wondered how to answer that question. After the pause, the lion continued, "I came from elsewhere in the rogue lands, much further inland... However, I had fallen in love with the pride, Simbafutaji, located near these parts, and now stay there. However, I'm not an official member... Yet."
Smiling, the lion gestured towards his front, a twinkle in his eye, "I was heading to the sea when I saw you... What about you? Are you from around here?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:35 pm
A shake of his head in the negative. "Inland and further north. I didn't realize that there were pridelands near here." The great lion took in a deep breath, catching that strange scent again, tail flicking curiously.
"To see what?" It was in moments such as this that he felt so poorly learned... he hadn't known his father (probably a Rogue lion who'd only stopped long enough to sow some wild seeds and then move on) and his mother was a dim memory. A soft voice, gentle grooming. He'd been out on the barren savannah on his own for nearly as long as he could remember. So as it was, he had no idea as to what the other lion could be talking about.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:46 pm
"To see the sea!" Jasiri'ka nodded excitedly, before chuckling when he realized that 'see' and 'sea' sounded similar. Trying to contain his laughter, the male bowed his head as an apology, "Sorry about that... Didn't realize that what I was headed to is said the same way as 'see'. I'm sure that you've picked up that weird, almost salty smell in the air... It belongs to a place called the sea. Its like... A really huge body of water, but it tastes weird."
Walking a few steps forward, Jasiri'ka tilted his head towards the direction of the coast, "Well... Do you want to follow me? I can show it to you... You might even like it as much as I did when I first saw it!" The male nodded in excitement as he added, "Its something that can never be seen further inland, a truly beautiful sight."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:27 pm
He hesitated a little before giving a shrug and padding forward, picking his way through the grasses to follow after the other lion. "The sea. Hm." He had been smelling that strange scent and wondering. It couldn't hurt to be shown this new sight. The other seemed familiar with whatever it was, so if there was any kind of danger he'd be (hopefully) warned.
"I am Paoum. Can't say I've got any goals as ambitious to join a pride, though. You said this was near the Simbafutaji lands? They wouldn't disapprove of us being here now, would they?" The thought of a fight set the older lion to mentally groaning. He'd lose for sure if someone younger decided they had a bone to pick just because he set paw on lands he shouldn't.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:42 pm
"Yes, there is a pride nearby," Jasiri'ka nodded, turning back to glace at the other lion as they walked together. Pausing, he added thoughtfully, "Actually, I believe that there are even more prides up the coast, towards the North, but I haven't really gone there before... Or rather, I've only walked past them, without really stopping for the day."
Jasiri'ka shook his head, smiling as he turned back to face his front, "Well, the members of Simbafutaji hadn't given me any trouble, even though I've been spending my nights in their lands. I believe that they are a group of rogues who wanted a semi-permanent home they can return to after wandering... Seems like others wanted to join them, and they grew to become a pride."
Chuckling, he continued, "But don't worry... Where I'm bringing you, the land do not belong to any pride, so we are free to wander."
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:51 am
"I've never traveled so far. Where I make my home has many pridelands around it, though, so I suppose I am not too surprised there are many more out here."
From time to time he was struck with how large the lands he lived in really must be. Some part of him felt as though it had awakened with this knowledge. There was more to see than he had though. Much more.
He sped up his pace a bit to catch up with the other lion, ears twitching as some distant sound caught his attention. It sounded like distant thunder. It wasn't the rainy season, and craining his neck to look upward proved that the skies were indeed clear. "So long as you know where the boarder is so we don't cross it... what is that?" The large male was now hesitating as the direction they were headed only seemed to be bringing them closer to the thunder. The air felt damp and the foreign scent that he had picked up was so much stronger. "It feels like bad weather."
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:39 am
Jasiri'ka chuckled softly, rolling his eyes to his side to look at the other male. Nodding, the lion mused out loud, "Yes, yes... That is quite an accurate description of the smell of the sea! Salty and wet; it does seem like a thunderstorm is coming." Laughing, he shook his head briefly, "However, I assure you that the sea is a beautiful and magnificent sight... And its not really something to fear or avoid, unless you're afraid of water."
The were really close to the sea now; in the distance, he could make out the sandy coast and the cliff overlooking the sea that was his 'private spot' of sorts. A sparkling thin line in the horizon marked the sea, and he could hear the waves crashing on the beach already, although it was really soft. He picked up his pace, and turned around with a grin, "Come on, almost there!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 7:38 am
He wasn't afraid of the water, he couldn't imagine being so. A bit leery of the long-snouted, sharp-toothed creatures that virtually ruled them, but not afraid. He watched the mounting excitement within the other lion, a warm smile curling his lips upward. Looking ahead he saw the distant sparkle and at first thought it but a mirage. He was used to the heat haze that rose off the ground, knew that it could trick one into thinking that water was just ahead. There was far too MUCH of it for it to be real!
Pao sped up to match the pase of the stranger, his footing becoming a little unsteady as the ground beneath his feet started to shift and slide. They were walking on sand. They began working their way up a slope made of it, the ground slipping away beneath his paws (much to Pao's displeasure). Just as he was about to grumble something dark about taking one step forward and sliding two back he reached the top on the hill and stopped.
A sharp intake of breath was the only sound he made as he saw fully now what must be the sea.
Still a distance away from the edge of the water, the thunder roared louder now that it was within clear view. Water, so much water. He watched as it rolled, grew, turned into a wave of awe inspiring proportions that curled and frothed it's way towards them only to crash forward onto the sand. This was where the sound was coming from. "Amazing..." He had never seen so much water before.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:52 am
"Isn't it?" Jasiri'ka smiled, stopping just at he edge of the cliff. He took in the smell, sound and sight of the great field of sparkling diamonds in front of him on the horizon. He flicked his ears, contented. He was glad that there was good weather today; it only made the coast look even more beautiful, more breath-taking. The sea breeze played with his mane, ruffling it, and gently embraced his face, making the lion sigh dreamily.
"I thought I was dreaming when I first saw this," He laughed, turning to face the other lion. Grinning, he continued, "This is the sea; something every lion who lives inland all their life will never get to enjoy. I've been here for a few days now, and unless there is bad weather, I never fail to make my way here. When I was younger, I used to travel along the coast, but never as close as to see it... Maybe I was intimidated by the sound of the waves crushing onto the sand, or maybe I just didn't have the urge to slow down."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:24 am
"I thought it was a mirage." Pao took a hesitant step forward, drawn by his amazement of it. "That's youth, of course. Run faster toward adulthood and don't stop to look around." He gave a slight rumble, breaking his entranced gaze from the sea to glance toward the other lion. "It's amazing to discover that's always been near to us like this. You wonder... 'why didn't I see it before?'"
Perhaps he was talking more about his own youthfulness. From the sounds of it this other lion had done much more than Pao ever had. In his youth he'd concentrated only on scratching out a living until he was large enough to find things more comfortably easy. Easier to take down prey, easier to remember where he had and hadn't been. Easier to be content to stay in those places, where it was just plain easy. With a small click of his tongue Pao mused how he had not had a hard life at all growing up... not aside from the rough and tumble struggle to get enough to eat when he'd still been a tiny cub.
With a shake of his head he glanced sheepishly at the dark maned lion. "Ah... I'm sorry. I have a habit of turning my thoughts inward." He wasn't much for company, it seemed. "I never really was around others until... well recently. The change is welcome, but I'm still getting used to it."
Pao began walking with a little bit more confidence toward the water's edge. "Let's enjoy now what we couldn't when we were young and in a hurry, eh? But I suppose you already have had the time to appreciate this. It is breathtaking."
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:51 am
Jasiri'ka smiled, letting out a chuckle, "Everyone will always have a chance to be a cub at heart!" He paused, shifting his glance to the water beneath his paws. Then, he glanced again at the other lion. His lips suddenly curled up in a mischievous grin, and using his front paw, he splashed some cool sea water on Pao. Laughing, he shook his head, "Like you said, lets enjoy what we couldn't enjoy back then!"
His childish, more playful side took over; ever since he met Siti, the inner cub whined to come out and play more. All this time, he was only bent on searching for his father, never really stopping down to enjoy his life. Now that he had stopped searching, it really was time to enjoy what he had missed when he was younger.
"Someone once told me that you'll never be too old to enjoy a game or two!"
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:21 am
Pao stood back for a few moments, watching as this grown lion allowed himself to run and splash in the water as though here were just a small cub again. With a growing smile Pao broke into a loping run, following after the other. He gave a startled shiver as the cool water splashed onto his fur, startled by the chill of it. Rivers... watering holes... even lakes sometimes were so warm due to the relentless sun's glare.
With a sudden spring in the older lion's step he pounced forward into the water, landing with all four paws down. The splash he created was grand, and he felt the salty brine soaking into the fur at his belly. A small wave came toward them, swelling the water enough to lift Pao's paws from the sandy bottom only to set him down again as he passed to crash upon the shore. "It's strong!" He sloshed back closer to the other lion, making sure to kick up enough water to splash over him.
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