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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:39 am
 He was moving swiftly across the sand, knowing he had dwelled too long. Knowing someone might have noticed his absence. His mother. His father. His siblings. Even one of the Simo. But he'd had to meet with Rap and give him an update on the situation.
And there had been a reasonable amount to update him on.
Now that it was done, he was intent on getting back to his den and hope no one questioned it. If they did, he'd just say he'd gone out for a walk, or he'd been talking to someone. Either way, he was sure it'd be alright.
He paused and glanced back over his shoulder. Rap had been angry when he'd left him. Angry that he'd told him he wasn't prepared to do anything until he was sure that he was capable. Rap had said it could take him years, that by then things might have changed. But Rowtag knew the orange one would wait. He'd wait for as long as it took.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:56 am
He had always had his reservations about them. Those thirty-three lions that had come to join the Simo from the Safi. His chief reason was that he knew it hadn't been because they had realized what was wrong with their way of seeing things. They were still the same vengeful, Traditionalist lions, simply slightly smarter now and not wishing to die out.
If there was anything Azarax trusted, it was his instincts. Long ago, he had learned to read others, and he could do it quite well. He had rarely, if ever, found the need to doubt himself and what he felt was true, and he didn't see this as the time to start.
Still, they were reasonable lions. That was a large part of why they had allowed the Safi to join the pride, he believed. The Simo weren't heartless, and the Safi had come to them for reconcialiation. That wasn't something they could easily ignore, and Azarax knew that it must have been a blow to their pride to have to admit defeat.
But that only made things worse. If they felt shame, they might try to rectify it, and the last thing he wanted was for anything bad to happen. He didn't trust the Safi lions for a moment - they were a part of the pride, they should be considered equal, and he knew this. But trust had to be earned, and so far, nothing any of them had done had proved to him that they were deserving of his.
So, he supposed, the news he had just received was both good and bad - a youngster from the Safi had been apprenticed to him. His mind wavered between the decision. He didn't trust the Safi, and naturally he would have liked to have as little to do with them as remotely possible. But having one of them apprenticed to him meant that he could keep at least one of them under close watch. In a way, he knew, if anything fishy was to happen, it would prefer to have it happen right under his nose, where he could easily catch wind of it before it got out of hand.
As he padded along, he decided that perhaps he would reserve his judgement for this young lion until after he had met him. It wasn't fair of him to judge them as one single entity when obviously, eacha nd every one of the lions that had come from the Safi were different. So he would wait and see. And in the meantime, he kept his eyes out for the one they called Rowtag.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:07 am
Turning his head back in the direction he was going, Rowtag moved onwards, his paws swift and practiced, now, on the sands all around him. He wasn't like the other traditionalists. He didn't believe in Finar-Si. Oh, yes, he knew she was real. She'd appeared to his mother, after all. But he just didn't believe in her strength and power. He also cared nothing for this land. It was a desert, not special in anyway. He didn't feel at one with this place, didn't feel he would miss it if he had to leave at some point.
In fact, there were only two reasons why he was here now. To be with his family and make sure they were safe - for he didn't trust the Simo either. And, to recover some of his family's pride.
Catching sight of movement he drew to an immediate halt, eyes fixed now on the lion approaching. A big lion. He hesitated, dithering on the spot, unsure what to do.
Maybe he should make a run for it? Was it too late? Had he already been spotted?
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:17 am
The small figure of the red lion stood out boldly against the spread of otherwise gray sand. He wouldn't have been easy to miss either way, but with Azarax's vision, the bright red was like a homing beacon, and the moment he had been close enough to discern the moving shape, he had been fairly sure he had found who he was looking for.
Rowtag. He was one of Kenna's cubs, Azarax knew. All the better - and the worse. Somehow, the fact that he would be keeping an eye on one of Kenna's cubs lent his mind an uncertain sort of ease, but he wondered how he would get along with the boy. Judging from what Azarax knew of Kenna, if Rowtag was anything remotely like her, the tan lion would find him hard to stand.
Still, it was part of his duty, to teach the young, and he wasn't in a position to say whether or not he liked, or could even stand, his pupil. Even so, at the back of his mind, a small voice nagged at him. What if, he wondered, he taught Rowtag properly and the little red lion grew up and turned on the Simo? The thought sent a chill down his back.
All the more reason, then, to make sure he didn't go down that road.
As he neared, the features on the cub's pelt and face became clearer, and he could begin to see some resemblance to Kenna. "You're Rowtag?" He called out, approaching.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:23 am
Dammit, he was too late! The lion had seen him!
He could feel himself starting to panic - an emotion he'd never truly felt before. He didn't like it. He liked to have control of himself, and this was not control! Even still, by the time the tan lion was close, he had put a hold on his raging thoughts and had forced himself to concentrate.
He lifted his eyes tentatively to the lions face. A tan face surrounded by brilliant red fur. He was not naturally coloured like a Firekin and perhaps Rowtag might have said something about it. But he did not. This one held an aura of authority, demanded respect. Rowtag was not about to go insulting this one. It would be a foolish move indeed.
His tongue felt dry as the adult spoke his name. Instantly he dropped his eyes again, focusing on the dark-tipped paws of the adult. "I am." That's it, keep things simple. Don't draw too much attention to yourself.
But why, he kept thinking to himself, had the tan one come to look for him? Was he in trouble? Had he witnessed the conversation between him and Rap?
The panic rose again and he fought it away with what strength he had. "Is there something wrong?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:32 am
"Nothing's wrong," Azarax said, studying the younger lion with interest. "My name is Azarax, I am the General of the Simo. Recently, I found out that you had been apprenticed to me. I figured I might take some time out of my day to meet my pupil."
There was something about Rowtag that Azarax couldn't quite place. At first sight, nothing was wrong, and he looked like any other juvenile running about the place. But Azarax knew better than to take things at face value, especially when it came to the Safi. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all, and if he had to unjustly suspect some of them, then so be it.
It was something slightly... off about the juvenile. It was difficult to pinpoint what exactly, and Azarax was sure that even if he could, it was nothing that could be backed up by any evidence. Still, his instincts had spoken. Perhaps it was the way Rowtag had averted his gaze, or perhaps it was the way he almost seemed to be trying to hard to remain inconspicuous, or perhaps...
Azarax wondered if he had overthought it. But as he studied the juvenile with interest, he couldn't help but feel as if his initial thoughts had been correct. Something told him that it would be in his best interest to keep his guard up around the red lion.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:52 am
Apprenticed to him? Him?! Dammit, who had thought it would be a good idea to apprentice him to the General of the Simo? He'd have to be even more careful now. If this lion caught on to anything it'd be game over. He'd be dead before he could even think of starting anything in motion.
"Nice to meet you, General." He dipped his head a little further, hiding his shock and concern beneath the tufts of his growing mane.
What now? What now?! He thought he could just get apprenticed to someone inconspicious, some idiot Simo who wouldn't bother to keep an eye on him. But this? This was too much!
He shifted awkwardly and raised his eyes.
"So...you will be training me now? To fight?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:32 pm
"And you, Rowtag," He responded, still watching the juvenile carefully. He was obviously not completely at ease, but Azarax knew it wasn't anything that could incriminate the young lion. Perhaps it was how he simply was.
Still, it seemed rather as if the young lion was hiding something. Rather than push for it, though, Azarax knew it would be better to let it slide. If Rowtag was, indeed, doing something that he didn't want revealed, then it was better for Azarax to bide his time and wait for the right time. And in the meantime he'd simply keep a close eye on the juvenile. It wouldn't be smart to let Rowtag know that he had aroused Azarax's suspicion, both if he was indeed doing something or if he was completely innocent.
He didn't want to judge the young juvenile before he had even gotten to know him, and part of him wondered if there was some bias to his observations. Still, he couldn't help but trust that gut feeling he had.
"That's right," he said, catching Rowtag's gaze as the young lion raised his eyes and holding it. "That's if you want to learn. Which I suppose you do, if you've become an apprentice?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:13 pm
"I do, Sir." He replied quickly, not wanting to seem hesitant. A firekin cub would certainly not turn down this opportunity and he knew it would be foolish of him too. He'd just have to play it careful. It was a small price to pay, really, when he considered the advantages. Here he was, about to be trained by the General of the Simo. The best of the best. Yes, he'd have to be more sneaky, hide his actions, but it would be worth it. He needed to learn to fight well so that he had a chance to prevail.
And, he thought with a grim smile, wouldn't it be ironic if the Simo leadership was undone by the General's most skilled student? Yes, yes it would.
"It would be an honour to be trained by you, General Sir. I only hope I can be worthy of your attentions." He settled a little. "I want to learn to fight, Sir, so that I can protect those that I love. My family. My friends. This land. I was brought up perhaps differently from the Simo cubs but...but I know loyalty to kin, Sir. To this land where past generations have lived and fought."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:31 am
"I'm sure you will be," Azarax said with a smile. "I like your attitude, and you certainly seem to have the motivation to do well. I'm sur eyou won't disappoint me as a student."
Still, it was this idea that worried him. For Rowtag's earlier behavior had spiked the General's curiosity, and the thought that had run through the young red lion's head and certainly done the same in Azarax's. What if his training Rowtag led to some form of attack - or worse - on the pride? The idea that he would be empowering someone who could potentially bring about the downfall of the Simo sent a chill running through him.
He knew the thought was completely unfair, based solely on a hunch and his predetermined suspicion of the Safi lions, but Azarax was certain his concerns were justified. His word had been spoken truthfully - Rowtag did have the motivation, as well as the athleticity to excel in his training. On top of that, he was the son of the ex-Queen of the Safi. All of it put together posed a concern for the tan-pelted General, and now more so than before, he was determined to keep a sharp eye out for anything out of place.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:43 am
He let a smile lift the corners of his maw. "I do. I truly do. My Mother wouldn't expect any less of me. She wants us to fit in, to move on with our lives. So, that's what I plan to do."
No idea of the thoughts racing through Azarax's mind, the boy thought he was doing well to cover up the secret thoughts in his head. Little did he know just how careful he would have to be to prevent the General from discovering what he meant to do.
"When does training start, Sir?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:58 am
"I'm glad she feels that way." Azarax nodded. "After all, we're all one pride now, and no matter what hard feelings might have been there before, they shouldn't stand in the way of any of you living your lives. Especially the young ones like yourself. It wasn't your generation's fault, after all."
He considered Rowtag's question. The easiest way to keep an eye on him was to train him, obviously, or at least to keep him busy. As he studied the young lion, Azarax saw that although Rowtag had muscle by nature, as Firekin generally did, sticking him into full training right away wouldn't pan out very well. He didn't believe for a second that "no pain, no gain" was a universal rule when it came to training.
So he would have to ease Rowtag into it, build up even more muscle to withstand the strain of the training.
"The day after tomorrow, then," he said finally, deciding to give the young lion some time to grow accustomed to the idea of training. He was in no hurry to teach Rowtag how to fight properly, just in case his suspicions panned out, but at the same time he didn't want to give the youngster too much time to delve into planning whatever it was that he may or may not have been planning.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:13 am
He nodded, not sure what else to add to that. He was right, of course, about things. About how things should be. He knew it himself, deep down, even if he wouldn't admit it. If he'd have given this place a chance he might have grown to love it as much as the Simo did.
"Day after tomorrow." He repeated, confirming that he'd understood. "Sounds good to me, Sir." He dipped his head. "Thank you." And, with a swift glance up into the tan lion's face, he turned and darted for home, desperate to get away. Desperate to prepare himself for the journey that lay ahead of him.
For as sad as it was, Azarax's suspicions were correct. This child was up to no good.
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