|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 8:12 pm
 Hamaki had been wandering the lands with no destination in mind. The skinny wild dog had been getting on in years, her muzzle now grayed from time. She didn't mind it though, outward appearances didn't matter at all to the loner, as her many scars proved. What really bothered her was the loss of inner strength. Although she was still stronger than most dogs, and even some lions, she met, she was starting to feel the ache in her bones that told her it would soon be time to retire fighting.
That ache had been particularly bad that day, she wasn't sure why. Perhaps the rain had something to do with it, perhaps it would just get worse from here on out. She tried not to dwell on the thoughts, although her mind kept turning back to it against her will.
The bones along her back clapped together, making a sound like a dancing skeleton as she walked through the dimly lit grasslands. The rain had made everything wet and somber, the skies were dark and the ground was lifeless. It seemed to Hamaki like the earth was reflecting her heart.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:12 pm
The lioness picked her way through the many puddles and mushy/swampy parts of the savannah that had once been packed, hard dirt. Even during the day, the mood was simply...dark, and depressing. She couldn't keep the smile on her face no matter what she was thinking of, and it was hard to not think of something happy. The whole reason she was out here was for him. Lio, her newfound love. She had volunteered to find them something to eat, since she was feeling useless and needed to get out anyway. She knew he worried, but she would be fine.
Though Zuri hadn't expected for it to be so darn gross outside.
"Ugh," she grumbled in distaste, wrinkling her nose after accidentally stepping in a rather deep puddle. Now mud covered her paw, and it squished rather unpleasantly as she walked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 3:33 pm
Hamaki sighed as she trotted through the mud and slop, not really caring about how dirty she got. She was also glad that the rain had let up though, and as she looked around the fog had begun to rise a little and she saw a shape in the distance. She squinted her eyes, trying to see what it was.
When the dog realized it was a lion, the fur on her neck stood straight and she positioned herself in a battle stance. The scene from her puphood flashed before her eyes, and she was overcome with a rage she couldn't control.
She started running, straight at the lioness. Growls tore from her throat as she sloshed through the watery ground, approaching the other fast. But as she was near the lioness, her mouth open for a bite, she tripped and fell into a deep puddle, rolling across the ground head over paws. She skidded to a halt, covered in mud.
She looked up at the lioness, and she blinked. She had thought it was that lioness that had attacked her family, but when she saw her up close and clearly, she knew it wasn't. She snorted and stood up, shaking herself off and staring at the wretched creature. Even though it wasn't the same lioness, it was still a lioness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:32 am
Zuri heard growling and splashes; she turned her head to see a wild dog coming straight at her. She screamed, scuttling backwards frantically and thanking the gods when the crazy wild dog slipped into a puddle and stopped the crazy charge.
"What on earth were you thinking?!" she shrieked, still frightened. "WHo are you? I don't even know you; why were you about to attack me?"
Zuri had never met a wild dog before, but now that she had, she knew that she would stay far away from all of them. The lioness didn't want anymore encounters like this one, especially with complete strangers.
Who knew what another wild dog could do? What if they didn't have any puddles nearby for the dog to trip in? Then she would be out of luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:43 am
Hamaki glared at her, dripping wet and slightly embarrassed. "I... must apologize." She said softly, though her voice was full of anger. "I thought you were someone else." She looked away, then noticed that her front leg was bleeding. She groaned and sat down, licking her wound.
Hamaki looked back up at the lioness, and although she wasn't the one she thought she was, she didn't like her at all. "I'm Hamaki." She said flatly, just stating a fact. She stared at the other with cold eyes, waiting for her response.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:48 am
Zuri was shocked at the amount of rudeness emitting from this creature. What on earth had caused the wild dog to hate lions so much? And, in particular, her? When they had simply just met? It was a puzzlement.
"Apology accepted, I suppose," the lioness replied in a murmur, raising an eyebrow at Hamaki. "Vizuri'maana. Zuri for short."
She glanced down at the dog's bleeding shin and took a step forward, hesitantly. "I...I can help you with that, if you'd like. I've done some healing before." Not totally a lie. She had become familiar with specific leaves that could help ease the pain of a wound and lower the risk of infection. It was actually quite handy knowledge to know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:55 am
Hamaki didn't trust this lioness at all. She looked at her suspiciously. Was she really trying to help? She didn't think so. She must be trying to pull some trick on her, and she wouldn't let that happen!
But... she looked so sincere. Hamaki was confused. Every other lion she had ever met wanted nothing but a fight. She had never experienced kindness from this species before.
"I... suppose so, if you don't mind." She said, a little bit more kindness seeping into her tone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:01 am
Zuri beamed at Hamaki, thrilled. "I'll be right back!" she declared, before turning and skipping off a few yards away. This particular plant she was hunting was a bit harder to find, but with the new rains there should be a bunch of them sprouting up in the special places.
The lioness easily dodged a puddle and sprinted up a small hill to find a small patch of the plants at the top of the mound. With a smile, she grabbed a few with her mouth and trotted back towards the wild dog. Once she returned, she swiftly and carefully ripped up the plant's leaves and gently placed them on the open wound.
"Sorry, it might sting a little. But it'll go away! And this helps protect against infection and helps the wound close faster," she told Hamaki, nodding solemnly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:07 am
Hamaki couldn't help but smile a bit as the lioness trotted away. She shook her head, then continued cleaning the blood from her wound. As Zuri returned she looked up, watching as she placed the leaves on the wound.
She winced as the leaves stung her flesh, but it soon went away and a soothing feeling took over. She looked down at it, surprised. She had never known this, and she made sure to remember the plant for another time she got hurt.
It was hard for Hamaki to say. but she forced herself to do it, "Thank you, Zuri." She said stiffly. She was never good at accepting help. But now she knew that the lioness wasn't trying to poison her or trick her. She had never felt this way about a lioness, hardly ever towards another wild dog even. "How did you come to know about those plants?" She asked, for once in her life wanting to carry a conversation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:22 am
The lioness simply nodded, smiling still, and sat down in front of Hamaki. "You're welcome! I'm glad to finally help someone with this plant; I've luckily never had to use it very much, so I was beginning to wonder if I had forgotten it all." She laughed.
How did Zuri learn about the many plants?
"Trial and error, mostly," she nodded. "There was one lion I met when I was younger who told me that only specific plants had more powers than just for being eaten by planteaters, but he never told me what kind of powers they were. He hinted at which ones were the specific greens, and I tried out all kinds of them on different things. Like when I finally figured out that this plant," she nodded towards the green speckled on Hamaki's black leg, "healed, I helped a rabbit family save one of the parents with it," she boasted. "It was really fun trying out all the different plants and seeing which ones worked with what situation."
She had tried some on herself, but thankfully none of the ones that she had misused had caused any lasting injury.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:29 am
Hamaki smiled at the tale. "Why would you want to save a rabbit family?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. "Wouldn't you just eat the wounded one?" She asked, wondering why the lioness would pass up such an easy meal. She knew that if she had seen that, she would have eaten the wounded one and left the rest, hopefully to eat the others another day.
She looked down at her wound, then moved her leg back and forth. It was a little sore, but much better than if the plant hadn't been put on it at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:33 am
"Because the Mother was hurt, and she had seven baby rabbits!" Zuri replied, a bit horrified at the idea of eating a rabbit. It was a good thing that she hadn't really liked the taste of the meat before. The lioness would much rather have gazelle or zebra, but not a cute little rabbit!
"I don't like rabbits. To eat, anyway. They're cute and fluffy, and really nice when you gain their trust. Besides, I had to try out the plants and I had pretty much all confidence that this plant was the one that healed, not killed."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:41 am
Hamaki was still a little confused at this fact, but she shrugged and nodded a bit at the other. "Well, testing the plants makes sense I suppose." She said with a nod. She was right to test it on a bunny, since she wouldn't have wanted to test it on herself or something more important, like another lion or other higher creature.
"I respect your knowledge of healing." She said, still formal. She still mistrusted the lioness, although she couldn't say she wasn't enjoying her odd company. She had always thought that lions were all ruthless savage killers,l but apparently some were fairly kind and rather... unique.
The sun had finally made an appearance, and the talk of rabbits made Hamaki's stomach growl. She stood, testing her weight on her leg. It didn't hurt badly enough to handicap her walking, and she bowed her head slightly to the lioness. "Well, Zuri... It's been, interesting, to say the least." SHe gave a small smile. "I will forever remember that lions aren't as bad as I thought."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:46 am
It was alright if the wild dog didn't understand Zuri's love for rabbits in a non-consuming way. She had made lots of new friends in one area of the roguelands with the rabbits, and had even given them all names. She missed them, but knew that they would have liked for her to have a better life. Even if they couldn't say so much in words but in only simplified gestures.
She knew. She understood.
"Well thank you," she replied with a smile. "I'm glad I could help you." She bowed her head in return to Hamaki. "It has been interesting. Thank you for falling into the puddle and not attacking me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:53 am
That last comment made the dog chuckle, and she nodded with a smile. "Well I'm glad I didn't attack you, after all." She said, her eyes much kinder now. She wondered where the female would go now, if she had any family or children. But she decided against asking, since she had stayed too long and grown too close to lioness already. Hamaki didn't think she was worthy of friends, nor family. Her children had left to start their own lives, and now she was alone once again. And she accepted that fact as her fate. "Farewell, rabbit-lover. I hope we meet again someday." She bowed her head respectfully, then turned and walked way, rabbit on her mind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
