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 Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:57 pm
OOC: I suck at titles. =C  Kafele was ecstatic. The idea of spending the afternoon with his aunt had painted a perpetual grin on his little cub face and the black tail danced from side to side, just one of the many signs of his nervous excitement.
His recovery from the encounter with the crazy blue-eyed red lion seemed to be finally over and the red cub was back to his usual – even if slightly more cautious – self. He didn’t fuss when his mother told him to wait for aunt Fila to pick him up so he was standing on a tall rock that he had somehow managed to climb, a good place to catch any movement around him. His eyes darted between the shapes of his mother and siblings and the place where aunt Fila’s head should be appearing soon. And there she was!
“Mom, I see her!” he shouted towards the brown adult behind him before running clumsily towards the light-colored female, an expectant smile suddenly decorating his features. “Aunt Fila! We’re going to have so much fun, right? Right?” Sure, he wanted to be taken seriously by his tough aunt but he was never one to hide his emotions. Not that he could really even if he wanted, Kafe had always been an easy one to read. Maybe he should work on that.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 5:23 pm
 Fila walked towards the rendezvous point slowly, shrugging off the tiredness of a recent patrol. Those damned Ligi seemed intent on causing trouble everywhere, but they never seemed to fathom why Fila would want to stop their mahem. Fila understood them perfectly. As a former mercenary, she knew what they were risking, what type of noose Sahen most likely had around their necks. But that didn't mean she would go easy on them. A yawn escaped her jaws as she rounded a bend. She growled softly, displeased with her own weakness, and then bounded forward into a sprint as she rounded the last bend. Reaching the cubs, she grinned lopsidedly at Kafele's enthusiastic greeting. "'Of course we are, kid," she said as she cuffed him affectionately in greeting. Fila chortled at Amira's displeased scowl. "You're too soft on them, Amira. How do you expect them to grow into fine lions if you keep babying them?" Amira grumbled to herself, tossing her traditional "be safe, don't get yourself killed," farewell before shuffling the other cubs to their feet and heading off back home, where Kudha was waiting to take his turn cubsitting.
"Just you and me today, Kafe," Fila said, a wry smile on her muzzle. "Time to work some good strong muscle into you. You want to grow into a big tough lion so you can take on Sahen, right? Well the first step is to start learning to fight. I should've started your training ages ago, but...I didn't want to get in Amira's way too much. She is your mother, after all." Fila started pacing in a circle around Kafele. "Circle around me as well. First rule of battle: never let your opponent get behind you." She wondered how well the little cub would take to her training. Kafele seemed the easiest to work with of Amira's four silly cubs, which was why Fila had asked to train him first. She would get to the other three as well, but she had wanted an eager listener for her first trainee. Fila had high hopes for her sister's cubs. With the right grooming, they could very well be a mini army to employ against that unruly king, Sahen. Fila hated Sahen with a passion more white-hot than either of her two siblings. Who better to bring him down than those of her own bloodline?
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 6:58 pm
Aunt Fila was, in a word… awesome!
She had just arrived and they were already practicing! Besides, the whole "Just you and me, Kafe" and the fact that he was being the first one of the cubs to spend some time with aunt Fila made him feel really good, not that he’d admit it anytime soon.
It did surprise him, however, that when aunt Fila mentioned Sahen, the red cub had trouble picturing the wicked Shatkona as his mind kept darting to a different red lion, one with blue eyes instead of the ruler’s yellow stare. The lion who had thought Kafele the true meaning of the word "cruel". The red cub quickly decided that it would be best to keep that to himself.
“Yes, I need to get stronger!” The brief mention of family interaction was wasted on him as it was clear where his interests lied. He was already moving around his aunt with bouncy steps that quickly turned into small hops when he actually managed to trip on his own paws as he tried to walk sideways. “Like this, like this?”
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 7:24 pm
If Fila had known that Kafele had met Angra, a lion that even Fila hesitated to cross, she would have been highly upset indeed. That type of insanity was rare to find, and was dangerous at best...deadly at worst.
As Fila watched her young charge pad around in a circle, she suppressed the desire to chuckle. He was young, too young to know how to slink properly. His bouncing and hopping was adorable, but the only sign Fila showed of her amusement was a small twitch at the corner of her muzzle. "Kafe," she chastised softly, "don't walk sideways. Walk forward, but turn your head to face me. Lower your body more, and slow down a little. Try to space out your steps so your paws aren't in the way. You've got the general idea, but make it a smooth motion. The easier it is to move, the more deadly your attacks will be." Fila circled slowly, her steps a smooth-as-silk slink that looked effortless. "You are big enough that you should be able to do this with ease."
It was good that he was trying. He seemed interested, and that was a good sign.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 7:44 pm
Ah, he was doing it wrong… Pfff! He expected better of himself, he wanted to impress aunt Fila! He didn't want to come one day and say Azu and been better!
“Ooooh! Yeah, that makes sense.” He said softly with a frown as he circled the pale lioness, doing his best to be smooth. He wasn’t very sure how well he was doing. To be honest, he still felt a bit clumsy on his paws especially when he had Fila for comparison. “This better…? It’s like when you hunt, aunt Fila?” he tried mimicking the lioness’ movements, finding it a little easier to follow his aunt’s example though perhaps he was a little too low this time.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 7:56 pm
"Exactly like when you're hunting. In a fight, you are hunting your opponent. Only thing is, they're hunting you, too." Fila watched Kafe for a few moments, then padded over to his side. "Much better. You're a bit too low, but as you practice it more, you'll get the feel for what is right. It should feel natural to you...and it will feel as natural as breathing when I am done with you." Fila nodded decisively, turning and sprinting a few yards away, her paws dancing in a flurry of motion. "You will have an assignment from me, young one, when we are through here. You are to make your first kill and present it to me. Nothing big. You aren't big enough to chase the larger prey, but...a hare will do, I think, or something about that size. And you will kill it by plunging your teeth into its neck. I will show you how."
Fila darted off to the rock that Kafele had stood on upon her arrival and chose a smaller stone from its base. She picked it up and carried it over to Kafele, dropping it by his paws. "Show me how you would deliver a killing blow. Pretend this stone is your prey."
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 8:29 pm
This was intense!
He was doing a little better though his efforts paled in comparison with the experienced lioness and his eyes could barely keep up with the lioness’ paws.
But aunt Fila was already talking about teaching him how to hunt! So he would need to hunt something, huh? Kafele had never actually hunted anything before – except for the occasional lizard or bug – and as such, he’d never seen an actual hunt so he pretty much just mimicked what he usually did when playing. Leaping through the air, he jumped on the rock with unsheathed claws (which, by the way, hurt A LOT when they met the solid surface), grabbing the rock with all four paws and granting a superficial bite to what would’ve been the “back” of a cub... of his brother... of the rock’s neck… if it had one.
“Likedisaunfile…?” he asked with a muffled sound, without letting go.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 8:57 pm
Fila nodded slowly. "Yes, that's the gist of it. When you move in for the kill, move slowly and quietly so as not to startle your prey. Slink as close as you can, then pounce. The back of the neck is the best place to strike, or the front if you can manage not to be kicked. You must practice this, for many times the way to win a fight is to clamp your jaws around the neck of your opponent. If they do not surrender then...then they die. And you must not hesitate to kill if you need to. Consciences are good things, but...remember, it is your life or theirs." Fila sighed softly. "But this must seem harsh to you, am I right?"
As much as Fila wished that her niece and nephews would be free to live carefree lives, the truth of it was that the world was a vicious place. They would have to kill or be killed. No one knew that better than Fila. But...Kafe was young yet, and he didn't understand the full cruelty of the world. "I have two more training exercises for you today. You must build your legs. We will run back home, without stopping to rest. This is the first exercise. It is far, but not too far for you if you put your mind to it. What do you say? Are you ready to run?"
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 9:45 pm
“No… not really.” The little cub admitted feeling a little ashamed. Was he supposed to feel guilty? “You and mom are always hunting for us….” And by us he meant himself and his siblings. “So we’d starve, if you didn’t. So… you have to, right?”
Maybe he wasn’t making much sense but he was trying to explain that he didn’t see anything wrong with hunting… killing. Kafele wasn’t aware, however, that digging in on a cold carcass or pretending to hunt his siblings did not feel the same as fighting the life out of a living creature. Well, apparently he was going to find out soon.
But run? Well, the red cub was certainly eager but running seemed so… simple. He figured it would be important to get strong legs but he was much more interested in learning how to fight. But he wouldn't disappoint Fila!
“I’m ready!” he said with his typical overly-confident attitude, breaking into a quick trot. “Hey aunt Fila, if uncle is a Lord why aren’t you a Lady? And mom, too…” He tried to keep his breathing in check but it wasn’t easy when so many words were blabbing out and he couldn't supress a giggle as he imagined his tough aunt as a Lady.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 8:52 am
Fila watched the play of innocence across Kafele's face with a sad smile. All too soon some of that innocence would be stripped away...and she would be to blame for it. But it was for his own good. There was no other way to survive, not with Sahen as Shat'kona. "Yes, Kafe. We hunt to survive, and there is no shame in that. It is nature's way. It teaches us to be strong. Your mother hasn't quite mastered it yet, but she's shaping up to be a fine huntress." Fila wondered how young Kafe would deal with his first kill. She wasn't certain, but however he reacted would shape the nature of his training from that day forward.
Fila loped easily beside Kafele, her voice even as she answered. "Your uncle is a Lord because of the family he grew up with. When they died, he inherited their title. We aren't noble by birth, though your grandmother was of the old noble blood." Fila grinned. She wouldn't want to be noble anyway. From what she'd seen, Kudha had his hands full with all his responsibilities to the pride. He was chained to his blasted duty, and Fila could never live so confined. "Kafe, time to pick up the pace. Running may seem unrelated to fighting, but having endurance can play a big factor in winning or losing against an opponent. Keep up if you can." What Fila didn't tell him was that if he couldn't keep up, she would match his pace. But if he knew that, he wouldn't give it his all...and so she didn't tell him.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 6:05 pm
Keep up if you can? Of course he’d keep up. He’d run until his legs gave out under him as along as aunt Fila was watching! He took in the information about his uncle with a nod but apparently he wasn't done with the questions.
“Hey, aunt Fila… does that mean we’re related to... Sahen? What did grandma look like?... She belonged to Atmaja, right?” he spoke after the silence started weighing on him. He wanted – or perhaps needed - to be distracted from the physical effort but speaking and running at the same time wasn’t exactly the best solution either and his breathing often cut into his words. “Do lions… are lions… does a lion’s color mean anything?... I mean… does it say something about the lion’s… character?”
As far as his aunt was concerned, Kafele was probably just asking about the differences between the Tama and Atmaja Houses but the little red cub was putting a little more meaning into his questions than it might seem at first glance.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 7:18 am
Fila skidded to a stop, a hidden anger boiling within her. It wasn't directed towards Kafele, but his questions about Sahen and his grandmother brought back the harsh memories that Fila often tried to forget. "No. Our mother's bloodline never crossed with the Shat'kona's, and though I don't know who my father is, I cannot believe my mother would have chosen Sahen as her mate, or that he would have chosen her. Sahen is not the fatherly-type, nor is he likely to want to pass down his power to offspring." Fila growled softly. "Sahen is the reason your grandmother is dead. It was his Ligi who attacked us, though Sahen denied that he ordered the attack." Fila sighed. It had been because of the loss of her mother that she had become what she was. Sahen had cost her a normal cubhood, and forced her to harden her heart to deal with the horrors of the world. She would never forgive him for that loss.
"As far as your grandmother, Elanira...yes, she did belong to Atmaja. She was a beautiful cream lioness with red-violet markings. Your mother remembers her better than I do." Fila thought for a moment about his last few questions. "Your uncle would say that the colors do decide on character, but...I disagree. Ultimately, the choice of who you become is yours alone. Just because the fire of Chaos supposedly burns in our veins doesn't mean that we have to be chaotic." A fierce expression flashed on Fila's face. "Has someone told you that you will be a certain way simply because of your colors?"
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 9:40 am
The red cub was very carefully ignoring Fila’s gaze right now. She seemed really angry when she talked about Sahen which made the cub not only extremely uncomfortable but rather angry himself – he did not want that lion anywhere near his sister and yet the ruler was often showing Dada some weird special attention. Maybe he wanted to spy on aunt Fila and the rest of the family. Maybe he wanted to “play” her (well, Kafele wasn’t sure what that actually meant, he just knew that was something bad males did to girls). Either way, Kafele was quite aware of Dada’s little infatuation and he was sure the Shaktona would end up hurting his sister which was definitely not alright!
“Ah, no… It’s just something I thought about…” he started hesitantly, slowing down a bit as he felt the familiar sting of tired paws and legs. “It’s not important.”
He forced his ears to perk up. So Grandma hadn’t been red… well, at least they weren’t related to Sahen and he hadn’t gotten his colors from him. It was something that had been bothering him lately. Sahen, the evil ruler of the pride was red with golden markings. A prettier red than Kafele (even the cub admitted that), granted, but red nonetheless. And that crazy mean lion had also been red with strange yellow markings. The cub wasn't quite as happy with his his reflection in the water as he'd once been especially when he was the only one of his siblings who had been born this way and he was starting to hope his mane would grow a little quicker. Was cruel a “red” thing? Would Kafele become like them when he grew up? Or was he already bad as so many cubs told him when he played a little too roughly…? Well, that was something he certainly wouldn’t ask! This conversation was about House colors not about him! There was no need to steer the conversation his way… He just had to change the topic quickly.
“Hey, aunt Fila…” Even though this was starting to become a rather obvious hint that there were new questions coming, this time was a little different because Kafele saw a very familiar white shape on the horizon. “We’re here! We’re here!” thankfully, too, as he wasn’t sure how much longer he could’ve kept running at that pace. He stopped, unsure if his aunt wanted to get any closer and immediately inched lower and started circling Fila with a grin – he wasn’t showing his back on her now!
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Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 11:19 am
Fila wouldn't allow the topic to drop so easily. She knew that this was really troubling her young nephew, and that it must be dealt with before it consumed him. So she smiled as she began to circle with him. "Kafele," she said softly, a thought flicking through her mind, "I know that there are lions with colors like yours in this pride who are hateful and cruel. But that doesn't mean that you will be like they are. I know you and your siblings spend time with the Shat'kona, but...you can choose not to follow in his pawprints." Many times since she had returned to the Ashnai'le, Fila wondered if this was the best place for the cubs to be. Sahen had taken some sort of interest in them, for nefarious purposes most likely, and Fila could not protect them from Sahen's manipulation. She had barred herself from his presence, knowing that if she ever met the red lion...she would try to kill him, even if the cost was her very life.
"By the way," she added, her smile turning into a wry grin. "You're circling very well. Looks like you've pretty much got that mastered." Fila was silent for a moment, seeing the exhaustion that was beginning to show in her young pupil. "The last thing I will teach you today is the ability to fight even when your body is totally exhausted. Pretend I am one of your siblings, and you are wrestling with me. Show me what you have learned so far."
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Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 7:30 pm
It was just like aunt Fila to see right through him. She had easily pinpointed the origin of Kafele’s discomfort and said the exact right words to ease it. He should’ve known better than to try and hide things from her.
“So we can choose then… I just…” he hesitated but kept going after taking a quick look around them. “I keep seeing all these mean red lions that look like me... but I’m not going to grow up like that!” He seemed to be very certain of it and even managed a small smile. “Hey, aunt F-…”Again, questions seemed to pop out one after the other but this time Kafele stopped midway through the sentence. His eyes seemed to shine with pride as his aunt praised him and his steps became slower and more careful as she delivered the next exercise. Now they were talking! Nothing could stop him now, no tired muscles, no depleted energy could possibly prevent him from rising up to the challenge.
“That’s not fair, aunt Fila.” The cub said very slowly, sounding rather amused. His head had dropped a little and his eyes shot up to look at his aunt with a wicked grin that was both mischievous and childish. “I can’t do it like I do it with Azu and Livi.”
This was fun, Kafele thought. Both of them circling each other. There an increasing feeling of anticipation, like energy that was about burst out and the little cub was getting restless as he tried to think of a plan. Finally, he sprinted straight towards his aunt, dodged to the right at the last minute and jumped with his claws unsheathed, aiming a bite at Fila’s neck. He didn’t bother to hold back – in his mind there was no way he could ever hurt aunt Fila even if she was technically a girl – but he fully expected to be swat down like a nosy fly any minute now. Not that it mattered, because this was THE MOST FUN HE EVER HAD IN HIS WHOLE LIFE!
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