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 Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 12:07 am
It would be soon. It must be soon. He could feel it, the anticipation creeping beneath his dark fur as he prowled across the grassy plains. His brother’s steps fell neatly beside his own, and if he flicked his tail it would brush across his younger sibling’s rich black pelt. Together. Always together. With Obadias by his side, he would know everything he needed to know. He would become great. And then…then father would notice him. Bringing back the star was merely the start. He had other plans, so many other plans. This was but a step on a long journey. But that was alright. He was patient. He’d always been patient. He could walk where others would run, and pass them with graceful ease where they stumbled and fell to be lost in the dust.
”Are you hungry, brother?” he asked softly, a flicker of movement catching his eye. His hunting skills were…acceptable. As a team, with his mind creating the tactics, they had done quite well for themselves the few days they’d been traveling. Quite well, the dark young lion thought, a smug secretive smile curving across his face. It was neither a kind nor a happy expression, and he brushed it aside quickly enough as he turned to his sibling. Obadias knew…parts of him. The nicer parts. His dark secrets would remain his own, no one would see the cunning twists of his mind as he waited for his moment.
Not Obi. Not Zarha. No one…yet.
She was…dare she say…happy?
The hare bounced in zig-zags in the grass, her long dark ears flopping slightly as she played with a fluff of flower petals. Her babies, her precious little ones, her second chance, were sleeping. Keena was their mother now, the lioness proving more capable than anyone ever could in looking after her little treasures. And while they didn’t call her mother, never would know her as such, she rejoiced in their tiny lives. Jari, Cari, and Chai. Good names, sweet names. Just as Star was a good name, a suitable name.
”I would swear you’d gotten bigger since I saw you last,” the hare chimed in brightly, watching her adoptive daughter. Kisun loved the little lioness, though the lost white cub she’d found had grown beautifully. She was a good sister for her kittens, sleepy little things were already tired out from playing. Keena was gone for a bit, probably hunting as she preferred to do so out of sight of the tiny trio. It was just Kisun and Star to watch the littlest ones now. Smothering a giggle, she waved a butterfly off of her Jari’s nose, the kitten sniffling and twitching in his sleep as she did so. ”I need to come by more often if you’re going to shoot up like a weed,” she teased her lioness daughter brightly.
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 12:33 am
Obadias didn't like being away from the pride, to be honest, but he was finding the little enjoyments in it. The constant movement was interesting, different from the stationary life of the pride and he was able to spend a lot more time with his elder brother, which was always enjoyable. They were getting older, and they might not get too many opportunities to spend such time together, so Obadias was trying to enjoy all that he could.
Glancing up, when his brother spoke, Obadias nodded. They had been eating, but they had been burning off more energy with the travelling. "Always it seems," Obadias joked lightly and smiled a little at his brother.
Obadias had been keeping at least one eye out for the familiar shade of green he remembered from his cubhood. Mihika, she had been a pretty leopardess and despite the obvious size of the rogue lands, Obadias hoped to run into her. He didn't know if he wanted to find and her and take her back to the pride, or simply check in on her. Afterall, that was what friends did...
Star smiled at her bunnymother, Kisun. She loved to spend time with the little ball of energy! The lioness had sprawled herself out in the grass. Her addoptive papamom was off getting them some food, and Star had opted to stay with Kisun and watch over the young kittens.
"It's calling growing up, Mama Kisun," Star said with a light laugh, her voice still quiet and gentle. She was not much for loud noises, and the dawning sun still made her sad, but she had grown up a lot under the guidance of her family. "But if it will make you come and visit me more, then I'll just keep growing," Star teased back and nuzzled the fluffy body of her rather unconventional mother. The young kitten nearby always melted Star's heart a little. They were so adorable! And just so little! She was amazed at times and a little afraid when she played with them too, since they were just...tiny.
Dysi had gone to a nearby stream and catch as many fish as he could carry, pausing to grab a leaf and fill it full of assorted berries for the hares as well, in case they wanted something sweet. The fish would be more than enough for himself and his eldest, Star. He smiled a little, heading back towards the spot he had left the family. The berries were wrapped in the leaf, tucked into his mouth, as were the tail of the fish, so they flopped loose by his mouth.
A flash of dark colours caught his eye as he made his way back towards Kisun and Star, and the kits. He scowled, at the sight of the male lions lurking nearby, far too close to his family.
Dropping the fish and leaf, he made sure to stay away from his family for the moment, until he sorted out these males. "Can I help you?" He asked the males, his voice friendly but tense. The kits were still young, though Star could hide them if she must.
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:00 am
Anwar's smile was a great deal softer when he glanced at his younger brother. It almost looked fond, but it wasn't of course. He wasn't 'fond' of anyone. Just knowledge. And even that was faced with cool logic. His expression, therefore, was only affectionate because he'd practiced to make it so.
"Perhaps we should-" he'd started before the wind changed to bring the scent of another feline to him. He tensed instantly, though he'd hidden it well from his brother he still felt the stiffness from his previous encounter with a stranger. Well...some of those encounters had been quite informative in other ways. But one in particular had left him struggling to hide his limp from a brother he desired to keep impressed. Saying he'd been beaten by a girl...was not impressive. Not in the least.
"Hello, sir," the young lion responded brightly when he caught sight of the pale leopard. "Don't worry, we're only passing through." he added, though he did take another step forward, his shoulder inching in front of his sibling.
What? Obi was his special vision-reader. He didn't want anything to happen that might make the dreams stop! That was all.
Kisun giggled brightly, bouncing to place both her paws on her lion-daughter's where the pretty white thing had sprawled out in the grass. So much bigger they were now! Just because Star wasn't of her blood, or her species, didn't make Kisun feel any less proud. She'd failed her kittens, horribly, miserably, mortally failed. But her lioness was growing up, almost grown. And Keena was a good mother, a good guardian, for her second kittens. Perhaps she might not be a good mother. But she was a good aunt!
That was enough for her.
"Well, I don't mean to wander off, you know? My paws, they just get to itchin' and then...off I am!" The hare laughed as she was nuzzled. So much bigger now! Twisting, she gave the patterned nose a lick, she was still the 'mama' after all, tiny or not!
Little ears twitched, the nose the butterfly had landed on itchy. A tiny paw rubbed at it, before with a yawn lilac eyes fluttered open. What was going on? His nose was full of tickles, and his ears were full of giggles...
"Kisun~" the little kitten chirped, popping awake instantly. Clearly, this one at the least, had inherited his mother's high-energy. He was on his paws in moments, flop-pouncing onto his sister Star with a gleeful little 'rawr!' "Sissy~ Wanna play?" Jari asked happily.
The lioness had carefully cleaned all traces of her kill from her paws and muzzle. The antelope was partially eaten, since she'd been rather hungry by the time she'd finally consented to leave the little kittens she loved and adored with their 'aunt' and sister. She'd only finished a bit of it though, and had dragged it most of the way back, in case Star felt hungry and wanted to sneak off for a quick bite. She'd tucked it in a patch of deep grass, and had been padding the rest of the short distance back to her babies when she caught sight of a certain leopard.
A rolling purr rose in her throat as she switched directions, her paws leading her to her dear friend instead. He was here to visit? Had he come while she was out?
"Dysi!" Keena rumbled gleefully, her tongue swiping across his cheek in greeting before her golden eyes turned to the two young males. "Hello there! I don't think we've met before?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:21 am
Obadias had learnt to pick up on his brother's facial expression, a little better now that he was older, since as a cub he had always been cautious of disturbing his older brother, especially when it came to his visions. Now, it came in handy, as his brother didn't often show openly what he was feeling, but Obadias could see a slight softening to his face, which made Obadias' smile grow a little.
He tensed as well, when the scent of the feline came toward sthem and his brother stepped in front of him. What really surprised him, was his brother's tone. He was being nice? No way. Anwar was blunt and perhaps alittle cold, not...nice. How odd. So very, very odd.
Obadias tore his eyes from his brother, trying to wipe the very conused expression of his face.
"We were merely pausing to discuss finding food," Obadias added, hoping to explain their random stance in the field.
Star smiled at Kisun, a loving expression on her face. "I know, Mama Kisun! You're like PapaMom Dysi. You go where your feet tell you to, and boy do they shout some crazy locations," she said, her smile growing even bigger at the little kisses her Mama gave her.
Glancing up, she giggled as she spotted her brother waking up. She squealed as her brother pounced on her, flopping to the ground dramatically as if he had knocked her over. "Careful Brother Jari! You could hurt me," she cautioned and lent over to nuzzle him to. "Play? I love games. What game today, Brother Jari and can Mama Kisun play too?"
She had loosened up a lot over the years and her mother's love of games had certainly been passed on.
Dysi had narrowed his eyes at the boy's bright attitude but relaxed a little at their explanation. They didn't seem to be threatening and what the other boy had said was fair enough, since Dysi had just been out hunting himself. About to respond to the males, a familiar voice surprised him.
Dysi would hae flushed, had he been able to, as Keena wandered over to him and licked his cheek, but a smile twisted his face brightly though. "Keena," he returned the greeting warmly and glanced back towards the males, knowing his cover as a 'tough male' was ruined.
"They're just passing through, Keena. Boys, shere's a stream nearby for fish if you want some," he told the males simply and smiled at Keena. "Have you come back to check on Star and the kits already? Don't trust Kisun and I?"
In the distance, not far from where the family played and spoke with strangers so peacefully, a red lion stalked. He had missed his last kill by inches, 'causing him to once agian go without food. It was....frustrating and now he needed something else to take his frustrations out on. He needed something to play with. A smirk twisted his face a little, and the scowl that had been darkening it dangerously lifted slightly, revealing a more sinister nature.
Catching the faint scent of hare, Sozin's smirk grew. Hare. So much fun to play with, and they made interesting sounds when scared. Like a squeak. He shifted his course, stalking the grass carefully as he moved towards the scent of the smell, disregarding or simply not acknowledging the scent of lion and leopard with the hares.
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:48 am
Oh…drat. He’d forgotten Obadias. His brother…knew him well. Better than anyone else did. And now…Only a lifetime of lying through his body language kept him relaxed when he caught his brother’s glance from the corners of his eyes. Would he say something? Question this sudden switch in behavior? Later, if they got through this without trouble, he would explain. He would say that he’d found that being nice to strangers worked well, that things could get dangerous and politness was the safest route out of trouble.
But his brother was clever, it seemed. Obi did not fumble, instead, he backed him up. An emotion Anwar did not know swelled in his chest, quickly stifled by a confused jumble of logic. It was a senseless thing, emotion. And he needed to have his senses in tact right now. After all, he had to find-
…wait. What did he say?
”Star? Anwar asked, surprise making the mellow warm tone in his voice sharp, ”Did you say…truly?” Was it possible? Had they found her so soon? He’d expected it to take weeks, months! Not mere days! ”I…we’ve been searching…for a fallen star…” he heard himself start to explain, and hastened to shut himself up. But that was obvious, he needed to say something else… ”Ah, I know it sounds odd but…” he shuffled his paws, playing the role of uncertainty well. ”But we saw one fall when we were cubs, and we…we wanted to find her…” Obadias’ and his visions. What would he do without him?
Oh, it was like being alive again!
Kisun laughed out loud as little Jari pounced on Star, her lioness rolling over and playing right along. ”My feet are noisy, but not as noisy as you lot can be!” she giggled, pinning her son with a paw so she could groom his ears vigorously. Star was too big for her to do this anymore, and could look after herself quite well, but Jari, Cari, and Chai were still small enough.
Jari squeaked when Star just fell over, bouncing back with a wiggle. ”Oh, okay! I’ll be carefulerer sissy!” he promised, before squealing as Kisun pinned him. ”Nooo, mama already cleaned Jariiiii…” he whined, but he wasn’t complaining. Not really. ”Yes yes, wanna play with everyone!” he cheered, ”Wanna play…play pouncing? Tag? Hiding and finding?”
Any game was good for him, he just wanted to play!
Keena giggled happily, smiling brightly at the young lions. So young, but with their manes coming in like that they probably thought themselves almost all grown up. The last youngling she’d met about their age had been on his adulthood quest. She wondered vaguely how he was doing, he’d been such a tiny thing, though he was older than his size betrayed. With any luck, he’d have found the name he sought and be returning home by now.
”Aw, Dysi, you know I trust you both!” she purred, ”But I just can’t stay away! They get bigger every time I turn around!” the lioness explained, but blinked at Anwar’s words. ”You saw a falling star? Truly?” Hadn’t Star said she remembered falling? Hadn’t she spoken about the stars as though they were family? What…what if…?
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:16 am
Obadias blinked at the leopards words, unable to stiffle his surprise. He was more open with his emotions then his brother was, so it was a rather obvious emotion. He listened to his brother speak, eager to hear the answer. A star! Their star? Maybe. It couldn't be though. It hadn't taken long at all! If they found her, they could head back, after Obadias...if he found Mihika first.
If Obadias had been surprised by his brother's earlier niceness, he was outright dumbfounded by this tenative and uncertain boy who replaced his brother. This was just getting weird, he decided, but did not call his brother out.
He could had spoken, but he knew his imput would be useless, since his brother had already spoken all they shoudl give away. He didn't want to speak of his visions. Even Parvana did not know of them, not yet.
Dysi narrowed his eyes when the male spoke, speaking of a star they were searching for. Well, he knew of A Star, Star had spoken to him about her dreams, of her love of the stars, but it couldn't be her, could it? His baby couldn't be the one they were looking for.
"Star is my - our - daughter," Dysi said firmly, making sure his gaze was disapproving. "But yes, we know of a star. Why are you seeking her?" If they were after her for some horrible reason, than Dysi was not above lying to them, leading them in the wrong direction.
Sozin's red pelt was hard to hide in the grass, but he was used to creepy. When he drew closer to the Hare's he soon took notice of the lion that was laying there. She was young, and would be easy to overpower. He smirked.
Wonderful. It seemed his game would get interesting.
A snarl worked onto his face as he launched himself out of the grass, towards the hares.
Star was giggling at her brother, watching as he was groomed by their mother. After she had gotten bigger, Kisun couldn't do it to her anymore, though she always got kissus still. She pondered the games her brother suggested. Pouncing was out. She felt horrible playing that game with someone so much smaller than her.
"Hiding and finding!" She announced brightly, enjoying that game. "We can wait until PapaMom Dysi comes back and get him to play too!" Dysi was a good finder, she decided, and smiled. She didn't have to worry about anyone going missing if Dysi was nearby.
A rustle in the grass caught her attention and she looked up in time to see the red blur leap from the grass, intent on the hares. Her eyes went wide and she lept at them first, careful not to squish them but pushed them out of the way. The other kits were still hidden away, resting, but Jari and Kisun were in plain view.
"PAPAMOM DYSI!" She screamed, trying to keep the hares from the hungry lion. "MAMA! PAPA!"
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:28 am
So it was a star the leopard spoke of? Anwar was…not expecting that. Sure, he could cover it up and pretend it was part of the plan all along. It was, after all, what he was good at. His tail flicked briefly, his eyes lowering for just a moment as he shrugged his shoulders meekly. ”Well…I wasn’t sure if she had a real family or not,” he ‘admitted’, though Obadias had mentioned seeing that hare around her, hadn’t he? Still, a hare was a good bit different than a leopard and a lioness. Were the two mates then? To call her ‘our’ daughter? ”I wanted to invite her to come and stay with me, in our pride. It’s very safe,” he added, ”And she wouldn’t be alone, though if she’s not alone now…”
How did he go about this? He couldn’t retrieve her save with words, he wouldn’t be a match for them in a fight. There were two of them, the star being a third, and he wasn’t much of a fighter. Heck, he was still sore from that demoness mauling him. But what else could he say? He was reluctant to play the deceiver more than he already was, not with Obadias watching.
A sudden scream tore him from his thoughts, his attention flashing to the side as a flicker of red blurred in his vision. ”Is that her?” he asked sharply, though what he was supposed to do now he didn’t know. He didn’t want to demonstrate that he had no fighting skills…!
”Yay, Uncle Dysee gonna play too!” Jari cried gleefully, bounding in another happy circle as he escaped the other hare’s gentle grip. The little hare couldn’t wait for this game. Hiding and finding was fun, he was really good at hiding and finding! When he got big like mommy and Star, and he was certainly going to get big, it might be harder to play and win. But for now, he was eager to get started.
So when Star pounced on him for no apparent reason he squeaked a protest and tried to worm away. ”Sissy, not pouncing, hide and-“ the hare froze at her yell, then instantly tried to twist his way out of her protective paws. Who was scaring his sissy? He’d bite them he would!
Kisun laughed as her son escaped her, watching him racing in tiny circles. So happy. Little kittens and cubs and pups were supposed to be happy when they were small. Any little one she found that wasn’t, she instantly had to cheer up. It was good that her new family was happy. It made her feel less like she’d failed, though she knew that she had the first time.
So when her lioness daughter lunged for them, she already knew something must be wrong. But there wasn’t time for her to move, or take any kind of action beyond flattening Jari when he protested they weren’t playing a pouncing game. She knew that expression on his face meant trouble, just as she knew her kitten didn’t know how much he’d wind up in. Now what? What should she do? She was the mama here after all, tiny or not these were all her babies! She had to do something before whatever it was Star was trying to protect her from found Cari and Chai!
”Catch me if you can!” she taunted, taking off from between her lioness daughter’s paws like greased lightning. She knew which direction Dysi had gone in, perhaps if she found him he might be able to help. Certainly it was better to have this stranger chase her than let him hurt any of her children. Not this time.
Keena’s head tipped curiously, Dysi’s defensive tone making her nervous. Why did he feel threatened by two young lions? They’d done nothing wrong. One of them had admitted that he was looking for a fallen star, could he really mean their little one? Though, truly, she was hardly so little anymore. It wouldn’t be long before Star was a large as she was, and possibly larger since Keena wasn’t quite the average height yet and probably never would be by now.
”Wh-“ she started to ask, though if it was about the dark one’s pride or why he’d decided to find the star or something else entirely would remain forever undetermined. The first scream had her head whipping around, and before the lioness had even called for ‘mama’ Keena was bolting for the voice. A mistake. Another misunderstanding. But she could take care of it. Most went away when they saw that a fully grown, albeit a bit on the smaller side, lioness was looking after the kittens. She nearly tripped over Kisun who had, for whatever reason, developed a habit of bolting between her legs.
”Wait, they’re with me!” she called to the red lion, Kisun twisting around to follow as the pale lioness bounded forward to meet him. Surely this was just another misunderstanding, it happened all the time after all.
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:29 pm
Obadias was not sure how he was supposed to help Anwar convince them. He had know that the star had a family, at least that she was being taken care of by a rabbit, but nothing much else had been known. He hadn't seen this leopard, or the lion, so it...was odd. How could they take someone who had no family, from the only family she knew, just because he had Seen it in a vision? It seemed a little cruel, but he knew his brother wanted the star for his own, so he stayed quiet and simply supported his brother, just...without words.
When the scream reached his ears, Obadias' eyes went wide. The voice sounded young, and strained. “We have to help them,” Obadias said quietly and quickly to his brother, not waiting before sprinting off to the sound of the cry, following the lioness. Obadias would not be able to do much, but he had to do something. His brother was smart enough to know what to do at least.
Dysi was close behind Keena, having completely disregarded the two males when he heard his baby girl scream out for help. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest as the possible scenarios chased across his mind. He had left them all alone with only Kisun, who was responsible enough to keep them safe but not protect them from any real harm.
As Keena yelled that they were with her, Dysi felt his defence rising at the sight of the red male. He did not look friendly, nor like he was after a meal. The growl built in his throat dangerous, but he would be no match for the bigger male. Being leopard, he was around the same size as Star almost, which mean he would be beaten severely by the large lion.
Sozin had landed near to where Star had cuddled over her baby brother and her mother, and began to snarl as the rabbit bolted away. Unfortunately for Kisun, Sozin was not after food. Merely a play thing and Star was looking like someone fun to play with now, since she was obviously not prepared to run and leave Jari by himself.
A smirk worked across his face as he began to stalk towards Star. His head whipped around and he paused, the smirk still there, as Keena called out to him. Oh, how wonderful. A little family, he thought sarcastically, as he spotted Dysi followed, and the others as well.
“Do you think I care, lioness?” Sozin asked, with a laugh, as he continued to move towards Star.
Star clamped her paws around Jari, careful not to hurt the kit but it kept him with her. If he ran out, he was a mouthful to the angry lion and she would protect him! She didn't want anything bad to happen to her baby brother, not now and not ever. She began to shake a little, as she twisted around to see the male stalking towards her. Flashes of memories, long forgotten rose up, making her give a tiny, horrified mewl. Visions of lions stalking around her, a adult male by her side trying to defend her as they attacked but there were too many of them, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to twist and cover Jari further. She would protect him!
She knew her family was nearby, she could hear them but what if they were too late, what if the male was too strong? It was a horrible thought. She lowered her head, and whispered to Jari, “baby brother, If I get knocked away from you, you run straight to the nearest burrow or hole or log or something, anything, and hide. It's like Hiding and seeking. I'll find you afterwards, okay?”
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:56 pm
Anwar took the way both leopard and lioness bolted as a ‘yes’. He twisted to follow suit alongside his brother, his mind racing with considerably more speed than his paws as he sought a solution. He was no fighter, that much was certain. But, as he drew nearer, he could see only one foe. The mocking tone in the red lion’s voice made Anwar’s fur want to crawl away. Bad. This one was bad news. A demon that had followed him? No, that didn’t make sense, they were territorial, but didn’t appear to be the sort to chase a fleeing foe, not this far. So a stranger. One who didn’t know them, and didn’t know he couldn’t fight.
”Flank him from the nearer side,” Anwar ordered, his friendly nervous act vanished in an eyeblink, his expression cold and closed as always. ”Don’t let him advance towards them, be ready for him to try dodging. He doesn’t know our skill level, so bluff.” And with that, the young lion poured on the speed he knew he could pull off for only a short time. It was the rapid-burst that cheetahs possessed, though not nearly in the same capacity it would do for what needed doing. Looping behind the stranger, his course would bring him opposite Obadias if he got there quick enough. Then the red lion would face four sets of claws and fangs instead.
He just needed to be fast.
No! It didn’t work? But she was a much more vulnerable target than Star was! He should have followed her! Frantic, Kisun almost outpaced Keena as they darted for Star. There was something eerily wrong about this stranger. Something deeply wicked. She should not have left them alone! If only she’d known he wouldn’t follow, she never would have tried to draw him off!
Hurry! They had to hurry before any more of her babies were hurt, before she failed them as a mother again…
Jari stopped his squirming when Star clamped her paws more firmly upon him, his soft purple eyes widening as Kisun took off to draw whatever it was away. Something was wrong. This wasn’t fun anymore. It was kind of scary actually.
”Okay,” the little hare agreed meekly, though he couldn’t help but try to look and see what was wrong. Didn’t they know lions like them were the biggest baddest felines out there?
Keena’s ears went back at the stranger’s words. Something burned through her blood, and without another word she dropped her head, her small body stretching into a sprint that she would never have thought entirely possible. Kisun had gotten ahead of her for a mere moment before the pale lioness flew past her, paws blurring over the gently rolling landscape, golden eyes narrowed to slits against the wind as she lunged to place herself between her daughter and the stranger.
A goddess had asked her to continue looking after this little one, and nothing would have stopped her even before the white beauty had told her to do so. Mommy forgot me…but it was just a mistake. Have you seen my mommy? I’m sure she’ll be looking for me, once she remembers. Mommy loves me very much…
”You should care,” Keena snarled through bared fangs, a low and furious tone that buzzed and hissed in a scathing contrast to her warm and cheery voice. It was almost as though she were an utterly different lioness, a flickering glimpse of her vanished mother’s insanity. "Or you will..."
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:42 pm
Obadias listened to his brother speak and took off to follow his lead. His brother was smart, and Obadias barely blinked that the friendly nervous brother had disappeared, replaced with someone so much more dangerous sounding, but this Anwar he was used to. This was less strange than the fumbling, sweet male who had been presented to the leopard and the lioness earlier. He was much more comfortable with this Anwar.
Unfortunately, Obadias was...very uncomfortable with fighting. He had nothing against fights but he had very little practice but he trusted his brother, so he moved quickly, dodging around and coming opposite his brother, caging in the red lion.
He began to growl. There was one thing about fighting that Obadias knew well and that was looking intimidating. All he had to do with imitate his father and he was threatening enough.
Dysi saw the younger males circling around, and was surprised to find that they were actually helping them defend a female they didn't even know, but he was thankful for the help. The growl built in his throat as he inched closer, moving around to try to block the male's path to Star.
“You're practically surrounded,” Dysi snarled angrily, his voice deep and threatening. He loved his daughter and though he hated fighting, he wasn't above ripping the lion apart if he had to. “Give up now and leave.”
Sozin laughed, loudly and without fear as he saw the males moving, as they tried to block him in but he still had a clear path towards the female.
“Why would I do that?” Sozin smirked. They were all so pathetic. “I am stronger than all of you put together. Why would I bother to leave?”
His claws dug into the ground, preparing for a fun fight, or at very least, a fun little moment of torture for them - mentally, of course, since if he tried to attack one physically, he'd have them all over him trying to attack him.
Star peeked up, noticing the red male had stopped, momentarily distracted by her family. She lowered her head, resting it near Jari. “Baby brother, I want you to move, stay very close to the ground, and go hide with your siblings, okay? If the big lion looks at you, run but don't go to your siblings, hide in the nearest spot, okay?” If he went to his siblings and the male saw, he would be able to attack the sleeping kits and that was the last.
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:58 pm
Anwar was struggling to pretend he wasn’t out of breath from his sprint. It was more difficult than he’d anticipated, and so unlike Obadias he couldn’t afford to growl for fear of sounding winded. Instead, he let his ears lay back and his crimson eyes focus directly on their antagonist in a cold stare. ”Even if you truly think such a thing,” he said softly, claws digging into the earth. His leg hurt too now, stupid demon lioness was messing with more of his plans than he’d thought possible. ”You must be aware of what it would mean for a loner such as yourself to be badly injured.” Let them think the pause was for effect rather than breathing. ”If we don’t kill you now, you’ll starve whilst trying to recover.”
Well, it might not be a guarantee, but it was part of how the world worked. Within the pride, an injury did not mean death. But out here alone…if Obi hadn’t been a partner for his hunts, Anwar wasn’t entirely sure if he’d have been able to feed himself well the day following his fight. He was certain four of them could cause far more severe injuries…and someone here had to be proficient, right?
Jari nodded solemnly, staring up at his mommy and papamom and the two strangers that had arrived. None of them were very big though. Bigger than he was. But not very big. The red lion, the mean one, he was very big. He was…kind of scary. Quietly, the kitten slink towards his sleeping brother and sister, his body low in the grass as he crept. He was good at hide and find, good at sneaking. He could do it…
Kisun zipped over to Star when she caught up to the longer-legged felines, nuzzling her lioness cub when she did. ”Are you hurt?” the hare fretted quietly, catching sight of Jari slipping away. He seemed fine. Star had been so quick to act, the stranger hadn’t harmed her son. And she didn’t see any marks on her lioness cub either…but that didn’t mean for certain that Star was alright. Just not bleeding.
Keena’s fangs still showed, her ears flat and eyes slitted as she crouched between the stranger and her daughter. Dysi was at her side, and the young lions had joined them as well. She’d thought she liked those two, they could only be brothers with the way they looked so very alike. Family looked after each other, that another family might pitch in was kindness, but wasn’t that all that mattered? They were here, they were helping, and truly the help was appreciated.
”You know nothing of us,” the lioness growled, ”This is your chance to walk away.” And she’d give it to him too. He was over his head, or she dearly hoped he was. Either way, she’d defend her children, and let him taste a mother’s ferocity. She might lack skill, but not heart! Not when it came to her precious babies!
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:16 am
Sozin sneered at those who thought they had him surrounded. He hadn't noticed the rabbit's creeping away, which allowed time for Jari to hide from his gaze, as he glanced back towards the female lion who was now being comforted by the hare. A big, odd family it seemed to be, with lions, leopards and hares living together? Pathetic. Hares were food and leopards and lions were simply playthings.
“How do you know I am not merely alone for the while?” Sozin sneered at the wise-mouthed adolescent lion. “I know nothing of you all, true, but you know nothing of me.” The smirk on his face promised danger, and his claws dug in, launching himself forward towards the adolescent lioness.
Even as he launched himself, he knew he would get caught.
Obadias saw the red lion begin to lunge and locked gaze with his brother across the way. They couldn't let the female lioness get involved and the red lion would surely maim the leopard, which left the two males who could protect the female who was being attacked, without a single reason for the attack.
He hoped his brother would back him up on this, and launched himself at the red lion. If his brother jumped at the same time, they would hit the lion at the same time, hopefully knocking him away from the smaller female who was pressed close to the ground. His brother would not be pleased with his decision to attack the male, most likely but Obadias couldn't stand by and do nothing, and he doubted Anwar could either.
Obadias didn't know how to fight, but he knew he'd do the most damage with his claws out, so as he moved closer to the red lion, he swiped his claws, hoping to do some damage to distract the blood thirsty male.
Dysi snarled at the male, and his claws dug into the ground. He wanted nothing more than to attack, seriously hurt the male who was threatening his family but before he could react, the red male was launching himself at Star and the adolescent lions were launching themselves at the red male. His breath caught in his throat, grateful for their interference as Dysi would not have been strong enough and both Keena and he did not know how to fight, resulting in only serious hurt for them at the hands of the lion.
Dysi could do something though, and he launched himself at Star as well, since the adolescent lions would be taking care of the red lion. “Baby, get up,” he said quickly to the female. “We need to get you away from him.”
Star nuzzled her bunnymummy and whispered that she was okay, but she was shaking hard and wanted nothing more than to curl up with her family and reassure herself that they were all still alive and okay. She looked up in time to see the red male launch towards her. She squealed and quickly tried to tuck her bunnymummy out of the way and press them both close to the ground, preparing for impact.
When no such impact came, she opened her eyes to see her family around her, encouraging her to move. Her legs were shaking furiously and she tried to stand, only to fall against her PapaMom, thankful for his support as they tried to hurry her away from the red male which seemed fixated on doing some damage to them, even though they were nothing but mere strangers to him.
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:18 pm
His mind was quick, but not that quick. Anwar didn’t have the chance to give a reply to the red lion’s comment before events started to unfold far more rapidly than he’d desired. He couldn’t do anything but follow suit when Obadias lunged for the angry male, his heart lunging to lodge in his throat. This was highly inconvenient, but the idea that Obi, who couldn’t fight any more than he could, was going to be hurt…
”Run!” he snarled, though whom he was addressing was impossible to confirm. It could have been a last threat for the red stranger, it could have been a warning for the family that now was their chance to leave, or it could even have been a vain attempt to protect his precious little brother. Regardless, it would remain forever unclear. Anwar did not aim for the lion’s flanks, though the red sides were a far more obvious target. No, he could still feel his own limp and it had given him an idea. Claws bared, he slashed at the other’s paws. There were parts that would tear and cripple the stranger, if he could only reach them properly. It shouldn’t be any different from hamstringing a preybeast.
In theory, at least.
”Shh, it’s okay baby, it’ll be okay,” Kisun was whispering softly, feeling the young lioness beginning to shake and wishing there was something more she could do. Star shouldn’t be trying to protect her! She needed to protect herself! But Kisun was pretty sure that her lioness would be devastated to see the hare be ripped to shreds as well. What should she do? What could she do?
Dysi’s arrival was godsent. She nudged her baby gently, casting about for the little ones once Star was up. Where had they gotten to?
It was really something, the difference people could make in the world. One stranger had appeared with malice and ill will, and another with the desire to protect an innocent. Her heart was in her throat as the young pair went right after the malicious red adult, and she uttered a swift prayer that the gods were watching over them. The blonde one’s words had her leaping into action, and she whirled to scoop up Jari in her jaws before carefully adding his brother and sister to her load. It was tricky, but they were so small.
”Hsssh” she tried to quiet them, though with their fur in her mouth it was most difficult. Carefully, lest she drop one by mistake in her haste, she began to move away, her ears swiveled back for any sounds of pursuit. She had to move the little ones to safety!
Jari huddled in the grass by his siblings, terrified at the noises but too small to see what was happening. He squeaked in fright when Keena scooped him up, but quieted instantly in recognition of his mother’s scent. ”Is okay, bes quiet,” he demanded of his siblings, before silencing himself. Mommy was here now, everything was supposed to be okay.
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 6:02 am
Sozin had, admittedly, not been expecting an attack by the adolescent lions. He had figured them to be too cowardly to attack a full grown lion, who was larger and more experienced than him. That assumption had been his biggest mistake, and so he wasn't ready when the darker of the two swiped at his hind quarters, slashing his claws across and drawing blood.
The other male had also launched an attack, swinging out and hitting against Sozin's paws. They were a weak area, since they would make him vulnerable if attacked for a lot longer than simple cuts or scars would. Hitting the ground with a heavy thud, and a stumble as he tried to right himself on stinging and bleeding paws, the blood mixing with his coat colour, Sozin snarled loudly.
“Pathetic creatures!” He roared, and swiped at the closest adolescent male, the darker of the two, only to miss due to his leg giving out under him. The hit to the paws had done more damage than he thought, he realised and as quickly as he could, launched himself away from the males but this time, not towards the retreating -yes, he had seen them attempt to leave- rest of the group.
Instead, he was leaving as well. Every step was agony on one of his paws, which had born the brunt of the male's attack. He would have been ashamed to loose to two adolescents, but he blocked out the loss and counted it instead as a 'to be continued' battle. It was not a loss, simply a pause in the fight, until they met again.
Obadias had jumped back when the male attempted to swipe at him, thankful that those heavy paws and large claws missed him by some stroke of luck. At his bellow, he flinched but did not back down, even as the male launched himself close to where Obadias stood. He watched for a moment, and breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the male appear to leave. He should have been concerned for the group they had just rescued but instead, he focused his gaze on his older brother.
“Are you hurt?” He asked quickly, stepping closer and trying to examine his brother for any cuts or bruises from their impromptu battle plan. Obadias had been the one to launch into battle, he would have felt horrible if his brother was injured in the process.
Dysi was careful to make sure Star was supported as they tried to leave the battle area, and he made sure that Kisun was following them before they started to move. The hare was an important member of the family, and Dysi always felt they were too vulnerable and needed to be fussed over as much as the cubs did, so he tried to keep track of them as much as he could. Thankfully, Keena had grabbed the other kits and was carrying them to safety, which allowed for Dysi to focus on Star and Kisun instead.
“It's okay, we'll be fine. You're not hurt, are you, baby?” Dysi asked Star, trying to sound soothing, but there was a light tinge of panic in his tone.
Star cuddled close to her papamom as he tried to help her walk away, and she was thankful for Kisun's presence nearby and that Keena was there too. They were all together. They'd be okay. “I'm alright,” she whispered to her papa, her voice wobbling just slightly. “We'll be fine” she repeated his words, giving him an equally wobbly smile.
It was a lack of sound behind them that made Star curious, and she glanced back, only to spy that the red lion was no where to be seen and the two adolescent males were, at this time, standing close to each other, appearing to be talking. “I think it's over,” Star said, to her family as she drew to a halt. Who were those lions? Were they friends of Mama Keena, or Papamon Dysi? They had arrived with them, so maybe they were old friends or something. She had certainly never seen them before, but they had risked their lives to help them.
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 12:50 pm
He felt his paws collide with something warm and solid, and raked at it furiously until he felt the wet heat of blood on his claws and caught its scent in the air. Between himself and Obadias they actually seemed to knock the stranger to the ground, though his snarl pinned Anwar’s ears back as the young lion bared his fangs in a silent return. Oh, please let him think that they were competent! Crouching, struggling to ignore the pain that running about had caused his leg to remember, he prepared to launch another attack when the red lion stumbled and moved to scramble away. But not without one last parting shot.
”Obi! Anwar choked when his brother turned to approach him. He didn’t even hear the other’s query about whether or not he was hurt. He’d seen the stranger attack his precious brother, and while there were no marks on his coat now it had been an utterly terrifying moment. ”Don’t you ever do that again!” he snarled, butting his head lightly against his little brother’s shoulder. It felt like his legs were going to give out now. ”Stupid!” he hissed darkly, but he was nuzzling the other male as though to assure himself that his sibling was truly all right. ”He could’ve killed you!”
There was no weak point in his armor. No flaw in his plans. Never had been, never would be. So what was this then? Why did he feel so shaken? Was it the adrenaline? The shock? He should be more than that by now, he’d worked so hard to be more than that. Perhaps it would only take him time, perhaps he had yet to acclimate himself to the results of combat. Perhaps it was as simple as lacking enough experience.
It had nothing to do with silly, weak emotions. Nothing at all.
”Come on,” Anwar said, the shudders gone from his shoulders and his voice as he drew back, his utterly neutral expression returned. ”Let’s go see if they’re all right, shall we?”
Keena paused at the bellow, guilt choking her as she turned to glance back at the two young lions that were risking so much to help them. She shouldn’t be running away to let someone else fight, but she had to keep her little ones safe! What was she to do? A flicker of red caught her eye before she turned back, and suddenly…it was over. The red lion fled, and odd as it may seem she was glad he was well enough to escape. No one deserved to be murdered.
Suddenly weak with relief, the lioness lay down to curl around her babies, licking them soothingly even as Star said she thought it was over. Somehow she’d have to find a way to thank those two. Neither she nor Dysi knew much in the way of fighting. And though she valued life and peace…perhaps she ought to rethink her lack of combat expertise. Beliefs and values were all very well, but she was a mother now. She had responsibilities to tend to. Precious, beloved, tiny, helpless, fragile little responsibilities.
Jari shuddered, the fear contagious. He was anxious when they stopped fleeing, but the rasp of his mama’s tongue over his fur and his sister’s saying that she thought it was over went a long way to soothing his worries. ”Who was dat mama?” he asked curiously. No one had ever attacked him like that before, not when mama was around. And especially not when Star and Dysi and Kisun were too! It just didn’t make any sense.
It wasn’t a fun game either, that was for sure.
Safe. Her family was safe.
Kisun wanted to collapse and cry until she didn’t feel this knot in her chest any longer. Again. It had almost happened again. And there would have been nothing she could have done to stop it, nothing would have come of it. If she’d not asked Keena to be her kittens’ mother…then they would all be dead.
”It’s all right now,” she whispered, mostly to herself as she nuzzled her adopted daughter before scooting off to check on her precious little ones. Her second litter, nearly lost as the first. Why did she have kittens if she were only to fail them so? ”He was a very bad lion,” she murmured to Jari, licking him when Keena moved on to his sister. ”You stay away from things like him…” the hare cautioned, her playful fun and games utterly forgotten as she rose on her hind paws to look about. Those two young lions had saved them…why?
”…wait…” Kisun said softly, frowning. Black with tribal stripes and a dark olive colored mane…that dark green with tribal stripes and a blonde mane…if they had those deep red eyes…they’d be about the right age too… ”I…I think I might know those two…maybe…” But if it were indeed the little cubs she’d played with…they didn’t even know she was here. It couldn’t have been to help her if they didn’t know she was here. And why were they so far from the pride? They’d been in a pride before, and all the cubs she’d met there had been happy ones. Except for the dark one, Oba-something. He’d been sad…but it had been for her, from his dream of her heartbreak. It…it couldn’t be that he’d had another dream and come to help, could it? Why would a lion help a hare?
…okay, yes, that was an exceedingly stupid question to think of while she was standing between Star and Keena, watching the lioness groom their kittens.
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