|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:46 pm
 Azubuike hummed lightly under his breath as he ran, light and easy on his feet. It was a strange sort of run to engage in, more of a hop-skipping jog, but he wasn't trying to get anywhere in particular and wasn't chasing down prey. No, he was simply glad to be out and about, out of the cramped quarters of his family home. He loved his family, truly he did, but he had grown up the middle child of a litter of seven and there simply wasn't enough room or food to go around in the territory his parents claimed - not with another litter on the way!
His youngest sister had been the first to leave and he was one of the last. His parents had all but thrown him out, to tell the truth. Only his eldest two sisters would remain, to help hunt and care for the new cubs... Azubuike grinned. He'd really lucked out there, hadn't he? Cubs were great and all, but he had no interest in looking after any just yet. He was young, energetic and had his entire life to live.
Would the next litter be as large? He shook his head, certain that there weren't any families out there as big as his own.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:41 pm
Naim'Namir was still mentally reeling from what Farrah said the other day. She had no pad but her father. That thought made him inexplicably happy. A idea was slowly forming in his mind but he dare not think about it closely in case it didn't happen, besides he still had to find a female to bring back to the pride to be considered and adult. The almost adult lion felt that he had a good handle on being a healer but he still could not go home yet because he hadn't found a banu to call his own, forcing a female never even crossed his gentle mind.
The day was nice enough that Namir didn't mind wandering in the noon day heat. But that was all he was doing, just wandering. As his mind was thinking of his training, Farrah, his family, and the shadowy figure of his banu. What would she be like? He thought as he kept to his steady even steps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:10 pm
"Boomdeyada, boomdeyada..." Azubuike tossed his head back and laughed, a deep rich sound. It was a good day, the best, and he had it all to himself. The whole wide world except...
... was that a lion? A blue lion? He nearly tripped over his own feet in surprise. He hadn't thought such a thing was possible; his entire family was some variation of red, black, white, and rich red-orange. Warm colors, sun and blood colors. Not... not blue.
He just had to see this up close. He trotted up to the strange lion, not once stopping to think that the stranger might be dangerous or consider him a threat. He knew how to defend himself, after all, and was slightly undersized. Not scrawny, just short.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 7:31 pm
Namir was pulled from his thoughts when he saw a red spot moving towards him. He was curious yet wary as the spot came closer and closer until he could see it was a red lion, a full adult to Namir's almost full adult. Namir waited still and quite until the other lion was close enough to hear him say, "Hello."
Oddly enough he wasn't all that worried but there was still a small voice that told him to be cautious after all this was not home where all males are brothers and all females were sisters and everyone was treated with respect. The young lion enjoyed meeting others so he really did hope that his gut was right and this red lion was friendly, he looked friendly enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 9:39 pm
Azubuike drew to a stop at a respectful distance from the other male, suddenly unsure what to say. What did one say to strangers? Hello, you're really blue just didn't sound right.
"Er... hello," he said, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm not trespassing in your family's territory or anything of the sort, am I? I'm afraid I'm a little new around here. And I'm Azubuike, by the way. A pleasure to meet you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:02 pm
"Hun? Oh, no, no, I don't think this is really anyone's territory. I'm sort of new myself, well really I'm just passing through. Hi Azubuike I'm Niam'Namir, Namir to most. Nice to meet you." Namir had no clue what else to say.
He shifted from paw to paw then smiled as he thought of something. "Azubike you said you were new around here? Why? Where are you from normally?" Always curious Namir really did wonder where this red and black lion came from.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 6:00 pm
Azubuike bowed his head slightly, acknowledging the other lion's name and rolling it around in his head. Naim'Namir, Naim'Namir. Namir. Not a bad name, not a bad name at all. Certainly not as strange as the other's blue coat. But... he was a lion, and seemed normal enough. Maybe he came from a blue family, just as Azubuike came from a red one? Still awfully strange though.
"Oh, I'm from that a ways," he said, gesturing back to the way he'd come from. "My parents sent me on my way now that my mane's full grown and there's another litter on the way... it's time to live my own life, they said. And all my other siblings already left, asides from my eldest sisters. They get cub sitting duty - not that I envy them one bit!" His tone was upbeat and cheerful, showing that he truly had no hard feelings about being asked to leave. It was simply the way the world worked.
"What about you? Did you get kicked out by your parents?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:50 am
Namir looked in the direction that Azubuike gestured, wondering if he had passed his family in his wandering however unlikely that was. He smiled and laughed softly when the older lion said why he was out in the rouge lands, "A new litter is always cause for making space, after all it always seemed like the den was getting smaller each time one of my mother's had cubs." Namir remembered his younger siblings fondly but he was still glad that he no longer had to share the den anymore. With the seven of his litter mates, his five older siblings, then the five younger siblings, plus his mother, father, and Ban'ma and Maua.... Namir did the metal math and nearly staggered under the understanding that 22 of them stayed in the den at one time. No wonder mom was always spending time alone he thought to himself.
"Hum? Oh no not really see its part of of my pride's coming of age quest. I got to go out into the rouge lands and find a mate." Namir gestured to the open grasslands around them, "but as you can see its harder then it seems." He smiled even though it was a bit ruefully done.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:59 pm
Had the other lion said "mothers"? As in plural? Azubuike looked confused for a moment, trying to sort out how such a thing could be possible. He had only ever had one mother, surely that was how it was done! But... perhaps some of his "mothers" were actually aunts? Yes, that must have been it. That would be acceptable. But... mothers, and each with a litter... "And I thought my family was large," he admitted ruefully, "must have been crowded."
Azubuike's eyes widened comically at Nadhir's off-hand statement about finding a mate. A mate! At so young? Although the elder of the two, Azubuike felt his chest tighten with panic at the thought of settling down so soon, of even... hrrrk... starting a family. No no no, he was most definitely not ready for a mate. But this young fellow was just so matter-of-fact about the whole thing. He truly was strange. "Ah... well. That's a pretty big thing to do," he said slowly, thinking it out. "Don't... don't rush into anything. I mean, you'll be with this girl for the rest of your life. That's a pretty big decision."
And then another thought struck him. "What's a 'pride'?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:37 pm
"You have no idea but it we made it work" Namir smiled thinking of the nights where he was slept on by someone while he in turn slept on someone else, it was one large pile of cubs and adults with his father and mother sleeping in the front of the den for safety. "Then again most of us were early risers for a reason."
Namir looked over and saw Azubuike's face, "What?" He didn't understand why finding a mate at his age would be such a shock. "Well I know, that's why I'm still looking after all. Even though technically I wouldn't have to be with them for the rest of my life if I wanted to but I'm not like that and the girls I take as my mates will be mine forever unless there is a good reason." Namir knew that if a Pad was mean he could trade his banu away but Namir knew he would never do that... never.
He looked at Azubuike in surprise. He would have thought that the older lion would know what a pride was. He did his best to explain what it is in general terms, "Well a pride is like a big family made up of dozens of lions and leopards and cheetahs or well you know."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:27 pm
Azubuike laughed. "I would be up at dawn as well if that were the case. But I suppose there were benefits too, having a large family to lean on."
He shook his head slightly at the thought of leaving a girl. That... that just wasn't how it worked. You found somebody and you loved them, loved them forever. It was how his parents had done it, it was how everyone had done it. "I wish you luck," he said.
His tail twitched slightly at the explanation of what a pride was. Leopards... cheetahs... he had never met any it and it struck him as strange to think of them living with lions, but the rest of the explanation made a strange sort of sense. In a big enough area, with enough food... it would be like Naim's big family. Always someone there to lean on. Friends, but friends he wasn't related to.
"Most intriguing," he said softly, filing the information away for later. He'd have to look into this whole "pride" thing later.
He shook his head. "I shan't detain you longer, although it was a pleasure to meet you. The sun is still high, and your lady love is somewhere out there waiting for you." He grinned at the younger male, for although he had his doubts about his age, he was still confident he would find the perfect mate. There was somebody out there for everyone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:25 pm
"And always having someone to play with." Namir added laughing slightly as well. He remembered some of the games his siblings and him played, that and the games he played with the other pride cubs. "Thank you Azubuike"
"The pleasure is mine and I wish you luck with what ever you are doing." Namir knew it was time to move on, time to continue searching. Azubuike was right his lady love is out there somewhere waiting for him. "Until we meet again Azubuike," Namir said as a goodbye before he continued on his journey to find a Banu.
-Fin-
(Word count: 1896 Post count: 12)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
