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 Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 10:51 am
And she would not let die the Fire Nation die before she did.
With a heavy heart, Mwale bade farewell to her pride for now, and left. The rogue lands promised a large group of unaffiliated lions. Lions who could, easily, be swayed to join the Arba'Sehemu. More specifically, her clan. She would be grateful for any new lion, though, and the experience promised to be useful in her new role. She had travelled for days away from the pride lands, always careful about memorizing every step so she could go home when she needed to. And now...
Now, the sun was setting to the West, and Mwale was tired, and hungry. Mostly tired. She slowed her walk as she neared a gathering of trees, smiling a little when she saw them. It would do for a temporary shelter from the elements and the scavengers. As far as she could tell, no one had claimed the spot, and so the fiery lioness made a beeline for the trees, her paws practically vibrating at the idea of stopping for the night.
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 11:11 am
Wandering was what he did best, Shumusi disliked being settled down in one place because it became monotonous and boring for him. He had lived in the rogue lands all of his life and it had become where he felt the most comfortable. Throughout his life, he had met a slew of interesting felines and they had taught him a lot about... life in general. He didn't have a family but he had survived and that was all that mattered when it came to living in the wild. Maybe, just maybe, someday he would want to settle down but that day seemed very far away.
Shumusi had just finished cleaning up a kill and with a content stomach, it was time to find shelter along the tree line. He hadn't seen any lions the entire day but he was a social creature at heart so he hoped that he would meet someone soon. Walking at a relatively slow pace, Shumusi watched as the tree line approached and he began searching for an appropriate place to spend the night. In the distance, he could see a dark figure also moving towards the trees but he didn't think twice about it. Probably just a hyena or something...
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 11:21 am
Mwale had been so intent on getting to the trees and going to sleep, she hadn't noticed any other lions approaching the circle of trees. She slowed as she neared the tree line, smiling lightly. The freedom that came with wandering in the rogue lands was something she missed, but not that often. She found herself second-guessing what she was doing without her aunt or her brother to guide her. The thought of her brother made her wince. She hoped he would return to the pride before she did and stayed there. Finding him was another item on her checklist of Rogue Adventures, and she held out hope that her idiot brother would be found one way or another.
She was a familial lioness; what would she do if they were all gone?
Mwale yawned and stretched forward, arching her spine as she stretched out. She padded forward into the trees, clawing at one as she passed. It felt good to dig her claws into something unyielding like wood. Prey was always soft enough to split, rarely did her claws have to hit something hard. She was the Thinker, after all, not the fighter.
As Mwale looked around her temporary shelter, she spotted the dark figure of something coming awfully close to her shelter. Frowning, Mwale sat back to wait it out. Whatever it was, she doubted it was dangerous. Naive lion is naive.
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 12:51 pm
Shumusi didn't feel too particularly tired but his full stomach was demanding him to stop and relax for a little. The lion really tried to avoid thinking about his past because there was so little to think about. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder what his purpose in life was because he seemed so insignificant in the whole scheme of everything. Maybe someday he would get answers to these questions but for now, he must find shelter.
Even though he was a little drowsy, Shumusi made sure not to let his guard up knowing that something could be tracking him at this very second. Not having anybody to watch his back, the lion was dependent on only himself and nobody else. He looked around cautiously and his ears raised to attention as he heard some noises in the distance. Lowering his body into a crouch, Shumusi inched towards the noise wondering what the mysterious figure was doing.
As the dark figure became more apparent, Shumusi relaxed slightly as he recognized it to be a lioness. Well, this could potentially be interesting. Smirking to himself, Shumusi stood tall, not wanting to scare her away, and continued to approach her. The large lion made himself very obvious as he approached and then spoke, "Hello there."
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:30 am
Mwale hadn't been too sure what the figure coming up to her shelter was, it was dark and though she squinted, she wasn't at her best in the dark of night. It became evident the thing was a lion, though, and Mwale perked up at the idea of meeting a lion so soon after her departure. Though she hadn't the slightest ideas of how to go convincing lions to come back to her pride, Mwale was creative. She'd think of it as she went. Her bright yellow eyes watched as the lion approached, taking in every stride and shift. He didn't seem a threat.
He was probably just tired, like she was.
She smiled a little when he spoke, nodding her head in greeting. "Hello." She said simply, not moving from her spot. She was sitting with her back to one of the trees, giving her a good view of the spot on a whole. Choice for spying on oncomers. "Nice night, isn't it?" The casual question was out of her mouth before Mwale had even thought to ask; filling in the silence where it was needed. She didn't particularly care for long silences in the company of others. It always made her feel uncomfortable, awkward. Like she didn't fit in. Fitting, given her history, but Mwale didn't want to not fit in anymore.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:25 am
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Shumusi saw the bright coloration and dark pelt of the lioness and he couldn't help but like what he saw. To Shumusi, females were lower than males on the hierarchical scale of... life. They had a limited purpose so they might as well be physically attractive. After glancing her over, the lion smiled slightly as she returned his greeting. "Yes, the Savannah has been pleasant tonight." She seemed... tired almost but it was the end of the day and she probably had been active.
"Mind if I take a seat next to you?" Staring down at her, he felt awkward standing up while she sat down because he was already tall enough. Mm, meeting her was a chance opportunity. Rogues hardly came in contact with each other and everybody was always moving around. Socializing was something that his current lifestyle was lacking.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:27 pm
"For the most part." She nodded in agreement, smiling wearily as the lion spoke. It had been a day of travel, putting distance between herself and the pride. Mwale had met few lions in her travelling thusfar; in all honesty, Shumusi was the first she had spoken to. She'd seen a handful in passing, but they were never very interested in speaking.
"Not at all." She smiled up at the lion. "Please, join me. The trees offer enough shelter for the both of us, I'd gather." Really, they could probably fit in a few more than themselves, but Mwale doubted that any other lions would come straying along and stick around when they saw that the trees were not abandoned for the night. "And I'm not so used to the loneliness rogue life offers." She had gotten quickly used to having someone to talk to, even if it was one of the youthful lions or the General. It had been someone, and that beat out the silence that the rogue lands gave.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:42 pm
"Ah, I see. Thank you. Oh and my name is Shumusi in case you were wondering." She seemed interested in some company so Shumusi sat down next to the lioness and leaned against the tree. He wondered what she was doing out here in the rogue lands alone; most of the females he met out here were with other coalitions or had traveling companions. Did she have a purpose?
Tilting his head at her, Shumusi scrutinized her comment about loneliness and rogue life and he was beginning to formulate his first impression of the lioness. "Did or do you still live with a pride?" For most of his life, the lion had avoided making contact with prides mostly for the fact that they all had set ways of living and there was always some hierarchical structure that went along with it. He preferred to rule over himself and only himself and not have to rely on others for food or whatever else prides did together. This was his current mindset about his living situation but it was due for change any day now.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:07 pm
"I am Mzaaliwaale'mwale. ...Most call me Mwale, though." She had met a few lions who referred to her as Mzaali, but most used Mwale. Mzaali had been her mother's name, and it felt... odd, being called it. She smiled a little at him. "It is nice to meet you, Shumusi." She wasn't surprised to see him alone; when she was younger, the handful of male lions around were often alone. It was the females who had wisened up, most travelled with companions. She, however, felt no need: She would soon have companions of her own, if she managed to convince a few rogues to come join the Fire Nation.
"I do. Well, I did. I'm returning there, soon." She smiled lightly. "My pride is the Arba'Sehemu, and I am the Fire Sage, of the Fire Nation." The rank made her light up with pride even as she said it. "Unfortunately, the numbers in my clan are...well. Limited." Her ears flattened a little against her head as she lowered her eyes. "So I asked the Avatar if I could leave for a while, to try and bring back more lions." She smiled a little at him. "I used to live in the rogue lands, but that was when I was a cub." Admittedly, she hadn't been in the Arba'Sehemu for long. But it was easy to fall into the life of the pride. She found that she missed it.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:18 pm
"The pleasure is all mine, Mwale." Shumusi had been given nicknames when he was younger and under the care of his parents though he preferred to keep those names to himself. It had been a lot time he had been called by some nickname. Females seemed to have a difficult time taking care of themselves thus the reason why they tended to travel together. That was one of their many weaknesses...
Ah.. a pride lioness probably sent on some missionary type of work or another. Shumusi didn't look down upon pride life but he knew it just wasn't for him and when she stated that she's searching for lions to join her pride, he also wasn't surprised. Drama seemed to flock to prides like animals being drawn in with the temptation of food. That was drama that he wished to avoid. Perhaps he could use this bit of information to his advantage? "Well, I'm not currently looking for a pride but I'd be interested in hearing about yours. Maybe you could change my mind?" Tossing a charming smile her way, Shumusi had no intention of joining her pride whatsoever but he didn't her to leave yet. "Did something happen to your pride?" From the way she put it, it sounded like something did.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:27 pm
Mwale smiled lightly at his suggestion, rolling her shoulders in a small shrug. "Perhaps." She agreed, though she wasn't confident in changing his mind. Some lions were just meant for rogue life; it was a fact she had come to accept as a cub. Not everyone enjoyed pride life; some felt it easier to take care of themselves than a whole group. She nodded quietly when he asked about her pride, looking down.
"There are four clans in my pride." She began, "The water tribe, the Air Nomads, the Earth Kingdom, and my clan, the Fire Nation." She smiled a little, tracing symbols into the dirt beneath them. Even though it was dark, she could make out the symbols as she drew them with a claw. "For a while, everyone lived in peace. But... Eventually, under the Fire Lord, the Fire Nation began attacking their neighboring clans. It was war." She lifted her head, smiling emptily. She was distancing herself from it even as she spoke. "My parents were warriors for the Fire Lord. They died, fighting for his glory." She snorted, embittered. "They died foolishly for the greed of another. My aunt took my brother and I from the pride in the beginning of the war, after my parents' died."
She swiped her paw over the symbols she had drawn in the dirt, effectively erasing them. "When my brother and I were old enough, we agreed to return home. The war had ended, but it left the Fire Nation with few members. I was split up from my brother on the journey." She looked down at her paws. "I'm hoping to find him on this journey, but..." She had her doubts. She had been plagued by dreams, recently, of her brother, and couldn't help but feel that they were a sign of bad things to come.
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:50 pm
Shumusi hadn't completely ruled pride life from his mind... it wasn't the right time in his life yet. The lion listened to Mwale speak as she told him about her pride's history and the war that had happened. It was all very... depressing and Shumusi liked keeping his life relatively upbeat and happy. His ability to empathize with her situation was limited but it was probably a very traumatic experience. "I see. That's a lot to handle when you're really young. Though, it seems that you've managed to fight through it and get to where you are today. The Fire Sage you said? Sounds important."
He was no stranger to fighting for no reason but that was not a story that he revealed to everybody. "Sorry to hear about all of that... So your brother is somewhere out in the roguelands? I wish you luck in finding him." So much... drama. Shumusi was pretty sure that he was an only child so he couldn't completely understand the relationship that only siblings had. "And now, here you are on a journey. Perk up and enjoy it while you can. Adventures are good for you and even though it's good to remind yourself why you're doing this in the first place, it's better to look forward to a positive future."
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:20 am
She nodded in agreement, smiling. "The Avatar, he's... something of a leader for our pride." She said. "He thought it would suit me best." Really, it had been an honor to be given such high praise from the Avatar. Sages answered to the Avatar himself, they were trusted by him to be spiritual leaders for their clan. "It's the rank of a spiritual leader." She explained, smiling at him.
"He is, I think." She nodded. "Unless he's made it back to the pride after I left." She hoped he did, but she wasn't naive by any means. Her brother was an idiot, stubborn, and would probably spend his life hunting her down instead of going home like they'd agreed to do. She grinned a little at his advice, snorting. "Oh, I planned to. I miss my pride, but this adventure is necessary if the Fire Nation is going to thrive again." She flicked her tail, and smiled a little at him. "What about you? Are you a pride lion, or a rogue?" He seemed like a rogue, but given that she herself was a pride lion, it wasn't always as simple as black-and-white.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:17 pm
Avatar... That was an interesting title. Nodding as she spoke, Shumusi shrugged it off and continued to listen as she mentioned a little something about her rank being a spiritual leader. Everybody needed spiritual guidance at one point or another so she did seem to carry an influential rank in her pride.
"I'm sure that you'll find him again someday. Destiny and fate has funny ways of bringing together two individuals." Smiling crookedly at her, Shumusi wanted to try to comfort her by saying everything would be alright but he knew better than to try to be too positive about the situation. He knew as well as anybody that the rogue lands were vast and wide so the chances of finding a particular individual was slim. Thank god he didn't have to worry about familial relationships.
Pausing before answering, the lion wanted to choose his words carefully. "I've been a rogue all my life. I've been in coalitions and 'groups' before and the lifestyle just didn't suit me; it also didn't help that the felines I was traveling with drove me crazy. So here I am, wandering the rogue lands aimlessly. Someday though, it might be nice to find a home and settle down." There... that was an appropriate response and he didn't really lie to her. "I like living this way though because I can do what I want whenever I want. There's a certain aspect of freedom that I really appreciate."
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:33 pm
"I hope you're right." She said simply, though she herself had doubts. Mtoto wasn't the smartest cat on the Savannah, and she worried for her brother more often than she should have, most like. She tried to forget that he was off roaming Gods' know where, probably getting into trouble as was his way. It was easier to pretend he was almost home, or already there waiting for her, than it was to accept the inevitable fact that he may never come home. Mwale had to focus on her journey, here, and not her brother.
It'd be easier if she knew where he was, but such is life.
She watched Shumusi as he spoke of his life as a rogue, noting the pause before he spoke. She smirked a little, nodding in agreement. "When we were younger, my aunt tried to make us travel with a group of cheetahs. We...didn't get along well." Namely because she and Mtoto had terrorized the cheetah cubs in their group, and the adults decided it was best for everyone involved if Mwale and her family left the troupe. "It was easier with just us three." She smirked a little, and nodded in agreement as he spoke of the freedom rogue life provided.
She enjoyed the freedom, most of the time. But being raised as she was, Mwale was conflicted. Freedom was nice, but she had been raised knowing that one day she would return home and take her rightful place in the pride, and serve her pride doing whatever she could. "I'm glad to be settling in the Arba'Sehemu, it feels like I've come home for the first time in years, but... I think I will grow to miss this, when I return." She didn't necessarily love the loneliness, but being able to go wherever she liked had its perks.
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