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 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:16 am
His bark was safely stowed away, and Ishekhesi was on his way down to the common area for dinner. Guide Pumzi was supposed to be there as well, waiting to finish their conversation from earlier.
He was hoping to ask her about decorating the shrines - what kinds of gifts were appropriate and what weren't. He had to do something for the Keeper of Souls, and he was hoping Pumzi would point him in the right direction.
"Hello again, Guide Pumzi."
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 12:59 pm
Expecting company, Pumzi had waited to get some food for herself. It would be rude of her to start eating without waiting for the shifter to come and join her. She idly hoped that the shy lion hadn't decided to stay in his den ... but she didn't have long to wait before she spotted Ishekhesi making his way towards her. She smiled in greeting, nodding towards him.
"Hello, Ishekhesi." She didn't really have any plans for the conversation, she had just thought it kind to invite the male lion to eat with her. He seemed to like her company ... or at least not dislike her. Pumzi rose from her seated position and began walking towards the carcass the hunters had thoughtfully brought home. "Our new hunters are very efficient," she said happily.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:23 pm
"Very efficient. This looks good."
Happily, it looked like zebra and not antelope. A lion could get tired of too much antelope.
As other pride members began to gather to get their dinner, Ishekhesi's thoughts traveled back to shrines and their keepers.
"Pumzi, do you know what the gods and the Keepers like to have at their shrines? If I wanted to give something for the Shrine of Souls- do you know what I should give?'
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:41 am
Pumzi tore off a piece of the zebra for herself and sat by Ishekhesi. She was a small lioness, and didn't need much. Unlike others, she could eat daintily. "Hmm," she said thoughtfully, in between bites. It was an interesting question. It was nice that Ishekhesi wanted to give something to the Shrine of Souls in particular. Sutala would surely be pleased, even if she was too shy to come forward and thank Ishekhesi.
The tawny lioness frequently visited the different shrines to meditate. She had seen many different things at the shrines, although she had never brought anything to them herself. It always seemed to slip her mind when she saw something pretty ... "They like pretty things, I think. Shells, pretty rocks, flowers and things." Pumzi frowned slightly, thinking hard. "I would like to bring a rock or shell, myself. A pretty flower would turn into a dead flower soon enough."
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:59 pm
"Pretty things. Like rocks and shells. Ok. Uh. Do you think something like a prayer would be good? A prayer left at the shrine?"
Ishekhesi started to dig in to his rather larger chunk of zebra. He gulped down chunks, and tried to think of what kind of pretty thing and prayer the Keeper of Souls would appreciate at her shrine. He would have to keep an eye out. Pretty rocks were not usually important for him to notice - he worried more about the big ones he moved around.
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 10:12 am
This was quite a lot of pondering Ishekhesi was asking her to do. While Pumzi had spent a lot of time amongst the shrines, she had never paid much attention to offerings and so forth. A slightly worrisome thought occurred. Maybe that was why she hadn't found her soul yet? Pumzi didn't think she could have offended the Gods by not helping to decorate the shrines, but maybe a nice little offering would at least draw their attention.
If nothing else, bringing some gifts for the shrines would please their Keepers, and Pumzi couldn't see how that was a bad thing. She decided it was good that Ishekhesi had brought her this problem to think about. The next time she was with visitors she would keep an eye out for any interesting things to bring back to the shrines.
"I am sure a prayer would be good," Pumzi said. "But how would you leave a prayer?" Oh! That piece of bark. Was that what he had been doing? "Were you writing a prayer on your piece of bark?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:27 pm
Ishekhesi nearly choked on the chunk of zebra he had been chewing. He really would have to be more careful about whipping his bark out in the open. Anyone could come across it there.
"Er- not a prayer, really. But I could do that, yes."
The song he was actually working on was a ballad of his life. Vaguely, he had considered using it as a morality lesson eventually, but maybe he could use it as an offering. Something to show the gods he had changed. Maybe a song would be just as good as a prayer.
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:03 pm
Pumzi could tell that Ishekhesi was a little uncomfortable, but the reason was beyond her. Maybe his zebra wasn't agreeing with him ... although she herself thought it very fine. There was no accounting for taste sometimes.
Chewing slowly on her own piece of meat, Pumzi nodded. Writing something on bark for the shrines was a nice idea. She had grown mildly curious, though. She cast a sidelong look at Ishekhesi, thoughtful. "If it wasn't a prayer, what were you writing?" It was just an idle question, really. The lioness didn't know she was digging at a secret.
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Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:20 pm
Ishekhesi swallowed the rest of his zebra, and closed his eyes for a moment. He could lie, but he was supposed to be serving the gods now. He was pretty sure the gods did not like liars.
Then again, their might be a god of lies. Who knew? But he was being silly about hiding his hobbby, and he was sure Pumzi wouldn't make fun of him, even if she actually saw the songs and thought they were horrible.
"It was a song I was writing."
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 10:18 am
Poor Ishekhesi was obviously still uncomfortable. Pumzi scrutinized her last piece of zebra closely. Nope, nothing seemed to be amiss. She finished it off, deciding that Ishekhesi was a bit strange to dislike zebra so. She wouldn't judge him for it, of course - people were entitled to their peculiarities - but she still found it strange.
The revelation about the song was interesting. How could Ishekhesi sing with his strained voice? Poor fellow. "I do not know much about songs, but I am sure it is a good song," Pumzi said kindly. "Maybe you can find someone to sing it for you."
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Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 9:11 pm
"I, uh, hadn't really thought about it being preformed. I just write them. And i don't really know much about singing. Or even if they're any good. But I thought the gods might appreciate the effort."
He actually had quite a cache of songs piling up in his den. He had dug out a space at the back to keep the bark slabs he wrote on safe and dry. Maybe they would all make good offerings.
Or maybe they were all horribly bad and not worth the gods' time. Also distinct possibility.
Maybe he should get someone to try and sing them.
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Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:00 pm
Pumzi really had no idea whether Ishekhesi's songs were good or not. She had never heard them, for one thing. The tawny lioness had only seen his etchings on a piece of bark, and that at a glance. Although Pumzi could be brutally honest at times, she was also very kindly. Even though understanding others was a chore for her, she understood well enough that poor Ishekhesi was shy and awkward for some reason. She would not tell him that his songs might be terrible, that would hurt him. Pumzi did not like to make people feel bad. Especially shy people like Ishekhesi and her good friend Sutala.
"I don't know anything about singing, but I am sure that your songs are fine," Pumzi said encouragingly. She frowned slightly, a thoughtful frown. "If you find someone to sing your songs, you can make sure they are good. It must be hard to write songs without being able to hear them." The frown cleared, Pumzi brightening up at her idea. Maybe it was a foolish one, but surely Ishekhesi wouldn't mind. "The night time I meet a singer, I will tell them to speak to you."
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:13 pm
Long ago, Ishekhesi had been able to sing, but those days were behind him. He no longer had the breath or the voice or the capacity for volume. But it would be nice to hear his songs actually be sung.
"That's very nice of you, Pumzi. I don't really know many people in the pride. I wonder if there are any singers around. I suppose I should ask a keeper if the gods would prefer songs and prayers to be sung or just left for them. I think if I were a god, I would want to hear them sung."
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Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:15 pm
"I don't know many people either," Pumzi said. "Sometimes I have trouble remembering their names." She smiled, shrugging. Everyone had their troubles, and hers really wasn't much of a problem. "I will be sure to remember to look for singers, though. I am sorry I don't know anything about singing myself." Her tone took on a tinge of regret at that. It was too bad she wouldn't be able to help Ishekhesi herself. Pumzi would try, but she might inadvertently ruin one of his songs with her inexperience. No, he should be helped by a seasoned singer.
"I think if I were a god I would like to hear songs sung, too," the lioness added. It was strange, imagining herself as a god, but who wouldn't want to hear songs and prayers? "I would say to ask Sutala - I know her best - but she can be very shy. Maybe another Keeper..." Her voice trailed off somewhat doubtfully as she tried to recall the names of the other keepers, and whether or not they were interested in music.
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:30 pm
"That's very kind of you, Pumzi, too keep an ear out for them for me. Let me know if their is anything I can do for you."
Ishekhesi stood up from his meal.
"I'm glad I could start to get to know the other members of the pride. It's been a bit lonely the past few days. I think I will go work on the prayers now."
Ishekhesi bowed, and started padding up to his den, his head full of notes and wondering about his singer.
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