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 Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 6:30 am
 In a pride for the first time, Ampalaya was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the presence of so many other lions all at once. But she had also discovered what a Temple was, just like her mate had told her about, and she had discovered the gods.
In her life as a wanderer, Ampalaya had never worshipped much. She had met a god, one time; he was strange and ate fruit. But her new pride honored the gods, and she felt that this was what she wanted to do, now that she was settling in to staying in on place.
She waited just outside the main entrance to the temple, waiting for Wei, the priestess who was going to start her instruction.
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Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:12 pm
Slowly blinking her eyes open, Wei took in a deep breath. She had made sure that she was well-rested, because today was important. In all her time since she'd joined, Wei had never showed anyone the ropes of her profession. Stretching her paws out before her, she felt a knot of nervousness build in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't bad or anything - she was just a little scared of messing something up. It actually felt good to really feel something. for once, other than just the lonely pit she'd been wallowing in for awhile. But with each passing day, her hopes were growing, and so was her mood.
She had fallen asleep on the other side of the temple the night before, finding it rather comfortable and calming. It eased her mind to sleep, knowing it was there. It had been a shift, adapting to the religion of this pride from her previous one, but it was actually the one thing that drew Wei here - she always needed something to be apart of, something that comforted her when she was out of sorts.
Coming to her feet, she rounded the corner of the temple, immediately spying the all-green figure a few paces away. "Hello there!" She called out, a grin spreading across her face. Well, this was it - time to shine.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:37 pm
Ampalaya bowed her head in greeting as the brown lioness rounded the Temple. "Hello, Priestess Wei. I'm looking forward to start my training." Ampalaya hoped Wei would be a good teacher. There was so much to learn - and the names of the gods sounded so strange to her mind. She knew that the gods had sacred sights around the pride lands, and had been incredibly paranoid about the possibility of offending her new gods in anyway.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:49 pm
It had felt almost odd hearing someone she'd never met before call out her name. But, thinking through it, of course the other lioness would know her name, since she was meeting her here. Wei was just told that she was looking for a lioness with a green pelt. And she seemed sweet, and sincere - key signs of a priestess-in-the-making.
Although she'd never consciously admit it, Wei had begun judging the other from the moment she said hello. It was important, to her, to make sure that this lioness was right for the job - the responsibility. So far, though, it was looking good.
"I'm glad." Grinning at her, she was hiding her immensely nervous feelings. She wanted to be the best teacher that she could, and the thought of accidentally skipping something was just too much to bear.
"So, you're not from here, correct?" Taking a few steps past her, she motioned for her to follow. Right now, she just wanted to learn a little bit about her.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:12 pm
Ampalaya fell into step behind Wei, a few steps behind.
"I was born out in the wild lands - I don't know exactly where. My mother and I wandered for seasons before she died." Ampalaya wasn't sure how much information Wei wanted, but decided she should just tell her everything now.
"I never worshipped any gods, all of my life. I met a lion who said he was a god - he ate fruit, and he was very strange - but I did not worship him. I don't know if our Pride's gods know of the wandering gods or not, but I never followed any of them. I am ready to devote myself to them though. And Orad, of course, but the gods first."
Thinking about Orad made Ampalaya grin goofily. He had picked out their den in the Temple, and every day they woke up curled around each other. It was nice to have a home - and a husband - constant and consistent. They were thinking of cubs. But Wei probably didn't want to hear about Orad.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:24 pm
Listening to each word carefully, Wei's green eyes were glued to the other lioness. Only briefly did she flick them away, watching the sky for a few moments as they walked slowly. The green lioness' history seemed so familiar, even though it was nothing like her own. Not being from this pride, Wei had always felt rather alienated, though she had done it to herself. It was the most lonely feeling, waiting day after day for a guy that she was beginning to think would never come.
But none of that was really important.
"So you've actually met a god?" Wei paused for a moment - the thought was rather exciting. Wei had never met a god, though she knew they were always around. In the Mtaishi, Wei believed whole-heartedly in the goddess that protected their lands. It was hard to iron out the beliefs that she was raised with, which is mostly the reason why she became a priestess in the first place.
Her next statement, though, made Wei grin. It was so wonderful to see someone so happy about another lion. "Orad? Is this...someone special to you?" Though she knew the answer already, it was always so sweet to hear others speak from their heart.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:36 pm
Ampalaya looked at the dirt for a moment before looking back at Wei. She looked around shyly, as if making sure no one else was listening to the conversation. And then she started bubbling over. "Orad is wonderful. He is like the sun and stars to me. He's the smartest, kindest, most wonderful lion I've ever met. And he's so handsome. His eyes look just like the eyes that are painted in the temple. He's such a gentleman. And it was his idea for us to come here, he wanted to settle down somewhere safe, especially if we ever had cubs. We're, um, we're sharing a den in the Temple, but I don't know how the pride works, if we need to see a priest to get married or if we just say we are. And I was kind of too embarassed to ask, otherwise we already would have. I mean, we want to get married in the eyes of the pride."
It took a few seconds for Ampalaya to realize she was babbling, and brought herself to a stop. She had to stop herself, because if no one stopped her, she would just keep talking about Orad all day.
"I'm sorry. I should be thinking about my new duties, and not about Orad. Sorry."
"But yes, I've met a god. He was grumpy."
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:47 pm
It was really refreshing for Wei to hear the love of another. "Oh, it's quite alright. If someone asked me about Raha, well....I think I could ramble all day." Laughing a little, her eyes dropped. They cared about each other, she knew, but it all seemed so....complicated. And the thought of him right now made her fairly sad. But she knew he'd come, like he promised.
"It's really very sweet. And compassion and caring are two great qualities to have if you want for this." Grinning at the other, she felt that this lioness was right for this. Very right.
"A grumpy god, hm?" Laughing under her breath, Wei recalled a story from her cubhood. An angry god that cursed their lands, who was sealed away in the mountains. But her previous life seemed worlds away now, in this sunny place. "Well, the ones that reside here aren't grumpy. From what I know, anyway."
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:02 pm
Ampalaya decided not to ask Wei about Raha. If she didn't start babbling about him the way she babbled about Orad, their was probably a reason. She didn't want to pry into tender spots. She turned her focus back to the gods.
"Yes. He was grumpy and he ate fruit and he had a little hare that rode on his back. He didn't look very godlike to me. Not at all like the old paintings in the temple. But he said he was a god, and I believed him. Do the gods of the pride ever walk among us like that? Or do they keep themselves separate from the mortals? I never really understood why that god just walked on the ground like another lion. He's the only one I ever met, so I don't know if it was normal or not."
The prospect of gods - gods for one pride, that concerned themselves with just the mortals of one pride - was a bit awe-inspiring. It wasn't something she had ever encountered in all her years of wandering.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:18 pm
"Sounds quite interesting." Closing her eyes in a grin, she tried to imagine it. It sounded intriguing, and with so many gods in the world, they all had to be so different.
"Well, it really depends on the god." Looking up at a cloud in the sky, she had heard about the gods in the pride. She had always been so fascinated by them, and had always wanted to meet one. "There are even some who are blessed with the offspring of gods. It's really a wondrous thing."
Shifting her weight, Wei noticed that they had come quite a ways, and had only spoken of themselves. It was a needed discussion, Wei knew, because there were few better ways of truly judging another's character than just talking with them for a little while.
"I think....it's time." Sliding her eyes to look at the green lioness, Wei grinned. There had been enough idle talk - now, it was time to begin the real instruction. "It might be a lot to take in at once, but I'm sure you'll grasp onto it quick. And I know you're perfect for it." Taking a few steps away from the other lioness, Wei felt the sun wash over her fur. Her nerves slipped away, and she knew she could do this. She could.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:33 pm
"Oh, yes. Yes, I'm ready to learn." Ampalaya followed Wei, eager to begin her training and even more eager to tell Orad all about it at the end of the day. It was good to be home.
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