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 Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 4:08 pm
Baridi'ini had found her life to be in something of a lull, her children had been out on their naming quest for some time, and her mate had left the pride urgently, almost in the middle of the night. Trying to put some excitement in her life, and to kill time. Baridi was participating in one of the Swampies must well known pass times, frog hunting. It took skill, patience, and lots of time. All of which, besides skill, Baridi was rolling in. There was nothing but time and waiting. Waiting for the next frog to jump by, for her family to return to the Jini-msemi lands.
The morning was a cool one, a soft mist hanging in the air, and the frogs could be heard as they sloshed around in the water, their throats distending and contracting in the familiar croaking sounds that signified it was breakfast time! Baridi'ini was sitting in wait she hunched down behind a few logs watching for the largest amphibian to show itself.
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:22 pm
Szellem hadn't been in the area very long, in fact, he had barely arrived hot on the trail of a rumor, the very one that had led him here.. Now he was slowly searching the muddy swamp for any sign that the rumor was true, that his lost twin sister was actually here.
The lion, bigger than most rogues, was moving slowly through the paw-deep mud, his pale coat like a beacon in the murky greens and browns of the pride's home. Pale and distant turquoise eyes searched the area methodically. Maybe even if he didn't find her, he would locate someone who had some information on her were-abouts. At least, that was his hope.
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:43 pm
There was a time where Baridi'ini would joke about those in the pride with pale fur, calling them ghosts. Her mate was pale and on more than one occasion he'd startled others with his contrasting fur color as he wandered through the logs and reeds. Today, however, Baridi was feeling that it would probably be possible for ghosts to sneak up on her. For the first time Baridi'ini did not really have anyone to turn to, and her deep belief in the spirits made the possibility of seeing the ancestors something to think about.
The cream colored lioness followed the large male with her eyes debating on greeting him. Her curiosity about him won out and she greeted him.
"Hello there, don't startle the frogs," her voice was small and cheerful, "they're tricky little things, and once they're startled they know something is up."
She peeked out showing herself from behind a log.
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:54 pm
On the contrary, it seemed the pale male was the one who was surprised, though his body language certainly didn't show anything quite so dramatic. He did stop and look over, bright but oddly distant gaze moving from the lioness to the pool of frogs then back. After a moment of consideration, he turned and circled wide round the shimmering surface of the water to come up behind her, though he stopped a few feet away.
"Sorry if I disturbed you. I didn't mean to interrupt your hunting." His voice was polite, almost stiff in its formality, the tone low and strangely quiet for such a big lion.
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:59 pm
Blood rushed to her face and she felt embarrassed for startling him, she'd probably bothered the lion throughout his day. The Swampies were not xenophobic, but not all together trusting either of outsiders, it was better to let someone know they were in the lands and know what they were up to, than to let them roam around. There were murders that occurred because of outsiders.
"No, you're perfectly alright. I shouldn't have disturbed you," she was still cheery she turned her gaze from the pool of frogs and took a few steps toward him. "My name is Baridi'ini, you're in the Jini-msemi territories, although that's not such a bad thing. We're friendly..enough." she gave him a charming smile.
"Their smart little boogers, frogs, I'm surprised they didn't catch on sooner that I was stalking them."
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:43 am
Ocean-hued eyes studied her silently, the lion's expression unchanging from its serious, sombre set. He saw her blush but didn't seem to understand why as he simply watched her, large body growing as still and as quiet as the mountains that had once been his home. Slowly he shook his head at her comment about disturbing him, since she hadn't.. he had been looking for someone who might have seen his sister, or heard anything about her.
Staying still as she moved closer, he dipped his head slightly in what passed as a nod for the quiet male. "Nice to meet you Baridi.ini. I'm Vándor." Lowering his head as she returned to the subject of frogs, he nodded slowly once again. Powerful muscles under grey hide rippling as he shifted a little to see. Eventually he looked back at the female. "Can I ask something.. have you seen a female, coloured like me, with this heart marking." Lifting his front paw he rolled his shoulder so the heart symbol could be more easily seen.
"She is my twin and I'm trying to find her."
* He's using his rogue name because he's not chosen his new one yet.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 11:57 am
Baridi'ini's smile never faltered, she was pleasant and listened intently as he explained he was looking for his sister. She leaned forward, examining the mark on Vándor's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I've never seen the mark, but that doesn't mean that she isn't around, the swamps are pretty vast." She frowned slightly, "I do hope that you find her..are you sure she came in this direction?" There were rogues that came through, and with the new queen everyone was being examined looked at closely in order to join; especially after the shame the last ruler faced.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:20 pm
Pale eyes looked away as the lioness gave her bad news. Swallowing a deep sigh of regret the large male was clearly despondent, but he certainly wasn't going to give up yet. He had been seeking her for most of his life, this was just one more step on the road to eventually locating her.
"I heard rumors that a lioness looking like me had come to join this pride... so I am searching for her." Looking back at her he settled blue eyes on the lioness. The distant and remote gaze still held a kind of determination, no matter how muted it appeared.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:26 pm
Baridi'ini did not like to be the bearer of bad news, a frown creased her maw as she looked at him. The lioness felt uncomfortable, why had he heard rumors about his own sister? Why didn't he know where she was.
"There are many of us," she started and then paused to think, "I don't think it would hurt to ask other Jini-msemi. I have lived her for quite sometime and still don't know absolutely everyone, there's a chance I've just never bumped into her." There was a chance, that was certainly true, even though the lioness had lived her long enough to have children there were nearing adulthood there were many pride members she could not have possibly been on speaking terms with everyone.
"I really do hope you find her. I can escort you a little further into the lands?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 1:12 pm
Nodding in that slow, thoughtful way the male looked along the path he had been travailing. He had been following rumors of the grey-coated lioness since she had gone missing as a cub. Now both of them were fully grown and he had travailed from one end of the savanna to the other, but this time he was certain she was close.
"She would have joined in the past moon-cycle, but not much before that.." he offered, thinking back over the stories he had heard and that had led him to this particular pride.
Looking back at the female he paused, then nodded slowly. "I do not want to distract you from your.. frog-hunting. But I would appreciate any help. I do not want to loose her this time."
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 1:43 pm
"The past moon?" Baridi'ini had been mostly in her own thoughts for the last cycle, with all of the drama that happened within her family.
"It wont be any trouble, perhaps we'll run into someone on the way." she said and started to walk hesitantly past him slow deliberate steps to see if he would follow.
"Better to continue while your trail is still sort of warm? Did you accidentally part ways before? Or were you supposed to meet?" she pried nosily.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 2:00 pm
As the female started to move along, Vándor stepped up and followed at her flank, his large size fair dwarfing Baridi'ini. Nodding slowly he kept his eyes front, his long stride and easy movements speaking of a male who had spent his whole life on the move.
"Thank you for your help." He replied in his quiet, sombre voice. "She was kidnapped when we were cubs. I have been tracking her since." A short and blunt reply, but it was the truth of the matter and Vándor was not the kind of guy to sugar-coat his words.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 2:11 pm
"Oh, oh, dear," Baridi murmured her voice suddenly filled with concern. To be searching for a family member that long must be such a horrible thing, a mental burden that is always there.
"I only wish I could help more," the thought that he could be lying never crossed her mind, he seemed so sincere and so sad that he mist be telling the truth. "I will make sure to keep my eyes open for her." Baridi turned around a tree bend, following the path toward the more central point of the pride.
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 2:48 pm
Dipping his head in thanks for her words, he walked along beside her silently, only the faint thud of his paws on the ground betrayed his presence. He really did move like the ghost his pelt resembled.
"Thank you." Came the quiet reply as the large male followed Baridi further into the prideland.
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