The day neared its end, and the dark brown lion couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction by that fact. Nothing much had occurred earlier, save for the few miles closer to the Ukuucha'Wafalme, towards which the group had been going. It had been not that long, yet long enough for some form of worry to cultivate in his mind; would he return before the rest of his siblings? Had he taken too much time in the lands? He tried to remember the last time he saw adolescents go off when he was just a cub. He couldn't... really focus. He hadn't paid heed to anyone other than his family, and even then, he treated his siblings like they were dirt beneath his paws.But the large, abled lion was confident enough of his own abilities and skills in the field that the worry washed away as soon as it entered his mind. He had other things that were potentially bothersome. Such as the female now in his company.
Korofi-uzulu, though big, strong, and tough looking, expressed very little of that in her attitude. He squinted, troubled by the thought of work and tempering he would have to do with her back in the Ukuucha'Wafalme. It would all be to a good cause after he was done with that, though - she was valuable to him through her looks... and her somewhat wild and unique personality could be something even Tariq'ra'd would admire, if she were to be tamed.
Naheed was somewhat of a rose amidst the desert. She was delicate enough so that even the brown lion, ruthless as he was in his quest for dominance and control, felt hesitant about how to deal with her. He thought she was truly a prize to bring back, and commended himself for the discovery.
Lililamuna would be waiting back at the Ukuucha'Wafalme. His eyes glinted upon reflection, knowing that even though he did not propose to her or her father, Achal, she would be something that he would also call his own when he returned.
And... oh. There was that other female that had an inferior brown coat compared to his. He had almost forgotten. What had her name been? He thought back, entertaining the thoughts of her. She had never formally introduced herself to him, however she did say it to the others...
"Jaz?" he spoke aloud, wondering if it would register as correct when he audibly heard it, "Jaz'Dana..."
"Or some other nonsense..." he mumbled, smile humorously curving along his face.
He glanced around, knowing his females were in a den nearby. Tonight would hopefully be one of the last undisturbed nights before the return to the Ukuucha'Wafalme.
She was becoming accustomed to traveling with these other females and their leading male. She had gotten to know the other lionesses, and learned a little better what it was they were heading towards. It was odd, but she was finding the companionship of being with others was very appealing. It was nice to have help hunting, to have others to talk to, to share some of herself. She hadn't realized how alone she had been for so long, chasing down her foolish sister. Only one thing was beginning to bother her.He was ignoring her.
Rather, he wasn't paying any attention to her. He was just as stern with the others, though they seemed to respond better to it than she did. Why, there were even times when he clearly doted on them.
But not on her. And she was beginning to feel... well, neglected! Granted, she might not be keen on him assuming dominance over her and declaring that she was lucky to have him as a mate, even though she'd never really agreed to it.... but no female wanted to be outright forgotten or left out.
So when they had settled into the den for the night, and all the other girls seemed content to begin to doze, she decided enough was enough. She rose quietly and padded out into the night, seeking Raja, though uncertain what she'd say when she caught up to him.
The closer they were getting to the Ukuucha'Wafalme, the more restless the male felt. His paws tread roughly on the ground, form moving away from the small pool of water he had for company just moments prior. He was returning to his temporary den, where he would see the lying forms of three lionesses... Of course, there had been the few times when he'd take Korofi-uzulu or Naheed out briefly to spend private time with, but he had always commanded them to return to the den with the other two lionesses. It was part of him curtailing their thoughts, showing them that there were boundaries and that no one was special. He grunted. Each one was promising, he thought, and had potential to be his beybanu, but...
Dark black ears flicked forward upon hearing paw steps coming from the den. He looked, the shadows of the grasses and shrubbery making the figure in the distance harder to perceive. His eyes narrowed, though he took no cautionary stance, as he knew his females were probably formidable enough to fend off any danger that wandered near the den. And anything that came to him with a threat... Well, his claws were readily sheathed and he was always prepared to take anything that willed their exposure.
His pace quickened to the figure, curious of the intruder. But he soon found one of his females - the brown, agitating one - coming towards him. He felt her eyes on his form, as if she had meant for her nightly stroll to take her towards him. He frowned, ready for a quick scolding - how dare she! None of the other females had a right to leave without his request!
"I have told you to remain in the den with the others until we are ready to continue our journey in the morning. Is that not clear?" he began, pace halting as he reached her.
She sat, tail curling about her paws, and regarded him silently. It was an effort to curtail her tongue, to keep herself from snapping right back at him. She knew well by now how much he despised such expressions of what he perceived as disrespect. To her, it was no such thing, but for now, that was irrelevant. She breathed in and out several times, still watching him thoughtfully. There were many ways she could handle this. Which way was best?
"I am not allowed to seek the company of the male who has claimed me?" she asked quietly, keeping her tone soft and low. He could be most exasperating, but she had been the one to agree to this. She had followed him and basically asked to be taken to his pride. She was responsible for this odd position she found herself in, and she needed to use her wits and her intelligence to make the most of it. She kept her gaze mild and unchallenging, and shielded her tongue from any of the ire she might feel. Instead, she pushed her respect for his dominance, which he was quite good at, and her desire to be at least considered equal to the other females to the forefront of her mind, making this her focus.
"I was hoping I could talk with you," she murmured, lowering her gaze and her head submissively. Easy girl, this didn't hurt even her ego. She knew she was worthy as a person, she didn't need a male's permission to be who she was. She could mold herself to be what he wanted, if she so chose. "I will return to the den if you do not want me." Keeping her head down, praying that her hope was not in vain, that he would at least be intrigued, or pleased, or SOMETHING.
His patience waned as he stood there, watching her sit down. But when he thought about it, this was... different. It was almost perplexing the way she remained silent, just watching him. He raised a brow, waiting for her to do something else. He knew she was going to say something - she came here, after all. But perhaps now it just wouldn't be her usual disrespectful and infuriating bark back at him. Perhaps her insolence was waning. Still, none of these subtle changes impressed him, but rather suppressed his further anger.
As she spoke, he actually thoughtfully hummed to himself. She lowered her voice, standard to how a banu should react to their pad in the Ukuucha'Wafalme. She was learning for sure, and by her words, perhaps almost understood her place now. This was far from the reality she exhibited just a few days earlier. So he listened.
His scarlet eyes looked into her pale, almost grey ones. They looked dull, subdued, and that was the way he liked it.
"Hmm..." he considered - truly, he did.
There was a long silence before Akram'raja could conclude something. She was certainly acting differently, even preferable. This lightened his mood momentarily, though he was cautious to not let her trick him into something - if this was all just an act. If it had been, he would surely punish her for that. And of course, she also knew that. In the end, he gave up, showing his satisfaction at her approach despite having disobeyed him. Her apparent desire to see him interested him, and her alternative reluctance to go back pleased him over the commanding tone she used to hold.
"I will grant you brief pardon," he said, nodding, "I will accompany with you to the den later. Do you thirst or something? There is a spot if you haven't had enough water just a few steps back there. What is it that you request?"
She let her mouth quirk in a small, private smile, but kept her body language otherwise quiet. So, he was not immovable or unaffected by them. It was an interesting thought to realize how vulnerable he made himself to manipulation by being so predictable and bound by his own honor system. Ah well, perhaps that could become useful later. For now, she had a very real reason for seeking him out, though she wasn't entirely sure how to convey it in a way that would have the desired outcome. For now, at least he was paying attention to her rather than dismissing her.
She sedately turned towards the direction of the offered water, murmuring thanks. A drink was not unwelcome with the rising heat of the season. At least she was not the impulsive and effusive lioness her twin was. Jazi would have been either cowed or crushed by the stone paw of this male, her spirit caged and blunted by the strict rules he set. She bent her head to drink before replying to him.
"I merely wanted some time with you," she replied, adding carefully, "and to ask your favor in helping me learn how to speak to please you." In truth, she wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to be addressed, or if he disapproved of how she spoke with the other females. How much more difficult would it be in this pride of his if they were all like him, and she going in blind to what would be expected? Though the request sounded meek and demure, in truth it was only wisdom to seek self-preservation in an unknown situation.
When she didn't immediately respond, he waited quite impatiently, but didn't say a word; he wasn't letting it go, but rather waiting to see what she wanted from this night encounter. It was new, at least - he hadn't spoken to her or asked for her company since he had met her. In fact, the only time the two were alone was when he had first bumped into her. The two had gone straight back to Korofi-uzulu, who had been waiting so happily for him and for some reason was happier when she saw the addition of another female.
Either way, when she had thanked him and bent down to drink, he followed to make sure that she had no chance to suddenly run away and escape - not that he had a desperate need for her presence. But the fact was that he had already put up with her for this long, and it would have been a waste if he had naively let her run off this night. When he was sure that he could sense her movement and scent, he stopped and turned away from her, looking back to the path towards the den. Though she had presented herself and obliged him quite well, it was near impossible to render him attentive to just her.
So when she spoke, his ears flicked backwards, just vaguely hearing. When he slowly processed the words, he turned his head around, curiously suspicious but at the same time intrigued.
"Hmm, you wish to learn, female?" he repeated, uncertain of whether she was capable of that.
Sure, she had proved formidable by standing off temporarily to jackals, but her mental capacities told him that she was someone unworthy of his tutelage. Was this a sign of something? He snorted at the thought. No, he had seen no other proving signs that she was deserving of him. But for now, he would be humored in the rogue lands. Perhaps, at least, he could show this rogue female something, maybe to potentially save her future male some trouble.
"You would have much to learn, and that would not even encompass what other things you need to do in order to be suitable," he stated.
His stony eyes moved towards her, straightening his posture as the thought of why exactly she was asking him of this was one of the least of his concerns with the situation. If she was asking how to do things properly, it could only have been beneficial to him, and that was all that was needed for him to consider this lesson.
"It is true that I have spent more time training Korofi-uzulu and Naheed on these matters. Of course, that doesn't excuse you, but some merely do not possess the ability to hold themselves to a high esteem. Perhaps I thought wrongly of you? We can begin when we all wake tomorrow, if hope still resides in you by then. But of course... Some wishes are futile."
"If I have so much to learn," she replied calmly, "Should we not start now, so that I may learn all I can before we reach... home?" she lingered on the word oddly, as if tasting it and being unsure of how she felt about it. Still, at least for a time, this would be true. It would be her home. She suppressed a rising sigh, turning into a deep breath as she stepped nearer to him. He wasn't a bad looking lion, so it wasn't hard to lean and give him a gentle rub with her cheek. It did feel surreal, there in the dark with a lion she barely knew. But survival was a strong current that drove even the sanest mind to do things it never would have dreamed of.
"I am not weary yet," she said softly. "I do not even know yet how you wish me to address you." A tremor of a purr vibrated her throat. "Will you not teach me... tonight?" She stepped forward to interpose herself between him and the den, not meeting his eyes but bringing her head up gently under his chin. It was a delicate balance, to express affection and attraction but not cross his prickly boundaries of what a female should and should not do. This was unknown and possibly dangerous territory she was treading, but if she played her cards right, it could be very beneficial for her.
The female did pose a good point. He tilted his head, thinking... While she did not sound all that together or true, considering the temperament she had shown him before, the request was not something Akram'raja would turn away. He ignored her odd exhale and approach, wondering at how he would deal with this. He couldn't go in the den to teach her when the other two lionesses were sleeping. The two others, especially Naheed, had been listening intently and educating themselves so hard while they were journeying! Not hard to his standards, of course, but they have achieved vast improvements from when he had met them, and they were by far becoming superior than most of the other rogues roaming the lands. Perhaps by the time they returned, they would even be better qualified for a pad than some of the young banu already in the Ukuucha'Wafalme. Training this wild brown one... would just be an extra touch.
So he welcomed her touch by staying still, not pushing her away from him. He allowed her to appreciate him and embraced it with his own stoic return. Of course, it still was surprising - just not surprising enough to make him gesture back with more than a second's glance. Of course females should appreciate him for being allowed his presence! So in fact this touch wasn't that surprising at all.
"I suppose you can learn tonight," he agreed, steadying his head firmly to the meeting of the female's own, "I will allow you this. Perhaps I have misjudged you. Let us move."
While the affection had been sudden, unwarranted, perhaps not even desired by Akram'raja, he let it go. In a way, he enjoyed the informality of it, but knew his own place in contrast to hers, and what he still thought of her. Of course, the little speckling of promise Jazua'Dania had allowed for her to receive his blessing tonight.
"You are to address me as Pad Akram'raja, and only by that."
And he lifted from the ground after giving her the first rule, walking towards the den yet not in the same path that led exactly to it. Yes, there would be places nearby far away enough from the den so that it would be hard to connect the two areas, yet close enough so that there would be time to go back to Korofi-uzulu and Naheed quickly. He brushed by Jazua'Dania, a little force, might, and rude push in his touch, but his tail swept by her enticingly, very much welcoming her to receive his charity.
This was a definite improvement. Haughty and self-righteous he remained, but at least the scorn and disapproval was gone. It was satisfying to discover the triggers to gaining at least some approval. Her mind whirled over the possibilities opened up by her discovery. She kept quiet as mulled and then instructed her. Pad Akram'raja seemed terribly formal, but it was in sync with his personality. She nodded her head in both acceptance and acknowledgement of how it suited him to demand such a thing.
She stood still as he pushed past her with a little more force than was necessary. The very fact that he allowed himself to touch her was significant, as opposed to just yelling at her to get out of his way. His tail's almost-caress was a bit of a surprise, though. She canted a look over her shoulder at him as he began striding away before turning to follow him. Could there actually be affection and passion behind that stiff, stand-offish exterior? He was quite a puzzle, and one that she was beginning to look forward to unraveling. He presented a challenge like she'd never met before, one she was willing to rise to. She followed directly behind him, going where he led, submissive, if not by nature, then by choice, and learning more about him than he probably knew. Yes, this could possibly work out quite well, should she learn how to please him... in all the right ways.
