Nesertib - Satsurashi
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Mery-Apet - Das Tor
Nesertib was finally home. Or, the place her parents had once called home. She had never been to this place before, she had been born on the journey her parents made after Aset-nusu left the pride lands, and they had not made it back. She had been lucky, but she carried out their wish of returning to their homeland. Now, it was hers too.
Nesertib had heard stories of the gods and the sacred land, and so she knew more or less what to expect. She was familiar with the type of terrain - sand, sky, rocks, and the occasional oasis they were lucky enough to happen upon. But the other lions were new. She’d never met even one of them before that had stayed behind. And so as she approached the pride’s boarder, she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive, and this was not a feeling she was used to. Nesertib could be arrogant, but she didn’t often run into things that challenged her this much. Strolling into a new pride was a bit daunting.
The sun was high in the sky, so she didn’t expect to see anyone right away. Dancing mirages were all she saw for now, and plenty of sand.
Not all the dancing figures in the sand were mirages. One among them, fur the various colors of sand, was indeed a lion. He was dancing, though, practicing while he waited for his beloved to finish her tour around the borders, making sure all was well like a Guardian was supposed to. The music he 'heard' was only in his mind, beats and tones he remembered clearly after seasons of hearing them constantly in his training and practice. And each step was precise, each one meaning a different thing, each one reverent to the gods. He would have continued his practicing had the dry wind not brought a new scent to him.
Pale ears perked up as pale blue eyes turned towards the direction the scent came from, the rest of his body stopping. The scent was definitely a lion. Perhaps someone looking to join the pride? Perhaps one of those that were part of the group that had been filtering in, their long-lost pride-brothers and pride-sisters. That thought had him smiling and he turned the rest of his body to make his way to the new scent. And was rewarded with the sight of the brown lioness after not-too-long. He called out, cheer in his voice. He knew that without a guide, many lions who hadn't grown up in the pride could get lost in the desert sands.
"Good day, miss!"
Nesertib stopped suddenly, startled by the voice. She had thought she was alone, and looked around in alarm until she finally caught sight of what she had missed. Out of the shimmering haze of heat she began to make out the pale male form, and upon seeing this she stopped for a moment, considering her options. His voice sounded so friendly, it was easy to assume he was too. But he was a stranger and she was in a strange land, so it was best to be cautious for now. She hoped if he were truly a friend that he would understand.
“Good day,” she called, holding her ground for the moment, “Who am I addressing? My name is Nesertib, and I am looking for the land of my ancestors, the Tuait’Tekem lands. Have I found it?” She was almost she had; the group she had been following had splintered somewhat, and she was alone for now, but she knew she must be heading in the right direction. Navigation was about one of the only things she had learned as she spent a cub hood constantly traveling.
Ah! So she was one of those trickling in! Mery bowed his head in respect, his smile wider now. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Nesertib. I am Mery-apet, and you have indeed found the lands of the Tuait-tekem. A couple of the others of your group have trickled in, so we've been expecting others like you." To have old blood return to the pride was a wonderful thing! New blood and old blood, mingling and making the pride a stronger whole...Surely it was something thought of by the gods themselves.
Nesertib could have sighed with relief, and as Mery spoke she rushed forward, eager to get a look at him. She’d met many strangers in her wanderings over the years, but never one before who was a member of her long-lost pride! Bounding excitedly like a young cub, she had a huge grin on her face as she replied, “I’m so glad to meet you, Mery-apet! To think that I am finally done wandering… well, it’s hard to believe! And others have made it safely too? That is also good to hear!” Nesertib realized she was getting a little over-enthusiastic and she took a deep breath of hot desert air, forcing herself to relax. But finally, after a moment’s pause, she did have to ask him one thing. “Is it true that you… we, I guess - live in great temples? My parents tld me stories of them when I was a cub… I have longed to see what our territory looks like!”
Mery was glad to hear her excitement. He couldn't help but chuckle good-naturedly. "Others have made it safely, yes. And they're settling in well. And we do. Though there are places only the Priests and Pharoh go to, of course." He turned back towards where he'd come from. "If you don't mind waiting with me for my mate, we can escort you home, so you don't accidentally get lost. These sands can be tricky for a while when you're new.”
The prospect of having a guide into the territory was lovely, and so Nesertib agreed readily. She felt so excited! She wanted to meet all her new pride mates and see all the sights of the land, but she was able to contain herself. Outwardly she still seemed full of energy, though. She couldn’t stop her tail from lashing about and she could hardly sit still a moment, even for conversation. As she spoke, she paced around restlessly, all but leaping right out of her skin.
“What does your mate do? Is she a huntress?” Nesertib asked, eager to know more about the lions she might run into every day from now on. “That’s what I want to do… well, maybe that. Or something else maybe!” She was having a hard time focusing on just one thought. “Are there many lions in the pride now? Like, many more perhaps than in Aset-nusu’s time?” Nesertib didn’t even seem to realize that her questions were very rapid.
Mery shook his head. "My mate helps with the hunt, yes, but Kilala is a Guardian. It's what she was trained to do in her birth pride, and she does it well here, now." It was nice to hear what the newest member of the pride wanted to do. "Well...when we get into the pride, you'll get to learn what ranks exist now. There's one or two new ones, from Aset-nusu's time. And we've...over a hundred members now." Despite the rapid pace of her questions, he didn't have too much trouble answering them. He'd always been an attentive boy.
“A guardian?” Nesertib echoed Mery’s words, still grinning, “I like the sound of that! I feel like I have a lot to learn.” She scuffed her front paws in the sand, looking down at them but seeming anything but downhearted. She was just thinking, and it was the first time in several moments that she’d been quiet for any significant length of time.
After this pause, she raised her head again and began again. “What was it you were doing when I first came upon you, anyway? I couldn’t see very well, but I could have sworn you were moving around… is that something you like to do?” Nesertib was curious to learn new things about the lions she’d live with now, and she’d never seen anyone do something like that when they’d been traveling. Then again, there wasn’t a lot of time for dance when you were constantly moving.
Mery nodded. "You'll learn. We make sure all the new members learn before expecting anything out of them." He smiled back at her encouragingly. "And I was dancing. I'm an Artisan, and I dance to give honor to the gods. And to make sad faces turn into happy ones. I do indeed like doing it." He liked making people happy. Perhaps one day, he'd make this new member smile on a dreary day as well. One never knew. But it was good to have a new face in the pride...one that might be a friend.
