Hecate & Okko


Okko hadn't left his own piece of paradise since his adolescence, and now he found himself in a strange land, with a strange bunch. They'd scattered mostly, besides the family, but were still together. He'd followed the flirty lioness and her children to the lands because of their talk of a plant that had the affect of putting lions to sleep. Okko couldn't resist seeing new plants of any type.

The herb the shaman had used on him was curious, he'd thought that because of his age he would not have awoken so early in the moon cycle. On the other end of the sleep; the older lion was even more curious and wanted to ask about the process for others. Okko was informed that the current king's adoptive litter were all different ranks, the pride believed the Great Lion looked on all of them differently. Unsure of what to think he was trying to track one of them down.

Hecate's seer powers were odd, sometimes she knew where to be and when, and other times she'd have an inkling someone was looking for her and where to wait. The brown lioness kicked herself and was angry that her powers weren't the best to help her at being the best guard she could. It was like her inner eye wouldn't allow her to use it for gain, although that was all in the lioness' head it seemed like the best bet to her.

Turning her silver and gold eyes she wasn't surprised to see the older lion heading in her direction. After spotting her the brown male picked up his pace and hustled forward. She knew there was a reason she was called here in the middle of the afternoon.

Hecate wasn't fond of rogues, even though she was one of them, rogues often meant change, or could mean danger.

If by picking up the pace it meant that he was walking at a reasonable speed now, then he had. He was an older lion and not as agile as he was in his youth.

"Young lady," Okko called brightly, "I was wondering if you could help me, I'm looking for.." oh blast! What was the name that the kind slave had given him, "Hecate, is it, I believe."

"I'm Hecate," she nodded slowly eyes narrowing, why would he be looking for her? It wasn't a secret that the lioness wasn't a very good guard, she tried quite hard. But, it just didn't come to her naturally. Her powers of observation for the most part were lacking, and her attention span was that of bugs.

"You're one of the rogues that just arrived," Hecate commented, something she had observed - or was told to her rather. "May I help you?

"Yes, I am, the name's Okko." He beamed at her, "I'm going to be quite straight forward, I've got questions for you about your experience with the herb the shamans use." Without skipping a beat he continued on with his queries.

"I'm a gardener, well there isn't the equivalent here in your pride. But, in my old life I would grow herbs and plants for fun and trade. I was curious because I heard that all of your siblings went through the sleep-joining process; and that all woke with mixed results."

"Were any of your siblings weaker, especially the ones that slept longer?"

Hecate stood still, muscles tensing beneath her fur, how dare a stranger ask these things, and word it, in such a, such a way! She exhaled slowly to compose herself. The tan lioness wanted to shoo the old coot away, but she knew that her father would not approve of that.

"Weakness has nothing to do with it. The Great Lion looks on some and not others." Hecate trusted the eye in the sky, she trusted that the ranking system was in place for a reason. "I would watch it, with your accusations, the Mwezi'johari are very religious and others may take offense."

She didn't want to leave it like that, there were reasons why it hurt so, she didn't like seeing her sister cast the role of slave. It was as the Great lion wanted, and the lioness felt badly for his questioning.

"We trust the herb, because it keeps us safe, the shaman knows the ways, and everything is interpreted through it, it's how we've always been. Why our pride moved to these lands."


He noted that he had obviously offended her and the older lion had not meant to, he wanted to better understand the herb, and had subtracted the religious aspect of the ritual.

"I am sorry for asking it in such an offensive matter. My curiosity can get away with me at times and I do not mean to show any disrespect."

"I am curious, because an herb, should have predictable results. I can grow something that will soothe pain, and it will always soothe pain. I can harvest one that will cause hallucinations. And they all have similar predictable effects, they may alter someone differently depending on disposition." He was so intensely curious.

"It's strange, and I suppose your strong beliefs has a lot to do with it, that an herb, given in the same doses to all would have different results, and temperament, health, and age don't really make a difference."

She could understand, but at the same time refused to listen to him. Her seer powers had caused her to come here for a reason, there was a lesson in all of this, but Hecate didn't want to listen.

"I cannot take the religion out of my views," she responded tersely, "But, I understand what you're saying. Maybe it just is as The Great Lion wants it to be. And we all wake up when we do, why join a religious pride and not believe as they do?" The Mwezi'Johari were not overly religious - some could be, but their belief was what made the pride work as it did, what kept order when in other places there was chaos.


Okko liked the smart young lady, she wasn't overly zealous, but held strong to her belief and was willing to speak openly about the subject. The brown lion had expected she would shut him out at this point.

"I was so very curious in your herb, the lioness that was from your pride explained the process and I had to see for myself." A small part of him thought he would never wake up from ingesting a strange plant, he'd heard about it - a lion takes an herb and is dead before the sun comes back up.

"Hecate, if you'd allow us to start over, I'd like to be your friend, if you wouldn't mind explaining more of your Great Lion. I came to study you, when really, I should be more interested in joining you in your head strong beliefs." If the lion would have had a word for what he came for, it would have been scientific discovery, when really he should have been looking at them from an anthropological sense, they were a beautiful pride with queer beliefs, and he now was one of them. One of them.

Seeing was believing for him, so before answering his last question she thought about how to respond, how to show the Great Lion's love to him.

"We can start over, Okko. But, I have an idea that will help you in your quest for understanding, go..go and talk to three others of different rank in our pride, and then we will speak again." That seemed like a just way of sending him on a mission to realize what he's said in his quest. After that Hecate dismissed herself, and start back toward where she'd come, her duties for the day would be starting soon.