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 Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:00 pm
Nana had left the cubs inside the hollow log next to the river, she had told them to be very very quiet and wait for her to return. She knew that they would, being that they were barely old enough to move on their own. So she left them, hurrying to get to the border to find someone to help her into the lands. She didn't want to just barge right in with... well... with children that may cause issues. She wasn't sure if it even meant anything, but to have the god of hates children in a pride she didn't know. She anxiously walked, her head slightly hanging in exhaustion. She had only given birth a few days ago and was still pretty tired; but at least the goddess of mothers had assisted her.
Bless Nya. She had been so happy to help. Otherwise, she'd still be in that cave still, birthing his cubs and gods knew what he'd have done to them. She stopped, pausing to smell the ground and rest for a moment.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:11 pm
 
It was for this reason that the white lion now found himself in the company of the much smaller juvenile. He was fortunate in many respects as she was bright white (difficult to miss in this terrain) and while inquisitive, she was also obedient. She'd promised not to stray and all this time she hadn't. All in all, he couldn't ask for more than that.
"So..." Tala mused, finally breaking the silence that had fallen upon them about twenty minutes ago. "It seems really lonely out here, what do you do all day?" she observed and shook her head. There were so few other lions, especially from the pride, in this area. Suffice to say that the white cub couldn't picture being able to converse with anyone!
"Talk to passersby," Iraeneus replied with a smile and shook his head. "There are many individuals who approach the borders but rarely cross them, some are explorers, others pass by and then there are those who seek refuge - if no one was here to greet them, then they may struggle to find their way," he explained.
"Oh," she replied and then offered a smile of her own. "That's pretty cool," she murmured. She fell silent for a short while and it was only when an unusual movement and figure on the horizon caught her attention that she spoke once more. "You mean like that?" she asked and lifted a cub to point in Nana's direction.
Iraeneus paused in his musings and turned his gaze towards where the cub was pointing. He was surprised to see the lioness in the distance, her coat colour keeping her reasonably well hidden.
"Yes, like that," he conceded and gave a nod. "Greetings!" he called, raising his voice so that he could be heard. "Are you in need of directions?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:23 pm
Nana wasn't paying attention very much, as she had been lacking sleep and hadn't eaten well either. So she startled like a frightened rabbit at the sound of someone calling out to her. She ducked behind the bush in which was in front of her; before calming down and peeking up over it. She could barely see the while girl and the grown scout, but after a moment of squinting she could see them. "H-Hello!?" She called back out, looking a bit hopeful. Were they apart of this pride? Nyasambe' had said that this pride was a safe one and that lions were known for being pretty pleasant here.
"Is-um... is this the prideland borders?" She asked, starting towards them cautiously. She hoped she didn't look to terrible, considering that the whole pregnancy in the cave high above the ground; had been her starving. So she was pretty ragged looking. "I am... I am looking for them."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:29 pm
"She doesn't look very -"
Before the cub could finish her sentence, Iraeneus had clamped his paws over her mouth and was smiling pleasantly at the lioness. He didn't need the cub to state the obvious, she looked terrible. Whatever had happened to her had weathered her considerably and she was in need of considerable care. Still, if he'd been any younger he probably would have piped up with the same observation as Tala.
"You are in luck," Iraeneus replied gently and released his hold on Tala's mouth. He knew that once he started talking, she would know better than to interrupt. "You have found them, my name is Iraen -"
"Hi I'm Tala!" the butterfly adorned cub piped up merrily, a delighted smile flooding onto her lips as she peered at the lioness curiously. She scarcely noticed as Iraeneus sighed in exasperation behind her.
"Iraeneus," he finished and nudged gently at the cub's side. "Tala would you do me a favour and gte some water for our visitor?" he murmured, nudging her a few more times until she understood the message and scampered off to retrieve what was required. It was then that he returned his attention to Nana. "I am going to skip a few of the pleasantries here and assume that this is more than just a pleasure trip..."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:37 pm
Bokoboko neared them and was relieved to see that the did look very kind and happy and healthy. She got close enough to them to be able to stop and pant for a few moments. Luck. She would keep it at luck, not at the fact that she had been dropped outside of the border and told to go onward when she was strong enough. She coughed and smiled. "I am bokoboko... most call me Nana..." She looked to the little girl. "Nice to meet you Tala...." She looked up to Iraeneus. "And you as well..."
She nodded. "I um... I am in need of a home.. for me.. and for my children..." She turned and gestured to the log, that was pretty clearly visible. "I gave birth... a few days ago... and just now am strong enough to come here..." She looked to the girl as she wandered off. "I um.. I need to find a safe place for them... I am... I am afraid that their father will try to hurt them or me..." She looked a bit frightened for a moment.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:52 pm
The lion was usually not one who wished to bring drama into the pride, nor was he inclined to permit those who might attract it in either. However, there was something ever so slightly different about this case and rather than spurn him immediately, he parted his lips to speak and then shut his mouth again. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure how to proceed and while a part of him sought to spurn her, instinct told him to do the exact opposite.
What kind of a male would he be if he threw her away?
"I see," he said finally, his ears swivelling round as he heard the approaching patter of paws that symbolised Tala was on her way back. "And who is to say that he would not come for you regardless of what protection we can offer you?" he murmured hesitantly. He wasn't about to say 'no' outright to the lioness, but he still needed to understand the risks involved with letting her back in.
"Mmmmgutzit," Tala announced as she puttered into view, her mouth full with a rather strange, leaf woven object. It was obviously full of water as the sloshing could be heard, but that didn't stop it from looking a little peculiar.
"Thirsty?" he added to Nana.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:57 pm
Nana figured that question would come up. She bit her lip, looking around with her blue eyes looking very worried. "I don't know... He has no clue where I am... I left in the night when he was gone... but... I just want a safe home to... have my babies grow up in... and for me... I recently lost my mate as well... I need a new place to start a new..." She coughed and rubbed her face with her paw for a moment. "I don't think he will come for me... but the farther away I am from him the better... and the father away they are... the safer." She looked very weary.
When the girl came back carrying some odd contraption, she chuckled gently, looking grateful. "I am... very thirsty." She swallowed. She wouldn't bring up her slight fear of falling into the river and not getting out; which went way back to her cub hood and to memories she could not recall. "Thank you very much. I have been so busy... I haven't even realized I wasn't eating or drinking... I have been with them the whole time." She sighed.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 2:10 pm
It was with great pleasure that Tala dropped the contraption at Nana's paws and scuttled away again, allowing the woven object to splay out in a similar fashion to a bowl. It wasn't completely water tight and some of the liquid had been lost in transit, but there was a reasonable amount left. Satisfied that she had completed her mission, she then took a seat beside IRaeneus who had a rather strange expression on his face. It wasn't often that the younster had seen him in such deep though and for that reason, she didn't dare interrupt him.
"Tala," he said finally and turned his gaze to the juvenile, his lips pursed. "Have you eaten enough today?" he continued and raised a brow. The juvenile returned his gaze, a confused expression upon her features as she attempted to figure out what on earth he was talking about.
"That's a silly question, you saw what I had to eat!" she announced, her head tilting to the side. Satisfied with this answer, Iraeneus returned his attention to Nana without explaining himself to the cub.
"How many cubs do you have?" he murmured at last and motioned towards where Nana had hidden her children. "I would be a fool to spurn one in need and I sincerely doubt the elders would appreciate it if I were so foolhardy as well," he confessed, offering a wry smile in the process. "You are understandably too weak to carry them, so Tala and I will assist you..."
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:12 am
Nana smiled gratefully down at the device the child had made in order to bring her water. She bent down and drank all that was the contents and sat back up, looking a bit refreshed. She looked to the small girl with the lovely butterflied hide. "Thank you dear."
She looked back up at Tala and wasn't sure what he was going to say. She knew the risks. She knew that 6 new cubs here might mean a few more mouths to feed... course she honestly didn't know anything about the pridelands. She was used to her old pride, being doted on by a god.. but... those times were past and she was not going to keep reliving the betrayal. She coughed. "I have 6 children." She said with sort of an exausted sigh. Seemed like every time she had children... there was a lot of them. She smiled soflty. "Thank you... I would appreciate that. They are rather rambunctious... and I warn you... they have... well.. they resemble their father with their markings... so don't be surprised." She said that mostly to the girl. She knew that the fiery markings might surprise some of the pride here.
She was used to such things. All but one of her last litter resembled their father, with glowing markings and wings. This time, there were a few that looked like her. "I haven't even named them... I have been..... I have been so occupied with just making sure they were okay."
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:35 am
Iraeneus couldn't quite understand the lioness's reason for warning him about the children's markings, but she obviously deemed it important. Whatever had happened to her and whatever experiences she had been through, she had a level of wariness that required it. Rather than push for further details, he simply nodded and flicked his gaze towards Tala who appeared to be expressing more curiosity than fear. He was relieved at this, as there were those within the pride that were so skittish that even the slightest of abnormalities would send them running for the hills.
"Six," he repeated and pursed his lips, glancing back and forth between Nana and Tala. "I can carry four of them safely on my back and the fifth in my mouth but..." he flicked his gaze back to Tala and smiled wrily. "You'll have to carry the last one, you happy with that kid?" he enquired.
"Suuuuuure am!" Tala announced enthusiastically and gave a wiggle of her rump, puttering forward once more in an expectant fashion. "That means Momma Nana can take a breather, right?" she added, peering up at her 'teacher' for the day.
"Exactly," he agreed and turned his attention back to Nana. "If you are comfortable with that, of course."
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:49 am
She nodded simply. "of course. I can carry one too if that is to much trouble for you Iraeneus..." She said looking very grateful for their help. She hadn't been too sure how to bring her babies to the pride, it had crossed her mind to wait til they could walk and bring them; but.. she wanted them safe and not in a hollowed out old log.
"Thank you... both of you... I couldn't have done it without either of you. Especially you young lady..." She looked down to Tala and smiled. "Shall we go to them?" She said and turned to go back towards the hollowed out log.
She was so beyond happy to know that soon her brood would be safe... and rambunctiously playing in the pridelands.
Think this can be a wrapped up rp
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:55 am
[[Yep, I think we can consider this one wrapped up! =) ]]
"It's no trouble," Iraeneus murmured reassuringly as he padded towards the hollowed out log, Tala close on his heels. The progress would be slow to begin with while he balanced all the cubs on his back, but once he had settled them all into position and made certain Tala was comfortable with her own charge, things would be fine.
Thus, he and Tala wasted no time in approaching the hollow. One by one the cubs were placed onto his back and a final one settled in his mouth, while Tala elected to carry one in her own. It was bound to be a rather unusual sight for onlookers, but at least the children would be moved sooner rather than later and their mother could begin her recovery.
...And even Tala had a story to tell when she got home, it wasn't every day a juvenile got to help a visitor in this way!
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