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 Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 1:43 pm
They were almost to the mountains now and Andama finally let everybody stop to rest. The cubs were not old enough for lengthy trips yet and she was still sore and limping from the fight the previous night. Though they were out in the open, Andama let herself relax, laying in the grass with her cubs napping by her side. They would be outside the borders in no time now, this was the last she would see of the Mwezi'Johari.. and she didn't find it as sad as she thought. Perhaps she had finished all of her crying last night but this wasn't home anymore, knowing Shangyue was really King now.
Humming a quiet song, as much for herself as her cubs, she stared off in the distance to the home she was leaving behind.
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 1:58 pm
She hadn't slept well at all last night, and when the sun rose, all she felt the desire to do was escape. Perhaps if she went out hunting, she'd be able to shake some of her distress off. She'd be away from all these volatile people, so familiar on the outside but acting so horribly strange. By herself, she hoped to regain some of her equilibrium. Maybe. Hopefully.
So it was that she was ranging quite far from the dens, eyes scanning for prety, paws seeming to move of their own. Somehow the motion of moving, loping, traveling, kept her uneasy thoughts at bay. She could stop thinking about the recent craziness, of murders, of angry slaves, of fights and blood and betrayals. She was snapped out of her reverie though by the sight of another lion. Was that.. no, surely not? She broke into a lope to approach the other lioness. "Princess?" she called softly as she neared, her voice uncertain and almost fearful.
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 2:07 pm
Andama started at the sudden voice calling out to her- but when she focused on the lioness approaching, she felt silly. The voice was soft and sweet, hardly worth being frightened by- and she recognized the lioness, though she couldn't recall her name. She was certain, though, that it was one of Orion's daughters. Something she might not have remembered so easily if not for the strange turn that little portion of her own family had taken in all of this.
Still, that didn't mean this wasn't something to take seriously. Andama had hoped to sneak away completely unnoticed. And her intention to leave had to be clear, not only was she getting close to the borders but she had brought her cubs with her-- and, if you knew what happened the night before, it made sense.
"Good morning," she called back, trying and failing to hide a worried frown, unsure what else to say yet.
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:00 pm
Spiralia crept nearer, ears folding in distress. "Princess... are you okay?" Though the adolescent had stayed very clear of all the chaos and fighting the night before, she had still witnessed it all. By nature she was a supporter of the way things used to be... this new way of life was entirely too volatile for the likes of her. In truth, if the Great Lion had known her better, Spiralia probably would have made an excellent slave. Regardless, her heart had gone out to the new mother who had stood up against the powerful aspiring king. And now here she was, with her cubs, heading out of the pride. "Oh Princess, what is going on?"
She flopped to the ground near to the tan lioness, looking anxious and worried. Her hide twitched as if flies were biting her incessantly. She glanced over at the sleeping cubs with a softened but no less worried expression. "Are you taking them somewhere safer?" Somehow she couldn't stop herself from firing off question after question, though she now realized that she hadn't given the lioness any chance to reply to her. Chagrined and embarrassed, she ducked her head and folded her ears more, whiskers slicked back and pupils wide.
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Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:22 pm
It became apparent very quickly that the young lioness was anxious and frightened but certainly not a threat. In fact, Andama doubted if she had been found by Orion, even as a royal guard, and been in any trouble. Though her paranoia was not without reason, it was hard not to let it go in the presence of the uneasy adolescent.
"Yes, we're leaving the pride," she said, focusing only on the last question she was asked and speaking in a quiet, calm voice having recently been reminded that her cubs were old enough to notice and understand more than it seemed, "I don't think it's safe for us to stay here anymore, and I'm sure the King won't be sad to see us go."
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:06 am
Safe. It was a word that Spiralia longed for but wasn't feeling anymore. Her home seemed the antithesis of it, in fact. Her yellow-tipped tail flicked nervously as an idea crept up on her. Maybe home wasn't home anymore. Maybe... should she? Could she/ She sent an anxious look over her shoulder, back towards the heart of the pride. She worried for her sisters, her Cloudpaw and Moonheart. But they had always seemed stronger than her, bolder and wiser. Moonheart even already had her own den! No, they would be alright. But would she?
She looked back to the princess who watched her so carefully. Fear, worry, determination... they all lurked there in the older lioness' eyes, though she held herself with dignity and poise. How sorely Spiralia wished she could do the same! "Do... do you need help?" she asked softly, still pitching her voice low as if afraid that it would carry to unwanted ears. She looked to the sleeping cubs and her ears came up just a little. "I could help hunt and look after the babies," she added hopefully, trying not to think too hard about what she was asking. To leave was very nearly as terrifying as the madness that had come over the pride.
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 7:56 pm
Andama's eyes had wandered down to her cubs, thinking about how hard the trip would be for them, how she couldn't do much to make it easier for them. She wasn't a rogue and she was injured, she'd do well to keep them fed let alone moving at a reasonable pace. It had to be adrenaline that got her this far out already, she was in danger the longer she stayed here. She sighed, looking back over to Spiralia, seeing the conflict in her eyes, watching her carefully, guessing whatw as going through her mind.
She offered a small, encouraging smile.
"You would be doing me a favor by coming along," she said without hesitation, deciding it was best not to openly question the young lioness's motivation but encourage the choice she seemed to have made for herself, "I don't know where we're going but you're welcome to come along and help us figure it out."
It was a struggle not to think about her cousin and how he might feel about her taking away one of his daughters.
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 12:34 pm
"Oh!" Spiralia wasn't sure what she had wanted or expected the princess to say, but her own reaction was one of surprise with no little anxiety mixed in. So this was it. The point of no return. Did she help the escaping princess and her precious little ones, leaving her family... possibly for forever? Was she really willing to do that? She cast a nearly frantic look behind herself, towards the pride's dens, now completely out of sight. Did she dare?
But was was the alternative? Her whole hide shuddered at the thought of all the violence and chaos that had been going on. This wasn't home anymore. It wasn't safe, wasn't reliable, was outright scary! Scarier than running away into the wilds with a mother and cubs? She swung her face back to Andama, seeing the tension but also the strength that lay in her. A mother with her cubs.... that was supposed to be the most reliable of relationships. A last glance over her shoulder as she reminded herself that she was no longer her mother's cub any more.
"I will follow you wherever you decide to go," she said softly, giving the older lioness as steady a look as she could manage, though her yellow tail-tip trembled greatly. Her attitude was deferential, despite the princess' offer for Spiralia to help decide where they would end up. "Do you need to rest more, or is it time to move?" she asked, ears flicking back towards the pride as she thought about how vulnerable they would be, so close to the pride still. Scared as she was, she was more adaptable than she gave herself credit for. Already she was shifting her thinking to align herself with Andama instead of the pride. "What can I do?"Ecavi My apologies for the long delay!
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 1:39 pm
Andama stayed silent while Spiralia thought out her offer, letting her work through whatever she needed to work through before settling on a decision. She had no interest in coercing anybody into joining her but she wouldn't question anybody's judgement of what was best for themselves, especially since Spiralia didn't look like she was making this decision lightly. And however Orion and Halili reacted, well.. Andama and Spiralia wouldn't be here to see it.
"We need to get moving again soon," she said after Spiralia asked what they should do, looking down at the sleeping cubs thoughtfully. She hated to wake them up so soon, especially after their early start, but this was the most important part of their journey. Worse than waking them up, she wasn't sure how well she would be able to handle continuing on.. but at least she could push herself without so much guilt. With a grown-up companion, it should be easier not to let herself slow down too much.
"If you're sure, we can start now," she said, slowly untangling her feet from beneath her and pushing herself to stand painfully upright.OOC: No worries! <33 You can wrap it up and we'll start figuring out JRPs for them next :9
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:17 pm
This time she didn't look back. She merely nodded her assent and moved to where the cubs slept. With a glance to Andama for permission, she gently began nuzzling the cubs awake, encouraging them with soft words and soft touches. This was her new life, chosen freely, and she accepted it fully, now that she was taking her first steps along this long, unknown road. She had no illusions that this new life would be easy, but at least... at least it would be safer than what she'd left behind. All she needed to do to remind herself of that was to gaze at the painful way that Andama moved. She wanted no part of a world that would do that. Picking up an especially sleepy cub in her jaws, she padded after her new leader, mind focused on the here and now. Tomorrow could wait.
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