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 Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 12:41 pm
 
Sion ||
The pair walked in silence as they passed into the border of the pridelands. Sion watched the mother and son companions he had taken under his wings until they were dots in the horizon. There were other lions about, far too many to count, each with their own daily activities. Here and there, he spotted even hybrids. Half-lions, half leopards co-existing happily enough with their kin-cousins. It was comforting enough, but this was not his home. On rare occasion he would spot a behavior that seemed.... odd. Perhaps it was the distance and he misinterpreted what was occurring. Every pride would have its own structure and traditions. For the most part, it seemed there was little for most to do. Surely there were hunting parties out and about but in a land as populated as this, the hunters would have to travel quite a way to find game. It must have been a difficult position.
It was organized. But it was chaos as well.
He glanced back to Maa-nefer and offered her a smile. "Thank you again for your hospitality. This is twice you have seen to me. With luck, I will repay you for your kindness one day."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:30 pm
Maa-nefer ||
It was shaping up to be a beautiful day in more ways than one, and most of the pride was out in force to enjoy it, it seemed. The grass licked at their legs as they walked, something that had taken the female at Sion's side some time to adjust to. Solid ground in place of shifting sands, and a mild, almost chilly climate in comparison to the scorching heat of the desert. Her coat was slowly beginning to grow in a bit thicker.
Maa-nefer felt much more relaxed as the four parted ways. It had less to do with their surroundings and more to do with the privacy that was alotted them for conversation.
"But you have already, by coming back to see me again. That's all that I could really ask for."
Companionship in return for kindness, seemed a fair "price".
"Well... that's not entirely true, I guess." The ammendment came after a very short pause, and once again her eyes returned to Sion next to her. "I am pretty curious if you've seen anything interesting during your travels."
As it turned out- as was only natural -it turned out that the most fascinating part about their journey to the Pridelands was the journey itself. There were storytellers but Maa could never really shake the sensation that there was something missing.
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 5:34 pm
Sion ||
He chuckled quietly. His company was hardly a reward for an act such as providing a meal, a place to sleep, safety, and the strength to continue down his road. Maa seemed almost as idealistic as he was but far less realistic. In a way, it was endearing. She held onto a childlike innocence that only cubs seemed to retain. To see it still alive and well in an adult was a rare and quite beautiful thing.
"I made a promise." He repeated playfully. "And I'm a lion of my word. Even the poorest of us can be wealthy if we give value to our words and oaths."
He paused as she second guessed herself and raised a curious brow. Her question was a decent one, and one that had many answers. What was interesting to him, however, might come off as a bore to her.
"Interesting? Let's see..." He tilted his head a little. "I saw much of the landscape west of here. There were places that looked like they had once been inhabited only to have come to ruin. Carvings in stone, long dried bones, cracked ground, brown grasses. I happened upon a few traveling minstrels and listened to their tales. Prides that fade into the mists like ghosts, prides that crack stone with their bare paws, prides from the deserts and prides that live in the mountains." He smiled a little. "And then I saw the sea."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:13 pm
Maa-nefer ||
Sion might not know it, but upon hearing those words Maa-nefer decided to hold onto them for later. It was a good philosophy to live by, and one that she'd meditate on and revisit before making any promises or oaths of her own in the future, near or far.
Her step took on a playful bound for a moment, one, two, three strides, and she turned to walk backwards for a bit as she listened to his answer. It was all of interest to her, really, being an imaginative creature. She tried to picture some of the places he described and wondered briefly if his travels had taken him near her old homelands, or Gaddith's. They shared a desert but there was a great, great deal of distance between them. It seemed possible. It was the last landmark, however, that set her eyes alight.
"The sea? Gosh, that must have been amazing. It's the one place I wish we'd had time to see on our way here."
She righted her direction then, pausing long enough for them to be on even footing again before falling back into step at his side.
"I've only heard stories about it, how it goes on, and on like the desert, but blue, and much more alive. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in person."
And that wasn't all, besides that-
"You've been busy. You must have learned about quite a few different lifestyles and cultures by now." She observed with interest, grinning over at him.
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:55 pm
Sion ||
He watched her romp ahead of him, bubbly and full of life. His eyes softened and his stride lost some of the formality that it had taken on a moment ago. A part of him wanted to play as well, to run and just laugh but he had never known how to play as a cub. As an adult he knew he would look quite foolish if he tried, perhaps losing some credibility along with it. For the moment, he was content to watch and imagine.
His eyes went distant as she mentioned her having wanted to see the sea itself. He wished, quietly, that he had brought her along. The sea was beyond description. Even the best poet couldn't properly compose a description that would do it justice. "It's beautiful." He affirmed with a short nod. "It goes forever, shining under the sun. Waves roll up over the aquamarine surface, catching the light and sparkling like a thousand gems. There's a strange smell unlike anything else, and the sand there is damp and cool under one's paws. It's quite unlike anything."
He shrugged. "I avoid the pride's borders. I hear only stories from a traveling rogue or a minstrel. I couldn't judge them all on here-say. What about you? Anything of note here?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:32 pm
Maa-nefer ||
"It sounds absolutely breathtaking..."
The sigh was one of contentment, or nearly. She still longed desperately to see it, now more than before, but at least hearing a fresh second hand account added a bit of fuel to the fire of her imagination. Her step retained a light sort of pep to it, not nearly a prance, but something that hinted at the same type of boundless energy. It only faltered a little when the question was turned to her.
"Here?"
Of course here- where else?
"Hmm... in some ways it isn't all that different from home, not on the surface. Some of the pride stays at Pride Rock, there, but mostly everyone makes their dens and homes anywhere throughout the pride lands. It's all very open... They do have a storyteller here, almost like our scribes back home, except that rather than just teaching history she teaches the cubs life lessons through fables and tales."
But she didn't have anything nearly so grand to recount as what Sion did, and she was a bit sorry for that.
"... Honestly, it is wonderful here, but..."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:57 pm
Sion |
"It seems a bit over whealming. So many strangers, I doubt you could possibly know all of them." And how a leader kept charge of them, he wouldn't begin to know. There would be wisdom in appointing some minor nobles, dividing up the territory and allowing some others to shoulder the burden- under the proper authority of course. The concerns of a large population often fell on deaf ears without a clear line of communication to the top.
He looked back to his companion to find her somewhat deflated. She didn't seem unhappy, not at all, but there was something there. A lack of fulfillment? Excitement? He wasn't certain.
"It's safe here." He offered gently. "It seems you've found a way in with good folk in a land strong enough to support them. Not all prides have that blessing. But-" He relented, "It must be an adjustment. It's not....home."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 9:57 pm
Maa-nefer ||
"..." No, she shook her head in answer. It really wasn't. Not wanting to come across as ungrateful or fickle meant she'd have to chose her words with some care. She also didn't want to come across as judgemental of the lifestyle. Maa-nefer meant what she said: What they'd managed and maintained here was wonderful, but.
"That's just it, I guess. I feel like I've gotten lost in all the unfamiliar faces here. We were told that the only positions available were for hunters. Matifu adjusted just fine, but I just can't seem to."
One really only had to look out and see the mass number of lions roaming about to see why such a ruling was currently in place. Surely this place needed hunters more than anything else with all the mouths to feed.
"I didn't expect for it to be so crowded, I think... Back home one might not know every single creature living there, but it still felt... I don't know, connected, I guess?"
She turned her gaze back to the stone landmark looming in the center of the lands- the center of the pride, a hub of activity in its own way.
"I thought at first that maybe I was just feeling home sick, but it's more than that. My siblings and I, we were brought up and taught that we should put our idle time to use by finding ways to ease or better the lives of our pridemembers. I don't really know how to explain it, but I can't do that here. Can I? Is it really my place to?"
Maa-nefer was accustomed to spending most of her day helping or being productive somehow. She wondered if she didn't simply sound childish for thinking that way, or if it made some sense.
"I want to do... more. I just don't know where to start."
She wanted to feel needed in some capacity, she supposed. That WAS a bit selfish, wasn't it?
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:28 pm
Sion ||
He could well understand that. He had left his homeland behind him and with that action came a world of uncertainty and opportunity. Sometimes the two walked side by side and sometimes the difference between the two was as subtle as a soft sigh. Even in a place as hellish as his homeland, the comfort of familiarity was nothing to scoff at. It was powerful and at times it was a lion's worst enemy. It clung to the heartstrings and the mind, whispering that the world beyond it was so strange and different that it would be easier just to live in the hell one knew than it was to take the chance to find a better place.
He was glad he had taken that chance. There was nothing for him back there and everything ahead, if he was fortunate enough to find it. This didn't seem to be Maa's case. "It's very hard to pull away from something we know and risk living with something we don't." He said gently. "From what I understand, you left because you had love ones that left. Torn between loosing a homeland and those who you share your heart with is a difficult decision, but you chose the later. With them, you have a piece of your home."
He looked out to the pride lands and winced. Only hunters? A life couldn't simply exist in such a narrow scope. What did they do when they weren't hunting? Hunting itself required skill, strength, and cunning. Not all lions were cut out for it and even then it was horribly dangerous. Life wasn't meant to be lived simply to continue living. It was troubling to hear they didn't have musicians, performers, someone to make life a little more interesting. "I see... well that must be quite the adjustment."
He looked back to her. "Well sometimes starting is when you have the thought to make a change."
He glanced back, almost thoughtfully, and fell into silence. After what might have been only a few moments he looked back to her. "I'm going to form a kingdom."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:52 pm
Maa-nefer ||
His initial words seemed familiar, probably because she'd tried reminding herself of the very same thing. Not only that, but she'd started them out on this path with her desire to see more of the world. To go to them now and say that she wasn't happy where they'd chosen to settle seemed ridiculous. The land was peaceful, prosperous- somehow they didn't seem to be hurting for food or water, and in the weeks she'd spent there she'd yet to encounter any cruel or malicious creatures... so why, then, did it seem so hard for her to make her peace and settle down?
Make a change... Sion was right, but these weren't her family's lands, how much change could she make without overstepping her welcome?
All of her thoughts were brought to a halt with his next words, though. Blinking away her surprise she turned her attention back to him. When she really thought about it it made some sense. He'd been a bit vague about where he was going and why, but he had returned with two companions very invested in his safety. All of her thoughts about fitting into the pridelands were immediately forgotten, seeming rather insignificant all at once.
"You are?"
It was more a prompt in the hopes that he would elaborate than actual doubt.
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:01 pm
Sion ||
The change in topic seemed to lighten her mood. At least...it changed it from being down and somewhat lost to interested and curious. It was a start. Perhaps he was getting a little ahead of himself but Maa-nefer was a trustworthy friend, at least he had deemed her so. Even only having met her twice, he trusted her. Vilhelm would scold him for his being naive and perhaps he was to some extent. He wanted to believe in the good of others, and Maa had not given him any reason to distrust her.
"I am." He nodded as he said it. She expected more by her expression and perhaps it was time she knew a little about himself. She had told him everything of her past all while he had sat politely, ignoring his own history.
"I was born the b*****d son of a noble. In my homeland, that's as good as a death sentence. Bastards are a stain on any noble house. It shows that they lack control. It also has historically posed a threat on legitimate heirs. Good kingdoms have fallen in the hands of bad lions who feel...entitled. I grew up fearing for my life nearly every day. This only deepened when my mother passed away."
He looked away and took a short breath. Even after all this time, it hurt to remember her. She hadn't wanted to leave him, but she made every effort to smile for him, even with her last breath.
"I want a kingdom where your blood does not determine your value. A place where nobles look their people in the eye rather than looking down their nose at them. I decided long ago that if I wanted things to change, I would have to make said change myself. I cannot expect someone else to take on a burden I myself am unwilling to shoulder."
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:23 pm
Maa-nefer ||
Whether it was intentional or not he had successfully diverted her thoughts away from her thoughts on her usefulness to her new pride. She listened with rapt attention as he went on, expression growing saddened for a moment as he revealed that he had been put in such danger simply for being born. None of their travels had taken them through any such territory, and she'd yet to encounter anyone who came from such a land. The worst that she could readily recall was the recent history of the Dawnwalkers and their enslavement to the vultures that had once been their allies. This was a different matter. And even then she knew that not all pharoh's in her pride's history had been nearly as kind and gracious as her own father. A dozen questions seemed ready to spring forth even before he'd finished explaining, but Maa-nefer held her silence and listened just as he had done for her the first time they met.
"Sion..."
It was a quiet murmur once everything he'd said had truly sunk in. She couldn't imagine facing that kind of discrimination and hatred simply because of status. Even so, just hearing about it seemed to make her insides feel hot with a stab of anger, or maybe frustration. How many prides existed out there that practiced such barbaric beliefs?
And then, also, she'd already known that he was kind, but it seemed that even then she'd underestimated some the depths of that kindness. And here she was fretting about not having enough useful ways to pass the time, being too afraid to leave her friends behind to return to the same life she'd always known. Suddenly she felt a fierce swell of fondness and the urge to be there with him on his journey, to offer whatever support she could- but... was that also just childish fancy talking?
"That's what you've been doing these last months, isn't it? Looking for a place to start? For others to join you...?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:31 pm
Sion ||
He waved a paw dismissively. "I didn't tell you any of this for sympathy. It's the life I led, simple as that. I've not met one lion who hasn't shared their own pains with me during these past few months. The shadows of the past haunt all of us in our own ways. Some of us let it rule us, others use it as a foundation to stand on." He shook his head. "You left a good home, a good family, a good place that was familiar and dear to you. You left a status behind you to become a common huntress. That shows a lot of your character. You are willing to sacrifice much for the friends you keep close. While you left your title behind, you define noble in your heart."
He looked back to her and gave a short bow of his head. "Noble..as in the true meaning of the word. Selfless. The word was originally given to those that should exhibit that quality for the sake of all. It's refreshing to know such lions still exist."
Her question earned a coy smile and a slight tilt of his head. "Yes of course. What is a king without a kingdom and what is a kingdom without citizens to live there?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:55 pm
Maa-nefer ||
Surprise after surprise. His reply didn't lessen those feelings, though, only seemed to make them more intense.
"With a goal like that you're sure to attract more than enough citizens to fill the kingdom."
Suddenly she wished that they'd met sooner. Last time he'd said he might have an alternative for her should she find her new life a poor fit, but she didn't want to assume the offer still stood unless he brought it up himself. She believed that such an ideal was possible, though, and she'd love to see it with her own eyes some day.
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Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:01 am
Sion ||
"A goal does not a kingdom make." He said a little bitterly. "There's far more to it, and even speaking of it could bring about danger. Unfortunately, for now, I have to draw fighters to my side. Securing a territory that has enough resources to sustain any number of carnivores is no small task. There are rogues that like to lay claim to the best territories. No land has gone unclaimed."
It was depressing, and conflicting to what he sought to achieve, to know that in order to secure a place for the outcasts, he would have to either coerce current residents to join him or force them from those territories. Prides weren't the only contenders for prime lands either. There were leopards who kept large ranges of territories and guarded them fiercely. There were wild dogs, hyenas, and at times the best territories were breeding grounds for preybeasts. Dangerous preybeasts. Gazelles and bison were one thing, but elephants were another. They were relentless in their aggression and would not suffer to listen to the words of a predator. They loved the water sources and guarded them with their lives. Even the strongest of lions or the largest of prides couldn't contend with that.
"So now you know. So far, I have only Kefira and Vilhelm. They know of the dangers, but they were born in the wilds. Both have suffered greatly just to remain alive. They are willing to fight a little longer if it means they gain a home." He watched her quietly. "I would... have you join me, but the danger is too great. I could not offer you any promise of protection or happiness currently."
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