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 Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 1:31 pm
 He was pacing.
Hanu sighed, weary and unsure what to do at the moment. He was able to sneak away from the hyena’s for a bit. But, they were bound to expect him back at any minute, unfortunately. And if they saw him at the border…..he didn’t want to know what they may do to him. Yet, here he was. Walking along the border between the Mava’Bunda and the rogue lands.
The wild dog had a vain hope that someday he’d be able to pry himself away from the elephant graveyard. Join the others like him in the unknown lands. He wondered what they were like. Were they slaves to? Or were they the ones in power? How were the hyenas like there? How many other prides were there?
However; no mattered what questions ran through his head, he couldn’t muster up the courage to take the small step from the border and out into the unknown. It was too risky. The hyenas would find out and drag him back. He just couldn’t do. And so, he continued to pace.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 11:41 am
 It wasn't often that Aya left the Kikombe. He hadn't, actually, since he had first arrived. Before he and his sister had found the welcoming pride they had been roaming the rouge lands for nearly a year, trying to hunt down a pack of hyenas that had stolen their totems from the pack they had left as adolescents. Needless to say, Aya never found the totem that had been taken from him, but he had had quite a few adventures on the way to the Kikombe. One of those adventures had happened just before he and Mika had found the Kikombe, a few days journey from where they now called home. He had happened upon a rather lonely and scared female wild dog who had warned him to keep away for fear of being caught by the hyenas that ran the pride. He had stayed with her to give her a bit of company and left, not knowing what had become of her. He had, however, filled a request for her...and he wondered now if there was anything to be seen of it. So Aya walked west, towards the setting sun, for four days. The lands became less plentiful and soon it was somber and dingy. He remembered this place...it was the border of the pride. He was on high alert for any noise, and when some movement caught his eye the large wild dog froze. It wasn't until the wind changed and carried the scent to his nose that he relaxed. Another wild dog! He decided to try his luck. He walked slowly in the direction of the other male, keeping a safe distance while trying to get into ear shot. He waited a moment before moving a little closer, speaking up softly. "Hello," he said, tail wagging just a bit.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 10:17 pm
They said he had a faulty nose, and he supposed that they were right. There had been one too many times when it had been shoved in the dirt as a pup by the hyenas. Perhaps that was why he wasn't able to catch the other's scent at first. Or maybe it was because he wasn't paying much attention to that area, and had already turned the other way.
In any case, he was caught by surprise when he heard a hello, his ears suddenly becoming more sharp and alert. Hanu whipped his body around, going rigid. Perhaps it was another hyena coming to drag him back into the pride, maybe it was a dangerous rogue that he had heard tales about. Whatever the case was, the wild dog was going to make sure that he was ready, even if he was originally caught off guard at first.
Stiff as a bone, he stared at the other carefully, glancing at him distrustfully. However; the male was no hyena. Just a wild dog, much like himself. Therefore, he relaxed, yet was still ready to pounce or flee if the sudden newcomer proved to be some sort of threat. He was no fool—just because the male was a wild dog did not mean that he was friendly. And if Hanu had learned anything with living in a pride full of hyenas, it was to never trust anyone. Not at first.
However; he was still curious about the full grown dog. And he didn’t seem that threatening----. So he caved into his curiousity. It never hurt to see what the other side was like.
“Who are you?” he asked, wariness seeping a bit out as he side glanced back at his pride. He didn’t seen anyone coming out and searching for him. Was that a good thing or a bad one? He wasn’t all that sure. Turning back, he stared at Aya quizzically, toeing the line between Mava’Bunda and the rogue lands. “Are you….a slave?” he asked slowly, unsure if he could even be asking such a question. But really, what did he have to lose?
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 6:07 am
Ayay waited for the other wild dog to calm down. He knew from experience that the wild dogs here were jumpy and nervous, and that was okay. Each pride ran differently, after all. While he was glad he wasn't a slave, he understood that some wild dogs accepted it and did as they were told. If he had thought about it more he might have made the connection to being a slave to his sister...but no. That was way different. "I'm Aya," he said with a friendly smile as he sat down, diminishing any aggressive stance he might have achieved by remaining standing. "I'm not a slave, no. I'm from out there." He waved a paw back in the direction he'd come. He didn't want to get this guy in trouble, so telling him the finer points of being free was something he'd keep to himself. "I was around this area...oh....a year or so ago, and I was just coming to check up on someone," he said, flicking his tail happily. "You wouldn't happen to know a wild dog by the name of Kelello, would you?" As he spoke with the wild dog he began to notice some similarities. His eyes were quite like his own, as was the brown coloration on his fur. Still, it was best not to get his hopes up.
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 7:58 pm
"Aya." He repeated, not having heard of such a name. Not even knowing why he was saying it in the first place. Dumbly, he watched the other male very warily. He didn't seem like a threat. His posture and gestures weren't foreboding, which was a good sign. But there was no telling what intentions the male had. Still, he was sitting. So with one last glance at his pride, he took a few steps forward, crossing the line from pride into rogue lands.
'The hyenas are going to tear me from limb to limb.' The wild dog gulped thickly, wide storm coloured eyes sweeping back to the elephant graveyard. No, he was safe. He was fine. The others were busy doing their own thing. A few moments just outside the boundaries wouldn't hurt. However....if he was caught...
Hanu shook his head. Now wasn't the time for doubt. There was this Aya in front of him and he had such a dire need to talk to him.
His gaze shifted back towards the other, frowning in confusion. Not a slave? Then what are you?" he asked, shifting his legs nervously. He had an itch to pace but he swallowed it down. There wasn't a chance that he was going to sit down though. Too dangerous for that.
A surge of unsure excitement raced through his body then, and he grew rigid. Kellelo. Why, that was his mother. The one who had brought him up and taught him to survive with the hyenas. But what was Aya's intent? Why was he talking about his mother? What did he know? "Yeah, I do," what information should he give? Would it be okay to call her his mother? Hanu stared closely at Aya, and after a few beats, caved. "She's my mother. Why do you ask?"
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Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 3:45 pm
Aya had no issues with the other wild dog being so twitchy. He knew the pack of hyenas here ruled with iron paws, and he was pretty sure the other male was risking a beating for being so close to the rouge lands and speaking to someone that wasn't a slave. He was about to reply to the initial question when his own was answered and he felt his heart leap. His mother?! "Oh!" He stared a bit harder at the other wild dog, his eyes and coloration starting to mean a lot more. His tail began to wag furiously as excitement bubbled up within him, his own questions starting to spill forth. "Your mother? How is she? Do you have brothers and sisters? How many? How old are you? What's your name?" He finally put on the breaks, realizing this might come off as odd to the other wild dog. A weak laugh followed him taking a little scoot back, hopefully easing any tension he might have brought between them. "Ah...sorry. I...um. I know her. I met her about a year or so ago. And I'm from another pride, the Kwa Kikombe. I was a rouge when I met Kelello, though."
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:09 pm
Hanu stiffened in his spot at the utterance of oh. It was a simple expression, and could mean a slew of things, mostly positive. However; it still made him jump and harden his gaze at the stranger. There was no telling what the male’s intentions were. Perhaps it would have been best to stay behind the pride’s border. Aya may be wagging his tail and showing how excited he was, but that exuberant joy wasn’t something he was used to. Especially from a wild dog.
Taking a step or two back subconsciously, the wild dog listened on guard. Why did the male want to know so many things about his mother, his family, and most importantly, about him? It was a dog eat dog world out there, and if there was one thing Hanu wanted to be, it was to be on top.
“Why do you want to know?” he asked slowly, carefully, not sure if he could trust the male with such information. Just because he had met his mother in the past before didn’t mean that he was safe to be around. Hanu glanced back at the elephant graveyard. What he wouldn’t do to have his mother out here right now. It would make this meeting so much easier to deal with.
Distracted and unsure whether or not he could trust the male before him, Hanu turned towards Aya, curious stormy coloured eyes staring at the male inquisitively. ”What’s it like…in the Kwa?” Another pride besides the elephant graveyard and the pridelands. Expected, but then such a surprise. Maybe there was hope. Maybe he could move on eventually and run away someday.
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:44 pm
The other wild dog's body language let Aya know he'd been a bit too excited, so he quickly stifled his reactions. He cleared his throat, deciding to answer the second question first. The one that the wild dog had asked first was...well. It could be stepping on to dangerous turf. "The Kwa Kikombe is great," he said, trying to keep his energy reigned in. "It welcomes all types of animals and is based around this game called Kikombe. The pride members form teams to play the game. I'm trying to get a team together, myself," he added with a little grin of delight. "And other pride members that don't want to play can simply watch, or they can be coaches, medics, announcers...there's so much to do! It's like one big family." He paused, letting out a slow breath. Right. This was it. "I...your mother asked me to do her a favor while I was here. She didn't want to be alone, and she didn't want me to stay for fear of being captured and turned slave as she was. So...I offered my help in giving her pups. I wasn't sure if she had had any so...I wanted to come by and see if she had."
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 4:50 pm
Hanu didn’t know what to think. His ears perked, shifting closer while canting his head slightly to the side as he stared at Aya. Kwa sounded great but too good to be true. Who would accept all animals into their lands? Wouldn’t that cause strife and a power struggle? Everyone couldn’t be equal in a pride. It wasn’t possible…right?
”Kikombe?” he asked, shaking his head. The word was foreign to his tongue. He didn’t have a clue what it was other than that it was a game that was played in teams. A bloody sport? He wouldn’t have doubted it. The hyenas were bound to have their fill of fun forcing them to play such a game. It sent shivers down his spine. But, Hanu stated that no one had to participate. Odd. Why would someone play the game if they weren’t forced to do it? ”What do you get out of it?”
It took a while for Hanu to process what Aya said. His brows rose up considerably, storm-blue eyes wide in shock. If he was here a year ago, and helped his mother give pups…then, well, that would make him his father, wouldn’t it? But his mother hadn’t said anything about their father. He just assumed that he was dead or long gone. That didn’t even want to see he and his siblings. Apparently his assumption was wrong. ”So….” Hanu gulped, tilting his head towards the other side and sat down in the dirt with a plop. ”You’re my…father?”
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 5:23 pm
Aya decided to forego the explanation of his pride as the other wild dog - his apparent son, nonetheless - plopped down into the dirt on his rear. The revelation was startling to himself, so he had to assume it was just as mind-blowing for the other male as well.
"It...ah. Well...I think so? I'm not positive...she might have. Um. You know. With someone else, too," he said awkwardly. "But we have the same eyes! And the same sort of color...I know your mother didn't have blue eyes like that," he added with a weak smile. "So um. There's a good chance that I am. I'm sorry I wasn't around...she didn't want me to stay. But I kept wondering if anything had become of that encounter, so I had to come back. I wasn't expecting to actually find anyone but...wow. First try and everything," he added with a little laugh.
He couldn't believe it. He was a father! Wow...Mika would be surprised to find out she was an aunt. Would she even believe him? Probably not.
"So...can I get your name now?" he asked with a tilt of his head. They continued to chat for a little longer, during which time he got his son's name, as well as the names of his other children, and learned that his friend was doing well. He had to split after that, hearing some hyenas not too far away. He promised to keep an eye out for any of his children that wanted to visit. Little did he know they weren't really allowed to leave.
[Just wrapping it up since it's so old]
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