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 Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:24 am
Skuld’s understanding words in the face of Fenja’s cowardice (at least that’s how she was silently summing it up) somehow managed to make the bright lioness feel even more guilty and ashamed. Even if she couldn’t fight the logic, the emotional side kept her from fully embracing the relief that Skuld’s next words brought her.
“I’m glad. I hope you do win.” She blurted out before realizing how childish she sounded. “I mean, you seem nice… your pride is probably nice, too…” then she laughed, head raising and glimmering as the the sunlight touched it from various angles. “But I don’t know anything about your pride or the ones you’re fighting! What a silly thing to say…” she looked a little amused as her eyes sought a bird in the distance, almost as if the creature had been the one doing the talking.
“Skuld… what… who are the spirits?” The older lioness had called her a “young spirit” before and now she was talking about spirits again. Fenja was already standing up as if she was reading herself to leave but she couldn’t prevent her curiosity from asking that one last question.
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Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:30 am
Skuld could feel a nervous energy signalling that this meeting would soon come to an end, but the young lioness was apparently not prepared to leave just yet. She couldn't help but smile as Fenja rambled on and then laughed at her own words. Offering trust too easily could be dangerous, but it could be equally dangerous to go through life without daring to trust anyone, and Skuld hoped that Fenja wouldn't meet anyone who would abuse the almost cub like trust she displayed at times.
"We're all silly at times," she said with a pensive smile and then stretched her forelegs gingerly, "That's what makes us lions."
The next question was one she had heard many times, both from curious cubs and from adults. She enjoyed wandering and had done a lot of it when she was younger, and in meeting outsiders she had done her fair share of explaining.
"Every lion has a spirit," she started, "Yours is young and flighty. It can't seem to decide if it should be calm or fiery or if it should run like a coward when faced with difficulties."
She tilted her head and studied Fenja's brilliant coat for a moment. Yes, it was all there. Warm colours, cold ones and even the slightest hint of a disgraceful green. But she decided not to judge Fenja by the mistakes her spirits had made in its last life. It was still very young and hopefully she would find a way to redeem herself.
"Spirits are also all around us," she continued and made a sweeping motion with her paw, "They cling to this world even after the body dies, and the spirit realm will often affect our life. That's why we will always try to figure out what the spirits want and appease them with offerings."
She decided against telling Fenja more about the nature of these offerings, and about the important role of the Sacrifices. Some lions she met while wandering had been interested to join her pride, but she sensed that this young lioness was just curious and eager to learn something new. There was a restlessness about her spirit that would keep her going until she found the proper place and time. Be it in this life or next.
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Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:07 pm
Fenja really was just interested in learning a little bit about the Mizimu (as she did with most of the friendly prides she encountered) but she wasn’t even going to settle down to listen. He was still standing when her ears shot forward and the bright female began to take in every word that came out of the older lioness’ mouth with a smile. And as quickly it had appeared her curious expression suddenly vanished and Fenja visibly flinched.
Flighty. Fiery. Coward? Perhaps. After the… incident she hadn’t stopped moving around from place to place without ever looking back. Behind her fiery mask, she could really just be running away… avoiding everything that might remind her of her old pride. Still, she could have easily passed it all off as a very non-specific mambo jumbo but the idea that the spirits of the departed could linger around them in the same plane of existence was a little too much for her to bear. She wasn’t even going to pretend she believed such a thing to be possible… or perhaps she just refused to believe.
“I hope they’re not. I don’t think the spirits would be very happy with me…” she said quietly looking around worriedly as if expecting a shape to form right beside them. No offering would appease them, if they truly were around, she figured. For a minute Fenja had half assumed Skuld had been describing Gods, the winged ones, those mysterious gifted lions she’d heard so much about. But this was clearly not it. There was a religious connotation on the older lioness’ words and Fenja knew better than to openly challenge a pride’s beliefs.
As for offerings… she’d seen other prides do that sort of thing. When she was younger and roaming about alone, she’d be really annoyed when lions gave food offerings to whatever end their beliefs required. Burning fresh kills, throwing food offerings into canyons, a million ways to waste perfectly edible food. A young lioness alone often went hungry so she wasn’t too keen on the whole “offering” matter but she decided not to speak against the Mizimu customs. It was a very good thing Skuld chose not to elaborate on the matter because the younger lioness’ reaction would definitely have been less than friendly.
And she was indeed restless. And slightly uncomfortable now that she’d got the spirit talk. She regretted asking anything in the first place, as she’d suspected she would. But it was too late now and her mood was getting downright fowl, something she liked to prevent Skuld from noticing.
“Well, I guess this is where we part ways then, huh?” she managed to force a smile but she wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all herself.
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:02 am
Skuld could see that she had hit a nerve, but she wasn't sure what the lioness had been bothered by. Was it her statement that she had a conflicted spirit, or Fenja's newfound knowledge that the spirits of the dead were all around them? For someone ignorant about the Spirits the concept that the dead might be watching could be more than a little bit disturbing. The Spirits knew that she wasn't happy with every choice she had made in her life, but she tried not to dwell on it and hoped that the spirits could see that she had learned from her own mistakes.
"Many Spirits cling to the life they once lived," she said, trying in her own way to offer some comfort, "The Spirits around us belong to this place and I don't think they have reason to be upset at us."
She closed her eyes, trying to feel the mood of the Spirits without the aid of her bones. The knowledge that her enemies were close made her skin prickle but this place and these rocks felt safe enough. At least not hostile. She opened her eyes again, offering a small smile. Fenja wanted to get away, and it was unfair for her to try to keep her here. The company had been nice and she was grateful that the Spirits had sent this lioness her way.
"Yes... It's time for you to continue your journey," she said, "The Spirits in this place are wary but not hostile. They say it's safer for you to go that way."
Skuld motioned in a direction away from the Mizimu and away from what she knew was rebel territory. No need for Fenja to get mixed up in a war that was not hers to fight.
"We might meet again if it's the will of the Spirits."
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:57 pm
Fenja was already slowly backing away from the older lioness apparently unwilling to turn her back on her – afraid, perhaps, of being chased by “Skuld’s spirits” – not really finding much comfort in further discussing the ethereal beings. It might be that her own spirits were attached to another place (and she had a pretty good idea where that place would be) but she didn’t know if news travelled fast in the spirit world and if word of her actions had reached these lands. Wait, spirit world…? What the h--- was she thinking?!
She barely contained a snort, frowning at the strange nature of her own thoughts - thoughts that were certainly caused by Skuld's ease in discussing matters she liked to avoid. Cautious as always, the bright lioness took Skuld’s (slightly creepy) advice with a tilt of her head, visibly wondering if she could trust it. But it wasn’t long before she decided she could. It might be naïve of Fenja, but she was quite certain the older lioness wouldn’t knowingly put her in danger and she finally turned to walk away.
“Goodbye, Skuld. Perhaps we will.” Fenja’s tone was lighter and this time her smile came out less forced but she was silently making note never to approach the Mizimu lands again. And with a final nod she started stepping away from the older lioness (which saddened her a bit), away from these lands where lions believed in spirits (it didn’t quite bother her as much to leave them behind) and towards the rogue lands where she lived.
(the end? xD)
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