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 Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:39 am
The goddess gave off a warm laugh, smiling at the younger Ela'wadiyi that lay before her. "Well, what do we have here? Tawa'di, have you been cub-snatching again?" the goddess teased, leaning forward to get a better look at the little juvenile. "Got yourself quite a handsome fellow there."
She leaned back again, turning her attention to the elder that sat before her. He was definately aging. Why did the good ones always seem to have to age faster?
"Nvwati talents, I assume? Doesn't surprise me, Tawa'di. You always were good at that. Even with your curséd seer-abilities." She gave him a sly smile, before settling down to business.
"I know you've called for help, Tawa'di. Not with your words, but with your heart. And I have answered. So offer your concern to me, nvwati of the Ela'waidyi pride."
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:07 pm
Adi'sa blushed and smiled bashfully at her compliment, feel the need to bow again to show his acknowledgement of her kind comment. Should he say something back? She was devastatingly pretty, like something from a dream.
"And you Goddess, sparkled brighter than the stars," he tried to sound impressive, his young mind only managing that simple compliment.
And then listened with rapt attention to the conversation that began to unfold. How would she help the Elder?
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 4:44 pm
The old Ela'wadiyi's face lightly flushed, obviously nervous if Mdhamana had really, truely heard what his mind had thought, of what she could assit them with. But no, not in front of the child.
"I am concerned on the status of the pride," he started off strongly. "There is so many of us elders, and very few of the younger children survived the migration. Even though we have gotten a few of the lost children, we are still in a very dangerous state. I wanted to ask you for your opinion, oh Goddess of the Wind, one who hears all." He gave her a very deep bow, enough that his bones creaked just enough to be heard.
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:16 am
The golden goddess raised her head up, peering at the nvwati before her. He was asking for something great, something that yes, the goddess could do, but it would require a great sacrifice. And she wasn't sure if the little one should be around to hear it.
A long, tense silence followed the goddess' thoughts before she spoke up.
"Nvwati, I have heard your plea. I have a solution that may work, but it will require a great sacrifice." She shot a little glance at the juvenile Ela'wadiyi with them. "And it is your choice for Adi'sa to hear these standards for what you ask of."
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:51 am
Adi'sa's head batted back and forth between the elder by his side, and the Goddess before him, an infallible smile on his maw. In all his short life, he could never have imagined that he'd be here in this spot, talking with a beautiful Goddess. Not even the stories that his grandmother had told him could compare to this moment.
But the tiniest amount of fear and doubt began to seep into this perfect little meeting. Sacrifice? What could she possibly mean? And Tawa'di's concern of the pride didn't fill the youngster with much hope either. Just what did Tawa'di have in mind?
"Elder...what does she mean 'sacrifice?' What could you sacrifice?" he asked, curiosity mixed with a slightly fanciful fear that Tawa'di was actually a cubnapper in disguise and was about to sacrifice HIM!
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:41 am
Tawa'di's ears swiveled over to listen to Adi'sa, his head soon following. "I could sacrifice many things, child. My eyes, my abilities. There are many things that can be sacrificed," he said grimly, eyeing the young lion in front of him. Well, this would really be something important....but let the child choose. "Do you want to stay, to hear what the goddess has to say? It is your decision, and you may either stay, or step off into the shadows until either one of us calls you back. I will not think of you less with either decision." His old, emerald eyes seeked to know what the child wanted to do. Tawa'di himself didn't know what the Goddess had in store, and thus couldn't help make the little Earth lion's decision.
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Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:49 am
Adi'sa looked horrified. To be asked to sacrifice something as important as sight or hearing or his special abilities...well it just didn't bear thinking about for the youngster. But he was too young to know or to realise that something like that should only happen in the most dire of cases.
At Tawa'di's question, Adi'sa took an instintual step back, letting his feet do the talking.
But he stopped.
He looked back to the shadows outside the Stargrove, to the darkness of ignorance and not-knowing. Did he want that? Did he want to forever live knowing that he wouldn't have seen what happened here? What of future generations who wanted to know? They would forever be in that darkness too. Adi'sa knew only too well what it felt like not-knowing and the fear it caused.
Fighting against every fibre in his body that told him to run and hide, he stood his ground. He looked terrified and truly troubled, but he chose to stay.
"I'll...stay..."
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:19 am
Mdhamana'kinyamkela gave a grin to the child, pleased that he had decided to stay. "Good boy," she said mildly, and turned back to Tawa'di.
"Tawa'di Kanati, last nvwati of the Ela'wadiyi pride, you have decided to heed my offer. You will have a month's time to reply to my offer, and counsel with any you wish."
The goddess cleared her throat, and settled in a bit more. It was obvious that she was nervous on what to ask, but it was what she had to say.
"I will offer you myself as a way to ensure that the Ela'wadiyi generations carry on. I will carry your children, in exchange for your knowledge and life. I will live with them until they are old enough to take care of themselves, teaching them everything possible," she said calmly, though she knew it was a lot to ask. But he was asking for just as much, and it needed an equal exchange.
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:47 am
Tawa'di's initial reaction was a very strong mix. He was intrigued by what the goddess had to offer to him, but his life? He would never grow to see his children, nor finish the training of Adi'sa. What would he do? His mind was in a flurry of mixed emotions, and so the old lion kept quiet as he drowned in his conflicting thoughts. Perhaps if the young lion next to him would speak up, it would shake him away, and into an answer.
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:25 am
The goddess' comment reassured Adi'sa that he was doing the right thing. He himself did not truly comprehend his reasons for staying - since when was it a young cub's perogative to think of future generations? There was just something inside telling Adi'sa that this was important.
And the goddess' words only made that more clear.
His life? This elder, whom he'd only just met but felt a need to be around, had been asked to forfeit his life? In exchange for cubs. Cubs that were sorely needed in this pride, that much was obvious. But what kind of trade was that?
Had Adi'sa been in that position, he would not know what to say. But neither could her know just what Tawa'di had seen in his lifetime. All Adi'sa knew was that he didn't want to see the elder go so soon.
"Elder...you can't go...can you?" he asked, with sorrowful eyes. "You are the last one, I'll...never be as wise as you..."
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:56 am
Mana gave the two of them a sorrowful look, though she knew that was she asked would only be fair. She would be giving up a length of time to live in these lands, to stick with the cubs, and Adi'sa, until they could take care of themselves.
"I will return here, in one moon's time, for your answer, nvwati."
She closed her eyes, and with a bright light, and swirl of wind, she was gone.
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 10:01 am
Tawa'di's heart went out to the cub, though he knew that it would take time for them to talk about it. He had much to do with Adi'sa, and he knew that he only had a month's time. Tawa'di had already decided in his heart, but he still wanted the acceptance from his small companion, for him to be alright with it.
"Let us speak of the matter in the morning, once we catch sleep for the rest of the night." The old lion crawled off towards the outskirts of where they had been, to leave a little respect and also some cover for sleep. The morning would carry strong emotions just like tonight, but the lion was exhausted, and wanted to sleep instead of talk the whole night through.
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2007 10:23 am
He was just going to leave it like that? Sleep on it? There was so much Adi'sa wanted to ask, needed to know, and he was torn up inside by the flurry of confusion, hurt and questions that would have to be asked eventually.
The youngster stood in his spot, in awe of how quickly the goddess had vanished once more and then watched as Tawa'di slowly creeped away to find a spot to rest. He pouted but had no choice. He couldn't deny the rest his body needed but doubted how restful his sleep would be after what he'd just witnessed.
Hesitantly, Adi'sa followed suit and padded over to where Tawa'di had laid down. Without uttering another word, he showed no restrain in his youthful need for affection and snuggled up to the elder, falling asleep much faster than he had anticipated.
That night, he dreamt of the Stargrove.
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