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 Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:31 pm
"It's unfortunate there are individuals who would not only do that, but live by it. I wouldn't expect you to think anything else of them." Relief washed over her as he withdrew the statement though, even partway. It was enough to assure her he still had faith in the integrity of outsiders, and so long as he didn't openly scorn all of them, it was enough to appease her for now. "It was everyone else I was concerned for. After all, though it seems true not everyone has virtue in his heart - the opposite isn't either. At least, I don't believe so. I'm glad to hear you don't either, even now."
Had he voiced his thoughts, Jioni would have been able to confirm them. Their parents were indeed map makers of sorts; their profession drew them all over the lands to record them and their inhabitants. It was the very thing to bring a premature end to their lives, with the way traveled so far from home, and were thrust into precarious circumstances without any support but eachother. The lioness earnestly believed they might have survived to see more if they'd never left, but at least she and her brother preserved most of their knowledge. They could attempt to pass it on, and that did console her; she was no stranger to the value of enlightenment.
His steps closing in behind her pulled her from her musings though, and she bent her neck to look over her shoulder. There was a brief time where she studied him quietly, trying to gauge his reaction, with her own vieled apprehension tinting an otherwise neutral expression. That too was short lived though - the words that broke the silence sparked a bright smile. "Sincerely? And what of my brother?" she asked almost tentately, afraid to decieve herself. Jioni didn't try to hide her joy though; her ears were pricked forward too, and her tail gave a happy sway.
And at last, it truly sank in. "I cannot thank you enough. I do wonder though - may I ask who it is I have the honor of being welcomed by? I never caught your name." It was probably an odd time to ask, but even moreso was thanking someone from the bottom of her heart when she didn't even know his name.
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:41 pm
Maji's expression had softened dramatically from the stern, suspicious expression he had earlier. There was always an almost distant look to the two later, but now his face seemed almost welcoming, gentle, and perhaps a bit weary. His smile was faint but it was a real one at least. "Yes, and your brother if he truely is yours." He nodded his head slowly, turning himself slowly. He opened his mouth to speak but paused as she asked him a second question.
"How very rude of me." He dipped his head in apology. How had he forgotten? Of course, had she proved to have been an enemy it would have been most unwise to hand out his name. "My name is Maji. Nothing spectacular. Quite simple." He chuckled. Simple...but appropreate. "Come, let me show you to where you may rest and drink. It must have been a long journey here."
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:39 am
"It's hard to believe we are finally home. Kucha won't believe me..." How could he, with how the lands had changed? They had even spent so long looking, he might have felt they were never destined to find it anyway. But he would come around, she was assured. Surely he too would feel at home.
"Cautious, not rude." Jioni was still smiling brightly. "I am very honored to meet you, Maji." He may not have realized how much she truly meant it. If they had not made the encounter, would she and Kucha have wandered through, second-guessing themselves and saying this couldn't possibly be it?
The lioness was just glad it hadn't come to that. "I would appreciate it. And honestly, I lost track a long time ago. It seems like we have always been traveling." Not for wanderlust though; hopefully it wouldn't take them long to settle in, and grow accustomed to a stationary lifestyle. "Thank you again."
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:38 am
"I never used to have reason for caution." Maji explained as he walked, "And I do hope that you and your brother can find peace and rest here at last though I will have to be honest with you..." He looked over slowly, "A scout of ours -rather that of an ally pride- has informed us that there is a pride seeking to wage war on us. We're making all preperations possible. I can advise you to take caution around the boarders...this enemy had planted his spies among us. We've only recently been able to rid our lands of the abomination of a lioness..." He shook his head.
He'd known that Ithi was trouble the day she came in. He had been young still, mane only having grown along his neck and shoulders back then but he'd never been stupid. She'd always whined, always cried about how she wasn't good enough. It was the first time Maji had ever lost his temper towards someone. When she'd born cubs with the markings and colors of the enemy he knew it wasn't as simple as having been raped... it was never that simple. He'd suspected... and those suspicions were confirmed when Moses had vanished.
"My dear cousin has lost one of his cubs to the enemy...they seek to take these lands. We're waiting on the return of a messanger to the pridelands, seeking an allyance against this threat."
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 4:39 pm
"Times are bound to change, I suppose, with or without our approval. But I believe they are bound to turn for the better, too." She tried to hold her positive expression, but it dissolved under the weight of the grave news that followed, giving way to concern. "Though sometimes not as soon as we hope."
That was not the way she might have dreamed ending her welcome. Not at all. "I am very sorry for your loss," she added, and lowered her head as she tried to comprehend why. Why would they take them, and why would they want to? Glad as she was to finally be here, it wasn't exactly a prime location to make a home - especially not for a pride large enough to wage war.
He mentioned allies though - even if what was left of the mistweavers was small, it was possible their assistence could change everything. "Are you hopeful for ally support?" But on the other hand, it could have just as easily been in vain. After all, she knew nothing of current pridal affairs.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:00 am
"We are...", Maji nodded slowly, "This pride is small but for the moment we must keep it that way. I regret sending the outsiders away but they've shown no respect to us. They avoid the pride here bt expect to live off what we've long protected. I believe that the storm king is angry that his gift to us is being abused. If we could have allys then they could come to our aid while we focus on rebuilding our lives here. Afterwards we may be able to return the favor."
He pulled himself out of the record chamber and back down into the hallway, flicking his tail as an indication for her to follow him. "We've befriended the Anansi... a mysterious but trustworthy group. They've managed to retrieve very valuable information."
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 1:24 pm
"How small?" The lioness nodded her understanding though. Desperate times did call for desperate measures, and these seemed little else. "Do what you must; this is no time for regrets." It was unfortunate things had come to that - she could certainly understand what inspired the 'mindless barbarian' sentiment. But what little information he provided still sounded like good news. "One could hope they would never need it returned," she added wistfully.
With one last look over her shoulder, at the illustrated history behind them, Jioni trailed after him, out into the halls. "The Anansi?" Now, she liked to think herself a well-versed individual, educated even in matters she wasn't particularly interested in. To have to admit she was unfamiliar with this one was a bit of a dark realization, if only because she was embarrassed not to know of such a seemingly admirable group. "I am glad to hear it." She could only pray they stayed that way.
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 6:16 pm
Maji made another turn in the caves, glancing to the markings shortly as he walked, "Very small..the true members anyway. There's myself and my sworn sister, her mate and his family. Then my young cousin Ramses, his mate, and their children. My ...half sister has also returned to us and brought along with her a few that she'd met in ther travels. Other than that the beasts of this land have long been my friends." He cleared his throat a bit. Most thought that was something indecent of a ruler.
"The Anansi recently came to us through our very own tunnels... they live in the underground and say that they know of all prides because their tunnels travel under their very paws. A dangerous sort, they worship the god of trickery but I'm glad to have them tricking for us rather than against... already we've learned valuable information."
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:39 pm
That was hardly even a remnant of the pride she might have expected. "Well, it shouldn't take long to make acquaintances." It served to ground her perspective, giving her a more realistic grasp on just how important it was to have allies, and more importantly, to atone for the misfortune that had befallen the land and its dependents. Fleetingly, she did wonder though - Was the ill-use and disrespect wholly responsible for claiming so many lives?
"I cannot say I've ever had the opportunity to know one." The lioness gave Maji a bit of a sideways, curious glance; in part for the statement, and the rest for the uncomfortable way he finished it. She didn't exactly know he was the ruler of sorts, though it did strike her a bit odd to socialize with a life one would inevitably have to end. And if he meant elephants and the like - which seemed reasonable enough - why the hint of discomfort?
His comment regarding the Anansi coaxed a shadow of doubt into her expression though, surfacing in the way her ears tipped back ever-so-slightly, for 'trustworthy' and 'trickery' struck her at somewhat conflicting angles. "You trust them in earnest?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:03 pm
Maji nodded slowly at her first statement. "You have returned, afterall. The Storm King's will is already coming into play. My sister has returned, the outsiders are beginning to flee from our lands, perhaps we are on our way to redemption at long last."
He half expected the polite return reguarding his past friendships. It would be a far too dull story to elaborate back on how when he awoke in these very caves that he was the only lion in the entire valley, that he ate fish back when there was enough to feed a lion, rather than red meat. That he used to sleep with the gazelles... and that three of the creatures were still his friends and under his protection. He quietly wondered how his old friends were doing...
"You find the most trustworthy hearts in the body of a trixter sometimes, and the greatest trixters in the body of those you once thought to be most trustworthy."
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:52 pm
"We have," she returned, surprisngly brightly, obviously grateful for the turn in conversation. It would have seemed her mood wouldn't stay downtrodden long. "It is at least certain progress toward mending, I should think." Jioni was in no place to judge the Storm King's will, nor would she have claimed to be, but it did seem a step in the right direction, if nothing else. She made a small, but decisive nod for emphasis.
Then stopped - actually paused in her trail with Maji - and gave his words careful consideration. Her tail gave a few idle flicks, and the look on her face was obviously thoughtful. A few moments later, when she was through weighing them, the lioness resumed her stride and pulled alongside him. "No, it's not the mischevious spirit that makes me wary. It is the decietfulness that seems so willing to associate with what I've come to think of as 'trickery'. But," she turned her head to meet his gaze, "if you trust them, so do I. I do not mean to doubt your judgement."
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Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:39 pm
Maji stopped and turned as the lioness paused in her step, his ears rotating forward slowly. It wasn't difficult to note the slight discomfort and confusion in her expression. He gave a soft smile and nodded forward, "Perhaps I should explain better." He offered, "I'm told I speak of riddles sometimes. Not always the best way to welcome someone new though I would rather dwell on something that might rest your mind rather than grow suspicious as we've become in days of late."
Maji stepped into a massive room, round and tall once more. There was a pond in the center of it, fed from a small underwater stream. The water was horribly clear, upon looking down one could see all the way down to where the river flowed, illuminated by the mysterious stones in the rock. It gave the pool a glowing appearence. The room was lined with moss, it was damp and dark enough for it to grow freely, and even bud small little white flowers. The walls were decorated with paintings, some were akward... down at cub's level and developed into more readable figures as it grew higher on the wall. Along the side of the room it looked like a stack of wood and stone. Upon closer look it was a primitive table. Stones stacked up to support a strip of tree bark, still curved akwardly but the bark had been cleaned with claws. On top sat more curved bits of wood and leaf holding powder, some kind of liquid, and even some berries. Very few- but still some.
Maji looked around slowly, fondly. "...This is where I first awoke."
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Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:03 pm
"There is nothing to explain." She shook her head gently. "I am sure there will come a day when I may meet the Anansi and see their deeds for myself, and until then, your word is more than enough to rest my mind." Earnest, almost childlike trust left no room for suspicion in her heart, lest the Anansi themselves would somehow come to scorn her... But she seriously doubted it would ever come to that. She wasn't able to dwell on it long anyway. As the halls gave way to another room, the lioness was once again drawn in by the scenery it offered, and dropped the contemplation from her mind.
"It is beautiful," Jioni commented honestly, her gaze tracing across the area. The way moss clung to the stone and bore small blossoms, and the crystal water fed into the cinter almost made it seem as though this room was shielded against the hardship that plagued the jungles outside. Fleetingly, she wondered if there were others like it.
The records on the wall tugged at her curiosity too, but the way they progressed discouraged her from examining too closely, as she had the writings before. They felt too... personal, almost; something she didn't want to poke her nose into unless explicityly invited. He must have spent a great deal of time here, and she could guess they were his recordings over the years.
"... I am sorry you were alone though." Genuine sadness tinged her otherwise content features; that was a tribulation she wouldn't pretend to fathom. If nothing else, Jioni had always had her family, and he hadn't even had that. A quick glance to Maji showed he was not upset, and went a long way toward smoothing her empathetic, albeit faint melancholy - but she couldn't help imangining how hard it must have been to wake one day and find her world empty.
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Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:23 am
Maji circled the pond slowly, looking up around the markings of the room. Most were his, others had been there long before he'd awaken- one had been the name he had taken for himself. His mother's only message to him. He often wondered how she was, what kind of a lioness she was and other futile things of the sort. Even then he had none of his memories of her or his father, none of the pride. It was all a blank, replaced with the memories of the pride's history. Only words, never faces. "There is no reason to be sorry." He looked over and smiled a bit, "I must always count myself fortunate to have survived whatever took them. The Storm King granted this pride a second chance and allowed me the knowlege of those fallen to pass to the others that returned to him."
He came to the water and sat himself down, giving a weary sigh. He was still a young lion but the fammine on the land was taking a toll on his strength, "And I had my friends... the gazelle and the like. If not for them I suppose it would have been miserable. The Storm King always provides for his children if they believe."
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:37 pm
He was right, of course. In a backward, bittersweet sort of way... But he was blessed to be alive, and she supposed it was enough he was grateful. In light of that, she vowed not to worry it further. After all, he knew his place and his mission - and seemed content with it. Who was she to meddle in his affairs? And why hadn't that occured to her sooner?...
Inwardly, she gave a grim smile, bemused at her own antics. "Only the Storm King himself knows what actually happened, then?" If memory served, he implied it once or twice prior, but... Well, she was as eager to steer conversation away from her embarrassment as she was to confirm the source of the loss was indeed still a mystery. It was a sad thing to think of, but even worse was to imagine it was some sort of reconciliation for mistakes they were unaware of. What was to stop it from reoccuring?
"And Maji, I am sorry to keep you." The way he seated himself and sighed jarred some sort of realization in the depths of her distracted mind. It was getting later by the moment, and surely he would need rest at some point. As for herself; she still had to return to Kucha and convince him of her news, and make it back here if time and energy allowed.
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