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 Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 11:53 am
 In all truth, Neema was feeling a little weary.
She had been travelling for a while after leaving the family den, and the sense of excitement and adventure had fast faded. The lioness had debated going back there, but had found herself too far away to simply return home.
She missed the warmth of a well-built den, eating regularly thanks to her family and most of all - the company.
Her paws had taken her far and wide, through desert and now the dry savannah. She could see a wonderful rock formation ahead, and then one by one, she spotted them in the grass.
Lions! Lions of all colours, shapes, and sizes. How could it be that she was so close to all of these creatures and not know? Her heart leapt as anxiety edged in. If it was a pride - and it certainly looked to be one, maybe she would need to be careful.
Neema armed herself with a friendly smile.
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Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 2:46 pm
 Kip wasn't sure why he was torturing himself by wandering the edge of the pride's territory. Sure, he had made plans to explore beyond the borders once, but plans had to change as life happened, and he had made a promise to Mom that he would stay here in the safety of the Pridelands. Promises were important, after all, especially when they were promises to the deceased.
Still, every once in a while he wondered what life was like beyond the comforts of family and pride. What interesting tales could be told? What were the lions outside the prides like? They couldn't all be cruel like the rogues Mom and Dad used to talk about. Perhaps there were some who were friendly?
A flash of brown color in the grass caught Kip's attention, and he paused mid-step to get his bearings. Was this creature...new here?
"Hello!" Kip called out in friendly greeting. He hoped his tall stature and black mane wasn't too intimidating, if this was indeed a newcomer. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 4:01 pm
Oh! There was someone talking to her!
Neema's friendly smile didn't falter and the male certainly seemed friendly, too.
"It is, yes." It was true, it was a beautiful day indeed, the sunlight seemed to dance across the grass and turn it all shades of green and gold. She suddenly became aware of the warmth on her pelt and soaked it in for a moment.
With a jolt she realized she should probably introduce herself. "I'm Neema. I'm not from around here though, I just seem to have crossed your borders?" Her eyes widened.
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Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:53 pm
Kip could have laughed at the newcomer's obvious fears of the Pridelanders, though he knew better. It was not as if she could know that this was one of the friendliest places she could have found. Life as a rogue was tough...and, to be honest, that was probably why his parents were so adamant that he stay here.
"Nice to meet you, Neema. My name's Kipanya, but most people just call me Kip," he said with the most soft smile he could muster. "You needn't fear my pride; we're the gentlest bunch of lions you could possibly find, and we are friendly to all who wish for a peaceful existence. The only creatures you need to fear here are the troublesome hyenas who occasionally try to bother us." Kip frowned at that thought, though only briefly. "So welcome to the Pridelands, for however long you wish to stay! Tell me, do you have any interesting stories of your travels?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:09 pm
"Oh."
This male and his kind words had the chocolate lioness suddenly at ease, and she peered round the lands with a new curiosity. "That sounds wonderful." She said, with a pang. Neema hoped to one day find her home... maybe this could be it? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to get ahead of herself.
"I have a few tales, but it is mostly uneventful to tell the truth." Her salmon eyes found the horizon again as she sighed. "And honestly, it just gets so tiring. You're very lucky to have such a lovely home, you know."
Neema had tried not to move around too much. When she found a cave or a den she found comfortable, all she wanted to do was to call it her home, but there was something that eventually moved her along, be it food, or safety.
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 9:40 am
"Yes, I suppose I am lucky," Kip said softly. This discussion was easing his troubled mind, to be certain. To think of how many relatives were within these borders, willing to help if necessary..."I did plan to travel once. I had this silly dream of seeing everything outside the borders of these lands: the lush waterfalls in the jungle, the place where the land meets the great water... but my mother and father felt pretty strongly that I should stay. They've gone on to the next part of the circle of life now...and I'll always miss them, but this place reminds me of them every day. Plus, I made a promise I would not endanger myself. So here I stay."
Regret? There was no time for that, especially when a kind and scared lioness needed his help. "I have heard tales of other prides that were not as kind as mine, so I could understand if you don't want to talk about what you've seen. You must be hungry and tired, though. Would you like me to show you where the best border hunting is?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:31 am
The male seemed to begin uncertain, but then agreed with her as Neema continued to speak.
She supposed that many would think of the outside world as being exotic and exciting, and something that would change their life for the better.
Perhaps it was that way for some, but for others they became disenchanted with the idea once they realised what the rogue lands could be like, harsh and unforgiving in some cases. Neema hadn't seen anything particularly distressed and was keen to reassure Kipanyo of that too. "I have been lucky in that I haven't found too much disaster, but I just haven't found too much joy, either." She smiled.
"That would be wonderful, thank you." The aching in her stomach from hunger was becoming more obvious and it was clear she needed to hunt soon. This seemed like a wonderful and safe place to rest.
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:23 am
Finding neither disaster nor too much joy? That seemed like a boring and depressing way to live. Well, Kip had seen both things happen to his family, and he could certainly do without the worst of those two options. "Avoiding disaster is always a nice way to live, I suppose, though everyone needs at least some joy in their lives." Given everything Kip was hearing Neema tell him, it was becoming more obvious that his parents did right in discouraging him from leaving.
"My sister Shani told me the secret about this part of the border; there's a rocky outcropping not far from here where there's some cracks just big enough for a startled prey beast to get a hoof caught in. All we need to do is spook them and force them to run over the cracks."
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:52 am
"Joy would be good, yes. I suppose having no home takes a little joy away from most." She mused. At the mention of a sister, Neema smiled warmly. It was indeed a wonderful thing to have family, especially when you stuck together. The lioness had hoped to see her sisters again some day, though she would admit it was probably unlikely and an obvious pipe-dream.
A secret part of the border sounded exciting, and Kipanya's plan even sounded like fun. "That sounds like a plan!" Neema bounced a little on the spot, her stomach complaining quietly. She had been very lucky to stumble upon someone who was not only friendly but helpful too, and she was very grateful. Perhaps she would stay here a while. The way Kip had referred to them as "we" was refreshing, for once she had some company.
"Shall we go?" She grinned.
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:40 am
Ah, there we were. A smile that seemed genuine. Kip couldn't help but be glad for that. True, he was going to be hunting when he originally came out here to think, but Father and Mother would come back to haunt him if he ever turned his back on someone in need.
Besides, Neema seemed quite kind, and he genuinely wanted to help her. Kip didn't know if she intended to stick around or leave as quickly as a summer rain, but he'd be there to help either way. It was the Pridelands way of life. It was Kipanya's way of life.
"Yes, I think we shall go," Kip said as he motioned to the general direction of the herds. "Follow me, and I'll find some food."
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 4:13 pm
"Yes, let's." The lioness said gently. The rumbling in her stomach has subsided slightly, perhaps satisfied with the knowledge of the impending meal. Neema smiled and stretched out her tired legs a little, before following Kipanya, she needed to make sure she was on top form for scaring those prey beasts into the right places! ((Fin))
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