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 Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:24 am
He had snapped somewhat from his silence but there was still a heavy guilt that followed his pawprints as they crossed the rogue lands. Already he missed the sand and the heat. He missed the gold and the dry air and everything about the desert. He craved even now for his own den but knew it would not see it for a long time now. But he would see it again, one day. His journey now had been filled with thoughtsof the ffuture. He had been trying to think of an idea that he could pull together but could not see how it would work. He couldn't do this alone, he needed his friend, his dearest friend.
Luckily, that dearest friend was with him now. No. He smiled as he thought of her name, its simple but powerful sound so easy to say yet so...rebellious. He hoped she wasn't mad that he hadn't introduced her to Koka. Truly at the time he had not wished Koka to know about No. And why should she? Koka was a bitter lioness who did not deserve introductions. He wasn't sure why but he supposed he liked to keep his sister guessing.
No doubt poor deluded Koka would be pondering over it now, wondering where he had gained his wounds and who the dark stranger was.
He smiled as he realised still that even though he had introduced the female as a queen he had never actually spoken to No about his feelings. It was clear that he worshipped her but he had never stopped to tell her what he truly felt. He was a coward in that respect. He could blurt out his feelings when hehad to - like when they had been back in the den with Kimeti. But when it came to the important part he cowered. He wasn't sure why...though deep down he knew it was born from a fear, a fear that she might be hurt if she followed him into battle.
Because that is what this would end with. A fight to the death.
"No." He raised his head a little and turned his face up to glance at her. He was growing to be a handsome and powerful male. He had a proud, square jaw, a thickening mane and that ever present mystery in his bland, golden eyes. "You must think my family quite odd." He laughed. "I'm sorry." He thought to his sister Kaanga back home and hoped she was okay. Had she heard the news? He expected so. He just hoped that she wouldn't think he was abandoning her.
"Everyone always thought Kaanga was odd, but thinking about it, I think she's the most sane of all of our family. Me included."
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 9:47 am
The meeting with Koka could have gone better strategically speaking, but No had not thought too much on her since they had left her bitter company. She had not once been mentioned to her- not by Kidondo, and not by and of the loyalist firekin. That left her as an outsider. Someone extraneous to the situation. She wasn’t sure what the dark lioness had done to garner a banishment, or at least a stint in the rogue lands, but whatever it was it did not seem to be in their favor. She had her own life and struggle- although privately, No would listen of any mention of her when they returned. Just how many children had Kimeti estranged from himself?
She worried most about Kidondo, who still hadn’t spoken much yet. The wounds he’d recieved from his father seemed to be healing though, and she hoped that was a sign that he would be healing soon as well. They had to be careful about how much time they spent collecting themselves back. But the black cat knew physical wounds rarely judged emotional ones... so she lingered on hope alone. She had tremendous faith in him. She’d had it since they’d met in the cemetery; in a time that was now surprisingly a while ago.
But in the end- No had never once questioned Kidondo’s hesitation in telling his feelings. She wasn’t exactly forthcoming with hers either! She never longed for things to be clear, because she felt them there. She could be a stoic figure, but had her ways. Which was why when he spoke her heart jumped once and her head lifted.
A cool smile crossed about her face. “You should see my family.” The black cat thrummed. Even now she could feel it growing, as far away as it was. She pulled up alongside him, and faced him. “Don’t worry about them. We've all got quriks. And somewhat murderous intentions on occasion. Family...you just appreciate them for what they are.”
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:29 am
He smiled. "Yes, you're right. And you can't choose you're family. I hate Koka but I love her too. It's just sad how power has tainted her heart. It has twisted her." He shook his head. "But I will not let her have our lands, they are rightfully ours and no banishment will stop me from claiming them." He smiled and purred. "Plus there is only one queen who is far worthier for the throne than Koka."
He curled his tail up to briefly twine it with No's own.
Their first meeting did seem so long ago. They had both been so small, so young, but they had been brave and courageous and that was still within their beating hearts, even now after so much had happened.
"I never did thank you." He said then. "For being with me...for being with me now. It means a lot to me, more than words can say." Each of his strides was hindered only by a slight limp now. "Back in the Firekin Lands...I thought he was going to kill you. I never would have forgived myself if he had." He looked saddened.
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:53 am
No shifted as he twined his tail against hers, and leaned her weight against his higher shoulder. Koka wanting the throne... so that was the issue. But if Koka had wanted it so, she didn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Perhaps she’d found other ways to achieve what she wanted... or maybe having a couple of kids hiding in the bushes had kept her from chasing it. “I am sure Koka will find what she’s looking for someday.” She thrummed. “But I doubt it’s here, or back in the desert.” Something about her... it was oddly familiar. Perhaps in another time they would have had a more pleasant conversation about life.
Her head shook as they continued moving, but she kept herself in stride with him, and her sleek side grazing his as they walked. “You don’t need to thank me, Kidondo.” She reminded with a slight play across her face. “I would have gone anywhere with you. I don’t expect thank-you’s or favors.” She was direct, but the smile tossed her usual nature aside.
The black cat bumped against him again as he dragged on his worries, and her head shook. “Don’t worry about me.” There was no doubt in her mind Kimeti had meant to kill her- and although the fighter in her wanted to say she could show him another thing coming, the stoic in her knew she stood little chance against a crazed firekin male. “...Even if something had happened, I’d never leave you.” She thrummed again. She didn’t believe in gods- but her mind was still open to ghosts. Something about the time she had spent wandering in the graveyard as a child... “I’ll worry enough for the both of us. Next time, we won’t be in that position.”
His frown troubled her, and she stopped walking and leaned against him again. She stretched her neck and plopped it ontop of the now thick black mane that stretched from his head to his shoulders. "I don't intend to get killed." She remarked with a careful smile, and rolled a jade eye downwards towards his face.
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:09 am
He noticed her eyes more than he did any other lion because they were set in that plain but elegant face. They were so expressive, so bright and he loved that about her. In her eyes there was life and love and he saw hope in them too. His whole world lay in those jaded jewels and to look into them brought him incredible peace.
"I hope you're right about Koka, I truly do. But I think she has secrets of her own. She wasn't alone back there, I heard voices. I expect you did too. Maybe she's going to start her own pride. Who knows. Either way, there's no time to worry about her. In the grand scheme of things she isn't a big part in it, she never was." He nodded as if to confirm it to himself.
"You could probably take care of yourself much more adequately than me but I still worry. If I lost you I don't know what I'd do." The Prideland blood in her made her elegant and full of poise. She was beautiful whereas the Firekin lionesses were...bulky. There was something powerful about No but something delicate too, something that he wanted to protect.
He paused, purring and rubbing his muzzle up into the curve of her long, proud neck. "Next time we'll have the advantage of surprise." He murmured softly. "Father won't expect me to come back, he'll be so sure he's scared me away. But next time it won't just be us. We'll have others."
So this was how it began.
He drew his head away from No to look into her face again and smiled deviously. "From now on we're officially recruiting. Anyone who is strong of heart and mind and whose colours are as striking as our own will be offered a place in our army." It had always been planned this way but he had never truly believed it would happen. Now, finally, he was preparing to bring war into the lands of the Firekin, a war that would spell the end of an era. With this fight things would never be the same again. He was sorry that the traditionalists would suffer, especially for Ripuka, but it had to be done. It had to be.
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 7:40 am
No shook her head and smiled. “You’d keep going. I wouldn’t expect any less.” She sat, and rolled her head from his to his shoulder. “Just don’t make me worry about you too.” But she did- seeing Kimeti’s force against Kidondo frightened her. It said that there would be only one way a dispute between them would end- one of them had to die. No pricked her whiskers, and shifted against him.
It wouldn’t be Kidondo. She’d....
The cat curved her head affectionately as he rubbed the blunt of his against her neck. She liked that it wasn’t quiet anymore. They were back on the path- and she could feel it beneath her feet. “An army...,” She cooly stated, and shifted her ears. “That will be something that even a firekin could respect. I do not doubt we’ll find people.” No looked out towards the barren steppe, and furrowed her brow. They’d also need to use caution- rogues could be opportunistic sorts. The last thing they needed in their ranks, was someone who saw themselves a king. “They’ll need to be loyal.” The black cat spoke.
“But,” She added, standing again. “I think that’s quite a plan.”
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 8:55 am
He sniled. No was so strong, far stronger than he could ever be. Yet it made him feel all the better for having her by his side. He raise his head and nodded then, drawing forth both red ears. His bright red fur, the fur of his mother, shone brilliantly in the sun and against No's contrasting pelt it shone even brighter.
"You're right, we'll have to be careful about who we pick. They must look and act the part but no barbarians. We need lions with wits and intelligence. I will not be responsible for bringing anymore hulking fools into the lands." He paused and glanced at her. No truly was meant to be a Firekin but he was glad she had not been born one. There was something extremely attractive about her being a non-native. "Loyalty, intelligence, strength and cunning as well as looking like they could have been born amongst our kind." Kidondo laughed. "We're not asking too much are we."
He laughed. "But truly I think we may do well. There are hundreds of lions out there so we're sure to run across some likely candidates sooner or later."
H ebuffeted his head against her shoulder and gave her an affectionate lick behind her ear.
"We'll start by returning to Nuri in the graveyard. She'll want to know what's happened no doubt and I don't want her to hold a grudge against me for keeping her out of the loop. But we'll keep a lok out for likely lions on the way."
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:01 am
She nodded her head agreeably, and found herself looking at her own reflection in those strange eyes of his. What did he think of her, she wondered? What did the world think of that black cat? She hoped she was doing the right thing. She would not have this end in failure. Kidondo would be king. “Nuri...” She spoke, and watched herself in his eyes turn away. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen her. I think that is a good plan.” She couldn’t help but wonder if Nuri ever expected to see them again. Alive at least- they had been barely out of their cub coats when they’d confronted her that day in the graveyard. The thought of returning there brought some pleasure to her face. Perhaps she would drop by her family briefly, and let them know that their wayward daughter still tred the earth.
“I have faith we’ll find them.” She thrummed, and rose to her feet. “Too many souls looking for purpose to think that we would not.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:15 am
"It'll be good to go there." He agreed. "Back to where it all started." He smiled and tried to remember those times, bringing up a picture of a young No, full of life and honour. They had tackled the graveyard with strength and wit, driven away the beasts that lived there. It had seemed such a feat for two youngsters and in a way, it had been. Kidondo had to admit that it had been one of the most memorable moments of his life.
It was where he had finally gained the courage to do what he knew had to be done. He leaned sideways, buffeting the side of his face against hers. There was a purr at his throat now and it was there only for No.
"Me too. We have to." Then he continued. "We'll have to remain a small band, but strong enough so that we can crush the few traditionalists there might be. Once we return and give them their ultimatum I'm sure the other rebels will rise to join our cause. We already have an army back at the Firekin Lands but they won't show themselves until we do. We have to put that strength into their believes." He snorted agreeably. "Even three potential rogues could help them embrace their beliefs."
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