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 Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 5:47 pm
Kainda had run off ahead, like a dog runs away before it's human, and Muroki wasn't in the mood to bound off after his friend this afternoon. The young wolf was probably tracking down some tasty morsel or simply enjoying the speed at which she traveled. Meanwhile Muroki walked sedately, with a calm smile as he mulled over just what he wanted to do.
Nice little adventure, straight out of a cub-tail told by a story teller.Go on a quest, defeat the bad guy, woo the girl and end up king. Or better yet discover one of his cousins had survived and he didn't have to try to be a ruler, though Muroki knew that there was no chance of this at all. The bodies had been seen and what remains could be laid to rest were waiting to be taken to the Temple, he'd been told.
Not as easy as it sounded. He hoped Laini would join him and Johari, and he still felt guilty asking even the latter to leave with him. Then there was the journey and rallying lions and the fight against the vultures...
As so Muroki strolled in the jungle just outside the Unity lands once more, lost in his thoughts.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:09 pm
Safiya had hung around the outskirts of the Unity Walkers lands for weeks now, feeling like she was caught between a dream and waking. This wasn't her home, but she didn't know where else to go; and so she remained, moping around the jungle like a ghost who couldn't reach the afterlife.
Safiya had never really felt anything like intuition, not in her whole life, but lately there was a charged feeling in the air - something was going to change. Her life had been stationary for so long, and now she felt as though she were teetering on the edge of... something. But she couldn't understand what it was, couldn't make her foggy thoughts focus...and so she drifted through the trees like a restless spirit.
Safiya had changed some since leaving her "home" in the graveyard so long ago. Disappointment followed disappointment, a long fruitless journey had left her spent: in part, she had matured. Optimist though she still was, she had searched so long for happiness and it kept evading her - her cheery heart was sick and tired of longing.
Today was just like any other day: nothing to do, no one to speak with, and it held no comfort that she could foresee. Except...what was that? A creature was running straight for her: smaller than a lion but shaped like a hyena, it was neither of those and something Safiya had never seen before. Mildly curious, she picked her head up from its resting place on her paw and peered at it with sad blue eyes.
Part of her was urging her up and forward, wanting to meet this new animal and learn about it and speak to it. But the rest of her was just so tired.
But perhaps all she needed was to see a familiar face.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:43 pm
Kainda didn't pay Safiya any heed and continued on her way. She had more important things to do and unless they proved to be someone she sound pay attention to lions were no longer a special interest to her The wolf didn't seek them out for information or otherwise. She'd already found her prince.
However, when Muroki followed behind, he looked up at the scent of lioness. He sniffed the air and made an effort to find her amongst the long grass, under growth and scrub. He knew that scent. It was the lioness who'd collapsed, who'd been so fun when they'd hunted the local bushbucks.
"Safiya?" He shouldered his way through the plant life, a welcoming smile ready on his face.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:30 pm
Safiya's head jerked in the direction of the voice of a lion she knew, one she had not heard in a while. And it was like she woke up from a long slumber.
She was on her feet before her brain knew what her body was doing, with a smile on her face to boot. "Muroki," Safiya said happily, as the brown lion appeared through the underbrush. "It's so nice to see you! It's been a long time."
Though they had only met once before, it had been a friendly meeting, and Safiya was glad to see the lion again. So many times in her life she had met others who were nice to her, and then she never saw them again. It was a joy to see a familiar smiling face, one that she did not expect to see in such a depressing time.
"How are you?" she asked, regaining her old enthusiastic curiosity. "What have you been up to?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:19 pm
"It's been too long! I didn't realise you were still in the area Safi, or I would have come out here more often to visit you." He can to stand before her, close enough that they could speak comfortably. It was pleasant to be greeted with a smile and his owned widened.
"I've been mixed, but I'm hopeful for the future. Me and a trio of good friends are going to try to reclaim from some vultures the pride of my ancestors. It's an uncertain future but the heritage is worth fighting for."
He spoke with pride but was not boasting, it showed in his expression and calm tone of voice. It just was the truth, that's what he'd been up to. And once more Muroki felt like the Dawnwalker he was and felt at peace within himself.
"How have you been?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:42 am
Safiya couldn't help but smile. He would have come to visit her? No one had ever said they wanted to come visit her before.
She listened with interest as he spoke of his ancestral pride. She didn't know what to think, really - what did any of that have to do with her? But it was something he seemed passionate about, and so she was intently interested, even though she didn't know what to say. "That seems a noble thing to do," she responded. "I wish you all the best of luck." A heritage worth fighting for. That made Safiya envious - she wish she had something to fight for. Weeelll, maybe not fight for, she wasn't a violent type - but to have at least some sort of purpose, that was what she wanted.
"Where is this pride of yours located? Is it far away?" she continued to ask questions in a general curiosity. "Vultures took it over? That is terrible - but you shouldn't have any problems running them off." Having had run-ins with vultures in her youth, she knew how tenacious and greedy they could be, but surely a group of lions wouldn't have any troubles with the ugly birds. Depending on how many there were, of course.
How had she been? Not content as of late. But now that she had someone to talk to, Safiya had a hard time remembering just how depressed she had been. "I have been...I'm not sure, really." Abashed, she struggled with putting her feelings into words. A bit ashamed, she went on. "Truthfully, Muroki, I have not left this area because I do not know where else to go. I don't want to stay here, but I feel trapped. I feel like the wind that has run into a mountain, and does not know how to get around it."
The words came tumbling out of her mouth, and she stopped herself early, before her thoughts ran away from her.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:59 am
"It's past the biggest graveyard and the Pridelands, on the other edge of the mountains by the river we called Chione. Very far way." For a moment, in his minds eye, he saw the way. As if flying on Heru, the falcon god's, wings and seeing through his great eyes. A long long way. But at the end, the Temple, situated in a promised land. Deadly and beautiful.
"We'lll get there. And sadly, there's a great flock of the birds. Enough that there's rumors that they're keeping some of our creatures captive to hunt for them. Not even carrion birds anymore, but tyrants." His tail tip flicked and Muroki looked down, his stance betraying how guilty he'd felt when he'd heard that. He had to help free them if it were true, those poor animals.
"Though you've an equally troubling problem, friend. I know what it's like to get stuck and not feel like I have anywhere to go to. Have you any family you could visit, in the mean time...?" He'd turned his attention back to Safiya, clearly thinking about it. He'd wandered lost a long while after loosing the Temple a second time, and Hisani along with it.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 11:30 am
Safiya tried to imagine just how far away it was, and became overwhelmed. She imagined it as a great big place though, wonderful and beautiful. And then she remembered the vultures - the image in her imagination became flooded with thousands of the great black things that were so mean. She shuddered at the thought, and was glad that Muroki was going to get rid of them.
Tyrants. Safiya didn't like that word at all. Her mind was dazzled at the fact that mere birds, big and ugly though they were, could take the Savannah's great predators prisoner. Her heart went out to them.
Having been lost in the thoughts prompted by Muroki's words, Safiya drifted back to reality to answer his question. "No, I have no one. I've never had any family, as long as I can remember. I suppose that is strange...most lions, even orphans, have some memory of their parents or where they came from. But I...do not. I've just always been alone." She shrugged. It made her sad, to be sure, but that was just how it was. Loneliness had been her only companion throughout her life.
Muroki had looked a little troubled as he spoke, and so Safiya was not happy to unload her sadness onto him as well. It was one thing she disliked about herself: She had always talked more than she intended.
Not wanting to end her speech on a sad note, she added, "But it's alright. I've always gotten along okay. What brings you back here?" She tried turning the subject in a brighter direction.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:48 pm
"My maned wolf companion Kainda's been living out here until for a while so I came to see her. Plus I'll miss this jungle...might take some seeds if I can to plant back hon." Muroki smiled, as if plants were the least of their problems.
But really his mind was racing down another track. Safiya was a good lioness, who'd said before she'd longed for a home. And he needed more of the great cats on his side - and once regained, the Temple would be a home. Failing that, they could settle elsewhere. She was nice, enough that even Laini would have to like her. Safiya was already a friend of his - maybe they could help solve each other's problems?
"If you don't wish to be alone...and are looking for a purpose..maybe you'd like to join me and the others on our journey for a while? Even if you don't want to stay until journey's end, we'd welcome another companion, my friend."
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:19 pm
Safiya nodded; this jungle was nice. She giggled at the thought of taking seeds to plant somewhere else. Was that really possible? If so, how neat would that be! It would be like taking part of your home with you. Safiya stored this interesting idea in the back of her mind for later.
But her thoughts were quickly redirected. Almost not believing her ears, her eyes widened and she blurted out, "Really?"
Perhaps this was it, she was thinking as her heartbeat began a funny new rhythm. Perhaps this was the reason she had felt so strange as of late. She felt like there was suddenly this whole new world of possibility opened up to her; her mind raced ahead and gave her visions of herself on a journey with a purpose and, the best part of all, with friends.
"Muroki, I'm flattered. Really I am. I would love to go with you!" There was a time that she would have shyed away from something so new as this, but she had already had a miserable journey alone; the prospect of this journey was so much better.
"I would be really helpful, I think," she rambled on, encouraged by a light at the end of the tunnel. "Or at least I would try. I would try really hard, I promise. Maybe I could even help you rebuild your pride! If you wanted, that is." She laughed a little, trying to slow herself down and not seem so much like a child. "I hope I wouldn't get in the way..? I know I'm not that big or strong, would find some way to be useful, really." She was nearly prancing from side to side, a smile on her face and a light in her eyes.
Safiya wasn't the kind to worry about future troubles. To her, the journey that was offered was but happiness and adventure and friendship. It was her way to ignore any bad and see only good. Of course, the shadow of something hovered in the back of her mind, and she hadn't entirely forgotten about the great flock of vultures, but all that bad stuff could wait for later. She had something to live for now, a glimpse at a new life somewhere far away.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:46 pm
"Safiya, you're one of the nicest lions I've ever met. If nothing else you'll be useful in keeping out spirits up!" He joked.
Muroki chuckled at her cublike glee, his own heart feeling like it was swelling with emotion. He was glad to see her so happy! The first time they'd met she'd seemed so depressed at first, and earlier today she'd felt lost and alone...and sweet girl like Safiya would be a great asset to the pride, he just knew it and she deserved a good home.
"Oh, where to start telling you...the pride or our companions first? You'll have to meet Laini, she's a little grumpy but a true friend, Kainda, a impish young maned wolf, and of course my Johari. She seems a little shy but she's wise and kind. I'm sure you'll get on with them Safi."
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:26 pm
Muroki's kind words suprised Safiya and stopped her prancing and her babbling all at once, looking at him for a moment with wide eyes and a mouth hanging open. Utterly pleased and suddenly shy, Safi held back a smile, dropped her eyes to the ground and dug her nails idly into the dirt. "Well, I dunno about that..." she murmured happily, looking at her feet. "That's such an awful nice thing for you to say."
And just as quickly as she had become sedate, Safiya's head popped right back up and her toothy, excited grin reappeared.
"I'm super excited to meet your friends, Muroki!" she exclaimed. "Maybe I could cheer up poor Laini. Was Kainda that animal I saw earlier? I'd never seen a maned wolf before. I'll have to tell her I'm sorry I didn't go say hi. And oh, I can't wait to meet Johari, she sounds terribly nice! Is she your sweetheart? I hope they like me," Safiya babbled on, sometimes slipping back into her old way of speaking. And she had tried so hard to teach herself to speak formally...oh well. Today she would allow herself this - it was too good of a day.
Taking a sudden turn away from gushing about her enthusiasm to meet new friends, Safi stopped abruptly, looked at Muroki with bright eyes, and said, "Where are we going first?"
She was ready for anything.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:15 am
"Well, we'll follow the old road, as it's quickest - so firstly we'll travel though these roguelands. Kainda, the creature you saw before, will be leaving us soon...she's scouting ahead and will rally those she can. We four lions will follow behind as soon as I've taken leave of the pride here."
Muroki outlined the plan easily, as if he'd been running it through in his mind before they'd met, and indeed he had. He'd been thinking over the finer points for days. Recalling which way the old Dawnwalkers had went and asking Kainda what she'd gathered on her way here. Working out how fast they would go. What stops would need to be made. Where was safe lands and whih needed to be skirted around carefully. Muroki was concerned with getting his creatures there and safely more than anything.
"Maybe you'd like to meet Kainda now, before she leaves?" He smiled, ready to call the wolf if Safiya agreed.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:19 pm
Safiya nodded, hearing Muroki and trying to understand, but really it was beyond her scope. She didn't much like plans, it was too much work to have to remember all that you had to do and in what order. So she left it up to Muroki to be the planner and the leader - she trusted him because he was nice to her and he was smart, and as long as he wanted her to, she would follow him. If nothing else, Safiya could tell a good person when she came across one.
"Oh! I'd like to meet her, sure," she exclaimed as though she had not considered the possibility. "But she looked pretty determined when she came by here. I wouldn't want to distract her or slow her down, if that would make her upset." Definitely didn't want a bad experience for the first meeting. Otherwise Kainda might not ever like her.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:00 pm
"Ah, she's just following her nose, loves doing that. Something I doubt I'll ever understand, but canines, you know?" Muroki shrugged companionably and smiled, obviously fond on the smaller creature.
"I'll just called her - KAINDA!" He turned and called loudly in the direction the wolf had taken after that moments warning, his tail tip twitching from side to side with anticipation and happiness. So much had happened lately, and one thing he was still ecstatic about was his bond with Kainda. It was like having a little sister. When her brown form was visable bounding towards them again, Muroki turned to smile at Safiya once more.
"Whose this?" Kainda panted slightly as she spoke, then bowed her maned head to the white lioness politely.
" Safiya, this is Kainda. Kainda, meet Safiya, whose just joined our band."
"Welcome to the family." The wolf smiled too now, happy-go-lucky and pleased to meet another member.
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