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 Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:25 pm
Kiuma paced with a restless sort of energy, a scowl on her face. After meeting her sons, she had much to think about, even if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. They were safe and well-grown, but she resented all the lost time, spent chasing nothing while they grew without her guidance. It was a terrible thing, to miss the lives of your children... she would not make that set of mistakes again.
But now, she was more annoyed that anything, as Baala was once again missing. Her usual absences were accepted, even a blessing that gave Kiuma a tiny space in which to be alone and return to her center, but this absence was far too long... The younger lioness always caught up sooner than this, and that fact made Kiuma worry, which in turn made her annoyed that she was worried, and that annoyance became centered on Baala herself as the source.
Where was that girl? Kiuma was ready to travel on, or at least to discuss where they should go next, and she could do nothing till Baala caught up. The red lioness flicked her tail irritably and finally sank down in the shade of a small tree, resting her head on her forelegs.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:39 pm
Each step... the pain - Hurt!
Baala dragged herself across the landscape, her every step agonizingly slow and painful. It had taken her longer then she had ever imagined to catch up to Kiuma. Her fight with Damu'Jicho had taken its toll on her, more then she realized. Before her body had been weak, and when she met Damu'Jicho it was in the process of healing and becoming stronger. The fight had set her back to the day when she first met Kiuma (in the condition of her body). It was too much of an effort to move, and yet she did so, and recklessly. Baala had not thought about food or water... had only thought of moving. She couldn't stop - Damu was still out there and she had yet to catch up to Kiuma. That was her ultimate goal, to see the red lioness before she collapsed... before she even thought about giving in to her weakness.
Her breath came out in ragged gasps, and she stumbled forward, nearly collapsing. The scars on her right cheek burned. They had sealed closed during her travels, but it was as if her memory of the pain brought it to reality. Each rush of air against the inside of her cheek made her wince. She was bruised and beaten, but the only excuse she had for her own physical state was that she had allowed herself to get into such a state. Her relentless travelling had taken its effect on her... yet it did not stop her. She knew Kiuma would be mad at her, which was all the more reason to return to her side as quickly as she could manage. She hated to make the older lioness upset, hated to know that she had somehow disappointed her. If Kiuma saw how hard she had tried to get back... perhaps Baala's absence would be forgiven in some small shape or form. Kiuma was all she had left in this world; truly.
She raised her head, icy blue eyes staring off into the distance. And there! Red! Under the shade of a tree rested Kiuma, the lioness that had aided Baala in getting better the first time she had fallen ill. She desperately wanted to call out to her, like a cub would call out to its mother, but she could not find her voice. It had been lost somewhere along the way. The dryness of her throat would not permit language to pass through it. So she walked, her legs picking up pace despite how sore they wore, and quickly she closed the distance. Her fur was unrecognizable, matted with blood and mud but it was most definitely Baala who approached Kiuma, Baala who managed to croak out the lioness's name. "Kiuma!"
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:17 pm
Kiuma's head jerked up as she heard her name called in a soft voice, eyes darting to find her companion trudging towards her. Those same eyes widened in shook at the younger one's condition, and she darted to her paws, padding over quickly to intercept her.
"Baala! Sweet circle, what happened to you?" Her voice hissed through her fangs as she clenched them, taking in just how badly injured Baala was. It actually suprised her that the black lioness had made it this far with wounds like that... she must be moving on pure will alone. "Come." She commanded, backing up to clear her way. "There is a little watering hole over here you can drink from, and while you rest, I'll go get you something to eat."
Concerned heavily colored Kiuma's voice, and she felt the righteous anger of a mother who's cub had been attacked. Perhaps that was how she felt about Baala, after all this time with her... After loosing both lions she had been so attached to, she'd had a hard time getting close to another, so this new feeling took her rather by suprise. Still, she realized now that she'd come to enjoy Baala's company, and truly care for her. If someone had hurt her, they wouldn't live very long if Kiuma caught them.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 3:30 pm
Oh, how her body ached, how she longed to just lay down and give in to her exhaustion. But she was afraid that if she laid down she would never get up once again. That was how weary she felt, and by sheer force of will she kept herself on her feet. Kiuma was turning into a red blob in her vision, and this registered as a danger sign. If she could not see anything clearly something had to be wrong. But... it was all right, because at least she knew that Kiuma was there, that she had finally reached the red lioness. If she were to fall from exhaustion Kiuma would be there to catch her, just as she had before. Kiuma was there when no one else was, even when Baala's own mother succumbed to death and failed to raise her daughter through those last vital months of her youth.
"I... was attacked." That much was clear, but it didn't seem as if she was willing to waste her voice on telling a story, and perhaps she didn't even want to tell Kiuma what had happened. It was her disgrace, her little failure in life and she would rather suffer throught it on her own. "Thank you... I don't know what I would do without your help, Kiuma." Her voice was sincere, because everything she said was true. She wouldn't be able to do without Kiuma, not when she was in this kind of position.
When the other lioness stepped aside, Baala pushed herself forward, feet dragging against the earth, each step agonizingly slow. It was painful to move, but she had to reach the source of water. Her throat was parched, dried and desiring a good long drink. That came first, and then her hunger for food would rise, and hopefully Kiuma would be able to make a kill because Baala needed the energy She hoped that she would be able to help Kiuma in the hunt, but even she knew that she could not do it. Her body was too weak for any strenuous activity, and trying to take down a meal would push her over the edge. So she convinced herself to accept Kiuma's aid, accept the food that would be brought to her as she drank her fill from a small watering hole.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:18 pm
Kiuma snarled visciously, her vision turning red with sudden, raging anger. This was worse than the time she'd found her father's torn body, on the brink of death. That time, she'd known that he'd given as good as he got, but this time... Baala was young yet, a delicate, lovely lioness. That someone would hurt her was as grave a sin as hurting a cub, in the red lioness's mind.
She shook herself as Baala brushed past, shaking off the rage that threatened to send her howling into the wilderness after her companion's attacked. First, care for Baala, then try and get more of the story. Yes, care first.
As the black lioness went to the water, the red one slipped off silently, melting into the brush like a deadly red shadow. The squeal of something dying a painful death came shortly after, Kiuma's good luck bagging her a gazelle without too much effort. With food ready as soon as Baala had drunk her fill, Kiuma brought the carcass into easy reach and settled down to wait, every muscle in her body tense and tight.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:48 pm
Water. Life. Greedily she drunk it down, cleansing her throat of dust and grime. It was all she could think about, filling this unending thirst. Uncharacteristically she didn't even show the smallest hint of caution as she lowered her gaze from her surroundings. All that mattered to her was the water, was the drink that would likely save her life. Already she felt strength returning to her. Rejuvination. Ah! The water felt so good, at the perfectly cool temperature. Distantly she heard the squeal of a gazelle, its choked cries as the life was constricted out of it. But right now that did not matter to her... it was just that thirst. A controlling thirst was one she felt, until she finally satisified it.
Gasping for breath, she drew back away from the watering hole. Droplets of water dripped down from her maw, feeding the dry earth. Turning to her right was the carcass, fresh enough that the aroma that greeted her nostrils was sweet. Instantly the hunger rose in her as the thirst had risen her at the sight of the watering hole. With her hunger guiding her, she made her way to the dead gazelle and proceeded to eat her fill. When she was done there was barely anything left, and pacing back to the watering hole she cleaned off her face and took a few extra drinks. There, everything was nearly back to normal again. She was still weak... but all of her needs had been satisifed for the moment.
Only then did she turn to face Kiuma, her icy blue eyes clear, her shoulders slumping slightly. She was weak still, no matter how much the food and water had rejuvinated her. Slowly she approached the red lioness, coming to sit down in front of her. "It's over. My attacker is long gone and I am alive. We won't be able to find him again, and I do not want to. This is over and we should continue on with our journey. I am not going to leave your side again... never again." She was basically telling Kiuma to drop all thoughts about pursuing Baala's attacker. She wanted this to be over with and to never have to think about it again.
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:27 pm
The Princess watched the young rogue drink deep, then eat till her sides bulged, finally taking another drink before she came to sit before her. Kiuma's mouth opened, but before she could say a thing, Baala was pouring out words in a torrent, overwhelming any protest she could make. The red lioness's face curled in a snarl as she layed her ears back, starting to her paws as her tail lashed.
"You can't expect me to just go on like nothing happened!" She shouted, her voice rising higher than she'd really intended. Baala wasn't the source of her anger, but she wanted to deny her from going to find that source and tear it into little bitty chunks... "My friend and companion has been beaten within an inch of her life! Whoever it was that attacked you shouldn't be allowed to get away with it!"
Kiuma's eyes blazed with righteous anger, her body practically vibrating with the need to do... something, preferably violent in nature.
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 8:33 am
She knew this would happen, suspsected that Kiuma would not let this fade away into the past without taking some action against it. But that was all that Baala wanted. She didn't want Kiuma meeting this lion and going against him when he was well larger then her and not exactly stable in his mind. She didn't want Kiuma getting hurt as she had been. Baala would not be able to bear it if Kiuma got truly hurt trying to defend her. That was why she had to insist that they just let this go. They had to continue travelling in the opposite direction, to whichever destination that Kiuma chose. Baala did not want to spend the time tracking down Stirika... Damu... whichever one he may be at the time.
"That is all I can expect from you, Kiuma! That's all I ask from you! I do not want keep thinking about this. It is the past, and I am done with it." Her own voice rose in response to Kiuma's. Baala seemed rather unaffected by Kiuma's anger, by the tone of her voice. It was what she truly expected from the red lioness and would not get upset at her ebcause of it. "Let me tell you, the creature that did this to me is suffering more then I am. Its punishment will come in time, caused by itself. You do not need to exact revenge on it. So... don't."
She was irritated now, turning away from the red lioness and walking a few feet away to plop down on the ground. Her back faced Kiuma, head moodily laying on her paws, but with a simple turn of it she could look at Kiuma and engage her in more heated conversation. She'd do anything to prevent Kiuma from chasing after the lion that had assaulted her.
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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 3:38 pm
Kiuma could not... would not, leave Baala here alone, though everything in her demanded she hunt down the treacherous male that had done this. Oh yes, it must have been a male... Kiuma had no doubt now that it was one of that weak-minded breed, one of the untrustworthy half of lion kind. Baala would not so careful avoid describing her attacker if it wasn't. Or so the red lioness convinced herself. Deep-seated, old anger rose up, clouding her reasoning. There could be no one else who would have done this...
Snarling with impotent rage, Kiuma whirled and struck at a low scrub brush, sweeping her claws through it to break branches and tear leaves. Then she turned and began to pace around the little waterhole, never quite leaving sight of Baala, but unable to still herself. Circle, how she burned with anger and frustration... The younger lioness just feared to see her attacker, it wasn't her fault. Of course she wouldn't want to hunt him down, especially not in her current condition.
But... Kiuma rankled at the thought of just letting him go, after what he'd done. Even if he was unstable, or maybe especially because... if he was insane, then it would be a service to world, more than just revenge, to end his life. He couldn't be left to visit this terrible fate on any other females.
Another snarl ripped from the older female as she tore the ground with her claws as she paced, lost in a fit on indecision and strange helplessness.
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:40 am
She could feel the anger radiating off of Kiuma's body from even the distance from Baala to across the watering hole. But this anger was to her own benefit as well, because she knew that if Kiuma was struggling with this anger she was struggling with the idea of leaving Baala behind to go find her attacker. Baala simply would not go off to find Stirika. She would not bring herself into another conflict with the large lion, because she would know the outcome. Even Kiuma would have a struggle harming Stirika, and could even lose the struggle and her life. That was why she could not let Kiuma go after this lion, and that was why she hoped her words would overrule Kiuma's need for revenge.
Her blue eyes watched with increasing concern as Kiuma circled the watering hole. She knew the lioness was struggling to keep her anger under control, and with each swipe of Kiuma's paw she winced. There was so much pure power with the red lioness, power that Baala had lacked. That lack of power was the reason she was in such a horrible condition, but she couldn't change her strength. It had been at its peak before and was unlikely to raise any higher. Baala was stuck at her skill level, all because of her harsher life. If she had only grown a lot larger she may have been able to solve the problem of Stirika without serious consequences.
She stood up abruptly, making her way over to the angered Kiuma. Baala didn't much care that the lioness could be considered dangerous at this point. She had to calm Kiuma down, had to show her devotion and love for this lioness. So she threw caution to the wind, buffeting her head gently underneath Kiuma's, a relaxing purr developing in her throat as she nuzzled against the other. "Let's continue with our journey. No more stops, no more of me leaving you for a little while. Just me and you, and where ever you want to go."
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:49 am
In all her life, there had been few to show real affection to Kiuma, and it had been a long time since the last such expression. When the black lioness appeared and butted her head under Kiuma's own, it took her so much by surprise that she stopped and stared, even going so far as to loose some of her anger. She couldn't quite forget, but that this young lioness should show such affection made her feel strangely warm inside.
She'd loved Tanaka, but he had been the dominant one, all told. He had been strong, powerful, and she had sought to rise to the occasion, but a mortal lioness could never hope to be a fit mate for a god, even a fallen one. In a moment of clarity, Kiuma finally knew this, even if it brought a tang of pain. She'd loved her twin, Uumikaji, as well, but it had been a one-sided love and relationship. He could not feel the same for her, it seemed, and she had always been looking out for him, protecting him, taking care of her sickly brother. And in the end, both had betrayed and left her to mourn by herself, alone in the world with no one she could truly trust.
With Baala now, it was different. She wasn't sure if she dared call this strange new emotion love, but she did care deeply for the other. Would she have been so upset otherwise? And most times, Baala could care for herself, so in many ways, they were more equal than any other relationship the red lioness had had. It was a sort of revelation, and with it, more of her anger faded as she actually went so far as to tilt her head and rub her cheek along the top of the young lioness's head.
"Fine." She said, grudgingly. "We'll keep going, but only after you've rested and feel ready to travel again. We have no place to go, and no need to travel at a grueling pace. We can afford to take the time to rest and recover, I as much as you."
A thought struck her, and her gaze turned inward as she turned it over in her mind. It wasn't a bad idea, truly...
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Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:30 pm
Baala had freely expressed her emotions when her mother had been alive, but after her death she had withdrawn into herself. Just now Kiuma had somehow managed to draw those emotions back to the surface, or perhaps it was merely from her traumatic experience (of which the details she would never share with the red lioness lest it give her cause for more unneeded anger). She had exposed herself to devotion, friendship, and love, and now she simply could not fight them back. They were given free reign, turning her into a creature that was slightly guided by her emotions. Only truly would these emotions be displayed, though, to Kiuma and a select few who would manage to wiggle their way into heart. Baala was not ready to be so open to strangers, not after having learned what evil potential strangers had. No, she would not allow herself to be so trusting, not ever again... to any stranger.
She was surprised, though, to feel Kiuma return the touch, and it made her in return feel much more at home and much more comfortable. Her purr nearly grew louder with her pleasure at this display of affection, but she managed to keep it under control, nuzzling her cheek briefly against the other's before she took a step back and sat down. Baala didn't need to be shown anything else to figure out that Kiuma cared about her. What she got, she was satisfied with and would not request for more. The display of affection was enough to tie her over for quite some time, and from the small smile on her face it was clear that she was happy. She was bruised, beaten, and even a little bloody... but happy. Her happiness, she firmly believed, was all that mattered to her. And she had found that happiness with Kiuma.
"All right, good," she nodded her head, yellow bangs falling in front of her eyes. "I do not mind resting a little longer, and I think I may even need it." So, they had no destination... and she really did not mind. She was going to be travelling with Kiuma, and that was all that mattered. Baala didn't have any place to go other then with the red lioness. Kiuma was, in a sense, in her home, and Baala was determined to never permanently leave her.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:50 pm
A small smile curved over Kiuma's jsaws as she settled closer to Baala, sitting to face her. She mused to herself a moment before she spoke.
"Baala, I want you to... cut me." She said simply. Lifting her paw, she extended a paw and traced lines in each cheek, from eye to jaw line. "Here and here." Her eyes were earnest, and her tail flicked as she curled it around her paws.
She had gotten an idea, and now there was very little that would stop her from going with it. The lovely princess had never had a single mark on her body, despite everything she'd gone through... and now she felt it was high time her past left some sort of mark on her. And who better to give it?
Bruised, battered Baala... who had as much in her past now as Kiuma did.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:23 pm
She blinked in surprise at the mere suggestion, watching through slightly widened eyes as Kiuma drew out on her cheeks what she wanted. They looked like tears, and it looked as if doing it would be painful. In fact, she was certain that it would be painful, but not nearly as painful as the experience that she had gone through. Besides, if Kiuma wanted it there was no reason for her not to give it to the red lioness. It did not bother her to make another bleed, did not bother her to cause someone else pain. Baala would have no difficulty doing what Kiuma asked of her. Her eyes scanned over Kiuma's body, looking at how clean the fur was, how unbruised and uncut it was. And she would be the first to scar it, the first to be given this sort of... honor. Yes, honor.
"I want you to do the same to me as well, then." It was her way of agreeing to what Kiuma wanted, and she figured it would be easier on the red lioness if she did not tell her when she would make the mark, the mark of their developing bond. So she waited a little bit, waited for the moment when she suspected that Kiuma did not expect her to bring the pain, and it was then that she reached out, dragging one claw from the corner of Kiuma's eye down to her jawline. Just as quickly she repeated the same thing to the other side of Kiuma's face, her claws digging into Kiuma's flesh, leaving a thin line of blood in it's path. "There," she murmured this softly, her voice tender and caring as her paw was lowered back down to the earth.
She turned her cheek then, her lids closing over her eyes as she waited for Kiuma to return the favor. Baala had been hurt before, had been hurt considerably... but this was a pain she desired. It was like an initiation into Kiuma's heart, the one place she wanted to be at this time in her life. This new little pain she could suffer through, so that she would wander the world with a reminder of Kiuma forever etched into her face. She would forever know her family, the lioness that had taken her in when she had been so weak and helpless. Nuksani, her beloved mother, was gone, and the whole that she left in Baala's heart was growing smaller all the time, time spent with Kiuma.
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Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:32 pm
Pain blossomed on Kiuma's face, hot and sharp. When it was done, she let her face twist in a snarl, though it wasn't directed at Baala. This pain... it was like a physical expression of what she'd felt in her heart each time she'd been wounded by the ones she cared for. Blood flowed down her face like, yes, tears, and she smiled a little as she opened eyes of the same color.
"Thank you, Baala." She murmured, reaching back on her haunches. Lifting both paws, she cupped the younger lionesses face and made two swift cuts, clean and as painless as she could make them. "Now we shall show the pain we have felt in our hearts and..." Leaning forward, the red lioness pressed first one cheek then other other to Baala's, smearing their blood together. "Now we share the same blood as well, and we're as much sisters as if we shared a womb."
That smile eased as she sat back, flicking her tongue to catch a stray drop of blood near her muzzle. They'd have nice, matching scars... physical signs that linked them. "We bled together, shared pain that the other inflicted, and forgave each other for it..." She sighed a little, leaning in to lick at the marks and clean the blood from them. "I think that's good enough for today, eh?" She chuckled, the first laugh from her in a while.
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