|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:35 am
Asi yawned and stretched. He was a little tired today but he was in a much better mood since coming out of his depression. Taking care of the cubs was hard work, he let Tisha handle them most of the day but he still visited and played with them and tried to teach them wonderful things about the pride -- when he could keep them interested anyways.
He had been meeting with Adamu lately, discussing things and sometimes discussing nothing at all, just enjoying each other's company. Sometimes his heart ached around his mate's son, sometimes he felt guilty. He had never been a father to the cub, but he was supposed to have been a very good one to the three cubs that were not fathered by him. But... at that time he couldn't handle it.
Everything was becoming too much, but with Tisha baring his cubs things had seemed to lighten a little, it was a more care-free time for him. His tail flicked and he hummed lightly, heading for the third watering hole.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:51 am
Mahoka was a healthy, well-rounded creature without a trace of her once existing natural beauty. That's not to say that she was ugly -- she simply had a dull, plain, soft countenance. The most that had ever been said for the Lioness was that she had a 'nice' face, an honest face. Years of living and traveling alone had taken its toll on her features.
Mahoka's mood turned grim as she glanced at her reflection; a tired, sallow, timid Lioness, with an expression of bright grimness and hard sadness, stared back at her solemnly. She was proportionately confused by her appearance, so much so that she found herself unable to look any longer. She was easily saddened by her ageing, grey demeanor, and she often carried off this discomfiture by a concession; a concession by which was more often than not accompanied by a nervous laugh. Sometimes when it grew dark, Mahoka would sit by the watering hole and watch the sunset; she'd sit there for hours, on the mere chance that someone would save her from her loneliness. Someone with a strong countenance, lordly composure and judicial air. Sometimes she would find herself lost in these thoughts.
This was one of these moments.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:59 am
It didn't take long for the former king to reach the third watering hole, it wasn't so far away from his daily route that he liked to patrol. His eyes floated over the glimmering surface of the water, a small smile appearing on his wizened features. Asi wasn't so old, but his life had aged him as well. He certainly had many years ahead of him, he hoped. He was trying to live a good life with his mate gone. At first this didn't seem like something possible, but he was grasping hard to the life he still had these days.
His eyes finally floated over a familiar figure. Mahoka! He often didn't see her for many long weeks. In fact the last time he saw her had been around Ari's death, he thought. It was a pity she was always off by her self... "Mahoka!" He called out, a fond note in his voice.
She was one of his oldest friends in the pride, perhaps even in his life. If anything she was one of the friends from his childhood that he still saw today. What had happened to all of those annoying lions he'd come to know?
He moved toward her at the same pace, wondering what she was up to these days. She looked a little lost in thought.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:14 am
Mahoka, though she felt tongue-tied, was conscious of no embarrassment; it seemed improper that she not should talk -- but what was she to say? After a long silence she felt that she was going red; and then, for some moments, she stopped looking at him. She leant forward obliquely, a small, but obvious smile tugging at her lips.
"Asikari, it's been far too long," She whispered. She found herself laughing nervously, her concession obvious; on her journeys, she had often thought of him, considering what to say if they ever met again, turning over all the possibilities in her mind. Everytime they went their seperate ways, her mind always seemed to linger on her oldest friend. She took a hesitant step forward, then another, shuffling forward until she was a little closer. Sitting a foot or so away from him, she considered warmly. She wrapped herself in silence, determined for her friend to give a full review.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:29 am
She certainly was very quiet, wasn't she? He bumped his head with hers in a friendly gesture before moving to the water and drinking. Once he had his fill he moved beside her and sat. He chuckled softly and nodded.
"Aye, aye. 's always a bi' long af'er we meet, yeah?" Meaning their meetings were far and few between but they had been getting more frequent in the past months. Just not as often as when they were young.
"Yeh been explorin' again?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 6:43 am
She nodded slowly, and after some time, wrinkled her nose in a way that could be construed as rude if misinterpreted. He had features like young Lions in pictures; Mahoka had never seen such features -- so delicate, so chiseled and finished -- among the young creatures whom she had passed in her travels. Though he had aged since their last meeting, and their were a few stray grey hairs littered across his fur, that was neither here nor there. He was tall and slim, but he looked less 'masculine' than some. After a moment of musing, Mahoka concluded that he looked very much like a statue. But a statue would not talk, and, above all, would not have such smooth looking fur.
Almost as soon as she was striking up a conversation, her attention was returned to delicately staring at her reflection. She has succeeded in small talk, which was an achievement in itself, all things considered. Mahoka was not sociable or defiant; she had no genius for bravado anymore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:05 am
Asi frowned deeply. Why wasn't she answering him? He nudged her with a paw. "Wha' be wrong with yeh Mahoka?" He asked softly. Perhaps she was depressed like he had been depressed? But for what reason?
"Yeh 'aven' been around in a while, I miss seein' yeh."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:02 am
It is known that Mahoka has been thought to be too positive, even critisized for it -- but it seemed to her sufficient, and she had no wish to modify it. She had passed through her life estimating and evaluating individuals (partly due to her wandering ways), and in nineteen cases out of twenty she was right -- analyzing their characters carefully, she was almost always able to determine what kind of creature they were. Deep in thought, Mahoka failed to register his question for several moments.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just thinking," Mahoka said hastily, silently cursing her lack of social skills. Granted, she was a thoroughly honest Lioness -- honest in a degree of which she had perhaps lacked the opportunity to give the complete measure -- but this in itself was not necessarily a gift, for Asi's discomfort did not go unnoticed. She gently nudged his head with hers, smiling briefly.
"I've missed you, too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:18 am
Ah that seemed more like her old self! He was glad that she'd snapped out of whatever she'd been in.
"Wha' yeh be thinkin' abou'?" He asked slowly, tail flicking as he just smiled at her.
"Any thin' new in yer life? A male per'aps?" He teased. Though usually he teased her about this, he really wish Mahoka to find happiness. Though Asi did place happiness with families now, that was just his way of thinking these days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:32 am
She watched him carefully, her eyes every so often glancing sideways. He was interesting in the way he moved - always for a purpose, and anything without was a waste of time. She smiled, thinking this very interesting. It was nice to have a substancial conversation, for once, rather than nonsence small talk. Mohaka was very skilled in the art of decieving; she was able to make herself look as if she was listening when in fact her mind was a thousand miles away. She had succeeded, however, as she often failed to do when someone spoke to her, in catching his very last words.
"Unfortunately, no, I haven't," she paused for a moment, "I've not even had the chance to mother a litter." This confession, in itself of no great profundity, Mahoka seemed to offer for what it was worth, and as a contribution to an old friend. She had never trusted anyone else with this information -- she had never felt it necessary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:17 am
He leaned against her slightly in a friendly manner. "Yer time will come." Was all he could say to that, frowning slightly. He knew many lionesses only wanted to be mothers in life. Was that how Mahoka felt? Perhaps.
"Ah.. speakin'a mothers... I ah... I 'ave four new lil'uns fillin' mah den again." He said slowly and carefully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:19 am
Mahoka was silently overcome by grief; she had never before indulged in dramatics, at least not that the world knew about, but this was long and sudden, though she kept it well hidden. She leaned back in her place, her eyes fixed upon him, and smiled weakly.
"That's wonderful," she said mildly, smiling at him with a delightful gaze and leaning forward obliquely to gently nuzzle his head. She had, indeed, wanted nothing more than to mother a litter; but this was something she wished not to share with the world. Mahoka hesitated a moment; and then, looking away, "I'm rather tired," she murmured. For the second time in her life she had lied. Mahoka was not so easily tired as that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:27 am
Asi frowned lightly when she announced she was tired. She wasn't acting as she normally did, but he would have to accept that. He nodded slowly and bumped his head with her. "A den be wai'in fer yeh near the 'ills." He meant the den site in the Kusini lands, obviously one would always be open to her no matter how often she traveled.
His tail flicked and he rose, bowing his head to her. "I shoul' ge' back teh my rouns any'ow." And with that he started to walk away, trying to think over what was wrong with his dear, old friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:34 am
Mahoka thanked and bid her friend goodbye, watching as he took his departure; after which she returned to her gaze to her reflection, her lingering mood turning grim once more. Slowly, the evening advanced, and Mahoka found herself lost in her thoughts once more. She watched the sunset; watched it for what seemed like hours, basking in her gradually increasing loneliness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
