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 Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 3:08 pm
He'd left Kisi and Sewti awhile back, splitting off from them as soon as he knew they were back in Kizingo'zaa territory. It wasn't that he was ashamed of them or felt they'd be unwelcome.. but that it was best to do this part alone. And, he admited only to himself, he hoped to save at least a sliver of 'face' by not having too many play witness to what was bound to be a large embarassment.
Despite his long months away, he still knew the lay of the land here as one knew the back of their own paw. It helped him find his way through the dense jungle to the back cliffs where the pridal cave was; he could only hope that his parents, at least, still hung around there by day.
It was a wonder that no one had yet spotted him, though.
Well, no one had spotted him that wished to voice this fact, anyhow. As it was, Nili'jicho, or rather, more recently known as Maua, had indeed spotted his brother; his perch on a secluded rock had given him the height advantage, and the dense foliage, plus the flowers the lion wore on a normal basis, aided his camouflage.
After his talk with Sewti, the teen had sought out some peace and quiet, idly tending to his thoughts on the situation. In all honesty, his brother heading for their old den was the last thing he'd thought he'd see on such a fine day, alas, curiosity got the better of him, and Maua soon enough found himself standing up to follow after Panu. It was oddly nostalgic, in a way, he decided as he lay his hooded gaze on the larger boy's form, coming out of his hiding place to fall in step beside him, "Looking for something?" he drawled out in a way that could only be described as bitchy, even if he wasn't particularly aiming to sting, as was noticeable by the way he kept his gaze on Panu, one feminine brow arched into his curling, growing mane.
That voice. Ahh.. he would have known that voice anywhere, as much as he didn't always wish to. "You," Panu replied in a more gentle fashion than one might have thought possible. It wasn't easy keeping a handle on his annoyance at Nili's tone, but reminding himself that he deserved it helped in a somewhat awkward fashion.
"And others," Tau added after a moment. He didn't stop for a second, even when joined, and just kept on walking. "Mom and dad."
"Hmmm..." it was a small sound, almost like a hummed song, mildly sarcastic in nature, "Imagine that," came the drawled out whisper, "Seeing as how I spent so much of my time looking for you with Kapuki, that's interesting," the bitchy tone was dropped though, as soon as the words were out; it was in his personality to be like this, but at the same time, with age came wisdom (only if just barely), tolerance and patience. Or at least, Maua liked to think so.
Despite the fact they were the same age, the smaller of the two boys had to pad slightly faster to keep up with his brother; his stride was significantly smaller, and his frame too, "You're a lucky b*****d then; they've not yet left the den today," his tone had lost all it's acidic quality, instead ringing with a mildly musical tone, even despite the playful banter offered in the sentence. A pause as he arched a brow again, "Why?"
"Can you wait till we find them?" Somehow Panu managed to keep his voice patient, even though patience was the last thing he wished to have. Time hadn't changed too much between him and Nili, that was obvious. If things were going to change it would take a lot of work and diligence on both their parts... he could only hope that Nili was willing.
The news that they had tried to look for him was.... Panu wasn't sure how to feel about that, so he didn't.
The jungle became less dense and the vegetation began to give way to more and more rock. They were approaching the cliffs now.... It was possible his parents may have been informed of his coming, but somehow he doubted that. The muses interfered a lot, but not always, and he hadn't heard a whisper since he'd come back.
When they rounded a boulder and came up next to the cliffs he stopped, looking down a small hill towards the opening of the pridal den. His dad was there, lounging on the rock beneath.
Hadithi looked up, eyebrows raising as he spotted his wayward son. Another face, dark and purple and tiny, peeked out from under the male's extensive mass of mane. She looked enough like them that he could guess without smell or being told that there was a second litter now. That somehow shocked him into silence, when he'd wanted to say something... uh... well. something.
The fact he hadn't shouted or otherwise used further worse words with him, was at least, a small hint that the smaller of the two brother was.... willing to give it a try, at least. Despite the fact he wished to pry further (obvious in the way his ears perked), Nili snapped his maw shut almost as soon as he started to open it to question Panu again. He could wait. He could be patient. Even if patience wasn't his best quality by far.
Thus on they walked, in relative silence, Nili following his brother's lead, much like old times. As soon as the arrived to the cliffs though, the smaller of the two males left Panu's side and padded over to join their father, pausing beside him to lick the purple cub's head; this one was the only one of his siblings he shared colors with, and for some or reason beyond him, it made him oddly protective of her, even if she did not NEED it, and he... could not quite do much (seeing as how he was rather physically weak), "Panu says he wants to tell us something or other," he broke the silence and ice with the words just as Misae padded out of the den, a small white cub with blue markings hanging from her maw, oddly resembling the purple girl by Hadithi's side.
"PANU!" The purple cub shouted, followed by a high-pitched giggle that made her father wince. The sound was neigh intolerable, but soon she'd jumped from his grasp and gone skittering up the hill to cling to Panu's feet. "He's back! He's back! He's back!"
Seeing as he'd never seen either of these cubs before in his life, Panu was more than a little surprised by this. He gave his parents and brother a comically helpless look, filled to the brim with confusion and unsureity.
Hadithi chuckled, despite the tense feeling in the air, "Our little Adaeze is quite the... vibrant one."
"I can see that," Panu responded softly, looking down at the cub. After a minute he smiled and licked the top of her head, as Nili had done. Adaeze giggled and put her paws to his maw, raising up to lick his nose.
"So you had something to tell us?" Hadithi prompted.
Panu sighed softly, and sounding more childish than before whispered, "... I don't know where to start."
The cub that was being silently held in her mother's maw merely blinked, but otherwise remain silent, even as she was placed on the ground, however, no sooner had her paws reached firm floor, she padded slowly.... silently, to where the other cub was, with Panu and leaned against her older brother paw.
Misae, whom had likewise remain silent, smiled and settled herself against her mate's side, her gaze taking in the surroundings first, as if looking for something before settling on her wayward son's form; she'd known before the others when he'd be back. She'd seen it in a dream, whispered in the wind and hadn't been surprised by the apparition, but rather had smiled, looking like a child that had found her way to the cookie jar when no one was looking, "How about..." a pause as she lifted her paw and tapped her maw with a finger, "How about you start at the beginning?" they were soft words, meant to comfort Panu, "There's always a beginning to every tale told..."
Nili, whom had settled himself to the side slightly, focused his gaze away from Panu and groomed his paw and arm, content with just listening. For now.
Panu was equally surprised by the other girl's easy acceptance of him as he had been by the first. Not that he should have been--home was.. well.. and "accepting" place, if there ever was one. He looked up to see his father nodding to his mate's words.
"I.. um... well.." Panu cleared his throat awkwardly.
"There are giants in the sky," He sang softly, a tune that had come to him since the day his 'experience' had happened several months before, "There are big, tall terrible giants in the sky~!"
That wasn't quite the beginning, though. He stopped, giving a shake of his head and looked up to the sky. Presently he started again, a slight smile on his face as he remembered, "When you're way up high and you look below at the world you left and the things you know, little more than a glance is enough to show you just how small you are.."
Confidence gained, the older male looked down up on his sisters to find that the purple one was now staring up at him with a mindless sort of fascination. Indeed, there wasn't much in the way of intelligence within her pretty pink eyes. "When you're way up high and you're own your own in a world like none that you've ever known, where the sky is lead and the earth is stone--you're free to do whatever pleases you. exploring things you'd never dare 'cause you don't care when suddenly there's a big tall terrible giant at the door..."
Panu looked up at the cave, as a sort of clue, but his eyes were unfocused. His memory played before his eyes of the place he'd never forget. "A bit terrible lady Giant sweeping the floor... and she gives you food and she gives you rest and she draws you close to her giant breast.. and you know things now that you never knew before... not till the sky."
Panu shook his head, snapping out of it in a moment. He stood and disengaged himself from his sisters, stepping slowly down the hill towards his parents. "only just when you've made a friend and all, and you know she's big--but you dont' feel small--someone bigger than her comes along the hall' to swallow you for lunch!"
He laughed soflty at himself, turning a sheepish look on his father and brother, "And your heart is lead and your stomach stone and you're really scared being all alone..!
"And its then that you miss all the things you've known and the world you left and the little you own--and the fun is done."
Panu sighed, "you steal what you steal what you can and run. And you scramble down and you look below and the world you know begins to grow..."
He turned his gaze on his mom, a few tears pricking his eyes, "The cliffs, the den and your mother at the door... the cliffs, the den and the world you never thought to explore. And you think of all of the things you've seen and you wish that you could live in between, and you're back again only different than before... after the sky..."
Nili had stopped mid-lick as soon as his brother had began to sing; unlike the smaller of the two brother, Panu had never quite been one to express himself singing, and Nili would have stated that Panu would NEVER be found dead singing if he could help it.
Not only was Panu singing, but telling a story (or trying to); would wonders ever cease? His surprise was clearly apparent in his expression which had softened considerably as the singing had reached his ears. He was staring openly at his brother, and though not gawking, his eyes were large, watching.
Unlike her sister's gaze, Binti's did shine with intelligence; it was like they were mirror opposites, not only in colors but expressions and personality. Though there was no smile upon her maw, the small white cub's eyes shone with curiosity, hooded over as she listened to the singing and tale her older brother wove.
Misae too watched, but unlike her children, there was no surprise; instead, a small knowing smile seemed to play at the corners of her mouth. Laughter shone in her eyes, to mocking, but rather, the type that bubbles up one's chest when something marvelous happens. Oh, she'd known it'd happen, and yet it didn't keep her from enjoying every second of it all. Even as Panu turned tear-stained orbs upon her, Misae smiled, deep, comforting the child that in her mind, would never truly grow beyond being just that; her child. As soon as the song was done, she closed her eyes and breathed; as the song keeper, she'd actually kept record of every word her son had sung, and would no doubt sing it too, in turn, at some point. Turning to face Hadithi, she offered him too a knowing smile that rang out with the unspoken words; I told you so.
Then again, he'd known too, deep down.
"There is a way," Hadithi ventured softly into the soft silence following Panu's performance. "For you to live both lives."
Before he could venture further, though, panu shook his head. He offered his father a smile, sad and yet happy, "No. I'm not for that, as much as the child in me thinks so. I was meant to stay here, I know that now. Just as I was allowed to leave, because I needed to. There were .. many things, hard lessons, that I needed to learn that... wouldn't... couldn't be learned here. Now that I know them, its time for me to stay."
Hadithi nodded, "That it is." He chuckled and leaned against his mate, "I can't say I'm not happy. I've been waiting rather impatiently for you, these past couple of months. The children need a more dedicated teacher."
Panu's eyebrows rose slightly, "I didn't think--"
"Of course you did. If you'd demanded it, there would be a different story..." Hadithi smiles, "As it is... I think you're right. You were meant to come back. Just as I'm meant to do this now, rather than wait. Its pointless to wait."
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 3:20 pm
"One that can actually tell a tale without breaking into..." Misae hesitated just briefly as she turned to look at Nili, "Aaaah... colorful language," as good a singer as Nili was, he lacked the patience to be a story teller or a teacher. The random, rather colorful curses the less-than-manly-male could come up with whenever something wronged him (which was, interestingly enough, quite often), were source of constant amusement for his mother.
A soft "Hmph!" like sound resounded at his mother's words, however, there was no venom there, instead, mock-haughty-ness marred his expression as the small male tossed his head up into the air, "I'm not a story tell anyhow," he drawled, "I'm a prima dona," it was said without hesitation, as if it could simply not be any other way. There was no doubt, acceptance there, from both the younger brother and his mother. Acceptance for what Hadithi was implying, and for Panu's return, both.
Hadithi had to laugh at his son and wife's bantering. He shook his head but sighed softly, "well then, its decided. Your mother will show you the ropes, while I pick up on the children's' lessons before we have any more colorful incidents." He, too, didn't mind so terribly about the incidents. They were rather amusing, after all.
"You're all sure?" Panu's ears flattened uncertainly, looking about at their faces. He'd expected to be chewed out a little--at least from Nili, if no one else. This level of sheer acceptance was.... odd. Almost unthinkable to one who didn't know his family.
"Hmph!" it was voiced again at his father voice, but when clear blue eyes opened, there was silent laughter ringing in them, even if his general expression did not really show it. Anyhow that knew Nili could have seen it; it was sad to note he'd meant ever word he'd said too. Slowly, he lifted his head to look at the sky, "The girl you brought was also interesting," he drawled, then stood up, shaking his frame and mane out before he padded towards Panu, passing by his side. He stopped only momentarily when he reached his side, "Since she's NOT your lover..." a pause, almost dramatic in nature before he turned to look at his brother just barely over his shoulder, "I think I'll keep her; with that, your debt is paid. Tata," and this said, he padded off into the foliage.
Misae whom had not really paid attention to Sewti's arrival, arched a brow, but soon enough shook her head, "It's not a lot to learn; it seems to me you already have most of the basis, if that performance you've enlighten us with goes to show for anything... it will be fine. All will be fine," she'd known it would, after all.
"Ah... huh?" Panu blinked in utter confusion at his brother. He'd ... what?! What?! "What do you mean you'll keep--"
His mother diverted his attention, though, and he blinked at her. "Ah.. th-thanks mom..." A smile flashed over his features as a peace spread into his soul. Despite his brother's cryptic last words, he felt, finally, as if he were truly home.
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