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 Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:26 am
It had been tiring but worthwhile, that was all Aapep could say.
His mother and him and been travelling for three days, passing through land that he hadn't thought could ever exist. He was amazed by the different terrain, amazed by how different places were compared to the Nchi'mahadhi. Deep down he'd been afraid that some other land would steal his heart away from the pride of music, but so far nothing had even come close. Every time he found his mind returning to that land, to the place where his dear friend lived.
He had no idea how close he was to the sea, only that the journey was long and that it would take just as long to return.
He hadn't said much to his mother about his parting with Mawi Mai, partly because it had made him sad and partly because he was unsure about something. Either way, he'd see her again someday.
They'd reached a clump of trees to shelter from the hot midday sun and the youngster was looking up at a songbird, watching intently. It was singing its little heart out. Singing for all the world.
Aapep smiled.
"How much further do you think the sea is, mother?" He asked.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:10 pm
They had been traveling for some time, but that wasn't before Kirjava made sure that Aapep's belly was full and he was prepared to leave. It's been a while since she's actually travelled, really wandered to the ends of the plains. With the scenery changing from something that Aapep was used to into something more foreign, the crimson lioness made sure that she knew her barings. The last thing she wanted was to make her way to the desert, on accident, and have something bad happen.
With the sun high overhead, she had decided to stop underneath the shade of a patch of trees. Plus, to give Aapep and herself some rest. On the slightly cool ground, she kept one ear trained on her son while her eyes scanned the area. She had to be alert, for any dangers that could happen along the way. But really, her mind was swelled with so many thoughts.
It wasn't until her son's voice called out to her that she was broken from her reverie. Head shifted back towards her son as she let her gaze rest on him, "I am not sure, Aapep. I've never been there myself..." She let her voice trail off as she let her gaze shift back over the landscape, "There's still a lot of green left here, but we might be getting close. I know we'll be able to tell once we get there. I've always heard that the air around the sea is different than here."
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:48 pm
He trotted alongside her, taking in the sights all around him. Maybe it was just because he was determined not to like anyplace more than the Nchi'mahadhi, or maybe the foreign lands weren't as pretty. Either way, he wasn't moved by any of the sights, not too much in any case.
Who knew if that would change when they reached the sea.
"So you've never seen the sea either? Or just the sea where Ravi lives?" He pondered. "Do you think he'd let us visit again? I think it'd be cool to have a brother to visit every now and then." It was clear he was extremely happy to have a brother. Any doubts that had first risen into his mind were gone.
Now he was just looking forward to finally meeting a sibling that he had only just recently discovered that he had.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:11 pm
She shook her head at her son's question, "To any sea. I've heard stories about it, but it's not the same as seeing it for yourself." She smiled softly at her son. Kirjava picked up her son's excitment and was very relieved to know that he was still looking forward to this.
A soft laugh escaped from her before she bent her head forward to nudge her son, "I am sure he'll be more than happy to let us visit any time we wanted. Plus, who wouldn't like to see their family?" If she knew Ravi as well as she did, he would be delighted to see his family. Plus, she missed him greatly. "I wonder if he's there alone or with friends..." She pondered softly to herself before she looked back towards Aapep, "Are you taking this alright, Aapep? I know traveling can be long and boring."
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:29 am
"Travelling is good fun. I get to see so much on the way. Besides, when our journey is finished I get to see brother." He chirped. "And you do too, so it makes it extra special. I'm sure Ravi will have lots of friends." He purred, rubbing against her forelegs. "The only bad thing about travelling is leaving people behind." He replied sadly, thinking of Mawi Mai and their short goodbye.
It hadn't lasted long. He'd not even had the chance to explain why he was going. It was almost as if she'd wanted to get it over and done with. He could understand that. He had too.
But it had made him sad to say goodbye despite the fact he knew he was coming back. "Mawi was sad when I said goodbye." He explained briefly. "But glad that I'd be coming back. She wants to meet you." He replied, happily.
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:47 am
Her son's words made sadden her slightly. Kirjava had very few friends and those that she was closest to have all since passed on. She wasn't all too familiar with feeling sad about departing from friends since the closest lioness she knew, had passed on. But, Kiburi had offspring and Jini had told her to visit whenever she wanted to. Perhaps they should do that before they return. Perhaps it would be nice for Aapep to meet Jini as well...to know that he's not alone in the world, even though he knows he's not.
"I guess that could make you sad, leaving your friends behind. But it's also exciting to think about all the possibilities of what you could see and encounter on that journey that you could bring back and tell your friends." She licked his cheek affectionately, "It will be special, since I'm sure he's all big and grown now. I remember when he was just a cub, no bigger than you." A soft laugh escaped from her at the memory of little Ravi taking his first steps.
And then, she let her gaze linger on her son, "On our way back, there is someone I'd like you to meet. She is the daughter of my sister and has invited me to visit her whenever I could. I thought it might be nice for you to meet her before we finish," Her eyebrows raised slightly, "Oh? Your friend wants to meet me? I bet you've told her all about me." She teased her son playfully.
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:30 am
He nodded. "Plus, all this journeying will help my legs to grow." He replied chirpily. "Mawi has already grown much bigger than I am. I wish I could be a little taller." He bounced. "I can't wait to tell them all the stories, though. Especially about the sea. They'd love the sea."
He tried to picture his brother again. His mother had said he had red on him just like she did. Aapep wondered why he didn't have red on him, wondered why he only got her tan pelt. For the first time he thought about his father, the father he never knew. He'd never, ever even thought about him before now. Somehow he knew that bringing it up would upset his mother. She never spoke about him. Clearly she didn't like him, let alone love him.
Was his father yet another who had hurt his mum? Or had it all been a misunderstanding?
He huddled closer as they walked, lifting his ears to listen. "Is your sister there, too? I'd like to meet her." He wanted to thank her for taking care of his mother so that he had had a chance to live a life of freedom.
He smiled. "I have. Jiza and Mawi know all about you. They said you'd fit in really well." He didn't seem to realise she was teasing.
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:58 am
She nibbled on her son's ear affectionately, "Before you know it Aapep, you'll be taller than me!" Kirjava laughed softly, she was just of average height so it wouldn't take much for Aapep to be taller than her. "All this travelling will make you bigger and stronger, Aapep."
As the scenery passed by them and the pair bonded even closer, she had a good feeling about all of this. Just before she was getting lost in her thoughts, her son's question brought her back to earth. The corners of her mouth turned down slightly as she shook her head sadly, "No, I'm afraid you won't be able to meet her. She has passed on," She paused to look down at her son, "Her family is still here though, they live
Her gaze swept back over to her son as she looked at him once more, he was so happy when he talked about his friends. It was good that he was making friends, he wouldn't be alone in the world. "Well, I guess that's good to hear. We both have something to look forward to when we return." She let her ears flick forward and back, hoping to hear any sounds that would indicate to the pair that they were getting closer to the sea.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:47 am
"I don't think I could imagine being taller than you mum!" He laughed merrily. Fancy that! A younger lion ending up taller than his mother, who by rights should be bigger since she'd been around far longer than him.
"But I hope so. I feel ready to grow up now and everyone else around me seems to be."
And then she spoke of her sister and he looked saddened. He'd never known death, not in that way. No one he had known had died and he wanted to keep it that way. But what would it be like to lose a dear friend like that? Awful...that's what.
"At least we can meet her family." He agreed, realising again how much his mother had suffered in her life. It only inforced his decision to help her find Ravi again.
"Uh huh." He lifted his ears and looked up at his mother. "Did you ever fall in love, mum?" It seemed a random question, but it was something he had been pondering on for a while.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:10 pm
She nodded at her son, they still have the privilege of seeing Kiburi's family. "Yes, we can. And even though she is gone in this world she is still with me in memories and in my heart, so her spirit will never die." Kirjava said softly.
With Aapep looking up at her, she was struck at his question. It was not something she would have thought that he'd ask until he was older. Though she couldn't blame him, he probably wondered a lot about who his father was and why he wasn't here with her raising him. She paused for a moment as she chose her words carefully, "I did fall in love at one point, but I'm afraid that did not end well. That's the easiest way to explain it, Aapep." Her ears were lowered slightly as she rubbed her muzzle against her son.
"Are you lonely, Aapep?" She asked him quietly. There was only so much she could offer him and at times, she felt inadequate to her son's needs. Or perhaps, she just worried too much. The lioness just tried her hardest each day to make her son happy, so he won't have to endure any of the hardships that she had.
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:54 am
He smiled. That much was true. If you remembered someone they never truly died. Because their name was still spoken and thier past thought of in memories.
And when his mother answered his question he looked on sadly. He had a feeling the lion she had loved was not his father. That made him feel odd. Not sad or angry, just hollow. He felt then as if he had no father, as if he had never existed. That somehow he had been gifted to his mother and to her alone.
He rubbed against his mother's legs. "No mother. I don't think I've ever been lonely." He smiled. "I've always had you and then there's Mawi and Jiza. There's always been someone there. I just..." He paused. "I worry about you, that's all. I want to see you happy. People say that love makes them happy."
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:00 am
Her eyes watered slightly at her son's words. At least Kirjava could be assured that she was doing the best she could for her son. Though, his worry touched her heart. She replied softly, "I am happy, Aapep. I do have love...I have my family. Love comes in all types of forms, it just didn't come to me in the form of a mate." She had long since given up trying to find a mate, unlike a few of her friends. If she was not destined to find a mate, then that's something she can't change. What she does have is her family and friends, and that's what matters to her.
"It's just...sometimes my memories catch up with me and I'll remember something that I'd rather not," She looked at him, "You're very observant, Aapep." Her gaze lingered on her son before it shifted towards the scenery around them, it was slowly changing and she hadn't noticed it till now because she was so caught up with talking to her son.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:06 pm
And he found tears springing into his own eyes. He stepped closer, so close that they were almost touching but far enough away that it wouldn't hinder their step. "I'm glad. I'm so glad. I was worried, worried about you being lonely and sad, not having anyone to take care of you. See...you always took care of me, and that's the way it's supposed to be, cos I'm your baby. But, but mums usually have someone to help them and stuff and I..."
He shook his head to dispel the thoughts.
"But now I'm bigger I'm gonna help you too. I promise." He'd made similar promises before, but he had to say it again, if only to enforce the idea.
"And soon we'll see Ravi again and he can help me." He nodded sharply. "You'll see, mum, everything will be okay. We'll take care of you now. We'll make good memories for you to make up for the bad ones."
He looked up and finally realised, too, that the landscape was changing. Excitement gripped him.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:54 am
At his words, Kirjava laughed softly, "Aapep, you don't have anything to worry about. I am used to raising cubs by myself, so it's what is normal to me." To have her son worry about her, this is clearly a first for her.
The mention of Ravi, her features soften slightly. She was nervous, she had no idea what he had gone through or what he is like after he had left her a long time ago. "I'll be looking forward to that then."
Her eyes widen as she raised her head slightly. The air was getting a slightly different smell to it, they had to be coming closer to the sea then! She turned to look at Aapep, "I think we might be getting closer to the sea!" She was excited!
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:24 am
"You really think so?" He peeped excitedly, trying to imagine what it would be like.
Copying her motion he raised his nose to the sky and snuffled the air. There was a different sent hanging there. Something odd, something that wasn't quite like anything else he had scented.
Either way, his excitement led into a little dance and with a short cry of glee he turned his head back to glance at his mother, striped face brimming with excitement.
"Race you!" He called, quickening his pace across the ground.
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