[PRV] Ghosts in the night (Zimwi/Savitri)

[Andranis]

((OOC: Backlog SRP))

The muck between her toes felt strange, and very... Wrong. As the adolescent sank into some mud, she let out a squeel. Coming this way had been a VERY bad idea! Why had she even opted FOR this direction?

The smell of the dank swamps had made her curious, and she'd headed to see what they were. What she'd found was... Not pleasant. While she was used to shifting surfaces, it was shifting sand she was accustomed to. A branch near by helped her pull herself out of the mud, panting and misserable. "Stupid wet ground... Everywhere..."  

[Andranis]

From a branch up above the water line, orange eyes watched. They held no fear, a sharp contrast to what they once were. Here he was safe, here he found no reason to fear the lions. And so, he had started to fear rogues less. As Zimwi shifted, he moved to another branch. Tree-walking wasn't something he normally did, but when he wanted to just dry out... Not that he did often, anyway, but it was fun.

As the lioness pulled herself free, he moved down from the tree. In fact, he dove into the water. He knew how deep it was, thus knew he wouldn't harm himself. As the water closed around over him, he didn't struggle, merely allowed himself to float. He'd go up, he knew it.  

[Andranis]

The splash made her jump. She hadn't even heard anything move overhead. Was it some large bird...? Stepping carefully, the lioness went over, peeking at the water. After a moment, she shrugged, turning and walking away. Now and then, a leg shook, trying to get the mud off. Nasty stuff... "Stupid wet-ground... Stuff..."  

[Andranis]

Surfacing, Zimwi spotted the lioness walking away. As he got out, he called after her, "Hey, there's another mud pitt that way, you might get stuck!" Without any sign of fear, he hurried ahead, getting in her way... And realised how big she was next to him. He was more than half her size.  

[Andranis]

Savitri regarded the strange lion. He was so SMALL... And yet had a full mane... "Are you a Pridelander or something...?" She nudged him with a paw, getting mud on the other lion's white coat. "My father always told me they were tiny things, barely worth the air they breathed." After a moment, she looked at the muck she'd pulled herself from. "Mud... Hmph... World could do without it."  

[Andranis]

He tilted his head, looking at the mud. It'd wash off. His gaze returned to the lioness, tail curling. "Nope. I was born a rogue, really... But I grew up in the Umande'mfuni jungle before I left and came here." He stretched out, claws sinking into the soggy ground pleasantly. "I love it here, there's so much water!" As the lion grinned, water dripped from his stone-gray mane.  

[Andranis]

Born a rogue, and grew up in... She stopped, fur bristling. "You grew up amid our enemy!" She hissed, backing away. A bad paw step, and she found herself falling back in the water. With a splash, she sank down, but soon found herself surfacing. Water... It was so odd... A glare left the lioness as she pulled herself out, shaking her desert-sparse coat out. "I hate it here..."  

[Andranis]

Plunking his rump down, Zimwi frowned. "Hey, now, I hold nothing against the Firekin Bodaway, just because of the pride he was born and raised in." He tilted his head, frowning. "I could say everyone's my enemy, but I don't. Why would you consider the Umande'mfuni your enemies, anyway? What'd they ever do to you?"  

[Andranis]

That made Savitri stop. "You know my father...?" She looked at him, wondering.... What a strange little lion he was... She shook her head, then shook last bits of water from her paws. "I was just told my whole life they were our enemy. I never asked why." She shrugged, sitting to try and groom herself. "I was also told, all others are weaker than us. The only reason other lions exhist, are to be our slaves."  

[Andranis]

That made the male scowl. Not a mock thing, but out-right scowl. "The strength of a lion isn't in the size alone. Look at me, it took me a lot of inner strength to leave the jungle behind. It took me a WHOLE lot of strength to accept the fact that, with the lions I'm around, I'm going to see the sort of pelt that terrified me. Once upon a time any lion roughly the color of mud, dirt. or tree bark scared me. Now... I say hello to the scions with no problem at all." He paused, then blinked. "Bodaway's your father?"  

[Andranis]

She nodded, listenign to the male's rambling. After a moment, she frowned. "Inner strength... What sort of thing would that be, anyway? And what's a scion...?" So many confusing things... She shook her head, brow furrowed. "How do you know my father, anyway? He's been in the desert my whole life... I think he's even still there now." Then again, she didn't know WHO was still there at the moment. The way she'd run... Was she a coward?  

[Andranis]

Stretching out, Zimwi hopped on a log. "Doing something you're not comfortable with... Facing your fears. I fear... Feared. Larger lions, as well as brown lions." At the confused look, he sighed. "When I was a small cub, my family lived near a pride of lions. White was considered a curse, an omen, and so my family, being nothing but white, were considered bad and evil. The pride was nothing but brown and gold, and prized it over all other colors. When they found out about my family, they attacked. That's the last memory I have of them, and I became deeply afraid." He shook his head. laying down. "But I've gotten better."

His claws pricked at the wood, orange eyes watching them thoughtfully. "As to how I know Bodaway... When I was seeking a new home, after leaving the jungle..." He smiled. "We adopted each other as brothers." He looked over. "So I guess, by ways of adoption, that makes me your uncle."  

[Andranis]

Savitri's ears perked, head tilting. As she circled the log, looking at him, she was simply amazed. This diminutive lion... Was her UNCLE? She stopped, frowning. "You're no bigger than I was as a juvenile! How can you possibly be an adult?!" She reached out, nudging him with a paw. The slight flinch made her withdraw, suddenly self-concious about hurting him.  

[Andranis]

Zimwi stood up, balancing on the log. "Well, I wanted to please the lions of the jungle, and everything was stretched at the time... So I often forwent eating so that the cubs of the time and those who were stronger could eat well." He tilted his head, smiling wryly. "When one doesn't eat well at a critical age of growth, that growth becomes stunted. I imagine if I'd eaten well, I'd be much bigger." He shrugged slightly, hopping down and trotting along. "On the flip side... My paternal cousin, Kabichi, was something of a runt, so she's small, too. I guess our generation just has a lot of small lions."  

[Andranis]

Where had she heard the name Kabichi before...? Sitting and pondering this a moment, it soon occured to the lioness just where. "Father said Kabichi's the name of one of my sisters.... But if you're her cousin..." She stopped, putting a paw on her head. "Goddess I'm confused..."