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 Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:35 pm
The journey from the forest to the warriors' tribe in the mountains was difficult. It was not nearly as long as the journey from the roguelands to the mountains, of course, but this was the first time Kioo had made any journey in the tribelands by herself. She felt out of place in the light snow that made the great rising stone slick; in the forest, the trees caught the snow, sheltering the ground from its inconvenience. The lioness unsheathed her claws, steadying herself as she continued upward.
She idly wondered how the ushujaa were getting along with each other. Like all of the tribes, they were few - Kamau Gwandoya, Ziarre, and Pyralis, she thought. Kioo got on well with Ziarre, but she did not know either of the males very well. It would be a shame if the two did not get along. What if that were to happen, how would things work out...
After a moment she caught herself, shaking away the thoughts. Why worry? She had arrived. The cliffs had risen on either side, and she could see the small, rocky camp ahead.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:45 pm
Ziarre was doing about as well as could be expected with a pair of males to look after. Kamau Gwandoya wasn't so bad, but Pyralis...the thought of him made her claws dig into the rocky ground beneath. Why did he frustrate her so? She wasn't sure, but they'd struck sparks off of each other since the day he'd wandered near the pass. One of these days...shaking her head, she looked up to see a familiar grey form making her way towards the camp. Glancing quickly at her slumbering comrades, she quietly rose and padded to meet Kioo.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:58 pm
Kioo's ears perked as her eyes fell on Ziarre. "Hello," she said, smiling. The brown lioness was the only tribemate she felt particularly comfortable with. "I just came to check to see how everyone is settling in." Her purple eyes swept over the camp. "How's hunting? Have you found any grass or leaves for bedding? I would imagine that the rock isn't very easy to sleep on."
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 10:12 pm
Ziarre smiled back at Kioo, glad to run into the first real friend she'd made in the Aali'makabila again. "We've been doing alright, although Pyralis pisses and moans a bit if you try to get him to...well, bathe or groom mainly." She made a face at this, remembering when she'd had to practically force him into cleaning some wounds acquired in their first meeting. "He does it now, if only because I'll wait until he's sleeping and do it for him if he doesn't." She shrugged. "But enough about him. Bedding? We've found a little. It's not much, but it'll work. Hunting's about what you'd expect in a pass, which is not much."
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:03 pm
"Lovely," Kioo said, rolling her eyes. "He sounds almost as much fun as Zaliwa. At least you've got him, ah, intimidated, right?" She smiled.
"I passed a little cluster of bushes, just north of here, on my way. Maybe you could forage some more there, and hopefully find some prey while you're at it. The mwindaji should be bringing you some rations soon." The lioness grimaced lightly. "Things have been busy in the valley as we all try to settle in. There won't be much this time around, but it should be enough to get you by.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:30 pm
"As intimidated as a Firekin can be..." Ziarre muttered, shaking her head. At Kioo's words, she tilted her head thoughtfully. "Sounds like a plan, at least. Maybe those two will even get their lazy asses up to help..." Looking back at the camp, she snorted. "...Nah. Not worth the hassle just yet, they haven't been out of it that long. How long do you have before they're expecting you back?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:46 pm
"Hmph, well, good luck with that. I suppose I should be grateful that, at the very least, I don't have to deal with a couple of lazy males."
Kioo thought on the question for a moment. "A few days," she said finally, smirking. "But I don't really intend on staying that long. They may not miss me, but I worry what might happen if I'm not there to keep an eye on the sisters. Zaliwa avoids them as much as possible and for once, I can't blame him."
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:52 pm
Ziarre twisted her muzzle in a grimace at mention of the sisters. "Still up to no good? You'd think they'd realize we're watching them for any hairbrained schemes by now. I guess that's one thing I can be grateful for with these two," she said, tossing her head in the direction of the camp. "At least, if they are, they're better about hiding it."
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:09 am
Kioo rolled her eyes again. "As usual." Her sneer quickly twisted into a grin, her eyes lighting up. "But I don't have to deal with Fira much. She's still stuck as a mzazi." There was a bit of pride in Kioo's voice. It was the first and only purposely vindictive thing she had ever done in her life, and the taste of victory was still sweet.
"Ah, right. I do have a bit of business to speak to you about. Zaliwa wants one warrior representative to come down to the valley at least once a month to give a report about what's going on. Of course, that would be the gumu, the leader of the ushujaa. At the moment, there is no official gumu, which poses a problem. So, would you like to take the position? Zaliwa says it isn't permanent, but could be depending on how well you do. Maybe it'd give you a bit more authority over Kamau and Pyralis," she added with a small laugh.
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:15 am
Ziarre's laugh over Fira's 'misfortune' was abruptly cut short by Kioo's next words. Somewhat stunned, all she could do was blink at the other lioness for a long moment while she turned the offer over in her mind. It was the first leadership position she'd been offered in her life, and undoubtedly carried responsibility...then again, a regular report on how the currently-small warrior tribe was doing didn't sound too difficult. She'd done that once already after meeting that golden lioness, right? Slowly, she nodded. "I would be honored to do my best, Kioo."
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:34 am
Kioo smiled warmly. "You can save that for your first report. I know you'll do your best, and I'm sure that'll it'll be just fine. You should probably come check in during the next new moon."
She tilted her head back to look to the sky, where tiny flakes had begun to float down. "I should get back, in case there's a storm coming. I'd hate to be stuck without any shelter in the snow. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this."
Kioo smiled again at Ziarre. "Take care. I'll see you again soon, when we bring you some extra food."
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