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 Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:44 pm
The grass beneath Kivuli's feet offered yet another scenery change the black and red lioness was unused to, but this time Kivuli knew exactly where she was. The Pridelands was enemy territory. At least, this was what she had been told since a very young cub in her mother's den. The great rock that was only distantly visable was supposed to stand as a symbol of everything the Motoujamii were against, but now she was unsure. After all, she'd heard rumors of one of her own family taking a mate from the Pridelanders themselves.
It did not seem so strange anymore that she would step foot on their lands without any hostile intentions, but instead with a strange curiosity. How interesting would it be to meet one of these Pridelanders, to see one of their golden pelts instead of the firey red ones of her home Pride?
Her stomach rumbled. Quite a few times it'd had to remind her of its need to be fed, as lately Kivuli had been so caught up in the sights and sounds of traveling with her friend that she'd forgotten, almost, to be hungry at all. She'd stepped a bit ahead of her travel mate, and she looked back, letting her paws halt for a moment. She wondered if she should suggest that they turn back for a quick hunt before passing through, and wondered again if this was such a great idea. Surely she still smelled of Firekin; would the Pridelanders not attack her on sight?
"Kian, are you sure this is okay? Maybe you're welcome here, but I shouldn't be here..."
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:00 pm
Kian stopped as Kivuli did.
"The Pridelanders aren't quick to judge and lots of rogues wander in and out of here freely enough as long as they have no ill intent. Besides I think one of the scouts must have spotted us by now from a distance and no ones challenged us yet."
She replied, trying to reassure her companion and wondering if the scouts were the same as first time she visited as a youngster. The only time a scout had bothered to check them out. Her mother Rahima had been insistent that her cubs with Akamu know their half-siblings, so Kian had been to see Jina and her family here. They themselves wandered in and out of the Pridelands, Jina's mate Freo being a Pridelander and her sister a rogue. So Kian was quite confident they'd be alright.
"Besides, there's Firekin who have settled here before." Her own stomach growled not long after she'd finished her sentence. It had been a while since they'd stopped to hunt.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:41 pm
Kivuli nodded. It was actually the tenth or twelveth time Kian had attempted to reassure her, but she couldn't help but look about nervously when she mentioned scouts. Firekin scouts were ordered to kill or capture first, and ask questions later.
"What? Other Firekin, here? D'you know who?" She jumped on the chance of a story, pressing Kian for all she knew. She flicked an ear when the other lioness' stomach growled. It seemed as though their stomachs seemed to be conspiring together. "Perhaps we should find something to eat," she suggested off-hand.
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Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:07 pm
"Oh, quite a few and Firekin descendants like my family besides...come, we'll talk as we seek our meal." She nudged her forehead to Kivuli's dark shoulder, encouraging and supporting as always, before going to lead the way into the Pridelands proper. The wind brought hints of many lions, herds and very faintly meat. She set their course for that, having always been welcome before at a Pridelands hunt.
Kian was sure they'd be alright, though she could still tell Kivuli was part of some pride or other by her (now familiar) scent. Pridelanders had always been welcoming and open - just look at their now varied colours and builds to see how so! There were many who were not golden or brown or cream at all, but green and blue, black, and red as herself. They'd be fine. They meant no harm and she had kin here. They'd be fine.
"Once the sister of the great king Mufasa had a Firekin mate, I can remember my mother telling me for she was my age when it happened. I forget their names however."
*
Asali lounged not far from the giraffe, holding her son Sorin in place gently but firmly. If he'd insist on getting so messy during a meal, he'd take the bath that had to come after. She was not letting any son of hers run around blood furred, a treat for the flies...
Tufah had already seen to Asali's other sons who'd required less attention and had already run off. She and her peachy gold friend were the closest to the giraffe now, though they'd been aided in their hunt by a pawful of other hunters and even more Pridelanders had helped eat it. Others lounged in the shade or the sun having already finished their meal.
A giraffe was a large kill but it had been already wounded when it'd strayed into Tufah's line of sight and the queen knew an easy meal when she saw it. Easy, and it'd feed many. So they'd gone for it.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:22 pm
Kivuli nodded again, this time signaling her assent, and started forward again. With Kian at her side, she felt a bit safer. Surely she knew what she was doing.
As they walked she listened to the bright red lioness tell her of the Pridelands' once-Firekin members without interrupting, too absorbed into both Kian's tales and her own thoughts to speak. This was like hearing legend.
Soon she picked up the smell of a fresh kill on the air, but didn't recognize the prey. "A Prideland hunt," she assumed. Would outsiders be welcome for a meal, or would they be better off leaving them in peace? She said nothing else. She'd follow her friend, whichever direction she chose.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:39 pm
Kian walked straight to the kill as soon as she scented it, confident they'd be alright. She smiled at the odd pride member under the trees and when she reached a peachy gold female with a cub between her paws and a rusty female, the closest pair to the kill, she stopped. The queen she recognised, for she'd been here not long ago when Simi was first put in charge after the old rulers disappearance. Perfect. If asking a royal for permission would settle Kivuli entirely...well, she'd do it!
"Queen Tufah." She bowed her head briefly. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm a relative of Jina, mate of one of Shomoro's sons. Name's Kian and me and my friend Kivuli were hoping to stay a few days...~"
*
"You're welcome. I often visit in the Outlands myself to visit my family there and I know our open borders mean we have many visitors in and out." The queen grinned - honestly Tufah was amused and oddly flattered. She had no real power, Simi and the council ran the show. She just hunted and helped out, so to be asked permission by a rogue to stay...well it was a first for her. Nice of this Kian to ask though. And Tufah could dimly recall which family she must be referring to too, so it was all rather redundant. Open borders. If the Scouts hadn't seen reason to worry, that was enough.
"Feel free to partake in our meal, everyone's just eaten their fill and started to relax...or not. But you're very welcome anyway." She said, a tad dismissively as she'd been distracted by Asali releasing Sorin (who immediately bee-lined to attack her twitching tail tip) and by the arrival of some more pridelanders to the feast.
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:13 pm
Kivuli's jaws parted in awe at the sight of the giraffe kill. She knew what they were, of course -- she'd heard descriptions and stories. But rarely did a giraffe wander into the desert, so she'd never seen one firsthand.
She was silent as Kian introduced herselfto the lioness nearby, and was stunned yet again at how the bright red lioness greeted the Pridelander. Not an hour into the Pridelands and Kivuli was ten paces away from royalty. How was that for a near-heart attack? Kivuli remembered to start breathing again, managing a quiet "Thank you Queen Tufah" and a quick formal nod before following Kian to the kill and breathing an audible sigh of relief.
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:27 am
"Please excuse me." Tufah said and turned to deal with the gnawing cub who'd decided now was the time to attack her ears. With a 'fierce' growl (any adult could tell it wasn't really) she turned to pull him round, flopped between her forepaws.
"Sorin - manners next time! I was busy talking to the nice lionesses." Gawds she was getting soft...bloody cub.
*
Kian flashed Kivuli a grin and led the way away from the queen after giving a head bob herself. Food and permission to stay! She herself felt unsurprised and sure of herself as she lay down by the meat to start eating.
"Feeling okay, Kivuli?"
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