|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 5:43 pm
 |
|
|
 |
Rishi paced back and forth slightly, his paws twitching. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, though it was a rather strange feeling for him. He usually felt completely relaxed and laidback. However, he was trying something new and was anxious about it. He'd followed the directions that Zuri had given him as closely as he could considering he didn't know the territory. He'd found the spot that she had described, and now he would wait.
There was a small watering hole on the borders of the pride's lands and Rishi had been staying near there for the past few moons. It was a pleasant place and he didn't want to leave. However, he'd run into Zuri, a lioness who was a member of this pride who had informed him that if he wanted to stay, he needed to speak with the pride leaders. That was what he was doing now. He would petition to stay so that he could learn about the pride. And so he could learn more about Zuri.
She was . . . interesting. Rishi didn't often find anyone who could cause him to lose his temper, or even to raise it a little. Things simply didn't bother him. Usually. Something about this lioness interested him. Her way of speaking, her sense of mischief . . . he wanted to know more about her.
A part of him had to wonder if this was what he'd been searching for. He had spent years wandering as a rogue, waiting to find his purpose. His heart had told him to keep searching until he found his destiny. Maybe, he would find his purpose and his destiny in this pride. At least he could hope that he would and that is why he waited, his gaze searching around anxiously, hoping to see someone.
"Hello, is anyone there?" he called, and waited, hoping for a response. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 6:32 pm
|
|
|
|
Makadara padded silently towards the water-hole, careful to stick to the shadows whenever possible. Today it was his turn to patrol the borders, and keep watch for those who might have something other than peaceful intentions on their minds.
Freezing in his tracks, Makadara hesitated a moment when a voice called out--had he been spotted? Old habits died hard, and he was tempted, for a moment, to hide in the brush and observe for a bit. However...he'd accepted a position on the council of the pride, and so he couldn't always fall back to observing--it would be shirking his responsibilities.
With a small, self-directed sigh, 'dara straightened, stepping out into the open, observing the younger male's movement and behavior carefully. "You called?" he replied, the hint of a smile that chased across his maw lending humor to the words.
"What reason do you have to be in this territory?" He was careful to keep his tone from sounding accusing--after all, the other had shown no signs of aggression...and additionally, while the pride as a whole was wary of outsiders, given their history, given their small size, they couldn't afford to be completely opposed to the idea, either. It was also entirely feasible that the other was merely lost, and simply wanted to ask for directions. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:13 pm
|
|
|
|
Rishi whirled at the sound of a voice from behind him and his gaze found the older male standing cautiously nearby. He was dark, with a number of colorful markings in his fur. He also looked different from Rishi, a mark of the particular pride. Rishi breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had indeed found the correct spot. Now, he simply needed to plead his case.
"Yes, hello there. My name is Rishi," he said, politely, and stepped forward to bow. He wasn't sure of this lion's position in the pride, but it never hurt to be polite. Also, he was a member, which meant that he was above Rishi in position no matter what his position in the pride happened to be.
"Well, I have been residing in the area, at another small watering hole on the border lands of your pride. I . . . recently ran across a member of your pride who advised me that if I wished to stay, I needed to speak with the leaders of the pride for permission. I'd like to ask for permission to stay within your lands and learn about the pride."
Rishi hesitated, before he continued, telling the other male about his life long search.
"For a long time, I've been searching for a place to call home or something that I could be a part of. Your pride intrigues me and I would like to learn more about the pride and the members of the pride." He spoke honestly, and waited patiently for an answer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:46 pm
|
|
|
|
Drawing closer, 'dara relaxed, if only marginally. He couldn't smell any others nearby, and this one seemed to mean no harm. Additionally, there was nothing physically wrong with him, at least not that was immediately apparent--which meant he was likely to be more of a help to the pride than a hindrance.
Inclining his own head politely, Makadara sat back on his haunches when he was only a few paces away. "I'm Makadara." He hesitated a moment, thinking over just what he wanted to say.
"What have you heard, that makes you so certain that this is the pride you wish to join? We've suffered from drought, plague, and invasion--our history is hardly stable, or without difficulty...so what is it that draws you here, of all places?" True, the pride's future was looking far more bright, but he was curious as to this lion's mettle, and hoped that, if nothing else, his answer would give a little more insight into his personality.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 3:34 pm
|
|
|
|
Rishi bowed to Makadara politely, and used a few moments to weigh his response. The other male certainly knew the difficult questions to ask and Rishi wanted to think carefully through his words before speaking him. Of course, he wanted to be completely honest, but he also needed to find a way to express the fierce curiosity that Rishi had for learning about this pride. It would be difficult to explain, since Rishi didn't understand it very well himself.
After a few moments, he spoke, carefully.
"In all honesty, it is very difficult to explain to you why I want to stay. I really don't understand it myself. I . . . the lioness that I ran into on the border was named Zuri and I've never met another lion like her. She's so different from everyone else that I know. She explained to me a little bit about your pride and the struggles that you have gone through. And . . . something in me wants to help. I want to know about your struggles and about your history and I want to be a part of it."
He paused to collect his thoughts before adding, "And I want to know more about Zuri. I want to know why she acts the way she does and why she's the only person I have met who makes me lose my temper. All of my life, I have searched for something to do with my life and I hope that I have finally found my calling."
Rishi stopped and sat, waiting. He hoped that he didn't look as sheepish as he felt. His tail twitched back and forth and he felt anxious. It was so strange and different to actually feel this way. Nothing used to bother him, but now things were different.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:10 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:15 pm
|
|
|
|
Rishi watched as the other male circled him, scrutinizing him. It looked as though his pelt was being checked, though he was unsure why. Rishi's pelt was uniformly colored in marshy shades of green. The colors had helped him a great deal in the past, acting as camouflage to protect him when he was a cub. Though the scrutiny was a bit unnerving, Rishi focused on standing still and waiting for Makadara to finish. At least the other lion seemed pleased.
The question didn't phase him, though he took a few minutes to think over his answer before speaking.
"Yes, I can imagine calling this pride home. Of course, I can't know for certain until I learn more about the pride, but I can promise that I will try my hardest to learn about the pride and its members, and to find a way to be an asset to the pride."
Rishi didn't know what else he could say, but he hoped that Makadara would be able to give him the chance to finally find his purpose.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 1:46 pm
|
|
|
|
Inclining his head slightly, Makadara finally let a small smile become visible. The answers hadn't been certain, true--but then, given how no one could be certain as to what exactly the future might hold, they had been more than sufficient. Additionally, the other hadn't made his responses with undue haste, but instead had taken the time to give some thought to his response.
Having spent the majority of his youth, not to mention part of his adulthood, wandering before he'd returned home, he could well understand the need to finally find a place that 'fit', for lack of a better word.
"Allow me to be the first, then, to welcome you officially into the pride." Makadara said, his tone suitably serious to give appropriate weight to the words.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:48 am
|
|
|
|
Rishi blinked, rather taken back. He hadn't expected it to be so simple. Not only was he allowed to stay on the lands, but he had been welcomed into the pride. He was delighted, ecstatic, and a bit overwhelmed. He finally had a place that he could actually call home. After all, Rishi hadn't chosen a life of wandering, but he'd taken to it knowing that someday he would find a place to call home. Now, he was pretty sure that he had finally found that place.
After a second, he grinned widely at Makadara, his tail swishing back and forth in excitement. To keep with the formality of the other lion's tone, Rishi bowed deeply before thanking him.
"Thank you very much! I promise to work hard to be a helpful and dedicated member of the pride," said Rishi, his tone and expression serious. It couldn't last for long though and he grinned again before continuing.
"I can't tell you how excited I am! Thank you very much for everything. Is there anything specific that I should do now?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:36 pm
|
|
|
|
There was something to be said for the younger lion's exhuberance--it invited trust...something that, unfortunately, Makadara didn't give quite so easily. However, having made his decision, he wasn't going to be looking for the other to slip up, either--he'd keep something of an eye on him, but trusted his own judgement as to character.
"Perhaps the most important bit of information is that the pride is ruled by our queen, Masika--however, we also have a council who provide advice, although the final decision, of course, lies with her." This was said with an overruling feeling of respect--it was hard to not, in his opinion, respect what she'd been through, and the lioness she'd become.
"We're still a small pride--I heard stories as a cub as to that not always having been the case, but..." he trailed off briefly, shrugging. "Which means that getting along, and working together when times call for it is essential." This he said pointedly, although he kept his expression open. "If you want a tour, so to speak, of the pridal lands, I'd be happy to show you around--or you can seek out our queen and introduce yourself, or that other lioness you mentioned..." This was said with a very slight grin, barely visible before it disappeared once again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:16 pm
|
|
|
|
Rishi caught the underlying tone of the other lion's voice and made sure to take his words to heart. If he was going to be a member of this pride, they were things that he was going to need to know, not only to survive in the pride, but to get along with others. He listened carefully, nodding as Makadara spoke. Because of his rapt attention, Rishi caught the small grin as Makadara mentioned Zuri, but Rishi ignored it. He wasn't yet sure how he felt about the lioness and he wasn't exactly sure how to approach her either.
"I would be both honored and obliged if you would show me around the lands. If your time permits, of course, I don't want to interrupt you. And I would like to meet the queen soon, so that I can introduce myself." He wanted to meet as many of the other members as he could so that he could begin learning about his new home.
Home. The word brought along warm feelings of joy that rushed through Rishi, leaving him grinning and feeling very energetic. For once, his usual feelings of lethargy and exhaustion were gone; he didn't feel tired at all. Rishi shrugged it off as a side effect of his nerves, but it was nice to not be so tired all of the time.
Rishi smiled at Makadara, hoping that the other male would be able to give him the tour. He also hoped that they could become friends, or at least, good acquaintances. He liked the quiet, older male and he wondered if the other pride members were as kind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:35 pm
|
|
|
|
Grinning, Makadara shook his head. "I'm just patrolling the borders today--I wouldn't have offered if I'd had something else requiring my attention promptly...so you're more than welcome to tag along, and it will give you a chance to scope out the lay of things, so to speak." The territory was quite substantial, and so it was rather unlikely that they'd cover it all, but he could at least give him a general idea as to the land...in particular, he could show him how to most easily reach the heart of the pride's territory, amongst the rocky trails and waterfalls, where footing could be treacherous, especially after it rained.
He might even be convinced, he supposed, to point out a few of his favorite ambush points, for prey...and maybe even some of the better rocks upon which to sun oneself in the damp, cloying heat of the mid-afternoon.
Stepping past the other lion, he stopped after a few paces, expression clearly stating that if there was nothing else, he was ready to go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:03 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
