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 Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:36 pm
He'd begun to wonder if it was a very young pride. If all he was seeing were cubs, then maybe they were just starting out. You would think an older, more established pride would have more adults. Or maybe they did, and he hadn't looked hard enough.
That in mind, today's mission was to find an adult. He'd figured that tracking around the borders of the pride for a while would probably get him somewhere. The borders were marked regularly, and he'd waited until the marks started to fade to start his search. Someone would come along to refresh them, likely. And then he could find out how the Pridelanders really lived.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:53 pm
Mastema slowly traveled around the border, doing his usual patrol at a pleasurably pace. There was no rush, as every other day, this one was simply to meet and greet. It was hard keeping with his routine, having the dreams of far away places plaguing his mind, but he still kept at it. This pride was his home, and if for one day he might protect it, than so be it. It just meant many other days of doing nothing at all.
And so he went, walking and walking until his paws grew weary. But today, today would be different, a new day where he would meet not just a stranger, but a stranger to this pride.
"What the..." He said aloud a moment later, catching the scent of a youth. He was surprised as he looked about the grasses, seeing no adult around, but still smelling that of a cub.
"...guess watch just got interesting..."
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:04 pm
With his dark fur, Fyja should have stood out like a sore thumb. If he'd been tall enough to be seen over the grass, that was. As he was looking for company today, that wasn't a good thing, so he'd begun to let himself make all sorts of noise while walking, stomping branches and making the grass shake.
His efforts were rewarded with the appearance of-just what he'd hoped for!-an adult lion! Given his tawny color (it seemed quite common in the area) he must be a pride member. He was upwind of the lion so he couldn't smell to be sure.
Deciding it was best to show himself, and not be thought to be sneaking into the pride, he crouched, and gave a mighty leap, appearing as a black blur above the grass for a moment. That should do it, right?
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:12 pm
Thankfully, he was facing the right direction when Fyja jumped above the grasses, but it didn't do anything to stop the scare he got. Usually, he expected a voice, a greeting or something, but the jump caught him off guard. He fell low to the ground, looking through the grasses, before shaking his head and raising once more.
"Well...uhm...I see what was making all that noise..."
He murmured the comment as he headed to the cub, looking over the grasses until he caught sight of the dark pelt. The boy was young, but had the energy of any youth. It was strange though, and yet again Mastema looked around for an adult.
"...you alone?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:23 pm
Oops. He hadn't meant to startle the big lion. Especially not so much that he hunkered down like that. It'd probably be a good idea to just walk up to an adult next time, he decided. He peered up through the long grass at the lion. He seemed calmer now, that was good. He noticed the continued glancing around...what was he looking for? Oh, right. Fyja probably smelled like his family, and the lion was wondering where they were.
Maybe. He mulled over the question for a little while. Technically he was alone, but then he wasn't alone in the sense that he had no one, which was sort of what the lion seemed to be referring to. Eventually he settled on an answer, and shook his head 'no'. Bright red eyes looked up at Mastema, then he turned to look back over his shoulder the way he'd come from. He had family back that ways, though he'd come far enough that they were out of sight. Huh, he hadn't realized he'd come so far yet.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:26 pm
He watched as the cub shook his head, yes it was a male, Mastema figured. And than he watched as the boy looked over his shoulder. Taking a moment, the large lion looked past the cub, seeing the grasses where the youth had gone through. Returning his gaze on the boy, he blinked a moment.
"...Right..."
This was a bit awkward, to say the least, so Mastema just let himself go, and flopped to the ground.
"I'm Mastema, I keep track of things on the borders of my pride...who might you be?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:34 pm
It looked like he'd gotten the right idea. Probably. Well it was close enough. He knew where the cub had come from at least. He padded a bit closer when Mastema lay down, making it easier to see one another through the grass. The size of the larger lion had pressed a largish circle of grass down, which made ample sitting room for the cub.
He for one sat at attention, head tilted slightly, ears pricked forward in curiosity. So his name was Mastema, and yes, he was a member of the pride. A scout? Something like that he figured.
"Ah..." The sound he made was almost more a sort of sigh than anything else. "Uidan Fyja," he stated simply before nodding, a simple greeting.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:39 pm
Mastema let out a soft smile when he saw the boy settle, comfortable at least. That was good than, maybe he wasn't so bad with the youth around them. He knew his childish ways would help him out eventually. Than, when the boy spoke, he had to curl his ears forward to catch the sound.
"Uidan Fyja?" He repeated, making sure he heard right, before adding on, "It's nice to meet you..."
He stretched his paw a bit, getting air between the toes, before continuing on, "Are you from here? If you are from my pride, you must have traveled a long way to get out here..."
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:48 pm
Fyja was delighted to see that the adult he'd met was a friendly sort. Of course 'delight' displayed itself on his features as a barely upturned lip and a minor flick of the ear. For all his encounters, it still hadn't occurred to Fyja that he was hard to 'understand'. Cubs seemed to be willing to go along with anything, and so it had never presented trouble for him before.
He nodded, yes that was his name alright. It was nice to meet Mastema too, he 'said' with another bob of the head. He watched curiously as the lion stretched. Hmm. He was relaxed, so he must be confident. Either he himself was strong, or the pride was large and he felt sure of them. That changed his midn about the place being one newly established.
A shake of his head to the question. He was from here, but not from the pride, and so it was a sure 'no'. Again he looked back the way he'd come. Somewhere that way was his family.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:54 pm
It took a second to understand the actions, but suddenly Mastema figured it out.
"Your family is that way than...I'm surprised that a rogue would be this close to the lands...they must be looking at the pride...maybe as a home..."
He pondered this all for a long moment, thinking over the thought as it was his job. Feeling no unease, however, since he assumed a family with cubs wouldn't attack a pride, he deemed it safe, and relaxed once more.
"If you'd like, I can accompany you back to your family? I don't mind, it's kinda my job...to greet and be friends with all those around the borders..."
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:04 pm
Oh he'd gotten it! Fyja nodded emphatically. They were looking...well he was looking for them. As of yet they had no idea he'd been inspecting the Pridelands for them. He still didn't know how they would feel, they might even be angry. His ears lay back a moment and he finally shook his head. No, he didn't want Mastema to go with him.
"I...am looking," He finally explained, his voice surprisingly calm and serious for a cub. "Mother and Father..." He shook his head. They were old, far too old to travel far. There was a chance that if he brought an adult back, they would become angry. And then the Prideland folk might try to make them leave. No, he'd wait until he talked to them himself.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:11 pm
He wasn't sure what that statement meant, but assumed that it was a subject the boy didn't want to touch upon. So, Mastema figured he would just let it go, and move on to another topic. Hopefully, if the cub came all this way, he could make it all the way back to his family.
"Well...if you are wandering around here, I suggest going with your parents to the heart of the lands...Priderock. Rogues are welcomed here, as long as they respect our lands and don't cause any trouble. We are nice to strangers, but sometimes we have to be protective as well..."
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:21 pm
How could he explain...they really weren't wandering. They'd settled in a small area near a dried river bed near the edge of the pridelands, they didn't really roam. But the big lion had a point, and if strangers were welcome...
"Priderock," he repeated. "...Which way?" He'd heard the center of the pride, but who knew just where that was. Maybe he could get Vu to take him for a visit sometime. Feeling equally relaxed, he too lay down, and studied Mastema's fur. The look in his eyes was a curious one. He wondered if all lions here were as bright and pale colored.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:28 pm
Mastema grinned at the question, feeling quite proud at himself. It was nice welcoming those seeking a home, and he was happy it was his job to do so. Hopefully, this cub would help his parents find the way that he worked so hard to discover himself.
"It is this way..." He pointed to the right, a direct angle from the path the cub had taken, "As you get closer, you will see a rock in the distance, getting bigger and bigger. It is so big, some cubs need to go on their back to see all the way to the top when they arrive!"
He smiled at the thought, remembering when he was on his back as a cub, looking high into the sky past the rock and to the clouds.
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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:50 pm
Fyja couldn't help but be awed by the description. It sounded more like a mountain than a rock. He'd seen rocks, and played on them with Vu, but they weren't anything like that.
The way seemed easy enough. Still, hearing about it made him want to see it all the more. Oh, that was an idea!
"Do you know a cub...Vu? Or maybe Takuma?" If the lion knew his friends in the pride, then maybe he would know where they were. He still felt safer walking around with another cub than an adult. He could run from a cub, or fight them off if he had to.
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