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 Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:23 pm
 Since he could not stop and ask every hare, bird and field mouse in Mwako’bi’Giza if they belonged to the demon hunters pride, and would they mind very much if he ate them, Chache took to hunting outside the boarders of the pride. He was careful not to stray too far, however. That black mountain in the distance looked especially foreboding. He spotted it one afternoon while sitting in a tree and gazing to the north. The Aikanaro’hini lands lay to the north, so he had been told, and that mountain had all the charm and majesty Chache would expect from a mountain ruled by a pride haunted by demonic spirits. He wanted to stay far away from that place.
At first Chache only went out with the hunters to catch his meals. He picked over the leftovers of the hunters’ kills now and then and ate with the pride when invited, but still preferred to catch his own meals. There was a sense of satisfaction to be had from catching one’s own dinner that Chache valued. He could not imagine his life without going out for a hunt once in a while. Besides, why should he burden the pride with his meals when he was perfectly capable of hunting for himself?
Tonight was a bad night to be a field mouse. Chache had already caught and eaten two. He caught a third later, by pure chance, but released it back to the grass because he had already eaten his fair share. The field mouse darted away, paused to look over its shoulder, black eyes gleaming in fear and wonderment before it turned again and ran into oblivion. Chache chuckled to himself.
As Chache walked he somehow found himself back at the fallen tree where he and Eru had played before. Curious, Chache hopped onto the log and sniffed, searching for signs of other beasts passing through the lands along the boarder. Demons, perhaps?
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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:31 am
His trail cut south from the westernmost part of the Aikanaro, a sort of fish-hook shape in his mind...He'd come 'from the east' before. This time he'd come from the west. If he met any of those he'd seen before, or someone who'd been told of him, he could simply say he was heading home now, back from wherever he was supposed to have gone to.
A low rumble shook his gut. Hungry? Well with another pride across from them now, the food had become a bit scarcer in this region. He should be able to find something though. And the smell of the blood would mask any lingering odor of having been near other lions. Eyes glowing gold in the night, he hunkered down. Something was moving over there. His tongue slid out, wetting his lips and teeth. Shoulders tightened, toes curled. He sprang, silently flying through the air.
Right onto Chache. The massive lion blinked, his growl dying in his throat. "...Don't I know you?" Oops. Not a hare afterall.
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:22 pm
Suddenly Chache found himself on the ground under a massive shadow of fur and muscle. He twisted around, swatting at the massive beast with claws unsheathed and spinning to get back on his feet, when the familiarity of the shadow’s face and voice finally reached him. He froze for a moment, blinking at the scarred muzzle of the lion with bright, frightened eyes. His mind drew a blank.
“I… I think so…” Seeing no impediment, Chache crawled out from under the massive beast. He stood in front of Hewa, breathless and slightly shaken from the event. For a moment he could only stare at the massive lion that could have killed him. First he thought of his older brother, poor Okoa, killed by an elderly lion for an easy meal. Then he remembered the incident just a few days ago when he almost killed and ate a member of his new pride after mistaking her for an ordinary prey bird. Now the roles had been reversed. He finally sat down in front of Hewa, looking a little overwhelmed.
“You are… ah… Mahewa, from… from the north east… Pridelands….” He blinked, the haze fading from his eyes. “Oh goodness. You really snuck up on me. I must be growing accustomed to the scent of lions.”
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:39 pm
Hewa ducked his head back from the swiping claws and stepped back, pricking his ears forward to try to seem more friendly. He hadn't meant to tackle Chache, of course he hadn't...He calmly groomed his paws as the serval settled. He nosed at him when he sat. "I didn't mean to give you such a fright...I hope I didn't hurt you. I know I'm rather heavy."
Ah yes, he'd said he was from the North East, yes. Technically true. He smiled when his...friend...seemed to finally come back to himself. "You're part of this pride, right? I'd say that was likely. You've just got to get used to lions...get used to YOUR group, and learn to smell others, right?" It was a skill many rogues could use. "For instance, think of how the lions you know smell, and then..." He stood over the serval. "Compare how I smell. Probably rather different."
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:34 pm
“I’m afraid you all smell the same to me,” Chache replied with a nervous laugh. “But I suppose I’ll pick up on it, sooner or later. Thank you for the advice.”
He looked at Mahewa a little more closely. His girth was impressive and his scars frightening, yet he radiated with a friendly warmness, a kind intelligence that made him exciting to behold. Sniffing the big lion revealed something else. He possessed a rather odd smell. Chache wrinkled his nose at the scent, feeling his fur prickle. “Smells like you’ve been near a brush fire recently,” he muttered, finding that a bit odd. “But then, you look like you’ve lead an exciting life. I haven’t any scars to show for all the fights I’ve been in. Bigger claws leave bigger marks, I suppose.”
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:33 am
Hewa chuckled and sat back. "I'm sure you will. Perhaps you just need to stay in your pride more, become better tuned to their smells..." So. The serval was a newer member. Interesting. The fact that the pride was still taking in members...they must not be up to strength then. That was valuable information. A half-formed pride was much easier to...work with.
He watched the serval look him over. What was he thinking...He tensed a moment at the mention of fire...He'd been in the volcano recently...Ah. "Mmm, something like that. Why I've turned around," He offered as an explanation. "There wasn't much to see further west. Ah, yes..." He looked down at himself. "I suppose you could say I've seen my share of fights. Not everyone is welcoming to strangers." He thought of the day he'd joined the Aikanaro'hini...She was his friend now, but at the time the lioness he'd first met had left a rather unkind impression in the form of a long scar down his side.
"If you have a pride it's much better, I would think. Strength in numbers..." Maybe he could learn a bit more.
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 3:15 pm
“I’ve never found it to my liking. So many faces to keep track of…” He recalled the encounter with Enzi once more, heaving a sigh. “Like you, I’ve been on my own most of my life. I used to travel far and wide doing what I could to help others, collecting songs and stories. It was a wonderful life.”
Those days still seemed so close at hand, as if he could reach out and touch them with his paw. He could leave tonight and be on the road in no time. Of course, he already made a commitment to the pride. If there was one thing Chache could never do it was to go back on his word.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:00 am
Hewa nodded. He knew the feeling well. That was why he'd become a Neumar for the demons, wasn't it? He too had committed himself (thought some days he wondered just why he'd done that) but felt the need to roam. Now he was encouraged too, lauded for the action itself. Funny how things worked out, wasn't it?
"It's nice though, right? Having friends and a big family of sorts in the pride, I'd imagine. Are there many in your family? When I was little I always wanted to be part of a huge pride, but then I started wandering and..." He shrugged. "I guess that's how things go sometimes."
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:28 pm
“Oh, yes, many many lions and leopards. Well, not quite leopards, actually. They’re somewhere in between, if you get my meaning, Hewa. I still have trouble remembering all their names.” Chache couldn’t know that Mwako’bi’Giza was actually small in number compared to the multitude of demons residing at the foot of the volcano. In his experience, he had never seen so many large animals together in one place. Sometimes he happened across a group of three or four lions relaxing in the shade. He kept his distance and moved on, never realizing until now just how many individuals made up a pride.
“Seems to me one such as yourself would have no trouble finding a pride, if that is what you wish.” He almost mentioned that his pride could use a strong fellow like Mahewa, stopping himself just in time. He still didn’t know this rogue very well. “Anyway, I’m sure you’ll find the perfect home someday. Perhaps even the Pridelands would welcome you. I’ve heard that they are quite accepting of strangers.”
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Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:26 pm
Many, huh? Better to err on the side of caution and assume that meant, what. Half the numbers of the Aikanaro'Hini? That was probably a safe bet. He nearly missed the serval's next comment but caught it just in time to offer a kindly smile. "I hope that's the case some day. For now I'm happy wandering, I think. Maybe one day I'll even come back here. Form what I've heard, your pride doesn't seem like too bad a place. The pridelands too, they seem quite open, which is a virtue in this day and age."
He shifted a bit and tilted his head as if scenting the air. "I probably should go before it gets too late. And before your pride misses you. Still, it was nice to meet you again. And I'm sorry I pounced you." He chuckled, moving to go after a moment more. "You seem like a nice guy, Chache. Stay safe out here, yeah?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 3:03 pm
Chache nodded in agreement to all that was said. “You seem like a nice fellow yourself, Mahewa. I hope to see you again. May you find fair weather wherever you travel.”
((Fin~))
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