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 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:33 pm
 Azar'bijan was preparing to show off his skills in fighting in front of Kidondo and Azarax. He'd been trying really hard to improve his fighting technique and was pretty certain he was coming along nicely. All he had to do now was get into a sparring match in front of one of the lions who mattered. Then he'd be apprenticed to an awesome soldier and someday he might be looking at a General position too!
It was all nothign but a dream, however. In truth Azar really wasn't a very good fighter and though he didn't know it yet, he really didn't cut it. Whilst this would distress and anger him at the time he'd eventually come to see that his skills did indeed lie in guarding.
Anyway, that was a problem he had yet to consider. Right now he was trying out his skills on a poor lizard. It kept scuttling away from him and pausing when it thought it safe. But it was never safe because Azar kept pouncing at it.
"Ah ha! Stupid beast! Do you think you could outwit me?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:35 pm
 "You shouldn't torment it, you know..." Ursa spoke up from slightly behind Azara, where she was peering out of her family's den. The young female meant no offense by it, and certainly understood that this was how cubs played, but she felt it only fair to warn him that prey, when provoked and toyed with, could often lash in retatliation unexpectedly, in unexpected ways. She recognized him to be one of Kibela's cubs, his splotch marks did rather give it away though, really.
The shadows made it difficult for most to see her markings or true color, but even as she stepped out of the den it was obvious as to why. Dark gray fur with blacker than night stripes, only her red eyes would give her away in the dark, not a hint of white anywhere on her hide. She observed Azara with quiet curiosity.
"What's your name? You're one of the Magistrate's, Kibela's, children, aren't you?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:57 pm
He glanced over his shoulder and at the distraction the lizard dashed away and this time didn't stop. The boy frowned, jutting his jaw as he looked at her. "Why not? Would you rather I torment you?" He didn't wait for an answer and instead turned fully towards her. He was an extremely red firekin, no speck of any other colour on his pelt. He was extremely proud of this, however, and bore his colour with some vanity.
"Azar'bijan." He replied, smoothly. "I am. What of it?" He was quite pleased that she knew his mother, though. It made him, in turn, feel more important. "Who're you?"
"So, let me guess. You came here to watch a true fighter at work, right?" He grinned.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:57 pm
She noted with some satisfaction that the lizard took it's chance to escape, though to be polite she was careful not to show Azar this. She got a confused look about her though, as he began spouting threatning and self assured questions, though. He was nothing like the other cubs she'd encountered, or even the adults...
"Nothing... I just thought I recognized you, is all." Ursa replied calmly, if not with a touch of wariness in her tone, just a touch. Boys... were so weird. "And, no. This is my family's den. I heard all the noise you were making and wanted to see what the fuss was about. I'm Ursa, daughter of Kadogo'moto and Ilahle'wamuhu."
She didn't say it with shame or with pride either, it just... was fact. She knew her mother by name as well, but she didn't know her, and sadly what little Azula had done had been to give birth to them and help name them before they went to their father. Ilahle was her mother in the sense that mattered, and Azula, wherever she was, was her biological mother. She hoped for a chance to know her and her brother Zuko some day but doubted that it would happen...
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:16 pm
He shrugged and settled to balance himself equally on his paws. "Well of course you recognised me. Who wouldn't? Everyone knows I have the most Firekin coat of everyone." He replied easily. "Besides, I'm going to be apprenticed soon, to a soldier. I've gotta keep my fitness up or they might overlook me and I won't let that happen."
He blinked. "Never heard of them." He didn't mean it to sound rude, though it probably did. He had a problem with being bluntly honest. It'd probably ease out of him as he grew, but as a youth he certainly didn't watch what he was saying.
"You're going to be a soldier, too, right?" He wasn't sure whether she actually looked like a soldier, but who wouldn't want to be one? It was the best job ever!
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:17 pm
".... Most... Firekin...?" She blinked, the question posed mostly to herself. DEFINITELY so weird. She shook her head a bit and twitched her tail. "No. I'm going to be a storyteller. I'm apprenticed to Kaanga. Grandma Azula helps trains the soldiers and that's more than enough reason to stay away for me..." She gave a cubbish shudder. It wasn't that she was a cowardly Firekin, but she knew her grandmother, she knew what she'd done to their father, could see it every time they were around each other, and being around Azula was unnerving in the worst way. She always felt like she was being eyed in the fashion of "How can it be of most value to me", rather than as a grandchild.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:19 pm
"Yes. Cos I'm most red, see?" He rolled his eyes. Females! "You don't have much red...you have red eyes, though. Better than nothing, I guess. Besides, some of the Firekin haven't even got that much." He wrinkled his nose a little.
"Storyteller? But won't that be boring? What you gonna do if fighting comes? Sit and mutter to yourself? I'm gonna be out there scaring stupid rogues and anyone else who dares come near. Kinda heroic, don't you think?" He grinned. "Azula? I don't know her either." No...he didn't know many people. "I'm gonna be a General someday you know? Won't that be awesome! Then everyone can see how great I am." He beamed. "And you can tell all the cubs stories of my greatness."
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:33 pm
"Just because I'll be a storyteller doesn't mean I won't know how to do other things. My father and Uuo are teaching me how to fight." Ursa grinned a little bit, amused. "And as a storyteller I'd be able to tell you that the original royalty of the pride wasn't all just one color. The original Firekin came in reds with black, white, and sandy underbellies and accent markings... So, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but being all red really doesn't make you better or worse than the rest of us, anymore than being all black would make me any better or worse."
She generally had a lot of patience, but his way of speaking was irksome, so she hoped to teach him a little lesson without being mean, as well as to make him aware that she understood him and the insulting way he spoke so highly of himself and so little of her, very well.
"I can also tell you that if you do make soldier you might want to at least familiarize yourself with the Captain of Offense by name. She's the one you'll be answering to most of the time... not just Azarax and Regent Kidondo."
Or at least, so was her understanding. She was nearly into adolescence, now, so she'd had plenty of time to think these things over as she grew, to understand the side lessons from Yin-li as they helped each other (Yin-li was still learning a little bit here and there, so she helped Ursa study.) and her father, it wasn't so strange coming from her as it would have been a month prior, at least, she had a better understanding of things now than when she'd first started.
"I hope that you get your wish, but you should definitely pay more attention to what's going on around you if you plan to make it a reality, Azar."
All said perfectly calmly, with a perfectly straight face.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:35 pm
He frowned just a little bit, realising now why she'd be a storyteller. She had quite a mouth on her, this one. "Royalty? Hey, did you forget or something? There ain't no royalty here now. Maybe you're getting confused or something. You act like a princess but there ain't no such thing here." Yes, the jibe hadn't been taken very well.
"Well, little-miss-know-it-all, are you done giving me a lecture? Geez, what are you, my mum?" He made as if to turn away, even took a few steps, but he paused and glanced back at her. "What is it with everyone around here?" He thought of the cubs that had leapt in to protect that rotten gold cub. He'd only been playing but they'd forced him back as if he'd been trying to kill him.
Azar didn't particularly approve of the golden cub being here, but he certainly wasn't so awful he'd do that. "Why do all you others have such attitude problems? I had some rotten kid trying to but in on my training and then this stupid male who attacked me. Then there was his horrid sister." He huffed. "No one gets me and they won't, not until I prove myself."
He grimaced. "Pay more attenting to what?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:44 pm
"I didn't forget... but you'd be wise to remember that lesson as well. Greatness in the eyes of others is earned, not forced. Humility is usually key to that. I'm sorry that you took offense, or misunderstood. I don't mean to lecture, but it would be a shame to see you disappointed if things don't turn out the way you see them. You should take help from others when it's well intended..."
She must have said too much, but he really did seem to be overreacting.
"I can't speak for the others, but I meant no harm." She concluded, moving closer to join him as she explained. "Pay more attention to your surroundings. The others around you. How can you know your opponents from your allies if you don't even know whose who? Kadogo'moto is one of the guards. Uuo is the captain of offense, Azula is the captain of offense, Moto'Zari is a soldier and Azula's daughter, my aunt. Uddhava is the little brother of the General, Yin-li is the General's mate-- it's just as important to know who has eyes where as it is to know who you should impress. Do you see...?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:45 pm
"Fine, fine, you've been great help." He lied but he was really starting to be bothered by all this. He wasn't forcing people to like him. He was just a genuinely brilliant guy, just a shame that no one else seemed to see it except for him - even when he spelt it out to them. "Don't worry. I have plans. When you have a plan, nothing can go wrong." He flicked mane out from his eyes.
"Woah, woah, slow down princess, seriously." He waved a paw at her. "If you go rolling out those names at me like that then how am I supposed to remember? Geez...my brain isn't made for holding so much knowledge. Its too cramped with fighting styles." He rolled his eyes and shifted sideways a little.
"All I need to know is Azula for now, right? She's the only one I might need to know in the near future. The rest of the names can come in good time." He flicked his tail. "You're weird..."
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:29 pm
Her ears swiveled to rest back against her head a bit. "Yes... sorry." Did she really talk too much? .... Now that she thought about it, she and Iroh were probably the "weirdest" of their bunch. Papa, mama Ilahle, Lu-ten, Azula, Sozin, even Ozai were all quieter than she was, and then the brother that they'd lost, Zuko, him too.
She didn't think it was really weird, though, they were just... different. Different wasn't bad in moderation right? So, she quipped, seeming just a touch uncertain. "Normalcy is in the eye of the beholder, don't you think?" She started to say more, but remembering how defensive he'd gotten the last time, she thought better of it and kept her mouth shut for the time. "... Would you like a sparring partner to practice?"
She sounded more sure of herself as she asked this last question, but she wasn't pushy about it.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:40 pm
He jutted out his jaw a little and glared at her. There she was, being all weird again. She sounded like a grown up spouting out all those long words and stuff! He wasn't bothered about long words or lectures or morals. All he wanted was to fight. But apparently, when she offered to help him with that, it only offended him further.
"You think I'm so bad I need to practise fighting with a girl?! No, you keep your claws to yourself. I'm outta here. You make my head hurt." He snorted loudly and, with a flick of his tail turned and headed off. "Stupid girls..." He muttered under his breath.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:41 pm
Ursa didn't faulter under his glare this time, having seemed to realize that he was just impossible to please, as soon as he shot that look at her. Why should she second guess herself when he clearly didn't like anything she had to say, no matter what she said? If anything, his glare just reassured her that she was right in her belief that there was nothing wrong with her or her line of thinking being a bit more round about.
He hit the unspeakable nerve, though, with his last comment. Bristling, she shot a soft glare after him, eyes narrowing.
"I think you're afraid of finding out if you're really as good as you claim you are. You're just all tough talk, aren't you?" She baited, claws partially extended against the rock and sand.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:17 pm
He came to a halt and turned to look at her. Would he look silly if he went back over and gave her a cuff across the nose? It would show her that he wasn't afraid, certainly. But wouldn't it make him look silly, too? He hesitated a moment, feeling the urge to go and show her how wrong she was grow stronger. Yes. Why not?
"All talk?" He puffed out his little chest and advanced. "Well, we'll see about that, won't we?" And he quickened his pace, charging at her as fast as his stocky little legs would take him.
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