|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:12 pm
 Another day, another cycle of routine and quiet. The gruff, rugged lion had spent most of the time fulfilling his personal and required obligations to his home, though he imagined they were not as pressing as he believed. He was loyal to a fault, and took his position and skills too seriously for his own good. There was always a nagging worry in the back of his mind these days, though. It was just too weird, being a warrior without something to war against.
Still, he couldn't help but enjoy the peace sometimes.
Today had been a good day, for all its normalcy. He had spoken to some members in the pride that he considered friends. Or as close as thy could get to that title, anyway. He was content, regardless, having had a fun time picking on a much younger lion and winning the verbal sparring match handily.
Now he was padding through the grasses, finding a small quiet valley between soft hills, and decided he might have a good training session to himself. He liked to keep himself as sharp as possible, and never missed an opportunity to hone his abilities further. There might be some others around, but that was fine.
He was really good at ignoring people.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:24 pm
 Akel'dama was returning from a hunt, her prize in her mouth hanging limp. She was laying down with it, and content to feed, when the scent of the rugged lion met her nose. She made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat, as her bright blue eyes soon found the dark lion.
She thought for a moment, about whether to greet him, or pray she went unnoticed. Even she had to admit, that secrets, dark secrets, made run-ins with him quite awkward. However, Akel wasn't one to run - she'd stay right there, and whether he wished to aknowledge her or not would be his choice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:41 pm
Raruo spotted the brown lioness soon enough, the scent of fresh blood luring him closer before her personal smell reached his nose and he had a moment to recognize it. He had made sure a long time ago to know her scent, and to avoid it at all costs. So far id had been working out, his strategy of pretending she wasn't a part of the pride anymore.
But there were occasional blips.
Growling, Raruo considered turning and leaving without a word. He locked eyes with her, knew she saw him, and still considered it. As rude and satisfying as it would be, it might also be seen as a form of weakness, backing away from her, and his pride as a warrior did not allow it.
"Good evening," he said in a clip, forced tone. He didn't bother feigning pleasure, his voice flat and irritated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:51 pm
"Why, good evening, Raruo," She said with the most pleasant tone she could muster, having no problem at all with producing fake sweetness.
Meaniwhile, in her mind she was cursing. With the blood on her paw, and claws, she knew what Raruo must have been thinking. He knew she had killed,....her other. But under the circumstances whith which it came to be--
She would had sighed, had she not been trying to paintain a proud composure. Part of her wanted him to say something. She should have told him the whole tale when they first spoke. When they vowed to never mention it again.
"Is there anything wrong?"
Maybe with the proper provocation,....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:57 pm
The grizzled lion rumbled a low growl as she replied, her voice sparking his nerves dangerously. He did not look her in the eye, though he did force himself to look in her general direction. It was difficult to remain civil, or what he interpreted to be civil in any case, without the eye contact. If he had maintained it he imagined he might have snapped.
"No," he said, shaking his head. He found himself distracted by the scent of blood. Though it differed between every animal, every species, the smell still managed to be the same. It was blood, freshly spilled, a life gone for it.
Seeing her in that blood, whatever its source, only brought back memories he did not want to relive. He sat down heavily, looking out over the grasses.
"I was just going to find a place to meditate. Think on mistakes I've made, wrongs I've committed," he was speaking slowly, pointedly, "and how I might atone."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:06 pm
She lest out a raw chuckle, "or wrongs you've done because you were wronged,..." she said, walking over to him fluidly. If provocation wouldn't work, then damnit, she'd get right to it! She was tired of having to skirt around Raruo! She was tired of being looked at like a criminal by her beloved's friend! Her eyes turned in to hard pools of liquid fire, but her expression was cold as arctic ice.
Being up front and blunt was against her nature. Spouting out things without the sugar and spice made her togue feel dry, but the huntress' patience was running thin. Too long has they both lived with the secret that burdened the both of them!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:10 pm
The older lion snorted indignantly.
"Hiding behind an excuse is weak. Strength of character comes from being able to take being wrong and handle it without stooping to that level. Any creature with a modicum of respect for themselves can understand that," he growled, not playing too nicely.
He wasn't interested in excuses. The facts stuck with him, and he could not simply let them be explained away. His friend, a very dear one at that, was gone, the spirits taking him to their realm. Raruo could only hope he had found some peace there, and had not been trapped or otherwise ruined by his untimely end.
"But I guess a creature does what they must to be able to sleep at night."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:23 pm
I'd like to see you use such rationale when someone you give your heart to goes behind your back on a little rendevous with another." She growled back, a snarl now on her face.
She shook her head. "I loved him, Raruo, really I did-" she tried to catch said lion's eyes as she finally revealed the details that she hadn't before. "-He was my life, and I was hurt. I don't care how strong your morals or how rational a thinker you are, when you hear that the one you've devoted your entire being to sires the cubs of another, then tries to hide it, there is none of that restraint anywhere to be found. Not untill after the deed is done."
With that last sentence her hard expression finally cracked, and her ears fell back, and her eyes shut tight as giant sobs wreaked her body.
"I-if I had stopped, if I had just stopped to think, if I had just talked to him--If I had heared him out,.." She shook her downcast head.
"But all I could think about then was how he betrayed me, Raruo. It felt as if he had ripped my heart out with his claws, oh great spirits, it hurt so." She finally opened up her watery eyes, and looked up at Raruo.
"Yes," her voice wavered, "I killed him, and there is no going back and fixing that, and if the others knew, there is no doubt that I would be dead to, and I thank you for your silence, but please know that I am not entirely the criminal you think I am,..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:32 pm
Raruo growled, looking at her sharply. His eyes blazed, his fur prickling. He stood, his impressive body a mass of coiled muscles and tight sinew. He kept himself in place by sheer force of will, staring at her with narrow eyes and burning anger.
"You loved him?" He laughed the words, a cruel, cutting sound. He rarely laughed when he was in good spirits, but this sound was clearly nothing close to what that might be, "you barely knew him. You don't understand what friendship means. What love is. I loved him, like my brother. Yes, he had his faults, but you can't tell me that justifies what you did."
He shook his head, not wanting to hear her tell him she was in the right, that she had been the hurt one and there had been no other way. That she had been driven by passion and her rational mind had failed to tell her she had gone too far. How could she not have known that? He dug his claws into the earth, as if he were preventing himself from leaping at her.
"I know he loved you," he said through grit teeth, "and that is the only reason I'm keeping your secret. No matter what he did, you were the one to betray him. I tell myself that when you finally move on to the spirit world he'll be there to bar your path. That's good enough to keep me quiet, for now. I won't betray you, because I'm not that kind of a beast. I'm not a monster."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:49 pm
"You can't tell me you wouldn't have done the same, though," She said, her anger renewing. "No one knows how they will react when faced with anything. You can't possibly tell me with any certainty that you would have been any better a beast than I!"
Akel would have given anything to have been a better person, and reasoned with her beloved back then. Anything.
"I'm willing to admit that what I did was irrational and wrong. There are so many things I could have done, rather than killing him. Raruo,..." She again tried to calm herself. "When the other lioness birthed her cubs, he was going to bring them here to be sacrifices. He was never going to tell me that they were his, but when he returned that one day full of wounds and cuts, and I confronted him,... It took forever for me to make him tell me the truth. The whole truth. He was willing to keep such a huge secret from he. He would have, too, if I had not persisted. And that secret would have festered, grown, multiplied untill our love was nothing but lies."
She let out a deep sigh. "I am a beast, but a beast that regrets. Know this, Raruo; We never know what we are going to do, untill it is too late. There is not a day goes by that I wouldn't give my own life for him to come back,...to have his forgiveness...to take it all back and start over."
Or to go far enough back, that they never fell in love.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:08 pm
"I can tell you that," Raruo said fiercely, "I can tell you exactly that. I would never have killed someone I was supposed to have loved. How could you even fathom such a thing? I have a heart, a soul, and I at least know the meaning of the words 'love' and 'fealty'. I know absolutely, without a doubt, I would not have killed them. Look at me! I'm talking to you, someone I can't stand, and I can't bring myself to take your life!"
He growled and tilted his head to the floor, shutting his eyes tightly. His head was beginning to spin. What was he feeling? Compassion? Understanding? No. He knew she was wrong, completely wrong, and there was no justification to be had. He was not going to give this any sort of vindication.
"You can't be forgiven. Atonement must be earned, and what have you done? You live this lie, and you have me lie for you. That's fine. I'll do it for him. But we both know... well. I'm sure the spirits will have their way, and what comes will come. And I hope to have a ringside seat to it."
He sat down again, with some effort, and looked away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:20 pm
"You can't garuntee that" Akel said softly, with a small smile as she lay down. "I said the very same thing, way back then, and look where I am now. Nothing is certain. No matter how strong you belive."
Why couldn't he understand that? He was so sure of himself. So positive that he could never kill someone who he loved. It amused her greatly, and exhasperated her at the same time. Well, karma had a way of screwing you. Akel'dama knew the worst was yet to come for her, but she also believed that Raruo would one day be brought face to face with a split second decision to do or not to do.
As much as she wanted him to see that he was wrong, she even more strongly prayed that she would be wrong...that maybe he coudl hold on to that rationale.
"I think this talk was a long time coming. You needed to know the rest." She huffed and amused sound. "I still can't believe that the others didn't put it together." No, they thought that he'd had a run in with some one else. They had also seen him come home that day, cut and bloody. They all had supposed that the one who did it had lay in wait, and meerly finished the job. Hah!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:43 pm
Raruo shook his head. He didn't know what to say. He had a lot to say, but... it wasn't coming out. The words were gone. He shook his head again.
"I suppose you may well be right, but I don't believe I'll be tested in that way. I'm too old now, for love, and I have no friends to attack mercilessly and slaughter if they make a mistake that insults me," he snarled, "you took one of the closest, and I'm not much for making new ones. So there's that. I guess we're both ruined, and destined to be alone."
He held himself proudly, watching her keenly, "the way I see it, that might just be a good thing. The best thing. Neither of us deserve it. We have what we have: a secret and an intertwined destiny."
He sighed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:52 pm
Akel nodded. "That we can aggree on."
The secret wasn't near as heavy now though. If she had known that telling more of it to the one and only confidant she had concerning the matter would releave her of so much of the weight, she would have provoked him sooner.
Ah well. Things had happened, and things were done, and perhaps she was a little less of a criminal now.
Ah, destinies intertwined. Perhaps. At leas she wasn't giving up on fulfilling some aspects of her life.
Akel stood, "I left my kill over there-" She gestured to the crumpled body of her won prey just a few feet away. "I'm not hungry anymore. You can have it." And with that, she left. Raruo could mull over things better with her gone, anyway, she decided.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:03 pm
Rarou snorted indignantly.
"Like I want your left overs," he growled, narrowing his eyes at her as she moved. He watched her carefully, his leisurely pose a mask. He was ready to leap at her or out of the way should she spontaneously decide to attack him. After all, he hardly knew what it would take to provoke her.
He watched her leave, not relaxing. growling to himself, he certainly did not feel like meditating or training now. He felt like finding something he could brawl with, just to use the acid burning in his muscles, trying to force him into some kind of action. Sitting still was just not going to work.
Letting out a grumpy roar, he stalked away from the spot he had previously thought would be so good for privacy and relaxation. Maybe he'd go pick a verbal fight with one of the younger lions again. That was always relaxing.
End!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
