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 Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:07 am
It was time for something to be done.
Several days had passed since their “uncle”, Abhabu had gone missing. It was out of character of the older male to be gone so long. Rarely seen without his twin, Mwenyewe, the fact that even his brother had little clue as to where he had gone seemed to only emphasize the need for something to be done. And Muhali hated inaction.
Keeping this family together had been an oath of the young lion’s, long ago. Now that they were almost completely assimilated with their birth pride, Muhali believed now more then ever the family needed to keep tight. He wasn’t sure where Abhabu had gone off to- but he wasn’t about to let the situation get out of hand. There were a thousand possibilities that might have detained their uncle. Everyone knew the old male had a limp- perhaps, he had gotten stranded somewhere, out in the swamp. Maybe he’d found someone. Maybe…well. Muhali was ready for anything.
It was early afternoon when the young male decided to set out. Although initially, he had thought to invite the rest of his family- his mother had cautioned him against making it too public, and stirring too much emotions. And Muhali had to agree. There was no telling what they might uncover- and if anyone was to bear the burden of it for the family, Muhali gladly shouldered it.
His help, instead, had fallen to a Skanawati. His mate was in the thick with cubs, and needed something to occupy his hours until they were ready. Muhali was glad for the help. He knew, somewhere that together they’d be able to get to the bottom of this.
And so, Muhali sat waiting for him. He was up upon a log- a place where Abhabu had been seen before he’d gone missing. His mother was not too far from him, and as he waited, he gathered up all the confidence he could from her. “Hopefully this will all be just a big misunderstanding. You know how these things can be.” Muhali spoke, his voice stiff. Stony. He had a hard time looking on the bright side.
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:10 am
Gaza had done her best to assure her son that his worries were just an overreaction and that perhaps it had only been some sort of an accident that had kept their family away. Then again, part of her had also been reassuring herself that it had merely been that as well.However, she'd known better than to hold her breath for that -- but she would anyways. At least this was reassuring her that her family did worry about each-other.
And that they could turn to the rest of the pride as well.
The young male that had come to accompany her son seemed like a well-to-do young lion, though he did seem to have this bad habit of looking over his shoulder as though he would need to go running to his mate at any given time.... so she'd reassured him as well. "A young mother knows what to do... and the other lionesses of the pride can help her if needed."
Skanawati wasn't exactly the most sold by this reassurance, but he braved a smile for the thought. "I know... I know... I just can't help but want to be there to see them when I can." But that was to be expected when he didn't even know how many children he had yet! But if the sound of mewling in the thick hadn't clued him in.. he was more than a father of two by a long shot.
However....
"I would hate to think that anything unfortunate would be falling upon any member of our pride."
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:35 pm
Muhali bowed his head appreciatively towards Skanawati. "I thank you for helping me. I know..." his ears folded. No, he didn't know. "- how important this day is. I do not easily forget a favor like this, and my family is greatly in your debt." Truley he was. This was a good fellow. He only hoped that the search would not be futile, and that all stories would end happily that day.
"Since we're ready, I think there is no time like the present." The young lion hopped off the rock, and carefully approached his mother. He wasn't sure yet if the female would be accompanying them- and he was oddly torn between begging her to come and begging her to stay. "I am sure...all will be well. If Skanawati and I turn up anything, we will be quick to inform the pride."
The marsh was warm that afternoon. He took a careful breath of the thick air, filling his lungs and readying himself for the trip. "Since Abhabu was last seen here, we shall travel down this waterway a bit. I don't think he would swim across it without dire cause." With a motion to his accomplice, Muhali took a step into the murky waters and began to wade.
In the distance, dragonflies scooted about the quiet pools. It was a still, quiet kind of atmosphere. At least signs of Abhabu's passage would be well preserved.
Another step- and he began to lead away from the dry lands.
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:21 am
Domevlo, doing nothing of any importance at the time, was meandering about the swamplands. He'd come to the murky waters that fed it, and looked at his own reflection. He had changed greatly since his admission here, if not outwardly, than internally.
A dragonfly landed on his reflection, and made it ripple away. It was then that he heard voices. Domevlo stood, and swivveled his ears in the direction of the sound. Since it was coming from within the pride, and not the opposite direction, he wasn't as alarmed - the large lion rather feared outsiders, remembering how they had treated him in the past.
He waited.
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:43 pm
The waters were still. The swamps always had a stillness Muhali enjoyed. But there was something odd about it, at least in this situation. Like it was a living, breathing entity. As much apart of their small little search party as they were. Almost if it knew something he didn't.
Keeping his paws out of the deeper murk, Muhali waded down the bank. The reeds did not seem to show any obvious signs of being tampered with- no more then one would expect, anyways. Th mud was clear of footprints. Bitterly, the young lion snorted, and gave a slow gaze around the area. Hopefully, if the swamps were holding out on him, they'd inform him soon enough where their secrets lay.
Some minutes after crossing a small island in the low waters, Muhali became aware that they were not alone out in the wood. At first he seemed apart of the landscape itself- a big fellow, resting by the water's edge. Perhaps he had seen what had become of their friend? "Perhaps he's seen something." Muhali said to Skanawati.
"Hello there," Muhali called, moving off the island and into the water. He was not a hesitant fellow. "I'm afraid we're looking for someone. Abhabu? Have you seen anything around these parts that might...well, anything really." He confessed. "He's been gone a few days now."
[[ In order to keep things moving, we'll skip the post order from this point. <3 ]]
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:10 am
Skanawati again nodded to Muhali's mother before he continued along on the paws of the aforementioned son to go along on his little 'quest' of sorts. However, it seemed that it wouldn't be long until the pair of them, following in the last known tracks of the missing Abhabu, came across another lion of the pride.
He nodded to Muhali as he spoke of asking the other pridal member of what he may of known -- "Perhaps he does." he agreed, before looking to scrutinize Promethius.
Hmm, he vaguely knew of this one, didn't he?
While Muhali questioned, Skanawati looked around the immediate area to see if there was anything in it that struck him as completely out of the usual in this case. Hmm.
Nothing that couldn't be simply attributed to the normal wear of the swamp.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:15 pm
Domevlo could not remember encountering anyone of that name, whether it be recently, or not. He shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. A few days you say,...hmn." Domevlo looked back to the water in thought. He would have hated to be away from the heart of the pride's lands after dark,..let alone for days. Sure, he often wondered about the swamp, away from the somewhat dry haven that consisted of the central part of the lands, but fearing the more brutal beasts of the swamp, like crocodiles and the like, he made it a point to return before dark.
"If he's been gone for days,...I don't know, I'm sorry." Again, the large lion shook his head.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:38 pm
Muhali nodded his head, but could not help feeling a fleeting notion of disappointment. There was a part of him that really did like to believe this was all a misunderstanding- and then the other part, the part that had came when he had learned his new name, that quietly dissuaded him. "That's too bad." He sighed, shaking his shaggy mane out slowly. "So far we've turned up nothing."
For a moment, he paused and furrowed his brow- staring out into the swamp far past them. He turned back towards Domevlo. "Well, you've been out here for a while today, right? Would you mind pointing us to where you haven't been this afternoon? From what we've heard, Abhabu was last seen leaving down around this vein of water."
He smiled, his ears shifting. "We'd be grateful for the help. The swamp does not give up it's secrets too easily."
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:01 pm
"I would be glad to help," Domevlo answered with eagerness in his rough whisper of a voice.
Helping was his passion, and he'd do anything to the land and those who inhabited the land, that had been so willing to accept him.
"I came from the heart of the pride, and have been no further down this waterway than I am now. So onwards, away from the lands,...closer to the world beyond our home,..."
And that was Domevlo's terror - the world outside of this paradise. Well, aside from lightening and thunder.
After the exchange, the two parted. There was work to be done...
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