|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:44 am
Kwaruza had given in to her daughters moaning and had at last decided to take her for a walk, they weren't going far and as the pride rules stated she wasn't going to be taken near the borders. Kwaruza didn't want to think about what might happen if any of her cubs were on the borders.
"Mum pleeeeeeeeeeeease can we go nearer?" Dufi was trying to plead with her mother but she knew it was no use, it never was. It doesn't mean she wouldn't try though, she always thought that begging might get her somewhere!
"Dufi no or we are going back to the den, you wanted to explore the lands so we are, I should be checking the borders but you are not coming so it will have to wait." Kwaruza had a hint of a snarl as she spoke warning her daughter not to push her. Dufi clearly got the hint as she sighed and started walking along side her mother though it was clearly obvious that the cub wasn't happy. Kwaruza wondered why she couldn't be more like her father, she would be much easier like that.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 4:52 pm
Samaki had heard stories of the sea, of the unending expanse of water that nobody could drink. Savannah-born, they had been incredible to her young ears, and she had wandered on her way with a laugh. But as the terrain started to change and the air became heavy with a strange, pleasant scent, Samaki began to wonder. If the sea really did exist...then so did the strange plants and stranger animals. While she had a decent working knowledge of savannah plants, the lure of something new and unusual drew her further into an increasingly changing landscape, oblivious to the border markers. Normally, she would have noticed and avoided such borders...but her mind was elsewhere, following the strengthening scent of salt.
But not long after passing those borders, motion caught her eye, and her steps slowed to a halt. "Hello?" she called out to the pair, her curiosity piqued by the lioness' strange jewelry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:00 am
Dufi was still sulking when they heard the 'hello' and the cub being as she was wondered if the lioness she had turned to look at existed. She had a habit of 'seeing' things that weren't there and though her mother knew that her daughter was slightly crazy didn't let it show much and so before Dufi could say anything Kwaruza replied.
"Hello there. Are you seeking the Bahari'Mtoto?" Kwaruza hadn't seen the female before and she made it her duty to at least know everyone by sight though it was getting increasingly harder as the pride seemed to be growing so quickly.
Dufi noticed her mother talk and screwed her nose up a bit wondering why sometimes her mother saw the lions and sometimes she didn't. It was all very strange.
"Hello!" She spoke cheerfully, "I am Dufi and this is my mother!" She spoke with a cub-like innocence. She had a habit of seeming normal even if she wasn't completely. Which of course Kwaruza also put down to the father.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:04 am
Bahari'mtoto...mouthing the word silently to herself, Samaki's eyes gleamed with sudden realization. "You live by the sea, then?" she asked eagerly, excited at the prospect. The sea could be real! "When the air started to smell like this I remembered the stories of water that goes as far as you can see, and not a drop drinkable. I've never seen it, I wasn't sure if it was real..." Trailing off, she smiled at the cub. "I should introduce myself, huh? My name is Samaki."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:10 am
Dufi started talking first, after all she was the cub she should have all the attention!
"You haven't seen the sea? Strange... its so big, so so big and wet. Very wet!" She smiled widely as she spoke, she was only telling the truth after all! It was hard for her to believe that others hadn't seen the sea as she was born next to it.
Kwaruza chuckled at her daughter before turning back to the female.
"I am Kwaruza and yes we do indeed live by the sea, the whole pride does. The sea is our god as it were, we worship it and so it feeds us. The amount of fish in the water would feed us for eternity and still have millions left over." She smiled at the female.
"Are you here purely to visit? I can take you down to see it though if you wish to join the pride there is a small joining ritual which would involve you entering the water." Kwaruza explained a little as she didn't want to explain the whole ritual unless she knew the female was staying. She also wasn't sure if she wanted Dufi to see it. The ritual was dangerous after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:32 am
"That's what I've heard," Samaki chuckled, blue eyes warm with amusement. She quieted as Kwaruza spoke, nodding when appropriate to show that she was listening...and stilling at the implicit invitation. She hadn't thought that far ahead when she'd chosen to follow the smell of salt, focused more on discovering if such a strange and wondrous thing as the sea truly existed. And yet...if it did, she wanted to stay near it, and learn what she could about it. The choice had come about in an unexpected way, but the rosy-pelted lioness found herself decided. "I think I would like to stay," she said aloud. "I will pass through this ritual if it will gain your god's acceptance." She barely batted an eyelash at the mention of the sea being their god--there was a god for everything, if you believed all of the prides, and who knew? All of them could well be right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:27 am
Dufi wasn't sure she wanted to listen anymore they seemed to be talking all adult like and she always got so annoyed when they did that. She instead found a bug or something to chase, though she didn't go far she knew better then to do that, her mother would shout at her.
Kwaruza was half watching her daughter as she listened and then nodded.
"Okay, the ritual involves you going to the shore, I shall take you, and standing in the water as the tide comes in. You stay there until I call you back, if you come back beforehand it's fine but you won't have passed. It can be frightening out there on your own and so you won't be blamed if you don't stay, you will be welcome to stay here until you wish to try again." Kwaruza smiled as she spoke, she knew it was dangerous but no one had died or had any problems so she wasn't worried about it.
"So if you still wish to join we can head down to the shore."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:44 am
A short time ago, Samaki hadn't even been sure that such a thing as the sea existed, and now she'd be standing in it! A faint shiver of nervousness ran over her at the thought of encountering something so powerful as to be considered a god by this pride, but Kwaruza seemed unworried, which helped to put the rogue lioness at ease. After this momentary hesitation, she nodded and prepared to follow Kwaruza to what she hoped would be a new life. "Yes, let's do this."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:44 am
"Okay then lets get going! Dufi, come on down to the beach." Kwaruza called to her daughter and then turned back to the female.
"It isn't far." She smiled and started walking soon accompanied by her daughter who was running between her mothers legs as she walked. She then ran over to the female and looked at her before giggling and running back to her mother. She did this several times on the way down to the beach.
"I apologize she keeps wondering what you are like, Dufi is a strange one." She spoke as they reached the beach. The sea there in front of them looking as big as it normally does, glittering in the sun.
"Come play its so cooooool!" Dufi called out and ran straight towards the water though as a wave came to greet her she ran away from it. It was her favourite game chasing waves.
"If we go down to the waters edge you can make a final decision if you want to do this or not. I know it can be scary for some." She spoke softly hoping that the female wouldn't be too scared and was glad that Dufi was playing making the water seem less dangerous then it was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:15 pm
"Oh, it's no trouble," Samaki laughed, shaking her head as she watched the cub run back and forth. How could she fault Dufi for curiosity, when it was what had led her here? The walk to the beach was a short one, and Samaki felt a sense of awe sweep over her as she looked upon the sea. It was huge...did it go on forever, or was there another beach like this one, somewhere on the other side? "I'm ready," she said softly, although there was a note of uncertainty in her voice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:35 am
Kwaruza smiled and led the way down to the waters edge. As they reached it she could hear Dufi having a conversation with the water and for a while she sat down and listened. It was always interesting listening to Dufi, she seemed so odd but yet rather clever. Kwaruza was sure she would never work her daughter out, much like her father.
"How are you today? Oh... that sounds good. Yes the fish are good?" Dufi was talking as if she was hearing a reply from the water. It was a proper conversation and though there seemed no reply to Dufi there was one. Now she was talking about the weather. Strange child.
Kwaruza let out a soft chuckle before turning back to Samaki, who she really should be paying all her attention to. This was the last time she was taking Dufi out when she should be working.
"Well if you still want to go ahead with it, then just walk in to the water and I will tell you when to stop. I am sure Dufi will tell the water to be nice for you." She let a small chuckle escape and looked at her daughter who seemed to be in deep conversation. She couldn't hear what she was saying now though, she was speaking so quietly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:58 pm
Tilting her head, Samaki watched the cub with puzzled curiosity before bringing her attention back to Kwaruza's words. It didn't sound too hard... If it was, she doubted they'd send new members into it right away, instead putting them through something that would strengthen them for the challenge. With such comforting thoughts in mind, the rosy-pelted lioness' first steps into the waves were tentative but steady. The alien sensation of being first pushed, then pulled by the water was unsettling, but with her guide's cub still happily chattering away Samaki figured this was something normal when it came to the sea. Her movements strengthened as she moved deeper, determination rising.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:04 am
Kwaruza watched the lioness walk out in to the water and after the lioness had moved in to the water so her paws and the bottom half of her legs couldn't be seen she called her to stop. The tide was coming in quickly now so it shouldn't take too long for the water to rise around the female.
Once the female was swimming Kwaruza would call her back as a full member of the pride. It was a job that Kwaruza loved, she adored being able to invite lions in to the pride.
Dufi was still by the waters edge talking to the water.
"Be nice to her please, she is new and make it quick so she doesn't get scared but then not too quick because we don't want her to be scared." She was rambling, on and on to the sea about being nice to the strange new female. Dufi was sure it would have some affect, she and the sea had long conversations every day, they were best friends!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:38 am
The rising water level was almost imperceptible if Samaki watched it too closely, which was incredibly tempting. She'd never dreamed such a powerful force existed outside of the gods themselves, and it was awe-inspiring to sense the strength beneath the seemingly peaceful surface. Glancing back for a moment, she abruptly found herself reaching for her footing and just barely missing it as her paw swished through the water. A surge of panic swelled up, but she pushed aside the fear that threatened to cloud her thinking. She'd swum in watering holes, streams...one paw, then another, then another. That was it...this water just moved more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:56 am
Kwaruza rolled her eyes at her daughter who seemed adamant to make sure the sea was nice to the new lioness and it wasn't long before Kwaruza called the lioness back to shore.
She then walked towards the shore to move Dufi out the way and to welcome Samaki as a full member of the Bahari pride.
Dufi ran over to her mother, thanking the sea before she did so.
"Mumma did she do it? did she?"
"Hush Dufi, just wait." Kwaruza chuckled and watched as the lioness headed their way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
