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 Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:48 pm
There was a slight chill in the air, but he didn't seem to mind. The day had been warm enough and the rock that he was resting on had gathered a good bit of sun; enough for comfort, at least. Not that he wasn't ready for whoever might have been lurking out there... He was always ready; born ready.
He let out a heavy sigh, pushing himself up onto all fours before hopping down from his perch. There was a border to patrol and he'd lucked out enough to receive the twilight shift, coming out just in time for the other to head in and enjoy a meal before settling down for several hours of sleep. He was going to be more than grateful once the boys were old enough to take their own places on patrol...
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:37 pm
 Kiamu couldn't believe his paws had finally led him back to his rightful home. He had been so long gone, admittedly because of his own distraction, he had half believed his paws wouldn't know the way back. Yet here he was, as easily as if he had just gone out to do a little hunting, and had never really been away. He sniffed the air, thinking things smelled familiar, but likewise much changed since he had gone.
It was an exciting thought. He was coming home again. He hoped things were well, and was eager to see just how things had changed.
He was a bit sleepy, having traveled a bit further than his body would have liked in his excitement over the last stretch, but it was worth it. He spotted a form patrolling the lands nearby and drew a breath.
He walked up slowly, making it clear that he meant no harm, looking as harmless as he knew how. But he still maintained an air of confidence. Belonging.
This was his home, after all.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:51 pm
He felt a little tingle in the back of his mind before the fur on his back bristled slightly, body turning to face the shadows dancing in the grasslands just beyond his well-worn path. There was something dancing with them; something just beyond his sight, not quite strong enough to have tickled his nose with its scent.
It took a moment before the shadow started to fill in, taking the form of a lion before his eyes. The posture was familiar; confident, it seemed, yet not overly so. Had this lion gone through the same training that he and his warrior brothers had?
After a moment a somewhat cocky look softened his own stern features, stormy eyes gleaming. "A bit late to be wandering around, don't you think?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:14 pm
A grin split the lion's anxious muzzle when he recognized the male on guard duty. He almost started bounding up to the other, but figured he should keep himself in check. They hadn't seen each other in a long while.
He didn't want to look like he had become a softy.
"Well I don't think you can call this wandering, can you?" he returned jovially, padding up to Jabari. "I mean, I know exactly where I'm going, so it's not like I'm lost or confused."
He tilted his head at the other, still grinning, eyes bright.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:23 pm
"Hm... You might have a point there." His grin turned into a bit of a smirk as he eyed the other male over as if sizing him up, really looking for any signs of wear or damage that might have been the cause of keeping him away. "Then again, maybe it's not late to be wandering and simply late to be arriving."
He let that thought linger for a moment before he sat back, giving Kiamu some space. "It's been a while, hasn't it." He stated simply, not generally one for beating around the bush unless he was in the mood to be troublesome. "You came home at a good time, Kiamu."
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:55 pm
Kiamu looked perfectly healthy. Strong, too. His body was muscular and lean, maybe a bit undernourished over the end of this journey, but not badly so. He grinned tilting his head as he looking the other over as well. It had been too long! The last time they had seen each other they had both been much younger, Kabari only a cub at the time.
Kiamu wasn't much older, but he had always liked to pretend he was. Now, it seemed, they were both full fledged adults and there was no real discernible difference in their size.
"I hope I'm not late, anyway! And even if I am, I hope you'll still let me in?" He nodded when the other changed his tone from playful to a bit more serious. He drew a breath, letting it out slowly.
"It has been. I'm sorry I took so long. Good time huh? Why's that?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:12 pm
"Because Fortune's finally smiling on us." His smirk broadened slightly as he pushed himself up onto all fours, clearly expecting the other male to follow after him. "There's been five litters born to the pride since we pulled ourselves back together. One of them was mine." There was a great amount of pride in his voice at that. Finding a mate had been pretty epic, but convincing her to carry his cubs? Priceless.
"There's been a bit of a rumor that Mfalme Shujaa's been courting a lioness. There are enough Zengea to carry on a proper hunt and we've finally got enough Asikari to guard the borders without asking the women to help." It had taken a while, but things were finally running as they should be.
"Dynatos was the last to return, before you, of course..." He glanced over his shoulder at the other male. "I think most of us had given up on any others returning."
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:20 pm
Kiamu listened, still grinning as the other explained himself. He was glad to hear of good times for the pride, dutifully following the other. Eager to get back into the familiar lands, he was glad they were moving away from the borders.
"Congratulations!" He cried happily at the news of a mate and cubs. He shook his head in wonder. It really had been a long time, if his one time cubhood friend had gotten himself a mate and a family.
He nodded, listening, feeling proud of how the pride was doing.
"Well, I like to surprise. Never be predictable, you know. I didn't want you guys expecting me, after all." He grinned, then shook his head. It really was great to be back, and he found himself falling back into step.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:56 pm
"Well, I wouldn't say that no one was expecting you." He smirked softly, glancing back once more for a brief moment before pressing on ahead. "As a matter of fact, I know there's at least one lion who spent some time looking around for you after returning." He left his words trail off there for a moment, trying to remain at least slightly mysterious as he lead the other male across the open grasses. "I think you might want to talk to them first, honestly... Before you talk to the Mfalmes."
Sighing softly she found herself gazing at the night sky, whispering a soft prayer to the spirits to continue guiding those who were lost. It was a prayer that she had whispered nightly since she and her leopard companion had returned to the Mzawa'kondo lands to find so many still missing. Over time it had brought some of them home, while others...
Others, she believed, would find their way some day, either in body or in spirit. The thought made her smile as she watched the kings and queens of the past glittering above her, but it didn't last. Her brow furrowed, an odd sort of frown replacing her smile as she heard voices approaching her quite spot.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:46 pm
Kiamu looked surprised and interested at the idea that someone had been looking around for him. He wondered who it could be, his head so full of old names and faces that he missed terribly that he couldn't think up just one.
Though, he had a feeling this one should be more obvious than it was.
Soon enough he realized who he should be thinking of. He caught her scent on the air and all the memories of their playful days together came back to him. He couldn't help but smile, looking around eagerly, almost bouncing on his paws like he was a cub again. But he stopped, looking over at the form in the distance.
That had to be her!
He looked at Jabari, shaking his head. "I think I'm about to abandon you for better company, my friend," he said teasingly.
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:23 pm
"Probably a good thing, because I'm about to leave you so I can return to the borders where I belong." His smirk turned teasing once more, ears ticking slightly as his tail twitched back and forth behind him. "I'm certain once the two of you are caught up she'll lead you the rest of the way in so that you can let the Mfalmes know that you've returned." Hopefully Auri would be able to convince her brother that he hadn't been slacking by not returning the other lion to him first.
"Jabari'aushi, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to..." Her mock-stern voice that she used when talking to the cubs slowly faded out into nothing as midnight blue eyes went wide at the sight of the lion following along after Jabari. It was almost as if she'd seen a ghost, and in the twilight hours it was nearly possible. "Kiamu? Is that really you?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:36 pm
Kiamu nodded, grinning. He watched the other, taking note of what he said.
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Thanks for leading me this far, though. We'll have to catch up more later, huh?" He grinned again. Bumping the other male with his shoulder, he then looked over as a familiar, but well changed, tone came toward him on the air.
"Hello Auri," he said, smiling at her. He padded over to her, to make sure it really was her, circling around her. "You've grown! In a good way. Not calling you fat. And yes, it really is me. Finally got myself back here!"
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:56 pm
He smirked for a moment, watching Kiamu as he approached the pale female. He knew that he really shouldn't leave them alone, for the sake of safety more than anything else, but his gut told him otherwise... And he was going to listen to it. This time, at least.
He waited for a moment longer before turning his back to the two, heading back towards his outpost.
"I've gotten older, if that's what you mean." She laughed softly, shaking her head slowly before letting her eyes settle on the male who'd just circled her. She remembered everything about him so clearly, as if it had only been days since she'd last seen him... And yet here he was, moons from when they'd last met.
She closed her eyes, stepping forward so that she could tuck her head up under his chin in a warm, friendly greeting, breathing in his scent to make sure it was still the same. "Welcome home, Kiamu."
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:14 am
Kiamu barely noticed his friend retreating, too busy examining the female now in front of him. Time really had a way of changing creatures, for better or worse. To Kiamu she looked amazing, so much different and yet exactly the same as the dear friend he had played with so frequently when they were cubs.
He couldn't stop grinning, and looking a bit like a goon.
"That's what I mean, yes," he chuckled, stopping his circling of her. He was just in time to see her move toward him, and in the perfect position for her to rub against him. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing her scent in just like she was doing of him.
"It's great to be home," he confessed, tilting his head so he could rest his chin on her. He grinned. "I've missed this place, Auri. And I've missed you."
He paused for a moment, not really knowing why he couldn't say anything as that sunk in. He then pulled back and looked at her, grinning.
"I think we've got a lot of catching up to do, huh?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 4:10 pm
"I'm sure you had your reasons for staying away." She nodded slowly, nuzzling him lightly as she did so before pulling back. "It took Betoto and I some time to return as well. Neither of us knew what we would find... But Shujaa was here waiting for us; for everyone." Her brother was so strong. He'd stayed, along with Rasi... Together they'd rebuilt all that had been lost.
"I'm glad you're back. I..." She didn't want to say that she'd almost given up hope of ever seeing him again. It wasn't something that she'd ever voice and she'd been very thankful that she hadn't been questioned about it. "I've been asking Fortune to continue guiding everyone home."
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