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 Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:04 pm
Guilt, it was a heavy emotion, he despised it but he had earned it. He had thought in killing that tyrant he would be able to fix everything to put the pride back on track. Instead everything had become more chaotic more nobles fighting, and he had been forced to fight as well, and finally to...flee. No he wasn't fleeing! He was only leaving to find a solution, he wouldn't abandon the pride.
He hated being away from his birth home, he hated having to go through the forest. Today of all days he felt his age, not wise, not content, just miserably tired. He lifted his head and narrowed his eyes in the distance spotting a group.
Sneaking away from Fara seemed to be something of a bad habit of his, Bwana couldn't help but notice as he slipped over the grounds. Once they were back at the pride, he would make sure he didn't run off so much. The others only wanted to protect him, after all. So what if he really hated it and hadn't gotten all the bad boy out of his system? He knew he had to become a great king.
Eventually, he would have to change. ... Just not today.
The others were waiting nearby, so he didn't feel too concerned when he noticed someone ahead of him. A large lion... familiar, in a way. Like someone he might have known when he was younger. Straightening, he watched, head tilting to one side. "Hello. Is there something I can do for you?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:05 pm
Stunned, there was no other word for it, he was simply stunned into shocked silence for a long moment. His dark amber eyes opened wide in shock before he finally managed to get his mouth to move again. It couldn't be, it simply wasn't possible. Here of all places in the rogue lands yet close to the pride, that he should stumble onto their lost prince. Perhaps it was some sign of forgiveness for his deeds thusfar, or perhaps just dumb luck.
"Bwana'kindakindaki? It isn't possible?" Yet he was the spitting image of the onetime cub, full grown.
"Ah! You know my name, so that means I am familiar with you," Bwana said, a little surprised. Not to mention relieved. He hated feeling like something was off and not being able to figure out what it was. "I feel like we've met before, but I'm afraid I don't remember your name. Tell me... were you a part my pride?" He knew it was useless asking Fara about it. The large body-guard of a lion didn't know anything about the pride he had come from, just that they were going back to it. If this lion was from Suka'Fumo, he needed to keep speaking with him.
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:07 pm
"I am Ardeshir, I am on the war council for the Suka'Fumo...you...you are indeed Bwana...I thought you...dead." He shook his head shocked before sighing softly and sitting back. "To see you alive is...a shock...you-your father...is..."
How could he tell the male before him that his father was dead, not that he had been much of a father, or king, or good at much else but killing. Worse of all was that he had been the killer, how could he tell him. The guilt pricked him again for the hundredth time.
"Ardeshir... ah yes! I remember you now!" He said, nearly jumping at his own realization. He gave a hearty chuckle, though he was a little more nervous now than he had been before. Members of the old council... he wasn't so sure he could trust them. Not if they had believed in the same things as his father. "I seem to remember you being kind of short-tempered, but you never really sat together with my father and the other counil members, did you?" He sighed softly, nodding along.
"Yes, I met with a pride member not long ago. They informed me that the pride was in shambles and my father... had perished. I'm returning home now to get things back together. Or try, anyway."
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:08 pm
"I'm afraid as much as I agreed with the defense of the pride, your fathers passion for warfare did not suit me. His death is un-regrettable if you'll forgive me for saying so. The pride is badly in need of new leadership, I left in the hopes of finding help. You exceed my hopes, yet..." He curbed his words realizing how insulting they would sound.
Indeed short tempered he was, and it was difficult to hold his tongue with the young heir standing before him. All his frustration and guilt threatened to spill over into anger aimed at the younger male. Still, he knew he couldn't blame him especially not if he was willing to return now when things were at their bleakest.
"I hold no offense in my heart on that front- my father was an evil being and his demise was not something that could be avoided. I feel if you act with that much cold indifference towards other's lives, it's only a matter of time before it comes back around to get you." Still, this was his father he was talking about. The lion, no matter how evil he had been, deserved some respect. At least he had tried to rule, even if it had been an experiment in failure.
He did take offense, however, when it started to sound like the lion doubted Bwana in some way. What? He wasn't good enough to lead the pride? Was he angry with him for leaving? Whatever the case, Bwana frowned, his eyes never leaving the other. "Leadership it will have. And what about you? Do you intend to return to the pride?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:08 pm
"I would never abandon the pride, or my duties unless I found myself incapable or dead." The reply was curt, rude infact considering Bwana would be his king, yet how could he keep the cool pressure out of his tone? He did manage to hold back a soft snort. Leadership, from an irresponsible cowardice runaway, was that really a paw up? He had hoped to find a group to follow him, fight with him, and allow him to rule, but...instead it seemed he had found a would be ruler.
"I will return with you...I would fight for you, for your name, for your...right to rule." A birthright, only time would tell if the male before him had grown to deserve that right.
Bwana chuckled, tail flicking against the back of his leg. "I see! So you don't really have any faith in me at all, do you?" He could hear the irritation in his tone. The reluctance to say the word "right." Though he was young and had a lot to learn, that didn't make him blind to everything. But he wasn't such a noble lion as others born in royalty, and he wasn't quite as easy to anger, either.
"I look forward to having you around. I'm sure you'll be able to point me in the right direction, should I start to stray, right? Perhaps you would like your old job back, if it pleases you, as a member of the new War Council. Mine. What do you say, lord Ardeshir? Are you one for a challenge?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:09 pm
"I'm afraid I can show no faith until I have seen that you are indeed a step up from your father. I hope you are though, I hope you will be a good ruler...we need one." He nodded firmly and looked at Bwana curiously then, he was being offered his position? He wanted it back, he wanted to keep an eye on things, and ensure they didn't slide back downhill.
"Indeed that would be most appreciated, but do not think that like the other nobles I would grovel before you simply for rank. I have earned my position and will continue to do so. There is no challenge that I am unwilling to face."
"Considering what my father accomplished in his rule, I feel the only way to go is up at this point, but you're right- I've done nothing to prove myself yet. You can think whatever you would like of me. Now that I have my faith returned, I'll make I prove to everyone that I'm meant to be not only a ruler, but a great one at that."
He wasn't sure he could say he liked this lion, but he at least appreciated the other's sense of loyalty towards the pride. That alone made him feel like he wasn't making a completely horrible decision. "Good. Then you have your postion, I grant it. And I don't expect you to grovel at my paws, don't you worry about that. Now, my group is waiting for me. You're welcome to join us and return to the pride with myself."
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:10 pm
"At least you seem willing to do the work now, it will be work make no mistake. Your pride will soon decide what kind of ruler you will indeed be." Ardeshir sighed softly there was no point being overly hard on the male. Besides he was going to continue his position and hopefully help Bwana to fix things.
"I'll join you then...and we'll head back in." He moved to stand, he was going to have to learn to follow Bwana, to trust the young...king.
"Oh, I know it will be work," Bwana replied, "and it's not just what the pride thinks of me, I've learned. I have to believe I can be a good king as much as anyone else, or it's not going to happen. I'm just so glad I have such a good member of the council here to teach me some of the things my father did that weren't completely dreadful." He didn't mean it sarcastically, but it did happen to sound a little short. Maybe he was letting the situation get to him. The idea that the others, like this lion, might not believe in him.
He turned slowly, keeping an eye on the other just in case. You could never be too careful when your body guard was just out of reach. "Good. I'm happy. ...So, do you by chance know how my father perished? The other lion I spoke to was not aware."
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:12 pm
Ardeshir had to school his expression carefully, but he had practice dealing with Bwana's father. He continued to walk beside the other male, inside he felt the guilt again stabbing at his chest, but his words were smooth.
"Your father was killed, his killer is unknown, but undoubtedly it was one of the nobles, only those with purple coats could ever have gotten to him."
Bwana nodded slowly, oblivious to anything going on inside the male's mind. It was easy to hear when someone was upset with him, it wasn't so easy to know when someone was trying to hide a really big secret from him.
"I'm glad," he said faintly, "that my father was stopped before the whole pride perished, though I suppose I wish it hadn't been murder. Even if he deserved it. I wonder if I'll be able to find his killer. Perhaps I'll leave the decision of punishment to the war council, hm?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:12 pm
"Indeed, but we should work more importantly on keeping you from meeting the same fate. While some will be glad to have you, others will not..." He glanced at Bwana, he wanted only to see things work the way they should. The pride needed this young male, needed it's heir back.
"I'm ready," Bwana replied, "I know Fara and now you will protect me, and I'm not exactly ill-equiped when it comes to battle. I've seen my fair share of rough situations." Growing up away from the pride, which was probably a bad situation to bring up. He cleared his throat, moving forward.
"Well, let's not worry about things that haven't happened yet- we should worry about getting back to the pride in one piece. The rest are bridges to be crossed when we arrive at them."
"Indeed you'll be safe, and we'll cross bridges as we come to them." Ardeshir walked along with him, ready to rebuild their lives.
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