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 Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:44 pm
Kimya was feeling less paranoid as time went on and nothing else seemed to happen but now she was a mother, so natural worry came with it. The girls were home with their daddy but Amali had wandered away on his own- and between the continued threat of unsolved murder and her own maternal feelings, she was worried and out looking for him. It was lucky for her that he was terrible at covering up his tracks and it wasn't long before she managed to get going in the right direction.
"Maybe he has a bit of Kinya in him," she muttered to herself, thinking of her sister that now resided outside of the swamps. She had a family, one that must have been grown by now. She and Kinyamkela, then Kichea, had made an escape attempt. And Gharadi had been right on their tail. She wasn't surprised that Amali liked to wander but she certainly was hoping that he wasn't trying to leave.
"One- two- three," he hopped each time he counted, making squishy pawprints in the mud. He quickly had decided the mud was what he liked best, and he wasn't far from anything here. It was pretty much the middle of the pride. It was as best as he could figure, anyway.
"Four- five-- SIX!"
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 8:50 pm
Majini'wazo took a breath as he walked away from Ahli'mtima. She gave him one last nudge of reassurance and would let him do the rest on his own. She didn't want to crowd him, she had told him, but this was also his chance to make a stand on his won, let her sister see him without any bounds around him, making him feel warm inside. No, this was him, and he hoped Kimya would approve.
Majini weaved himself through the remaining roots and trees and saw her standing, bright against the background. Where Ahli carried so little blue and so much brown, Kimya was hte opposite, but in a wonderful light.
"Seems I was going the right way afterall," he spoke aloud, seeing in the distance some wriggling branches, wondering if someone was spying on them. Ahli really wouldn't have that little faith in him would she? No he doubted it.
"Its a pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you. How are the little ones doing?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:04 pm
Kimya stumbled when suddenly another lion appeared. It would be impossible not to recognize him, you at least knew of everybody in the swamps but he had also been family.. almost. Kind of. It had been so long ago that she had disowned them- and then found out they were not really relatives- she might have forgotten about them entirely but she had never quite gotten over it. She had resented those boys, blamed them. While now she only blamed Gharadi, part of her remembered her resentment.
"Excuse me?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused. Why was he looking for her? Kimya knew the basics of who he was but she certainly had no idea of his connection to her sister. Her worrying and the fact she hadn't quite found Amali yet didn't help her understand the innocence in his asking about the little ones.
"One, two," Amali hopped from foot to foot, "Three, four. One, two, threeeee-"
With a yelp, he slipped in the mud, splashing into the shallow water he had been marching beside. Causing quite the commotion, he splashed around and sputtered through the water though he was really in no danger of drowning. When he finally calmed down, he sighed and started trying to squish his way out of the water. The mud sucked his feet down and with a little effort, he could pull them out, but he wasn't very quiet about that, either.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:14 pm
"Oh, um, Ahli told me to come this way to find you, so we could meet," his ears fell back as he tried to explain himself. Now he was nervous again, why did Ahli run off, why didn't she stay? "I wanted to, properly introduce myself to you, and Ahli and I wanted your blessing and-" his thoughts were interrupted by a splooshing sound and his ears perked again, turned and he peered around, suddenly spying something small. A cub?
"Were you looking for someone?" he asked with a smile and moved to lift a branch up, revealing a small brown cub, caught by mud, "What are you doing? Spying on your mother or trying to evade her hmm?" he asked with a smile, friendly.
Though was he even doing the right thing? He didn't want Kimya to think he was ignoring her.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:20 pm
Kimya looked at the lion before her curiously, trying to hide her mixed feelings at suddenly being confronted by him- her ears perking up curiously at the mention of Ahli. She opened her mouth to say something but as soon as she heard Amali splash into the water, she was looking in that direction. She stepped in that direction but hesitated when she was cut off by Majini, who lifted the branch. She shook her head a bit when Amali was revealed, stuck in the mud.
"Amali," she breathed.
Amali had his tongue stuck out and was using all his strength to walk out of the shallow water, growling quietly as he did so. He stopped and fell chest-first back into the water when the branch moved and he was caught. His orange eyes widened when the lion spoke to him but his stare shifted when she spotted his mother. He looked quickly between them and pushed himself up again, taking the last couple difficult steps out of the water and onto the mud- sliding a bit on the way.
"I was- I was just playing!" he cried defensively, sticking out his lip and looking from Majini to his mother.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:29 pm
Majini'wazo took a step back to let Kimya be closer to her now mud sliding son. He seemed curious for his age, and that was normal. Getting stuck in the water and mud was normal as well, and he was learning how to get himself free from the sucking mud and air pockets beneath the surface. Although, he had to understand, in Kimya's eyes, that was just another dirty pelt to clean later unless he went for a wash in a clear pool of water.
He wasn't sure what to say now, where should he start, or did she know?
"Seems I caught you while you were on your rounds to find him," perhaps he should come another day another time? What to do.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:39 pm
Shaking her head at his defense, Kimya watched as Amali slid along and stopped far short of coming right up to her. She glanced to Majini, not how she felt about parenting with an audience but there weren't many options.
"But you didn't tell anybody what you were doing or how far you were going, Amali you have to be careful," she scolded, stepping over the branches and to the cubs side to help him along. She made it without sliding herself- which she was happy for- and she nudged him away from the mud.
"And now you need a bath," she added, pushing him a little farther.
Amali flinched when his mother hopped over the branches and came to retrieve him, though he was pleased only to be nudged along. He squeaked indignantly at the nudges and made a face at the mention of a bath, looking down at his muddy legs. He knew she was trying to shoo him away but he didn't want to be shooed- not without turning attention away from him, anyway!
"Who's that?" he asked, looking way up at his mother from beside her feet and then looking over to Majini again.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:47 pm
"I'm Majini'wazo, I know your aunt Ahli, and you are Amali, from your mother's words of course, its a pleasure to meet you as well. Though you should mind your mother," there were several spots that could be dangerous for cubs depending on how old they were and how experienced they were at getting themselves free.
Majini turned his attention back to Kimya and took a breath, "I wanted to come meet you Kimya, because your sister speaks so fondly of you, and she loves your dearly. And, I'm not sure if she mentioned it or not but," how to continue when in front of the boy? "Well, I wanted to come and ask you, personally, to have your blessing, for us," he hoped she knew he was trying to be discrete. Certain things should be kept quiet and out of cubs ears when so young when they could be confused.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:57 pm
Kimya didn't answer Amali's question, looking to Majini as he answered- not rightly knowing herself. She knew who he was but not really .. who he was. She looked down to Amali at the mention of Ahli and then smiled a little when he told Amali to mind her, knowing he wouldn't like his attempt to deflect attention from the problem turned back on him. She glanced up, though her head was still tilted towards Amali, when Majini continued, talking about Ahli. Ahli had obviously been more forgiving- or more forgetful- than she had been. Still, she was surprised when he asked for her blessing and called them us. She looked up fully and directly at Majini.
"Us?" she repeated, not sounding certain or impressed, "But-"
Her voice was quiet and she cut herself off, looking down at Amali again. She didn't know what to say but anything she might have said couldn't have been appropriate for him. It was lucky she had a censor around.
"You and Ahli?" she asked.
Amali was smiling until he heard the words 'you should mind your mother'. It was worded funny but he knew what it meant and he wasn't exactly pleased to hear it. He wrinkled a nose, making a face and glancing up at his mom-- jumping when he found that she was looking down at him. He snorted and looked away entirely, not looking at either Majini or Kimya.
His nose still wrinkled, he looked back to Majini when he asked about his aunt Ahli. He looked back and forth between the two adults but had no idea what was going on, what any of it meant. Why would anybody need a blessing from his mom?
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:04 pm
"I know its, strange, I spoke to my father about it for a long while after I returned, he explained things more clearly," though he wasn't sure how she felt about his father anymore. It was strange, and Ahli and her sister's were so young when the confusion began. "Ahli and I first met when we were returning from our journey, we had never crossed paths when we were young, and only then when our new names were found. We didn't know right away, the relation of my father, but, I assure you, I care for her deeply Kimya," he would never do anything to hurt her, ever.
"I can understand if you can never forgive my father, or fully accept my coming to you, but Ahli wanted me to come to you, she wanted your blessing for us being together. Whatever it takes for me to prove to you that I care deeply for her, I will do it," he looked down to Amali and winked, "even if I have to go get stuck in mud, huh?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:23 pm
Kimya tried her best to look neutral but it was extremely difficult. His story said a lot more than he seemed to realize but she got a lot more out of it. Neither he nor Ahli seemed to take it personally that they had not met when they were young even though Gharadi was always supposed to be their father, was supposed to take care of Ahli and Kimya and their siblings as well as Majini and his. The swamps and the pride had raised them more than any of their parents, real or fake, had.
Amali was confused and it showed. He looked from his mother when she stopped speaking to Majini when he spoke again- glancing to his mother between sentences. He didn't want to miss anything or he might have interrupted- plus he knew he wasn't supposed to interrupt adults when they were talking. It just didn't make any sense.
She was very aware of the cub watching them, trying to take in what was being said and very likely to understand what it all meant. He probably had figured some of it out, his parents were a couple after all. She looked down at Amali when Majini addressed him, wondering if she really would have anything different to say if the cub were not sitting at her feet. She sighed and looked back up.
"You aren't responsible for the mistakes your parents make," Kimya said carefully, and she meant it, thinking of her own mother, "If Ahli loves and trusts you, then you don't really need my blessing."
Amali made a face when he was addressed, looking down at his muddy paws. The idea of getting stuck in the mud for a girl wasn't appealing to him- but then, he liked the mud so maybe it wasn't so crazy. Maybe Aunt Ahli liked mud, Amali really didn't know. Then he had an idea, jumping up.
"No, mom! Mom!" he said, turning and bouncing on her paws with his own excitedly, "Make him eat a bug!"
It wasn't every day you got to boss somebody around.
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:20 pm
Majini'wazo looked with attent eyes. They were bright and held so much to say but not in front of a child. There were things he would like to have conversed, but now was not the time. "Regardless of how things were and have become, I still want to be a part of your family, yours," he said with a slight nod. Even if the words did not mean much to her, they meant everything to him. Family was hard to come by and keep, and he wanted this, and wanted everything to come to a fine calm.
He smiled at her words, and though it wasn't exactly the words he wished for, it still made his heart soar, and his mind at rest. "I still thank you," for this moment, he thought, for permission, in a manner.
He chuckled at Amali and peered around himself. There was a small plant with red berries and small red bugs wandering over it, harmless. "One of those then?" he motioned, and he made a face, a grimace, and quickly picked a berry and put it in his mouth, squinting his eyes and making a mock gag. "Not so fun, why don't you try it huh?"
It seemed like everything would be alright.
It was well worth it.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:39 pm
"Amali!" Kimya looked down at her son disapprovingly, having no intention of actually telling Majini to go and eat a bug just to prove himself to her. She shook her head, looking back up to Majini with a small smile despite herself-- and she was surprised to find him apparently searching for a bug. She glanced down to Amali again and then back but she stayed quiet.
Amali jumped up when his mother tried to scold him but Majini seemed quick to agree. He bounced a couple steps from his mother, watching with wide eyes as Majini went looking for a bug and, so it looked, ate one. He giggled and made a face, stumbling backward and away when Majini tried to get him to try it too.
"Nooooo!"
"OK, ok," Kimya said, reaching a paw out and pulling Amali back to her feet, "I think it's time to take you back home before you cause any more trouble."
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:48 pm
"Hmm, who knows Amali, is you run off again, your mother might resort to your choice of punishment for you, hmm?" Majini'wazo joked and smiled. He looked to Kimya and silently agreed perhaps it was time for the little one to be taken back. Majini could remember when he was that small, he got often tired, even if he went out on epic adventures.
"I'm glad I found you today, Kimya and Amali," he said, making sure to not leave little Amali out. "I hope I see both of you soon, and Amali, mind your mother and be careful of the bugs," he winked.
Majini knew when he told Ahli of this, she would be happy.
An unspoken blessing, was grand enough for the both of them.
The future was bright.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:59 pm
Kimya looked down at Amali, meeting his gaze when Majini said she might turn his punishment around on him someday. She didn't deny the idea, instead smiling down at the cub and then back up to Majini. She had to admit, he wasn't too bad with Amali.
"It was good to see you again," she said, a bit more honestly than it might have been before, "Take care."
Amali's stuck out his tongue and hopped up onto his feet, circling around his mother's front legs. He brushed against them, leaning there as Majini said his goodbyes.
"Byeee!"
"Come on, you," Kimya muttered, shaking her head once more at Amali before leaning down and picking him up by the scruff of his neck. He was muddy enough, he didn't need to walk all the way home this way. She nodded carefully to Majini and turned to walk back to her den.
Fin.
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