[PRP] Homeward Bound. (Mei &Tendaji)

[Fiction1119]

Tendaji has been slowly finding his way home now that he has three pieces of information that Kifuko did not likely have. He still needed to bring back something that shows what is most important for him but Ten could not for the life of him figure that part out. He knew that his family was important to him, as was his crafts, and countless other things but he could not think of what was most important. It was this thing that made the young lion dawdle on returning home, that and he didn't feel like going home just yet.

Ten has been out in the rouge lands on his own for a while now and he seemed to be thriving. The young lion finally grew into his white mane and filled out his young and lanky form. He was not too large or too small for such a lion, but just right. He had just the right amount of muscles in the right places. He had an intelligent mind and a fast mouth. His only issue, besides his fear of heights, was multitasking when crafting was on his brain which sadly was quite often.

Such was the case on this day. Ten had found a interesting bit of stone, it was black and glassy (obsidian), and he was mentally playing with it to figure out what he could do with it. It was roughly in the shape of a oval from the stream that he had fished it from, there was no visible holes or any indention that he could eventually make a hole, the sides were slightly rough from the gravel and mud from the stream but it didn't seem like the groves were deep enough to somehow chip the stone and it was too small to wrap properly. His mind continued on this track, trying to think of the best way to use this stone because it was not something that he wanted to discard.

As Ten though about the crafting problem posed by the stone he was resting underneath a tree as the mid day sun beat down upon the yellowing grasses of the savanna. His dark pelt was soaking up the warmth even though he was not in the sun which just added to his distraction. Only vaguely was he focused on his surroundings, something he was told time and time again to pay more attention too.  

[Reverie Rose]

Mei had wandered from her pride, but only for a little bit and not too far. She had went to seek a crafter to have an item made, and while the ones in the pride were nice, she had wanted to see the Goddess who did it. She did such lovely work! As she walked she stopped, spying a figure in the distance. Who was that? What was he doing? Mei’s curiosity sparked up at the appearance of this stranger, as she wanted to see if he was friendly or not. Should she approach him? Or just let it be?

That question seemed to come to the lioness’ head so often, it might as well be her catch phrase! Mei was a cautious type, but also friendly and liked to meet new creatures. So long as they didn’t try to attack her. Then she just ran for the hills! He had interesting coloring to him, he didn’t look mean…maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.

Cautiously…Mei inched her way a little closer. He seemed to be looking at a stone, was he going to get an item crafted as well? She noticed him laying beneath a tree as she walked up to him, hoping she did just make a mistake in deciding to do so. Hello there. Mind if I join you?"" asked Mei with a smile. It was hot out today, and the shade would be nice. But it was always polite to ask, rather then simply taking the spot without permission when he was there first. [ b]"That is a pretty stone you have. Do you know what it is?" she asked, wondering if he knew the name for the jet black stone. Mei had her opal with her, which she had wanted to get crafted. She had gotten it from a lioness a while back, and simply hadn’t gotten around to getting it made into anything yet.  

[Fiction1119]

Tendaji was so focused on the round stone and what he could make out of it that when a voice spoke fairly close by, he jumped. It was only slightly but it was enough for him to drop the stone. The stone bounced once then disappeared into the grass. Ten looked up in surprise after tracking the stone until it rolled out of sight. It was a lioness who had come upon him suddenly, a lioness with beautiful markings.

Finally his brain kicked in and he realized that the female asked him if she could share his shade. Moving over Ten smiled sheepishly and said, "Um, Yeah, sure." He didn't really know how to talk to females other then his sisters and being caught doing something stupid sort of made it worse. He had been told time and time again that if he didn't pay attention to his surroundings someone could sneak up on him.

When she asked about the stone Ten started to look around for it. He knew the general area it was when he last saw it but it was possible it had rolled. Not wanting to seem even ruder he answered her question while still trying to find the stone, siting up only enough to look around a bit. "Yeah I pulled it from a stream a while back and no I don't know what its called. I have seen this type before, I think." He said as he used his paws to part the grass in the hope of spotting a glint of glassy black from the stone.  

[Reverie Rose]

Mei folded her ears back and took a few steps back wen the male jumped. Whoops, she hadn't meant to scare him! Mei stared at him for a moment, before he allowed her to join him in the shade. With a nod Mei replied with a "Thank you" as she lay down by the male.

Mei lay there for a moment, tail twitching a bit, she was unsure as to what to say to this strange male. Mei wasn't good at talking to new people. She either got too shy to speak, or rambled on about nonsense no one cared about. She hoped she didn't do either, she didn't want to come off as rude, or annoying.

When he spoke to her, she turned her head to look at him and smiled. "Aah that's nice. But it just looks like a stone. It's a particular type?" she asked him as she curiously looked at it, then she saw the black color on it as her ears perked up. "Oooh wow! That is unique! I didn't know stones could look like that!" said Mei as she curiously stared at the stone, her paws moving to the opal around her neck. "I think unique stones are very neat. I got this one from a lioness I met. She said it would be alright to gift the stone, but not take it. She was odd, but very nice." said Mei as she grinned. She seemed to do that a lot.  

[Fiction1119]

Tendaji found the stone under some grass, no real damage was done to it from its trip. Moving it back with his paw he quickly cleaned it of dust. He found a small sun beam where the light had filtered down through the tree, to place the stone. The light sparkled and flashed off its glassy surface, Ten could swear that he saw hints of purple deep in its depths but he shrugged it off as reflective light.

When his companion started to talk Ten looked at her, keeping one eye on the stone, he didn't want to lose it again. "Yeah at first it doesn't look all that special until its clean and shiny then it is a jewel in its own right." When she touched the stone around her neck Ten's ears picked up. "Oh wow now that is cool. I can really understand why it's better to gift stones like that then take it." He began to wonder how it was made and how the stone was set. Ten was beginning to think that maybe he could make a necklace like that out of his stone. Even though his paws itched to take a closer look at his companion's necklace he didn't have the nerve to voice his request. "Oh, yeah, um, the name is Tendaji by the way."

(stone a black onyx, a mix between the two images with just a hint of purple in it. http://www.ancientlight.info/products/images_stones/black_onyx.jpg
http://www.celticjewelry.com/Images/Gemstones/Black-Onyx-group.jpg)  

[Reverie Rose]

"Oh I see. Well I am sure it will be very lovely when its cleaned then!" said Mei smiling. When he commented on her opal, she smiled and placed a paw on it. "She said the spirits would have been upset if you jsut took it. That it was best to gift it, that it made the spirits happier to have it given that way. I don't quite understand it, but she seemed to truly believe they would be upset. So I wasn't going to argue with her. I felt a little bad though. Since she was the one who found it." said Mei with a frown as she removed her paw. But she did like it. Though, she hadn't' seen that lioness for sometime. Hopefully she was doing well.

"Oh! Yes well, its very nice to meet you tendaji! I am Mei." she said with a gentle smile in response to him. "I am in the Tuait'Tekem pride. I will have to head back soon, just getting one last look of the lands before I stay in the pride for good." she said with a smile. Of course that didn't count the exceptions of going to visit old friends of course. It was nice to have a permanent place to stay and go to. Now all she needed was a family, and she would have all she has ever wanted! "Do you have a pride Tendaji?" asked Mei curiously.  

[Fiction1119]

"Well sometimes there are things we just can't explain in this world of ours and if she said that the spirits would be angry at a stolen stone then I guess I just have to believe it." Ten poked his stone with a claw making the black stone flash in the sunlight. Once again he though he saw just a hint of color deep in its depths.

Focusing his attention back on his guest Ten left the stone alone. "Nice to meet you Mei. Tuait'Tekem? Thats one I haven't heard of, although I haven't really heard of many prides just one or two." He smiled sheepishly, well aware that he didnt know as much as he wanted to know. "A pride? Oh, um, yeah. Simbafutaji. It's a pretty good pride where knowledge is what we search for. It's by the ocean and I find lots of shells and stones to make things with, or I did. I'm on my way back now."
Ten really loved his pride and had missed it and his family while he was out in his seeking. But now he was going home, he just hoped that not much had changed since he left.  

[Reverie Rose]

((soooo sorry for the late reply D8 I forgot T-T))

“That’s true. I can’t tell what the spirits say, or want. But I wont argue if someone belives they can. For how can I know for real if they can or cant? And if they really can, then it would be awful not to believe them.” said Mei as she scratched her head a bit…Mei saw the flash as the stone was moved, her eyes moving to stare at it a it more. “Wow! It sure does shine lovely in the light…” she said with a smile before lifting her head again when he spoke to her.

“Ah well, we live in the desert area. We are like…mmm…Egyptian lions I have heard some say. I am not sure how best to explain it though.” she said as she listened to him talk about his pride. “Oh well that is nice. It must be neat to seek knowledge. What’s the ocean like? I haven’t been near one in so many years, I almost forgot what they were like.” she said. She had been a cub last time she strayed close to an ocean. “So what are you doing out here? Were you out seeking knowledge?” she asked him curiously.
 

[Fiction1119]

"I guess there is no real way to be certain about spirits. After all the gods are real even if we never see one." Tendaji knew that there were many things that he didn't know so he wasnt willing to risk messing with something that was real even if he couldn't see it. When Mei said that it shined in the light Ten needed a moment to figure out that she ment his stone, "Oh yeah it really does. I'm thinking it would make a great necklace or earring. He started to mentaly create a item with the stone before Mei's voice drew him back.

"A desert? I've never seen a desert." He became quite curious about this desert that Mei mentioned. "Whats it like? Are there lots of things to create with?" His intrest was sparked and Ten quickly forgot all about going home, he was more intrested in seeing this desert of Mei's. Even though he was so intrested in her land he still did his best to answer her questions. "Yeah I guess, I prefer learning how to make new things rather then learning new things like history." He smiled and shruged befor pausing to think of the best way to discribe the ocean. "Well the ocean is huge. Vast really. Its like a big salty lake but you arnt able to see the other side and there is alot of diffrent animal and plant life in the ocean too." Ten didn't really know what else to add since he was always more intrested in the shells and stones that washed up on the beach rather then what was in the water. He also had a odd urge to invite her to see the ocean.

"Oh, um, well sort of. See Mom met a lion and after a breif stay with him traveled to Simba where she had me and my siblings so a while back Mom took us with her mate, my stepfather, to find my real father. I grew to the age to go on my seeking while out here in the rouge lands so I gathered some knowledge and was heading back home when I met you." Ten smiled at Mei and for the first time really looked at her. She really was quite pretty with her orange, black, blue, and cream markings and the markings on her side were really intresting as well.  

[Reverie Rose]

Letting out a chuckle Mei nodded before her eyes opened. “That’s true. I wonder if I will ever meet a god.” said Mei in wonder..would she ever meet one? That would be interesting. “Oh you should get a crafter to make it into one! It would look oh so lovely!” she said as she spun around a little before sitting down again. Hopefully she didn’t look too silly doing that.

“It’s..a lot of sand. It doesn’t see like much at first, but there are lovely little oasis’ in the desert full of leaves and water, its like a little spot of heaving in a vast array of nothing. And they are lovely. And where I live there are beautiful buildings build by humans of which we live in. It’s quite lovely, the way the small bits of green contrast against the sand.” she said. “And the sand feels really nice between your toes!” said Mei with a smile. She sat and listened when he described the ocean, listening intently. “Oh? What good is water you cannot drink? asked Mei, wondering where they get their water if what they have is salty. Do they adjust to that? “Hmm…I think there is one not too far off from our lands, but I have never gone there. Just never came up. I like the oasis and rivers more.” she said.

“Oh I see. SO you have never met your father?” asked Mei with a sad look. She was very family oriented, odd considering she had no family, and was more or less all alone. She had a few friends, but not many. She spent her days dancing alone mostly.
 

[Fiction1119]

"I think that's what I'm going to do. I think it will make a good necklace honestly, although I am not quite sure how to make it into one but I do have an idea." Tendaji completly missed the part on getting a crafter to make something out of the stone and instead thought she meant him since he was in fact a crafter, granted he was still learning but it was what he truly enjoyed doing.

"Oh wow it sounds so interesting. Are their shells and such in the sand like the is at the sand at the ocean? If lightning strikes the sand will it make hard glassy stuff out of it? Are their materials in these buildings that a crafter can use?" Ten's imagination was sparked by her description and really wanted to see if lighting would make glass like it did the one time it struck the beach rather then the trees. "The sand between the toes? Yeah that always is a good feeling, cool dirt is good too although mud is just too sticky." He smiled at her and laughed softly when she mentioned drinking water. "No, no you can't drink it. The ocean is too salty but there are little rivers and such that run into the ocean that is fresh water, we drink that." For once he was more intresed in the land Mei was describing then crafting, granted he did wonder a bit about the materials found in the land but he really did want to see it first hand, and oddly wanted to show Mei the beauty of his own pride. "Well I can understand that I would guess the green against the tan would be so striking but there is this special feeling when you stand at the edge of the ocean and you feel so small, like you are insignificant in the world."

"Hun? Oh, no. I've met my father. Mito is a great lion who really accepted me and my siblings but we didn't meet him till our family left the pride lands. My mom wanted us to meet him so she and her mate, my stepfather, and my siblings and I went and found my father." Ten smile at the memory of that first meeting. Some embraced Mito as their father right away, literally, but a few others held back unwilling to accept the fluffy lion into their lives. Ten was torn between the two groups. Jaka was quickly becoming a father to him and now here was his real father and young Tendaji didn't really know what to do.  

[Reverie Rose]

“Oh most definitely! I would love to see it when its through! It will look so wonderful!” said Mei as she grinned. She did enjoy seeing the things others could make out of the most ordinary objects nature creates. Mei hadn’t thought about him making it though, after all she hadn’t known he was a crafter himself.

“Shells? The oasis doesn’t really have shells. At least I don’t think so, I have never seen one. Those things…those are found around the big water correct? I saw a few when I was around those areas, but we do not have shells like that here. As for lighting…I don’t know. I have never seen such a thing. Can lightning make that sort of thing happen? I wonder how…” said Mei curiously. She hadn’t known lighting can make sand glossy, transforming it into something different. How interesting! “Well that doesn’t seem much good. If you can’t drink it then it seems pretty useless to me.” said Mei. Water was for drinking, a source of life. So what is the use of water that cannot be drunk? It just sits there, serving no purpose?

“A special feeling…interesting. Maybe I should go see the big waters…the ocean some time. But you should see the oasis. Oh it is so lovely! And cool, and you can drink the water to! That is the purpose of water after all.” said Mei with a grin, her tail flickering a bit.

“Oh well that’s good! It would be terrible to….not know your father…” said Mei softly. It was nice, hearing of lions who knew, or at least had memories of their families. It must be nice to have a family. “So…why did your mother not stay with him after mating? Why did she mate with another when she when she had your father? That sounds quite odd..” Mei had heard of males mating with many females, but the other way around? What an odd thing!
 

[Fiction1119]

Tendaji smiled and assured Mei that when it was done he would show her. He didn't say that he would likely give it to her. Ten rarely ever kept the pieces he makes, if he doesn't just give them away he leaves them someplace where they will be found. Other then the aging bag around his neck and a braided leather bracelet on his back right paw he had nothing else that marked him as any different then other lions. Well other then his colors.

"Oh well I'm sure there are lots of other things that the oasis have that are really pretty, other then themselves. Honestly I only saw lightning strike the beach once and that was when I was really little. I guess its always possible the hard, glassy, sand colored stuff was there before." Ten recalled a large crack of thunder just as a bolt of lightning striking the sand far down on the beach where him and his sister were playing in the rain. The both wondered what that was and soon found the place where it struck the sand. "Hum? Oh well you cant drink the ocean water but you can eat some of the fish that is caught sometimes and its fun to play in."

"I would love that. I think you would like the ocean and I know I would like the oasis." Ten smiled back then thought a moment. "I know a lot of prides don't like rogues crossing their borders would your pride be ok with that?" Tendaji had not had a personal incidence involving that but he had been warned of it so it never hurt to ask, just in case.

"Well I guess. I was fine without really knowing Mito but I think most of that was because of Jaka who came into our lives early. But knowing both is a blessing since there are many who dont have a father or mother or even both in some cases." Ten knew a little about his mother's history but he has always been a bit distracted so he didn't remember much. "Well honestly I don't really know I just remembered that Mom got hurt, that's how she got the scars over her eyes, and Mito helped her when she couldn't see." He mimed the scars with his own paw and face, the scars that temporarily blinded his mother and resulted in him and his siblings.  

[Reverie Rose]

Mei was excited to see what it would look like when it was done. It was so neat to see all the different items everyone wears! Though she didn’t know he wouldn’t wear it, and if she had she would probably say it was a shame, the color would look lovely on him.

“Oh there are many things about it that’s pretty, its just hard for me to think of them right now. I am not so great at that sort of thing, though I suppose the best way to explain it is for you to see it yourself!” said Mei with a grin. Oh she should take him to see it sometime! “Oh I see. Hmm well it sounds really interesting! I never knew it was possible for sand to do that…I would say it was probably a result of the lighting, for it would be an odd coincidence to find glassy stuff right where the lighting struck. Still sounds neat though! I hope I can see it one day!” said Mei. Well she did live surrounded by sand, so it was to happen, it would be here right? All they needed was a good storm! Though…going out after a storm wasn’t fun with the sand…it got EVERYWHERE!

“Fish? But you can catch fish in all water. So why do you need undrinkable water simply to capture fish?” she asked confused. She was interested in the existence of water that for the most part seems rather ‘useless’ to her. “Well maybe someday I will get to see the ocean and you can see an oasis.” she said as she stretched, before turning around to look back, then turning back to Ten.

“I am sorry, but I should get home before it gets too late.” sai dMei, too bad. She had liked talking to him… “Do you um….want to come and see the oasis? I hope that’s not too forward to ask such a thing. But my home isn’t too far off. I don’t know how far way the ocean is, but maybe next time we could go to see one. If you don’t want to come I understand. I realize its an odd request. And thinking back…maybe I shouldn’t have asked it…” Mei had a habit of rambling on….
 

[Fiction1119]

"Maybe one day I can take you to see it." Tendaji said as he was mentally thinking about asking if he could go see the oasis. The idea caught his interest and he, if it was ok with the pride he was going to be in, would love to go see them.

Ten couldn't say anything to that. Mei was right in the sense that one could find fish in most bodies of water but there was just something special about the ocean. It was something he just couldn't explain, one had to experience it to understand it. "Yeah maybe someday soon." He still hadn't come up with the courage to ask if he could go with her back to her pride.

"Oh, yeah I can understand that." Ten was sad that Mei was about to leave and he still hadn't figured out how to ask if he could join her. While he was interested in the oasis he was more interested in Mei herself and he hope that with time he could learn more about her rather then the other way around. "Really! I would love to... I mean if it really is ok and it's not like I am expected back at home anytime soon." Ten shrugged trying to seem nonchalant but failing quite miserably. He got to see the oasis and spend more time with Mei.