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 Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:24 am
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:51 am
She'd seen their arrival in vision. All eleven of them, all born healthy and with an... interesting future ahead of them, though she couldn't have known why it was particularly interesting, just that it was.
Still, their colors and markings were not shown to her by the spirits, and the Pure, knowing firsthand of the Warleader's 'tendencies', had worried. Specially when the voiced had swayed and began to his at how interesting a development that was. After all, Takatifu was starting to under (after all these years), that what the spirits deemed as 'interesting' wasn't always particularly good for those that experienced it. Apparently, many of the spirits had a twisted sense of humor.
Then again, she couldn't exactly feel upset with her life; her children were grown and taking care of themselves. They had been accepted within the pride, almost with their... other questionable siblings, and Tifu could only feel relief that she could carry out her duties as Pure without regret. Granted, Hodari was still a bit of a mystery to her, specially after recent conversations, and despite the fact time was one thing she did not have, she was content to let things rest. At least for now.
With her mate out performing his duties, the Pure was left to her own musing, and since she was pretty sure that sooner or later she'd be having a visitor... she was content to do so outside her den, laying down on the ground. No vision had told him of Sakata's imminent arrival, but instinct assured her it'd be any moment now.
She was sure of it. After all, she didn't think there was anyone else the male could turn to at this point. It was rather sad to know she was probably the closest thing to a friend that the warleader had.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:09 am
The path between his den and hers is one that he's walked many times, both for his duties as a Warleader and... other reasons. So it is easy for Sakata to pad along without thinking about where he's going and what he has to talk to her about. Too easy, to be honest, and he finds his mind wandering far afield before he crests the rise that will reveal her den. And then...
The sight of the Pure halts him in his steps. His purpose melts away into the golden sunlight that shimmers across her pale hide, and he hesitates. What right does he have to impose his problems on her? She has already had to bear so much for him, both literally and figuratively, and the pride knows of their... interaction. Every time he sees her outside of official business, he knows that he puts her reputation at risk. And here he is, practically ready to beg at her doorstep for help.
Suddenly disgusted with himself, Sakata lowers his head and is about to turn away and deal with his own problems when he notices her bright gaze. On him. And so now... now he can't just leave. He quirks an almost bashful smile, dipping his head again in a little bow, and moves towards his Pure. No need for masks here, not with her. No need for formalities, or overly-elaborate explanations. He can be as blunt with her as he is with himself. So he sighs.
"I need your help, 'tifu."
The Warleader gestures to her, asking without words for the Pure to follow him back to his den.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 10:48 am
His approach to her den did not go unnoticed; the fact she'd been waiting for him only served to keep her sight sharp. Soon enough, her gaze landed on his approaching figure, and as the male padded forward, Tifu regarded him carefully, watching his every movement. He was so lost in thought (something very unlike him, if she must say so herself), that he didn't notice her till he was far too close to make any sort of escape.
Her eyes locked with his and the Pure waited for the Warleader to decide what he wanted to. It was clear (at least to her, anyhow) the he was hesitant and was still considering making a beeline for the proverbial exit.
Alas, Sakata finally gathered himself and spoke. Tifu, apparently, didn't need any more, because as soon as he gestured for her to follow him, the female rose from her spot and strode over to him. It wasn't till they were padding back towards his den that she finally spoke, revealing she had an inkling of a notion of what was going on, unsurprisingly, "They're healthy, I'm sure. So that's hardly why you need help," a pause as she regarded him carefully, her eyes questioning (though not condemning), "I... er..." she had no idea how to approach the topic and was at a loss for words, "Are they... like mine?" it was her not-so-subtle way of asking the Warleader if he'd slipped.
Awkward, but it had to be asked.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 11:44 am
The relief he feels when she moves without hesitation is palpable, and tension he hadn't even been fully aware of melts from his frame. She's coming to see them, she'll know what to do, everything will work out okay in the end. It'll be okay. The dispersal of his tension brings an eager spring to his step, and he urges the Pure along the path at a much swifter pace than he had ascended.
"Oh, they're healthy, they're happy... I think. There are eleven of them, you know, I haven't seen a litter so large in..." his voice trails off, and he shrugs, "I don't know how long. But it's big!" The Warleader's pride in his latest litter is obvious, and he doesn't even stop to think that Takatifu might find this somewhat upsetting. His reaction to her question probably doesn't help either, for when she speaks he flinches and lays his ears flat against his mane.
His previously-eager pace falters, and the massive lion won't meet her gaze. But he continues on, delaying his answer until the den is in sight, "Er, well, I guess they... kind of are," he begins, hedging around his words. "I mean, your cubs, they didn't have a father. And these... they don't have a mother, 'tifu, and I don't know what to do! I don't even know where to start, who to go to, who I can trust."
Sakata sighs, frowning into the den at the still-sleeping cubs. They sleep a lot. Is that normal? Should he be worried? Not for the first time, he curses himself for not being involved in these early days for any of his previous litters.
"I don't know what to do," he repeats himself, and then lifts his worried gaze to meet hers.
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:24 pm
Her eyes remain on the warleader as he spoke, though for some reason, his words took her aback. It wasn't plainly apparent, but the way she tilted her head as if in question indicated she was confused. This was, in fact, quite unlike the time she'd had her litter, in a way; this time, he was openly proud. When they'd been parents, Sakata had been proud, yes, but he'd done his best to quell it and hide from others, even her.
Now, however, he was speaking without fear (though the fact he was talking to her might've been a big influencing factor). She'd known from her visions that the litter was bast, but she didn't intervene verbally till he flinched. His reaction and his further explanation made her misinterpret the situation, "Sakata!" she said, sounding like she was chiding him, "Where's the mother? Did something happen to her, or was she a rogue?" another pause, and her ears flattened back, "Surely she didn't die birthing the litter, did she?" it was plainly obvious that she did not know it was the queen whom had birthed the litter.
Apparently, she thought that the warleader had slipped yet again. Though in her defense, he'd 'slipped' quite often, and her thoughts were thus justified. The den was now in sight, and the Pure quickened her pace as they neared it, her head peeking into the darkness to find the cubs squirming, all on their own, mostly piled together.
Their markings didn't really ring a bell to her; she recognized many of Sakata's features and patterns, but the other compliment colors could have come from almost any of the pride's females. At least it probably meant the mother wasn't a rogue, "There's a lot of them, Sakata," that said, she padded into the cave and lay herself down with the cubs, tending to them like she had her own, hoping her frame would comfort them, "They're beautiful, all of them," her head and paws gathered them all against her side before looking up to the Warleader, "What happened?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:40 pm
"No, no, she didn't die, it's okay," he hastens to reassure her, although a shadow of doubt can be seen behind his eyes. "It's just... she wants nothing to do with them. Nothing! Damn her, damn Jini, damn the spirits." The blasphemy curdles on his tongue, and he regrets those words the instant they are spoken.
Sigh. "I... I don't mean that, spirits help me, you know I don't. I just don't know what to do. Without a mother, and with Jini being the way she is... what chance do these cubs have? They don't even have someone like you. Or... or Hodari, even. To protect them." Just one confused, abandoned Warleader. He watches in silence while she compliments his offspring, while she settles herself among them, while they instinctively move to cuddle against her warmth.
"What happened?" Sakata frowns, settling himself nearby and watching the Pure with his children. There are so many of them, and they're so tiny, spirits, he could kill them just by stepping on them. "I didn't know at first, that she was with cubs. I thought... she was just being stranger than usual, even more distant. So I stayed away, it's safer for both of us that way. And there's a lot of work to do, securing our borders and..." his words trail off as he recognizes them for the lame excuses they are.
"Some time after they were born, I went to visit. I'd been away for so long that I'd missed everything. And then she just... told me to take them. That she didn't want to see them. Or me."
His gaze turns inwards, and his voice drops even lower. "So I took them. And I left."
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 1:09 pm
The shadow of doubt was not missed, even within the concealing darkness the den had to offer. While it was true she was paying an awful lot of attention to the cubs, her eyes did not stray from the warleader's figure as he spoke, "Sakata!" she chided again, this time more harshly as he damned not only his mate, but the spirits themselves. If that wasn't a cry for bad luck, she didn't know what was.
The Pure would have elaborated further had Sakata not instantly regretted his choice of words; her features softened up again and she let out a sigh. After all, she could understand his frustration and panic, for the situation at hand wasn't exactly easy to deal with, "I know, I know..." she reassured him, her maw lowering to groom a few of the cubs before she sought out his gaze. She still wasn't entirely sure what had happened. The way he was speaking was making it all sound extremely ambiguous, "Is this Jini's litter?" she asked bluntly. It made her feel mildly frustrated that she had to ask, but she needed answers.
After a long pause, her eyes returned to the squirming cubs, so like her own in so many ways, "We need to find a lioness that can feed them," she whispered, "I can't do it; my cubs grew up long ago. I can't help with that," it was obvious though, as she moved her head to nudge one of the cubs that she was extremely sorry she couldn't, "Maybe one of the minders has had a litter recently; anyone," returning her gaze to the male, Tifu frowned, "If we don't, they'll die. The rest... we'll figure that out later."
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 1:20 pm
"What?!" He actually rises and takes a few steps back, both startled and offended, "Of course this is Jini's litter! You saw it yourself, remember? What do you think, after all of this, that I would..." Sakata growls, angry at her for the accusation and himself for creating the fertile ground for those thoughts to grow in. Of course she would think that, given his history. Of course.
So he shakes his head, forces a calming breath or two, and has the grace to look apologetic for having scared some of the cubs into mewling pathetically. For a moment it almost looks like he's going to step forward to try to help soothe them, but then he thinks better of it and just stands there, awkwardly. "Yes, 'tifu, they are hers. They bear my markings too plainly, and I saw... what this litter took from her. We have some new sacrifices of royal blood, just in time for their siblings to reach adulthood."
Those last words are spoken with unconcealed relief; the events of the war have given Sakata little time to get to know his own royal offspring, and with Jinichongo as removed as she has been... the selection of an Heir and Scion is far more problematic than it has any right to be. But now, with new cubs to consider, the pride has a reason to delay that decision until they reach adolescence.
But then the words Takatifu utter finally filter through his political daydreams, and a worried expression re-emerges. "Die? No, no, they can't die, that would make h--" he cuts himself off with a frown, "I don't know who to trust, 'tifu, I need someone to help me raise them true, and a Minder to care for them."
He looks at the cubs, nestled against her side, and sighs. "They're so small."
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:48 pm
The Pure regarded Sakata silently during his outburst, her ears perked forward till some of the cubs began to whine and cry out pathetically, apparently upset by the rise in volume of the once peaceful conversation. Rather than explain her reasons (for what good would that have done? She wasn't here to accuse him, but rather, to help him), the female lowered her head to nudge at the cubs. She emitted soft comforting sounds, talking nonsense to them in an attempt to get to to calm down.
It wasn't till the last one hushed down that she returned her attention back to the Warleader, "I... don't understand," she really didn't! Why would the queen reject her own litter? There was something dreadful about that notion. No mother should ever reject her own offspring. Still, her own words are obviously not voiced in an attempt to get him to further explain; she understood what was happening, just not why it was happening.
She didn't quite grasp what Sakata meant to say when he mentioned the litter had taken something away from Jini, but she figured that was, for now, unimportant. The cubs would need milk soon and she could not offer them that; all she could do was offer them the warmth they'd been denied by their own mother, "Who would ever harm a cub, Sakata?" she asked in turn, "You shouldn't have to worry about that," shouldn't being the key word in this situation.
Her gaze lowered back to the litter that wiggled by her side before she made a decision, "I don't know how much time I have left, Sakata. It's a wonder I've not yet been called to join the Spirits... but while I'm here I would not mind helping you raise them," a pause followed the statement, "Hodari is busy with his job, and the queen's reclusion has not done him any good. He needs time to come to terms with it, and I need to spend what's left of my time being useful. Sadly, I can not feed them," her gaze shifted back towards him, managing to look apologetic, "I'm sure we can find a Minder that can nurse them though. But we should be swift. These cubs will need food really soon, Sakata."
And by 'soon' she really meant 'now'.
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:27 am
"Neither do I," he sighs in response. And truly, he does not understand what could have driven Jinichongo to abandon her own flesh and blood. He knows what he did to drive her away, what he and the greater spirit Tukutu did, what he and Takatifu did... but despite all that she had still lain with him again, more than once, in the few times he dared to visit her.
Her naive question bring a frown to his muzzle, and he shakes his head. "Who, indeed. But you've heard the stories as well as I have; you saw the pelts some of the Dhati wore. We may have defeated them, but who knows how far the poison has spread?" Sakata's gaze becomes distant, his mind wandering as he counts the lions he knows he can trust implicitly. Too few, far too few. "No, I shouldn't have to worry about that. But I do, and I will. And as for your time remaining, the spirits tell the Queen when the Pure is needed. And with the Queen... as she is," he pauses, then sighs, "well, you may have more time than you'd think."
With the betrayal of once-trusted members of the pride, Sakata's trust in the Minders has taken a blow. But if he cannot trust them to care for his cubs, then who can he turn to? He needs someone that he can trust, or, failing that, he needs someone who cannot betray him. "Ah," he breathes, tilting his head to the side, "I may have an idea of someone... suitable. I'll return, as soon as I can." The Warleader turns to leave, not even having to ask her to stay with them. Trust is such a precious commodity. Not for the first time, he selfishly regrets her fate - her sacrifice will serve the pride well, but he will miss her as his Pure. And as a friend.
Before he goes, he looks back over one shoulder, and smiles.
"Thank you."--fin--
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