|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:32 pm
 Rap grunted and glanced back over his shoulder at his friend, master and...let's face it, a lion he considered a father. Concern was there on his wide-set face, concern underlying with guilt, too.
They'd been attacked...or Hakan had been attacked, and he hadn't been there to stop it. Not until it had already begun. Yes, it seemed silly to worry about the dark lion who had taught him so much, but he wasn't as young as he once was - even if he did pretend that he was. And, no matter how skilled one was, fighting was always risky and...despite the fact that Hakan had won the fight, he'd come out injured.
"Reckon we should rest." He called, knowing that it would irritate the older lion but not really caring at the moment. For once, he was right.Hakan'mawasii's eyes narrowed. What did that young male think he was, fussing over him like that? He was big enough to take care of himself and he really didn't appreciate it. He'd already rested. The wound was healing and as far as he was concerned, he was ready to move on.
He'd had worse injuries, after all.
But, the fight had been a taste of mortality for Hakan. He certainly wasn't young any more, and whilst he certainly wasn't old by lion standards, the days of bouncing back after a fight like he'd had were gone. The wound had pained him so and it had taken perhaps double the time it once had to start knitting together.
Would he admit that, though? Hell no.
"The day I take orders from you, Rap, is the day that I need to be taken out back and killed." He snorted. "I'm fine, so stop worrying. We'll go until I say otherwise, got that?" He sounded gruff, but truly, Rap was like a son to him, too. They had spent so much time together and...well, it was hard to think of being without his company after so long. Never having been in a pride, friendship such as this should be treasured.
"Besides, I can smell water. I could do with a drink."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:41 pm
Kinagiri was having a nice quiet day to herself. Jino was off.. somewhere by himself, which was odd considering he was the one who was so insistent that they use caution while they were here. But so long as she knew to be careful, everything would be just fine, so she wasn't actively avoiding anything. She had found a nice stream and was relaxing by its edge, watching the water flow by. It was a peaceful way to spend the day, Jino could be hard on the nerves sometimes and until they were hungry they didn't have to bother trying to find anybody to see for. It was nice to not see or think about anything in particular, though it left her rather oblivious to the approaching duo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:54 pm
"More hungry than thirsty." Rap grumbled. "I may see if there is anything worth hunting around. Meet you by the water?" He flicked his tail, not even waiting for an answer before padding off.
He was a large male - perhaps even larger than Hakan now (something that amused him greatly). However, generally, Rap was an easygoing and laid back sort of creature. Passionate and determined, he was really nothing like his parents. Well...perhaps his stubbornness came from his mother.
But...of his father he took little.
It was not surprising really, though. His mother had been taken from him on the verge of his juvenile days and...when the Safi returned to the Simo, he left them all behind; grief-stricken and filled with rage. He had become his own lion since then, though it was mingled with Hakan's own ways.
Warriors they were, but that did not mean they took life without a thought.
"I won't be long!"
With a shake of his head, Hakan gave a sort of half-grin, chuckling inwardly at Rap's still somewhat childish behaviour. He couldn't sit still for long, always needing to do something!
Hakan didn't appreciate laziness, but he also didn't appreciate talking or moving about for no reason at all. Some things you just couldn't teach!
In any case, he did not alter his path, moving determinedly towards the band of water, head down and strides long and purposeful. His dark fur was a burden in the rays of the sun whereas Rap seemed to flourish in it. He guessed it was his Firekin blood.
As he neared the water, he realised, quite suddenly, that he was not alone. The scent of a lioness drifted with the scent of water and, casting his gaze from one side to the other, he spotted her shape, reclining by the stream. He blinked, hesitated and then moved forwards to drink, lowering his muzzle hesitantly.
When he was finished, he cleared his throat and threw his royal blue eyes back in her direction. "Good day to you." He wasn't used to talking to strangers and conversation had never been his strong point. "You had the same idea as me, by the looks of it." And he sat, stretching out the ache in his limbs.
"Rogue, I take it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:09 pm
Though she wasn't paying near enough attention, once the dark lion was by the water he was hard not to notice. Her ears perked forward and she looked directly at him as he looked her way, then watched as he took a drink. She had no idea what she was supposed to be careful of out here, Jino hadn't been specific enough, but he certainly didn't look threatening. And she didn't care to waste any energy searching for information on him. If something was going to happen to her this afternoon, Jino would have come with her.
"Good day," she called back amicably, stretching out her front legs and readjusting herself into a more comfortable position, "It is a nice day to relax. I am a rogue, and yourself?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:20 pm
She seemed pleasant enough. He supposed it couldn't hurt to speak with her whilst Rap was off chasing rabbits amongst the grass. He'd probably be doing that all afternoon knowing him...Besides, it'd been a long time since he had spoken to anyone else.
"Same. Have been all my life, in fact." He was rather proud of this, but...at the same time it had not been easy. It had been lonely and...well, that had not suited well with him, really. Once his family had all departed, the life of a rogue had seemed somewhat dull and pointless. And yet, the thought of joining a pride, being constricted. It...scared him, as stupid as that sounded. "Me and a friend are just passing through at the moment, though we're not in any hurry to reach our destination. Or...not for a few days, anyway. I managed to get myself into a scrape a couple of weeks back so have been taking it easy."
He settled himself more comfortably. "I'm Hakan'mawasii." It was ironic, really, how his name had taken on a different meaning with time.
Hakan'mawasii. Fire Guardian. He'd been named, he thought, as a sign of his task in life. To protect his mother from harm. But, having failed in that, it seemed he had been given another chance to protect the fire.
Rap. Child of the Firekin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:13 pm
"I haven't been," she commented, but added with a shrug and small smile, "You haven't missed much, I left my pride when I was young but this is far better." She snorted at the vague memories she had. She left in the midst of a war. A pride was supposed to be safe, keeping yourself safe as a rogue was different.
"I'm Kinagiri," she introduced herself, her smile returning, "It's a pleasure, Hakan'mawasii." She looked him up and down, he didn't look like he'd come out on the losing end of whatever had happened and he looked well capable of handling himself. She was tempted to try to pry into what happened out of habit but she stopped herself.
"Where are you and your friend heading?" she asked curiously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:27 pm
"Part of me wants the life that a pride can offer. But...there is a part of me, also, that knows I would never be suited. I doubt I could ever stay in one place for too long or take orders from another." He shook his head. "A rogue life may be tiring and lonely, but it offers freedom and a chance to wake up to a new landscape each day."
He smiled slightly - the corner of his mouth lifting. "The pleasure is all mine, Kinagiri." It had been a long time since he had spoken to someone and felt so at ease. Rogue cats could certainly be trusted more than pride cats, in his opinion at least.
However, her next question took him off guard and it took him a moment to realise that actually it was a perfectly normal question to ask. He had, after all, been the one to mention it.
"My friend is wanting to return to his homeland in the desert. He has some business to attend to there, so I offered to accompany him." He paused. "Not sure how long we'll be there. Hopefully not too long. I much prefer grass beneath my paws. You know where you are with solid ground."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:42 pm
"Not everybody is suited to be in a pride, I might be able to handle it except I don't like the idea of one lion's stupid decisions affecting the safety of everybody," she said thoughtfully, reflecting on one of the main reasons she had left her home when she was young, "Though I suppose that's one aspect of the freedom out here. And we certainly handle ourselves fine." Hakan did not look like he was starving and he had a companion, and both things were true for Kina as well. It only had to be as tiring as you made it, but she had her seer powers to help her stay fed.
"Oh?" she wondered at what business there might be, thinking perhaps a visit to family. It was another internal struggle not to try to find the answer without his consent but she shrugged it off.
"I haven't ventured far from the grass before," she commented, changing her focus on the conversation, "And if I went looking for sand, I daresay I'd head for the shore, not the middle of a desert." She couldn't imagine a lioness not acclimatized to the desert would have a nice time there. Maybe if she were younger. And a lighter color.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:51 pm
He grumbled in agreement, swishing his tail a little. There had been times when rogue life was tough, especially during adolescence where he could not fully protect himself against an older male. Although...his brother had been there, too. Two against one, smaller or not, they had had the advantage.
He missed his brother...
"It sounds like you had a bad experience in a pride." He replied, somewhat to himself. "I knew another female, once, who was born into a pride that had no hold in her heart. It made her angry...bitter." He thought of her, that female from so long ago. Remembered her anger towards him. Where was she now, he wondered.
"Yes...it's a difficult situation. Normally I would think it better not to get involved but...well I call him a friend but he's more like a son to me." He had a real son. Three, in fact, but he had not ever gotten to know them. Not really. Another failure in his life. So much failure; in love and family, the two things he thought so highly of. "I couldn't stand back and let him go there alone. He doesn't say it, but he needs the support. He's a good warrior but he's too emotional. Nothing I ever taught him could change that." He laughed.
"The desert doesn't much agree for a pelt as dark as mine. I've been there once as a youth and didn't much like it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:00 pm
"My pride was at war when I left, and we weren't going to win," she shook her head, decidedly not revealing the exact trigger that sent her away from home but she was much happier for it now anyway. She thought about what he said about the female he knew. Though Kina spoke with some bitterness about her old pride, she didn't let it bother her on a regular basis. On topic of the uselessness of prides, she was opinionated. In general, she was content to be apathetic.
"Oh?" she perked up interestedly now that he said more about the situation he was in. A son who was headed to settle some business in the desert, and needed the support because he was a little too emotional to maintain his form as a warrior.
"What kind of trouble are you two headed for in the desert?" she asked with a small smirk, she wasn't planning to say much about it whether or not he told her but she was starting to wonder just why Jino wasn't around. Clearly this pair could have been offered some advice about their futures if they were headed for trouble. Kina could not remember exactly what she had heard but she just seemed to know the desert was not a good place to go looking for trouble.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:08 pm
His ears lifted with interest. War? He had once thought of war as something...something powerful and majestic and...well, much like Mrost himself. He had since learned that war was far from...from just. He had idealised fighting for good. Killing those who had wronged. And...as he had gotten older he had realised, who could possibly make such decisions?
He was but a mere mortal and, in his opinion, even an immortal should not have the power to decide who should live and who should die.
"I'm sorry to hear that." And he truly meant it. He thought of his own family caught up in a war and...he couldn't bear it. It must have been difficult. But...she seemed happy enough with how her life had turned out.
He blinked, realising he had probably said too much. Then again, what was the female going to do? Run to the Firekin and warn them? They'd probably kill her or laugh her out of the pride. "I'm not sure I should say anything..." He trailed. "It's a difficult situation, you see. And...quite complicated. I don't understand all the politics of it, myself." Would Rap mind? He stood and glanced out across in the direction the fiery-pelted lion had gone. There was no sight nor scent of him, just as he had expected, he was off chasing those stupid rabbits.
"His pride was troubled, too, when he was young. There was war, too. Though I don't think it lasted long. His pride divided into two and...somewhere along the line, his mother ended up getting killed." He turned back to look at her. "So...we're going to see justice is done."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:26 pm
Though Hakan would never realize, Kina found it a little more interesting and entertaining than usual that he hesitated in explaining what he and his friend were up to in the desert. If she weren't so determined to just not force herself into any visions, she could just try to find what was going to happen to them. Her expression changed as he finally explained the situation out to her. Seeking justice for his mother's death in a war.. she could appreciate that. War was not a natural death, and depending on the circumstances it could well merit some reaction. Clearly his mother couldn't have died in some honorable way if they claimed to be good warriors and Hakan was as reasonable as he seemed.
"I see," she said, realizing she'd been a little too quiet, "I understand." But after that she hesitated. What was there to say to that? It sounded dangerous, seeking justice within a whole pride. But they'd know that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:19 pm
"You do?" He questioned seeming surprised. He looked at her for a long while, almost as if trying to see inside her thoughts. Then, after a moment, he glanced away. "Yes. Maybe you do." He nodded thoughtfully and, after another pause, spoke up again.
"How about you, Kinagiri? Do you travel alone? Do you have a destination, at all?" He was surprised, again, at how comfortable he felt talking to her and, he resettled himself as if preparing to stay there a while.
Somewhere behind them - but still out of sight - Rap succeeded in driving a rabbit out from its hidey-hole. He gave chase, his huge bulk moving slower than the prey but with such strength that the rabbit was frightened into darting this way and that.
Eventually it backed itself up into a corner and found itself suddenly in the jaws of the lion. Broken. Limp.
He grumbled a congratulations to himself and turned to carry his kill over to where he knew Hakan would be waiting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:22 pm
"You seem reasonable, I trust your judgment is sound," she explained with a small smile. It was only half of the explanation but it was sufficient. It was hard to completely hide how you were, he did seem perfectly reasonable.
"I travel with a snake, Jino," she said, wondering how much to reveal about why they stuck together, "He's kind of grouchy but he's not that bad once you get used to him, and it's better than no company, I suppose." She grinned. And had no idea the other lion was heading their way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 2:31 pm
"I hope its as sound as you say." He replied. "But my path is set and I will see it through no matter how it ends." He did not fear heading into a pride such as the Firekin. He did not fear a fight with them. In fact, he was quite looking forward to the challenge of it. Death...he did not fear it, but, in truth, Hakan did not even consider it an option. Life had had its ups and downs, but he'd never even think about rolling over and succumbing.
He laughed at her response. "A grouchy snake for a companion?" He nodded again. "But yes, even grouchy company is better than none, I suppose. Out here, you have to take what is offered to you. I learned that one quick enough."
He grinned. "He's probably a lot quieter than the loud-mouthed brute I travel with, too."
A half-amused grumble could just about be heard as Rap emerged into sight. He was a large lion indeed and with his fiery orange pelt he was not easily missed.
The rabbit dangled from his mouth and he held it triumphantly with his head and tail held high.
His pace was somewhat bouncy as he approached, ears lifting as he realised who it was Hakan was talking to: a prettieeee ladyyy!!! He quickened his pace further and, when close enough, flung the rabbit aside so he could speak, snorting loudly.
"Loud-mouthed brute, eh? I'll take that as a compliment." And then he threw Kina a wide grin. "Sooo, Hakan, you going to introduce me to the lady?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
