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 Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:57 pm
They were settled in the shade of some well established trees, their leaves rustling softly in the warm breeze that swept down over them from the open savannah that lay around them.
It had been four days since they had met up, by chance, and since Hakan was still resting in preparation for the journey into the Motoujamii desert, they had remained in one another's company. It was easier to hunt now that there was more of them and, Hakan had to admit, he was enjoying her company...
Currently he was preparing to tell her a little about his childhood, wondering partly how the discussion had changed so drastically. He certainly hadn't set out to tell her about all this. Even still, he didn't exactly mind too much. Somehow he didn't feel that she was the type to judge.
"I don't know if it was true or not, but I heard that my mother had once been a member of the Firekin pride herself. She certainly had the colours for it, though none of them passed onto us. Not the red, anyway." He added, indicating his dark - not-quite-black fur. "Either way, she wasn't young when she gave birth to us and, being the oldest, I felt the need to look out for them all, not having a father around at all. It was...hard going but I enjoyed it. Enjoyed taking care of them all and making sure that they were all okay."
Rap was half-dozing, his ear twitching - irritated by the swaying blades of grass - as he lay apart from the others. Even still, he was clearly listening into the conversation.
Just, for once, he was too sleepy to say much. A blessing.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:26 pm
Since she had met Hakan and Rap, she'd invited them to stick with her and Jino until they were ready to head out for no other reason than it was nice to have lions for company and they were a fascinating pair. Jino didn't take it very well but he kept it to himself, Kina could tell that he was annoyed but to anybody else he might just have appeared grouchy. And she'd already warned that he was grouchy. As they lay in the shade, Kina had allowed Jino to curl up over her shoulders.
"How many siblings did you have?" she asked curiously, wondering just how big a responsibility the small Hakan had taken on. It was going to be at least two, and even on the low side it was almost sad he had to do that but if they weren't in a pride it probably helped. She wondered how close you could be to your siblings when you took on the role of caregiver, though.
Jino was quite annoyed by the presence of the two extra lions. Neither were any use to him, he knew that much. He was stretched out lazily over Kina, fact-checking the story Hakan was telling with his visions- just as he'd done with every story they'd told. He'd been kind enough to indicate to Kina that they were not the danger that they'd been avoiding, though he was starting to regret that. The more he learned, the more he sought out, the more he realized about how all of this was going to end. And he didn't like it even a little bit.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:41 pm
Hakan had decided to ignore the snake for the most part. He'd never been fond of befriending other species and was putting up with him only because he liked the lioness the snake was partnered to.
"Only the two. Kamal, my brother and Kimya, my sister. Kamal could pretty much take care of himself for the most part. Got himself into trouble a lot, which was fine so long as I was there too. My sister, had a heart of gold. Took after Mother. If anyone picked on her, I was there to make sure they never did it again." He felt sad to think of them. If only he realised that he did have other relatives and that they, in fact, dwelled in the very lands he was travelling to. His half-brother, Kimeti, was dead, of course, but he had not been the only one.
"And then the family broke apart. It happened suddenly, but without me noticing until it was too late. The last I knew, Kimya joined the Pridelands and had a family there. Kamal...well...I don't know what happened to him. Probably off being the same trouble-maker he always was. And Mother...well...I don't know where she is either."
And he blamed himself for all of it. "I should have stopped it from happening. I made a mistake."
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:56 pm
Kina couldn't help but smile as he described his brother and sister, he obviously loved them, even if he should have been playing and causing trouble with them instead of taking care of them. It became clear that he hadn't worried about any of that- then or now- as he explained how they had broken up.
"What mistake could you make that made that happen?" she asked, "It sounds like your sister stayed safe." The Pridelands was another pride with a reputation, they were gigantic and fairly central-- and not terribly far away from here, either. She wasn't sure about his brother and mother but Kinagiri had disappeared on her family and she had stayed safe and sound, for the most part. Sometimes it just happened that way, but Hakan's worries made her wonder about her sister.
Jino's eyes opened and he glanced at Hakan thoughtfully. Information on his family was something they could offer but the lion had nothing to exchange and Kina was trying to live without it for a while.. but he couldn't help but be surprised that she didn't try anything. It was for the best, though, he decided. He looked from Hakan to Rap to Kina and then turned his gaze away entirely. Boring.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:10 pm
He sighed. "I...I thought it was the right decision at the time. I was young, naive, barely more than a cub. I wanted to be strong. Strong enough to protect my family from everything. I met this lion - a God - and he offered to train me to become a true warrior so that I might be able to achieve that wish. But...in order to do so, I had to enlist myself into his services."
He was ashamed of this now, and angry, too. That God had abandoned him long ago and left him with nothing.
Well...for a while, anyway. Then he found Rap - or Rap had found him - and life had regained some purpose for him. "My service took me far away and soon after I learnt that nothing could protect my mother from old age...nothing." He remembered the despair at this realisation. That, one day he'd have to live without her even if he grew to become the strongest lion that ever lived.
After that he had become distant and sorrowful and then he had lost sight of them altogether.
Rap snorted and rolled onto his stomach, yawning wide in an attempt to chase away the fatigue that seemed to be persistently nagging at him.
"Everything happens for a reason."
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:42 pm
She perked up at the mention of the a god, tilting her head as he explained that particular bit of his story. It was interesting, she'd met one goddess but she hadn't really gotten much from it, though she probably could have. Something in Hakan's tone said it didn't work out well for him, though. She frowned at him. She glanced over to Rap as he gave an unsympathetic but true piece of his mind.
"I'm sorry, Hakan," she said, "Nobody can say you didn't love your family or that you didn't try." It's a shame he hadn't figured things out sooner and he could have had more time with his family.
"Is Rap a part of your family?" she asked, glancing back over to the orange lion, "How did you come across him?" If Hakan's mother and Rap were both from the same pride, is seemed possible they might be family if they were together. But.. they didn't really look alike.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:53 pm
He nodded slowly. She was right. They were both right. But it didn't make things any easier. If he hadn't been so stupid then maybe things could have been different. Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would have gone their own separate ways anyway.
They had all been quite different.
"Once this is over." He glanced at Rap. "I'll go and find them. All of them. I need to tell them how sorry I am and...and that I didn't forget about them."
He opened his mouth to respond to her next query, only to be interrupted by the orange lion.
"In a way." He stretched leisurely. "We're not related by blood, not that I know of anyway. If Hakan's mother was part of the pride, I don't know what rank she would have held or who else she was related to. Maybe if I'd stayed with the traitors, I would have learned it...but...well, that's just the way things are, I guess."
He shrugged. "My orange pelt isn't typical of Firekin anyway. Royal blood Firekin are very vibrant red, there are other shades, some so dark they look brown. My mother and father were more orange than anything. In the old days, Firekin with as light a pelt as ours would not have been permitted to mate with Royal Bloods."
He continued. "But we're family none-the-less, right, Hakan?"
"That's right. I was all alone when we met. Not going through a particularly good time in my life either. This scraggly little juvenile bumps into me and asks me whether I can train him. I was going to say no but, somehow he convinced me." He laughed a little. "And I regret it to this day." He was teasing of course.
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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:07 am
There was a soft snort-hiss from Jino as Hakan expressed interest in finding his family and he turned to pay attention to the conversation. He clearly wasn't very impressed with much of the conversation going on around him.
Kina was more sympathetic than the snake, and when she heard Jino snort she bumped her shoulder to quiet him. She smiled at Hakan's idea, and looked over to Rap as he explained how he and Hakan might have been related.
"Well, that's quite the coincidence," she commented, and she didn't have anything else to say for fear of being a little too sentimental for them but it seemed like it was a very good thing that they had bumped into each other, Hakan seemed to need someone to take care of and Rap could be a lot worse, even if he was still bent on revenge.
"And now you're almost ready," she said thoughtfully, glancing to Rap, "What are you planning after this?" Hakan already said he was finding family, what could Rap be planning? Living only for revenge wouldn't be good.
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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:11 pm
Hakan glanced sidelong at the serpent, narrowing his eyes a little. Stupid snake. If he had something on his mind he should just say something, rather than listening in and keeping all those thoughts to himself. From the sounds he was making, he certainly didn't seem very happy and Hakan couldn't understand what was bothering him!
He nodded. "Almost. And it won't take too long to get there once we set off, either." He stood and stretched padding out under the sun to glance around. His ears were still folded back so that he might hear them speaking. He was curious about Rap's response to her question as well.
They had touched on the subject but never really come to a conclusion.
"Honestly?" Rap replied, exhaling noisily and reaching up a paw to brush the scraggly bangs of mane from his eyes. "I don't quite know. Once Mother has been avenged, I'm free."
He turned his eyes towards where Hakan stood, knowing full well that he was still listening. "I thought about joining a pride. Somewhere I could put my training to good use. To protect. To fight wars. Whatever, really. But...I don't know, now. I've been with Hakan so long and that old git doesn't have any inclination to join one."
He grinned. "So, I guess I'll stick with Hakan and help him find his family. It's the least I can do for him after all he's done for me." He paused, eyeing the female and the snake.
"And you? When we are gone, where will you go?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 7:51 pm
Kina nodded to Hakan at the comment about how quick it would be, though she had some doubts about how quickly they might accomplish such a task if they were to avoid direct trouble. She watched as he went but listened to what Rap said, letting him finish before she looked to him.
"I suppose we'll go about life as usual," she said with a shrug, "We don't do much, we wander but we've stuck around here for some time now, I don't know how fast Jino wants us to get out."
Jino watched as Hakan went, getting very still for a couple seconds but then twisting himself back around as he felt Rap's eyes on him, daring to ask what they would do once the lions left.
"Not fassst enough," he muttered to himself, slithering forward and falling onto the ground by Kina's side, curling up and getting more comfortable where he was.
"We'll sssee," he said louder.
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:23 pm
The black lion snorted. "Careful who you call, old, kid."
Then, he cast a side-long glance to Kina as she answered Rap's question, having been interested, himself, in the answer she would give. They would continue to wander? Just like they would? Perhaps it wouldn't seem a silly thing to ask whether they might meet again? Friends were hard to come by out here in the wilds and...well...she was a friend, now. Or so he liked to believe.
He seemed to want to ask it of her, but fell back into a brooding, thoughtful silence, not even really picking up on the snake's implied insult.
Rap did not miss Hakan's glance and somewhat read his mind, smiling a little. However, the smile quickly dissapeared at Jino's response and the orange male growled somewhat.
"You don't like our company, sssnake?" He mocked. "Don't want Kina to hang out with her own species, huh?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 9:07 pm
Jino started when Rap growled, and he turned to glare at the bright lion. He already was annoyed with his presence, with his existence, but he restrained himself.
"Doesssn't ssseem that way," he answered grumpily, emphasizing his s's purposefully this time.
"Now boys," Kina chided, shaking her head and nudging at Jino though he didn't seem to be aiming to say much else. She looked apologetically to Rap.
"He's not very social," she offered, and continued hoping to avoid questions of why she bothered sticking with him now, "Some company is better than no company, he's not as bad as he let's on, either."
Stupid Jino. He should be nicer.
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 1:16 pm
Rap snorted, tail flicking with some irritation. But it was gone a moment later, the incident forgotten as quickly as it had arrived.
"Yeah, I knew someone like that once." He cast a meaningful look at Hakan who snorted in response.
"Maybe he'll change." He added as an after-thought. "In any case, what do you say to as all meeting up again once we've done with the Firekin, eh? I mean, I know we haven't known each other that long, but we all get along, right? Save the scaly one, of course. I know I'd like to catch up with you, Kina, and I'm pretty sure Hakan would, too."
Hakan looked somewhat startled for a moment, and then gave an embarrassed sort of cough and mumbled; "Yeah, would be nice...I guess."
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 1:43 pm
Jino's tail gave an impatient flicker and he held his tongue. With an annoyed his, he curled himself up and faced away from the whole bunch of them. Stupid lions. And stupid Kina. She needed a lecture. But not while they had company.
Kina snickered at Rap's comment, looking out to Hakan-- and then back again when Rap suggested they meet up again. She didn't often have company and she rather liked having them around.
"I would like that," she said, looking out to the funny face that Hakan made with a smile.
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 1:56 pm
Rap stuck his tongue out at the snake as he turned his back, laughing quietly at being 'ignored' by the grumpy serpent. He was so glad he didn't have a snake tagging around behind him! He couldn't put up with the grouchy personality for even one small conversation!
He smiled even wider at Kina's response, getting to his paws and stretching, not even bothering to cover another yawn. "We'll have to make arrangements on a meeting place, then, so we don't keep missing one another. The world is a big place, indeed!"
He finished stretching, standing up straight and glancing out across the lands. "Right. I'm going to go and scout around for a bit. Stretch the ol' legs! I'll catch up with you later!"
He started heading off, pausing to throw them another glance. There was a grin spreading its way there across his maw. "And no funny business whilst I'm away, you two. Remember, I might be gone, but the snake isn't!!" And, with a huge grin plastered across his face, he bounded off, his laughter audible for what seemed like an eternity.
Hakan choked - seemingly on nothing but air - and tried to smother his obvious embarrassment by bringing a paw up to cover his face - albeit briefly.
Only a few moments later, did he speak.
"He's a kid in an adult's body." He groaned. "How did I end up getting stuck with him?"
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