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 Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 10:45 am
With the rest of his pride settled down for the night, Kobe took the opportunity to spend some time alone. While the small band of lions that followed him could hardly be called a pride anymore, they still considered him their king. In a few more days his duties to his pride would be over completely. He let out a small sigh of relief.
Kobe was never cut out to be a leader. It wasn't something he could learn. After years of trying his hardest to be the king they wanted him to be, he knew better than anyone else that leadership is something one must be born with, like clear vision or strong bones. Kobe had both these things, but he did not have leadership. Still, Kobe couldn't waste time dwelling on what might have or should have been. Soon he would have a chance to start over. A new pride, a new king and queen, a new place for him in the circle of life. There were brighter days ahead for all.
Kobe pulled his massive body onto a rock still warm with the heat of the day and flopped down on the stone. He stretched and let out a mighty yawn, curled his legs under his body and turned to look at the stars. He was not a complicated lion. He hoped his pride would be able to see the real Kobe when they arrived in their new home.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:04 am
Kizuka'nafsi was so restless these days, most nights she was unable to sleep and took to wandering off on her own, far from the reaches of her pride. This did not sit well with her mate or her sister, but at the moment she did not care. She made full well to never allow others see her leave or return, her pride would not know that one of their Queen's was a restless mess.
True to her namesake, the pure white lioness ghosted along the landscape, the star's bright light reflecting eerily off her coat, making her truly resemble some sort of apparition. Her ears perked up and she turned her head upon hearing a noise in the distance, catching only a glimpse of what looked like a mighty figure moving in the dark.
Kizuka decided to investigate this, curious as to what she might find. She knew it wouldn't be Spenta, for the form that moved was far too large to be the white lions previous lover. As long as it was not Angra, she did not care who it might be. She continued to stalk closer, eyeing the form warily, only seeing the light patches of his body.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 12:09 pm
Kobe was getting on in years - not to say that he was old. His heart seemed older than his body, but it had always been that way, even when he was a cub. He had simply witnessed a lot. He was an able bodied, middle-aged lion with a lot of experience tucked away under his mane, more than capable of holding his own in a fight. He could have left his pride a long time ago and survived on his own in the rogue lands. He even daydreamed about it from time to time. In the end, it was love and responsibility that held him to his pride.
Suddenly something on the ground caught his attention. He heard her coming almost as soon as he spotted her white pelt glowing with the light of the moon. Perhaps she was from the pride of moon worshipers, where he was headed. Where ever she came from, it was his duty to greet her and see what she wanted.
He stepped down from his rock to show her respect. When he was a king he would always try to stand taller than his subjects, for he was self-conscious in those days, but after so much time in the rogue lands he found he was much more comfortable speaking to his subjects as equals. "Good evening, miss. What brings you to my camp?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 12:52 pm
"Curiosity, Sir." Kizuka said, getting a better look at the male before her. He was a big lad, pretty in coloring, but far too dark for her liking. Not that it would matter anyway, she could no longer fling. She was mated now, even if the mate was not her choice.
"I am simply wandering about till dawn, when I must return to my pride," She said quietly. Kizuka never openly announced that she was the Queen of a pride whenever she wandered the Rogue lands. It was nice feeling unimportant and unhindered by duties and formalities. She longed for it every now and again.
It was not to say she was not proud of her pride, or her position, for she was. It was something she dreamed of since she was a child, and seemed all her dreams came into fruition. However, on the road to fruition she had some unexpected bumps which did nothing but cause her to question herself now. Not that she really wanted to.
"My name is Kizuka'nafsi, Sir. I apologize if I've disturbed you in any way. I saw you from afar and let my curiosity get the better of me."
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:19 pm
She must be some kind of noble, Kobe assumed from her manner of speech. Perhaps she was simply well trained. No doubt her status would become obvious as they talked. Being raised among royalty, Kobe felt confident he could spot that upbringing in another.
The fact that she didn't announce her royal blood at the outset put him a little at ease. Years had passed since the last time he had to deal with royalty and quite frankly he was relieved to be the last drop of noble blood left in his pride. Although he still retained some of his royal tendencies out of habit, his time in the rogue lands caused him to loosen up considerably. "Not at all. My name is Kobe'gumu, but you may call me Kobe. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kizuka'nafsi.
"I'm afraid there's not much to see here. My pride is re-locating and we've been traveling for days. We've stopped here to rest for the night." He glanced at the small group of lions resting near by. There were four other lions in the group beside himself, two males and two females, hardly enough to call a pride.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:25 pm
"Likewise," Kizuka said, a small smile across her face.
So they were a pride re-locating? Their pride was so small, perhaps they were relocating because of war? That was disheartening. She knew there were evils out in the world, she had heard of them from the scouts, but to think of prides going to war made her heart ache, especially if the day came where she herself would have to confer with her sister and their mate and decide if going to war with another pride was necessary .
"How long has your group been traveling, that is if it is alright for me to ask." Kizuka inquired. She had never had to travel long distances with her pride, living secludedly within a mountain valley helped defeat such a need. She could only imagine how hard it had been on them to be constantly roaming.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:51 pm
Her question befuddled him. It was not that she had touched on a sore spot. The wounds of war were old and Kobe had learned to live with the ache. After all these years it was hard to imagine a time when his pride had been sedentary, even though that was what they were headed for. He looked at his pride. They were so tired, all of them.
"A long, long time," he said at last. "But we'll have a home again soon. That keeps us going."
How they held together for so long was a wonder. He felt so proud and grateful for all of them, even the ones that left when he made his announcement. If not for their contribution the pride might not have lasted for so long.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 3:39 pm
"What pride are you heading to Kobe?" Kizuka asked. She liked learning of the different prides out there, especially first hand. Perhaps Kobe would find it in himself to talk to her about the other prides. Most in which she heard of so far were like all other prides, though with their own unique customs. Some others though, some she heard were dark, dark and full of hatred and pain. She could not imagine anyone wanting to be within a pride like that. Not that her pride did not come with its own pain.
"I apologize if I'm too inquisitive. Out here in the Rogue Lands you meet so many different individuals, it's almost intoxicating to hear about how different all their lives happen to be." She admitted it was true. Like a lion she once met named Mwovu, she enjoyed hearing people's histories and differences, only if they wished to tell her though.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:07 pm
"No, it's nice to have a conversation with someone new. You see, I'm the leader of my pride. They have such high expectations of me, I hardly ever get to have a normal conversation." He smiled, truly relieved.
"We're going to Mwezi'Johari. I dearly hope we'll be accepted. Our prides have quite a history, although there is little left of us now." So much time had passed since the war. Lions that were cubs wen the war began were now fully grown. The Mwezi'Johari might even be under new leadership by now. Even if Mwezi'Johari accepted them only out of pity, he would cease the opportunity to atone for all the blood he had shed with dedication and humility.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 4:56 pm
"Is that so?" Kizuka commented, understanding that feeling far too well. She too was finding it difficult to have a normal conversation with anyone without them making a fuss over the fact she was their queen. Sure, even before she was queen, they still made a fuss over her for being an Umbikezeli, but being one did not hinder her ability to hold casual conversations with people. Now, every time she spoke people regarded her differently, stepping on egg shells if you will. It was mildly irritating.
"I have never heard of the Mwezi'Johari. Are they a generally peaceful pride? Or are they a very warring like some of the other prides I've heard of?"
Kizuka was starting to feel like she was interrogating the Pridal Leader and gave him a smile, deciding she would offer something of her pride up to him, so he wouldn't feel like she was just phishing for information.
"I belong to a pride of mountain dwellers," She explained, "We're rather secluded, and highly religious, because of this we don't get many outsiders who join the pride, so we're a little limited on our knowledge of the other prides out there."
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 6:10 pm
"They are generally peaceful, but they if attacked they will fight with honor. Their warriors are excellent," he added respectfully. Even though his pride lost the war, he admired Mwezi'Johari in retrospect.
Kobe had no idea if Mwezi'Johari had changed since the war. All he knew was that after the war they too were forced to migrate, although they apparently found greener pastures to settle whereas his pride continued wandering for years in search of such a place.
"The Mwezi'Johari is a religious pride also. We were neighbors once, so I know a bit about them. Once we join their pride we'll be forced to take on new ranks. I don't know what rank they will assign me, but I hope they will find a place for me where I can be useful." The last thing he wanted was another rank of prestige. He knew his rank would ultimately be up to the Moon God, so it was possible he could be assigned to the upper class, in which case he would try to request a position in the lower ranks. What he really wanted was a job amongst the people, something simple but important, like being a hunter or looking after cubs.
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Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:23 pm
"I can understand wanting to be rid of such heavy responsibilities. I sometimes wish to be a huntress in my pride, but I was called towards another path by the Gods, and will honor their choice for me," Kizuka smiled, knowing full well how Kobe felt about wanting to be more of use to their pride. She was technically of the most important use, being one of the Kabaila'umbikezeli, but sometimes the responsibility of attending to everyone's personal business is not the responsibility she had been hoping for. She would do her best, though, to honor those who picked her and her sister for this position.
"Do you have any children, Kobe? Or wish for them?" She asked, thoughtfully. Since the birth of her own, she always wanted to ask anyone she crossed if they had them. She found such joy in simply being a mother, that she wanted to hear of other's joyous parenting.
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Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 5:18 pm
Kobe nodded in agreement. He would like very much to be a hunter in his new pride, if the Mwezi'Johari accepted them. He would even accept a more sedentary rank like nanny. Taking care of the young would truly be a joy to him. Being a king, he never had the opportunity to get close to his cubs. He felt anxious about the change, because he knew he would soon find himself with a job he knew only a little about, but he would be patient and try not to blame himself while he adjusted to his new lot in life. Surely, it would be easier than adjusting to kinghood.
"I had, once," Kobe replied with a light sigh. "They're all gone now I'm afraid. I miss them, but I'm happy they were able to choose their own path in life rather than being forced as I was, even though they choose to leave.
"Do I wish for more cubs of my own? I don't know. To have more cubs I would need to choose a new mate. I'm not so sure I'm ready for that." His former mate had perished during the war. It was something he never talked about. He always blamed himself for her death, for he never consulted her when he choose to go to war. Even though she disagreed with him she supported him every step of the way. He always admired that about her. He doubted he would ever meet another lioness as kind or wise as her.
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:13 am
"I see," Kizuka replied, figuring that his 'not-being-ready' meant that either his mate had left him, or that she had perished. She could see how that would effect someone and make them apprehensive to choose anther mate again. She didn't have that opportunity, as her mate was chosen for her. If he died, another would be chosen for her via the laws of her pride, it was just how things were for her. She had actually never known many females in the thread to take on mates, unless they were of the lower classes; lovers perhaps, but never mates.
Kizuka looked up to the sky, noting the disappearing stars and the shifting the moon had done during her conversation with the king lion. The sun would rise in several hours, meaning she had those several hours to travel back to her pride and slink back into her den without being noticed. She would need to end this conversation soon, even thought she didn't wish to.
"I hope you and your group find your way to your new home quickly, Kobe. I couldn't imagine having to wander for so long looking for mine," She said, glancing in the direction her home was.
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Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:18 pm
"Thank you. It has been a trial." He noticed her wandering gaze and assumed her time here was drawing short. Such was the case with all royalty. At least he was fortunate to spend his youth with friends before his poor older brother suddenly passed away, handing him the heavy weight of the throne when he was thoroughly unprepared.
"I should be going. I would much rather stay but my pride will be missing me soon. It was a pleasure talking with you." He hoped to spare her the awkwardness of saying goodbye first.
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