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 Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:04 pm
He was tired of waiting.
It was a heavy, heavy load that he carried on his broad tan shoulders. The pride needed a queen, his daughters needed a queen, he needed a queen and she was no where to be found. It had been long enough now that everyone had begun to move on and become impatience with his reluctance to choose a new queen from among the lionesses in the pride. It had been long enough that he had begun to get impatient with himself. Despite that he had long since given up finding Haiba again, he still struck out into the pridelands with a guard in tow, something his father before him would never had approved of.
Kibwana didn't care. He needed peace, and quiet to think and consider the options that lay before him. Heirs were an issue, though not so great as he once imagined. The pride adored Mwana enough that despite the lack of precedence, he was comfortable enough with her capabilities... but a male heir would do away with all doubts.
And to be honest, he was lonely. He stared out across the land, eyes unfocused as a pair of guards lounged a short distance behind. They knew to leave him be.
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 3:37 pm
Zahara yawned and fought of her feelings of exhaustion. She'd been traveling for quite some time, but there was no chance to rest yet. She had to hunt. Going hungry wasn't an option right now. She needed to keep up her strength if she was going to continue her search.
Casting her nose to the wind, Hara thought she scented something. Keeping her body low to the ground, she prowled quietly through the dried grass, keeping her gaze sharp for any signs of movement. She didn't want to miss potential prey. Her energy was low and she needed to make a kill quickly.
As she prepared to move forward, another scent caught her attention and Hara frowned. She didn't know of any prides in this area, so she wasn't sure why she was scenting the presence of other lions. Her curiosity overcame her hunger for once and she changed her direction. Perhaps there was someone nearby who would be willing to share a meal.
Moving carefully, Hara soon spotted a lone male nearby and another two lions lounging a short distance away. Their behavior was strange. They didn't seem to be hunting, so she wasn't sure what they would be doing out here.
Zahara hesitated and wondered if she dared approach. A dried twig on the ground made that decision for her as it cracked loudly beneath her paw.
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 3:47 pm
The knight guards reacted faster than he at the sound, which was best considering they'd missed her approach to begin with. The pair of them leapt to their paws without further encouragement, descending upon the intruder with lips pulled back in vicious snarls the moment the threat was ascertained.
The king took a few seconds to come to his senses. His glazed eyes had snapped towards the sound, but for a moment the irrational hope that it was Haiba distracted him from reality. It was another lone lioness, and his knights were prepared to rip her to shreds if she didn't oblige to being boxed in and questioned. He sighed heavily, once again overwhelmed by that constant exhaustion, and turned his head towards them as he shook out his mane.
"Cease. Gods, you'll scare her half to death. Put your teeth away, she hasn't done anything but snap a twig." He looked at her, then; gaze focused but heavy. She was pretty, and looked as if she might blend right into the landscape in the coming autumn.
Hesitating for a brief space of time, he inhaled deeply and ventured, "You slipped past the border patrols." It wasn't a question, but an observation.
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 3:56 pm
Zahara was a generally happy lioness and had a generally happy life. It was therefore a rather frightening experience to be surrounded and stared down by two rather intimidating males. Knowing that fighting would not only be useless, but would also lead to more trouble, Hara stood motionless, not wanting to tempt the two lions to action. She was trying to decide a way to talk herself out of trouble when the other male spoke.
Eyebrows raised, Hara listened in surprise to what he said. It was clear from his tone that he was some kind of authority figure. The fact that the two brutish lions immediately obeyed spoke a great deal for this other male. She took a quiet moment to look him over. He was rather handsome, but he looked deeply stressed and tired. And very sad.
As the two guards reluctantly stood down and continued to glare at her, she sighed and sat down quietly, attempting to ignore them and to speak to this troubled lion.
"If I did, I was not aware of that fact. I'm sorry. I did not know that these lands belonged to any pride. I must have gotten off course further than I thought," she said with an apologetic shrug.
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:06 pm
He watched her for a moment longer, weighing her answer before turning his gaze back to the direction in which he had been staring before she'd snapped the twig. It wasn't a dismissive gesture, or at least not meant to be. He was having difficulties tearing his thoughts away from the trail they had been following before.
The Farasi that accompanied him had fallen back at their king's bidding, but they were not letting their guards down. They seemed to work in tandem; one would watch her while the other would watch the surrounding environment in case she proved to have friends waiting to stage an ambush. Kibwana wasn't necessarily oblivious to their movements, but he expected them and so paid no mind.
What focus he had just then, was on the lioness. He dropped his gaze to his paw, lifting it to observe the pads as he spoke, "Our pride has been tucked away long enough some have forgotten we exist." That was reflective, and he noted with some disappointment that she had not come in search of them: was not a new, hopeful member for the pride. "You're in the hunting grounds only, not the pride proper."
He looked back to her then, but didn't lift his head so he was looking at her from beneath his brow, "You are a rogue, then?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:16 pm
Zahara felt a wave of sadness as she watched this lion. His mannerisms, his behavior, his voice, all of them spoke of some kind of deep sadness or loss. Hara couldn't help but feel compassion and concern for him as he reminded her so much of her lost brother. She didn't dare move closer to try and comfort him though, with the guards hovering so close.
"I am not familiar with this area," she said by way of apology. "I grew up rather far from here. If I was more local, I'm sure I would have heard of your pride."
The way he spoke of the pride made it sound more like it was his pride. Perhaps he was a member of a royal family or whatever form of governance that this pride had. It would explain the deference with which the guards acted.
Zahara considered the next question for a moment before answering truthfully.
"I suppose the answer would be yes. I am searching for my brother," said Hara with a hint of old pain and sadness reflected in her gaze. "I have not seen him for many years though and do not know if he is even still alive. But I continue to hope. I am also searching for a home. My old pride was small and an earthquake destroyed our home. All of the families split off and went their separate ways. So I am searching for my brother and for a new place to live. I'd never been in this area before, so I figured it would be a good place to continue my quest."
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:38 pm
The sense of apology he got from her response concerning the pride made his lips curl in a soft smile, bemused at her concern. For a moment he said nothing, then a choke of a laugh passed his teeth in a quiet explosion to precede his words, "I'm afraid many of the locals have even forgot us, though I appreciate the assurance."
He wasn't going to tell her just yet that he was who he was, but it wasn't necessarily a conscious thought. Kibwana didn't think to introduce himself as such, often, considering that he was consistently surrounded by those who already knew who he was. Even the rare rogue that did seek to join on their own was well prepared by the time they entered his presence.
Inclining his head to one side, he watched her as she answered. He listened, intently, to the inflection of her voice and the way in which her answer was delivered. She was not lying, he could tell that much by the familiar emotions that the confession seemed the dredge up in her expression. Loss. He dropped his gaze to the ground as she finished, explaining the loss of her old home and the pursuit of another. There it was, then; he knew he would expect the ambassadors he had sent out to start a sales pitch at this point to bring her home.
Raising his eyes to her, he knew it was a possibly worthless endeavor, considering that her brother was not here. He nodded, "You are welcome to spend time among the Tete'boma, if you wish for respite from your search. Perhaps you may find you wish to stay." He smiled, briefly and suddenly, "Though I might imagine it to be more comfortable if you were to visit further into the pride. Out here, you will quickly find yourself escorted into my presence anyway."
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Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 4:52 pm
Zahara returned his small smile eagerly, hoping to encourage it. This male looked like he needed to smile more. It was obvious to her that he was unhappy and for multiple reasons. Hara wondered what had happened to make him so deeply troubled. It really wasn't her business . . . but she still couldn't help her feelings. She was very passionate about helping others. That was how her parents had raised her.
Her tail twitches slightly with curiosity as he spoke. She was pleasantly surprised by the invitation into what he called the Tete'boma. That was likely the pride's name. She liked the sound of it.
His sudden smile was very disarming and the expression was mirrored on her own face. His last comment confirmed her suspicions that he was the leader of the pride, though she was still unsure of his name or his title. Still, she could use some relaxation and this male intrigued her and she was weak and hungry. The invitation sounded like a godsend.
"Actually, that sounds ideal. I would love to see your home, if you would like to show it to me," she said with a charming smile.
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 10:48 am
He would, perhaps, be more apt to explain to her his unhappiness and the depth of it because she was wondering based on her irrational concern for him. It wasn't the same as when the pride took note of his moods or asked after what ailed him, as they were interested in how it affected them. In contrary to her own upbringing, he'd been raised to not care how anyone else felt - not even the pride, really - but his father's institutions had backfired.
Kibwana lived and breathed for the pride his father had nearly destroyed.
He caught the tail twitch, as did one of the Farasi who tensed so tight that Kibwana thought he might turn to stone. His rosy gaze caught her answering smile to his own and, despite himself, he couldn't help it and the smile that curved his lips remained. Hmm, he liked this lioness.
When she admitted she would love to see it, he froze for a moment. That was easier than he had expected, and he was legitimately shocked that she had agreed. He had never brought a new member home himself, and for a moment the sensation was... uplifting. He wondered briefly if him showing her around was a condition of the coming, but dismissed it. Why wouldn't he be the one to show her around? He was that one that was bringing her back. "Yes." Was that was what he was supposed to say? Why did he suddenly feel like a bumbling adolescent boy? Excitement and satisfaction seemed so foreign, billowing as they did in his otherwise empty core. "I will show you, if you would like to come."
He nodded, then, not sure if that was it and they should leave. The Farasi were confused, as evident by their faces, and both had turned to look at their king, unsure.
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:41 pm
Zahara could tell that he was thinking her answer through but his mind was elsewhere too. That didn't bother her. It was obvious that this particular lion had a lot of things on his mind. She couldn't fault him for that. She gave him time to think and turned her gaze to the two guards.
She tried to give them a reassuring smile, though she wasn't sure anything was going to help. They were suspicious of her, even though she knew that they had no reason to be. She wasn't about to attack this kind male. That was really the last thing on her mind.
He seemed surprised by her answer, like he expected her to say no. Why should she turn down his invitation? The land was beautiful, even if this was just the borderlands. Besides, this male intrigued her. She wanted to know more about him and more about his home.
"Yes, I would very much like to come," said Hara. Her sincerity rang clear in her voice, so that even the two guards would not doubt it.
"Oh," she added, as a thought occurred to her. Her smile turned sheepish. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Zahara, but please, call me Hara."
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:03 pm
The muscles in his face were sore. He wasn't used to smiling this much lately, and the expression was taxing. Still, the weight seemed easier to bear with the satisfaction of bringing a possible new member around providing it buoyancy. And her smile. Her smile helped, though he couldn't quite put a nail on that reason just yet.
He stood, looking for all the world like he was that much younger with the tiniest uncharacteristic spring in his step. The guards stood immediately, though their expressions did little to hide their confusion in his mood change. Still, they seemed to be beginning to get the idea. Something had improved his mood.
Hope.
He nodded, pleased at her confirmation that she wanted to come. When she mentioned her name, he dipped his head, "Zahara - Hara... it's a pleasure." Nicknames were awkward; kings weren't supposed to use nicknames, he didn't think. But he didn't want to displease her yet. "I am Ufalme Kibwana, king of my pride." It flowed off his tongue, but he did not provide a nickname. He had to draw the line someplace, and that was where he chose. For now.
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:12 pm
Zahara's eyebrows shot up and becoming very flustered, she wondered if she should bow. She'd had a suspicion that he was royalty, but actually hearing him admit it made it all seem so . . . real. This intriguing male was King. And he had agreed to show her around the pride lands himself.
Yes, she should definitely bow.
Dipping her head low to the ground, she executed her most gracious bow. Even though he technically wasn't her King, he obviously was deserving of respect. And Hara hoped that the guards would approve and maybe relax a little. Maybe.
"Your Majesty, I am honored," she said, quietly. It was a little overwhelming and the surprise, paired with the fact that she had not eaten since the day before and had not rested, suddenly struck her. She swayed a bit, unsteady on her paws. Her breathing was a little labored too. Hara didn't want to make a commotion though, so she did her best to hide it, managing a shaky smile.
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:20 pm
He watched her bow and it seemed... strange. It wasn't something he typically took notice of, but having had no particular special treatment from her the last however long they had been conversing had been... dare he think it, refreshing. So this time, he noticed and this time... he felt foolish. His own cheeks flushed beneath his fur and he looked away, quickly.
Strange. That wasn't normal.
But it was also nigh impossible to hide anything from this king, particularly physical infirmities, and he noted her swaying and trembling smile. He considered their conversation briefly, running through it in his mind and deciding on a course of action. He added, briefly, "If I'm to call you Hara, you are not to bow so ridiculously low again." The smirk played across his lips, but then he slipped into ambassador-king mode.
"Let us return to the pride proper first. I suppose the hunting party may be back by now with lunch." He turned to start striding back towards the pride's main grounds, expecting the guard and Zahara to follow without affording them a backward glance. Though he found it particularly hard not to make sure she was following, as doubt still plagued the edges of his resolve.
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:26 pm
Zahara grinned at his statement and pulled her remaining reserves of energy together for the walk there. His mention of lunch caused her stomach to growl in protest of the lack of food. She mentally told it to hush. She would be able to eat soon. Right now, she wanted to focus on the conversation.
"Alright, agreed, your Majesty," she said, returning his smirk.
Noting that he had pulled together his authority and was beginning to walk away, Hara quickly fell into stride behind him, a respectable distance away. She kept her gaze on the guards for a moment, to be sure that they didn't disapprove of where she was standing.
Hara realized that she was still grinning. She was truly excited to see the pride lands. And she was curious to learn more about this Ufalme Kibwana.
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