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 Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:35 am
However, what his glare-blinded eyes failed to spot, was the figure of a lioness already in the speckled, patchy shade, with small shapes close by.
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:04 am
She stretched out in the shade, panting lightly as even in the shade, it was still a blistering day. Not to far off to her side, her boys were asleep under a bush, having dug down into the earth for it to be cooler for them, she felt relaxed and at ease.
Being darker pelted, she had learned rather quickly that traveling today was out of the question, it was simply to hot. Specially with the cubs following behind her, one of her sons had inherited her mothers coat, and she'd not risk him getting heat exhaustion because of it.
Wiggling her toes, she yawned before she glanced out and noticed the male leopard heading her way.
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:42 am
Eyes semi-closed against the glare, the pale shape slipped through the heat waves, the dust raising around his paws almost making him blend into the landscape, only the constant movement of lithe body prevented him from fading completely as most leopards could do when hunting. Finally, he reached the relief of the shade and slipped into the mottled shadows, an instant sigh of relief escaping as he sagged to the ground, tongue lolling to try and ease the heat that still pummelled his body like some huge invisible paw.
Only slowly, as his ragged breathing eased slowly, did he realise that he ws not as alone as he thought. opening his eyes he blinked away the dust and dirt until he saw her. A beautiful, blue-hued lioness lay not far from him, barely two paces away, and beyond her, two small cubs safely under the thicker cover of a low bush. Shifting as if to move away and give her room, since he was the invader, he glanced back and realised that he was already at the edge of he shade. The small corpse of trees was not that big...
Looking back at her, he drew himself into a slightly less ungainly position and dipped his head by way of greeting. Hoping she wasn't going to try and run him off.. he really did need to rest at least for a little while.
"Greetings."
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 11:30 am
She could see how the heat had eaten at him, she didnt fear this leopard, not many did she actually fear. But, as he looked her over and then spied her cubs, did a brow arch.
Not many noticed her cubs, though usually she had then quiet hidden but still, slightly impressed that he had indeed noticed them, she kept her gaze on him.
At his greeting, her own head dipped in a slow nod of greeting, "Hello." Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper. Though she wasnt parched, it was just how her vocals were, she flicked an ear. "Its to hot, I cannot wait for autumn, or even winter myself." She said, though she wondered if he'd need a drink of water. "Would you like some water?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 3:24 pm
Well, she hadn't sprung at him or growled yet... he felt reasonably safe relaxing though kept his gaze on her politely. Trying to calm his breathing to avoid looking too worn out, he gave a faint nod of agreement, glancing out across the heat-molten landscape.
"Winter will be welcome this year. So long as it brings some rain... some areas and becoming too dry." He had only travailed few certain lands, after all as a leopard, there were places he would be killed for exploring, but some of the landscape he had seen looked dangerous close to drought. Though he knew they could be just that dry anyway...
Glancing back over at her, expression showing obvious surprise, he gave a wordless nod. He was dryer than the sand at his paws, or felt like it. Some water would go a long way to cooling him down.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:50 am
She rose to her paws and nodded, even the river she lived by was starting to show signs of losing water.
"The rain will be greatly welcomed." She looked over at her boys, the trio still clearly zonked out. "This way." She said with a jerk of her head, there was a watering hole not to far away from the shaded patch.
She stopped at the watery edge, and nodded towards the water. "Im Azu." She said with a smile, she rarely gave out her full name, it was something that she only shared with those that she trusted.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:58 am
Nodding he rose gratefully to his paws, turning and following close behind her as she led him to the watering hole he realised he had to be even more heat-worn than he thought to have missed it. Pausing at her side he resisted the urge to drink and dipped his head gratefully. "Kamau. Its a pleasure to meet you, Azu. And thank you for your aid, I've not been to this area before."
Finally he could help it no longer and crouched down, muzzle dipping to the sparkling surface of the pool, distorting their reflections as he drank deeply, tail flicking at his back from the sharp chill of the water as it slid down his dust-coated throat.
Eventually, after he had sated the thirst within him, he lifted his head, shaking off the droplets that still clung to his fur before he stood fully, taking a deep, relieved breath. "Thank you.. I hadn't realised how badly I needed that." He looked up from the water to the lioness, offering her a rare, gentle smile.
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 3:29 pm
She merely nodded with a soft smile, "Water is an important source in our life, and I've a random knack for finding it." She said with a soft laugh.
"Even in the desert, I can find water." She'd had to, learning to take care of herself from a young age she'd learned things that others simply wouldnt understand.
"Shall we return to the shade?" she asked, an ear flicked in the direction of the sleeping cubs. "Its a pleasure Kamau."
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Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 5:45 pm
Smiling warmly he nodded, his voice slipping free in a soft chuckle. "That sounds like a very useful skill to have out here, indeed." He could scent water once he was relatively close to it, but finding it in the middle of nowhere? He wished he could.
Nodding as she mentioned returning to the shade, he followed along at her side, grateful to get out of the blistering heat once more. Once they settled down, he curled up at a respectful distance from her and her cubs, but still close enough for comfortable conversation, he began to try and groom the dust from his coat.
"Are you a local here? I myself am a wanderer as I have said.. its my first time in this particular area."
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