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 Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 1:30 pm
 
Crouching low he tried to hunker his large body lower in the thin reedy grasses. Hunger gnawed at his insides with sharp, insistent claws, proof that he had been suffering a bad streak of luck during hunts these past few days. As he had continued his travails, the landscape around him had changed... becoming dry and barren, with only the pale brown grass and the odd stunted, bent and twisted tree for shade. His large size easily put him well above the dry grass and his pitch coat and pale markings were great at scaring away strangers, but also his prey... he stood out like a sore thumb and he doubted if he could be any more obvious if he was bright red and carried the sun on his back.
This of course, made hunting a difficult task at the best of times, little cover and no where to camouflage himself, he had to creep up on the herds from a good distance away, agonisingly slowly, and prey none of them looked his way, or that the wind didn't change before he finally got close enough. The last few times he had been betrayed by several things, the wind, a pack of barking hyena and another lion whom he had ended up fighting. The fool tried to force him to backtrack, but Sliabh couldn't afford to and thus, had been forced to beat the rogue male soundly in order to continue on his way.
He missed his homeland bitterly... the calm, steady pace of his life, the well known faces even if they weren't 'friends'. The comfort of the familiar and of course.. those few who were special to him, Eva, his darkling beauty who he missed considerably, the ache in his chest never fully leaving, and Haruma and her siblings. The plucky little cub had charmed him from the moment they met and he had adopted her before leaving the pride on this errand for his Queen.
If only he could see them both, just once...
Biting back a deep sigh that was sure to spook the herd he was stalking, he carefully inched forwards, paw shifting through the dry grass with agonising slowness. He had to be successful this time...
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:19 am
With all the grace and ease of a practiced hunter, she moved through the grasses, hardly rustling them. Living in these kinds of places all of her life, Khahlela knew how to move, how to blend in, and what sounds were what. Despite her white markings along her sides, she could be considered somewhat of a master hunter. Her dark allowed her to blend in to the night sky, her white, if she was standing just right, looked to be nothing more than stars. This meant she could trick any prey into thinking she wasn't there.
By no stretch of the imagination was she a big lioness. It was clear she was a young adult by the way her muscles were still developing under her sleek, dusty coat. Dust helped hide her own scent, but didn't get in her way of scenting what she was hunting.
Today, she wanted a honey badger. Their meat was good and not too tough. They were slower than the hares or waterbucks, but she still had to be careful at the same time. She paused in her steps, listening for the birds, or even a hare to pass by. But what filled her ears was the rustling of the grass. It was too much noise for hunting in this area; certainly not one of her siblings. They knew how to move in this area, too. So, it was someone who was completely inexperienced with dead grasses.
With a muttered curse on her lips, hunting gone for now, she poked her head above the grass and frowned. There, not too far away, she saw a flash of pale colors. "What are you doing? You're scaring away everything!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:41 am
Something intruded on his thoughts, but it took a few moments before his mind grasped the fact that it was a voice.. and a female one at that. Blinking, all thoughts of hunting now abandoned, the Kitwana male lifted his head, peering at the shadowy shape not far off.
"Ahh..." Sighing heavily he eased out of his crouched position, pulling himself to his full height as he gave a faint shake of his head, trying to ease the tension that sent spasms through his spine. "My apologies... I did not mean to disturb you.."
The dark-bodied male was huge, not bulky, but simply tall. Legs as long through the shoulder as any hybrid, he easily stood well above the young female's height. His mane was thick and dark, covering neck and shoulders corded with wiry muscle. Thick pale bangs shaded a pair of startling orange eyes. It was obvious he was a fighter, forelimbs long but solid with large paws tipped with thick claws, old scars dappled the black and blue hide, proof of a life lived harshly.
Yet he stood quietly, a quiet, almost shy air about him as he cast a glance at the herd some distance away he had been stalking, before turning back to her. Paws shifting faintly in the dry soil as he lowered his head.
"Im sorry I stopped your hunt...." His voice was a deep rumble, low and husky yet it had a quiet, subdued tone as if he never raised it in anger.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:58 am
When the other rose up out of the grass, she blinked. It... it was a lion, that was for sure. Since when did lions get this tall? Bulky she could understand, but this male had legs like a cheetah, apparently. It stopped the words in her throat before she could get anything out and she just stared at him. Her purple eyes trying to wrap her head around the fact that he was a real lion with height. Lela licked her lips and shook her head to clear it again before she spoke again.
"Uh.. I mean... sorry? I.... uhm.." Clearly she was distracted and then she rolled her eyes. Since when did she act like some girl? "Yeah, well be careful. You're like a cub rustling around out here. What? Never hunted in dead grasses before?" She was teasing him without knowing him. Of course, Lela knew that some would take great offense to that, but she offended everyone one way or another. What with her not being all submissive like most males seemed to like their lioness. No, if Lela felt she was being treated unfairly, or like she was weak, she'd speak her mind and show them what she was capable of.
Despite her size, Lela was surprisingly strong. One had to be to survive out here. Most pride goers, in her opinion, were far to soft to survive. Sure, she'd met strong prides, and was even thinking of joining one, but she knew that she wouldn't be treated like a girl. She'd be treated like she acted. "Who're you? I haven't seen anything like you before. You part cheetah or something down the line, Mr. Long Legs?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:09 am
He stood quietly as she seemed to get confused for a brief moment, watching with worried eyes as she shook her head, he wondered if it hurt her, or something... back home some of the ill lions did that. Yet before he could move closer, or even ask, she spoke again, seeming to have overcome whatever it was that had distracted her a moment ago.
Tilting his head at her he paused then dropped his gaze, studying the dried foliage under his paws. "... Not really... I only just got to this area, it was green and densely forested where I have been... its... " He paused, seeming to be hunting for the right word before finally looking back up at her with a faintly helpless expression. ".. its different.."
Looking surprised at her comment on his size he lifted a paw, glancing at his foreleg in puzzlement before replacing it again. "I'm Sliabh... I come from the Kitwana'antara. I'm full lion that I know of... " Pausing he offered her a smile, certainly, he at least seemed friendly with all that height and strength, not vicious. "It's a pleasure to meet you.."
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:15 am
Khahlela listened close as he spoke and then snorted. Right. There had to be cheetah in there somewhere, but whatever. He probably didn't know anyway. Tossing her head, she flicked her tuft out of her eyes and grinned brightly. "I'm Khahlela. Everyone shortens it to Lela. And.. I'm not from a pride. Not really, anyway. Born and raised out in these lands." She motioned to the dried plants and dusty ground.
"It's not all like this. There's really lush parts around, over flowing with green and water and animals. You just happened upon the .... almost desert part." The black lioness moved closer, starting to circle him to get a good look at him. He was a handsome devil, that was for sure. That blue with his black, and the way he was shy? If she had been interested in guys, she would definitely want this male as a mate. Too bad she liked other females, though. Still, he would be completely perfect if he were a girl.
"I've never heard of your pride. But I take it you're a long way from home. Why?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:33 am
Dipping his head politely as she gave her name he bowed, amber eyes looking up at her from under his forelock. "Lela, it is a nice name." Lifting his head he glanced about as she mentioned the dry arid land around them, expression thoughtful until her slow circling of him caught his attention and he craned his head round to watch her, expression mildly puzzled though he didn't move, not expecting her to attack him.
"I see..." He mused, content to let her circle as she wished. "I seem to have just stumbled into the wrong area then?" Glancing around them once more he looked after the disappearing herd though his gaze didn't linger, instead it moved back to the dark lioness politely.
"Very few have.. and yes, I am." Regarding her quietly he considered his thoughts for a moment, head tilting slightly. "My pride is a very isolated one, it is rare for anyone of us to leave the pride's borders... Many of our members are ill and unable to hunt or look after themselves, those of us who are in god health care for the worse off pride members." He paused, amber gaze lifting to the horizon in thought, his expression one of longing, and worry.. it was clear something troubled him. After a moment he dropped his gaze and looked back at her a little apologetically.
"I am one of the very few who have been sent across the border.. I am a guard in the pride, but I am also immune and have my full health. See... our pride is suffering... there was a period when we were under attack from rival prides and a terrible plague swept through our ranks, decimating the already weak lions. Many died, and even more died defending our home." Trailing off he dropped his gaze, a pained expression marring his features.
"There are too few of us now... and we risk dieing out if we can not replenish our numbers... my Queen came to me and asked me to fulfil a mission for her, for the pride. She sent me away from our homeland, sent me out here, in order that I may help bring strength and prosperity to the Kitwana once more."
Taking a breath he met her gaze, his own slightly nervous, worried. She was the first he had truly told about his mission and his pride.... he hoped she did not find it disturbing.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:47 am
The circling stopped when she got in front of him again and tilted her head to the side, contemplating something. If she did switch to the other team, it would have to be for a guy like him. Handsome, shy, but not afraid to wander into unknown lands. There was something so compelling about this Sliabh. Then he spoke in serious tones and she took everything in without flinching.
Illness in prides wasn't uncommon, nor was the fact that they sent males and healthy females out to bring back new members. Be it by finding adults, or bringing back their own brood of cubs. Still, a frown formed upon her lips as he spoke and she looked to the side. When he was done talking, she still said nothing for a long, long while.
His mission was to bring back healthy members in hopes of some of them having the same immunity he did. Well, it was a smart move on the Queen's part, she had to admit. She would have done the same if she was in that situation. But being told like this, that he's out here for breeding and bringing back cubs was a little disturbing. She didn't hold it against him, oh no. She knew breedings like this were common. She, herself, was born because of a single night her mother had a moment of weakness. She'd seen nothing of her father. She didn't even know what he looked like.
"Well, slick, I say you've got your work cut out for you. There's females here and there. Some of the females are getting captured and dragged back to a pride. I don't know the name of the pride, but I do know that ever male can have two or more females." It didn't even cross her mind that maybe he wanted to breed with her to bring the cubs back. Lela sat on her rump and thought some more before shrugging. "I could help you out. There might be some female I know that might be interested in joining your pride."
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:05 am
He watched her silently, the thoughts that flitted across her features too fast for him to fully understand, but she hadn't leaped backwards yelling, or attacked him... so at least that was something.
When she finally replied, he listened quietly, head tilting at the mention of this strange pride kidnapping all the local females. He blinked at her, startled by this for a long moment. "A pride.. taking them?" Orange gaze drifted over the landscape in puzzlement for a moment before he added. "Do you know the direction of the pride..?" He wasn't sure what he would do with this information... the vague idea of going to the border and seeing if any of the females wanted to escape drifted through his mind. He was strong and a good fighter... though if there was a chance that it would bring trouble to his pride, then he would not even consider it...
Then something else struck him. Lela was here... and she was female... she was also strong and independent and ... something was telling him she would be an excellent mother to his cubs. It wasn't just a hunch, it was a feeling deep within him, where usually he got feelings about where a rogue was going to turn up, or if a certain day would bring trouble on the pridal border...
Sliabh was a seer, for all he was unaware of it, and that ability was now pushing him towards this handsom, dark-coated lioness.
"Uhh... Lela....?" He looked back at her, suddenly uncertain, voice a shy rumble.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:22 am
"They're not cubs. They're adults. ...Most of the time. Sometimes adolescents." She thought at his question and stretched herself out, laying down. Where the pride was? She motioned toward the east a bit and thought. "It's a few days walk that-a way. ...I think, anyway."
She didn't know of his intentions. The thought never crossed her mind that she was a healthy female and that he might want to breed with her. Lela, however, did notice that he seemed to have gotten even more nervous for whatever reason and she tilted her head to the side. "Want me to take you there?" She was guessing at what he wanted to ask her.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:31 am
Nodding faintly he still wasn't sure about the whole idea... stealing away grown females only to.. what? Hord them? Sure, he was looking for females to give him cubs, but he would never trick them.. Only those who knew what he planned and agreed to let him take them would be considered.
Which meant....
Watching as she settled down, he finally sat back, tail curling over the dry earth behind him as he stared at his forepaws, amber eyes uncertain, nervous. Shifting under her gaze he hesitated, then finally managed to find his voice.
"Uh.. well.. no... not that. Mmm.. w-would you consider um.. helping me? I mean uhh.." Pausing he looked up at her helplessly, dark ears low.
Come on Sliabh!!! This is your mission, your duty. The whole reason your Queen sent you out here.. you have to ask her!
"... Would you consider having cubs.. w-with me?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:43 am
Lela watched him as he settled down and grew increasingly fidgety and shy. Why was he getting like this all of a sudden? Still, he seemed to want to ask her something important. Maybe he didn't need her help to find the pride? Just the same, the black lioness waited and listened when he stammered out the questions.
"..." the smile left her face as she finally comprehended what he asked and she blinked once, twice, three times before shaking her head. "Wait. Me? Cubs?" It was like a slap in the face; being asked to have cubs. For the most part, she saw herself as a guy and not a girl. So to have a male ask her to do a female job was a bit of a shock.
Lela didn't say anything for a long time, trying to wrap her head around this again. This was the second or third time he left her completely speechless. She stayed where she was, not moving, though she did tense up. A pink tongue darted out and licked her muzzle, though her tongue felt thick and hot against her short fur. "....Uhm.... Well....
"Wow, OK. Wait. So... you want me to have cubs with you? Just like that? So you can bring them back to your pride." She understood that bit. "But why me? I mean... I know I'm healthy and everything, but it seems just a bit random. Not really random, 'cause we were just talking about it but. ...You see me as a girl." That was the weird part.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:56 am
Her total silence unnerved him, made him stare at his front paws like a cub waiting to be scolded by his mother. Finally it was too much and he added in a nervous rush. "Its-ok-if-you-don't-I-mean-I-know-its-odd-and-all-so-I-won't-mind-if-you-say-no-I didn't -mean-any-offence..........."
Peeking up at her with worried eyes he forced himself to sit still and not fidgit or even.. flee. It was his first attempt at ever asking this and while he had been more than happy when asked by his Queen... now that it came to it, he had absolutely no idea how to go about it. Though in hind sight.. just asking out of the blue like that was probably.. not the best method.
As she finally spoke he could only nod mutely, bright gaze on her shyly, hoping she wouldn't take offence. Then.. she said that, and he couldn't help the bemused expression from passing over his features. "Uh well.... you are a girl.... and you seem really strong and confident. I know its a bit.. random.. but um, I really don't know of a way to ask that's.. less random. I just have this feeling.. that you are important to my pride somehow...."
He stared at his paws again, his tail curling round his side to flick uncertainly against his flank. Oh, he was certain she was one of those he was destined to meet, but weather or not she would accept, he had no idea.
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 7:30 am
She stared at her own paws for a minute as he stated she was a girl. Of course Lela was a girl! Just sometimes she actually believed she wasn't. She shuffled her feet a bit before looking up at him. "Well.. I mean.. I am a girl... And... I.." Well, normally she would say no, but his home was dying out of healthy members! This would bring healthy, strong members to his family, as well as new blood and more chances that cubs won't get the sickness.
But she hadn't even thought of cubs of her own. "....W-would you stay... like, stay with me until they're big enough for you to take them? Could.. I keep one?" Now she really felt like an insecure female. Lela didn't like this feeling of uncertainty and insecurity, so she had to get answers to push them to the side and act like her normal self again.
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 7:44 am
Golden eyes lifted back to her as she spoke, hopeful and yet nervous. A sudden rush of relief swept through him, the tension evaporating..
She hadn't said no! She hadn't called him a fool and left!
As she expressed her worries he looked surprised, did she think he would just up and leave? "Of course I would stay. You would be doing me a great honour... my pride as well. And yes, the gift of cubs is precious, they are something to be rejoiced over... I would not refuse you that joy." Standing he stepped a little closer, amber gaze gentled, concerned that she might feel that this was anything less than a precious gift for him and his pride.
"I know we are strangers, but you will be helping to save my pride, my home. I will do anything you need while you carry and raise them. I'm a decent hunter.. usually.. " he gave her a wry, softly amused smile, knowing he certainly hadn't seed it earlier. ".. and I am a Guard, so you will be perfectly safe from anyone who tried to bother you. I'll stay at your side the whole time."
Pausing he looked down, searching desperately for the words he meant to say. "You.... would be helping my home to survive... you would have my, and my pride's, eternal gratitude..." Blushing he fell quiet, knowing he hadn't expressed just how much this meant to him and just how very grateful he would be to her. He would be the perfect mate for her while they were together, after all, this was a great gift she was allowing him.. he could never truly thank her enough.
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