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 Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 1:41 pm
Harvest moved through the tall grasses with care. He knew no other big cats awaited them, but he wanted to be aware all the same. It wasn't good practice to be unaware and uninformed of one's surroundings. He needed to know escape routes and any possible hiding places. What was the fastest route from here to the main body of the pack? Those sorts of things - just in case, always just in case. One never knew what sort of diabolical plans could be concocted out on the savannah by strangers. As they approached the dark maned lion, he grew so tense that he thought his back might snap in half just before he turned to stone, long before they ever reached the intruder.
His companion was no less tense, though for different reasons. A rogue lion! She was sure she'd never met one before, and the excitement made her heart thud so loud so she was sure all of Africa could hear it. It was nearly in her throat, crushing her larynx and making her breath come in short gasps. A quiet chant ran like a mantra through her thoughts, making her wonder as Harvest did if she would ever really grow up, "A lion, a lion, a lion, a lion!" She inhaled his scent and held it, blue eyes sparkling with mirth and widening in the moonlight as they drew near. He was huge - much larger than she would ever have imagined! She was enraptured, almost as if she looked upon a god if only because she could never even dream up such a thing.
The big cat watched and waited as the canines came nearer. He had recognized the scent of one, and smiled gently in remembrance of that pale coat in the darkness though the other had not yet recognized him. He was patient and silent, turning his black face one way and then another as he lay there. He had no where to be, and saw no good coming from him approaching the dogs and closing the distance more swiftly. They were alert and on guard, so swift movement before he was greeted would either cause them to scatter back to the trees or might even prompt an attack. The lion longed for a familiar face, so he would wait, lonely as he was, until he could speak with an old friend.
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Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 1:49 pm
He hadn't gone too far before a chill went up his spine. Something was familiar about the scent he inhaled so close to the big cat. A flood of memories crashed through his mind: of injury and agony, tears and Death, and a lion the color of shadows dueling another the color of blood. And loss, terrible loss. He blinked his icy eyes, now round and owlish with surprise. His paws ceased their forward movement so that his claws came to rest at the edge of the lion's mooncast shadow. He inclined his head slightly to one side, confused and caught completely off guard. His voice was incredulous as he ventured tremulously, "Talamo?" The name seemed foreign on his lips, for he had sworn he would never see the knight again, and so had dashed his memory from his tormented mind.
His surprise echoed on the wide face of his partner, her own eyes widening as they snapped towards the pale coat of her friend. "You know him?" She hissed, attention torn between cat and canine as she was no longer sure of the credibility of the threat. Harvest had not greeted the lion as one might an enemy, but perhaps he had merely been too surprised to process the threat. Her claws dug into the dirt as she wagged her tail, so low it brushed the tops of pebbles behind her, but she was unsure of how she should greet the stranger now. Was he friend or foe? Should she go warn the pack? Her excitement of meeting a stranger still kept her rooted, firmly, to her spot as she continually cast unsure glances out of the corner of her eyes at Harvest.
"Harvestmoon." The lion, Talamo, did not voice the name as a question. He had recognized the dog's scent even if it was no longer marred by blood and lingering illness. His dark eyes were bright with amused contentment, happy to lay his gaze on a face he already knew. He was tired of strangers, and the two of them had bonded closely in the short time they had known one another. The dog had been so naive then, and young, but Talamo had watched him grow old in a matter of days, and seen the youthful innocence die away in his tired eyes then. It had been tragic, and the horrible memory would stick with him until at last he closed his eyes for the last time at the end of all things.
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Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:02 pm
Harvestmoon wasn't sure whether he was excited and glad to see the lion, or if he were angry that the beast had intruded on his new life, or if he was terrified of the memories that the appearance dredged up in his mind. He stared at the dark pelt for a few silent moments, as if he were seeing a ghost, and he felt the emotions of those short weeks wash over him like rapids of a swift-moving river. He was powerless in their current, but they did not move him from his position. Finally he exhaled, quietly, and glanced at Moonbug at his side with a curt nod, "Yes, I know him." He looked back to Talamo, creasing his brow slightly with thought but unable to stop the small, relieved smile that pulled at the corner of his muzzle. Talamo was no threat, and despite the reminder of things better left forgotten, he was glad to see the Farasi all the same. "What are you doing out this way? I had thought I'd seen the last of you."
If Moon were completely aware of her actions, she might have been perturbed that she so continually mimicked the male wild dog. Her own brows had furrowed in thought, attempting to put together the pieces in her mind. So the cat wasn't at threat, and may very well be a friend although Harvest was still looking at him rather funny. At least they hadn't been attacked yet, and the lion knew her partner's name, so there was that as well. Her gaze darted from one figure to the other, brows still creased in confused concern, until Harvest spoke again. So he knew him, and the inquiry voiced towards Talamo only solidified her assumption that Talamo was from Harvest's old life - his mysterious life outside the pack. Oooohh, this whole night kept getting more and more interesting. The other dog's smile caused one of her own, as she had only seen him smile on rare occasions before and usually with much effort on her part, and she looked at this lion with a new outlook.
Talamo dipped his head to the female, unsure of introductions when Harvest was so direct with his questioning. For a few brief moments, Talamo had wondered if he wasn't welcome here, or if the dog had remembered him at all, even. A name, surely, only went so far. Harvest had been feverish and heartbroken the last time they had met, so he very well may have blocked everything out unconsciously. Or, worse yet, he may confuse Talamo with the other dark pelted lion in the story, which would have been very poor. Talamo may be the color of night, but the other lion had been the color behind your eyelids when you shut your eyes and turned your face to the sun. Muddy red, a murky hue that stunk of death. He shrugged and smiled carelessly at Harvest's question, "I wander. I am still out in search of recruits for my homeland, though I am returning home soon." He inclined his head towards the rear, "I have cubs with me, hidden in the brush not far from here with bellies full of meat. I do not wish for them to spend all their lives here in the roguelands." Talamo cast his gaze over the surrounding trees, "I see you have returned home already?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:14 pm
Whatever it was that Harvest was expecting, he wasn't sure, but he was slow to reply to the lion nevertheless and as of yet had not noticed his blunder in not introducing his companion. He dropped his gaze to look at his forepaws, mouth hanging slightly agape before he shook his head and raised it yet again to look at his old friend. His lips were still twisted in a partial smile, as if he couldn't keep it from his face despite his best efforts to the contrary, "Cubs, hm? Who would have thought? I'm glad for you, old friend." He dipped his head a little to shield the sadness that swept over his gaze before he glanced, awkwardly, at Moonbug as if only just remembering that she was even there. Clearing his throat, he swallowed and spoke, "This is Moonbug. She's a scout here, in the Peke Na, just as I am. We uh..."
"Work together! Sort of. Or, well, at least, I follow him sometimes. For fun." She tore her eyes away from the lion long enough to shoot Harvest a low-browed glower, "He doesn't exactly cooperate most of the time." Her smile returned just as she moved her bright, clear eyes back to the lion. She could barely contain the excitement that threatened to bubble past her lips in a more than just a little childish giggle, so she shut her lips over her teeth for a moment before venturing to add, "It's a pleasure to meet you - Talamo, was it?" Normally, Moon wasn't quite so rambunctiously inept at keeping her emotions in check but it wasn't every day that she got to meet a lion and by the gods, it was something she could tell the pups about! Littleshield had always told her such things, but she had never imagined...
He hadn't meant to cause the dog any sort of pain at all, but he caught that glimmer of silent pain and immediately felt a stab of guilt in his own heart. That was right. The last time they'd met... he frowned, inclining his head slightly to one side in mute apology before turning his attention, as indicated, towards the blue she-dog at his friend's side. Her enthusiasm and manner when dealing with her counterpart made him smile, and Harvest's gentle roll of his eyes and snort of derision at her nagging only made his chest rumble in quiet laughter. She was precocious. He'd always found that trait charming in the softer gender of any species, and the youthful undertones of each of her movements and speech patterns brought him some level of silent joy. She wasn't naive, he could tell that much, or at least not so completely that it left her innocence bare for all to gander at, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Moonbug. Yes, I am called Talamo. I'm a Knight for a pride of lions on the coast, near a delta."
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:03 pm
He had caught that silent apology with the slight twist of the lion's neck, but he did not acknowledge it. Talamo would understand that sometimes pain was better left ignored so that it could heal all the faster. Scratching an itching wound would only break open the scabs, and the wild dog had no intention of reopening any weeping wounds. Not yet, anyway, and who knew when exactly he'd be ready for such a thing. Harvest wasn't sure just what he thought of the way Talamo was looking at the two of them, but he was fairly certain he didn't like it. His eyes narrowed slightly, watching the larger beast as he chuckled and spoke to his partner. Work partner, nothing more. Even then, it wasn't a willing thing - she followed him like a shadow, it wasn't that she always wanted his company... or sought her out when she wasn't there, or any other silly nonsense. She was a thorn in his paw and he merely tolerated her presence, that was all, so no... no, he didn't like how Talamo was looking at them, but Moonbug didn't seem to notice so he kept silent.
"A delta?" She hadn't heard that word before, and her expression twisted in an obvious sign of confusion. It didn't last, however, for she did recognize the word 'coast' so her smile returned with blatant enthusiasm as she nodded quickly, "The coast - that's near a beach, right? Where the ocean crashes. I have never seen it, but I've heard tales." She didn't add that someday she'd like to see it, for she had no intention of ever leaving the pack... or at least, she didn't think she did. No, her place was here, with Littleshield and Lightstep and, now, with Harvestmoon. She glanced at the male dog, feeling the tension shift from his direction. Her brows lifted curiously before she looked back at the lion again with a brief nod, "You are a long way from home, then." A long, long way... how did Harvest know this lion? How far had he gone from the packlands? She was beginning to wonder just how far this world stretched, a how far one's paws could take them.
Talamo caught his friend's tension and only smiled softly for it; he meant no ill will by observing the two canines interacting and drawing conclusions, and whether Harvest willed it or not - conclusions had been drawn. The lion was content; glad to see that his old friend had found some slim glimmer of happiness in a world that was surely so dark after that horrible tragedy. Even if the dog couldn't admit it to himself yet, it was here: a chance for happiness, tucked away in this nocturnal pack in the trees. Talamo was happy for him, and felt as if he could walk on now, confident Harvest would have a happy, safe existence while Talamo set up his family in his own home when he returned. He bowed his head to the two, "A very long way indeed, and now I should start on my return journey. I do not intend for my cubs to grow up in the roguelands, so I will take them home and we've a long way to go yet. I'm glad to have seen you both."
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Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:24 pm
Talamo's farewell was so abrupt that once again Harvest felt as if he were spinning. His blue eyes widened as he looked up at the lion and his ears pressed forward, thinking that perhaps he had heard him wrong. But no, no - the lion was pulling himself back to his feet and turning to leave and Harvest was confused about the twist in his chest. He was sad to see the other go; he hadn't even known how glad he was to see him to begin with. His brow furrowed before he nodded quickly and decisively, to keep from protesting with his eyes, he spoke, "It was wonderful to see you again, friend. I wish you luck with your journey... and your cubs. I hope they grow into the same lion their father did." He smiled then, a small pitiful thing, but nevertheless. He could spare that much for someone who had saved his life from a worse fate. His ears pivoted so that they pinned against his skull as he nodded again, sadly, and then turned to leave with a glance at the blue she-dog. "Let's go," he murmured, and turned back towards the trees.
She couldn't believe his visit was so short! She had more questions! What's a delta? How big was his pride? How many cubs did he have? Did he have a mate? She'd love to have met a lioness as well. Were they as big as him? Bigger? Or smaller? She knew she was smaller than the males in the pack, but she was smaller than almost everyone. Most of the she-dogs were smaller, though, if sometimes marginally, than the males. Did that hold true in other species? Her own brows furrowed in frustration as a quiet huff of displeasure exploded past her pressed lips. Oh well, there was nothing to be done about it. Talamo had already turned to leave and Harvest was already a few steps behind her. Her tail raised briefly, swaying with indecision before she called after the cat quietly, "Goodbye, Talamo. Good luck." Then she turned, slowing her pace only when she was walking shoulder to shoulder with her friend again.
He chuckled when he caught sight of Moonbug's expression over his black shoulder, and smiled at her huff. She was tied to her home, though, he knew, and would not leave it by choice. He was the same, and his heart beat faster at the opportunity to return home. He knew his cubs were waiting out in the brush, and that they would be hungry soon. How far were they now from his home? He couldn't be sure, but far enough that the longing thudded like a living beast in his gut. His ears flicked as he heard first Harvest and then Moon's goodbyes, and he glanced back to return the call but the two of them had already almost disappeared into the trees. He paused to watch them melt into the shadows with their bright coats, his tail flicking gently through the grass behind him, before he turned his large head and made his way through the savannah, back to his young ones and back home.
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