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 Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:42 pm
The sun was hovering beautifully in the late afternoon sky, but that didn’t stop the lion from wishing that he was staring at the moon instead. After all at least with the stars giving him their guidance, he wouldn’t be as lost as he was. Not that he really…was too lost at the moment. Just temporarily confused.
“Honestly.” Raiquen sighed and shook his head. “At least I managed to take them back to the border.” He looked back towards the south with a gentle expression. He was glad that he had helped yet another lost soul to find peace at the shrine of a god. Now if only the gods would help him to not be a ‘lost one’ as well.
Sighing, the lion started walking again. But this time he went towards a place full of foliage where he believed a small stream to be.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:40 pm
Ili'ella had her face tilted up, soaking in the warm sun's gaze as she walked. She had missed walking. She was a wanderer at heart, and with cubs, she had not been able to wander far. She did like the ability to come back to someone, the feel...welcomed. Her cubs were the lights of her life, but they were growing older now. Juveniles and rambunctious. She gave a small laugh, thinking fondly of her five babies, and the two that their father had taken. She saw them sometimes, but not often anymore. She missed Teleza, but he had his own life, she supposed.
Her mother had come out of the Kizingo to visit, and so Ili'ella had left the cubs in her able care. Her mother was crazy - not in a bad way - but she was fully capable of taking care of cubs. Afterall, she had raised Ili'ella and her siblings to adolescent just fine.
She would enjoy these free moments. She giggled as she passed a butterfly. She pawed at it, not intending to actually grab it but just enjoying the play. She felt like a cub again, she thought to herself, even though she was no where near cub age.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:57 pm
Raiquen stopped when he heard noise. Was there someone else out here with him? Perhaps another guide? The lion immediately brightened up at the thought. Even if it wasn't company wasn't such a bad thought. And maybe it was even someone who needed to visit one of the shrines.
Determined the lion turned and started towards the noise. "Hey-" Raiquen's voice froze in his throat at what he saw. Turning quickly he darted behind the nearest foliage. It was from there that the stunned lion watched the lioness - a goddess surely!- playing around.
He just stood there in silent admiration of her. Something about the way the sun hit her, the way she moved - it just made her glow. I have no idea about what to do. The thought nearly made him laugh out loud. He was a guide for the gods and yet he didn't even know how to approach the goddess. He didn't want to ruin the scene before him. Raiquen decided. But that meant that he couldn't leave until she did. The realization of how close he really was made the lion nervous.
Just what would happen if she found him?
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:26 pm
Ili'ella blinked, turning her face towards where the noise - which sounded like someone speaking but was cut off very quickly, so maybe it had not been someone at all - her butterfly flying off while she was distracted. She scanned the surroundings, taking in the different plant life and the occasional bug or butterfly, but she saw nothing that might have spoken to her.
"You're going crazy in your old age," she remarked to herself, giving a small laugh. She wasn't really old but her cubs were almost adolescent, and soon would be adult even! She felt old.
Perhaps she was just so desperate for company that she was making things up now! What a horrid thought. Maybe the voices her mother heard were hereditary. The variety of explanations fluttered through her mind, making her give a rather breathless laugh. "And now you're talking to yourself," she mused, shaking her head.
She lowered her head, glancing around to see if she could find something new to entertain her since her butterfly was now long gone. Perhaps some flowers to collect for her daughters - or sons, in the case of Aelius who would probably enjoy the flowers as much as her daughters would. Bahati might not like them, but he would appreciate her effort in gathering them at least. The warm smile returned to her face as she thought of her cubs again.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:41 pm
Holding his breath Raiquen prayed that he wouldn't be caught. Which once he thought about it - wasn't it ironic that he was praying to the gods so he wouldn't be caught by a god? The lion shook his head. Jeesh.
Ears twitching he couldn't help but to listen as she talked to herself. Old age? He frowned. She didn't look old at all to him, but then again gods were immortals. Which goddess would she be? Perhaps the sun? Or a star? He tried to place her, but couldn't come up with a definite idea. Blinking he cleared his head before freezing again. She was looking around now.
Was he spotted? Had she sensed his presence?
Pressing down against the ground the lion held his breath. She was smiling again. He couldn't help but to notice how beautiful it was. Raiquen smiled before realizing something else. What did the smile hide? He would be afraid that it was something dark and twisted -perhaps enjoyment about thoughts of punishing a lurking mortal?- but it was just too warm. Honestly, he couldn't see her hurting anyone.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:02 pm
Spotting some pretty and bright coloured flowers, Ili'ella's smile grew and she moved towards them, unknowingly moving closer to where the male was hidden. She paused beside the flowers, eyeing them carefully. They were part of a small shrub, so she did not feel guilty for plucking them. The plant would survive. Picking flowers which were the entirety of the plant usually made her feel...sad, since she was taking them for her own pleasure and leaving the plant dead and without a future generation to carry on.
"Thank you for the flowers, Shrub," she told the plan gently, before using her claws to pluck the small and delicate blooms from the shrub.
As she picked the flowers, she placed them in a small pile beside the plant, a hum beginning to form as she worked. She had always been musical, but the silence of a lack of company had always brought out the more musical side. Silence could be beautiful, but there were some times when she hated the silence.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:24 pm
His heart thumping in his chest the lion watched as the lioness approached the shrubs that he was hiding behind. Out of all things...Raiquen sighed. Was she just teasing him now? Or was she honestly just unaware of his presence? He was mortal after all, probably nothing important for her to register. What a sad truth that was.
You're welcome. He nearly replied without thinking before clamping his mouth shut. Instead he focused on scooting back as quietly as possible. Breaking a twig Raiquen frooze again before diving back towards the ground away from her. Please. Please! He prayed before finding himself distracted yet again by her. This time though it wasn't her beauty that got him, it was her humming.
Maybe she was the goddess of music then? Closing his eyes the lion listened to the lovely melody and without realizing it had started to hum himself.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:37 pm
Ili'ella froze when she heard the sound of a twig cracking, but she shrugged it off. There were other animals around, she knew. Gazelles and birds and other prey animals. Any one of those could have stepped on something, breaking it and making the sound. It sounded...larger then a prey animal though, but she shook her head. She continued to hum, picking flowers. She had more then enough for her cubs now, but she continued to pick, getting some for her mother too. Lari could take them back to her pride with her and give it to Ili'ella's young siblings, or to Lari's mate - who would likely wouldn't appreciate the gesture but she didn't mind too much. Lari would probably enjoy the opportunity to annoy the male further. Her mother and her mother's new mate had an...odd relationship.
She gave a soft laugh, before refocusing on the flowers, her humming coming back in full force. As she hummed, she could have sworn she heard a second harmony with her own voice. She tilted her head to the side, trying to locate the sound. It was coming from near where she was. Well, there was only one way to find out.
She stopped humming and smiled in the direction of the other noise. "You are quite musical," she remarked, her voice gentle. "Do you speak also?" She didn't think it was the shrub humming with her, but perhaps a smaller creature, something shy.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:52 pm
It was really pretty - their harmony was.It really had been a while since he had last allowed himself to hum or sing with someone else. Wait a second. Raiquen realized that he was humming out loud to late. Cursing himself for his foolishness the lion groaned. Now what? She still apparently couldn't pinpoint his exact location....should he lie still? Hope that she thought that she was hearing things?
No that wouldn't work at all.
Swallowing he managed to weakly call out, "Thank you, milady. Though your music far beats mine." Was that enough for talking to a goddess? He frowned, he really didn't want to be disrespectful. As it was he peered out of the bushes at her, still careful to hide himself. "I apologize for disturbing you. I can leave now-" He started before adding another 'sorry' and backing away.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:16 pm
She was pleased when her companion called out to her, speaking at last. She tilted her head to the side, still unable to spot whoever it was, but now she knew two things about them. One, they were male, and two, they had a nice voice. They didn't sound small, but sometimes big voices came from small things, so she couldn't judge. She knew it had to be a male though, no female had a voice quite that masculine - or she hoped it wasn't a female, or she'd feel terrible thinking such a thing.
"Oh no," she called out, when the male was going to slip away. "Please don't leave. I would enjoy some company, if you are able to spare some time." What was it like to talk with an adult? She had almost forgotten. Sure, her cubs were older and she saw her mother sometimes, but an actual, sensible adult - of any species- was so rare for her. Especially male. She seemed to scare of most males, what with having seven cubs already. Why males avoided single mothers, she wasn't sure, but it seemed quite obvious that they did.
"And I quite liked your music," she added, almost as an afterthought, though not intentionally so. She smiled in the direction of his voice, although she could not see him and therefore couldn't be sure he saw her smile.
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:31 pm
Raiquen stopped moving. What? The lion blinked with confusion. Was she really asking him to stay? Maybe for punishment? He shivered at the thought before shaking his head. There was no way that he should be afraid of her. Nervous maybe, but nothing about this goddess seemed angry. "Are you certain that it's okay?" He finally asked quietly, "I wouldn't want to waste your time."
Why not? If she was asking then who was he to deny her request? Surely he was blessed to be able to speak with a goddess. He turned towards her then and started to rustle through the bushes. "But it was to your tune." He protested coming into view for the first time. "I only added to it, nothing more."
Though another look at her reminded him of whom he was speaking to and the lion froze in his tracks. Here he was...right in front of her too. Silently he stared at her. What now?
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:42 pm
She nodded her head, encouraging him to come out. "I'm sure you wouldn't waste my time," she told him honestly, still smiling. She peered at the bushes as they rustled, prepared to see a smaller creature emerge from them. Who else would act so shy towards a lioness as small as she was? She was not 'tiny' but she certainly was below average size and had been all her life.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him. Well, she was wrong about him being little! He was certainly no ratel nor hare, but rather a lion such as herself. For a moment, she almost forgot he spoke at all. She pushed herself to her feet, having sat to pick her flowers. He was rather...handsome too. She felt her cheeks heat, but she hadn't been around a male in a long time and she almost didn't respond to his comment.
"But my tune would not be as interesting, without your harmony added. I can not make that noise on my own, so you helped my tune become more beautiful." She smiled at him, and shifted, almost shyly. She called herself a fool, since she wa a full grown female, she shouldn't be shy about the male.
"My name is Ili'ella. Might I know yours?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:49 pm
If only he had known what he would experience today. The lion mused as he looked over at the female. Not only was he seeing a goddess, but he was talking to one. And she was kind. Not to mention beautiful as well. That he couldn't help but to notice.
Raiquen looked sheepishly to the side, "Ah. I guess you could say that." He replied, still avoiding her gaze. It wasn't right to look at her in the eyes...because he was no where near her equal. Still she continued to baffle him. He had always imagined a god to be more distant. Yet, she was treating him equally.
"Raiquen." He replied automatically before bowing his head to her, "It is a pleasure to be in your presence, Ili'ella."
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Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:09 pm
He seemed rather...shy, she mused, watching as he refused to meet her eye. Perhaps he was embarrassed to have been caught? She felt bad for dragging him out then. She should have just left him to his own devices.
"The pleasure is mine, Raiquen," she assured him, bowing her head in return. "It's been a while since I have found myself in company! I seem to be surrounded by youth normally," she said, laughing before falling silent. Oh. That might not be good. Would he turn tail and run, now he knew she had cubs? Most males seemed to.
She tilted her jaw up proudly though. She refused to hide her cubs. She would not lie and say she had none, simply to have company for a while.
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Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:58 pm
Raiquen just stared at her in shock. Not only was she not mad at him, but she was being so nice as well! Really, the gods were confusing creatures at times. He noted with a faint sigh. Just what was she up to? Maybe she didn't realize that he knew? Or at least suspected her? She did seem mortal at the moment after all. His gaze kept searching her features for any hints of divinity. But it seemed a good disguise. So if it wasn't for the way that he caught her earlier anyone might mistake her for a mortal?
That might be it.
The lion blinked and refocused. She was telling him something. "Youth?" He repeated with confusion. Was she a mother goddess perhaps? Whatever she had meant by that Raiquen could see that she was proud. Just as she should be. The lion noted with a smile.
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