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 Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:00 pm
Roho was troubled. There was no other word for it. They were supposed to be heading to this new land. This land of warriors where they might find refuge and be able to rebuild their lives. But so many doubts ran through the female's head, though she was unwilling to share most of them. Even still, she had enough trouble sleeping because of past events, let alone future ones. This was why she had decided to confide in her trusted friend and leader, Nawvlee. He was a lion of sound judgement and, though she doubted he would have led them this far if he'd had doubts, she felt it might do her some good to talk it through with him.
Talking did seem to help, as she'd just recently discovered. It wouldn't do any harm.
Luckily the group stayed close together, never straying far and never for longer than necessary, in fear that they were still being followed. As such the large lion was easy to find and, as she drew up towards him, she brushed noisily against the long, tassled grasses before calling out to him.
"Nawvlee, sir, do you have a moment?" A silly thing to say given the situation, but she felt it only polite. As far as she was concerned, he was still a superior, even if there was no pride any more.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:15 pm
Nawvlee was spending all of his time focusing on getting his group to where they needed to be, where they had decided they needed to be. A land of warriors, where they would be safe and strong again. He had high hopes for what was to come and he wouldn't rest easy until they had found the Firekin. They were not meant to be rogues and they certainly remained vulnerable while they were so small in number.
He always stayed where he could see the others, never wandering off on his own so that, at the least, they would always be able to find the group again if they did wander away. They were taking a break and Nawvlee was staring off in the direction they were moving, into the distance where their target lay. He didn't look away when Roho approached, though his ears flickered back at her approach, recognizing the footsteps.
"Of course, Roho," he answered, still not looking at her, "What do you need?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:21 pm
She cleared her throat uncomfortably as she drew up alongside him, sitting carefully so that she could bide herself some time whilst she gathered her thoughts.
"I am troubled." She admitted after a moment. "About where we are going. I trust in Adiel's judgement. If she says that the Firekin are a good strong, warrior pride, then I believe her. But..." She shook her head. "So much could go wrong. They could refuse to permit us entry or perhaps they will not be as we expect."
She sighed. "I do not wish to be a rogue, Sir, but, perhaps it might be safer if we remain out in the unclaimed lands for now. I can't help but think those Nergui lions are maybe seeking out strong warrior prides. What if these Firekin become a target?"
She couldn't go through it all over again...she couldn't.
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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:34 pm
He dared to glance over once Roho was seated at his side, knowing he didn't have to be so cold but it was the easiest way to control his own concerns and doubts. He would relax when they were safe again. As Roho explained the worries she had about their plan, he turned to look directly at her. His expression was neutral but thoughtful.
"It's the best chance we have right now," he said, "We will find out if they are as good as Adiel makes them out to be and a warning against the Nergui may help them prepare better than we were able to."
Hopefully the Firekin would have the numbers they had not had. And then, if they knew there was a threat they could be prepared, and then they could avoid the fate of the Hongshan.
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Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 3:56 am
Roho instinctively turned to meet Nawvlee’s gaze and found strength in his eyes. He was such a confident lion, so sure of his path. It helped her overcome at least a portion of her concerns. “Yes. If we were warned of their coming, perhaps even our small pride might have been able to do something to turn the tide.”
They could have lain in wait and ambushed from rocky ledges, pushing dirt and rocks down onto the unsuspecting intruders. They could have bottle-necked them, forcing them to fight with only a few at a time, cutting through their ranks in the confined space. However, the Hongshan could never have guessed that the intruders would mean to slaughter them and unknowing of their existence until they were already on the doorstep had all but set them in the grave before the battle had begun.
Roho set her jaw and nodded sharply. “You are right, Sir. Of course you are right. The advantage of knowing what comes can be enough to turn a battle. I just wished we had been able to learn more about them when we were held captive. Where they came from…what they were after.” She shook her head. “I suppose it’s not worth worrying about that now, but, maybe if we’d been able to understand them, the battle could have been avoided.” She sighed. “But we should be thankful for what we have…and to you, Nawvlee. Without you, none of us would be here now.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:55 pm
"Yes, exactly."
However painful it was to dwell on the past and what might have been, he couldn't help it- and he justified it by calling it learning from experience. Even if they didn't really need a reminder to know preparation was so important.
He stayed quiet until Roho finished, decidedly not commenting on what she said about him. It had been a hard journey to get to this point, they couldn't be thankful yet, they weren't finished.
"We're lucky to be this far," he said, nodding. It was almost a way of agreeing with her that they ought to be thankful for what they did have.
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 3:07 pm
The young female sighed, turning to cast her gaze out across the wild landscape. It was so unfamiliar and she shuddered at the lack of comfort it brought her. She missed the red mountains and their comforting embrace that had once protected them. She didn't think any other land could hold as much meaning as the place of her birth.
"Whatever happens, Sir, we'll stick together. Always. Won't we? There's none that can separate us now."
Her eyes snapped back to Nawvlee's face. "I just hope these Firekin will listen to us and heed our warnings. They have...no reason to trust us, after all." Her brow furrowed. "I'm worrying again, I know. I know. But...whatever happens, Sir, know that I will stand by you. I'm certain the others feel the same as I do."
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 3:40 pm
"Always."
There was no hesitation in his voice as he looked back to Roho to answer her question. There was no doubt about it in his mind, after everything they had been through together, the loss of their pride, their capture, their escape and now this. No, they were stuck.
"If they're smart, they'll take us seriously," he said, thinking back to how things were in the Hongshan and how he might have advised Jianjun if they were approached by a group with such claims. Whether or not they believed there was a threat looming, the safest bet would be to prepare for one.. while remaining suspicious of the messengers. They would deal with that possibility when it came.
"Thank you, Roho," he said, even cracking a small smile.
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 4:14 pm
"If anyone can convince them, Sir, it will be you." Her confidence was unwavering. After all, he had inspired them in the darkest of times. He certainly had what it took to convince warriors that there might be a need behind their training and to work all the harder for it.
Heck, they might even thank the band of refugees for giving them a purpose!
"Thank you for listening." She continued, standing and backing up a few steps. She dipped her head respectfully and cast him a brief look. "I'll circle the territory and make sure there's no one else around. Any trouble and I'll report back."
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 4:25 pm
He didn't need to hear it to know that he had the support of the little band of refugees. He hadn't just taken the lead, they had followed. But it was emboldening.
"All right," he said, glancing back out to the distance where he had been looking before and then turning himself all the way around to head back toward the group, "I'll be back with the others."
They needed to decide how long they would rest here and possibly organize a hunting trip, though it would depend on what Roho found.
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