[PRP] Little bit of research (Veri, Mith'ando)

[Annchen]

Veri had stopped for the day and was resting in the shadow of a big tree while her companion was hunting. She was disguised as a mortal lioness, but could do nothing about the vague scent of fresh blood that seemed to surround her. Most mortals wouldn't be able to pinpoint it to her, however, and she could certainly hold her own if some scavenger thought she was an injured animal that needed to be put out of its misery. She might smell like easy pickings, but she was most certainly not as more than one hyena had learned the hard way. Well, at least the scent didn't reach far enough to draw vultures... Now that would have been really annoying.

She shifted and stretched, pondering what to do when her companion came back. The questions she had asked herself were still itching in the back of her head; questions about mortals and how they coped with their hopelessly stunted life span without a chance to be reborn and start over. Perhaps she should do something about it instead of wondering? She knew of a pride living even closer to death than regular mortals. When she crossed the edge of their lands a few moons ago she could smell the sickness and the death. Some bled to death, and she could feel that scent especially strongly, feeling oddly drawn to the place. But she had left quickly and not acted on that instinct.

Would it be completely tasteless to go there and ask her questions to dying lions? Probably. Did she care? Hmm... She hadn't decided yet. Veri put her head on her paws and closed her eyes. She wouldn't decide until she had her snake around her neck again. He'd be stuffed with whatever small creature he had found, and would most certainly want to stick close to her for her body heat.  

[Talencia]

Mith'ando had been spending his life for some time now as a nomad. It was by choice, but not for the reasons one might assume. It wasn't because he loved to travel, though he didn't mind it. It was not because he disliked organized groups or people in general. Just the opposite really, for the reason he wandered was that he was looking for something. Sitting in a single spot and waiting certainly wasn't going to help him find what he had seen behind his eyes since he'd become an adolescent. Not knowing the place did not dampen his drive to find it.

So he wandered, hither and yon along the roguelands. He spoke with those he met, but given the nature of his visions, he generally didn't inquire about a pride of dead or dying lions. Besides being an unpleasant topic, he couldn't tell if this was death descending swiftly and often, or if it was merely all the deaths of a specific pride over a period of generations. He was postive it was indeed a single pride, for the most part, that he saw in the heart-wrenching scenes, as some of the same grieving individuals figured into it, shown at different ages. So it was definitely a place to be found. It merely was going to take time to track it down. How did one go about asking directions to a place he did not know? It was a puzzle, no question, but one the patient and long-suffering lion was willing to slowly unravel.

A large tree loomed in the distance, beckoning the huge-framed lion towards itself. A rest would be good, and the shade more than welcome in these lands where shade was highly prized and coveted. He moved slowly and with purpose, not rushing for the shade like a fool that would arrive hot and panting. That was not Mith at all. No, he plodded on steadily, his goal in sight and content to arrive at it when he was meant to. Thankfully, due to his long strides, it did not take him long to enter beneath the cooling shade. It was only then that he realized the space was occupied by another feline. "Pardon miss," he rumbled, his voice the soft boom of crashing waves in a distant cave. "May I join you?"  

[Annchen]

Veri heard the other lion approach but didn't open her eyes just yet. The slow approach didn't sound like someone sneaking up on her, and either way she wasn't worried about being ambushed. As long as it wasn't a hostile God or Goddess she should be safe from anything out here. The steps stopped fairly close to her, and she flinched slightly and opened her eyes as the male lion spoke. To an outsider she looked like your average lioness. She usually kept her pelts natural colours and patterns when pretending to be a mortal. However, her forelegs where white without any blood on them, and she kept her claws neatly sheathed. In her true form she enjoyed the occasional blood bath, but that seemed to be off-putting in polite company.

"Good day," she answered formally, "Of course, the shade should be big enough for both of us."

She watched the large lion from the corner of her eye, pondering. Perhaps this was the answer to her earlier conundrum. A mortal should know what one could and couldn't talk to other mortals about, and he might even be willing to discuss life and death with her. It couldn't hurt to try, right? But she waited to see if he would settle down before barraging him with questions. Patience! She had to try to play by mortal rules, even if her grasp of mortal etiquette was hazy at best.  

[Talencia]

He bowed his head before replying, "Many thanks, lady." He positioned himself a polite distance from her before stretching slowly, paws in front of himself, claws digging into the hard packed earth, tail curling behind him. Ah, it felt good to stretch out his back after a long walk. He relaxed his body then, returning to a standing position before slowly lowering his bulk down to the cooler ground beneath the tree. Sometimes it was nice to bask in sun-heated sand, but today was warm enough as it was. It wasn't quite so warm that he longed for a wallow in some cool mud, but it wouldn't be long before it came to that.

He yawned briefly, licking his jaws to moisten them, then grooming one paw carefully. He'd discovered long ago that caring for the pads of his paws was essential when traveling constantly. He finished the one paw before he spoke again. "Have you traveled far?" he inquired politely, his voice a deep but gentle rumble. "Or do you live nearby?" It was a safe enough question, and might eventually lead them towards a more appropriate and suitable time to inquire about prides she'd met. He crossed his paws neatly and regarded her solemnly, neither patronizing nor intrusive. To him, each individual was of equal value and importance, regardless of fur color, gender, size, or species. He'd seen too much, both in life and in visions, to put any emphasis on these inconsequential things. He accepted the face value for what it was and waited for the inner value to present itself.  

[Annchen]

Veri nodded in return as he thanked her and stayed silent while she watched him settle, and care for his paws. A wanderer, she guessed, a wanderer knows to care for his paws. His question to her made her even more confident that he must be. If he was from around here he would be able to tell if she was a local, right? Ah, never mind. She'd most likely find out if she was right if they kept talking. Hmmm... Small talk.

"Quite," she said and paused. Veri then remembered that conversations tended to last longer if she offered more than one word as an answer, and she hurried to elaborate, "The moon has disappeared and returned twice since I set out."

That was true, more or less... Two moons since she left the home of the gods this time. Veri liked to wander, and she rarely grew tired of it. There was so much to see, and she supposed she felt more alive down here close to the mortals and their blood. It was a fine balance, really. She liked having them around since she felt closer to her own domain with creatures living, breathing and bleeding around her. And at the same time... She felt uncomfortable being too close to any mortal. Fragile little lives... This one looked strong, however.

"You look strong," she said, speaking her mind without stopping to consider what the mortal might think about her statement, "Have you travelled far?"  

[Talencia]

Now that he had settled and was lying still, he noticed a faint odor of blood. It was elusive, drifting by him at odd moments. He swiveled his ears in curiosity, taking a glance around to try to catch sight of something freshly dead, but ended up dismissing it with the slightest of shrugs. Perhaps the lioness had recently eaten. So long as it didn't attract large numbers of scavengers, it was inconsequential.

He accepted her answer with a mellow bob of his head. Two months, not too bad, but not nearly as long as he had been out here. He focused his eyes in the distance as he tried to gauge how long he'd been on his own out here. Apparently too long to recall exactly, surprisingly. He gave a soft snort of bemusement, then turned to smile at her comment about his being strong. Having such a giant frame made such comments commonplace. Sometimes it made him uncomfortable, when that was all another could focus on. This clearly was not one of those cases, though, as her question proved.

"Yes," he replied amiably with another slow bow of his head in acknowledgment. "I have spent most of my life wandering these unclaimed lands, criss-crossing it in search of a pride." He paused, then realized he had left much more room for interpretation than he'd meant to. "For a specific pride," he amended. "I have met many from prides, learning a little about them as I go, and have skirted several I'd rather not meet a member of." Those he'd avoided by reputation. It always paid to listen attentively to watering hole gossip, take it with a grain of salt, and then use his common sense to apply what he'd heard. Several prides had clearly been ones to avoid, from the amount of gossip he'd gleaned.  

[Annchen]

Veri's eyes tilted forward as the dark lion started to talk about the pride he was looking for. Or, was it a pride he hoped existed? Perhaps a pride he once belonged to, but one that had moved due to some unforeseen accident. She knew of a few of those, and she got the impulse to try to help him. Veri did have a rather unique perspective, even if she couldn't really tell him that. Some mortals acted perfectly normal around her as long as she kept up the charade of being a mortal, but as soon as she revealed her wings they flipped.

"What's the name of the pride," she asked, "I might have heard of it. Some prides move around over time too."

From her perspective some prides moved around a lot, but then she had been around longer than most, if not all, mortals alive today. If you didn't count years, but rather decades, some prides seemed to be constantly on the move. They split up, morphed, changed their beliefs and started calling themselves something else. It could be interesting to watch, at least in times of war when the blood drew her there. In times of peace it was a bit like watching the grass grow, only slower.  

[Talencia]

He shook his head in ponderous regret, stretching out one paw with toes spread, claws flexed in a languorous stretch. "Unfortunately, I do not know its name, nor its previous location or if it moved." He tended to this paw now, carefully cleaning between the pads and cleaning a claw or two. "I will only know it by the members it has, for I have seen them." He raised his eyes slowly to hers, cautious but revealing no fear either. Some lions reacted oddly to the knowledge that he had visions of any kind. Some even took exception to the nature of his visions, seeing the deaths of others. Not that it tended to bother him, but it could make situations awkward at the very least.

Still, she seemed the solid sort, not as likely prone to hysterics. He raised the paw he was cleaning to tap the side of his head, just in front of his ear. "I see them dying, or dead, or on the path to death." He gave a soft, deep sigh, though it held tones of wistfulness rather than regret. "They have much sorrow there, and sometimes much fear. I hope to take some of the fear away, and help prepare them for the sorrow." Again he raised his eyes to hers, gaze deep and thoughtful. "I have seen these visions all my life, and know my place is there, with them." If only he could find them!  

[Annchen]

Veri tilted her head slightly as the dark lion slowly revealed his secret to her. He was looking for a pride he had only seen in visions, and the visions he had seen were filled with death, sorrow, fear. Why did he seek death? She was intrigued now, and the part Mith was worried about hardly fazed her. She knew how mortals came to be seers. Mix a mortal and a God and you got a mortal with one special power that even the gods didn't have. Visions of the future, the past or the present. Interesting, but not uncommon in the world she knew.

"Visions. You're the child of a God or Goddess," she stated matter of factly when he was done, and only later realised that this might not be the normal response of a mortal. "And you say you see a pride where the lions are dying? How do they die?"

Was it the pride she knew of, or were there more prides like that? And why was this male so intent on going there? To take the fear away he said...  

[Talencia]

He smiled faintly, mistaking her statement as a means of singling him out as someone different from herself, as being perhaps better? He'd experienced that several times at least, but always refused such an attitude. Well, she didn't exactly seem to mean it as a thing of awe, so perhaps he was okay on that front. "Yes, I am," he replied, still keeping his attatchment to his father distant by not naming him. It helped minimize the idea others had of either raising him or he raising himself to be more important or superior. Thus merely acknowledging his relation seemed best.

"They die from disease, lady," he replied sedately. "They sicken and suffer, while those who love them agonize and mourn the long road to the end that must be endured." He averted his eyes, shielding his feelings from her. How it touched his heart to see them distressed so! If he could do anything to help, he would, should he find them. His eyes moistened, though tears never threatened to fall. No, it was too old an ache for tears to come so easily now, though his feelings for them still remained strong. "It is a vow I made long ago, to find these lions and do what I could to help." He returned his gaze to her, eyes soft with sympathy. "I have seen generations grow from cub, saw siblings die while others lived, then watched them take mates and see their own children sicken. It is a cycle they cannot help, but that calls to my heart." For the quiet lion, this was more talking than he'd done in a long while. He found it strangely easy to tell her both of their horrors and of his own feelings, which he tended to keep private and contained.  

[Annchen]

"What's your name m..." she managed to catch herself in time and faked a cough instead of the 'mortal' that had threatened to slip out. She rarely exchanged pleasantries with mortals and was quite honestly out of practice when it came to masquerading as a mortal. Some of her kind seemed to do it so easily, and some where so comfortable in their other form that they seemed to prefer it. Perhaps she should give her name to him too, it was to be expected she supposed. "You may call me Veri."

It didn't seem like the right way to say it, but she had at least offered her own name. She could have made one up, of course, but she wasn't good with names.

His description of the pride made her feel certain that there could not be two prides like that. And he was so close to it too! Well, for her it was no distance to talk about, but for a mortal. She tried to imagine walking in mortal form, slowly like a mortal. Couldn't take more than half a moon cycle, even if mortals needed to rest more than gods. Perhaps she should help him with his vow.

"I might have heard of that pride," she said carefully, wondering if he would be happier if he never found it. She had encountered her fair share of mortals (and gods) who were always looking for something, and when they found it they found an excuse to change their quest.  

[Talencia]

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Veri," he replied with a rumble and a smile that said he meant it. "I am Mith'ando." Something was almost familiar about this female. Something that put him at ease and made him more comfortable than he usually was with the average by-passer. He considered her ruminatively, trying to place what it was about her that he liked, that he trusted. It was elusive, like that scent of blood that occasionally wafted past him. He was unable to place it, and her next words completely drove the idea from his head.

"You have?" he breathed, eyes going wide and sitting up straight. It was the most animation he'd shown up until now, and his relaxed calmness melted into sharp attentiveness. "Could you share what you know with me, please?" Even excited, his manners were impeccable. Anything at all that she could tell him was a potentially vital clue about how to find them. If she required something of him in exchange for the information, he'd gladly do whatever she asked. All he wanted was to track this pride down. It was, after all, the drive of his life. What he would do there when he arrived seemed inconsquentially natural. Had he thought about it, he'd simply assume he'd settle in and find his place within the pride. It was where he belonged, he knew it to his deepest core.  

[Annchen]

"Mith'ando," she said, testing the name, "Mith."

Some mortals liked to make their names shorter, while others got quite offended if you missed a syllable or two. Might as well test if he showed any adverse reactions to one or the other. Veri's name was short and she'd yet to encounter anyone that insisted on making it even shorter. But from his reaction to her half-admitting of knowing what pride he had seen, she figured she could have called him anything right then. He only cared about that pride, and she decided to help out.

"I believe so, yes," she said, "I can show you the way if you want me to."

That last part was a spur of the moment decision, spoken before she could start to second guess the promise. She'd need to deal with her companion for the time it might take to travel there and teleport back. The snake would be fine after he fed, but he might spook the mortals they might run into. And it wouldn't be too bad to travel with Mith'ando instead. He seemed to have a quaint relationship with death and she could always pick his brain on the way. As if the huge red snake had heard her thinking, his triangular head suddenly appeared from out of the grass and he flicked his tongue at the dark lion.

"It's usually not hostile," she said, in case the lion would try to attack, "But it dislikes sudden movement."  

[Talencia]

An offer of being guided there hadn't been exactly what he'd expected, but it was a fair offer. If she knew more than just the location, he could spend the time traveling to learn more of them from her. He was bowing his head in acceptance when the snake made his appearance. She spoke before he could react, and he heeded her words. He had met others bonded to smaller animals, both prey and predator alike. He nodded his head slowly.

"I have no quarrel with any creature that has not harmed me," he responded quietly. "I respect the wish not to be startled." He remained where he was, not approaching snake or lioness. "Your offer is kind, and one that I accept," he added calmly, his eyes lingering a few moments on the snake before turning them again to Veri. "Is it a long trip from here?" His tone was conversational and mellow, though carefully so. It wouldn't do to alarm her companion with strident tones, whether they were meant in aggression or enthusiasm.  

[Annchen]

Veri had to think carefully before answering. She knew the approximate distance there, but to translate it into mortal terms was trickier. She knew how quickly she could get there if she teleported or flew, but that wasn't going to be helpful right now. Even when she ran she had a feeling she was quicker than most mortals, and she knew Mith wouldn't be able to run all the way there like she could if she really put her mind to it.

"I'm not sure," she finally said, "I visited other places before and after I went there so I'm just guessing, but I think we should be able to get to the pride in a moon cycle."

The snake had slowly slid closer and started to drape himself awkwardly over her back. She knew he preferred her real form, where he had more room and also a pair of wings to lean on. It wouldn't be possible to bring him on a long slow journey with a mortal. Veri started to think about possible snake sitters. Her best bet would probably be to go to the mountain and see who was there.

"I'll have to go home before we set out," she said, "I do not wish to bring the snake on this journey. It's not too far; I could be back in a day or two."

She could be there in the time it thought to wish herself there, but she had to allow some time for finding a suitable guardian for her snake. And she didn't want the mortal Mith'ando to try to guess where she was going. A day or two could mean many places in this area.