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 Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:39 pm
Sylwanin sat between the roots of one of the trees that marked the border to the pride lands. Her people, if there were any left, were in there. She had seen others going into the forest and not returning, and occasionally she thought she saw some she recognized coming to the border as if on patrol. She had lurked her long enough over the last few seasons to be sure that at least some of the People still survived. Some of HER people still survived.
Why could she not just go into the forest and face them, though? The lioness looked at her black paws and the silver markings on her pelt. What had become of her brothers or her sister? What had become of her friends? She had been a priestess at the time of the war, she had taken up the place of a warrior instead of helping others to escape as the other priests did.
She had forsaken her place among the People, gone against the Mother. It was no wonder that she had gotten cut off from the others during the battle and strayed so far from home chasing the enemy. It had taken her a few seasons to find her way back to her home lands. Just because she had returned did not mean she could face the others, though. She had yet to redeem herself to Eywa, let alone the People, or herself.
Sylwanin looked up at a sound. She was sure someone was nearby. The lioness crouched down between the tree roots. They may have already spotted her, but she would try to hide anyway. She could not bare the shame if one of her People should find out she still lived. She should have died in battle rather than live with the shame of having abandoned her Eywa appointed place to take up arms. It was horrible of her, and she did not know how she managed to live with such shame.
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 3:58 pm
 Peya Tse'a was lurking high in the fringes of the forest, watching the lioness sitting in the roots of the trees. He had spotted her a few times over the past few weeks, and he was growing increasingly sure that she had been one of the people at one time. Her markings, so similar to that of the royal brothers, were a give away if nothing else was - the fact that she lingered by the People's forest was another.
Peya wrestled with confronting her - if she wanted to rejoin the People, she should enter the forest as strangers did and wait to be found if she couldn't navigate the high road. Then again, maybe she just needed to be encouraged.
Peya started making his way down to the undergrowth from the canopy, making his approach as obvious as possible. He did not want to scare her,a and if she did not want to talk to one of the People, he wanted to give her enough warning to leave.
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:52 pm
Sylwanin tried to push herself down into the roots further, willing herself not to be seen. The closer he came, the more certain she became that he had seen her. He wanted her to hear him, there was no other explanation for how loud he was. The People were not heard unless they wished to be. Seeing them required spotting them when they were not aware of having someone else watching. The question then was why did he wish her to know he was coming.
The answer should be simple she supposed. He recognized her, even after all this time. He knew her shame, and wished to berate her for coming home. Or worse, he was not aware of her shame and wished her to RETURN home. The closer the sound got the more sure she was that it was a male. The foot falls sounded too big to be female. If he recognized her then it had to be someone she knew, right?
No, there were those she had not known well, or only knew the faces of before. It could be one of them. Would that be better or worse? She was not sure really. Those that knew her might be more inclined to be kind to her in spite of her shame, or more likely to know of what she did. Those that did not perhaps would not know of what she did, but they would be less forgiving she was sure.
Anyway Sylwanin looked at it, she was not in for a pleasant time. She had failed in her duties, yes, but worse she had failed because she CHOSE to do something that was not her place. In essence, in her eyes, she had betrayed Eywa. She saw no reason anyone else would see her actions any differently. Perhaps she should stop cowering and face her fate. It would be more dignified than this. She rose and peeked over the one tree root, feeling like a bit of a coward.
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:19 pm
As her face rose above the root, Peya rose to meet her. When she hunkered down further, he had taken the opportunity to come the rest of the way down. If she hadn't run yet, he did not think she would.
He didn't want to make any assumptions. If she was indeed one of the People returning, she had to come back on her own. So he began as he would with any other rogue lion.
"Hello, there. What brings you to the forest?"
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 2:47 pm
Sylwanin found herself almost nose to nose with Peya and swallowed hard. It was like trying to swallow all her pride and failure at once. The lump in her throat did not wish to go down. It was even harder when she saw she was faced with someone that was in the pride before she left. Oh dear. What would he think of what she had done?
She lowered her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She was a little taken aback by the greeting she got. Had he not recognized her? Perhaps. "I see you." She did not add Brother for she figured they did not count her as one of the People anymore. Eywa would be so disappointed in her, failing in her duties as she did. "I... came to see the People... but..." She hung her head and let out a sigh.
"I should not have returned... I am sorry. I realize I am not one of the People anymore." It was so hard to feel so ashamed and still face the other lion. But she wanted so much to redeem herself, to be one of the People again, to serve Eywa again. "Could you simply tell my brothers and sister I am if not well at least alive? I am Sylwanin... my brothers are Eytucan and Kerusey and my sister is Mohon. They should know I live."
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:44 pm
Peya took a few moments to mule this over. The missing royal sister, as he had suspected, given up for dead by the pride. Or so he assumed. He did not go in for chasing down rumors of those that had left during the trouble.
She had left though. Still . . . she had also decided to return. Given some of the rumors swirling through the pride, the presence of another of the leader's family could be a good thing. Especially if she was loyal enough to return ater all this time.
He spoke after a few minutes.
"I see you, Sister. It is hard not to be one of the People if you were born one, but I will take the message if you do not want to enter the forest. Although I am sure the forest misses your beauty just as we have missed our Sister."
Peya took a few steps away from her, walking backward.
"The highroad has not changed much, if you would like to take them the message yourself."
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 3:00 pm
Sylwanin's ears perked up a bit and she stood a little taller. He spoke as if she would be welcome back in the pride. If that was true, she would be able to go home without shame? Well, go home at least, the without shame part had yet to be proven. She still had to face her family and Eywa again. That would not be easy. Actually it would be quite difficult. She sighed and drooped a bit again.
Her voice held a bit more confidence now, but not the same as it had years ago. "I see you, Brother. Your words are wise, and well said. I... I know how hard it is to be away from the People, it has not been an easy path my paws have traveled so far... I do not wish to disappoint my people, my family, or my goddess anymore than I already have." She had to go back eventually, right? Just hearing the encouragement from another made it an easier thought to face, but at the same time she wasn't sure what she would face back home.
It finally struck her that she had just been hit on. Sylwanin blinked and looked at Peya. "You called me beautiful? I did not realize anyone had noticed me before... I was just a simple priestess with too much pride and attitude." She smiled softly, a little twitch at the side of her muzzle and came over the tree root to sit in front of the lion. "Do you really think the others will wish my return after so long? I rather thoroughly blotched things..."
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:58 pm
"I believe that all your people, your family, and your goddess want from you now is your safe return. We need the People to be a people, not to hold grudges or remember mistakes. And your family needs to be strong. The pride needs the leaders to be strong. I believe your return would strengthen the Leader, not distract him. We need strength."
Peya backed up a pace or two more, edging slowly back into the forest. He was never really comfortable spending his time out of the trees, although duties occasionally called for him to leave the jungle. And he hoped that by going into the underbrush slowly, she would be comfortable enough to follow him into the highroad. Hopefully she remembered how to navigate there.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 9:13 pm
Sylwanin followed a few steps before she even realized she was following. She sat down again when she realized he was backing into the trees. It could be a trap, time in the rougelands had taught her caution. But he was one of the People, such was not their way. Should she trust him and follow him back? She didn't think now was the time for that.
She did not think SHE was ready for it to be yet. There was so much she had yet to reconcile with herself. She crept a few more paces toward the trees and stopped again. Maybe she could just go in far enough to be in the trees and not return to Hometree yet. That would give her time to make a decision on the idea and not really offend anyone.
"I do not think I am ready to go back to Hometree yet... but perhaps you could visit me here at the edge of the trees again sometime?" She was trying so hard to find the name to go with his face. She was sure she knew it, but could not recall it for the life of her. That would be another thing she did not want to face. the embarrassment of forgetting someone's name was not little.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 10:14 pm
"It would be my pleasure to come see you again. I expect it is very difficult, coming back after you have been away this long. Although - would you mind meeting up in the branches? I am unused to walking the undergrowth."
Peya hadn't expected her to just waltz into the forest after him, but it was worth a shot at least.
"If you need me, just start calling me. Peya. If I'm around, I'll try to meet you near here."
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 9:23 am
"I would like seeing you again to talk... Coming back is not the hard part, facing why I left is." Sylwanin smiled softly and stepped closer to Peya to nuzzle his cheek. "I think meeting in the branches would be lovely. It would be more comfortable sleeping than down here in the roots anyway." She leaped up into the branches and settled on one with a contented sigh. Trees were much more comfortable than the ground any day.
She stretched her paws out as she laid down. Sylwanin did recognize the name of the other lion. She thought that was a good sign at least. Of course her brothers and sister would be easier to recognize for her, but that went without saying. Many of the priestesses and priests from before she left would be the same. It made her wonder a bit, seeing a familiar face, how many had died that she knew. "Peya, I do not think we knew each other well before... but I do remember you."
"It is a kind offer you make, to come if you hear me call. Perhaps I will take you up on it sometime." Most likely when she was lonely, but she would not tell him that. "I am sure you have duties much more important than speaking to me, so I should probably let you get back to them." The lioness laid her head on her paws and watched him. Maybe things would work out that her family would be happy to see her. She could hope.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 10:12 pm
"Anything I can do to help a lady, Sister. I will pass on the message to your family, and I will try to be in the area. Whenever you're ready to come back, I would be happy to escort you. Until next time," and Peya backed farther into the trees and vanished along the high road, anxious to tell her family of her return.
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