Two lions made their way at a slow pace across the savannah. It'd been several moons since they met and, some way or another, started traveling together. He was the calmer, more rerserved of the two, while she was carefree and a bit of a talker when she was in the mood. Lucky for him when he was around she didn't really get into that talking mood all too often. He thought he was lucky anyway. The larger of the two, Tai'li, was a few steps ahead of Aelin, his mind on his past, his family.. his old pride. Lin was glaring at him, her mind mulling through ways of killing him for being so quiet. They hadn't exchanged words for a few hours already, and while she preferred that way most days it was just strange for him to not be saying anything. At all. With brows furrowed, the female finally reached her patience limit and caught up with him. They walked shoulder to shoulder, her light, sky blue eyes staring straight into his. His gaze was distant, and he didn't seem to notice her staring, which bothered the lioness even more so. With a sigh she nudged him a bit to get his attention.
"Hey," she said with a somewhat concerned tone of voice. She wasn't really worried about him. Not really. She was just annoyed that he was being so quiet. The nudge and her finally saying something to him that brought him back, and the lion blinked a few times before turning his gaze to finally meet hers, a sort of confused look on his face.
"Huh?"
She stared at him, clearly annoyed. "You haven't said anything since breakfast. Did I do something to annoy you?" Now she didn't want to admit it, but she did enjoy pressing his buttons when the opportunity presented itself. He was the patient sort so he never really let any of it get to him unless he went way to far. Earlier that morning though, they had a normal, uneventful breakfast. It would be normal for her to be a little curious about why he hadn't said a word since then.
The question caused Tai to furrow his brows, his confused expression not getting any better. "What? No, you didn't," he said in reassurance, a little smirk replacing his previously baffled look. She was worried about him? That was certainly different. Usually he was the one that did the worrying. He sat on the idea of sharing a bit with her, just so she could at least know why he'd been so quiet. Part of him was hoping she wouldn't try to dig for any deeper meanings behind what he was about to say. "I was just thinking, that's all. About uh.. what we'll be eating later. I'm getting kind of hungry.."
Thinking? Nothing new. He'd always been the quiet type, keeping to himself a lot of the time and never really being the one to carry the conversation. She wasn't sure if that was just how he was around everybody or if it was just her, but for whatever reason it seemed to balance her overly talkative nature, so Lin didn't really mind that bit about him. "Thinking?" she asked, not entirely convinced that what had been on his mind was what they'd be eating for lunch. "I don't believe you," the lioness said with a shake of her head. Lin quickly moved a few steps ahead of him and stopped, causing him to stop as well. "Tell the truth." She said it more as a command than a request, and he being the less confrontational type decided that, in order to find a shady spot before the sun reached its highest point in the sky, it'd be best if he just gave in.
So he did.
"My past," he answered, albeit a bit hesitantly. It seemed to suffice, as he watched her reaction. Lin's expression had changed from stubborn, to confused, sympathetic, and finally apologetic. The last thing she wanted to do was dig into his past, actually. It was just one of those things she'd learned never to bother any rogue about, as each and every one had his or her own reason for living the life of a rogue. She didn't have the right to ask for any more information than he'd already given, so with a simple nod of her head, Lin turned and they started moving again.
It was quieter than it had been before, which didn't really bother her. Tai, on the other hand, was a little surprised by her sudden loss of interest in what he'd been thinking about for most of the morning. She just... let it go? She never just lets anything go, and the fact that she did just then really threw him off. He thought about sharing the part of his past he'd been thinking about, and it took the rest of the walk to their next resting spot for him to decide that he would.
The two lay down in the shade of a small tree. There was barely enough room for the both of them, but they were already used to lying down back to back so they didn't really mind. A few minutes after they settled, Tai cleared his throat and finally broke the silence. "Do you want to know?" he asked, eyes closed. She thought about it for maybe a few seconds, then nodded her head. "Sure."
Before continuing Tai heaved a heavy sigh, opened his eyes, and blinked a few times. The memories were still rather fresh despite having happened so long ago. He wasn't entirely sure where to start, but.. maybe, since she didn't to be pressing him for particular bits of information, it'd be best to start out with some good memories.
"Well.." he started, finally. "I was thinking about my family, actually. I was the third of five in my litter; my father was the king of our pride, which made us royalty by birth." He couldn't see, but Lin had a rather disbelieving look in her eyes. Her brow was raised in a questioning manner. Him? Royalty? Pfft, yeah right. She didn't say anything though, and let him continue. She'd decide whether she actually believed him after he finished.
"Anyway, I think ever since then I'd always been a mediator between my brothers and sisters. Even my friends would come to me to settle arguments and stuff. They usually gave me something in thanks too. It was great." The male chuckled at the innocent memories of his cubhood days, briefly wondering how he'd come to be a rogue. "When I grew up it made sense that I became the one who negotiated ties with other prides, making allies and whatnot for my father. I was pretty good at that too." Tai paused for a second, not really sure he wanted to keep on going. Thankfully, Lin finally spoke up, thinking that the pause meant that he was done.
"If any of that is true, at least I finally understand why you're always more into talking than duking anything out," she said with a small smile. "I still doubt you were ever royalty, but the middle-cub-negotiator I can kind of see."
Tai smiled and let the conversation die at that, a bit grateful that she'd spoken up before he decided to divulge anything more about his past. He didn't think what happened next was something she needed to know just yet. Not that he was ashamed with any of the choices he made up until now, mind you, but it wasn't something that he felt she really needed to know at this particular point in time. They were barely past being acquaintances; maybe even bordering on friendship, and not even a very close one at that. She didn't need to know.
"Hey," she said with a somewhat concerned tone of voice. She wasn't really worried about him. Not really. She was just annoyed that he was being so quiet. The nudge and her finally saying something to him that brought him back, and the lion blinked a few times before turning his gaze to finally meet hers, a sort of confused look on his face.
"Huh?"
She stared at him, clearly annoyed. "You haven't said anything since breakfast. Did I do something to annoy you?" Now she didn't want to admit it, but she did enjoy pressing his buttons when the opportunity presented itself. He was the patient sort so he never really let any of it get to him unless he went way to far. Earlier that morning though, they had a normal, uneventful breakfast. It would be normal for her to be a little curious about why he hadn't said a word since then.
The question caused Tai to furrow his brows, his confused expression not getting any better. "What? No, you didn't," he said in reassurance, a little smirk replacing his previously baffled look. She was worried about him? That was certainly different. Usually he was the one that did the worrying. He sat on the idea of sharing a bit with her, just so she could at least know why he'd been so quiet. Part of him was hoping she wouldn't try to dig for any deeper meanings behind what he was about to say. "I was just thinking, that's all. About uh.. what we'll be eating later. I'm getting kind of hungry.."
Thinking? Nothing new. He'd always been the quiet type, keeping to himself a lot of the time and never really being the one to carry the conversation. She wasn't sure if that was just how he was around everybody or if it was just her, but for whatever reason it seemed to balance her overly talkative nature, so Lin didn't really mind that bit about him. "Thinking?" she asked, not entirely convinced that what had been on his mind was what they'd be eating for lunch. "I don't believe you," the lioness said with a shake of her head. Lin quickly moved a few steps ahead of him and stopped, causing him to stop as well. "Tell the truth." She said it more as a command than a request, and he being the less confrontational type decided that, in order to find a shady spot before the sun reached its highest point in the sky, it'd be best if he just gave in.
So he did.
"My past," he answered, albeit a bit hesitantly. It seemed to suffice, as he watched her reaction. Lin's expression had changed from stubborn, to confused, sympathetic, and finally apologetic. The last thing she wanted to do was dig into his past, actually. It was just one of those things she'd learned never to bother any rogue about, as each and every one had his or her own reason for living the life of a rogue. She didn't have the right to ask for any more information than he'd already given, so with a simple nod of her head, Lin turned and they started moving again.
It was quieter than it had been before, which didn't really bother her. Tai, on the other hand, was a little surprised by her sudden loss of interest in what he'd been thinking about for most of the morning. She just... let it go? She never just lets anything go, and the fact that she did just then really threw him off. He thought about sharing the part of his past he'd been thinking about, and it took the rest of the walk to their next resting spot for him to decide that he would.
The two lay down in the shade of a small tree. There was barely enough room for the both of them, but they were already used to lying down back to back so they didn't really mind. A few minutes after they settled, Tai cleared his throat and finally broke the silence. "Do you want to know?" he asked, eyes closed. She thought about it for maybe a few seconds, then nodded her head. "Sure."
Before continuing Tai heaved a heavy sigh, opened his eyes, and blinked a few times. The memories were still rather fresh despite having happened so long ago. He wasn't entirely sure where to start, but.. maybe, since she didn't to be pressing him for particular bits of information, it'd be best to start out with some good memories.
"Well.." he started, finally. "I was thinking about my family, actually. I was the third of five in my litter; my father was the king of our pride, which made us royalty by birth." He couldn't see, but Lin had a rather disbelieving look in her eyes. Her brow was raised in a questioning manner. Him? Royalty? Pfft, yeah right. She didn't say anything though, and let him continue. She'd decide whether she actually believed him after he finished.
"Anyway, I think ever since then I'd always been a mediator between my brothers and sisters. Even my friends would come to me to settle arguments and stuff. They usually gave me something in thanks too. It was great." The male chuckled at the innocent memories of his cubhood days, briefly wondering how he'd come to be a rogue. "When I grew up it made sense that I became the one who negotiated ties with other prides, making allies and whatnot for my father. I was pretty good at that too." Tai paused for a second, not really sure he wanted to keep on going. Thankfully, Lin finally spoke up, thinking that the pause meant that he was done.
"If any of that is true, at least I finally understand why you're always more into talking than duking anything out," she said with a small smile. "I still doubt you were ever royalty, but the middle-cub-negotiator I can kind of see."
Tai smiled and let the conversation die at that, a bit grateful that she'd spoken up before he decided to divulge anything more about his past. He didn't think what happened next was something she needed to know just yet. Not that he was ashamed with any of the choices he made up until now, mind you, but it wasn't something that he felt she really needed to know at this particular point in time. They were barely past being acquaintances; maybe even bordering on friendship, and not even a very close one at that. She didn't need to know.
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