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 Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:16 am
Altair wasn't sure what to expect. That the journey would prove fruitless or that he would end up confronting the brother who had haunted his nightmares for years. Both options seemed daunting and...unwelcome, but as he journeyed further from the Tuiat'tekam and depper into rogue lands, there was no denying the signs he had found: Tracks. Wisps of fur. An old kill - turned tough as leather under the burn of the sun. His scent in the air. It had been so long since he had been close to his brother, but that scent could never be forgotten. It was familiar to his own but held its own distinct tang that made it impossible to mistake.
Hala was near.
He trudged onwards, moving slower and quieter now, sensing that within an hour or so (perhaps less) he would be upon the one who he had tried to kill all that time ago.
Unbeknownst to Altair, he did not travel alone. Keeping out of sight (which sometimes meant dragging behind by a good hour or so) travelled his young daughter, Alienor. Upset and angered that her father could not trust her despite knowing that something was wrong, she had followed him. Determined to find out what was going on, she was not one to sit back and wait, doing nothing and remaining oblivious. He was her father and she couldn't help but sense that she would be needed.
--
Hala, meanwhile, was perhaps a fifteen minute walk away. He had paused to shelter from the sun in an outcrop of rock, taking a moment to survey the lands. Luckily for Altair, he had not yet come into view and his presence went unknown - for the time-being at least.
The dark lion with the banded mane huffed deeply and settled himself on the rock, keeping his side pressed close to help keep himself cool. He'd been on edge for the last couple of days and sleep had not come easy. However, with tired paws and the warmth in his fur, he determined to settle for a nap.
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:45 am
Were it not for Mizi, the journey following after Hala would have been long and lonely. Nyota had been reluctant to let the nervous hare join her out in the Roguelands but she was glad now to have the company. With the help of some passing birds, they'd managed to catch up with Hala and keep an eye on him without actually getting too close or being seen. From distant observation, both direct and indirect (with the help of the kind avians), she had seen nothing likable about her uncle and only her faith in mother's opinion of her father kept her hopeful of what she would ultimately find.
As the land became duller as they neared the desert, Nyota was being more bold about her following. If she was careful, she could still avoid detection- and the bright white hare didn't have much to worry about. Nyota would keep her safe and any notice of her would be unsuspicious.
"I think he's stopping," she murmured, noticing the distant form of Hala settle down. Mizi was not a brave hare, she took a great deal after her mother. All of her courage was drawn from her close friendship with Nyota and her determination to keep her company. Cheshi had been extremely hesitant to let her go but she had Nyota, and that was enough to keep both of them, mother and daughter, calm.
"Oh," Mizi breathed, lifting herself up to try to see over the grass but they were where Nyota could stay hidden best and it wasn't exactly easy for the hare to get a good view- but the tall grass kept her feeling safe.
"Are we stopping here?" she asked, glancing around. Nyota had paused but she hadn't actually stopped and settled down herself, either. From what they had learned of Hala, Mizi was keen on staying farther back.
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 5:01 am
Perhaps ten minutes later, a distant figure could be seen approaching. It was too early to tell, but as this figure drew nearer, the similarities between the two males would become clear. Both of them dark-pelted, both of them green-eyed. Their builds, too, were similar, though Altair may have been a little chunkier than Hala thanks to pride life. Certainly, the constant travelling had made Hala lean.
Altair's tread was slow but steady, panting as he moved, unused to such exercise. Pride life was certainly favourable, but he no longer seemed to be able to walk so far as he once had. Walking the perimeter of a pride's lands was nothing compared to this.
This was hard work.
At least it was about to pay off.
Alienor, who had been drifting into an arc around her father, kept as low as she possibly could without resorting to crawling. Thankfully, the grass helped mask her dark pelt and gave her the confidence to draw a little nearer. From her crouched position she could only see the tops of the rocky outcrop but a sudden, low growl emanating from her father's direction had her halting; heart thumping wildly. Had he spotted her? Was he now going to turn her back home, furious at her for having come so far from home?
She froze, unable to move or even think, and then she heard the thud of paws growing distant instead of closer and dared to peer over the tufted grass.
Where was he going?
Oh no. She was getting left behind!
Wild-eyed, Alienor leapt to her paws and gave chase, continuing in a slow arc so that she might draw up close but stay out of earshot. The last thing she wanted now was to get found out.
And, somewhere to her left, her father's voice rang out.
"Hala!! I see you there!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:38 pm
"No," Nyota replied, though she slowed down and moved her way closer as quietly and carefully as possible. They didn't need to be very close, they did not want to be noticed, but she was still wary of something happening. She did her best to keep her and Mizi downwind so their scent would not carry to him easily, but the breeze was hard to follow around.
In the ten minutes it took Altair to come into view, the pair had made their way quite close but slowed down more and more the closer they got- Nyota was just preparing herself to settle in silently when she spotted the approaching figure. Familiar but strange.
"Mizi," she breathed.
Mizi was not particularly happy about going closer but she was not about to abandon her friend. Her ears were perked up and she weaved carefully around Nyota's feet, finding it to be an easy way to avoid both of them shuffling the grass around-- though it had taken practice for the two to coordinate this well. With the pressure on, it was unexpectedly easy. That is, until Nyota stopped and murmured to her, distracting her. Managing not to trip over her own long feet, she looked up.
"What?"
"Shhh!" she shushed her just as Altair called out to Hala, ducking herself down so she couldn't see what was happening but could not be seen herself, either. Her heart pounded and she felt Mizi draw closer to her.
Hala had been found.
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:49 pm
Hala was on his paws in a moment, his face transformed into pure, red-hot rage. Like a demon possessed, he froze for a brief moment and then charged forwards without a word. This had been the moment he had been waiting for for so long and here he was; face to face with his brother.
Likewise, Altair was almost relieved to finally have this confrontation. However, even he was not prepared for the unguarded hatred on his brother's face. They had once been such good friends and now they were bitter enemies. He realised, then, that this fight would be to the death. Hala would not back down and if Altair tried to show him mercy, he would die for it.
And he had family to get back to. He'd promised his daughter he'd be back in no time at all.
Quick on his paws, Altair leapt to the side, sweeping his tail as he evaded Hala's first attack. Hala turned and continued his charge, lashing out with such violence and such suddenness that Altair barely managed to evade again. Even still, no matter how awful this situation seemed, he'd already found his strategy. Hala was angry and vicious but he was also wasting energy. If he could just keep evading...
--
Meanwhile...
A few moments later and Nyota and Mizi would be joined - quite accidentally - by the young, dark-pelted female. Alienor all but stumbled over them and had to force herself not to scream out loud in fear.
"Um, um, hello. Uh, please...um...sorry. Don't mind me. I'm...not going to fight or anything....uh...I'm just here to...make sure my dad isn't going to get hurt...oh! Where is he?" A distant snarl rippled out across the open land and, clapping her paw to her mouth to silence her, she wriggled closer to the edge and peered over, ears flat and eyes wide with fear and concern.
"Oh no. Oh no. What am I going to do?" She whimpered.
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:30 pm
One the initial shock wore off and Nyota had time to assess the situation she was now in, she knew it would safe to peek her head up. From what she had heard in her trip tailing Hala, he was probably going to make this ugly fast. Nobody would notice a neutral colored head poked out of the grass watching them. She lifted her head up, her body tense as she stood still. Hala was obviously directed by his rage, he was being very aggressive. She, too, could see the strategy in wearing him down.
Mizi listened, unable to see over the grass to get a view of what was going on. She was regretting their decision to come so close, and her fear won over her desire to cling to Nyota's front leg and she hopped herself backward. She was always within quick reach of Nyota but it put her in the perfect place to trip up Alienor when she suddenly made an appearance-- luckily, she managed to avoid being trampled as she stumbled back against Nyota, this time by a rear foot, staring up at Alienor.
She could feel Mizi backing away from her and was ready to follow after her, not ready to let the hare freak out-- but then they were joined by a lion and she whirled around defensively. But what she saw when she turned surprised her more than the sudden appearance of Altair.
She stared with wide violet eyes as Alienor explained why she was there- only to be distracted by the snarling. Nyota turned back to the fight but she was very aware of the younger lioness's presence. Especially when she said 'What am I going to do'. She could barely be as old as Nyota's younger siblings and the way she carried herself did not inspire much confidence while giving the impression she just might try something stupid like intervening.
Add the fact that even if this fight did not end in Hala's favor, it would not necessarily be an easy win for the Altair and Nyota had to act.
"Stay here," she said, shaking off her back leg to make Mizi stay and then pushing forward through the grass, getting closer and watching for her chance.
Mizi, while worried about the fight, did not have the same visual distraction as the lions. She saw Alienor more completely than Nyota did and she realized exactly what she was saying much quicker. Nyota was following her uncle, who was looking for his brother, her father. This lioness was watching out for her father. And looked remarkably like Usiku while.. not looking much like her at the same time.
Nyota was about to discover more family than just her father, obviously.
The hare squeaked when Nyota suddenly kicked her back a bit and headed off into the grass. She didn't want to be left alone but she wasn't about to follow after her, either. She just watched the trail left in the grass where Nyota had gone, listening.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:26 am
Hala swung low, forcing Altair to leap sideways to keep his legs out of range from those slicing claws. Unfortunately, during his attempts to keep out of harm's way, he'd backed himself up against the rocks; now caught from any further attempt at escape.
Hala, realising this, lunged forwards, a forepaw raised, curved claws raking outwards.
Altair made an attempt to spin away and get alongside his brother, but the act left him with three crimson streaks flaring across his hip. Roaring in pain, the Dawnwalker, turned his spinning momentum into a forwards motion, ramming into Hala and sending them both sprawling across the dry grasses. In that moment, both dark lions clashed, their limbs flailing as they tried to land their attacks and gain an advantage.
Hala's wild and erratic swings ended up dazing Altair enough that he was knocked to the ground and, within moments, Hala gained the upper-hand, grabbing his brother by the throat and dragging him through the dust. His teeth held a firm grip, but he seemed to be delaying in a killing bite, perhaps to ensure his brother paid for all the time he had taken to track down.
Altair, kicking weakly, tried to lift his hind-legs and press them against Hala's underside. It took him a moment to find purchase, gurgling through his mouth as he kicked down, tearing at Hala's underside with a firm kick.
The anger-maddened brother immediately reared upwards away from the source of the pain, his jaws forced to relinquish their grip on Altair's throat. And, again they parted, both turning in a slow circle, far wearier now than they had been before.
--
Alie watched in horror at the scene play out before her, swallowing on a cry of fear at the bloody marks now on her father's pelt. So caught up in the battle, she did not notice that the other female had left until a moment later.
Spinning around as if to confirm her fears, she saw the hare (perhaps the lioness' friend?) but sure enough, the other female was gone.
"What? Who? Who is she?" Turning her head about she saw her father and the other lion circling and tipped herself over the edge of the precipice, sliding down after the other female.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:59 pm
Mizi scrambled, trying to find a way to get a view of what was going on- but she could hardly stay where she was and get a view, she would need to move, too. Her eyes went to Alienor but her ears were perked up, listening to the fight.
Whether or not they were occupied, Nyota knew there was only so much she could get away with before she was noticed. The nearer she got, the thinner the grass became, the duller the earth became and the lower, quieter and more careful she was. Her fur was an asset in sneaking up, just as their distraction helped keep her from being noticed.
She froze, watching tensely when Hala managed to get a hold on Altair's neck. If ever there was a time to intervene it was now-- but it would put Altair at risk. She watched, inching closer but daring not make herself obvious. When Altair successfully freed himself, she relaxed but now there was not going to be much time before she was noticed. As the brothers circled, one was bound to notice her behind the other on the first bout and now was the time to act.
Coincidentally, it was Altair who headed her way and so it would be Hala who noticed her first. Had he been the one to come close to her, she might have attacked but now her action could be as simple as standing straight and tall, teeth bared.
When Alie began to ask questions, Mizi stammered vaguely in reply, not sure what to say at that moment. Once the young lioness moved, Mizi squeaked and scrambled after her. She couldn't get high enough to see above the grass, she would have to get out of it.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:18 pm
"Still so angry...brother." Altair seemed to be trying to reason with him now, his voice slightly coarse from being dragged by the throat. "Even after all of this time. You've let it consume you until it's twisted your very soul. You've become the sinner we were born to rid the world of."
"You forget, brother." Hala snarled. "That you were the first to sin. You paint me a villain but you were the one who started this. It is my duty to end your life." Hala's eyes saw - then - the lioness drawing up close and recognised her immediately. That darn lioness from the Pridelands, and his niece. His eyes narrowed sharply and with a growl, he drew to a halt; his eyes snapping back to Altair. Maybe he could swing this in his favour?
"Convenient that you forget that you once tried to kill me. And why? Because a female chose me over you? You turned your skill as an assassin on a member of the family and fled for your life. I was not the only one who hunted you, but in time, the others gave up. But you wounded me. You drove me to this. Take a good look, brother. Do you like what you see?" And then he lunged again and Altair reared up to meet him, clashing head-on. Their claws unsheathed, slicing bloody ribbons across their forearms and deep down into the flesh hidden by mane. They broke apart a moment later but Hala refused to circle - seeming unwilling to let Altair see they had company.
"Where have you been all this time, brother? Hiding in fear knowing that I come for you? Why did you decide to seek me out now?"
"I..." He trailed. "I will not let anyone else suffer for the mistake I made."
"Ah, so you came to die, then." A wicked smile stretched across Hala's maw and he lunged again, the pounce so strong that it knocked both off them off of their paws - each struggling to pin the other and end the fight. Unfortunately, it seemed Hala might win, his words clearly having affected the Dawnwalker.
--
Alie had crouched amongst the grass, perhaps fifteen paces away from where the other female was. Her heart was hammering against her chest and, as she listened to the words spoken she felt a great pain build a cage around her heart.
What was this? What was going on?!
And then the fight continued and, for the first time, Alienor wasn't sure what to do. If she stayed and did nothing, her father might die. But...if she jumped in, would she do anything but distract him? Her eyes burned with unshod tears and she crawled forwards a little more.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:58 pm
Nyota was not entirely surprised by the attempt to get the story out, she had been thinking on what Hala had said to her, how he had warned her about her father- and she had long since decided it didn't matter what the story was. If she was going to trust anybody, it would be her mother. Her mother was no fool and while she never claimed to know Altair well, she was adamant that he was not bad.
Her mother's judgment won over her estranged uncle's story from the beginning. Nyota's own observations of Hala only pushed her further from accepting what he said. The only problem arose when Altair said nothing to deny it or defend himself- and that hesitation cost blood.
She stumbled back a couple steps, her ears turned and her teeth still showing as she watched. She had to cut in now, whatever her hesitation she had her mother in her mind and the knowledge that they had a young observer.
Hala and Altair had barely hit the ground and begun their struggle before Nyota let out a sharp snarl and lunged forward into the fray, aiming for Hala- while it was unfortunate he had the upper paw against Altair, it gave Nyota the upper paw against him, giving her a clearer shot.
Mizi had stopped much shorter than Alie, watching with wide, blue eyes as she tried to follow everything that was happening. Ultimately, she inched her way closer and closer- stopping one short step away from Alie. Stranger or not, she was clearly panicking and Mizi herself felt better with someone near her. She didn't get to ponder what her exact action would be now she was so close to the lioness, just as she stopped she caught sight of Nyota finally pouncing.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:58 am
Hala had not expected the female to intervene - though perhaps he really should have - and her pounce took him completely by surprise. Beneath his paws, Altair tensed at hearing another's snarl and in that moment Hala reared back in an attempt to evade the other's lunge. Unfortunately, the motion was too swift and he lost his balance, throwing out a paw in a clumsy attempt at keeping the female at bay.
The rest of his bulk teetered backwards and this gave Altair the opportunity to find his paws, swinging around to see who else had entered the fray.
He paused, dumbfounded.
Why would she risk her life to defend a lion she did not know?
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:40 pm
She was not large enough to really gain much advantage over her uncle, though she was pleased with the results she had- while she as far from pinning him down or winning a fight on her own, she had stopped him from really hurting Altair and that was all she needed right now.
However clumsy, the paw was enough to get her back on the ground and off of him- though still very close and, thankfully, standing. Nyota had no idea what to say now that she was in the midst of this, she hadn't planned on that. The pause she had caused in the battle was tense but not final. So she simply stood there, staring down Hala, daring him to act.
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:08 pm
Hala, who had rolled back to his paws, had swung to face them again; his face a picture of fury. There was still blood lust in his eyes but it seemed slightly more hesitant now that he was to face off two opponents. He was surprised, in fact, that the female had attacked him like she had. He'd been so sure that his words would at least have her dropping back out of sight.
"Woman." He hissed. "You'd do best to stay out of this. You have no right to get in the way of my vengeance." He was trembling with fury now. "And you!" His eyes snapped to Altair - who still looked slightly dumbstruck. "You who spouts about honour! Two against one, is it?" He set his paws firmly in the ground. "There is nothing honourable about that. You paint me the villain but you are just as bad as I am."
Altair took a step forward. "I didn't plan this, Hala." His eyes switched back to Nyota. "I..." He faltered. "But you are right. We have both made our mistakes."
"And yet only I have paid for mine."
"Have you? Have you really?" Altair's determination rekindled. Memories of the scarred Anya came back to him and he took a step towards him; though it was slightly laboured. "I don't think you have."
Hala hissed. "Then get the female to stand back so we can finish this once and for all."
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:06 pm
Nyota stood her ground, even as Hala looked on viciously and hissed about getting in the way. She might have thought to allow them their honorable fight if she believed Hala truly was an honorable lion. Everything she knew he had done on his journey said he was not- so far only Altair seemed honorable as he attempted to face his brother. A credit to him despite everything Hala had been saying.
"Everything you've done since we met in the Pridelands shows you have no honour," she snarled, her eyes never having left her uncle though her ears were pointed back at her father, "You don't deserve a fair fight, and I won't stand down."
She did not really know her father, he held no real authority with her. If Hala was counting on him to get her to step back, it wasn't going to work.
Mizi watched with wide, terrified blue eyes. She kept looking back and forth between all the lions about her, Nyota certainly looked the odd one out.. but, not really. It occurred to Mizi that with Altair not knowing who Nyota really was or that they had another spectator, he might not appreciate the intervention- and this only served to make her more anxious.
She squeaked nervously, her paws trembling.
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:35 pm
"Fine!" Hala snapped, "I'll just have to kill you first!" He lunged for her the moment the words left his mouth, his pounce a little off-aim but clearly with the intent to carry out the threat. And, in that brief moment, Altair twisted forwards to intervene, throwing himself in the way. After all, the female had done what she could to protect him. He felt the need to pay her back in kind. She had quite probably saved his life.
Hala's claws tugged down into Altair's shoulder as they made contact and the Dawnwalker lost his balance; thankfully fixing his jaws around Hala's neck to bring him down, too. Using the momentum of the fall to his advantage, Altair gained his paws again, attempting to balance his weight effectively so as to pin his maddened brother to the ground.
But Hala would not be contained easily and he lunged out with his paws, attempting to claw his way free.
"Stay down, brother. That's enough now. Enough!"
Hala's eyes flared. "I will kill you."
"You are outnumbered." Altair pressed. "And I have no desire to see you die this day."
Hala's struggles continued, his eyes snapping across to Nyota. "Why? Why did you do this? He has done wrong, too!" His eyes snapped back to Altair. "Tell her! Tell her the truth!"
Altair looked as if he'd been visibly struck across the face. "He is right...what he said was true. Neither of us are honourable lions."
"And there you have it!" Hala hissed. "So mind your own business because one of us is dying today." He struggled again and Altair almost slipped, his claws digging into Hala's fur.
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