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 Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:45 pm
 The rusty colored lioness was just beyond the main mass of the pride. She alternated between pacing restlessly or sitting and staring intently outward. Feelings of guilt had bothered the lioness since news of the disappearance had been released. She was a guard. Nko fretted that the shaman and apprentice had been harmed within the pride's lands. No one was safe then. She remembered coming back from the roguelands to find out about Alcmene's death. Never did she want to repeat that.
Once more she got to her feet and started pacing. Four steps one way, a turn, and four steps back. If one looked close enough, they might be able to say they saw the track she was wearing in the ground. Her lavender eyes strained to see as far as she could. Nko had to protect the pride. Her cubs were only hunters. True they could fight, she had made sure, but they didn't have the Great Lion's protection like she did.
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:55 pm
 The pride that Ojore had been born into was on pins and needles, and rightly so. The search for the Shaman and her Apprentice had gone on for three long days. Three harrowing days, and Ojore had let his mind wander. What could've happened? The rumors were running rampant, flying from mouth to ear in the blink of an eye. Ojore did not believe that one of his own pridemembers could've done something so sinister to another of their own, especially to lions that held such an importance in the ranks of the pride. And so the hunt for a new Shaman had erupted. Ojore did not feel that enough had been done to search for the Shaman and her apprentice. Three days? That was nothing! Assumed dead after three days... it left a bad taste in his mouth, even though he knew that Shira and Miakoda would not have left without good reason. Ojore, usually so staid and reserved, was a little frantic at the thought that the Great Lion had deserted his pride. Because of this, the young lion felt it was in his best interest to take up his own investigation. He would start with the guard pacing before him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:07 pm
So intent on scanning the wide plans leading away from the pride, Nko failed to see and hear the lion coming up behind her. Her tail twitched with nerves. There was just so many possibilities. It tore her. Should she stay and guard the pride closely, or go search for the missing lions? Nko took a deep breath and sat back down for a moment. As if only then sensing him, her ear twitched back.
Nko rolled her head to look back at him, "hullo."
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:16 pm
Ojore eyed the female intensely. His scrutiny was palpable. She hadn't even noticed him. It was no wonder with guards like this on patrol that everything was crumbling down around them.
"Greetings," he snipped, seating himself before her. A wispy plume of dust rose around his haunches as he continued to watch her, gathering his thoughts before speaking.
"Are you one of the guards that was on patrol when the Shaman and her apprentice fairly... disappeared into thin air?"
Tact? No, not Ojore.
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:31 pm
Nko was fairly ready to accept his presence and ignore him when he sat beside her. He didn't seem to have any reason to be out here. His blunt question pulled her out of her fervor and made her look at him sharply. No one without right had room to question her like that. Her tail whipped across the ground and raised a cloud of dust. She didn't respond until it had settled. Let him think about what he'd just said.
"Who can tell. There's only been word that no one's seen them in three days. They could have been missing long before that. Before anyone realized it." Nko gave him a good look over; looking for anything suspicious or out of place. "And your name. Rank." It wouldn't hurt to find out what he might know.
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:35 pm
Ojore drew himself up, puffing out his chest like a glorified rooster. So she thought she could question him? Hah!
"I am Ojore. Middle-class, I am a hunter for our pride." His brows rose as he answered and he looked quite put-out by her questioning. He threw the question right back at her. "Your name? Rank?" He wasn't sure what he was going to do with the information, but it made his bruised pride feel at least a little better.
Just a little.
"Three days," he snorted to himself. "They gave up their search too easily."
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:52 pm
Nko saw him puff his chest and nearly laughed. Was he trying to impress her? That almost made her laugh again. Well he could certainly try, she liked attention paid to her. She smoothed the fur down on her leg with a paw. Still middle class, but only a hunter hu? Perhaps he would be suitable for one of her cubs then. Nko didn't respond immediately after he asked.
"Nkosazana. Middle class as well. Guard." Hunting was important to the pride, but she felt just a touch superior in her position. She looked out again to give the area another scan. "I quite agree Ojore. Three days isn't enough, but no one can join while there is no shaman. Would you deny anyone the protection of the Great Lion?" She watched him closely from the corner of her eyes.
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:08 am
Ojore was young but he was not stupid. He was haughty but not without empathy. Okay, he was kind of a jerk but he meant well. "Of course I would not deny anyone the protection of the Great Lion," he snorted, looking quite offended. "If you think I had something to do with the disappearance of Shira and Miakoda, you are very wrong," he narrowed his eyes.
"I have an interest in doing a little investigating of my own, Nkosazana. There is something fishy afoot and I intend to find out what happened." A hunter forgoing his duties to do the work of the guards probably wasn't something he should be doing.
"Besides," he scoffed, "what happens if they come back and find out they've been replaced?!"
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:06 pm
Nkosazana gave a shrug, not really caring if she hurt the hunter's feelings. Things had certainly been thrown into the air by their disappearance. No one would say for certain if it was the work of someone in the pride or out. Or maybe even both.
Her ears perked up when he stated his intent to investigate on his own. "Fishy you say? What brings you to that conclusion?" She was interested in his proposition. Nko wondered that he boldly let her know what he intended to do. She found herself facing a small problem. It really wasn't his place to go poking his nose around. "Very well then Ojore," her mind made up. "I'm going with you."
She gave him a grin. "Lets look at it another way shall we? What if you were the only hunter in the pride? We could even say you had an apprentice." Her head tilted to the side, as she paused to see if he could tell where she was going with this. Continuing, Nko looked out at the land before them, "what if one day you and your apprentice vanished? No one knew how or why. What would you have us do?"
"Bemoan your losses and starve, waiting and hoping for your eventual return?" The rusty lioness lifted a paw. "Or choose another to be the hunter?" She knew it was a bit scewed since there were lots of hunters in the pride. Would Ojore get her meaning?
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:18 pm
Ojore understood what she was saying, and he could appreciate her wisdom, truly. "I understand where you are coming from, Nkosazana." He understood what she meant.
"I would appreciate your help," he said boldly, watching the lavender-eyed lioness with interest. He enjoyed her most forthright personality and was ultimately glad that she was not some foppish, starry-eyed youth.
"I do not know where to begin, quite honestly," he added, shaking his head in self-disgust. "Do you know of any others that might be willing to join this fool's errand?" A sheepish smile before he dashed it away, jaw lifting in a serious manner.
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:40 pm
"That's good." It amused her that they'd come to an understanding so quickly. That was good for their continued partnership. She minorly readvised her first opinion of him. Ojore seemed truely concerned about the missing pair. Sadly she shook her head. "No, sadly I'm afraid not. Lets keep this between ourselves for now. If we find anything, then one of us should be able to report."
"I don't believe this to be a fool's errand. If I'd thought that I'd of called you a fool." She gave him a nod of respect, acknowledging his need to ask her advice. "My suggestion would be to go over what we know so we're both on the same level. From there, it would help if we could find what they were doing, or where they were when they vanished." Now that it was decided, she turned her mind to the problem that faced them.
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:56 am
Ojore offered a sheepish smile, one that soon faded as he realized that his next confession would likely make him look a fool.
"I only know that they have been gone for three days. They left no trace behind them, no tracks. Nobody had been able to find out anything. I have to believe that perhaps someone else wanted the position that Shira held, and in order to secure it they had to also remove Miakoda from the picture."
More rumors. "No solid evidence has yet to be found, as far as I know," he added resolutely, shaking his head. "Do you think we should start asking questions of our own?" It was obvious he was eager to play detective.
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:54 pm
Nko pondered what he knew. It was basically what the whole pride knew. If anyone had extra info, they were keeping it to themselves. "Ask questions of who? Assuming no one is holding back info, then we all know the same basic details." She nodded about the intel he'd just gone over.
"If that's the case then the answer isn't among the pride. It's out there." She turned her muzzle to look at the lands surrounding the pride's dens. "What we need is to get there and discover for ourselves where they were and what they were doing." She gave a smile for his eagerness. "While it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask around if anyone might remember where Shira planned to go that day. We do not want to step on the toes of the head guard or anyone also investigating." Nko looked at him wondering what he'd be interested in doing first.
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:59 am
((Augh, sorry for the delay! I forgot to check back for this one XD))
Ojore looked thoughtful for a long moment, contemplating Nko's wise words. He was glad that she'd been the one that he'd stumbled upon and not some tittering young female that only wanted to spread the rumors that were already running rampant through the pride.
"I agree. We need to retrace their steps -- though it might've been done already, maybe a fresh pair of eyes will do good." Frowning softly, he paused for a short second before nodding.
"Yes, that is what we will do. That way I doubt we will find ourselves overstepping boundaries that might upset other members of the pride. I think everyone is upset enough as it is."
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Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 12:04 am
(So have I. XD)
Nko felt herself slowly warming to the lion. He didn't argue his way was better. She was pleased that he agreed with her. Maybe together they could burst this mystery wide open. Ready as she was going to be, Nko rose to her feet. "Indeed they are Ojore. Let us go and see if we can return with good news." She purred and gestured generously for him to proceed her.
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