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 Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 2:38 pm
IACEOThis pride suited him. He had heard about the Ukuucha'Wafalme in passing as youth, and determined that when he was bigger, he would join. A pride that not only recognized the power of male over female, but encouraged it. However, as the number of females a male - a Pad - could hold determined his status, Iaceo had not even approached the pride until he'd found one for himself. That had been Sauca.
He still remembered how she'd looked the day they'd first met, a hawk hanging limp from her mouth, its blood staining her fur and changing the appearance of her natural markings. He had stood before her silently, claws stained red with the blood of a lion who had thought to take her for his own.
The brown lion forced his thoughts to return to the present and craned his neck around to look at the lioness who was now his Beybanu. She was quiet, her red eyes taking in everything as they walked together.
"Enjoying yourself, Beybanu Sauca?" he asked quietly. The yellow and red lioness looked up in surprise as her mate - no, her Pad - actually asked her a question. A frivolous one too, not at all like him. Then again, he was not at all like other lions. Iaceo rarely solicited her for opinions and tended to dislike when she should offer them unasked. Where "dislike" equated to scratches across her muzzle. She didn't hold it against him though. She was his and so she must bow to his desires. She always had...
It was clear in her memory. A hot day of course, and she'd been stalking a hawk that limped along the ground, one wing already injured from an earlier attack she'd made. Out of nowhere a strange lion, black and big, had shown up and demanded that she surrender both hawk and herself to him, else he would take her. She had refused and made her point by striking and killing the hawk. He hadn't been amused and was about to attack her when another strange lion, this one brown, struck him.
Sauca had watched the two fight and it was clear to her from the beginning that the second lion would be the clear winner. The first had been big but skinny, hungry and desperate. The second had been powerful and well fed. Once he'd finished with his opponent, he'd looked at Sauca for the first time and her heart had nearly stopped. Those orange eyes seemed to bore right into her own and she understood entirely how her mother could have made herself the willing slave of her father.
That had been some months ago and she'd followed him faithfully since then, denying him nothing of herself and giving all she had and was. So when he brought them to this pride and told her they would join, all she had asked that she be his Beybanu. He'd scratched her and told her to stop being an idiot - there were no other lionesses before her.
As she mulled over the events that led to this day in this place, she saw another male coming towards them. Hence, most likely, the pointless question.
"Of course, Pad Iaceo," she replied without the slightest hint of sarcasm. She was with him, all was well.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 2:54 pm
Of course, it was a good opportunity for Anju to plot an escape with the other girls.. but that was why he had made sure Tabia stayed with them and kept Ewa within earshot. Neither of them would allow such a thing to happen and Anju would be less inclined to speak out against him with his daughter, the daughter of Anju's mate, around.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that now was when he stopped being antisocial and started making more male friends outside of his harem. Which is what led him looking for others in the lesser populated areas of the pride, hoping not to have to jump into a crowd. When he spotted Iaceo and Sauca, he watched them for a moment as he walked before decidedly approaching.
"Good afternoon," he called, his eyes to Iaceo.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:05 pm
"And good day to you," Iaceo replied shortly, sizing up the Pad before him. Markings which were...interesting to say the least. But appearances said nothing of ability and he knew better than to judge based on looks alone. The brown lion had done that once before, when he was just a juvenile, and gotten a broken nose for his assumptions.
"I am Iaceo, and my Beybanu is Sauca," he went on. Behind his back, the brown lion's tail moved once, gesturing for his lioness to stand somewhat behind him. He knew that there were civilized ways to "fight" over Banu, but he didn't entirely trust any member of this pride, let alone trust them to be civilized.
Sauca bowed her head as Iaceo introduced them to the other lion, but her eyes were only for her Pad. She saw his silent signal and wondered if her strong warrior was afraid that he might lose her. Perhaps he was just being cautious. Either way, it touched her and brought a slight smile to her lips that he would continue to protect her, even if there was no threat to face. Obediently, she nuzzled his cheek and moved behind him, as if she were a meek lioness who had no place between males in conversation.
Well, she truthfully didn't have any interest in what the two might discuss as long as it didn't affect her. But if the other male thought she was meek, he would be in for a nasty surprise. Sauca was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She simply didn't have to often because Iaceo was fairly possessive. And she knew that she submitted to him not because she feared him or because he was stronger than she, but out of love.
Idly, the lioness wondered if there were others like her in this pride, and if they had come here seeking a strong lion to rule them.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:26 pm
Ahnik didn't miss the way that the banu moved to stand behind her pad, though he did not realize it was because Iaceo had indicated to do so. It seemed mostly out of respect, though it'd be hard to miss how protective it made Iaceo look at the same time. Luckily, he wasn't here for a fight.
"Pleased to meet you Iaceo," he nodded to the male, and then glanced to the female, "Beybanu Sauca."
"My name is Ahnik," he introduced himself, eyes back on Iaceo, "You don't look familiar, are you recent members?"
While Ahnik had very few friends, he wasn't oblivious to the pride and the great number of lions around him. It wasn't a lie to say they looked unfamiliar, though they did look rather at home.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:34 pm
Much as he cared for Sauca, nuzzling him before obeying him was not something she could do in public. The brown lion made a note to deal with her later. Still, her prompt and silent response to his unspoken command was otherwise perfect.
And the other male would be a fool not to think he wouldn't fight for what was his.
"Yes, we have been here only a moon or so," Iaceo replied. He wondered belatedly if he should respond as if only he counted and omit Sauca, but she was present, after all. This pride was not as simple as it looked on the surface.
"You have been here much longer, I trust," the brown lion continued, making the question a statement. He couldn't be certain, not knowing any of the pride's bloodlines yet, if Ahnik had been born here. But it was a guarantee that there weren't many members newer than himself and his Beybanu.
Sauca nodded once more at Ahnik as he said her name and introduced himself. She felt she may have seen him around once or twice, but the lioness was not often separated from Iaceo, as she was still feeling out the role of the Beybanu.
She hadn't, however, missed the slight hardening in her Pad's eyes. It occurred to her to wonder what had annoyed him, but the lioness gave a mental shrug. If it was directed at her, she would bleed later. If not, she might never know.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 3:39 pm
Ahnik was pleased he hadn't isolated himself so much that he had failed to notice this pair for very long, it was a good sign. Even with the minimal social interaction they had had so far, he already felt better- and more certain he needed to do this more often.
"Long enough that my sons were born here and just recently went out to capture themselves a banu," he said, uncertain how else to describe how long he had been here, "I've found without them around, I've been getting tired of having the company of only my banu."
And that was as close as he would get to saying he needed to make more friends.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:26 pm
Interesting that he hadn't said he himself was born here. Iaceo wondered where the other lion was originaly from in that case. But, perhaps he would ask that questionin due time. For now it was unimportant. However...
"Sons, is it? A man hopes to be proud of his sons, though it is his banu which show his strength," the brown lion replied. Sons, eh? Iaceo wondered if there were daughters as well, though it would be crude to simply ask that aloud, he felt.
"But I doubt you'd want your sons to be your only company," he went on. This male seemed like he could be most useful. Iaceo was no one's friend, but he could see the value in having allies. He needed to learn more aboutt he Ukuucha'Wafalme and fast. Perhaps he could persuade Ahnik to help him. "It seems to me that a lion's sons can never be his equals in the same way an unrelated man can be."
It was the closest he'd come to offering friendship in words.
Sauca watched the conversation between the two males. It occurred to her that the sons Ahnik was talking about must be from his only litter thus far, or at least the only one he'd had in this pride. His words had implied that he had been born elsewhere - though whether it was another pride or simply as a rogue, the way she and Iaceo had been, was unclear. So he must be younger than she'd originally estimated...either that, or not particularly skilled in fathering children.
Which reminded her. She'd have to point out to Iaceo soon that they should begin to try for cubs of their own. She didn't fear that the pride would kick them out for remaining childless, but it was unlikely a barren state would be looked well upon.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:56 pm
Ahnik held his head high as the conversation stayed his sons and his family- he was very proud of them all and his own accomplishments leading up to the family he now had. The fact that Iaceo commented how one's banu were a reflection of his strength only made him more cheerful- and made him like Iaceo more.
"I agree," he replied tentatively, considering the many meanings of what the brown male said. Typically, Ahnik sought to be no one's equal- but you needed allies. That's why he was here, being social, getting himself out there.
"Perhaps I could interest you in meeting my family," he said, suggesting something he had never even considered before, "I sent my banu out hunting, they should return before too long, they can be quite efficient."
There were seven of them right now.
"It'd be a chance to broaden our social circles," he added, including himself and his own banu in this. They could do with meeting others-- and he, too, had Ewa on his mind. It was not the social norm for him to keep her around with him, however much he might like to. It was time to start considering the options.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:03 pm
It sounded like Ahnik had multiple Banu, that boded well for this alliance and for Iaceo. If the other male could find and hold many, then in time he could as well. The brown lion smiled and, if there was perhaps more tooth showing than most would have, it was still sincere.
"I would be honored," he replied. "I believe it would be good for both of us," Iaceo continued, answering for Sauca and himself. Not to mention that multiple Banu would have an easier time hunting for several mouths than Sauca alone. That was one disadvantage of this pride. Here it was frowned upon for him to hunt with his mate the way they had as rogues. Well, perhaps not frowned upon, but that combined with his single Banu didn't give the brown lion a great deal of status.
Yellow ears perked up as Ahnik offered to introduce them to his own Banu. This would be an unprecedented opportunity for Sauca to talk to other lionesses in the pride. Yes, it would be a more formal setting, but introductions were generally more formal than later meetings.
She was pleased when Iaceo accepted for the two of them. She knew he probably had some other motivation for himself, but the yellow lioness was looking forward to socializing. She'd had sisters as a cub, yes, but they were far away from her now - if they were still alive. Surprisingly, she didn't really care if they were or weren't, as it had no bearing on her life anymore.
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:16 pm
It was somewhat awkward but it was necessary and, very luckily, successful! He didn't doubt that Iaceo could use the help where he seemed to have only the one banu. Add that Ahnik had a daughter that needed a pad and there was much potential to gain a loyal ally. He was always thinking, always planning.
And to think, he didn't have to go far from his den to find what he needed.
"Excellent," he said, "We are back this way, if you'll follow me."
Grinning, he turned himself around and led the way back to his den where they could chat and wait for his ladies to return.
Fin!
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