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 Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:11 am
 Lissa sat under a rather large tree on the edge of her lands, book spread out before her. She was studying them intently, her brow furrowed in concentration. She understood the words but none of it made any sense. It was like trying to do much without knowing how to count.
She was trying to walk without yet having taken her baby steps. Lissa had thrust herself into a leadership role without any guidance. Closing a book, she stared at the sky. Of course she had no guidance. Her parents were dead. Murdered simply because they were good leaders.
Vasilissa shuddered, a chill running down her spine. Was she binding herself to the same fate by doing this? She shook her head. No, she definitely wasn't. Her parents were killed because they were good leaders. Lissa definitely wasn't like them.
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:21 am
 Akuba usually walked alone now, his family had all grown up and he usually kept himself to himself. The children he kept understood what knowledge was to him but the ones he lost had never understood. Aku was an old stallion and he was still learning new things every now and again, he'd never really managed to teach his children how to read properly, just enough to get them by, they enjoyed being outside more than reading books, although they didn't mind a story or two being told to them.
He sighed and stopped at a tree not noticing the person on the other side of the trunk. His ears perked at the familiar sound of a closing book and peered round slowly. The culprit of the closing book came into his sights, he cleared his throat and tried not to make himself look threatening.
"Hello."
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:16 am
Lissa turned towards the voice, taking him in carefully. His voice was pleasant and he didn't have any fangs, claws or leathery wings. She decided to trust him, for now. She was close enough to her lands that someone would hear her scream should she need the help.
"You're close to my lands." She spoke softly, calm and uncaring, standing up from her library on the floor. "One more step and you'll be in them." Smiling she stepped forward a small step. "Is there something you need?"
She was being pleasant. If he was in the mood to hurt her, perhaps she could simmer him. If he was the kind to eat and wasn't in the mood for violence, she would like to keep it that way. Flicking her braid back to the ground - having wrapped it around her neck so as to not dirty it, she glanced around, assessing her situation.
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:38 am
Akuba looked at the mare bemused, no greeting, just a warning statement, he wasn't sure of this one, he looked at her with a quirked brow,"Oh, I'm sorry."
He took a few steps backwards hopping that it'd make it a little better.
His eyes dropped down to the books, it seemed she liked asking questions but he doubted she'd like to have to answer any,"no, no there isn't anything. I just haven't seen many academics around here...you know, soquili who can read?"
She seemed to observant type just like him self, just a little more awkwardly serious with a few pinches of something pleasant like in his own darker days.
Akuba didn't mean to almost stroll into her lands, he'd been walking this part of the land for years, only now to be old some mare has claimed it, it did seem rather new to him. He'd never had someone so young try to be so assertive towards him
"So, who's name do I put on the map? I have to map territories and all just to avoid bad arguments."
Maybe it's something he should expect now. He was getting too old to keep up, or so he thought.
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:34 am
Lissa's eyes moved down to her books. He was right. There were very few soquili who could read. Her father was one of them and it was the only thing he managed to teach her before.. She swallowed hard. Best not to think about that now, not when she had company. She realised that he was probably just wandering. Not a lot of soquili knew these were her lands. It's not like she had patrols set up guarding the borders. When she determined he was not a threat, she relaxed a little, though still on guard as she always was.
"I wish I could say these books were interesting. I can read the words but putting them to practice is another thing." Frowning a little, she sighed. "I apologize for my earlier rudeness. We've had troubles with people trying to sneak into my lands. My name is Vasilissa. And you are..?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:53 am
Akuba laughed to himself a little, he knew that feeling, reading a passage of a book knowing the meaning of each individual word but the whole passage itself was daunting to read, boring and encrypted. He daren't ask her what they were about because she seemed edgy enough, he just eyed them with one glance and quickly flickers back to her, and just said "I see", with an obvious hint of curiosity.
"I've learned to let people pass on my lands, I don't like setting restrictions, it makes it rather hard to travel when everyone is claiming bits here and their are there lands and they shall not pass. It's only the reclamation of my lands or the wrong sort I push out, as long as no-one gets too close to my teepee," as he was a master teepee builder he'd been working on it for years, it housed his family, friends and some guests now and again,"or my family then, I don't mind at all. I just won't have the wrong sort hanging around. Bansha, Echo and a few others sort that out."
He gazed into the mares eyes and wondered why she was so highly strung for someone so young,"it's fine, I know what it's like... it's even worse when you have kids...my name's Akuba", he left the rest out, just a name would do, he knew it wasn't really important as it was one she'd soon forget.
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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:18 pm
Lissa nodded in agreement with his words, before adding her own. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm happy to have others pass through my lands but I'd at least like to meet them first so I know they don't have any ill intentions for those that live here."
Children. Lissa thought for a moment. Would it be something she'd have one day? Right now it seemed like an impossibility. She was busy with her studies and training and the threat of Semuan-Ya was always daunting. It would be dangerous to bring children into her world right now. But maybe.. one day.
Lissa caught him looking at her books and she lifted one up. "Books on leadership. It was a great idea in theory, but with no base knowledge to go off I really don't know how to make sense of it or put it into practice."
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 2:00 am
Akuba could not deny that he still found this meeting sort of refreshing, someone young, someone bright...someone with determination. He smiled with a little half laugh to himself,"well you've met me. When you're patrolling your lands and you've been doing it for years, you'll see the same faces and a few new here or there but I can't say they'll be the most interesting. In the future the load maybe lightened by a little help and maybe you'll be able to expand on your territory.When that happens you'll know the intentions of many."
Akuba hadn't yet met anyone like Miss Vasilissa and she intrigued him, what was her story? Akuba glanced quickly at the title and then back to her,"ah I see. I don't think I have any books on leadership in my library", he said shamefully,"I've learnt that things don't always go to plan, same for when you put theory into practice. The great leaders of today didn't get their sense of leadership from a book but from personality and from who they are, if you feel that's the path you want to go down then it's in you too, you just need to find your own way because everyone has their own way. Don't be too critical of mistakes in the beginning, it's mistakes in the middle or end that count most."
Akuba paced a little towards her unafraid of her words or actions until his hooves touch the first blade of grass which belonged to her lands.
"Do you have a following or any allies?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:54 am
Lissa watched him carefully as he moved towards her lands. She allowed it, knowing that he meant no harm. "I've a few that travel through here frequently. One stallion in particular pays for my hospitality with entertainment. He's really a wonderful singer. Another stallion I tolerate moving through my lands because he's the ally of my ally." It was true, eventually she'd get used to seeing soquili in her lands; but she was still young and did not have guards to defend her. For now she would treat everyone she saw as an enemy until they proved otherwise.
"I'm not following everything I read to the tee; but some things do help. Battle strategies, for instance, come in handy. As do customs of other leaders." It was true, Lissa was reading up on politics but she wasn't letting the books govern how she was to lead. She was going to let her actions that came to her in certain situations govern how she lead. She would lead with her heart first; her mind second.
"I've a small following now. I'm hoping to gain more members. I've an alliance with Yggdrasil and his herd is quite large, so that's something at least." She laughed bitterly. "It's quite hopeless, isn't it? A leader with no herd?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:20 am
"Wouldn't an ally of an ally of whom you tolerate, be almost an ally to you?" He almost gave her a perplexed look but he managed to keep a straight face. Akuba looked at the determination in her face, it was all there. He had been in and part of the lands for many years and only now after the big boom, people had been claiming pieces of land here and there, with their imaginary flags and Akuba had to try and keep track of it all.
Akuba would walk across Vasilissa's land whether she liked it or not in her absence but because she showed up and put at claim to the lands as the current owner he tried to be as gracious and respectful as he could be, no matter how much that little ageist bit in his head kicked him. She was young.
"And it's foolish to do so, not all books are as helpful or as accurate as they claim. Everyone has their own path and everyone goes about it in their own different ways", a weak smile found itself onto his face again,"books do become dated, however helpful then may seem, your surroundings and neighbours change. The best way to learn the customs of other leaders is to meet them under controlled conditions. Just never place yourself above your herd members too highly. Some soquilli are like sheep but others won't like it, it's good to be at their level too. Same goes with other leaders, don't lower yourself too much, but don't be haughty and try and put yourself above them. They like humble people too."Akuba's personal opinion was that leadership was confidence mixed with strength and common sense, maybe other things we're thrown into the equation but those were the main elements.
"That's a good start",he nodded,"but gaining more members is even harder. The best you can do is continue what you're doing and gain more allies, you can gain members from allies too, new generations don't always stay in one herd but wander between a few."
Akuba exhaled still keeping his small smile,"you do have a herd. Herds always start small.You can't expect to gain a big following if you aren't that well known to many yet. You should go and meet your neighbours. You will do fine. I'm sure of it. I know you won't believe me but one day you'll look back."
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:21 am
Vasilissa listened to his words very carefully. He was wise, this she did not doubt. She memorized everything he said, knowing it would come in handy in the future.
"Their alliance is.. difficult." She said no more, it was not her place to discuss the dealings of Yggdrasil and this stallion had no reason to know.
Vasilissa nodded intently. "I don't expect to be a great leader over night. I've never expected it. It's why I'm working so hard. Hard work pays off and one day I will be a great leader to my herd. More than that, I will be a great friend to every member."
Vasilissa knew what kind of leader she wanted to be and it was exactly as Akuba described. The leader he described was her father. He never abused his rank or his power. He was harsh only when he needed to be. No one feared him and that was why everyone supported him so much. It was why he was such a powerful leader without having the greatest herd. The way he ruled had gained the favor of many larger herds.
While Vasilissa knew she couldn't mimic her father; he was her inspiration. She would hold the same beliefs and values he did. Have the same mindset. But she'd also have beliefs and values of her own. Her own reasons and goals that would change over time.
"It's nice to have a stranger have so much faith in me." She bowed low. "Thank you."
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