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 Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:27 am
The sun was high in the sky beating down upon the earth. The heat caused the air to ripple and blur the horizons making the day unbearable. Not a soul was in sight except a blood hued lioness who was basking in the heat, enjoying the hot rays the sun gave. One would think this lioness dead for she moved not an inch but the small rise and fall of her chest proved otherwise.
It had been months since Kinja had left the desert and trekked across the savanna but the heat was something she sitll craved and longed for. The grassy lands were no where near as hot as the desert where it's sandy ground reflected back every ounce of heat and light the sun gave. Here the heat was absorbed by the vegetation and created cooler days than what she was use to but the nights were of a much more comfortable temperature than the desert where the temperature would plummet.
Laying just beyond the shade of the tree where her little ones were frolicing around, Kinja watched them carefully making sure that there was not extreme rough housing or that they didn't venture far. At this time of day they rarely left the shaded area though, the heat was not something they were as comfortable with as they're mother so the shade was much like a playpen and Kinja had no arguments about it.
Blue orbs squinted shut for a moment as a fly pestered her face. With a quick shake of her head though the annoying creature was gone. Striaghtening out her head she look out across the savanna and leapt to her paws in an instant. The form of a red lioness was clearly visible. It couldn't be one of the pride coming to find her? Not after all this time...right? She did not move but did glance back to her cubs making sure they were together before turning her eyes to the approaching lioness, muscles tense in case this lioness was a threat to her or her cubs.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:39 am
Kimya stretched her jaws and let out a play roar, which really was more her yelling the word than actually making the sound. Only around her siblings did she make this much noise, noisy in mother's presence as well but usually only when Kinja engaged Kimya in a tickle attack or a bit of play of their own.
She grinned and lowered her front half to the ground, rump sticking up in the air as she prepared to pounce or dodge one of her big brothers. All was well, mother was there, it was comfortably warm, they had the shade of the tree and the grasses were cool in the shade. If it got too hot they could lie down and roll about in the vegetation, or perhaps sneak back into the den for a bit of a nap. She and her siblings were having a good time and everything was right in the world.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:41 am
Her mind - as it often seemed to do at present - floated back to the pride and how it was coping since the plague had torn through its ranks. She had kept far from its boundaries ever since her treachery had made itself clear. Yet now after so long she was returning.
The forgotten flame was going home.
Each paw made a soft thud against the ground as she walked, head strangely low as she passed beneath the hot rays of the sun. Her maw parted, glimmering ivory fangs seen in her mighty jaws. Strong muscles rippled beneath her orange-red coat and she swayed with an almost drunken grace.
It was only when the scent of others caught at her nostrils that she faltered in her step, raising her head and narrowing her eyes as she gazed around her. Though she only had the use of one eye she knew that what she saw before her was not some illusion...not this time.
For just up ahead lay a member of the pride, her pride!
Something between fear and excitement laced through her veins as she approached, a curiosity in her features as she stepped forth. How would she be greeted? With rage or with happiness? There was only one way to find out
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:47 am
Hakan'Mawasii had been rolling in the dust and dodging his siblings advances up until the point that he noticed his mother's sudden...nervousness? For where once she had been reclining with contentment she was now on her paws and staring at....staring at...
The blue-eyed son turned his attention across the ground and followed the horizon until he saw her. The approaching stranger.
He let out a small yip, struggling to get onto his paws before whirling around to try and pin his sister. "Someone's coming, someone's coming!" His voice was an excited whisper.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:58 am
Kamal groaned, his long body stretched out upon the length of an unearthed root. It was large enough that is feel dangled, and he looked somewhat dead as he hung there suspended by the branch. Only a few feet in front of him Kimya was running about, but even this wasn't enough to stop the groaning and occasional flailing of feet.
"So boorrreed-" He groaned again, and slowly slid from the root much like a slug might. He collapsed in a little golden heap, his scruffy black tuff of fur covering over his face. He heard the sounds of Hakan jump onto of his sister, but this brought about only the slight twitch of his tail. This was of course, more of a temper tantrum then anything- for he'd just recently been scolded for trying to run off again. And the day before, for playing rough. And the day before that-
It was then that he happened to heard Hakan's voice suddenly utter, 'someone's coming!' At once, Kamal came back out of his little fit, and quickly bolted. He ran over towards Kinja and climbed over her, eager to get in front of the bunch and see what was happening. "What? What?" He spoke, his head shifting around as his bright green eyes searched for the cause of it- which appeared to be, another lioness strolling towards them. "Who's that? Moooom-!" he wriggled, and fell off of her. "Who's that?"
He puffed out his twisted black whiskers and snorted- but despite his attempt to be tough, it was a rather adorable kitten like motion.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:31 am
Kinja's eyes never left the approaching stranger, well, that was until Kamal came bounding towards her and clabered upon her frame. She growled in her throat and grabbed Kamal around the middle and turned to gather her other cubs up and herded them to the base of the tree. Placing Kamal down she gave them all a stern look. "I want you to stay here. I am not sure who this lioness is but I have suspicions. If I tell you to run into the den then do so. Understand?" She did not wait to get an answer. Instead she t urned her attention back to this oncoming lioness. With a tense body she strode toward her, ears pinned against her head.
"Ar eyou fromthe Firekin pride." She asked forcefully yet tentively. She was hoping deep inside that this orange-red lioness was not from the pride she had left, but her attitude, figure, and color all screamed Firekin.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:42 am
Kimya had finally taken notice to the approaching stranger, lifting her head and turning her eyes just as Hakan pounced, catching her off guard.
With a squeak she and her oldest brother tangled, paws splaying instinctively before they were all rounded up towards the tree again, before she knew what was really going on. Why was mother suddenly so tense?
Kimya didn't get a moment to respond, and simply looked between her brothers, confused, but staying put as instructed. Maybe all strangers were bad and mother knew this...
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:45 am
Ripuka paused, her eyes scanning the crimson coat of the other female. Yes...from what she had said she too was of the firekin pride, so what was she doing here? She looked deeply into the stranger's blue eyes, faltering only once to peer at the cubs. A strange sensation stirred within her, heart fluttering against her ribcage as she thought of her own dead children.
Her cubs who had never even lived past their first few minutes before her fangs had sunk into their vulnerable bodies.
"Once...a long time ago." She spoke as if she was suddenly distant, a lost expression falling upon her face as she gazed at the other. "Though no one will remember it." To strangers and outsiders she was hell...but to a fellow firekin she was loyal friend. They had no need to fear her...yet.
"You...and you are from there too." It was not a question, "before birthing a rogue's cubs by the looks of it."
Nodding in agreement it was with a growing tension that the little cub listened and waited where he had been told. It was only when he saw that the stranger was doing nothing but talking that he left the others and approached.
He stomped forwards until he was between his mother's forelegs and tilted his head up to gaze at the orange-red femme. He was brave, strong Hakan! Nothing could get in his way! So with no heed to his own safety he fluffed himself up and hissed.
"Stay away from mama!"
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:28 am
"Ooof!" Kamal could hardly utter as Kinja suddenly lifted him by the midsection, and dropped him back around with the rest of his siblings. He made a low squeak noise as the three of them were herded, before sliding pack and pushing against Kimya while trying to see past Hakan what was going on. The small cub snorted and crinkled his nose, the ends of his whiskers sticking out.
"Yous lady should be careful-" he said to no one, looking at the approaching lioness with a most miserably sour expression. He twitched his tail. Rogues cubs? What did that mean? And why so bitter? His pondering over it let himself allow Hakan to suddenly run forward, while he blearily blinked and slowly worked over the thought in his mind.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:33 am
Kinja raised a brow, unsure what to think about this lioness. She had apparently been one of the many who had left the Firekin pride and was not venturing back to her home. Kinja was on of the few who left and had no plans on ever returning again. Her home was not there, not where the memories haunted her and ate away at her very existence. Besides, she now had her cubs to care for and they would be killed by the pride, if not by her own son.
"Yes, I left the pride but that was before my little ones were conceived. I will not be returning either. My life is here with them, not where my previous litter now resides."
She opened her mouth to say something more when a dark grey ball of fur pushed past her and yelled at the orange-red lioness. Kinja growled. "Hakan!" She reached out a paw and pushed the small cub underneath her and gave the lioness a look as if daring her to attempt to cause harm to the cubs
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:59 am
Kimya remained close to Kamal, whispering quickly after Hakan to come back but to no avail. Their brother was already off and jumping into things. Mother seemed to have things under control there...
"Kamal, look at her leg, she's got weird marks on it." She whispered to her brother from where she huddled beside and a little behind him. Her blue eyes were trained on the orange hued lioness, curious but uncertain.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:09 am
Kamal winced for a moment, trying to appear belligerent, before leaning in closer to hear what Kimya had to say. A weird mark on her leg? He puffed out his whiskers and snorted, trying to get a closer look at the orange-red female whom now spoke to their mother. Other litter?
"Yes- I see it." His voice said lowly, and the end of his tail slowly twitched. He could be a ruffian and a loudmouth, but he truly was now concerned over the arrival of this creature. "Why do you suppose she is speaking to Ma?" He furrowed his golden brow and snorted, before attempting to wriggle past one of the roots which kept them huddled about the tree. He didn't really want to escape- but he made it so that his body was propped up across the branch and green eyes piercing forwards in a peculiar expression.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:26 am
"I see, so you leave the Pride in the paws of youngsters who know nothing of tradition?" Ripuka growled a little, "why do you feel the life of a rogue is superior to that of being amongst your kin?" She didn't quite understand the lioness standing before her. Ripuka had left because of her shame, because she knew that she'd have been killed or wounded because of ehr treachery. This female however had left of her own will...apparently.
Her eyes then lowered to gaze at the black ball of fluff, an amused smirk spreading across her white maw. "The little one has courage that's for sure...though I find it strange none of your children bare the red pelt of our kin...though perhaps it is for the best." Her eyes snapped up to catch the other lioness' gaze and as she stared into those brilliant blue eyes a sense of familiarity fell upon her. Was this the lioness who had arrived at the pride just as she herself was leaving?
"Have we...met before?" It didn't matter though for the God's curse was still upon her and she was sure that she'd never see recognisation in the face of the female. Was there some way to break the spell? Was there something that she could do to rid herself of this mysetrious sheath placed upon her. Maybe...maybe it would just take a little nudge to make herself rememebr in another's memory...
She gave little heed to the other two cubs though she was aware of their whispering voices.
"Oof!" Hakan rolled back as his mother pushed him beneath her, his body tumbling to a halt upon the dusty ground. His brilliant blue eyes narrowed a little as he wiggled his nose and sat back on his rump. There was a small scowl on his face - an expression that showed his annoyance. Why couldn't he be bigger so that he wouldn't have to fear other lions? He wanted to keep his family safe...though it seemed his mother was doing a fair enough job at the moment.
He listened to his mother's words with interest, wondering what a pride was, and who this other litter was that she mentioned. With a small shrug he turned back to peek at his other siblings, noticing that they were whispering amongst one another but remained where he was. No one could hurt mama if he was there by her side!
"How 'bout you leave mama alone!" Hakan huffed, fluffing himself up as he sat beneath his crimson parent.
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:29 am
"I leave the pride because there is nothing left for me there." She growled out, ears pinned agianst her skull. She did not like this lioness one bit and it was quite obvious this orange-red femme was of Firekin blood. Her better-than-you attitude was shining through like a beacon in a fog. "I'd rather start a new life than live with the horrors of the memories that torment me day in and day out, but I don't htink I have to explain myself to you."
"Though their pelts are not of the blood color of the Firekin they are gorgeous an dunique in their own unique way. I am glad they do not carry the red pelts." She stared right at the lioness, eyes dancing with defiance and anger. At the lionesses next question though Kinja was quickly knocked off guard.
"It's a possibility we have, though I do not recall you personally. My early life in the pride was focused on a soul individual and now he no longer exists anywhere but in my first litter and my heart."
Kinja eyes the female before Hakan, once again, burst out his defiance. He certainly got that from his mother but just in a larger amount. "Hakan!" She growled out angerily while looking down at the dark pelted cub.
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Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:17 am
Ripuka growled in return, ears flattening back and eyes narrowing as she gazed into the blue eyes of the ex-firekin standing before her. She paid no heed to the black cub sitting beneath her or his sharp tongue as he berated her. It seemed he was full of energy.
She listened to the words of the strange lioness with a muscle twitching in her jaw, not liking to hear bad words about her pride. Yes she had not dwelled in the dunes for a long time but that did not mean she had forgotten it. In fact that was all she ever thought about. "Of course, no explanation needed." She almost purred, staring once more at the cubs as conversation switched to them. Yes...there seemed to be no firekin patterns in their coats but as for their personalities...well...maybe that's all that mattered. Either way she would not bother with this lioness or her half breed cubs, it was obvious they were not going to return to the pride.
"Perhaps it is a mistake then, though your eyes are familiar I'm sure my mind isn't so weakened that Id forget one of my own kin." She inhaled loudly, canting her head a little, "it doesn't matter anyway...I have been forgotten by all who once knew me."
The dark grey cub sunk down, cowering beneath his mother as she snapped at him once more. What was he doing wrong? He only wanted to protect her! He gave her a large teary-eyed look and sunk back. "Sorry mama..." He muttered as he moved to lean again her own large hind leg where he remained quietly listening.
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