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 Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:31 pm
 Struggling to make her way across the Rogue lands once more, Nema couldn't help but feel a little homesick. She missed her pride, and desperately wanted to go back, but she refused. She simply had to learn a few things before she was ready to go back. Things the stars simply couldn't teach her.
Sighing to herself, she looked around the vast expanse of land around her. There wasn't much to look at, just a whole bunch of nothing. Nothing for yards all around. Of course, having failed to look behind her, it would be relatively easy for such a thing to happen.
'The coast is clear." She giggled to herself as she prepared to launch into a long winded conversation with her family. To an outsider she would appear alone. But to Nema, she was surroun ded by family.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:39 pm
 Samia had been sleeping, wedged into a deep little crevice beneath the roots of an overgrown tree, but the voice woke her up. She nearly bashed her head as she jolted up, leaving her bright white ears exposed between the roots as she tried to sort her thoughts out. The coast is clear. What did that mean? Certainly it wasn't some signal for an attack, or if it was it was the strangest she had ever heard.
Having gotten herself together she stretched out in the crevice and slowly lifted her head out above the ground to survey her surroundings. The grass gave her some cover but not nearly enough as she'd need to be comfortable. It didn't take long to spot the other lioness with her coat marked with such bright colors, and she didn't see anyone else. Who was she talking to then? "Who's out there?" she called, shrinking back down a few inches in case she hadn't yet been spotted.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:45 pm
Nema recoiled at the words, her tail stiffening, and her heart dropping.
'Shhh! I think I heard something.' She hissed to the family surrounding her.
Tilting her head from side to side, she attempted to better pick up the sound or some other sign that she had indeed heard someone else. But she heard nothing. Instead she used her eyesight to scan the area. Looking from left and slowly panning to the right, she caught sight of a small pair of white ears poking out from beneath and tree, then just like that they disappeared.
Now alert to the situation, Nema ruffled her fur in further disappointment. 'Stay here.' She mumbled, patting the ground with her paw. 'I'll be right back.'
She then tip toed her way over to the little den, and peeked her head slowly inside. Not entirely sure what she'd find, or if any possible danger were possible. She just wasn't the type to think t hat far ahead.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:54 pm
The young lioness wasn't sure exactly what she had expected would happen, but it certainly wasn't that. As soon as the face appeared she panicked, screeching loudly as she threw herself backwards. Unfortunately there wasn't much space behind her and instead of distancing herself as she would have liked she only managed to twist herself up in the roots. She struggled but realized very shortly that she was stuck with her head and front legs wedged in spaces that were too small for them. Well crap.
All she could hope for now was that the lioness was friendly. "Um..." she called, trying to think of a way to keep some dignity in the situation, "I seem to be stuck so... If you could maybe pull me? I promise I'm not a bad guy." That could work, maybe, if she hadn't scared the other witless.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:01 pm
From the very first screech, Nema lost her cool. reflexively bumping her head against the roof of the makeshift den, and quickly skittering backwards. Attempting to catch her breath she heaved heavily.
After a few seconds, she heard the lioness address her, and without a second thought stuck her furry little head back in the hole. Yep she was stuck alright! Assessing the situation, Nema nodded her head to the other female in approval before opening her mouth.
"Well of course you're not a bad guy. You don't have the look!" She smiled like a dope and continued. "Just hold tight, I need something to use as a rope." Again her head disappeared through the hole, this time not reappearing immediately. She took her time, walking around the tree, and eventually found some vine. It wasn't very sturdy, but she hoped it would at least last long enough for the other to gain some footing.
Popping her head back into the hole Nema tossed the loose end of the rope at her. "Tfake tfis ."
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:08 pm
Samia wasn't entirely sure where the vine would serve her best so she simply clamped it between her teeth and held on to it as tightly as she could. "Ohkay," she said through the vine, feeling herself beginning to get nervous. What if it didn't work? This lioness didn't know her, she didn't have any reason to help her.
Then again she didn't really have any reason not to.
Feeling like this was something that might hurt she closed her eyes tight and waited, hoping it would work. Worst case scenario she could maybe chew through the thinner roots.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:17 pm
Noticing the lioness had taken hold Nema clamped her teeth tighter around the vine, ground her claws into the dirt and prepared her. "On ve count ov free.
One.
Two
FREE!"
She gave one sharp tug of the rope, and noticed that while not popping. It wasn't quite doing the trick. She knew she would need more strength to do this, and she was nervous she didn't have it in her. But she dare not say that aloud.
Pausing, she took a deep breath in and out of her nose, closed her eyes, and pulled with all her might. Perhaps now, the lioness might budge.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:30 pm
Samia felt the weight of the roots pressing in against her neck and then suddenly it was gone. She opened her eyes and found herself spilled out across the edge of the crevice. Terrified of getting stuck again she scrambled out onto the flat ground, brushing herself off as she settled on her haunches. Thinking for a moment she dropped the vine and examined her rescuer. Older than her, maybe, but not old. She didn't look like a fighter.
"Thank you," she said, her face flushing a bit as she said it, "I um, I would've been stuck there for a while I think. I'm still getting used to all this, we had real big dens at home."
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:37 pm
The second the lioness escaped her entrapment Nema released her end of the rope, and began doing a small victory dance around the other lioness. Prancing on her paws and humming a small tune she had learned from her time among the stars. She was elated at her achievement as well as the idea that she had helped someone! Something she very rarely got the chance to do.
At the other's response, Nema snapped out of her happy zone and back into the present. A wide grin plastered all over her face. "You're welcome! I'm glad I was here to help, otherwise you probably would have been stuck!" She nodded her head matter of factly and continued. "Oh, you aren't from here then? I guess that explains your strange sleeping quarters." It was a blunt comment, though not meant to be rude. "I'm not from here either, just out to escape for a bit." Nema paused a moment realizing that in the sudden shock of meeting each other - neither had been properly introduced. "I'm Nema by the way," She paused again glancing in both directions before continuing in a whisper. "I'm supposed to go by Ghost Whisperer outside the pride - but you look harmless enough!"
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:46 pm
Ghost Whisperer? What sort of a name was that. Not something a mother would call their cub, certainly, but maybe that's why it was a name to give to strangers. She hadn't thought of something like that, but then again what could a stranger do with her name really?
"Samia," she countered, "That's my only name really, I'm from the Ongozana'Ke, or at least my family is." She paused, running a paw along the ground, "I don't really fit in there, so I'm looking for somewhere else." Well, for now she was, she wasn't entirely sure another place would be enough, another life maybe.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:54 pm
Nodding as she listened to Samia introduce herself and explain her lineage, Nema was silent. She couldn't comment very much on Samia's own pride - or rather her family's because she'd never heard of it. But she knew lots about her own pride - though Samia seemed a little level headed, she doubted she'd fit in very well among the Kizingo'zaa.
"Oh, well i'm from the Kizingo'zaa! But we're a little weird sometimes. So unless you like that, it might not be the place for you." She trailed off once more thinking of home, the stars, her den, him...
"But I hope you find what you're looking for. I know there are a lot of nice prides out there! I've even met a few lions from them." She shivered thinking of the one run in she'd had with her bully. It wasn't exactly pleasant. "Just be careful of the bad lions." She nodded again, looking up the sky and noting it was getting dark.
Her eyesight was good, but not great at night. She should probably find shelter and soon. But she was nervous to cut her conversation short - because she so rarely got the chance.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:00 pm
"The bad lions?" she paused, "How will I know if I find a bad one?" It seemed an important piece of information and the other lioness certainly seemed more knowledgeable on the subject, even if she hadn't been in the roguelands long.
"And what should I do? I can't hide very well." She had noticed the growing dark, it was the worst time for her to sleep because her coat lit up so brightly beneath the moonlight, so instead she'd use the time for traveling.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:11 pm
As the time drew nearer for Nema to leave she grew more anxious. She loved the dark, but she didn't love sharing it with others. She feared chasing this female away because she seemed so scared. She might be even more scared if Nema started talking to the clouds and expecting them to talk back.
In hopes of ending the conversation on a light note she inhaled and explained it the best she could. "Trust me, you will know if you meet a bad one. It's sort of like a feeling in your gut. It tells you, don't go over there, that's bad news. But you have to learn to trust your gut. It'll never do you wrong." She smiled, knowing it to be true. If she'd actually listened to herself she wouldn't get into half the trouble she does.
"Well, I don't blend well either." She snorted, looking down at her bright coloration. "I tend to stay clear of the main trails. I travel the lesser known ones. Y'know the ones with less scent. If you can do that, you shouldn't have to worry much about hiding because it's rare that I bump into another lion this way." Her smiled wavered as she finished up.
"I hate to leave you so abruptly but the sun is going down, it's time I find shelter.
You will be safe along this path, i've paced here all day and you are the only lion anywhere near here." She dipped her head in goodbye to the lioness.
"Be safe Samia, I hope to hear of your new pride someday!" She squeaked excitedly as she began to tread away.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:15 pm
Well, she was glad to know she was safe, but at the same time Samia was sad to see the other go. For a moment she thought she might follow, but she realized from Nema's words that she probably wouldn't appreciate a shadow. She'd have to find a traveling partner elsewhere.
Lesser traveled, gut feelings, she'd keep that in mind. Nodding her head she began to walk the opposite direction, glancing back for just a moment before she launched herself into a sprint to keep from calling the other back.
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