|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:04 pm
Ulfric was still favoring his injuries from his battle with Tailung, the leopard that had tried to kill a helpless adolescent lioness. He had been tended to by Kita, another leopard who was hunting the first, to stop him from hurting others. She was not doing the best job, in Ulfric's estimation, but he supposed he could not fault her.
At least she was trying.
He was walking slowly, his stomach aching him from where it had been cut. Kita had managed to tend to it very well, and the bleeding had long since stopped. But it was sore and tender, and he felt pain with each step though he did not show it on his face.
Ulfric was a warrior, and he believed in his strength. He would not have someone seeing him and pitying him, as Kita had, and he would not have anyone be obligated to help him out of pity. Respect, and repayment of their own debt to him, yes. But not out of pity. He was a proud lion who played by his own rules of honor.
That worked for him.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:46 pm
Jicho'la'dhoruba, or Jicho for short, plodded along, her head low and her tail pressed tightly to her rear. She'd been on her own for several suns, now, something she hadn't been used to, and the young lioness was nervous. She was losing track of time, each day blurring in to the next, as she missed her home. Of course, she could have stayed longer, had she wanted to, but it had been made clear to her that she and her siblings were old enough to fend for themselves and, thus, were expected to leave and make their own ways in life fairly soon. She hadn't been hated, not really, but her presence had often been scoffed. She'd earned her name, aptly, as it meant "eye of the storm," and she seemed to gather trouble behind her, regardless of her intentions.
She was lost in her thoughts, her mind flickering to her mother, an aging, yet beautiful lioness. She was a rogue and her father was far from the picture, having been killed while hunting. The goings had been rough, but her mother traveled with another. It wasn't a pride, per say, but a small gathering of females, and it was in that sort of setting that she had felt most comfortable.
It was the sound of paws and the coppery scent of blood, albeit dried, that snapped her out of her inner thoughts. Worry coursed through her. Scent was male? Wounds weren't old, yet not fresh? Timidly, she scanned for the male with her violet eyes. It wasn't hard to spot him. He was large, larger than herself, and she was almost afraid to approach him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:38 am
Ulfric heard something moving near him, and he turned his head to see the lioness approaching him. He stopped, standing and frowning. It was not an angry frown, per se. It seemed to be his thoughtful expression, the one he made when he was at rest and not thinking about things too much.
He took a breath.
"There is no kill here, if that is what you are seeking," he said, thinking she may have smelled blood and thought she could sneak some food from a fellow hunter. Scavengers were not uncommon, of any breed or species. He had lions try to steal from him all the time.
Try to.
Ulfric was not the kind of lion who suffered disrespect. Though he was not royalty and had no royal blood in him, he demanded that level of respect. He watched her quietly, and his expression grew more bland at least, not angry so much as expectant.
He was waiting for her to confirm his thought, or to tell him what she was really doing there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:44 am
"I-I'm not, I mean, I wasn't..." She stumbled over her words, almost embarrassed at the thought of being caught skulking around. Truth was, she wasn't hungry. At least not yet, though one who wanted to not only survive, but thrive in the harsh wilds of Africa needed to be opportunistic. Her stomach was full enough off the hare she had managed to catch for herself earlier that morning, though it hadn't been anything particularly grand.
"What I mean to say is that I wasn't looking for a kill." Finally, she found her voice. She wasn't so bold as to look the male in the eyes, she wasn't seeking any sort of challenge, and instead let them fall respectfully towards the side of his face. There was an air of strength around him, but he didn't seem necessarily dangerous. If he was, wouldn't he have made some move by now? She worried over offending him and she wasn't exactly the most confident of creatures.
"Did you get into a fight?" She risked shifting her eyes somewhat, though she couldn't quite get a firm grasp on just what had happened to him. If there was no kill, the blood-scent must have been coming from him. The answer should have been obvious to her, he didn't seem the sort to be attacked willy-nilly, but she hadn't met many strangers and her small talk was lacking somewhat. More pressingly, however, was the inflection in her tone. The real question, the one pressing on her mind, was concerning her own safety. He didn't seem keen on attacking her, but if there was another creature around who wouldn't be so kind, she didn't want to run into it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 9:29 am
Ulfric listened to her, watching her passively as she spoke. He noted that she was a female, obviously, though that was not new information for him but he saw that she was a pretty one. She was not meeting his gaze, which meant she was timid enough to not want to get into a fight with him or challenge him.
These were all just observations.
He nodded his head slowly at her question.
"Yes. A leopard," he explained, though she hadn't asked. Usually he was not keen on sharing his stories with anyone, let alone making friends, but he got the impression she wanted to know and had no real qualms with that. He had not lost, and it had been an honorable enough encounter, though his opponent escaped and that was bothersome.
"He was attacking a young lioness, I encouraged him to stop."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 1:18 am
She relaxed visibly when he spoke of the leopard and the young lioness. He was a sturdy fellow, which was obvious in his tone and posture. If he had rescued another lioness, he had to be the good guy. At least, that was the way her mind processed the information and she brightened, a sneaking hint of a smile splaying across her rubbery lips. "You saved her, then?" There was admiration in her voice as she moved her eyes respectfully to the side of his face, her rounded ears perked with curiosity. Her previous worry was nearly forgotten as her young and imaginative mind was already weaving some heroic story around the lion, defender of the savannah. Of course, she didn't know any of the truth behind it. She was a dreamer and always had been. "Did you teach him a lesson? Rip him a new one? Is he still out there?" She inhaled sharply at the thought of some terrible leopard roaming in the night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 9:37 am
Ulfric cared little if others saw him as good or bad. he knew that perspective would always change, and his actions would be viewed from two sides. It was what he did, the differences he made, and his own personal goals that he focused on. The rest was secondary. Still, fathering people to his side would only aid him. Since at the moment he was simply looking for a place to seek power, he did not need to try too hard to rally anyone.
So, as rare as it really was, she was meeting him at his most honest. He was himself.
Maybe it was because he was injured and tired.
"I suppose I did. She ran off while I was fighting," he watched her, seeing how interested she was in his story. It only motivated him to tell it, secretly craving all that attention he told himself did not matter. "I doubt he will be causing any one trouble any time soon. He has wounds far worse than mine to worry about. And if I hear of him again, I will make sure there will not be a third time. Still, you should be careful, traveling alone."
He looked worried about her then, though the expression was subtle. he had a sense of honor, and in that a need to protect females. Especially when he saw the spark of fear in her eyes.
"If he is still around this area, I will stay close to protect you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
