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 Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:27 pm
 Mwezi'Nuru was quite delighted with how things were going for her since she joined the Pride Lands. Her mate was wonderful, even if he was a bit snarky to everyone else. Her cubs were growing up to be fine young lions and lionesses, and she had been teaching quite a few different members of the pride to dance. Mostly cubs, but still, there were those that wished to learn! She could not have been happier with her life if she had wanted to be. It was amazing how things had changed for Mwezi. She was no longer the lioness that tried to fade into the background, or only took pride in her dancing. Her skills as a hunter had improved vastly with some help from her mate, and how could she not take pride in her cubs? She was very much the proud mother and mate and it showed. The lioness had a happy glow and an ever present soft smile these days. She was pretty sure her cheery attitude and happy smile bothered some of the more sour pride members. There was nothing that Mwezi could do about those that did not like it. They were going to continue to be sour at her good fortune no matter what, and if they tried to do anything to ruin it, Mwezi would not have to do anything in return. Her mate would happily take care of that. The lioness thought herself a little spoiled by her mate, or so she thought. Mwezi stopped that thought in it's track as she caught sight of someone coming toward her. The patterns on his pelt interested her, but she tried not to stare. "Good morning, sir."
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:34 pm
 Latitare was off on his own at the moment, on some mission the eagle wouldn't explain to the lion. Yareha tried not to feel too worried or exposed by his partner's absence, but Latitare had determined that this area was simply known as the Pridelands...and the pride was supposed to be incredibly friendly and welcoming of strangers. The white lion had reservations, but supposed it could be no worse than the Aka'mleli, who had been so kind even in their isolation from the rest of the world. He raised his head at the unknown voice and stopped dead. That lioness...! Her markings, her coloration...there was absolutely no doubt in Yareha's mind that this lioness was a relative of his. A cousin? Aunt? He didn't know, but he had to find out. "Good morning...my name is Yareha Afaer," he replied, wondering how best to broach the subject. Ah, hell. Might as well just dive in. "Son of Kivuli'mwezi and Madaha," the white lion added, to see what she did, how she reacted and, above all else, how they were related.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:49 pm
Mwezi was quite happy that the other lion was in the mood to talk. She did love visitors. Of course there were a lot of visitors that soon returned to stay such as she had, so that was all the more reason to greet and speak with them to her mind. She was a little worried at the look he gave her pelt, wondering if something was wrong. She knew she had groomed it spotless today, but she still worried when she caught his look. She gave herself a quick glance and saw nothing out of place.
Mwezi was glad she took that glance down when the male chose to speak a second time. Son of... oh dear. Her mind paused a moment and examined those words in shock. She shuffled her paws a bit as she looked up again. "Yareha Afaer was it? Did you say you are a son of Kivuli'Mwezi and Madaha?" Even if there were twenty lions of each of those names the likelihood of any of them being paired to produce offspring was slim.
Mwezi was not sure what she should think. Sure she had thought about going to search out her father and siblings at one point, and yes she knew she HAD siblings. But really, the lioness had never gotten around to such a thing because of falling in love with her mate and settling down. She didn't even remember what her siblings looked like, so seeing this male was not much more than seeing a stranger to her. The markings did look familiar and thus had caught her attention, but that was the extent of it. "I guess that makes you my brother."
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:55 pm
He waited nervously while the lioness examined him in turn. Oh, he hoped he hadn't made a mistake, coming on so strong and boldly! She might think he was a crazy person or something. The white lion nodded to confirm what he'd told her and continued waiting.
He hadn't expected her eventual words. Brother? This was yet another sister? Did he not have enough already? Either way, he supposed he should be happy for the confirmation that they were indeed family, and he smiled back at her.
"Then I guess there really aren't any more males than females in our litter," Yareha offered. "Back in the Mwezi are three more brothers and three more sisters. So the two of us make eight in all."
He supposed it was a good thing she hadn't been with them, she probably got more attention...or had she?
"How did you come to be here?" he asked, since there was something...settled...about his previously unknown sister. She definitely seemed to belong in these lands.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:12 pm
Mwezi blinked and stammered. "Ei-Eight? I have seven siblings... I guess I should have gone to visit when I was wandering." She did not know if she could have even found them, but still, she should have tried! What was done was done, though and now she was not in a position to go visiting anyone. Her cubs might be adols but they still needed guidance and their mother to give it to them. There was also the matter of her mate. She could not just up and leave him to go searching out another pride to visit her siblings.
Mwezi guessed she should not be rude and ignore her brother's question. She did owe him a bit of an explanation of things, really. As far as he knew she would have been with their mother whom was in a different pride, if he knew anything at all about her. She would have to get more information from him later. "I came to be here after I went off on my own... I left mother's pride to search for a male that thought I loved... only to find a mate here that I do love..."
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:18 pm
So she had spent some time as a rogue too? That was interesting. Apparently this was not the pride their mother lived in. Yareha considered asking for more information about the mysterious Madaha who had been little more than a name his entire life.
But his attention was fastened on his sister's words about males and mates. It sounded as if she'd followed one...but ended up with one that she truly loved, to the point where she had settled in the Pridelands to remain with him. Now that, the white lion decided, was true devotion, of a kind he didn't think he'd ever felt in his entire life.
"I am glad to find you so happy," Yareha told her, surprised to find that he actually meant it. "I think our brothers and sisters would forgive your oversight if they knew." And it was a shame that he couldn't tell them, seeing as how he could never return to the Mwezi'Johari.
Surprisingly enough, the thought didn't sting nearly as much as it used to. Strange.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:26 pm
Mwezi's eyes lit up at her brother's words. She hoped very much that her siblings would not have been upset about her not visiting with everything going on. She had her mate and their cubs and a very happy life, afterall. "I am very happy here. My mate is wonderful to me and our cubs. Our first litter is nearly grown now." She wondered if her siblings were so happy. Perhaps she should ask her brother about his own life, like where his mate was, and if he had any cubs.
He might have such information about her other siblings as well since he grew up with them. Mwezi was going to have to get a bit more information out of him on their litter mates and their father at some point. But for now, the lioness would focus on Yareha. She needed to know more about this brother that had wandered into her home. Of course she probably should introduce herself first. She realized quite suddenly that she had not done so.
"I... seem to have forgotten my manners. Forgive me, I am Mwezi'Nuru. Do you plan to stay in the pridelands very long, Yareha? I can offer my den as shelter for your visit. It has plenty of room even with my mate and our five adolescent cubs... my four sons will be quite happy to have an uncle around, and my daughter will wish to ask about her aunts... she does not have many female family members here, so it will interest her greatly." Mwezi did hope he would stay for a bit. There was so much to ask. And her cubs could always use more family around in her opinion. She just hoped her mate would keep his sarcasm down a bit on the first meeting.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:39 pm
The white lion was surprised that his sister - Mwezi'Nuru - would be so welcoming and open. Then again, the only reason he had problems with the rest of the family were the same reasons that had led to his eviction. Which she knew nothing of, so why would she judge him for it? And even though she might not be so quick to welcome a stranger (and she might be at that, he had no way of knowing regardless) they had already determined that they were blood kin, siblings from the same litter.
So perhaps he shouldn't be surprised at all that she would offer to let him stay in her own den, meet her children (five of them? Wow. And mostly boys, whereas the four he'd raised had been mostly girls...) and talk to all of them about their distant family.
Yareha smiled at his sister. "I'd love to stay with you, if you're sure. But only for a few days...I'm really just passing through, and I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea." Rather, he didn't want to find himself stuck in a pride that he hadn't chosen to be in. With the perspective of distance, he'd identified a deep resentment within himself for the Mwezi'Johari and now that the power to choose was in his paws, the white lion did not intend to find himself in the same situation again.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:42 pm
Mwezi's smile was soft, but quite warm. This was her brother, one of her unknown littermates. It never occurred to the lioness to distrust him, and had she known he was exiled she would have insisted he stay until he got back on his paws. She was a kind heart, and believed that there good in many if not all individuals. "You are welcome to stay as long as you like, brother. I doubt any in the pride would be anything but happy to see family visiting. Family is important here." She had no idea about her brother's thoughts on being forced to stay.
Mwezi turned to lead the way and left her brother to follow behind her. Her thoughts were already on things like what questions she should ask him, and how nice it would be for her cubs to meet him. She could not imagine just how many questions they might have for him. They all were aware of the fact that she had grown up an only cub with her mother because the others had gone with her father. This new found brother was the only source they would have for information about that family.
Mwezi was determined to enjoy the time she got with her brother, especially for it's likelihood to be brief. Perhaps one day she would take a little vacation off in the direction of her father and siblings to visit. It was a thought to toss around, especially with being able to ask this brother where the others were. The grey lioness had never had the option of asking someone where the others were when she set out on her own. She was not even sure if her mother knew the pride really.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:50 pm
Yareha followed his sister deeper into the Pridelands, reflecting on what she'd said. Family was important here. What exactly did she mean by that? That all families were important here? That blood ties of any kind were respected here? He supposed it must be the latter, considering that even in the Mwezi old members and relatives had been greeted with open arms.
Why was he so distrustful? The white lion felt guilty for the emotion, but there it was. He supposed he should just keep it to himself, and focus on being Mwezi'Nuru's brother and her kids' uncle for the time being. None of them needed to know his doubts, fears, or mistrust.
"Thank you," he told the lioness as he followed her in. She did deserve that, and far more. Hopefully he'd be able to make that up to her by sharing as much as he could about their family.
Hopefully.
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