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 Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:06 am
 There had to be more to life than this.
Sia could understand why people loved the Pridelands. It was an expansive territory of green and blue with herds a plenty. It felt safe, too, despite their hyena neighbours and cubs could play without fear of coming to harm. The numbers of lions and lionesses was truly a force to be reckoned with and everyone (generally speaking) would be there to lend a paw if need be. The families here were huge, friendship groups expansive and...and...
It was boring.
Sia loved her home. There was no denying that. But it lacked that extra something she required. That spark of adventure and danger that her heart craved. Her expeditions as a youth had seemed oh so exciting at the time, filling her veins with adrenaline and yet, now that she was an adult, nothing quite got her heart racing any more. And, in an attempt to bring a bit of spark to her day, Sia had taken to prowling the borders, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dreaded hyenas or perhaps move to greet a passing rogue and get some news of the outside world. But so far there had been nothing much to note and she was beginning to wonder if she should have asked one of her friends to accompany her. Kito, maybe, or Tala. Tala would probably have been the better option.
Shaking her head and neck vigorously, she loped out through the rocky terrain and turned her head slowly, breathing deeply to draw out scents of those who might be close. And, with luck, something reached her. A newcomer? Without any hesitation at all, the dark lioness raised her head and gave a few short chuffs of greeting.
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:11 am
Lions born in the swamps knew they'd be leaving home one day. Sagua didn't have much of a wanderlust, but what he did possess was a staggering loyalty to his duty. He'd left without a fuss and hadn't looked back until a new name rang just right to ears.
He wasn't the kind to complete a task or offer a helping paw just for something in return. What he did, he did because he should and for no other reason. Suffering the loss of his pride was a hard hit to everything that he was, though, including devoted. No reward was one thing, but to be punished for taking his time?
Call it morbid. Call him pathetic. It was not in a melancholy way Sagua thought over and over how much better it would be if the fire that charred his home and decimated his family took him too. He could not imagine there were many survivors, if any at all. He shuddered when he imagined the intensity of that conflagration; to choke on it, burn in it.
After many days of hardship and woe, Sagua was moving on, both in mind and in paw.
He knew where he would go.
The Pridelands were very likely beneath him and that was all the more reason to keep a steady pace. This was the kind of place anyone could get too comfortable in. Plenty of food, water, and potential mates. He might be too captivated to go, might settle down and have a few cubs...
And he'd regret it. He knew he would.
Sagua wondered if the lioness ahead of him was sent by the spirits to sway him off his path. He was officially rejecting them and their teachings now.
No, that was ridiculous. If the things he had been taught were true, he'd have been home. There would have been a home.
Sagua slowed as he got closer and eventually stopped. He looked well-fed and muscled. The only giveaway something was amiss was the ash coloring parts of his white mane two shades darker.
"Hello, stranger." His voice was no longer hoarse. That was a good sign. In fact, he sounded friendly, relaxed, in control. "Am I near the Pridelands?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:55 am
"Hello!" She chimed back, coming to a halt a few steps away from him and casting an appreciative eye over his form. He was large, strong and striking with his black fur and white markings, complimented by those intense purple eyes. Mmm, yes, handsome was the word. He had an odd scent about him though, something she couldn't quite place. Still, Sia had never seen nor smelt a fire before. Perhaps if she had she might have realised what the ash that stained his white fur meant. Still, he'd asked a question, had he not? Perhaps she should stop staring and answer him...
"You are indeed. You're just outside of the borders now, in fact." So was he here to join? Sia thought it might have been likely seeing how he was here and asking after the lands. She wasn't sure whether to be a little disappointed by that fact. It probably meant he was another one seeking an uneventful, comfortable life. But never mind, she wouldn't dwell on it. He made his own choices just as she did, who was she to judge him? "And, so we don't have to be strangers to one another, my name is Sia." Nice and short. Easy to remember. "It's nice to meet you." And, throwing him a lazy smile, she stepped a little closer, giving him a sidelong glance as she did so.
"And what brings a handsome lion like you all the way over here?" She mused out loud, smiling all the while. "Let me guess. You're seeking membership? Am I right?"
Reticent, Sia was not.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 3:59 pm
Seeking membership, Sagua was not.
There had been females and female advances before. Sagua didn’t have enough modesty left to shy away from it, but would not embrace it either. This wasn’t his home and his mate wouldn’t be found here. “Sagua. And sadly, no." He had to admit she was easy on the eyes, but that was the only thing easy. He couldn’t forgo a lifetime of morals for one night in a den, no matter how lovely his company. His upbringing had not discouraged him from pursuing such affairs, and yet, he couldn’t imagine a time when he’d succumb to temptation and to hell with the consequences. The world was out of control; the last thing it needed was one more unchaste rogue in the population.
Sagua tilted his chin up and ruffled his mane to try and clear some of the soot. Standing still, he got a waft of the burnt smell and didn’t care for it at all. “I’m on my way to the desert, to the Firekin.” A strange place for a lion whose life had been stolen by fire, he’d admit. “I just wanted to make sure of where I was now. Thank you, Sia.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 3:26 pm
Her smile widened and she shook her head agreeably. "It's not too sad, Sagua. I think you're making the best choice. Or perhaps not. Depends on what sort of life you're after, I suppose. Given the chance, I might even think about leaving this place myself..." She trailed, ears folding back in thought. Why didn't she? Sia knew the answer to that immediately. Her family. But as she had grown, their hold on her was dwindling. Perhaps she just needed an excuse to take that first leap.
A direction.
"The desert?" She asked. And as he thanked her she began to worry that he was thinking of leaving now that he'd gotten his answers. She skipped forwards, moving around him as if to cut him off from leaving - or delay him, at least. Her eyes were bright with curiosity. "Firekin? Why are you looking to join them?" She'd not heard much about other prides but she'd figured they would all be the safe , boring sorts of places. "Are they very different from the Pridelands, I wonder?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 1:39 pm
Sagua was not thinking of leaving, he was leaving -- until a lioness suddenly blocked his path. He had no qualms about her abrasiveness according to his patient response to it. "I've not been here long enough to say, but from what I hear, they are. They're..."
How did you say this and not insult her home?
"They're rougher around the edges," Sagua tried. "More domineering and loud. Like fire. That's what I've heard."
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:34 pm
"Sound like my kind of people." She declared with a crooked smile. "I suppose they have to be 'rougher' to put up living in the desert. I expect a lot of my kin would pale at the thought of it, especially with the sort of comfort you get here." Her tail twitched, eyeing him with that ever present curiosity. "Still it certainly sounds like an adventure." Oh and how her heart craved it. The unknown. The excitement of meeting new people. A people with a different culture. But would they put up with her? A lioness who had the sometimes terrible habit of speaking her mind. She really could be quite shameless at times. It was a good job that she had a good heart and that most of it was all talk.
She loved to flirt but it had never gone any further than sweet talking. It was fun to see the reactions she got when she did. Almost addictive, even...
"I've been told I am loud." She proclaimed with a chuckle. "But you would never have guess, right?" Winking at him, she took a small step back to look at him better.
"You're travelling there alone then, Sagua?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 6:30 pm
Sagua felt a row of sharp rocks and bones with jagged edges had been laid out before him. These hazards were made of implications and flattery. What would decide whether or not they inflicted harm upon him were his words alone. There was a small path that he could safely navigate if he were careful.
Traveling alone...
"I suppose," Sagua said. His voice trailed off, perhaps to give her opportunity to invite herself along -- no, that wasn't it. He didn't want that. "I don't have anywhere else I should be."
Since he didn't go into detail, Sia had the option to wonder or ask why; first, she was spoken to as if by a well-meaning, but stubborn father who knew what was best for everyone. "You should stay here. It's comfortable and there's no reason for you to leave."
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:03 pm
She eyed him curiously. Oh she liked this one. Handsome and mysterious. All roguish and avoiding and interesting. So different from the males at her home. The ones who were boring and happy to while away the day (she was being a bit harsh, perhaps). "You've been a rogue all this time, hm? I bet that must have been exciting. And dangerous." She was inching closer, seeming to weigh up her options.
Sia was a spontaneous girl, but was she really this spontaneous?
Well, not quite. She'd say goodbye to her family first. She loved them all dearly and did not want them to worry about her when she was gone. It would be good to let them know she would not be travelling alone (Sia had already assumed that she would travel with Sagua by this point). And also to tell them the rough direction she was going in case they ever had need of her. "How long will you be in the area for?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:32 pm
Sagua wondered that himself. How long would it take for him to walk away? However long that was, that's long he'd stay.
Walk away, he told himself.
His legs had other plans.
Sagua was misunderstood for an introvert and that was simply not true. He needed to express his ideas to others; to make plans with them, chat with them, hear them out. He was lonely on his pilgrimage but had kept his chin up knowing home awaited him.
They said insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
He had done all this before. All of it.
And yet, "I can stay until tomorrow," he said with great reluctance.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:29 am
She noticed the reluctance, acknowledging it with a cheeky smile and a pair of sparkling eyes. Silly boy. Silly handsome boy. Did he not want her as a travel partner and if not, why didn't he just say so? Ah well, if he was hoping that she might read between the lines and act on them, he was going to be very disappointed. Sia was very good at ignoring things when the need called for such action.
"That's wonderful." She replied instead, throwing him one of her most 'dazzling' smiles. "I think you've just acquired yourself a travelling partner, Sagua."
She took a small step back, thinking of all the goodbyes she would need to make. Not just family members but friends, too. She'd been blessed with a good crowd and, strangely, felt a little guilty at taking the decision to leave them and doing it so quickly. She'd always been lectured on her spontaneity. She could even hear her friend, Kito, telling her to stop rushing forwards and think about what she was about to do. But it wasn't in her to do that. Where was the fun in life without a little risk?
"I'll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, how about you relax, hm?" And, with a delighted laugh, she was already hastening away, though not without pausing to call out to him: "Don't go too far!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:35 pm
Sagua found that smile more dangerous than dazzling. He couldn't tell this was more about him than her. He couldn't say that he'd have adapted to anyone's company, so long as they were company. How did you admit things to others when you couldn't to yourself?
He would confess this was suspicious to him. All of it was pretty... pretty perfect. All the coincidences lined up just right. She just happened to be there. Just happened to be the "right" colors. Just happened to have this devil-may-care attitude.
"In the meantime, how about you relax, hm?"
Sagua nodded dumbly, not sure he could manage anything else.
Don't go too --
He sank to the ground, rear end first, then slid all the way forward.
Don't go too far, she said.
How did he always end up getting bossed around by females like this?
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