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 Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:47 pm
They probably hadn't looked at all.
They probably hadn't noticed. Not at all.
Niu thought about it a lot on the training grounds that day. That blood boiling within her was of the Pridelands and the Gods themselves, so she matched nearly anyone where size was concerned. In combat, she was no pushover either, and had proved herself a force hard to move -- like a wall, actually.
Niu was set to be a soldier, but to a trained eye, she fought like a guard. Most of her moves were defensive, meant to disable or block an opponent. Literally every attack she was not prepared for ended with her face in the sand. Another thing a veteran might take note of was her frustration with these events.
She didn't know it yet, but she was trying to brutally beat a square rock into a round hole in the ground. Niu could fight, but not like a soldier.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:59 pm
 Heti had arrived back in the heart of the pride lands yesterday evening, just as the sun had been disappearing behind the dunes, stretching his shadow out across the sand. It had been a tiring journey but one that he had made countless times before - and would continue to make for countless years to come. He had spent the morning recovering from the trek and spending time with the family. His cubs were growing big and strong and were already starting their own quests for apprenticeship. He could not have been more proud. He just wished they would stay small for a little while longer, yet. He wasn't quite ready to see them becoming independent just yet and the day that
He was thinking of them and their future aspirations when he reached the edge of the training grounds, skirting around the boundary as he cast an eye across those gathered there. Most he recognised. Others he did not. And there was a new one today who was looking rather enthusiastic with her training.
He twisted towards her suddenly and loped smoothly out across to where she was, lifting his head to peer across at her. She was dark-furred with a marking both strange and familiar. Still, Heti was not surprised to see more new members. There always had been a constant trickle, even during the hard times. It gave him hope to realise that others were still coming to join up with them during these hard times - a sign of their strength like never before.
"Afternoon." He greeted as he drew within comfortable ear shot, slowing his pace down a notch. Heti was certainly not like his father in personality. Friendly. Helpful and always smiling. But, whilst his personality was not like Azar'bijan's, his appearance was. The patches were covered with the stripes from his mother's side and he had his eyes, too and his thick, bulky stature was almost identical to his father in every way.
"Do you mind if I join you in training?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:12 pm
Niu had her suspicions about his lineage, but said nothing for two reasons: First, you couldn't pick your family. Her mother had two full-blood siblings here, which meant an aunt and uncle for her. The uncle was a guard or soldier or something of the like, but her aunt? A little more important than just that.
Niu had never met No. Her mother had never met No. Same parents, different litter. But Sen had heard of her and passed that information onto Nsundu for Niu to overhear: No was an all black lioness, like Daimyn in reverse. That was all any of them knew. Still, the coincidences were too many.
She had come here in the hopes of never being judged because of her family ever again. They couldn't know. Not ever.
The second reason was Niu had learned what new members tended to discover quite quickly: the bloodlines here were a circle. Everyone was related to everyone else. He could be nephew or grandson (great grandson?) or cousin.
Niu took longer than she should have to realize he was talking to her. It was not what she expected here. They were helpful and productive for the most part. A far cry from the overly-aggressive reputation she'd gotten wind of.
Niu nodded and stepped to the side a tad, as if to welcome him. "Please do."
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 6:33 am
Family could certainly be a tricky thing. Heti knew that all too well and though he had tried to help build bridges between broken relationships it had failed every time. His parents no longer spoke and he and his father...well, it was as good as it was ever going to be. He realised that now. He just wasn't what his father wanted as a son. Too soft. Too smiley. Too kind. But that wasn't all he was. Why did his father choose to overlook his loyalty and dedication? Why would it never be enough?
Unfortunately, the only one who could understand Azar was Azar himself. Heti had all but given up.
Still, Niu was correct in her observation. Family lines within the Firekin were a complex web of links intermingling between their ancestry. No's line was present and flourishing.
"Thank you." He replied, moving to take his place across from her, stretching the muscles in his shoulders and neck. "My name is Heti. I haven't seen your face around here before. Are you newly arrived to the military?" He wondered, judging from what he had just seen of her abilities, whether she would be willing to join the guards out on patrol. They certainly could do with the numbers. More guards meant shorter patrols which would mean fresher lions out to protect the borders. And perhaps mean he had more time to spend with his own family. That was a nice thought.
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:47 pm
Heti. Niu would try to remember it.
She was more interested in his muscles than his name -- oh for Gods' sake, not like that. The size of the lions here was a subject of great interest to her after she learned through observation they fell short of her expectations. Niu had pictured them all... well, bigger, and they weren't. Many could only rival Nsundu for height.
She conceded she probably hadn't seen but half of them yet.
For now, she focused on the one that was in front of her. "My name is Niu." Niu of the military, she wanted to say, but her recruitment was not completed in full and it would feel like lying to someone so hellbent on keeping her standards nothing below perfection.
"Newly arrived, anyway." Her tone spoke of self-deprecating humor. They couldn't make fun of her if she got there first.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:47 am
He smiled, giving her a short acknowledging nod. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the place soon enough. The lions here can sometimes be as rough and unkind as the desert they live in but - for the most part - we are a loyal and helpful group." They had their divides, for sure. Their 'factions'. And, if Niu was lucky enough to be around during a pride meet, she would see how the members liked to butt heads over topics and rage their disagreements. Still, all in all, the members worked well together and the recent threat of war had mostly brought them closer together - with only a few exceptions.
Still, he hadn't come here to gossip about pride members and he didn't know much about anyone in any case. He'd come to observe her fighting style and perhaps aid with her training if she would allow.
"Since you're out here training, I'll assume that you're wanting to pursue a career in the military? Would you mind if I threw a couple of strikes your way?" He wanted to observe her technique at a closer range than when he had spied her across the way. And, even as the words were leaving his mouth, he was taking his position across from her, bracing himself comfortably on the shifting sands.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:25 pm
Niu knew a rhetorical question when she heard one. Was refusing even an option if she felt so inclined? Not that she had such reservations holding her back. She respected the way Heti had conducted himself so far, and until he gave her a reason not to, she would in turn respect him. That opened the door for him to critique her until the sun went down. Niu would listen to every word.
"You'd be correct. I've found that a slow and painful death by the paws of an enemy is ideal compared to a life full of screechy, demanding cubs." A joke, but one that bled truth into humor. Her choices were slave for the youth or fighter for the army when she'd gained entry. No, thank you, servitude.
"Of course you may. I'd be very grateful for your help, Heti." Niu took note of his posture and mirrored it. She wanted to know how to fight like a Firekin and acting like one was a good first step.
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Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:24 am
Heti's smile was full of warmth. "A wise decision, I think. Caring for one's own cubs is all well and good." And a job he loved, in fact. "But caring for another's cubs? Not so much." The responsibility of ensuring their safety when their mother and father were out at work would have driven him mad with stress, he was sure. Care-taking the pride by patrolling the borders was a lot easier than chasing cubs around in a mad attempt at trying to keep them safe and sound. "Still, we'll try and make sure that you don't meet a slow and painful death by the paws of the enemy, either." And a way to aid in that was to train. He was glad, at least, that the pride members seemed dedicated to putting themselves forward for training. Glad to be able to assist when he could.
With a short intake of breath, Heti lined himself up for his first 'shot' and threw out a swift jab with his right paw. The attack was quickly followed by a succession of other attacks, short and quick - all aimed for the head and shoulders. His claws were kept securely under wraps, however, merely testing her reflexes and to see how she would react to them. Would she throw up a good defence or mount a rapid offence?
And, as he played out the sequence of moves he had been drilling since his youth, he continued to speak: "Have you much experience with fighting out in rogue lands?"Hopefolly You can have her evading/blocking or hitting him back - whatever you prefer! I don't mind which :3
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:49 am
Niu had something of a disparate fighting style from the others she'd practiced with so far. They were aggressive from start to finish. At times they would pace themselves. Many were patient like her. The difference between them was they were always looking for the next attack, where as Niu sought an opportunity to strike with the attack.
She had trained as a hunter first, and a fighter second. She was not born of the Firekin and no one need exchange names to know it.
Like with the kicks of antelope or wildebeest or zebra, she dodged many of the strikes. Others were parried. Everything was going well until he spoke to her.
Niu had been called a couple names for not responding during spars. It was nothing personal. She just cared more about concentration than socializing. That mindset had led to victory over Azar and earned her a place here.
With Heti, she gave both a chance: Niu opened her mouth and in doing so her focus was ruined even before she uttered a word. Heti's paw whacked her across the face and she toppled into the sand.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:30 pm
She could certainly manoeuvre herself around his attacks, dodging this way and that just out of reach of his paws. Even when he upped the speed, sacrificing a little accuracy in doing so, she made him feel clumsy and slow. Likely she'd be able to drive some of the more fiery Firekin crazy with her evasion, turning them in circles until they could do nothing but succumb to their exhaustion and declare her victorious. Unfortunately for Niu, she had a weakness and Heti wasn't sure who was more surprised when he landed the hit.
Him or Niu.
He retracted his paw sharply, his whiskers flinching as if he had felt an echo of the blow that had caught her across the face. And then his face turned quite apologetic as he stooped down to check on her. "Niu? Are you all right?" Perhaps having a chat whilst training had not been the best idea he had ever had.
Taking a step back to give her some breathing room, his tail swished as he waited for her to regain her paws. "Your speed is impressive." He spoke out as if unsure what to do with silence. "With practise, you will learn how to move instinctively - that'll make it easier to talk whilst sparring." He gave her a sheepish sort of smile. "Though to be fair, not many spend time chatting whilst training. I should have waited to ask questions until after we were done." And he paused to catch his breath. "For that, I apologise."
And that was why, in his father's eyes, Heti would be deemed unworthy. His heartfelt apologies. His 'gentle' heart.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:24 pm
With each gaffe and inconsiderate comment, Niu lost one more opportunity to make a friend. She hadn't planned to be surrounded and all alone. Incidents like the one with Azar weren't keeping her up at night, but no matter the circumstances, she fumbled as she'd done with him. That slap in the face when she tried to speak was symbolism in a way.
Heti had probably done her a favor by giving her more time to think about what she wanted to say.
Using time wisely? That came natural to her.
Stretched out on her stomach, Niu shook the sand from her face. "I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Thank you," she said when she was on her paws, "but it's not something you should apologize for..." Kind of degrading, really. "The fault is mine."
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:09 pm
He was glad that there had been no harm done. He rather liked to make friends and not chase them away. Perhaps his initial greeting should not have included a sparring match, though the decision had confirmed a thing or two about her fighting style. And, it was with this in mind, that he started up the next phase of the conversation.
"I couldn't help but notice that you have a tendency to lean towards the more defensive moves." He spoke up after a moment of careful thought. He wanted to try and word this carefully in case he caused offence. She might have had her heart set on being a soldier and he in no way wanted to sound like he was trying to convince her out of that path if it was what she desired. "I wonder, given that in mind, whether you might be swayed into taking up a career with the guards? We could always do with a talent like yours and if a time does come for war, there's no doubt we'll be teaming up with the soldiers to provide them with back-up." A combination of soldiers and guards was bound to be a force to be reckoned with - so long as the two halves of the military could mesh well together.
"And, of course, there's no rush in making a decision. I just thought I'd throw the option out there. Some of the lions here can make it sound like Firekin are soldiers and nothing more." And he laughed a little at that.
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 2:55 pm
Niu's ears turned in his direction and her eyes focused on him as if blinking would deafen her. He was right to treat the subject with caution if he wanted them on good terms. She'd not have taken well to someone trying to denigrate her contributions here. There weren't many, not yet, but there would be.
Perhaps just not as a soldier?
Niu listened to him and to her thoughts simultaneously. She had never been invited to anything -- not even to play games as a cub. Unless you counted her "invitation" to hunt on behalf of her mother and her "aunt", which Niu did not. She was agog with the possibilities this of this new opportunity, all the things she could achieve and... maybe somewhere she'd belong, finally, as something other than just a glorified servant.
"I would like to," she said. Too hurried. Better fix that. "I would like to," Niu repeated, taking the edge off. The first time, she'd blurted it out like the offer expired in five seconds. "I will not let the guards down, Heti, if you'll have me."
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 3:06 pm
If Heti had known that his caution had been a good and necessary move, he might have been a little more nervous during this conversation. Thankfully he was not aware and thus offered her only a widening smile. She wanted to join the guards? Pointing rogues in the direction of the Firekin lands was one thing, but to help them find where they wanted to be was something else entirely. A spark of pride lit in his chest at the realisation of it. He was useful for more than just patrolling borders, after all!
Ah, it was good to be home!
"You'll be a valuable asset." He continued. "The guards would welcome you. Me and all of the rest. I'm not too sure on the exact protocol myself, but I would assume that you would stay here and train with the other 'off-duty' guards for a week or two, just to get used to the terrain and your new colleagues. Then, once you're ready, you can head out when the patrols switch over. I'll be here for another six days so I'd be more than happy to train with you and introduce you to as many guards as possible, if you would like."
Or maybe he was sounding too pushy?
"You might prefer to wander the training grounds yourself, though."
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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:51 am
No, she really wouldn't.
Niu's mother liked to fallback on a convenient old saying. No matter if Sen deserved the repercussions of her misdeeds, she would often shrug her shoulders, occasionally rolls her eyes, but she would always -- always -- recite it like a devout priestess would a prayer: Hey, you can't please everyone!
Niu would settle with feeling content with herself and a few people who could stand her. It was bothersome, but like it or not, she was fiercely protective of her personal space and needed private time to collect herself so that she may function when she was not alone.
She couldn't ask Heti to work his schedule around that. He might think her one of arrogance, hubris, and entitlement.
This opportunity for a companion that may come to see her as a friend was not to be so casually tossed aside. And he voluntarily offered her a pardon from the grueling chore of introducing herself to everyone, which she had desire to do and not enough social skills to manage successful.
"Thank you, Heti." She had probably thanked him more than the two lionesses she'd grown with combined throughout her entire life. Because unlike them, he deserved it. "I would appreciate all your help -- with everything."
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