|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:26 am
 |
|
|
 |
Majuto trailed along the northwestern border of the Ukulhwa'izwe. The Savannah was not so much vast as it were plentiful, and one of the pride's main resources. If the herds had never returned, it was likely this land would have been forsaken. Regular hunting parties rolled through this portion of the pride's territory, but Majuto had seen a large group headed towards the southern border instead. That was all well and good, since Majuto was not out this way to hunt.
He was loathed to admit that he was bad at hunting (certainly he was far from considering himself skilled in it). A true Outlander needed to be balanced, and while Majuto could knock a few skulls together he could not manage other skills well. He was far too large to be a good hunter, his coat too dark and his mane too heavy. The dark male was an incredibly hairy lion, tufts of fur appearing on his elbow while his mane grew all the way down towards his stomach. Majuto was strong and carried a good battle sense, but that was it to his abilities.
It was a little... discomforting to realize that he was lacking in some areas. Majuto carried himself as if he were the king of his own world, and only lately had he started to come to terms with the fact that he still had much to improve on.
Groaning loudly, the male cast his gaze out over the savannah. In the distance he could see the termite mounds where the pride made their home, but he had no desire to return to it yet. There was some silly marriage ceremony going on that day, and that was definitely not something he was sticking around for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 6:02 pm
|
|
|
|
At times it felt like Ficha had been wandering all of her life; her life as a Queen's sister and a proud defender of her pride and culture felt like an eternity ago. Sometimes it felt like it had only ever been a dream.
The only steadfast proof that she had ever been more than an old rogue huntress was Hakiki, the proud falcon that had stood by her side through their misfortune. It was that beautiful feathered beacon that cried out to her now in warning and for a brief moment she had to wonder how much harder life would have been without her best friend. Instead of dwelling, she let her teal eyes roll upward and her belly sank low to the ground.
The red-necked falcon swept down close and landed among the high grass next to Ficha, hidden behind the felled herdbeast.
"I told you hunting pride lands was dangerous," the bird chimed, though her tone was lacking for all that the words sounded chastising, "a dark male is coming fast, up wind from us. You will smell him any moment."
And she did, just as the words passed Hakiki's smudged beak. If she was downwind of him it meant that he had not yet smelled the kill and was not likely, yet, to be angry at her for stealing an easy beast from whatever pride had rooted itself close by. Thinking quickly, she weighed her options in the matter of a few seconds before springing up and bounding ahead of her beast.
"Stay here and watch dinner; if I can intercept him perhaps he'll be none the wiser to what I'm doing here." She didn't wait for Hakiki to object before she was shifting forward quickly, head high and fur boasting her scars like badges of honor.
It took her no time at all to find him and, as she did, she stopped and squared her shoulders.
"You there, could you help me? I'm a bit.. lost." It wasn't entirely a lie, she had no idea where she was. Mostly she didn't care.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:12 pm
|
|
|
|
The land was surprisingly silent. Even if the majority of the herds were down towards the other border, some would still be around grazing. But there was nothing but the sudden rustling of foliage. It was not so quiet, which meant that someone was not trying to hide. His red eyes lifted, landing on the pale form of an older lioness. He saw the scars, old but deep, scored upon her skin and it momentarily took his breath away. They were injuries a seasoned warrior had obtained, and in Majuto's young lifetime he had not earned nearly so many scars.
It was clear that she was not from these lands, or he would have noticed her before now. He stiffened, feeling the tension in his shoulders more keenly now than ever before. The Outlands did not immediately chase away rogues, but neither were they necessarily allowed to roam freely within the lands. There were no others here, not from what he could tell. No fresh scents from other lions drifted downwind towards him, and he could see nothing else in the distance. Just grass, tall and pale - in desperate need of rain.
"You are," Majuto agreed, inwardly wincing at the awkwardness in his voice. At least he thought he sounded weird. "You've crossed into the borders of the Ukulhwa'izwe. We are not unkind to strangers, but it would be best if I guide you out of these lands." He had no real reason to believe that she had crossed the border of their lands intentionally. If she had any purpose in being here, he was sure someone would have known of her. The Vessels in the pride were a weird variety of lions, and he never did trust their abilities.
It all... sketched him out some.
He lowered his head to her to express that he meant her no harm. Majuto was a large lion, with a thick enough mane that penetrating it to reach his vitals would be difficult. But, in the back of his mind, if there was a confrontation, for some reason he did not see himself winning. This lioness had clearly bested better.
"If you'll follow me..." He moved forward, keeping true to the path he had started out on. Unwittingly, he was headed directly towards where she had stashed her kill. Even if his eyes did not catch it, eventually his nose would.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2018 4:12 pm
|
|
|
|
Damn it.
Ficha watched as he moved in the direction of her dinner and knew that if he found it, even if he clearly meant her no harm now, he might take a different stance once he realized she had been bold enough to risk hunting on their pride lands without permission. She was too old for this - she just wanted to eat her damn meal in peace.
"Wait," she spoke up, suddenly, pointedly not moving her white tipped paws from where they were planted in the sandy soil beneath them. Wait for what? She should have devised a better plan, it was too much to hope that this male was an imbecile. "Who.. are the Ukulhwa'Izwe, if you don't mind my asking?"
Then, after a pause, she deployed a shy smile and a little, nervous laugh that was all for his benefit.
"Sorry, I don't mean to insult. I am not from around these lands and I don't know anything of the prides that claim stakes on them."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 2:49 pm
|
|
|
|
He paused and turned a curious look over his shoulder at the older lioness. It truly would have been better if he just guided her out of the lands, but her curiosity was intriguing. If she did not want to leave just yet, he could not foresee himself being able to make her go easily. This was what he got for wandering alone. "I do not mind," he answered with a small shrug of shoulders. What were a few more minutes of his time when he was spending it dodging festivities?
"We are ruled by Queen Ashiki, Scion of Taka." He could ramble a few other titles, but it was quite wordy. "And follow her ancestral bloodline of rulers. In the past at a neighboring pride, where two brothers were born and only one destined to rule. Her ancestor was cheated out of the throne. It's all... very melodramatic I assure you." He wasn't exactly a historian, and to him the history of these lands mattered little now. It was the Queen he followed, and the family and friends here that he protected.
"So, the pride was born here. In the stars our Ancestors watch over us, and on the earth here we take care of each other. That's really... the gist of it." He smiled, nervous and a little embarrassed over his flop of an attempt at flowery language. "These lands were struck by an earthquake when I was but a cub, and the pride was forced to flee. Yet, even after all these years, we've come back together. Stronger than ever."
He cleared his throat, letting an awkward silence follow his words as he awaited her reaction. Man, he felt like he was so off of his game.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 9:14 am
|
|
|
|
It was true, this male did not have such a grand gift with words but she could feel the truth in them and that was truly what mattered. There were many virtues in this world and when it came down to do or die it was very seldom that a silver tongue would help one survive. Her pelt was littered with proof.
Yet now, as she grew older, she found that her tongue (while not so smooth as those who relied upon their words for survival) helped her avoid spats. Like this one.
"That's.. actually very admirable," and she was only playing at half her awe. "My own pride was rocked by Earthquakes and, well.." She shrugged. She was clearly no longer there if she was here with him. Maybe he would have taken pity on her if he had found her meal but there was still no way she could risk that just yet.
"Your kind sounds very sturdy but, looking at you, I am not sure why I am surprise." She laughed again, once more finding more truth to the feeling. He was a very strong looking male, after all!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2018 10:52 am
|
|
|
|
There was an irony there, that both of their homelands had been wrecked by natural disaster. It seemed as if she could not return to her's, or perhaps there was nothing left there for her to go back for. She was a seasoned lioness, and Majuto genuinely felt bad that she seemed to be roaming the lands between prides territories. Even when the earthquake had damaged the Outlands, the pride had remained as together as they possibly could. They had waited out in the roguelands for the territory to recover, for the herds to return so that they could be sustained.
He was growing comfortable around her, as if the freak shared tragedy made her more trustworthy. Majuto was not so weak a male that he could be easily threatened, but it was unlike him to let his guard down around a stranger. She would be escorted out of the lands, but right now he just... didn't want to. He had never seen a female so interesting before. She looked as if the entire world had fallen around her, and though not unscathed, she withstood against it all. How many battles had she endured in her life?
He cleared his throat, and somehow managed not to blush obviously at the subtle compliment. "We are a hardy pride," he clarified with an almost anxious smile. His brother was far better at handling women than he - how was he supposed to act here?
"I am sorry, that you had to endure what you endured. The land can be... chaotic. If you ever desire stability again I am sure you would be more than welcome..."
Oh by the Ancestors what was he doing. Now he blushed and turned his gaze away from her. "You would be welcome here." He cleared his throat again - one might think he had come down with a sickness for all the times he had to clear out his airways around her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:31 pm
|
|
|
|
Was he shying over her?
Ficha stopped right where she stood and leveled a pair of fierce eyes on him even as a disbelieving laugh trickled out of her maw. Those same eyes half-closed in her mirth, finding that now that she was truly amused with something she could not contain it. It barreled through her chest and erupted into the open lands, echoing distantly off of the face of a red cliff. By the time she had control of herself again, her smile was wide and honest and she seemed short of breath. Ah, by the gods and feathers, this male was green around the ears but smart enough to know a capable creature when he met one.
"Ahh, boy," she drew in a deep breath to try and steady her aching rib cage, "you have done my wicked heart good."
There was still a faint chuckle that lingered on her breath but it was dampened as she focused on her breathing. She found pace with him again and let her paws trail along after him, careless of how her humor struck him. She was much too old to worry over how others reacted to her ferocity and she had long since learned that she expressed all things in equal extremes. He was lucky that it was just humor that met him today.
"I can't say that it's not very tempting, especially with the way the entire world seems to have turned upside down upon it's own head. I'm weary of travel and wary of the nonsense waiting out there in the dark." Calmed now, she cast her eyes sidelong at him. She would need to do somewhat to keep his ego from faltering, she thought. He was big and sturdy but not so brave in the social spectrum. "Are all the men as big and burly as you are, hm?"
There, that should suffice well enough, she thought.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:34 pm
|
|
|
|
He was completely startled by her. The sound of such joyous laughter was something Majuto had not expected to hear from a lioness who carried herself the way Ficha did. It was not an alien sound, which made it something he silently hoped to hear more of. As for the source of the sound, he was not entirely concerned over the cause of it. Majuto suspected it was his behavior, because it had to be. He was self-aware enough to know that he was a young lad fawning over a lady who was so far out of his league.
That self-awareness did not mean he had the tools at his disposal to overcome his fancy of her. Rather, her breathless smile was perhaps the most bewitching expression he had ever rested his eyes upon. There was something in that moment that he was convinced he would not forget. But, there was also a fair chance that Majuto was way over his head, and letting his attraction towards her could his judgment.
The smile he wore was embarrassed, but good-natured. It was not the first time he had made a fool out of himself, nor would it be the last. His brother was notoriously terrible with the ladies, but Majuto imagined that he did not fare much better. Strength could only carry him so far, but what of world experience? A fight he could win, but wisdom and cunning were traits he lacked. "Then I'm relieved I have done some good today," Majuto answered as his confidence began to slowly trickle back to him.
"The world is certainly a more uncertain place than it has been in the past. But, I would imagine you to be quite capable of taking on whatever it has to throw at you." It was not baseless flattery, rather an appraisal of her skill and the confidence he had that she would be just fine on her own.
Her final inquiry distracted him so badly that he almost tripped over his own front paws. Instead, he stumbled, and did his best to recover before she could be too critical over his clumsiness. "Ah, no - er yes?" Majuto had managed to hold his own until Ficha's question. Embarrassment flushed his cheeks, and silently he wished to die before she could witness that blush. "I am probably one of the bulkiest here, but I do not think it means all that much in the scheme of things. I've fought plenty of battles, but I have a long way to go before I would consider myself of significant value to the pride. My skin could bear to wear many more scars."
Now he was rambling. Great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 10:25 am
|
|
|
|
"Perhaps five years ago," she countered gently, "but time will take even the strongest back to its fold. I will not be able to fend for myself forever, at least not against the younger generations." It was one of the first insightful truths she had spoken aloud to him and though it was unlike her, she knew that it was because his offer had seriously struck a cord within her; she had known for a long time that she needed to find somewhere to spend her final years. A single male could not represent all of his pride's ideals or values but there was much to learn from those that a pride chose to defend themselves. If he was respectful, even for one so large and tough, then it was promising to her.
There was mirth in her demeanor as she realized he had caused such a change of events so quickly, but it bubbled out as he tripped over himself. The laugh, this time, was restrained enough to be polite but she did stop dead in her tracks as he tried to collect himself.
"Alright, alright," she spoke, confident in her choice despite having made it so quickly, "if your pride will have me then I will come with you. I ought to at least give it a chance to impress me and given the sight of you, I suspect it will not be so hard for them to do." There was still amusement lingering at the corner of her eyes but she raised her head and let a long, practiced whistle ring through the clear, crisp air. In seconds there was a flutter of wings in the distance and then Hakiki was landing with grace across the base of her spine. Ficha did not blink as she turned back to Majuto, nor did she bother to explain why she had kept a falcon on the lookout.
"I am Ficha and this is Hakiki," she dipped her head slightly, polite enough, "thank you for being so welcoming."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 7:39 pm
|
|
|
|
The lioness was full of surprises, and though he had just met her, he had thought he was better at reading others. Majuto had fully expected that the older female would leave the territory to continue her existence in solitude. She hadn't seemed quite receptive to the idea of joining the pride, but neither had she dismissed it outright. Perhaps he had been too caught up in his own foolishness to realize that the Ukuhlwa'Izwe was truly the place for Ficha. The Ancestors surely must have guided her here, even if she did not realize it. It was that thought that brought him comfort, that made him want to convince her more than anything that this pride would welcome her and become a home for her. Putting his silly infatuation aside, he genuinely wanted Ficha to be able to find peace and safety here.
He smiled, the expression warm upon his dark face. Majuto may be a blockhead, but there was a genuine and kind quality to the male. "We won't fail to impress you," he promised, knowing that once she met his pride she would surely fall in love with it. The Outlands were a family, a pride small enough still that it was hard to come across someone one did not know. But, it also had a deep history and traditions that gave a sense of purpose to his life.
Majuto arched a curious brow at the whistle, his gaze flicking over to an avian as it swept down from its perch to land on Ficha's back. Well, the lioness was certainly full of surprises. It was rare to see any bird but ravens around these lands, and he knew that all of those were employed by the Monarch's Soul. Hopefully the falcon would feel at home among them. "I am Majuto, it is a pleasure to meet you formally, Ficha." He returned the greeting with warmth. After inclining his head towards Hakiki to continue the greeting, Majuto turned to guide Ficha into the heart of the Ukuhlwa'Izwe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
