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 Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 2:21 pm
 Paws of snow padded amid the undergrowth. Zimwi, the little spirit in the land of mists and trees, moved along. He'd found a lesser waterfall that was still flowing nicely, the river twisting off into a distant land far to the east. As he moved amid the rocks, mist surrounded him, causing him to vanish, as if he truly was a ghost. He had learned to fear not the water so much, though he gave it respect. If deep enough, he could possibly drown in it. The prospect did not please him at all. Orange eyes looked out from behind the sheet of water, watching how things were distorted. Somewhere in his mind, he wondered... How did the caves form behind the falls? It was a riddle he'd never solve, likely.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:07 pm
Water gushed rapidly, dangerously, as she approached. She stared up at the cliff that towered above her, and gasped at the sight of the beautiful water falling in a rush down the rocky, slippery side of the cliff. She ambled down--slowly--the riverside to see if she could lap up some of this delicious looking water, and found the calmest part she could. Bending down, she drank a few laps, paused and smiled at how fresh and cool the water was, and then continued for a few minutes. If there were others here, hopefully they wouldn't spot her. She knew her kind had a thing for territory... She didn't notice she had company, in any case.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:12 pm
As the snowly-pelted lion moved across the rocks, he somehow became aware of another's presense. Orange orbs turned to spy another form, around hissize, lapping at the water. As he watched, he noticed red eyes gleeming from out of the silvery coat. His breath caught in his throat as he stared. It couldn't quite be helped, really, that he stared so. Zimwi hadn't seen many others around his age. In fact, he'd seen NO others his age around, so she was the first. As he was distracted, his paw slipped, sending him into the water.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:19 pm
Safura jerked up from drinking the water when she heard a splash. She tried her best to calm down when she didn't notice anything else, but as she looked through the water, she saw a snow-white lion--around her age, it seemed--with orange eyes, looking a bit... wet. Obviously. She held back her laughter. She didn't know why, but he looked a bit silly. "Um... heheh," She coughed to cover up her laughter, "Are you all right?" Her scarlet eyes twinkled, however, with her mirth. She hadn't laughed in a while, that was for sure. She silently thanked this lion, grateful to him. She hadn't laughed in a long time.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:24 pm
The young male pulled himself out of the water, stoney bangs in his face. With a movement of his paw, he brushed it out of the way so he could see. "Er..." His gaze turned to the female. "Hi...?" A sheepish grin made it to his pale maw, red showing up under the white fur. Oh, how it did NOT pay to be white at times.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:33 pm
Safura couldn't help it; she let out a laugh. It was a quiet laugh--as were all her laughs--and she nodded to him. "I guess you're okay. Do you need help?" She decided he was cute, especially since he was flushing in embarrassment. He had nice fur; and interesting eyes. "I hope I'm not intruding! I'm new to this place."
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:08 pm
"Oh, no, not intruding! And yeah I'm okay..." He slipped back into the river, carefully padelling back to the side she was on. Time in watering holes had certainly aided him in swimming, and he found himself excelent at it. Pulling himself out, he shook off, water spraying every which way. "Welcome to the Umande'mfumi lands. I'm Zimwi."
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 3:42 pm
She smiled at him shyly. "Thank you. I'm glad I'm not... intruding. I met a... cub... earlier who seemed slightly hostile." She giggled lightly when she felt a few droplets of water hit her. "Ah... thanks for the water, I think. It's a pleasure to meet you, Zimwi. I'm Safura'miezi... But you can call me Safura." He was certainly amusing... and kind. She liked him already. "You're a good swimmer! I wish I could swim." She eyed the water with a doubtful look. "But I don't think I'll be able to, since I lived to the far south... I don't stay home long, because I wander all over the land."
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 5:42 pm
"What'd the cub look like?" Hostile... It sounded like the darker haired of his nephews. "You could stay here..." He smiled just a bit. "Company would be nice... And I could teach you how to swim! It comes in handy if you find yourself falling in the water." Somehow, he found the crimson orbs... Mesmerizing. What was it about them that held him so? For knowing her so short a time, he already felt a bit attached, the first fellow young lion he'd felt such a way without being related, even if through adoption. But somewhere in his heart, he knew she might not stay, keeping him from having too much of an attachment.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 6:29 pm
Safura stared into the orange orbs for a bit, and then said quietly, "The cub was dark furred gray. He was slightly hostile, but he wasn't... too mean. His name is Fedha." She looked back at the water, and then turned to Zimwi. "Really? You could teach me to swim? Then of course I'll stay!" Zimwi was the first of her kind to offer a place to stay. She was practically leaping for joy in her mind, but calmed herself. She laughed quietly, and cocked her head at him. "Are you the only one of your age? I'd have figured there'd be others." She felt the loneliness coming off of him, and immediately, her heart had gone out to him. She knew how he felt all too well.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 6:41 pm
"Ah, that was one of my nephews." A slight smile came to his maw. "Cute lil' things..." At her next words, his heart leapt. Another to talk to! "I know a great spot to start where there's no risk of drowning!" A smile lit up his face. "And yes... I'm kinda lonely here. I haven't seen any others my age. If there ARE others, they're hiding, and doing so very well." A sigh escaped. Indeed, it felt that way.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 6:52 pm
She tapped her nose to his with a soft laugh. "Or maybe there aren't any at all. There's a lot of possibilities." She smiled as he seemed considerably cheered up. That was good; he didn't look right, sad and lonely. Not like she could say anything for the better, but that was all right, she supposed. "I'm sorry you're so lonely. I'll stay here with you, for a time. Unless you'd like to come away with me?" For some reason, that sounded a bit odd in her mind, but she brushed it aside with another laugh. "I can't wait to learn to swim! Lead the way, Zimwi!"
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 1:12 pm
Oh, curse the pale white fur! A new blush rose up under it at the nose touching. How emberassing... "Maybe..." His ears lifted. Leave...? The blush vanished as his ears dropped. "Um... I... I can't leave... There's lions out there who might kill me for being so.. So..." Pale. But swimming was a goiod idea, so, turning, the male led the way down the paths to the slowly shrinking watering hole. "It's this way." He smiled just a bit. "I showed it to my oldest niece not too long ago..."
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 1:16 pm
She smiled at his blush, and then did again because, of course, he was cute when he blushed. Then, she gave him a sad look. "What's wrong? Why can't you leave?" Safura cocked her head a bit, and then glanced at his fur. "Is it something to with your looks?" She had to smile, "Looks don't count for anything out there.
"I mean, look at me! I'm almost as pale as you! Besides, for us, it's safer at night, then during the day." Safura followed him as she listened to him talk a bit. "..." She thought back to Fedha, who had scared her out of her wits. She decided she'd just stay quiet as he talked about his family. It was obvious Zimwi was fond of them.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 2:11 pm
"Well... Lions the colors of dirt, mud, and some kinds of stone killed my birth family because we were all white in the coat... ANd I've only encountered trouble because of my coat, and Denge was one of the first lions I met who didn't think badly about it. And then we came here, and.... I just feel like I belong here now, you know?" He moved a bush aside, revealing the watering hole. "And here is what I dubbed the Swimming Pool. Nice and cool, shallow enough even for small cubs to swim in..." A smile came to his pale maw as he looked at Safura. "Care to try it?"
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