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 Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:53 am
With one last look to the only home he could remember, Stormy stepped forth onto the great savanna. It was time to begin his journey. His mother had always told him one day he would break loose and venture out on his own, he had only wished she and father would be there to wish him farewell. A painful sorrow stabbed Isiphepho in the heart as brown eyes looked to the earth. No, his parents would not be able to see him leave as they had all planned, at least not physicaly. They were now part of the Earth beneath his paws and would always be with him even if he couldn't see them with his own eyes.
Taking a deep breath the male lifted his gaze and steadily began moving into the unknown territory. The Jungle behind him began to grow smaller and smaller as he drew further from it's shadowed boundaries. It was unsettling, being out in an opened land like the savanna when one grew up int he cover of the tree boughs and leaves. Stormy couldn't help but continuously look around for any kind of danger. Unlike his father, Isiphepho was not a fighter. His whole life within the jungle, Isiphepho had only ever gotten into one fight and that was to protect a dear friend of his. Yes, that was the only way Stormy would ever see the face of battle, but even then he would attempt to figure a way around confrontation of that sort. Isiphepho very much enjoyed his tranquil life.
After traveling more than half a day, Stormy turned to look back to see the Jungle one last time but to his surprise there was no jungle in sight. He had traveled far enough to leave his past home completely. Now only the future was ahead for him, and Stormy was somewhat afraid of what it might hold for him. Would he find what he was searching for our would this journey of his only be destined to failure? Such thoughts were overwhelming and stopped Isiphepho in his tracks. He stood amongst the tall grass as it licked at his legs and sides but he did not feel a thing. No, his mind was completely engulfed with, 'what ifs'.
No! He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. He couldn't do that too himself. It would only ensure that his journey would fail. He needed to think positive and to do that he had to look forward to what the future would bring to him.
A faint rumble in his stomach caused him to wince slightly in embarrassment. Well...he needed to get food first before anything else. "If only I knew how to hunt."
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 12:12 pm
Perhaps it was fortunate then, that Tai should be happening by at that moment.
For weeks now she had not seen her "home", if she ever truely thought of it as such. The only family there that she could call her own was her older brother and father-- both blood relatives. Her father she never saw, however, something she tried hard to keep constant. Her brother, on the other paw, was always busy with his own musings and entertainment. Neither seemed aware of the hardship that the female half of their small family put up with, so... she left.
Truthfully she'd hoped to find Daimyn, maybe return to their birth pride and forget all about that horrible influence of a father. She'd beat the lesson into him (verbally) if she had to. She couldn't stand the idea of her brother being such a womanizer too. When they'd been children he had been a caring individual, but she'd seen what power did to corrupt him. It was easy to see such changes when you didn't have power of your own.
She didn't miss the mountain where she'd been raised. She was all too glad to leave the nightmares behind. She'd escaped her own personal hell, she wasn't nearly as incapable as the males of her pride had made her feel, and she couldn't stand to repress this new found confidence any longer.
There was a male in the distance, not very far off, just enough to appear smaller than she from where she stood.
Instead of hiding, or going around him, Tai made her path straight across his while refusing to let nervous blue eyes stray to his figure. Such a huge step; she felt abuzz for a moment with the uncertain rush. It was horribly disrespectful-- what if she was punished for such a bold move?
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 12:27 pm
Stormy was at a loss. He wasn't sure what to do. His stomach was ordering that he find something to appease it but there wasn't any prey in sight. Even if there were, Isiphepho doubted he would be able to catcha nything. His mother had done most of the hunting and father helped. Mother had taken him out to watch her a few times but to tell the truth, Stormy never really watched. He was far too interested in other things around him. Besides, being the naive cub that he was, he always thought mother would be around to do the hunting for him. Well now he was on his own and he had no skills in which to survive with. Maybe the journey was doomed for failure after all.
Just as that thought struck the males mind, brown orbs caught sight of a pale hued lioness. What luck! Surely she would know how to hunt and maybe show him how to take down his own meal. With renewed optimistic thoughts, Stormy happily introduced himself to the female as she drew closer. "It's wonderful to see another lion. I am Isiphepho, but you can call my Stormy should you wish." He smiled kindly before his stomach gave another rumble. Ears dissapeared within the thick white mane encasing his neck as eyes drew to the ground. "Um, I was wondering if, um, you were adept at hunting? See, I am new around here and I have little..well...no skills in hunting."
Oh, hos childish he sounded, bit Isiphepho didn't care as long as he could get a meal out of it and maybe a new found friend. It was quite lonely without anyone to talk to and having someone to converse with may just get his mond off of things it should not wonder so often to.
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 12:39 pm
Tai's eyes widened somewhat slowly as she was addressed, her own pink tufted ears going flat to her skull as the lioness took an instinctively submissive stance, all but falling to the ground in a defensive pose. Her eyes remained glued to the ground not daring to look him in the eye. Maybehewastalkingtosomeoneelse! Oh why did she have to go and do something stupid like that?!
She was all set and ready to bemoan her fate with a string of bumbled apologies when she realized what he said. Didn't know how to... hunt...? He wanted her to hunt for him?
This wasn't uncommon. It was only natural to suspect that the females of the mountain had been forced to do the same in place of the males (who only concerned themselves with sparring to keep strong).
"R-right away Isiphepho, sir!"
And without even so much as a look at him Tai was up and off. She'd better not screw up after he'd actually let her previous transgression slide.
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 12:47 pm
Stormy furrowed a brow at her defensive posture. Where all lionesses this way? No surely not. Mother was never like this around father. In fact, she use to push him around sometimes which was always amusing to behold, but htis lioness...well she acted as if she was below him, as if he was to be obeyed. Was she expecting a punishment? No! Why would hse expect such a thing. He would never harm anyone, let alone a lioness he had only just met.
"Um... wait!" He yelled after her as he moved to follow her. "Wait, you don't have to do the hunting. I was just wondering if you could, maybe teach me?" Isiphepho acted as kind as he could, which was not hard for his whole being seemed to radiate kindness. But with that kindness came a sense of innocence too which was something that Isiphepho would eventually learn would not cut it out in the big world, but for now it would do fine. Besides, he only wanted to befriend ...um.... er... "What's you name by the way?" He asked gently, unsure how she would react. He didn't want her cowering before him as she had done early. It only caused him to feel horrible that he could get such a reaction out of her like that.
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 12:59 pm
Once more she found herself haulting, slowing to a stop. Once again she also seemed uncertain, nervous, twitchy almost even.
"I... don't...? I, I don't understand..."
Why would he ask her if she was skilled with hunting if he didn't expect her to put it to use for him?
... Oh.
Tai felt her body grow hot under her fur near her neck and face, heat sweeping over those regions in embarassment. He was only the second male she'd encountered since leaving home, and the prior she hadn't been in his presence long enough to register any unusual behavior.
"I'm so sorry! I thought--"
No, she didn't think, and there in was the problem. It seemed that she still had a ways to go before instinctive behavior would leave her in peace.
"I-it's Tai, and, yes, I'll help you if you want..."
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 6:59 am
Isiphepho smiled at the lioness gently. "Alright! I am looking forward to this. Maybe after this I won't be as hopeless living on my own." The male lion made to follow the lioness making sure to watch her every move so as not to miss a thing that may aid him.
It wasn't too long that the two cam upon a herd of antelope that were grazing contently upon mowed grass. Every once in awhile an ear would flicker or a head would raise but Isiphepho was already in amongst the grass. This had been one thing he had remembered from his mother, always stay out of sight of the prey you want. They're not likely to let you just waltz right up to them and allow you to take their life. No, a lion had to work hard for a meal.
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Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 3:35 pm
 "Well actually, I'm not very good yet, not out here. The prey can practically see me coming from a mile away because of the color of my fur." Tai admitted a little dejectedly. It had been a while since she ate properly too, she'd scavanged when she could to last between meals. "It wasn't like that in the mountains."
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 12:18 pm
Stormy was a little disheartened when Tai admitted to her lack of skills, but she had to have more than his own. The most he could do was maul a poor antelope to death but to do that he needed to get close enough and lord knows that doing such a thing was an impossible task for him, and it seemed Tai as well. Before he could allow his emotions to surface though curiosity bubbled over the pang of hunger at the mention of mountains.
"You lived in the mountains?" He was intrigued beyond belief. Isiphepho had grown up in the Jungle and did now know of anything else. His parents had told him storied but he never believed he would meet a lion who had lived in such terrain. Then again, he never believed he would be forced to travel the savanna by himself either.
Like a cub experiencing his first kill Stormy's eyes lit up as he turned his questions to the pale hued lioness. "What's it like up there? Is it hard to hunt among all that rock? What kind of prey is there? Are the mountains as big as some say?"
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