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 Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:22 am
The day was young, still around mid-mornings, and this day was no different than any other day. The occasional dry breezes raced across the earth, rustling the expansive grass fields that lay before the traveler. She was a lioness, a newcomer of the area, and unbeknowest to her, she was nearing her destination. Nelumbo'Tuu was unlike the many adventurous souls that traveled the land these days, for the meek and sickly lioness she was, she whished only to find protection, perhaps a sanctuary that she would be allow to reside.
It had taken many days for Nelumbo'Tuu to come this far, and although she herself did not know it, she was almost there, to the Pridelands territory that is. She had inched on day by day, her pace slower and slower. Looking up with her golden eyes, she could see that slowly, the barren earth was turning into a vast field of grass right below her feet. It felt of life.
The lioness trudged on, wondering how many more sun rises would bring her to safety.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:28 am
A brown lioness could be spotted dragging the body of a gazelle, slowly inching her way towards where her mate was staying. Her fur matted and mud caked, the lasted effects of unhealthiness had slowly begun to fade in her, but if one looked close enough they could see ribs with a small coat of meat on them, and glazed eyes that were not quite to their full potention.
Aadil had been sick, and before Mvumo about ready to die. She refused to leave a cave that she shared with her mother, and that was a problem because she could not hunt. Now, the young lioness could hunt and did fairly often she would hunt for Mvumo and herself, and if by chance a stray creature should come along? She'd feed them too. She knew what it was like to be hungry.
Spotting a dark lioness she called, "good day to you! How have the Pridelands been for you thus far!" she noted the lioness was walking towards the lands, not away.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:43 am
Hearing the greeting, Nelu looked up, spotting in an instant the brown lioness standing not far away in the field of grass. The dark lioness could see that the other had been hunting, for she carried with her the dead body of a gazelle. Nelu herself was a terrible hunter, for although she had never known her parents, she had always been taken care of and fed by the old Kava. And old he was, so Nelu would not say she was shocked when one morning her old godfather had never woken up. So Nelu never learned how to hunt besides what she gleaned from watching old Kava, but she knew how to scavange, and that had kept her through.
They were about the same age, the strange lioness and Nelu, but Nelu could sense the air of vitality in the other that she herself had not felt in a long, long time. But it was what she said that startled Nelu the most. the Pridelands? So had she finally arrived at the land of peace that she had so often heard of in Kava's tales.
"Am I in the Pridelands finally?" She spoke softly, barely above the sound of the wind.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:52 am
Aadil's light eyes played over the other lioness taking in and seeing what she must have looked like a few months before, "Yes, this is the Pridelands, you've reached them...you're not hungry are you?" She had dropped the gazelle initally to talk and was now gesturing to it. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she looked at the other lioness that really could have been her!
"Hard times, hard times," she mumbled eyes still glued to the other lion, " I am Aadil."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:01 am
A weak smile formed over Nelu's anxious face as Aadil assured her that she had really arrived in the Pridelands. She was tired, very very tired, but it felt good to have finally arrived at her destionation. Although inside her heart there was still the nagging fear that she would not be allowed to stay, though that can wait until later. "No, no" Nelu shook her head, "I'm fine." She was not one to take the kill of another and she did manage to trap a ground critter a while back.
"Hello Aadil," the dark lioness studied her counter part. "I am Nelu" Still no more than a whisper, but the wind carried her voice. "Are you... part of the Prideland family?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:17 am
She smiled picked up her kill and with some effort moved towards Nelu, "A gift, to share between two new friends? A pleasure to meet you Nelu." At her question if she was apart of the prideland family she didn't know how to respond, she was indeed a pridelander, but only because she joined them recently, was she really family?
"I am a pridelander, the king himself said I could stay," a grin spread across her bloody maw. She had a family, and right now was a family of two, hopefully to be a family of more now. "You know something? You look really familiar."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:35 am
"Likewise I'm sure," Nelu bowed to the brown female and grinned sheepishly, a sign of friendship. "To friendship," she said, "though I have nothing to give you in return..." It was true; Nelu had traveled alone for many moons and is without possession in the world. "Though in the future..." Nelu looked into Aadil's eyes, wondering if her future is as well as the brown lioness'. The mention of the king set Nelu's mind back on track: she will have to seek him out soon, to request permission to stay in his land. She hoped he was kind.
Surprised at Aadil's comment, the dark lioness wiggled her ears. "In what ways?" Although they were both dark colored, Nelu could see no differences between herself and Aadil. Joy flowed out from Aadil's eyes, and from her own, only sadness and despire.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:42 am
"I cannot recall something in you reminds me of me," she paused choosing her words, "I came to these lands thin, sick, and unable to care for myself. Things change in these lands." She looked into the other lioness's eyes smiling, she could see herself their, and hoped beyond all things that by being so bold to say such a thing she was not offending the other lioness.
"I lived for a long time with my mother and when she died I could not care for myself. In these lands I have found love, food, happiness, and soon a family. I can only wish the same for a lioness such as yourself," her voice was smooth and even and each word was choosen wisely. Funny how she can be such a child and at the same time a great proud lioness, if only Nelu could see her when she's around cubs.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:59 am
Nelu could not imagine that the graceful lioness that stood before her was once sickly and thin as she had described. If what she said was true however, then the land really does heal. Nelu smiled ruefully. She didn't mind what her new friend said, for she knew it was true. For a long time the dark lioness had been plagued with the sickness that saps ones strength. She was much better now than she was in her youth, but the disease returned periodically, and coupled with her long journey, had taken its terrible toll on her body.
Nelu listened heartily to Aadil's tale of recovery. It sounded lik a miracle, and a miracle was what the lioness needed right now.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:05 pm
"It's good to see a friend smile, would you tell me of your travels?" It wasn't a pressing question, more of a 'talk over lunch, chit chat' question. She had taken many a gazelle and left it where she knew poor souls haunted and it meant a lot to her to see the lioness happy.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:15 pm
"My travels?" Nelu was surprised. Not many people were interested in her travel, although she wasn't surprised for they were not quite as interesting as she would have liked. Not to say that that was a bad thing... the lioness would have prefered safe over interesting anyday.
"Well," the lioness began, chewing over a bit of gazelle meat and smiling gratefully at Aadil, "I came from the south of here, the far far south. I would have stayed there, happily, but old Kava died... he's my godfather. He used to tell me so many tales about the Pridelands, how it was ruled justly, and how everywhere life flourished. So when he passed away... I thought I'd come here" Nelu offered a weak smile, and hoped that Aadil was not finding her story too boring. "Usually I travel by day and sleep a bit at night. It isn't terribly exciting, and except for the rather territorial hyenas that I met on the way, everything has been quite eventless."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:34 pm
"I am sorry that your kin passed, it is a hard time in all lives. But as your godfather says this is something of a land of dreamers, and all are welcome. I am happy that you made it hear safely, with no trouble from those pesky hyenas," She was long winded by nature, but not usually on such subjects. She was easily spotted talking to young lions about clouds and birds and all sorts of child like things, her personality varied from person to person.
"I hear that hyenas are actually trying to get a long with lions in some parts," a twinkle in her eye would give away that she'd met such a hyena and was more than willing to strengthen the bond between all animals.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:45 pm
"Ah yes," Nelu murmured softly, "I wish he was here with me... he would have liked the peacefulness here." It was more to herself than to her new friend, but somehow, Nelu had always thought that old Kava deserved a more leisurely life than he was able to have. Even in old age he hunted, for him and for her; she would have liked to have hunted for him, if not for her inadequate hunting skills. She was determined to improve on that, but with the long journey sapping nearly all her will, the lioness had hardly the energy or heart.
Hearing Aadil talk about the hyena made Nelu realized that the lioness before her was a truely peaceful soul. She herself did not like hyenas or their terrible laughter, and had tried her best to avoid them on her travels. "I would not like to meet anymore hyenas for awhile, even if they would like to get along..." Nelu said; her journey had made her weary and fearful.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:00 pm
"It's good that you made it here and remembered him then. Being remembered always keeps a lion with his family," Wow, Aadil was really on an insightful roll today!
"Over time you can get used to them, they scared the hell out of my when I was younger, but of course as I age I see they're just like us," she snickered, "besides those horrible noises they make, whooping and laughing!"
Yawning slightly she looked around the area, it was a peaceful day that was sure, and if Nelu had not come along it would be quite boring. Hearing the other girls story broke the manotony of her day.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:08 pm
"I'll always remember him," Nelu nodded and smiled at her new friend. The dark lioness was not one of fickle nature and did not easily forget those whom have helped her.
Maybe Aadil was right about the hyenas. She was sure she'd be more relaxed when she was fully rested and had regained what little confidence she had before the death of her godfather. Though she doubt that she'll ever get used to their crazed laughters that accompanied the night.
Speaking to Aadil had calmed her nerves, and she was as content as a lioness in her position can be. A new friend, and pretty soon a family too, for to the dark lioness, friends were like family.
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