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 Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:13 pm
After being fed by Danzi, Kilua felt revitalized. Her leg still throbbed, and with each step it pained her, but her footsteps were quicker now, and her head no longer hung. What a difference food in her belly made! Although she had once been frantically clinging to the river’s edge, now she followed it from the side, her eyes intently focused upon the shores and it’s direction. She had banked all of her optimism in some hope at the end of it. She didn’t know what would happen if it all ended in nothing.
Swallowing, the small female dismissed the thoughts. If it had to go on forever, that was fine. But she’d follow it until it showed her where to go. What would Mother think? Her favored daughter, now trusting in nothing but a whim to save her? It would save her. Kilua would not allow the doubt to enter her heart.
As her foot falls continued in their own unique pattern, she began to wonder to herself about the events that had passed. Hasana- she remembered her, the older female who had enjoyed her life of being a rogue traveler. Triv- although their meeting had been somewhat awkward. Tuli... Kayin- even Utomo. All of them had one thing in common- they were wanderers. It should have been in her blood to be a wanderer. And yet, she couldn’t do it. She’d never learned to hunt, and her attempts at it had cost her the use of her leg. Danzi had hunted for her– but that food wouldn’t last in her belly forever. She needed an absolution. Something- anything-
It was the scent of salt that first caught her attention. The small, deep blue eyed female rose her head, her body slowly taking in the odd smell. Thick, spicy- it made her snort. What sort of creature made an odor so pungent? It took another mile for her to follow the river, and to the point where the river sudden widened. It crossed further on either sides, until at last, it emptied out into a lake so large she could not see the borders.
Hot sand met her feet, and she stood upon it with her face turned towards the rocking waves. “What–“ She stammered, her body tensing. What– what was all of this? It overwhelmed her, and absorbed her. Was this the end? Or was there more to go?
Slowly, she moved down the dune, and towards the water’s edge. It smelt terribly, but it was not a bad smell. Strange- but it was starting to become less intense. The wind caught her here, and ruffled the tuff of fur at her head. Kilua turned her head to face the shore. It seemed to go on for about as far as the water did.
She had followed the water as far as the earth went, but now she followed it transversely. Perhaps there was something further down on the shore...she didn’t believe the river could have let her down.
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:19 pm
Sikulu stumbled around on the sand, not too far from his family's den, but still a good ways from it. He giggled mischievously; Nobody knew he was gone! He could strut around like the king he would someday be!
Puffing his chest out, he closed his eyes and allowed his feet to do the talking. He paraded around, until he finally ran face-first into Kilua's foreleg. He stumbled back, flopping on his behind. What was that?! He tilted his head up, blazing eyes widening. "Who're you?" he squeaked, before shaking his head and standing up. "I-I mean.. who're you?" he said in a louder, somewhat more arrogant tone. He looked the lioness up and down.. and down. "What're you doing on my territory?"
He felt a strange feeling. She looked like his mother and sisters.. but prettier.
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:31 pm
Kilua turned her head, the noise of a bird in the distance catching her attention. She couldn’t see the creator of the odd noise- but she did find herself once again absorbed by the roaring waters. She couldn’t put it into words. It was incredible. It was almost so surreal, she wondered if it actually was there. Perhaps this was all a dream- she had thought she had fought off the infection in her leg, but-
Suddenly, a jab hit her in the front leg, and in surprise she rose it, putting some uncomfortable pressure against her back-leg. Kilua’s eyes widened as she was suddenly greeted by the fast and powerful talking child. He spoke to her so readily, that she was lost in watching him then actually listening.
“Wh-“ She stammered, before shaking her head. Oh! Not a dream at all! “I’m sorry-“ Kilua spoke, flattening her ears apologetically, and bowed her head. “I’m Kilua- wait, your territory?” Her eyes fell back upon the child. Had a cub really taken over land? It was totally unrealistic, but this was a rather bizarre place. Maybe she was dreaming it all? She had to admit- he was adorable.
“You mean- you run this place? Where am I?”
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:08 pm
"W-well.. no.." he said quietly, before blinking up at her and smiling proudly. "B-but one day it'll be mine! I'm the heir! I'm Sikulu! Who're you?" he barked, looking her up and down once more.
He then began to pad-and stumble a little- around her. "You look like the ocean.. or at least a tidepool." He noticed the markings on her, tilting his head curiously. She was awful nice to look at, he'd give her that.
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Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:59 am
“Oh, the heir?” She questioned, her head pulling back and her bum compulsively hitting the ground as the child trotted up. “Well- I’m Kilua. I’m...” She paused for a moment, but had no words for what she was. Her mother had always called her Princess- but she certainly wasn’t one. She didn’t even have a rogue title. “...a walker?” She remarked. Oh- brilliant.
“The ocean....?” Her head towards the incredible swell of water, and her heart skipped two beats. “I didn’t know- I thought it was a lake...” She had heard stories about the ocean before, but she’d always heard it was the farthest place one could go. Now it seemed she had gone so far that she’d run out of earth to walk on.
“–heir? You mean this is a kingdom?”
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:44 am
Sikulu's tempered flared momentarily. "The ocean isn't a big, dumb lake! It's better and much, much MUCH bigger!" He felt prouder as he said this. Girls could be so dumb!
At her question, Sikulu nodded. "This is my mommy and daddy's pridelands. The Bahari..." He paused to think of the name. It was so long and confusing to memorize! "B-Bahari'mtoto!" he finally proclaimed, his chest puffed out happily. "My daddy's the king, my mommy's the queen, and I'm the heir to it all!" He flashed a grin, as if to say 'So how d'ya like that?'.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:02 pm
Kilua turned her head, and nodded it slowly. “It isn’t much like a lake, is it? I didn’t know at first– I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” Her voice rolled, and reflectively, she lowered her eyes in consideration. What an impressive thing to live beside. There was something lovely about all of this-
“The heir-“ She spoke again, rather impressed. “I’ve never seen a pridelands before. My family was nomads... although my mother always called me princess.” She spoke lightly. But that probably meant nothing, didn’t it?
"What are you going to do when you are king? I've never met a king before-"
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:30 pm
At her question, Sikulu felt a surge of pride run through him. He couldn't help but stride past her, and sit apon a rock. "When I'm king, I'm gonna rule over EVERYTHING! I'm gonna swim everyday in the ocean, and wear shells and feathers in my mane!" he proclaimed, grinning widely. "And our pride'll be the biggest and the best! We'll eat fish and crabs and birds everyday! Everybody'll have lots to do around here!"
He then leapt off the rock, looking up to Kilua. "You oughta join our pride! Momma and daddy would want you in it, since you're blue and stuff," he said enthusiastically, as if urging her to head to their den right nooooow!
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:44 pm
Kilua smiled, and nodded her head enthusiastically. For as childish as the statements sounded at first- she loved the idea. A place where people swam and ate crabs- although she had no idea what crabs were, they sounded like something she might like. Anything that didn’t involve running, that was for sure. The small female heaved, and blew a small portion of her hair upwards. “I like that idea- I’ve never seen such a place–“
But then, his next statement caught her off guard. “Oh-...” She had never thought of joining a pride before. And although for a moment she allowed her heart to skip in excitement, it tumbled suddenly at the thought of being rejected. She certainly wasn’t the kind of lioness most prides wanted around.
“I-“ She spoke, shifting. “I’ve never been in a pride before. I don’t know if they’d want-“ She paused, and lifted her back leg awkwardly. “I mean- someone with a bum leg and no hunting skills-“
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:52 pm
"Pleeeeeeease!" Sikulu immediately whined, leaning his head back to give her a blast of his whining. Then he looked up at her. "Just 'cause you can't hunt doesn't meant they wouldn't reject ya! I'd hunt for you!... W-when I get older, I mean.. but that doesn't mean anything! You're joining!"
He huffed a bit, and tried to push her towards the den by ramming his body against her -good- back leg. "Come on!... I bet you're just afraid of them!" he started to tease, grinning.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:58 pm
Actually- he probably was right. She was a bit afraid of meeting the king and queen. She’d never met royalty before; what was she to them? Even if she had known the truth- she was an illegitimate princess in exile. Not the kind of title most would have enjoyed pasting on themselves.
Slowly, Kilua shook her head. “I don’t know-“ He continued to drag the pleeasee.
The jostling of the ocean caught her attention, and slowly she turned towards it considerately. “...” She would like to live here. Hadn’t this been what she was looking for? A place to call her walking life an end? It pained her to think that she might not see her brothers again...
“Well- we can see what they think of me.” She suddenly admitted, and rose to her feet.
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