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 Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:56 am
"Ohahira!" Nyumbani snapped, rushing after her sister as she put on that extra burst of speed. It was no use, the crazed dramatic was far ahead of her, and whatever she was plotting Nyumbani wouldn't be able to stop. Crazy sister.
She managed to trail behind, shying into the dense brush and grass around. She wouldn't be spotted, and she stayed downwind, so they wouldn't smell her. All she had to do now was remain quiet. She couldn't make out the talking, they were whispering, but soon mother showed, and the talking got louder. There was yelling, Tara snapping at mother. How could she do that!? How could she raise her voice at mother like that!? Tara didn't understand how hard it was to gain Hasana's favor, and she threw it around like dirt.
Nyumbani was about to step in right there when the gentle voice of Banji flowed over the dark atmosphere. In a flash mother was gone, leaving Nyumbani gawking. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear, and just enough to make out a little bit of what Banji said.
Tara's voice was harder to make out, she had to creep just a bit closer. She couldn't quite make out anything, and then she heard the shoutings of mother. Screaming to Banji about, 'How could you let her go!'
That's when the realization hit her. Nyumbani stopped trying to hide, and vanished into the brush. There was no way on earth Tara could take care of herself! What had she been thinking!
"TARA!" she called, her footpads beating the earth in a rythmic motion as she searched with the frantic motives of a sister. Beat. Beat. Call for Tara. Pound. Pound.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:36 am
Fear pounded at her heart, but relief lifted her above it and kept her going. Alone! She would finally be alone. No longer hiding behind a mask, she could let her guard down and just be.
Darkness had begun to take hold of the sky, and the jungle was fading quickly into shades of blue and grey. Her pace began to increase, from a slow, hesitant walk to a jog to a run. Soon she was spriting forwards with little idea of where she was headed, tears burning at her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were from happiness or saddness.
But she needed this.
And, somehow, she thought her family needed this too. Hasana needed her other daughters, and Nyu would finally be able to gain the favor she'd always desired. Hahi... well, maybe this would sober her up. If she wasn't already... Tara remembered her sudden focus and feirceness with a faint shudder of aphrehension. Concentrating on her internal battle, she didn't hear the sounds of her sister behind her.
It just wasn't like Ohahira to be so... angry. But that didn't matter now.
Now, Tara just wanted to run.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:45 am
Why did she eat so much today? Honestly, she felt like puking, but as her muscles burned, her heart ached. What if something had happened to Tara already? It was getting dark! She couldn't be out here all alone! She'd die. Of that much, Nyumbani was certain.
"Tara," she sputtered, her breaths coming in heaves. She wasn't an expert runner. She was built for power and protection, not for the long heated moments of forever movement.
But there was no Tara, anywhere about, she couldn't see her, smell her, find her. She was too far out to find the others. She'd have to stay out here, alone, in the dark. What of her other siblings?
They had Banji. They'd be safe. They can live without you, Nyu.
She took in a deep breath, and slowed to a walk. Her paws pained with every footfall. Maybe she'd heard wrong? If she went back, Tara would be safe, at home, with mother.
That's when the blur caught her eye. It was so dark, black was hard to make out, but in the moonlight, yes, she could see it! That blur of running. It was Tara! Adrenaline burst into her muscles and she tore off once again, as fast as she could after her sibling. She didn't know how far she'd have to run, but she'd stay right behind her, find out where she was going.
She just hoped that Tara would stop running soon. She couldn't trail her forever.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:31 pm
She hadn't thought that her sisters would be worried about her, other than Hahi. And the last time she'd seen her, Hahi had been mad as sin. So Tara's worries had been focused around Hasana, and her thoughts had barely flickered to her sisters.
Least of all Nyumbani.
So when she spotted her pale sister following behind her, she was more than shocked. Irritation flitted through her, followed by a wave of shame. But... but she wouldn't be stopped.
Not now, not when things had gone as far as they had. And Nyu needed to go home! Hasana would need her now. Tara had to explain this, Nyu HAD to understand!
Slowing her pace, the dark lioness - almost a reverse image of her sister - paused and waited for Nyu to catch up. Anger warred with love and saddness in her heart, and she fought to harden herself before the encounter.
Please be mad... please be mad...
It would be so much easier.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:39 pm
But Nyu wasn't mad, not exactly.
Most of all she was sick, and as Tara stopped she went coughing and hacking, trying not to lose what she'd eaten earlier that day. She focused hard on the spinning ground, and after a time was finally able to keep herself from stumbling. She had heard somewhere you had to keep walking, so she did, circling Tara like a crazed animal looking to kill its sick prey.
"Tara, oh thank goodness! You're not dead!" she gasped, having almost gained her composure.
"I heard mom yelling, next thing I know, you're gone. You have no idea how scary Hahi has been. She attacked me, Tara. Attacked!" She was ranting now, she needed to get it all out. The one sister would tell every one, she couldn't face mother, she certainly couldn't talk to Hahi, so Tara was the only one left. The only one. And she was leaving.
"You're going to die alone, Tara. You can't, no one can. Its dangerous."
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:52 pm
"Of course I'm not dead." Tara eyes her sister with concern, watching as she stumbled in odd circles around her. Was she sick or something? Tara watched her, turning her head to keep her sister in view.
"I'm not going to die alone, Nyu." She kept her tone calm, although frustration boiled up in her. Wasn't this what her sister had always wanted? Why was she pretending to care? Just let me GO! Her mind scrambled for an escape, longing to rail at her sister.
But she couldn't say it. So instead she chose to marvel over Hahi's sudden aggression. "Hahi... attacked?"
It was Nyu who had brought Banji back from the dead, as it were. It was Nyu who set all this into motion, and had inadvertently torn the family apart. Hahi would, of course, be -more- than angry about that.
"Nyu... are you alright?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 1:53 pm
"Of course I'm alright!" she snapped. She wasn't alright. She was tired, she shouldn't have run so fast, so long. "I just can't run like you, OKAY!?" she growled, the ground was spinning again.
"Hahi was fuming. Fuming that I destroyed the family! OHOHOH! As if it were all MY fault. Damn Ohahira. It's Banji's fault." She stared at Tarajia as if she wasn't there, looking right through, thinking there was something else in her place.
"No! No I'm not alright!" she decided again. "How the HELL am I supposed to look after the family if they go running off on me and they ATTACK me!?" she shrieked. "You could have DIED Tarajia! Then it would be MY fault. Where the heck do you think you're going alone? You could have taken someone, anyone! But NO! You had to use your damn pride instead of your brain! You just wanted to get away from mother because she pushes you too hard!"
"WHAT THE HELL TARA!!!!" she was glaring now, stuck between tiredness, love, and heartbreak at the failings of her task. "So I've HAD it. Either you're coming back or I'm going with you! You're not dying while I'm around. Banji can take care of the damn sisters."
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:29 pm
The relief she'd felt at finally leaving evaporated; she was plunged back into reality and the ties that bind were too strong (apparently) for her to simply slough off. Chains - and ones that were locked by affection. She would have to break them.
Her heart ached at the thought of shattering more lives, but at the same time she yearned for a freedom and a chance away from the life she'd known for so long. Desperatly she cast about for some means of an escape...
Then Nyu opened her mouth to yell, and she unwittingly sealed the deal. Had she cried and pleaded and begged, Tara would have caved. She would have agreed, and kept her promise too. But as it was...
Her heart hardened against Nyu's anger, whether real or percieved. Banji's story echoed in her head. I told her to wait in a small cave...
"Follow me."
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:37 pm
But Nyumbani wasn't done yelling yet, or at least, not done explaining the situation.
"You ******** moron. Is that all you have to say!?" Nyumbani was pissed, infumed. She'd at least expected a shouting match. Tara wasn't smart enough, or sneaky enough to survive in this world. Not to mention she was all to intolerable. No male would ever fall for her, ever. She'd have no protection.
Still, Tara was wanting to take her somewhere, and Nyu had no choice but to listen, she was family, and that was that.
"Fine. But don't do anything stupid, like feign innocence and run from your problems."
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:58 pm
Already starting forwards, Tara winced at her sister's rough tone. She supposed she deserved it... and would even more so after this. She obviously couldn't run from her problems, because they seemed intent on following obnoxiously after her.
A scowl marred her dark face and she walked quicker. She'd explored a lot of the jungle around her home, and she knew a fair amount about the terrain. So it wasn't too hard to find a small alcove in a rock wall. It wasn't too far from the family, but it would do.
No one would think to look there, she was certain. She was the only one who knew about it.
Hating herself, and hating what she was about to try, but unable to stop, she turned to face Nyu. She could see how tired her sister was, and for a moment her heart went out to her. But Nyu's words... no. She fought back her emotions and smiled faintly.
"I won't, Nyu... but I don't think we could make it back to the family tonight." She nodded at the small cave. "I would rather wait until morning. When we've all cooled off."
She padded into the darkness and settled with a sigh on the hard ground. She should have thought to put grass in here, or something. "We can sleep here tonight, and head out in the morning."
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:03 pm
Nyumbani didn't like it, this whole switching of persona's thing. She stopped and looked cold and hard at Tara.
"I don't think you're going back. You're going to wait until I fall asleep and then ditch me." She still followed Tara into the area they had picked, though, as if she still might fall for whatever trick she had dreamed up.
"Well, don't Tara," her voice was soft now, she was worried. "Because if you do, you might never come back and. . . I don't want to not see you again." She shifted uncomfortably. She never thought she'd be apologizing to Tarajia.
"I mean, I understand you wanting to go. But at least let someone come. Me." It was a long shot, and Tara wasn't sure if she wanted to leave the family, but there were 4 of them to take care of each other, and Tara had no one. No one but her now.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:17 pm
Irritation boiled up. Why did Nyu have to ruin this for her? When the only thing she'd EVER wanted - Hasana's favor - was within her reach? Tara loved her sister, but this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to get away, and that ment away from Nyu too.
And if Nyu insisted on following her... well, she wouldn't be held responsible for her actions.
"I'm NOT going anywhere." She muttered through ground teeth, eyes squeezed shut. "And neither are you."
With a sigh she forced herself to relax, to reach out for sleep that she dared not embrace. Slowly her breathing became even and slow. But she kept true sleep back.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:22 pm
Nyumbani watched her sister for a moment, as she began to fall asleep.
Could she have been wrong, really truly wrong? And now she'd gone and mistrusted her sister, trying to call her a liar. Maybe Ohahira was right. Maybe she did ruin everything for this family.
"I'm sorry Tara," she whispered to the sleeping figure and crawled to the very back of the cave (as far as she dared venture) to sleep. Small tears rolled down her eyes.
She'd failed. Again.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, were the words that she went to a deep rest by.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:39 pm
Sleep beckoned but Tara shoved it aside - sleep could wait. But if she held off running any longer, she would lose her nerve. The lioness cracked an eye and shifted on the hard floor, testing.
No response.
Relief overcame a faint dissapointment and she carefully stood and eased her way to the cave opening. Still nothing. Her sister was fast asleep in the back, her sides rising and falling in a steady pattern.
Tara swallowed around the lump in her throat and snatched up a flower growing near to the cave wall. She didn't hate her family... she just needed time away. Surely Nyu could understand this.
With treads as quiet as the wind in the grass she crept over to Nyu and placed the flower on the floor next to her. She gazed at her sister one more time, expression fierce and determined. Tears had dried on Nyu's face, leaving tracks down the lovely pale fur...
She almost stayed.
But in the end, she knew she had to leave. If she went back, she would never find the happiness, the balance griffith promised her. With one last look back at her sister, Tara fled into the night.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:46 pm
The next morning, Nyumbani awoke to find that Tara had gone. She stared at that patch in the grass for a time. Tarajia wouldn't leave without her. She had to be dreaming.
Carefully she walked over to it, testing the blades of grass with a paw. They had already begun to rise, as though the cub had left very long ago.
Nyumbani was definately dreaming. And what better to do during a dream than to go back to sleep? She curled up in the spot where Tara had lay and fell back into a slumber, the cool breeze of the jungle singing her back to sleep.
Yet, when she awoke again, the dream was becoming very real.
And Nyumbani just kept thinking that Tara had gone out exploring. So she waited. Tara had said she wasn't going anywhere, and Nyumbani believed her.
- - -- -
Two days passed, still no Tara, and that's when Nyumbani started to get worried. She left her cave, hunger tearing at her gut and began to explore the jungle. What if Tarajia had fallen into quicksand? Gotten lost, starving?
Nyu had to find her. But she went looking in the wrong places, for she couldn't find Tara, and Nyumbani didn't want to face going home to give mother the news, because she still believed that Tara hadn't lied.
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