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 Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 12:35 pm
After hours of wandering, Zuri paused to rest. She was exhausted, tired, hungry and bored. She had been looking for her family for a long time, she had not seen them since she got lost as a cub. She has been on her own ever since, struggling for survival. For the most part, she has taken pretty good care of herself, although lately she has been bored and slightly discouraged. More doubt plagued her mind, questioning whether or not she will ever find her family.
With a sigh, Zuri collapsed to the ground, as if she had just suddenly died. Zuri was fine, just tired and didn't feel like walking or even standing. Lying motionless on the ground, Zuri thought about her family as she stared off.
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 12:45 pm
As Ekage continued along he sighed, so many days and nights had passed, the sun had set and the moon had risen so many times, yet he had still been unsuccessful in finding his own family. He hadn't seen them in so long, he wished to see their loving faces, his mothers eyes, the feel of his father smiling upon him. Hearing their voices, feeling them close, sitting next to him, bathing in the sunlight.
Yet, he wasn't sure how much longer it would take to find them.
Flicking his tail he continued along, sun beating upon his back, though it wasn't as hot as it might be for someone with a darker pelt color. Something caught his deep brown eyes in the distance, something smaller, something that had fallen. His steps grew faster as he rushed towards that direction. Food perhaps? Or someone who was in need of help.
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 5:29 pm
'Get up,' thought Zuri to herself. She didn't have the stregnth nor the energy to lift herself up. What would even be the point? Stand up to continue travelling on a never-ending journey to find her family? The chances of her being reunited with them were slim, too slim to justify further motivation.
Instead she remained lying on the ground, the hot sun heating her body. She felt her body heating up rapidly, as if it were frying against the hot ground. Yet, she didn't seem to care too much. There was nothing Zuri felt she could do. She felt trapped, though in reality she was only 'trapping' herself. She got herself into this situation and has been struggling to fix her problems. Until now. Now, she has forfeited.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 1:13 pm
Ekage skid to a halt as he drew closer. He blinked, deep brown hues focusing on the mass before him. A female, young, she seemed so tired. "Its alright," he said softly in a soothing voice, he didn't want her to get scared. He wasn't sure how she felt about other males, she still seemed a bit young. He crouched down, placed one of his white paws to her back, then pulled away. She was burning up. He peered around, saw a glimmer in the direction he had come from. There was a pool of water there, she needed to cool down, or it wouldn't be good for her health.
"I won't hurt you, it'll be alright," he said again, crouching down, picking her up gently with his teeth, grasping the fur at the base of her neck, he pulled her up a bit, then lower his back quickly under her so she would lay on her back. Ekage wouldn't let her get sick, wouldn't let her die. She probably had a family to go back to. After situating her on his back, Ekage began to pad in the direction of the pool, talking all the way there to try and keep her awake, something. "Whats your name? I'm Ekage..."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 1:34 pm
Zuri allowed the lion, Ekage, to take control as he carreid her over to some water. She felt so lazy doing it, yet at the same time, it felt neccessary. The fact that someone cared enough to help her gave Zuri the slightest ounce of happiness and hope. There is good in this world. If it was destiny for Zuri to forfeit, then fate would not bring this hero to her rescue.
"Zuri," she said weakly, her throat very dry. "Thank you. You're a true hero."
As Ekage brought her close to the pool, Zuri rolled off of him and fell to the ground, landing on her paws. She limped over to the water as she began to drink. She drank quickly, finding the water soothing and rejuvinating. After a few moments, she paused and turned to Ekage.
"I can't thank you enough," said Zuri with a faint smile. "I was beginning to lose hope."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 1:38 pm
Ekage watched with his eyes as Zuri seemed to go on her own, though he watched carefully, last thing he needed was to take his eyes away, and have her faint or have heat exhaustion torment her even more then it seemed to. He flicked his tail, offered her a smile, "It was my pleasure Zuri, how are you feeling?" he chuckled at her talking of him being a hero. "A hero not so much I think I am Zuri, just a traveler helping others as I go, its what I do," he said with a nod, and a smile upon his maw.
"Never lose hope Zuri, we all need it...if I can ask though, what were you doing way out here by yourself? If you don't mind my asking."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:03 pm
"I'm looking for my family," said Zuri. "I made a mistake and got seperated from my brother and my ma. I've been on my own ever since, travelling around searching for them. It's been a while. A long journey to find them. I guess that sometimes I just get discouraged. A loss of hope. You know?"
Zuri gave a slight shrug, still feeling slightly doubtful whether she will actually ever be reunited with her family. She missed them greatly and the thought of not seeing them again petrified her, but at the same time she felt that she may have to face a terrible reality in the future. Trying not to think of the worst scenarios, Zuri turned back to the water for another sip.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:19 pm
At the word 'family' Ekage's eyes widened a bit, she was looking for her family too? He tilted his head slightly when she said she made a mistake, and he shook his own head in retaliation of her statement, "Mistakes happen, though they can be resolved Zuri, I've made a few myself," he said with a nod, trying to ease her tension she might have. "I'm looking for my family too, I get discouraged, but never lose hope, hope is what you should hang onto Zuri," he said with a nod and a sincere smile.
Hope, was what he had left.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:25 pm
"I guess we have a lot in common then," said Zuri, somewhat taken off guard. "Well, my own mistake was stupidly travelling off from my family in the middle of the night, for some reason thinking that they will know exactly where I am in the morning. Kind of a stupid mistake, huh? Now, here I am. Looking for my family after so long...I haven't seen them since I was a young cub. We were away from home when I travelled off, so there is no one place where I can return to find them. I just have to hope that I'll be reunited one day. The odds are against me."
Zuri closed her eyes, holding back her anger at herself. When she thinks about her mistake, she often gets upset by it. With a deep breath, she released her frustrations, trying to gather back 'hope'.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:30 pm
"It wasn't stupid Zuri, you were curious perhaps that night? I was a curious cub myself, I got separated from my parents when I was around your age now, there was a panic, everyone spread out, seemed like fate is toying with us both huh?" he asked offering a smile, he didn't want her to put herself down. Though he wished he could help. If only he knew a god or goddess that could help her, or that could fly around and report back to them.
That'd be nice.
"Is there anything I can do Zuri...to help?" it was just a question, an offer, he didn't want to see her sad, seeing others saddened by something, Ekage didn't like the witness much.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:36 pm
"Fate would bring us together with our families," said Zuri. "Unless thats not a part of our destinies."
Ugh. Why did she have to say that? Think so negatively about such things. Hopefully Ekage didn't take any offense to that. She gave an apologetic look to him and turned her head for a moment in shame.
"You've done plenty," said Zuri thankfully, looking back at her savior. "Rescuing me and bringing me to the water was more than enough help than I could possibly imagine. I doubt that I had enough stregnth on my own to make it any further than where I was lying."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:43 pm
Ekage grew silent for a moment, his eyes falling the the soil. Not in their destinies, a female so young already realizing so much, Ekage wished he had had half the intelligence Zuri had when he was her age. Perhaps he'd still be with his family then. "Just seeing if I could help anymore...I wish I had wings, maybe then I'd be able to help more..." he said light heartedly as his eyes looked out to the open-ness of the rogue lands. Still So much more to search.
"Whats your family like...if I ever come across them..."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:52 pm
Zuri noticed what she had said may have had some effect on Ekage. She felt terrible, her own negativity may have hurt him. Hopefully not.
"My family?" asked Zuri, although she heard him pretty clearly. "Well, my ma, she doesn't look anything like me. She's golden-yellow, dark blue eyes. She's very strict, but loving. Very loving. And Nuku? He's my brother. He kind of looks like me. He has some markings on his nose, bright blue eyes and some darker fur in some areas. Oh! And golden-yellow paws. Yeah."
Zuri felt awkward describing her family as she wasn't quite sure how to. She could imagine them, but she could hardly tell if her descriptions supplied enough detail to benefit at all.
"I'm really sorry, by the way," said Zuri. "I hope you find your family. You are too nice for destiny to not allow it."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:35 am
Ekage nodded and made mental notes about her family. Hopefully he would come across one of them, they would be her age he guessed, her siblings. He swayed his tail, wondered if he had over stepped his bounds today, talking about family, finding them, who was he to say about keeping hope when he couldn't even find his own? Though he still hoped, he still prayed, and he still would, always would.
"Its alright, nothing to apologize for Zuri," he said with a smile upon his face. He would not bring her down, he was just glad she was feeling better it seemed. "I hope so as well, too nice? Can never be nice enough Zuri, you deserve to find your family too you know," he said nodding. Then he took a couple steps, gave her another look over, to make sure she was not hurt or anything, and he smiled, "Though I do believe I should be on my way. Have to keep going of course, have to keep hope."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:40 am
"Ah, I see," said Zuri, slightly disappointed to see her hero leave so soon. Perhaps it was for the best, he may go on to save other's lives and restore hope in other travellers. "Before you leave, I must ask, what does your family look like, if you can remember? In case I ever happen to run into them."
Zuri gave a smile, getting ready to pay close attention to whatever Ekage's response may be. She felt it was neccesary to return the favor of him saving her life. Knowing that she is not the only one travelling to find a missing family, Zuri found a new hope that she someday will be reunited. The situation seemed more common, and for it to be this common, it must be resolved. Or, at least, that was Zuri's thinking.
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