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 Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:55 pm
Life was placid, and languid. Perhaps a bit boring, however, Tsi'hilu would never be caught dead saying that much; after such a turbulent youth, she was somewhat relieved to have found a place to call home. She was glad to have been able to find a peaceful place where she could spend the rest of her days; peaceful, however, was something she'd slowly begun to abhor, in a way. Nothing ever happened within the Ela lands; they were forgotten by others, it seemed, and nor rouges, nor other clans ventured near. The others were glad, and Tsi'hilu supposed that she too, should be glad, however... everything was monotone, and the small female, now an adult, grew restless. Her tail moved nervously over the dry savanna, the white of fluff of hair raising clouds of dust in it's wake.
Slowly, a large bulk that had settled itself behind the petite lioness moved, the head of a water buck lifting itself from the ground, where it yawned widely, "Will you please stop that, Tsi'hilu? How do you expect anyone to rest with you whipping up a sand storm?" the best stretched it's neck muscles before lowering her large head over the lioness' body, seemingly unperturbed that she was resting beside the feline.
"I'm sorry Taika..." green eyes turned to meet the buck's own brown ones, "I feel restless," nothing more, nothing less. She'd learn long ago to never beat around bushes; thus was also, in a sense... why she lacked common courtesy at times when around others.
Nodding slowly, the buck let out a puff of air as the lay under the shade of a large baobab, "It'll come, Tsi, it'll come. Just wait for it," the buck had told her... just that since the day they'd met 'it'll come, wait for it...', just what this 'it' was, Tsi could not be sure of. At the same time, she wasn't all that convinced she wanted to know, and thus after Taika's words, she turned to look away and watched the herds as the graced up ahead. It was such a familiar image that the huntress soon grew tired of it and finally lay her head on the ground, her green eyes closing as she settled herself into a light sleep, much like Taika already had. They looked like an odd pair from afar; water buck and lioness, leaned one against the others. This never seemed to unnerve the petite Ela lioness... after all, so much of what she did was not truthfully approved of already. What did one more little thing have to do with anything?
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 11:13 am
Ela'wadiyi; it had been a long time since he'd last been in these lands. Nyota took a deep breath at the edge of the savanah he'd come across, barrel chest widening and claws sinking into the tender, dusty loam beneath. He could still smell her, the water buck he'd been chasing all morning. Normally he might have chosen another target by now, but this was fun as much as a lesson for his young charge. He couldn't see her at the moment, but he knew she would be near. This was her practice... could she catch up to the buck before he had? While her 'father' wished her success, he wasn't going to pull punches for her either. He set his paws in motion and continued his hunt, weaving into the stalks as any expert hunter might have.
Another scent mingled with the one he was tracking. His ears lifted lightly from the thickness of his mane, but he forced them back down again. He knew this one, but its name taunted him as did the location of the first. Thrice he'd had this buck within his paws, and thrice she had gotten away. No more.
Crouching deep into the grass he saw her, on a slight hill in the landscape, curled up in sleep. How arrogant, to sleep in broad daylight with no herd around you. Nyota'visima smirked. He could like this one, indeed he had already formed more than a small respect for her, but alas... she was prey and his 'daughter' would be hungry. Considering the size of the animal he was beginning to wonder that Misae had chosen her for their game at all.
Enough. Nyota launched himself forward before the female could catch his scent, not bothering to give even verbal warning of his presence. And, as he lunged for her, he noticed the lioness on her other side whose presence had been overlooked for the light, sun-stroked sky behind her. He slammed into them a second later, pinning the beast to the ground... but didnt go for her neck. "You DO realize you're supposed to eat these, correct?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:11 pm
It all seemed to happen in a rush; the bulk of the male was pressing the water buck tightly against the soil before either female could do much other than blink up. The expressions they carried mirrored each other for a bare instant before Taika rolled her brown hued eyes, "Not YOU again," the words were drawled out of her throat as her mind raced; she gotten away from this one before. Several times at that, but where there was no doubting the large water buck was intelligent, there was also no doubting this male was persistent. In fact, Tai was sure he was the most persistent lion she'd ever met; most of them got tired after a second failed try, preferring to look for prey that was slightly easier to catch than trying their luck a third time.
Tsi'hilu's normaly languid gaze lit up, her green eyes bright for a moment as she offered him a smile. She knew his scent, and instantly her mind had worked to put a name to it; Nyota, she recalled, "Even I make mistakes," was all what she told the male as she watched the scene; suddenly the story Taika had been telling her earlier about how she'd outsmarted a certain male several times not long ago seemed to gain some sort pull within the Ela'wadiyi's mind. The irony that she too had taken it upon herself long back, to try and hunt down the female water buck was not missed upon the small huntress' mind, nor was the fact that not only had she failed, but she had established a friendship with said buck, to the point she could not deny a bond having been formed, "There are others to eat," she breathed as she eyed them for a moment before smiling, turning her frame around so she could watch them fully, but otherwise made no move to interfere, "And not enough intelligent creatures to talk to, in return."
"Talking about intelligence, shouldn't you have set out to find some other prey that's not escaped your grasp three times already? Something about the law of self preservation; if the prey's too hard to catch, it's not worth it. You're draining your own energy," a pause from the buck, "Got something against brown female water bucks or something?" this was not just idle talk, that much was obvious; as all this was going on, her mind was racing against her options. Not only was she not relying on the lioness beside them, but she seemed to not want her help.
Pinned against the ground, there was little she could do but one thing...
A brow arched as she lifted a hind hoof with slight effort, taking an aim for a certain section of the male anatomy before issuing a swift kick.
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:18 pm
"Whoa now!" He laughed, and dodged the kick... but let her up. This was an interesting development, and a gentleman didn't torture a kill before it ate it, anyway. He danced back a few steps before sitting down quite amiably and simply watching the both of them. "Now Madame, are we missing the fact that I had you this time? Were it not for our mutual acquaintance, well... Lets not dwell on what might have been... or may yet be, for that matter."
It wasn't a threat, not truly, but more a simple nod towards the fact that she was still prey and he still a predator, no matter a momentary truce. "Truly, most would have given up by this moment, except that you've found yourself in a very unfortunate position."
Saying no more to that matter--indeed, Nyota fully expected Misae to turn up at any moment and make an attempt of her own--he gave Tsi a courteous nod, "There are others, but none that have been 'marked', shall we say. I'm afraid I'm bound to this one for the time being, though I had not meant to hunt she whom might be affiliated to you, Miss Tsi. It is still 'miss' now, is it not?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:45 pm
And indeed, not far away, a white pelted female found herself trailing after the buck's scent; she was not an expert huntress, by far, but her mind could not wrap around how it was possible a single prey had escaped not only her grasp, but her father's grasp several times now.
Misae was not discouraged however; in fact, she found herself rather much worked up over the issue at hand. Her natural willingness to please, her turbulent past, and the fact she'd been adopted by Nyota all seemed to influence the way the small snow-white lioness acted. She'd not lost the strange streak to her, that seemed to distinguish her from others, but she'd calmed down enough that she could at least interpret this strange ability in a way that... at least didn't make her seem utterly insane. Blood red eyes lifted as the small female arched her neck up; the wind rushed by then, the hair that fell over her face swaying for a moment before she snapped her head in a certain direction. There was no telling what she'd seen, heard or smelled, at least not at face's value, but she suddenly rushed towards a certain spot, far away in the distant Savannah.
Rolling on the ground so that she was laying face up now, the buck stood up and shook off the dust that clung to her pelt, her large frame moving as she did so, "Ah," she said as soon as she finished, looking over at Nyota, "The means to an end though; fact is, that for whatever reason, I am still here, and so that means you've failed again," it was strange to see a buck smirk; no fangs were shown in the action, but there was deep cunning within her large orbs as she settled herself neatly down on the ground again, folding her front legs under her chest. She didn't seem at all unsettled by the male's claim; she was indeed prey. She knew that.
Anyone looking at her would've been able to know that. She was born prey, and somewhere along the line, she'd die as prey, however, Taika was not bothered by this notion. So long she was had luck and intelligence on her side, she'd prevail, and when she no longer did... well, the cycle of life would continue as it was meant to, "I told you it'd come," the words were meant for Tsi'hilu whom chuckled lightly.
The lioness was pretty sure 'this' wasn't was the buck had meant only minutes before when she'd breathed those words, but still, the irony of the situation was not lost to her. A pause as Nyota addressed her, her green eyes meting his briefly, "I'm afraid I think it shall remain 'miss' to the end; for starters, there is no young blood within these lands that is not related... and even if there was," her head looked away towards the herds up ahead; some beasts had turned to glance their way, confusion obviously sketched upon their features before the continued gracing, "I'm afraid I do not fit in; there would be no traditional male to take me."
No sooner had she said these words that a growl suddenly erupted from some nearby bushes, a white hued form aiming directly for the buck's neck. Alas, Taika had sensed something within Nyota's earlier claim, and had been alert this time; she was swift enough to get to her feet and jump away, her head lowering and hind feet lifting in threat. The pale white body thus crushed into Tsi'hilu's own white form, startling the adult lioness into digging her claws into the ground.
"Ow..." she'd not aimed right; not only that, but she'd let her anticipation get the best of her and she'd growled. It'd been a mistake; Misae knew this before she'd even crashed into the ela's form, after which her small form rolled off and landed on the dusty ground, her paw reaching to rub the top of her head, "No growling; aim a little to the left next time. Check."
Taika blinked, and then arched a brow, "YOU again too? Just how many of you are there anyhow?"
Unlike Taika, Tsi'hilu instantly seemed to notice something and she lifted her gaze back towards Nyota, "She's white; she smells of you. Does that make you..." a pause as she seemed think over what she was about to say, a paw placing itself against her maw in deep concentration before she smiled, "No longer a male 'miss'?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:25 pm
Witnessing his daughter's jump, the male watched in amusement. He didn't think the buck would hurt her, and he wasn't too far away if she had tried anyway. Indeed, the entire thing was incredibly amusing and he couldn't help a quiet laughter as Misae rolled away to make mental notes of her mistakes. Shoulder's shaking, he moved enough to sit beside his daughter, looking down over her and blocking the sun from her vision. "Still, a good try. It seems as if this one will have to be a draw, my dear."
A light chuckle still shaking his voice, Nyota's green eyes once more rose to meet Tsi's. He smiled, a proud expression despite the shake of his head, "Not in blood is she mine, but heart and raising... that is another matter." One paw rose to pet down Misae's back as he rolled her onto her stomach to encourage her in sitting up. "Misae, this is Miss Tsi'hilu Waya, the friend whom I said lived in these parts."
The lion gave a nod to the tattooed lioness before once more giving attention to the buck. "And to our worthy adversary... I believe we owe our awe. It isn't every day one manages to out wit the both of us." He gave her a slight bow, "Kudos, Madame.. and may your feet stay swift into seasons come. I would that I had a name to put to such a rare creature as yourself?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:19 am
"Ahh..." the petite ela nodded her head, new found admiration within her eyes; she'd been abandoned, long ago, and had spent her childhood alone, only to be adopted by another family, way into her late teens. There was something about the idea of Nyota adopting a child that earnt him Tsi'hilu's admiration and obvious agreement. She paused however as he addressed the buck, and her smile seemed to twitch into the ghost of something else; had the other probably not known better, they might've seen the hint of a smirk that would have indicated something akin to mischief from the pale huntress, "Magic," she replied, "Her name is magic; 'Taika', to be exact. I find it fitting," she remembered the day she'd finally talked to the brown buck, and thus also remembered her asking for the name of such an elusive creature.
She'd found the name 'Magic' to be widely fitting for someone such as Tai.
Lifting her head, the buck seemed to tilt her head, ears twitching to listen and nostrils flaring before she smiled (amusingly enough), warmly at the small cub whom had just failed, "Sorry, cutey pie; couldn't let you do just that," she turned her head towards Nyota as she she lowered her frame to the ground once more, laying down amongst the three lions; quite the scene to behold, "My mother thought that names were very important. She told me long ago, that words have power. That names have power," this said, she tucked her front feet under her chest again, and once more looked out the corner of an eye towards the herd not far away.
A few beasts had once more raised their heads and were staring their way, confusion and perhaps indignation, written across their features. Taika seemed to find this amusing, for she smirked, "My mother believes that all words had power; so she named me Taika," she turned her head to glance at Tsi'hilu before she winked at the larger male, "I tag around Tsi here because we're apparently both kinda a bit different from others, an rather similar to each other," a pause, "Molar and canine teeth aside."
Allowing her father to roll her on her stomach, Misae finaly sat up, pressing her form against that of the larger male's with a long last pur that seemed to indicate she was having no trouble adjusting to a different family whatsoever. Then again, Misae'd come from a place she deemed to have been loveless (and she wasn't all that far away from the truth), so thus the change was welcomed. Nyota was a good father; demanding, but caring. She liked him, "A tie?" she seemed to pause, placing an innocent finger to her maw, "What about dinner then?" because quite honestly, she was starved after the journey.
Misae seemed to suddenly remember her manners and the fact she had only been addressing her father and swiftly turned to smile at Tsi'hilu, "Hello, Daddy's friend! Pleased to meet you!" she turned her head towards the buck and stood on her hind legs as she spread her arms, "And hello to you too, Magic water buck! It's no wonder we couldn't get you, seeing as how you're magic!" at this point a thought seemed to strike her and she turned to look at her father, "That's kinna unfair thu; I wanna be Magic too!"
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:47 am
"A wise woman, to be certain," Nyota tipped his head to this 'magic'; this.. Taika. There were no hard feelings there, despite his daughter's empty stomach. This buck might yet prove to be a good ally, if her feelings were not bruised too badly, and in truth she didn't even seem to begrudge them their stalking. He licked a spot of dust from Misae's coat, something he hadn't done since she was much smaller as he'd always insisted she learn to keep herself pristine. While Hygine was something Nyota had always considered important, the upkeep of a coat as pure as Misae's was a hard task, one that required dedication and patience. He'd used this as a prelude to teaching her to hunt. Normally there might have been a slight chiding for letting herself stay messy, but a single spot after a long days work was nothing to be grilled over.
"A tie, but we shall have to find new dinner. Luckily, these lands are plentiful; an antelope won't be missed." He shook his head, chuckling softly. He licked her nose, "And you are magic, that's what the white coat means." He winked at Tsi, but continued, "Why do you think you have always been so lucky? Now. I want you to go pick out an antelope from the herd, and I'll catch it for you, alright? But choose wisely."
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:05 pm
Instantly, Misae's ears perked up and after enduring her father's grooming, she jumped right out of his grasp, "Oh! Oh! Let' me! I'll do it!" and this said, her small frame (which was, amusing to say, nearly as large as Tsi'hilu's whom was already an adult), skidded away from the three older beasts, hoping away to look at the herds.
Though restless, the fact she kept herself in plain sight kept the herds ahead alert but not panicking. She was able to regard them carefully, the hint of playfulness gone as she prowled about, looking between the animals to try and pin point one that might have shown a limp.
"She seems happy," the Ela lioness watched the younger one prowl away, using her keen green eyes to follow the youth's footing while keeping an eye on the Bucks, wildebeest and antelopes that graced ahead.
Her words seemed to perk Taika's attention whom turned to watch too, "Why shouldn't she be? She's young. Life is short; it's best to live it fully," after all, a day she survived meant the death of starvation for a lion somewhere... the day she died, meant the expansion of a lion's life, somewhere. There were no second chances, or so thought Taika, "There is no coincidence,"
"Only the inevitable," the lioness echoed the words and smiled at Nyota, "I'll join you too, if you'll allow me."
"Yes, because the gods know you've been lazy enough today."
Ignoring the buck's poke, the ela got up on all four and stretched herself out, her claws unsheathing as she pressed the top part of her body to the floor, yawning and trying to kill the worming sensation of ants crawling around her muscles. It was around this time that Misae skipped quite merrily back; her hair and tail fluff, despite having travelled so long the whole day, looked pristine, amusingly enough, silky even as she waved her head and tail about, "I saw a older antelope there; has a limp!" she seemed downright proud of herself, and Tsi'hilu smiled as she brushed past her body, allowing herself to nuzzle the top of the adolescent's head on her way.
It was, after all, the way Tsi'hilu was. Taika regarded them with large eyes, unafraid, "The kid can stay here if you want," was all she said, and she actually smiled at the passing lioness.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:28 pm
Nyota smiled as his daughter ran off, a hint of pride in his gestures and expression even as he turned his attention back to the two grown women present. Unlike other parents, however, he didn't glance after Misae. Indeed, it might have seemed as if he completely forgot about what he'd just sent her to do. "I'd hope so," He paused, listening to the buck's comment. Normally he'd be of the same bent, but there were things about Misae that had made him reconsider a few points of his philosophy. "There may yet be a few coincidences left in this world, actually. If anything else, the meeting of specific people, especially those that have much in common, could be called a coincidence. At least, for those of us who do not believe in so magnanimous a thing as fate."
The male chuckled softly, raising as Tsi did when the corner of his eye said his daughter had made her choice. He winked at the elder lioness, responding in a tease, "I doubt there is a God that would bat an eye at a lazy cat."
He too bumped his head against Misae's as he passed her, green eyes going for the antelope she'd pointed out. It seemed a good choice and he smiled. There was no praise, for that was not needed, he simply did not correct her and thus she would know she had done correctly. "Stay with our Magic, then, Misae. We'll be back shortly."
No sooner had he given her that order did he fade into the grass, assuming that Tsi was behind him rather than looking for her. This was one of the few people he'd trust to act in such a way; as little time as he'd known her, she was the only who had made such a mark upon him other than his own charge. Nyota circled the herd, making his way slowly towards the elder antelope, without the slightest care that her children and grandchildren probably looked on. Such was the way of life.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:42 am
As both lion and lioness walked off, leaving Taika with the white adolescent to bask in the shade, the buck smirked, "Oh, I don't know... gods are fickle creatures..." the words were murmured, however, perhaps just strong enough to be heard by the retreating forms, "Besides, there's magic within that what's unconventional, huh?" she turned to look at Misae, whom tilted her head for a moment before she smiled.
Something about the buck's words rang true in her mind, and though she said nothing, she agreed with her. The was, after all, magic in the wind.
Tsi'hilu had already begun to focus on the antelopes ahead, and thus entirely missed out on her familar's last words before she turned her head to send a knowing glance at Nyota; during a hunt, there is no need for words. A glance should suffice. This done, she slunk off into the taller grass, crouching down with care, her claws grasping at the earth as she moved.
And then she waited.
There was a special type of patience that was only really apreciated when one hunted. Or at least, that was what the petite white lioness thought as she regarded her prey; it limped quite visibly, it's front left hoof held above the earth as it graced away, for the time being, unaware of the stalking cats. This signaled that it would have a hard time weering to the left without falling; this in mind, Tsi'hilu lifted her head, her nostrils flaring as she tried to pinpoint Nyota's position. If she'd understood her, he'd be further up ahead, waiting for her to steer the prey right into his grasp. After all, his bulkier body would make it easier to slam the prey down as it tried to ver to the left, while her smaller, more agile frame, would make it easier to chase it.
A twig snapped then, and the antilopes looked up. A signal, and all of them fled. Unaware and completely uncaring of just what had given away her position, Tsi'hilu lept forward, closing the distance between her and the antilope before she snapped her jaws just milimeters away from it's hind hooves. Thankfully, the animal veered to the left, and just as the ela had envisioned, the creature stumbled slightly, before it tripped and skidded to a hault, trying to stand up.
Those she was once more closing in on it, it was Nyota's turn to act; she'd lead the prey towards were she was sure the male would be waiting. It was now only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, by the shade of the large boabab, Taika watched the events unfold with an unreadable expresion.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:34 pm
Nyota hunkered down into the grass, waiting on the signal from Tsi'hilu. Though they hadn't discussed it, it was obvious what the plan would be. He was the stronger of the two, and the more easily hid despite his bulk. Indeed, no matter how far into the grass she sank or how slowly she moved he could still see her slinking along towards the limping antelope. Of course, he knew what to look for. Settling a little further into the grass, he readied his back paws for the spring.
Something snapped. He could feel it before it even happened, it seemed, as the ripple exploded through the herd. His quick eyes darted towards Tsi'hilu, but she had already moved--he wouldn't know whether she had made the noise or not. He didn't have time to question it or even ponder, for the chase was off and just as they'd both thought, the doomed creature attempted to bank left.
He sprang, hind legs straining with the force of the leap and he pressed the animal into the ground. The blood pulsed in his mouth, oozing and pumping frantically as the life drained from the antelope's neck. It soaked down his front and through the fur of his maw, but he didn't mind it. Indeed, it teased and poked at the hunger in his belly... but he restrained himself.
Finally, the male drew himself away from the corpse, standing and stretched himself free of the cramps gleamed from holding the weight of the antelope down against the ground. There were a few bruises from the hoofs that had tried kick at him, but nothing that he couldn't handle. "Dinner's served," He chuckled softly, green eyes rising to see that the herd had stopped a hill away, a few members looking back nervously at the pair of them. They weren't interested in a second, however. "Lead the way?" As he asked, he leaned down to grab the neck once more to begin dragging their meal back to where they'd left the cub.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:18 pm
Green hued eyes had turned to glance towards the retreating herd as Nyota battled the prey to it's inevitable death, however, his voice brought the lioness out of whatever mussing she might've been drowned in. Her answer to his first words was a silent smile which she offered him before she neared the fallen body; opening her maw, she looked about to bite the pelt of the antelope in order to drag it away, however, she paused mid action and her gaze slid towards the male's frame.
Her keen sight easily caught onto the few bruises he'd received and mostly without thinking, she dipped her head past the prey and towards Nyota, aiming a lick at the pelt where it'd been ruffled. She groomed insistently for a few seconds before she retreated her head away from him, pausing to offer him another, rather innocent smile, "Much better," she said, her long white tail curling up behind her as she grabbed hold of the antelope's leg in order to help drag it along.
No sooner had the arrived under the baobab, the youth sprang to her feet; she was no canine, by any means, however, her tail swished behind her insistently, almost as if her ancestors, somewhere along the lines had been dogs, "I want a bath too!" the words were chirped cheerfully as she sat and waited for the adults to take the first bites; it was only fair, and polite. Those that had caught the prey had the right to the first bites, and Misae had been brought up well; she waited patiently, "I wanna be groomed too!" she raised her paw to the locks of hair that hung over her eyes, brushing them away to reveal sparkling red eyes, "Can I? Can I? Can I?"
Without a single word, Tsi'hilu seemed to pause, merely a second before smiling, strolling to curl herself around the youth, using her tongue to groom away the white pelt till she felt it was pristine. Turning to glance at Nyota she offered him another smile, obviously forfeiting her turn to eat, allowing him to have the first few bites. Once she was happy with how Misae's pelt looked, she shoved the youth softly with her head, towards the fallen prey. Silence had settled around she whose name meant 'silent wolf'. It wasn't awkward however, but rather, peaceful, as she watched them eat.
"You ain't gonna eat, Tsi?" the buck, whom had lowered her head to the ground again, opened an eye to peek at the ela. She glanced up, tilting her head on the ground, her breath coming in one long puff which lifted the earth, however... no answer came from the petite Ela'wadiyi; merely a smile and a shake of her head, "Whatever," again the buck closed her eyes, her body raising and falling till the rhythm seemed to become deep, consistent, indicating Taika had fallen asleep.
Yawning, opening her mouth wide, the white lioness followed suit, her eyes remaining open just a fraction before she leaned back against the buck and allowed herself to be claimed by sleep too. Right before falling asleep, her eyes opened again and she regarded father and 'daughter', "You should stay a while," she didn't indicate the length of time; she could've been referring to hours, or maybe days, it was hard to say. This done, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take her.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Brilliant green eyes opened suddenly, the buck's head raising from where she'd fallen asleep; night had closed in on them. The sun was no longer illuminating the expansion of earth around them, and the baobab was no longer needed. The lions were asleep around her, or if they weren't ... they were making quite a good impression at it, however, it didn't seem to capture Taika's attention.
She was thirsty.
This in mind, she retreated from Tsi'hilu's warm body and stood, walking evenly towards the water hole that was not that far away from where they'd 'camped'. Her maw moved between the tall grasses till she reached her destination, her ears perked up as she listened intently before dipping her head to drink.
Everything was calm.
As she drank, Taika's green eyes narrowed, her ears twitching slightly, to and fro; after all, despite her strange attitude, she was still prey, and her instincts were telling her that everything was perhaps too calm. Her body remain alert even as she satisfied her thirst, finally looking up and towards the sky, the stars blinking brightly back at her.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:01 pm
The afternoon had gone by rather pleasantly with the four of them settled in peace on top of their hill. Nyota had rarely known anything so pleasant as the company of this small collection of females; indeed, he didn't like how his mind had turned somewhat to the distant teaching of his mother's pride, before she'd gone to bare the burden of his father's loins elsewhere. This was for obvious reasons as the white youth he had curled against his stomach was his daughter--perhaps not by blood, but the cub that he had taken in had grown on him more than he'd ever thought possible--and the brown lump on the other side of Tsi'hilu was... well, definitely not a lioness.
Tsi'hilu, however... His thoughts lingered there for a long time, mind going back to that afternoon when she'd cleaned his pelt for him. The touch of another in such a manner he'd not felt in many a long season. There had been females before, of course, but... He gave a mental chuckle, green eyes watching the small lioness through slits so small it was amazing he knew what he was looking at at all.
So it was that Nyota was still awake when the water buck rose to her feet and trailed down the side of the hill to where he knew there was a nearby stream. Despite the obvious motive, Nyota found himself intrigued. This was a Buck who had managed to elude the both of them, and from her and Tsi's speech it was gathered there had been many others before them. This being Africa it was expected that some would have to be able to outrun the predators, or else there would be no herds left... yet there was something more about this Buck.
Usually surviving meant outrunning your herd mates, not simply eluding predators without another buck in sight.
With all this in mind, Nyota peeled himself from Misae's side. She stirred, but he soothed her with a lick to her forehead, then slipped off down the hill after Tai.
"Ah!" Nyota sighed, appearing directly at Taika's side as she stared up into the heavens. His feet made not the slightest whisper against the ground--indeed, he might have been but a ghost slipping from the fog for all that there was no warning of his arrival. "Why, because the dazzling sun restored our Earth to joy, have you departed, every one, and left a desert sky?"
He could have taken her then. He could have killed her with a single blow, but instead he sat and stared with her up at the sky above. His words came slowly, as if thought in infinite wells was poured behind each and everyone; indeed, the tone was wistful and foggy as the night after a rain.
"All through the night, your glorious eyes were gazing down in mine, and, with a full heart's thankful sighs, I blessed that watch divine." His words weren't meant for her, exactly, and yet they were. Though not directed at her presence or anything she had done, they seemed to mean something to lion who spoke them. "I was at peace and drank your beams as they were life to me; and reveled in my changeful dreams, like petrel on the sea.
"Thought followed thought, star followed star, through boundless regions, on; While one sweet influence, near and far, thrilled through and proved us one!"
He trailed of slowly, gaze turning with equal speed to the herbivore at his side. "You are a formidable opponent."
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:06 am
An ear flicked as the male stepped into sight, and though his large bulk could have taken her down, it was visible Taika had relaxed down upon his apparition; after all, had he wished to give her hunt, he'd have done so. He'd have used the night and the silence about them; instead he was talking to her.
Poetry, she thought, and her eyes, very different from his own predator ones, remain focused on the stars above; they remain unmoving to the scene below, blinking and twinkling avidly, no clouds to cover them. As his words came to an end, she finally lowered her gaze from them and graced him with a smile, an ear perked, the other set back, still listening to her surroundings; even though he was here, and few would dare try anything whilst an adult, male lion was about, her instincts demanded she keep her surroundings monitored, "Ah, and aren't you a poet!" she paused, her green eyes looking up into the dark void beyond, "There's a full moon tonight..."
Her last few words were whispered before she turned and smirked at him, almost as if instead of taking the the praise and reeling in it, she were giving him a reason why she'd been a formidable opponent, "Luck, skills and magic, all come to play," her head motioned slightly towards the moon that reflected itself on the pool's surface, "You know, they say there's a rabbit living up there, on the moon," she flopped the lower part of her body down on the ground, her stance probably acquired from having spent so much time around Tsi'hilu. It was definitely not a stance a buck would've adopted; she was sitting down like a lion or a jackal would've. Silence seemed to follow after her strange words, which she allowed him to interpret in any way he wished to before arching a brow at him.
"Gonna leave soon?" there was almost an edge of doubt, as if she expected him to bolt out of the lands soon enough, as swiftly as he'd entered them earlier that day... and at the same time, almost as if she were semi expecting him to stay instead, "It's not my eyes that gaze into yours, yah know? But both pairs are green, I figure."
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