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 Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:02 pm
The sun breached the thick mist swirling from the grasslands, slowly making its climb for the endless blue above. Dew still blanketed the grass, dampening the gray pelt of the small lion as he lumbered forward. It was a welcome discomfort, for while damp fur and sticky paws was no fun for the time it lasted, the heat of the summer was far worse. Kayin paused to lick some of the moisture from his fur, pulling at a few stickers that had managed to catch to his pelt during the early morning walk.
For his proud lineage, Kayin hardly even looked like a proper lion. As a cub he’d been malnourished, ignored by his mother and kept alive through the efforts of his brother and Hodari. Even then it wasn’t enough to promote the growth he could have attained on a healthier diet. He was small for a lion with a thin mane. In fact, it was very likely that he’d have been claimed by death at an early age if he hadn’t been caught in a man’s snare.
Deaf and witless to hunting, Kayin was of very little threat to Asad, a young African boy who had taken a liking to the cub. The other members of the tribe saw the lion the way anyone else would see a dog. Kayin was useless in the hunt, but useful enough as a watch. He still had his hearing, and still had his sight. It was enough to keep Asad’s mind at ease as he slept through the night with his gray companion stretched out beside him. Kayin had come to depend on as well as adore the strange two-legged. Asad was a skilled hunter and trapper and would always split his meal with the lion.
Now fully grown, or as grown as he could be, Kayin’s fur had a healthy shine to it, his mane had thickened out slightly, and while small, he had good bulk on him from their travels. It was strange how the two-leggeds behaved. Asad and Kayin had been out from the village, simply walking when the white men had come. There was rumored that they were some kind of demons, or a punishment to the tribes for some kind of sin. The tribe’s people were either killed or brought to work in mines or on the newly developing railroads. Asad was no warrior, and only one man against the thundersticks the white men used.
So both the deaf lion and the homeless human became nomads. Kayin, while small, was still very much a lion and a powerful deterrent for many of the wild beasts and Asad was still a skilled hunter. It was by one another’s hands - or paws - that the other survived.
Asad really had no place to go, so it was Kayin that directed their endless march across the Savanah. Asad had decorated ‘his’ lion with beads, bones, and a woven collar to identify him as a tamed animal in case they were to be separated. A small safeguard, but one none the less. Kayin didn’t seem to mind them in the least.
The pair paused atop a faint rise in the land. Kayin parted his mouth, tasting the air. It was different here… more damp than it had been anywhere else he could recall and the air tasted…different somehow. It was cooler as well, more damp in the mornings. It was a faint hope, but a hope none the less… he longed to find his lost family. His older sister or his brother. He’d received only rumors of them since the time he’d been captured to the time they were forced to leave the village. It was enough to convince him that they were still alive and there was still a chance for their reunion.
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:30 am
The flea ridden lump had carried her home, but she was still bitter. It was an emotion she wasn’t used to feeling. It made her mouth sour and skin prickle. She’d never been so humiliated! Up until that point, her experiences towards males had lead her to believe that whatever the justification- her mother had likely been wrong in her treatment in the boys. But her adoration of her mother also left a lingering thought- what if everyone she’d met had been nothing more then a lucky fluke? Maybe all lions were like that. Even half would make it bitter!
But as mad as she might have been about the situation, Kilua knew she had little place in herself for bad feelings. They were already beginning to unravel themselves- but she kept on to them for whatever dignity she could milk from it. No one before had made her feel like a cripple.
Time: it had made Kilua grown. She was not anywhere near being large, but she would have been average to her estranged-people. Since being taken in by the sea pride, she had been fed and kept in mostly pleasant company. Her fur was neatly kept, and when she walked she still tried to carry the same air about her that her mother had. It was made difficult by the numb limp in her back leg- even a mockery, so she was glad that recently, mother had been nowhere to be seen.
Yet- the time before the seapride was still showing on her. She was not strong looking at all, and danced a mere sliver between being frail and whispy. Her foot had never healed right after constant attempts at hunting had gone sour- but, it no longer looked as horrific as it had the day she’d wandered to the sandy shores.
Kamal- ppft. She would remember that name. Quietly, she winced as the salty air began to lick at her nose. Surely life had made him that way. Kayin, and Utomo- had they ended up like that? She rose her sleek neck, and furrowed her brow. Kayin… why think about that now? Her ears twitched. She had no idea what had befallen her brothers, and it made her heart hurt. She only hoped Kayin and Hodari had stayed close. Or Utomo had been close. If she hadn’t been able to survive on her own, she could only imagine poor Kayin…
But why had that popped into her head? Something on the wind maybe? The lioness sat, and wavered a second. Perhaps she wouldn’t head on to pride lands so soon…
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:19 am
Asad walked himself up beside his companion, laying a hand on the lion's shoulder as he took a glance around for himself. "You have taken us far, Tau..." He observed, knowing very well the lion wouldn't even note that he was making a sound. It was his only source of companionship, and perhaps speaking out loud filled the silent void just enough to comfort the boy.
Tau, or Kayin responded only with a slight flick of his tail. He could smell something else... familar but not at the same time. He grunted a bit and started forward once more, mouth parted to taste the air as he went. He would look horribly silly... since his ears were of no use to him they remained limp so he almost looked saddened, but his mouth lay parted and smiling which would simply give him a fool's appearence.
The smell...lions. Other lions were nearby. It was a gamble to approach them like this...especially with his human. Kayin paused, glancing back t the boy then back out. He could call out... he'd not hear a response but Asad might.
And so he roared, a simple enough gesture among lions simply announcing their presense and whereabouts. His, however, would sound almost slurred to any listening ears, clumsy and perhaps louder than it really had to be.
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:01 am
With a slump, Kilua sighed and rested her back against a withered looking tree. It was nestled far too close to the seashore to provide itself with any nutrients- and even against her small frame she felt it creak. She’d found solace and a place to call home in these lands- but sometimes she still felt a flickering. Something was missing. Something Kamal had reminded her of, but she wasn’t quite sure what that was.
Again the wind, and this time, Kilua scented something most lions knew by heart. Her ears immediately went up, and a slight stab of pain compulsively flinched through her bad leg. What figures roamed this morning? She could scent a lion in the distance, but now with it came the scent of Man. Some kind of trickery? Doubtless as it was, Kilua doubted she would have the ability to make a speedy getaway even if it was.
The next wind brought a low roar, high and strained against the dew. Her nose scrunched and the blue lioness took a cautious step forward- for now, ahead of her she could see the frame of a beast. It wasn’t moving towards her really, but surely it saw her shape in the morning air. The lioness folded her ears and returned the call with a low one of her own, and one that said: “Come no further.”
But the scent made her curious. Something was familiar about all of this, even in the strangeness. And despite her own warning, she moved closer, stalking quietly in the reeds. Within a few long paces, she could see the two clearly now- a male and a strange Mannish figure dwarfed beside it. She’d never seen anything quite like it. The male was covered in strange beads and adornments, and they clinked about in a manner that troubled her. But although cautious, Kilua was not a fearful lion- and out of the brush, her head popped up in plain sight of the two.
A bit distracted by the strangeness- it was not yet aparent to her that she was looking upon her own brother.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:09 am
Kayin didn't expect to hear an answer, he never did. But one thing he could count on was that his companion would- if there was one to be had. At the lioness' response Asad turned to face the direction of he sound, gripping his spear a bit tighter.
"What are you doing?" He glared over to the lion who's only response was an affectionate rub against his side with his large head. "If you get us killed, Tau..." He warned, turning back towards where he'd last heard the foreign roar.
Both the lion and the man jumped a bit as Kilua poked out of the grass- so nearby to them. Asad quietly scolded himself for letting her slip up on him so quickly and efficiantly. Slowly he moved the spear in front of him, only to watch damn near helplessly as Kayin bolted from his side. "Tau don't!" He reached a hand out, missing the lion's color completely.
Kayin had recognized her right away. Bigger, but those markings and that smell- he'd never forget it. She looked so much like their mother, it was almost frightening but he'd longed to see both her and Utomo again that the fear was easily disregarded.
Of course, Kilua might be a bit startled in the way he decided to approach her- but he'd done so in the same fashion since before they were separated. He was flat out running towards her, fully intent on pinning her to the ground.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:14 pm
A lot of thoughts crossed through Kilua’s head when the male started to run towards her. First: Run. And second, quite closely: too late. Her heart leapt in fear as he ran, and she stumbled over her crippled leg as he ran. “W-wait- I don’t mean any- “ But, it was too late. But seconds before a mauling was quite sure to be on her grave [last thoughts: Kamal?? Ugh!] she saw his eyes. Big, familiar eyes. And a big, familiar face. “-Ka-Kayin?!” She stammered in the seconds before the lion tumbled into her, effectively pinning her to the ground.
She flinched- wondering perhaps if finally, the boys were inacting vengence for the way their mother had treated them. But…Kayin? And that face- it didn’t seem so vicious. Oh! It was him. A flutter of delight crossed her quicker then her thoughts could even realize it.
“My god, Kayin! I- I thought you were-“ She wheezed, and although crushed, she shook her head and tried to blink away the burning in her eyes. Her brother! Her family!
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:45 pm
Asad's mouth dropped open at the scene, arm falling slack at his side though the spear remained firmly gripped within his dark fist. It wasn't like his companion to behave like that. Around him sure- he'd been subjected to a few friendly pounces before, but to a stranger? It was a female... and for a moment she seemed intimidated by the male coming at her. Then...friendly sounds? Perhaps they were mates- or litter mates. The markings were similar. For the moment he simply watched. Friendly or not- the lioness was still a wild animal.
Kayin, however, had thrown caution to the wind. His grin widened as his sister recognized him. Of course he paid very close attention to her mouth, watching each word though it wasn't as apparent as when he was a cub, still learning the skill. "I foun you!" He backed up off her, sitting himself down with his tail thumping along the ground- the way a dog would. Very un-lion like but then again...Kayin wasn't exactly a shining example of what a lion should be in any way. Just the fact that he was alive was almost a defiance of nature.
"I look...for you n..Utomo." His tone was still horribly slurred and his voice, as always, was much louder than needed. Though 'utomo' was said clearly as a normal lion would have spoken it, "Lua I am sorry. I got... got..." He motioned back towards the boy on the hill. He didn't understand what had happened to him. Taken into a man's pack and raised, kept alive by their hands. "He's friend. Gives me the eats."
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:16 am
If someone had asked Kilua to explain the feelings she felt at that moment- it would have been impossible. Her brother! Utomo had always struck out on his own- but Kayin... she had tried not to think much about what had happened to him once their family fell apart. It was her biggest regret that she hadn’t looked harder for them. “Kayin...” She breathed, and shook her head. “You did find me! All the way here! I traveled so far...”
Remembering how they used to talk as children- Kilua tried to slow down her words, which sometimes could get garbled when she got excited. Her eyes turned towards the man creature, and her brow scrunched uncomfortably. “I don’t know...” She hesitated. She’d never seen a man creature before, but it made her feel funny. “But...if he helped you, then that’s a good thing.” She forced a smile, and nodded.
“Utomo... did you ever find him?”
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:39 am
 Kayin leaned forward a bit, watching her mouth carefully. He'd stopped his habit of mouthing along with her speech, and it seemed as if he was understanding things better. "I look for you!" He leaned back, his maw pulling back into a proud grin. "Trable far too... a lion I meet sawed you go this way. Met by the..." He made a motion with his paw. "Riber."
He follwed her gaze back to Asad and nodded heavily, then looked right back to Kilua, "He gets the foods! I keep safe. His pride..." He tipped his head a bit. How to explain it. Even a lion who could word things properly would have trouble... it was a war maybe? The pale two-legs and the dark ones. There was fire- man's magic. He shuddered a bit.
"His pride like...", he growled, making clawing motions in the air, "All gone."
The last question had him slumping over, shaking his head slowly. "I learn nothing ablout Utomo... Lost him when we look for foods. Mum too..."
Asad sighed and took a seat on the hill, relaxing a bit. The two seemed to have lost interest in him for the moment- and his feet were pretty well sore from the trip out this far.
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