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 Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:10 pm
She wasn't really used to being nervous. Angry, upset, tense, sure... but worried?
The dark lioness padded softly behind Juu, her ears pricked for the sound of another lioness ahead. Around her the land was wet and green, the ground sucking at her paws when she wasn't careful where she stepped. She'd never seen plant like this, never faced half of the dangers Juu told her existed here! Like sand that sucked you down and down, bogs that you didn't see until you were sinking into darkness...
But he lived here, and so could she. Tara ignored the tiny voice that whispered to her to run, shoving it away impatiently. She was done running.
"Juu... are we almost there?" She asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Everything seemed quieter here...
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:28 pm
Juu's ears swiveled around, trying to catch sounds of something, anything; or anyone. He was starting to feel like something was wrong. Or, well, at least he was wrong.
He could feel Tara behind him, making his nerves jumbled up. Maybe that was what was throwing him off. But still, he should of been able to at least to see someone, even in his family, right? He had taken so long to return home, surely everyone else was already back, waiting for him, the straggler to finally show up? He had always imagined such a warm and festive reunion, but it didn't feel like that was going to happen.
"Tara," he whispered, letting himself pause for a moment so he could bump his shoulder with hers. "We should be," he replied, picking his pace up again to match hers. "Though we aren't in the heart yet, we are getting close. It's just...I thought it would be warmer than this. Where are my sibilings?" He looked worried as he glanced around, seeing familiar lands but no familiar faces.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:41 pm
It was everything Asali'jua could do not to pace, but she had to stand calm - like a Queen. She couldn't be anxious, couldn't let the worry show. Someone was coming home, she knew it, but she didn't know who. Would it be Bin'tope, the last of Matope's children, or would it finally be one of her own? Of the eleven sons and daughters she'd sent away, only one had yet returned, and the waiting was horrible and cruel.
Of the lions ranged behind her, only one was a sibling Juu knew he had. He was not, as he suspected, the straggler...but he did have three new sisters in amongst the group of cubs and juveniles.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:10 pm
Tara wasn't constrained by any such queenly duties, but she was a female meeting her boyfriend's mother for the first time. His mother, the queen and all Juu's other siblings...
Tara swallowed hard and peeked around Juu. Though she couldn't see them yet, she could just catch the scent of lion from further in the swamp. Her heart was fluttering in her chest and her paws seemed suddenly heavy with something akin to dread. But... Juu was so nice, his family must be nice too.
Right?
She sure hoped so.
She took a deep breath as they came into sight of the other group of lions, her eyes widening at the size of the group waiting for them. Her tail twitched and writhed behind her, the only real outward sign of nervousness Tara allowed herself.
First impressions were everything, after all.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:32 pm
Juu's white mane shifted as he continued to peer about, his olive eyes feeling a bit heavy. Not with fatigue, but because he could feel a hint of dampness behind them. Surely not...surely nothing happened here? No, he could still smell lions, more lions, though the scents were very faint. His attention was only pulled away from his assumed sorrow when he heard Tara's breath.
"What is it, Tara?" he asked, his eyes switching straight at her. He was a bit surprised to catch the widening of her eyes. Only when he looked at the same direction did he understand why.
It was all he could take to not let his paws carry him the rest of the way home with swiftness. No, he had to act like an adult now. His quest was behind him, and from it he had become an adult. He couldn't help but gasp himself, though, as he saw the amount of lions gathered. The pride had grown since he had been here, what was mostly merely his family when he had left.
And then did he catch the scent. Mother.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:52 pm
Juu! It was Juu! For that alone, she could have wept with joy. Her Juu, whom she'd feared would never return, had finally come home. And he was so handsome! And he'd brought a girl.
For a moment, all she could do was stare, pride and happiness and tears she could shed shining in her eyes. The Queen was forced to clsoe them for a moment and take a deep breath before speaking, her voice miraculously level, "Who comes before this pride? Who lays foot on this sacred ground? Who were you? Who are you? Who will you be?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:27 pm
Tara hesitated, not sure what her part in this ritual was. She thought maybe Juu had mentioned something about this... but the harder she tried to remember, the blanker her mind became. She became intensely aware of the eyes that were focused on her and Juu, on the judgement that was waiting to happen...
Just.. just follow Juu's lead. Tara forced herself to relax and act calm, but... this was her new home! Hopefully, anyways. What if she did something wrong, or offended someone, or... or... !
Mind reeling with worry, Tara stood statue-still, pressed against Juu's side and waiting for him to take the lead.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:39 pm
Juu's own stomache flopped. Here it was, the big moment. The moment that mattered so much. It didn't only hurt him if he failed, though; Tara was counting on him, as well as his mother, his sibilings. He took a hard swallow, letting his tail brush against Tara's for a moment. He could do it. Just with Tara by his side, he knew he wasn't facing all of those eyes alone. That was enough to push him forward.
He took a couple steps forward, puffing his chest out. "I once was known to these lands as Juu, the son of Asali'jua," he said shakily, though he quickly gained his strong voice again. He was never one for being in the center of attention, and it was unnerving. "But no longer!" he called out. He paused for a moment, letting his heart stir with emotions. "I am now known as Roho'eupeanga," he declaired, his true name rolling off of his tonuge as if it had always been there, ready to expose itself to the world. "And I will be the strength for this pride, and for my family."
He could only prayed that he had done this correctly. He felt Tara's reassuring shoulder on his, and felt the adrenaline rush from his excitement slowly begin to fade. He could not show any weakness now, though, not with the eyes, nor with what he had said.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:04 pm
Asli listened quitely, though her heart swelled with pride. That was her son, her Juu, and now her Roho. "This is Roho'eupeanga," she pronounced with pride, "Son of the Jini-misemi - see him, bless him, and welcome him home!"
The Queen threw her head back and roared, two short bursts followed by one long to close the ritual. And then she rushed forward, queenliness falling away until she was only a mother, plunging through the water.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:15 pm
Tara watched silently, still glued to Juu's side. When the Queen - no, when Juu's mother came rushing over, she backed off to allow the two to greet eachother. For a brief moment she felt a pang of jealousy, but she shoved it down. After all, it was SHE who had shoved her own family away.
She stood to one side, uncertain if she should introduce herself or wait for in invitation of some sort.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:25 pm
Juu, no, Roho's mind had flooded into nothing but thoughts of his mother. He couldn't help but leave Tara's side to give her a warm nuzzle. The sight, smell, touch, everything. Everything about his mother he missed sorely, and he didn't realize just how large of a hole there was that had grown where she had lived in his soul. Only now was it full, nearly overflowing, even!
"Oh, Mother, Mother, I've missed you so much," he said in a low voice, trying to mask his emotions. Sure he was a bit damp around the eyes, but it had been ages since they had seen one another! "I'll admit there were times when I didn't think I would return," he whispered, looking at his mother intently. "But Tara helped me make the decision to return."
He took a moment to look back at the lioness, who looked very unsure of herself at the moment. A sudden wall of guilt smacked into him. Here he was, gushing all over his mother, and he had not dared to think about Tara! That was enough to almost make him cry out in shame.
"Tara," he repeated, taking a couple steps towards her. "I'm sure you've guessed," he flushed, embarassed. "But this is my mother, Asali'jua."
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:54 pm
Asali nuzzled him, butting her head under his chin and rubbing against him, eyes closed and breathing deep. She'd missed him, oh, she'd missed him! And as the months had passed, she'd feared that she would never see him again, or Nyasi or Johari or Mng'aro. But now he was here, and gave her hope that the others were not lost to her. "I missed you, too, my son," she purred, voice thick with emotion, "Very much."
Attention called back to the present, and to the striped lioness who'd stood beside her son, Asali gave Roho one more nuzzle before taking a step back, acknowledging 'Tara' with a nod. "You helped him to come back? Then I owe you my thanks."
The Queen bowed her head in gratitude.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:51 pm
Tara smiled and bowed her head in return, her heart still beating wildly in her chest. She shook her head slowly, the smile widening.
"Ju-- ... Roho, he talked about his home and told me how wonderful it was. All I did was ask to see it." She leaned against him. "And I'm glad I did." Oh, so glad! She'd been afraid at first and she was still nervous, but this felt so right. Finally she could belong somewhere, somewhere she could love and be loved!
At least, she hoped she could stay... If she lost Juu, if she was kicked out, everything she'd come to realize on her own would mean nothing. She was afraid of lapsing back into what she'd been before!
"Oh, I'm sorry! My name is Tarajia, and I'm honored to meet you, Asali'jua." She bowed again, lower this time. "But you can call me Tara if you'd like."
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:44 pm
Roho could feel his cheeks grow a bit warm as he felt Tara lean against him again. While he was certainly pleased, it also felt a little embarassing at the same time, in front of his mother and all. He looked up at his mother with a 'heh?' look, hoping that she would still approve.
"Well, still. It was kind of the kick I needed to actually carry my feet here," he teased. He had always been mildly homesick, but he also didn't fully come to his name until he had wandered, meeting others and learning what it was really like to live on his own, away from everything he had known. He wouldn't tell her (not yet, anyway), just what helped him keep going was her.
Way too embarassing!
So now, Roho watched the two interact, much more intently. He wanted to mainly see how his mother would take to her, since he felt Tara would be fine here, slip into their ways, even if they would be a bit different to her in the beginning.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:47 pm
Little did he know, Roho's mother was ecstatic to see that he'd brought a girl home with him - and one he got along very well with. Though still strong and healthy, Asali'jua was getting old. She'd already been full-grown when she'd met Jabali and Matope, and it wouldn't be terribly long now before her third litter was ready to leave home; she wouldn't have another. One day soon, her children would all be grown, and she would no longer be Queen, and she dreamed of having grandchildren to light her days. That, and she wanted to see her son happy, and her pride full of life.
"I hope you'll like it here, Tarajia," she said, smiling graciously - happily. "Consider yourself home."
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