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 Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:59 am
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Time has lost all meaning.
Season upon season has passed while Njozi wanders aimlessly, moving on the outskirts of other prides.The rising and setting of the sun has no impact upon his travels. The passage from dry season into the wet has no impact upon his travels.
Distance has lost all meaning.
He has no idea how far he has come, or how far he will go. The land he currently traverses is so different from the lands he grew within, but his mind is closed to wonder and observation.
Life has lost all meaning.
And yet he continues, doggedly determined to survive even if he has no concept of how to live. He hunts when he is hungry, and sleeps when he is too exhausted to move on. He avoids contact with others whenever he can. He is a ghost, in every sense of the word.
As lost within his own mind as he is within the lush jungle landscape, the dark lion plods tirelessly onwards.
And then, suddenly, something changes. Pain. A sharp, sudden, stabbing pain - the sensation is so abrupt and foreign that he yelps, staggering away from the source, his paw lifted from the ground. "Ow!"
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:31 am
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The young female and her family had been in the strange lands of her extended family so long that Makonde was beginning to wonder how much of their stories of muses were really fictional and how many were true. She swore that at times, she could hear the whisper of a tree, the call of a flower, even the moon singing at night if she strained her ears long enough. She often found herself wondering what it was about these lands that caused nature to speak to those living there.
It was no wonder, really, that when she heard that when a yelp rang out through the jungle around her, she paused to question her sanity for a moment. Was that another real creature in trouble, or was it her ears playing tricks on her yet again? She tilted her head in the direction she was sure the sound had come from, straining to hear anything else. Even though nothing else rang out, she let out a sigh and gathered up what few roots and leaves she had been collecting. Even if it turned out to be nothing but her imagination, she was still not one to leave someone in trouble because she was too busy wondering if she was going insane.
Depositing her treasure of herbs at the base of a tree that she was sure she would remember, she weaved her small figure through the dense underbrush of the odd jungle she had been growing accustomed to over the past few weeks of their visit. "Hello?" she called out in an unsure tone of voice, narrowing emerald eyes on the foliage she faded into so well. Where she faded, however, the dark blot in the distance stood out all too easily. With a hesitance reserved only for strangers, she approached slowly with a slightly lowered head, attempting to show him she meant no harm. "Was that you that I heard cry out? Are you alright?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:42 am
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The jungle seems to close in around him as Njozi's awareness suddenly returns to the here and now. The pain crystallizes his thoughts, making everything seem sharper and less distant. This place... it's so strange, he realizes, so green and rich and vibrant. His own dark pelt seems dull and uninteresting in comparison. But the pain, oh... the pain. This is new, and he cannot ignore it as he has ignored the rest of the world. His breath is an indrawn hiss between clenched teeth, jaw tight as he lifts his paw to investigate.
And then he is startled into a half-jump and another yelp, when the jungle literally moves towards him. And it speaks! But no, that's not right - after a hasty incantation to the spirits he realizes that it is not the jungle come to claim him, but a rather... small, green lioness. Njozi is so off-balance that he doesn't even grimace at the sight of her green pelt and markings.
"O-oh," he stammers, standing on three legs, "I'm sorry, I thought I was..." Alone. He must have been deeper in his own mind than he thought, if he's passed so close to other lions without realizing it. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I-I'm fine."
A thick drop of bright red blood falls to the jungle floor.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:06 am
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A slight frown stretched over her features as she realized she startled him, though she couldn't imagine exactly why. Did she blend in that well with the jungle around her? She'd never really thought about it too much, but she supposed she could probably sneak up on any unsuspecting soul here given her pelt and tattoo colors.
"You didn't disturb me, I wasn't doing anything really important," she said calmly, her frown still in place even as he insisted he was alright. His stance was the first thing that drew her attention, and her eyes were instantly drawn down along his raised paw. The well of blood drew her forward a couple of steps before she remembered herself and stopped again.
"Your paw is bleeding, you're not fine," her tone was worried and her brows were drawing down into a deep 'V'. "Would you mind if I took a look at it?" It was very forward of her, but at this point, the small little lioness had reverted to her healer's ways.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:15 am
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:28 am
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It was strange to her that he acted so hesitant. She was from a loving family, one that poured affection and adoration onto she and her siblings. Her father was a little more reserved, but even he would not have questioned a random act of kindness.
A grimace contorted her face as he put his paw to he ground again, the yelp ringing in her ears and her eyes glancing over the bloody pawprint where it stained the earth. "Why wouldn't I?" Her frown now seemed to be tinged with confusion, her teeth worrying at the inside of her cheek. "I can't let someone that's hurt wander around, what if you make that paw worse? You're bleeding and obviously in pain." She sighed and looked down at his paw for a moment, then back up at his eyes, tilting her head up because of their height difference. "Not helping you would be immoral."
She took another step forward, slowly so as not to alarm him and make him take another brash footstep. "Could you just sit down and let me see it, please?" Her concern was growing, and he was being stubborn. There wasn't much she could do to force him given their size difference, not that it was in her character to do so, which meant all that was left to her was sweet talking.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:46 am
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"Immoral," he repeated after her, tasting the word as if it seemed oddly unfamiliar. And then Njozi settles himself upon his haunches, obediently, lifting his paw to make it easier for her to inspect the damage.
He flinches, suddenly, but not because of anything she's done - rather, because he's looked down at the injured paw and realized which paw it is. An old injury, long since healed (and healed poorly) has disfigured that appendage. He is missing one toe. She will notice as well that the large dark lion would be larger still if he was better fed, he's clearly not been keeping great care of himself.
Makonde will find that he has a rather sharp thorn in his paw, deeply embedded within the pad. It probably wouldn't have been as bad if he hadn't stepped upon that paw again just now, but even with that it's a little odd just how deeply it is driven in there; anyone else would have stopped putting weight on the foot the instant the sharp tip broke skin, but he clearly put his full weight upon it more than once.
"What's your name?" He asks abruptly, as if the silence makes him uncomfortable.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:10 pm
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A pleasant, yet triumphant smile stretched over her maw as he finally sat down and lifted her paw up for her to inspect it. She approached him, albeit slow as she had been doing since she first appeared, and sat herself down in front of him as well. Her neck craned over his paw, the smile fading as she began to take in the damage.
For a long moment, there was naught but silence as her eyes drifted across the bloody wound in his paw. It was worrisome how deep he had driven it in, and she knew it was going to be hard trying to get it out. That's when her eyes ghosted over the older wound - the missing toe. Her concentrated face twisted into a frown, but she had the sense enough not to go poking about and asking questions.
"Hmm?" she said after a moment, letting her eyes drift up to look at his. "Oh, my name is Makonde Waya." Up close she could tell that he must have been a rogue, and probably traveling on his own. He looked worn down, like rogues she had seen before, bordering on unhealthy certainly. It tugged at her healer's heart, and her first instinct was to scold him for not eating better. Yet, she held her tongue and offered him a smile. "And what's yours?"
She brought a paw up and touched the side of his wounded one lightly. "I'm going to have to try and get that out, before you drive it in there any deeper. You could really hurt it if goes in any more."
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:19 pm
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It takes more effort than he thought it would to keep from flinching when she draws near. Against his wishes, his mind wanders to the last time another lion had been this close to him... this close to that paw. And he shudders, before he realizes something. This feeling, it's as foreign to him as the pain was. Fear. He's actually afraid, for the first time since he left.
"I..." Pause. "My name..." Another pause. "...njozi. I'm Njozi." A ghost. That's how he's seen himself, since he left.
The touch of her paw upon his is expected, and so he is able to suppress the urge to jerk his paw away. The intensity of his gaze increases though, and it's obvious just how much effort it is taking him to stay still right now. "I've suffered worse," he states plainly, since she must have noticed the missing toe, "You have a nice name, Makonde Waya."
And he clenches his jaw, waiting for the spike of pain, fighting the instinct to flee.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:04 pm
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A single brow raised at his shudder, but again, she knew better than to ask questions of a complete stranger. Whatever his reasoning behind it, it wasn't her place to ask if he didn't want to volunteer the questions. She assumed it was probably the same reason he was so hesitant to let her near him.
"Njozi?" she repeated after him, asking as she continued examining his paw. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Njozi, although it would have been much nicer under different conditions I'm sure." After she had decided just the angle he had jammed it in there, she thought she had figured out the easiest way to get it out.
"Thank you very much," she replied after his compliment, turning her eyes up to meet his. His intensity startled her for a moment, but she didn't feel as if she were truly in danger near him, so she didn't flinch away or shrink back.
"Ready?" she asked, before leaning her head down. Being without thumbs like some of the apes she had seen, pulling it out would probably be a chore - all that was left to her was her teeth. It would be messy, but it was her duty. With a deep breath, she leaned down and clamped her teeth around the bit of the thorn still above the surface of his pad - being as delicate as she could. Assured that she had a good grip on the little pest, she tilted her head to the angle she thought he had dug it in at and gave one good yank.
After a moment she felt it break free, and she dropped it to the earth. She immediately inspected it, to make sure it hadn't broken off in his paw - that could lead to a whole new problem.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:16 pm
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"Mmmhmm," he signals his readiness through clenched jaws, resisting the desire to close his eyes during the procedure. No, he'll watch. The blood doesn't bother him - he'd studied as a Haruspex before-- well, before. The pain isn't even that worrying, although it is something he's not very well-used to. Her proximity is the largest problem, that and his own irrational fear.
Njozi had been holding his breath while she got her grip on the thorn, the skin about his eyes twitching with the pain as the sharp object wriggles within his flesh. And when she tenses to pull it out, he releases his breath in a soft rush. A quiet hiss of pain rides upon the exhalation, but he remains perfectly still.
Until, of course, it is out. Then he keeps his paw carefully elevated, and leans forward to look at the thing that had been inside him. It is, he decides, alarmingly large. The wound offers a fresh gout of blood to the thirsty earth, but he does not notice.
And then he realizes something. He's still afraid, even though the cause of his fear should have passed. He's still afraid, and she's not even though he's so much larger than she is (and a stranger). He's still afraid, but she's the one who is supposed to be a coward. How had he managed to miss that detail, when he first saw her?
So now Njozi is staring blankly at her, at a loss for words. He should offer thanks, at the very least, but it almost looks like he's in shock.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:40 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:52 pm
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"I..." he responds automatically, and then stops. Things are different outside the pride. He knows that, he's had to learn that the hard way a number of times since he left. The spirits... nobody out here seems to understand. Not that he's had the inclination to talk about it much, granted, but the few lions he's run into have given him blank looks at best.
Things are different with non-lions, as well. A small group of cheetahs actually ran him off one of his meager kills, once! Him, a lion! Chased away by those spiritless devils... and again, he is struck by the cowardice he displayed. Every decision he's made since that first dreadful mistake has been cowardly and selfish, it's no wonder that this green-pelted lioness is more brave and selfless than he is. What right does he have to judge her by the colour of her fur, anyways?
"I'm fine," Njozi mutters, but then he sways a little in place. Loss of blood doesn't combine well with poor nutrition and exhaustion, but stays as steady as he can. "I'm sorry. Thank you, it was... very good of you to help me. You didn't have to do that. Thank you, Makonde."
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:48 pm
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Her brows rose as he began to speak, but as nothing more than 'I' came out, she dropped her ears and frowned instead. She couldn't know what was going on inside of his head, but from the outside, his contemplation was making her worried. She didn't expect him to be super talkative (in fact, nothing about him had made her think he was that type of lion) but a little bit of thanks or something of the kind would have put her worry to ease.
"It's kind of my duty, to help others," she said, shaking her head to dismiss his thanks. His sway didn't go unnoticed, and though she didn't think the little bit of blood he was losing would cause that, she also noticed that he wasn't exactly at the top of his game health-wise.
"We need to stop that bleeding," it was a no-nonsense statement, no room left open to argue. She glanced back in the direction she had left her deposit of herbs, then back up at him for a moment. "Stay put, try not to move, and I'll be right back with something, alright?" She watched him for a moment more before she pushed herself casually to her feet and drifted off back the way she had come.
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:57 pm
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"Duty?" He repeats, again as if the word has a strange taste within his mouth. A duty to heal - another strange concept for the dark lion. Most of the duties he's accustomed to are far less pleasant. But he doesn't question her, aside from that, and he even tries to smile, to make her feel better. It's harder than he thought it would be, to smile, the expression seems so alien. But he's trying.
Njozi nods to her statement, then frowns down at his still-raised paw. He can feel the blood flowing more freely now, with the thorn no longer there to stem the flood.
He re-settles in the same position, as if to re-assure her that he'll be a good boy and not run off while she's away, and lifts his paw a bit higher. It doesn't hurt as much when he's holding it up. Doesn't seem to bleed as freely, either. "I won't move a muscle, Makonde Waya." His voice is serious and low, and he watches her intently as she melts back into the jungle.
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