[FIN] Unexpected Treasures (Aali & Amaya)

[Roxy_roxanna2]

The sultan wandered slowly on patrol inspecting the peaceful lands, things were settled now into a nice pattern of life. The raid had left things calmer, each male focused on his harem and the ladies growing accustomed to their new homes. He was pleased by how well his own lovely females were adjusting already there was a strong bond there. He still worried over his sultana it was starting to get out of hand, why hadn't they managed to produce cubs?

He slowly pushed the concern back and tried to enjoy the peace of the late noon setting. The sun moved lazily down and bathed the land and lake in an orange tint. It was breathtaking...he leapt up onto a boulder and sat down. His bright blue eyes peered out at the lake watching the sun shimmer on the surface until it looked aflame. A distant image of the open desert shimmering came to his mind and he thanked his forefathers once again for settling in this majestic place. The land was harsh, but not as harsh as the unyielding desert.

His ear flickered and he blinked turning and peering curiously in the distance. Was that a female? Impossible...he frowned remembering the last two who had appeared in the land mysteriously...and left. It made him tense and frown at the memory, his compassion would be a liability if he didn't take care.  

[OP-Yuna]

Amaya looked to the sky with brows knit and eyes pleading. She had everything she had ever known ripped away from her. She didn't know how to live a life alone and free. She prayed for a home. Her feet were tired, and her soul was weary. She stopped her trek, and sat, staring up at the sky.
It was only when she turned her gaze from the hues above that she caught what could have been a rock, had her eyes not caught just the smallest movement.

Amaya didn't know what to do! Quickly she stood, and looked to an fro, wondering, frantically, what to do. Flee? Stand her ground? Run up to whoever it was and say who knows what? To think she knew how to defend herself was laughable. A maid such as she has hardly ever needed to so much as lift a paw, much less defend herself...

But maybe,..just maybe, whoever it was would be amiable and kind. Perhaps she wouldn't be attacked, and maybe she would find that home she saught.
Maybe...

With those much more encouraging thoughts, she continued on towards the dark form up high...  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

It was indeed a female...Aali's frown remained in place, he would be firm now, she was going to stay in the pride and that would be that. He leapt down from the boulder surprised that she was approaching, he moved to quickly meet her.

"You've in the lands of the Ukuucha'Wafalme." He stated calmly trying not to look as friendly as he usually did. Maybe that was the problem, he looked too nice and the females just didn't respect that. Well he loomed over her trying to keep the frown even as he noticed how lost and confused she looked.

His sky gaze moved over her and the frown deepened, she didn't look so good, sort of unfed. He looked at her eyes then and softened his voice, damn he just wasn't any good at being mean...at least not without provocation. "Your alone?"
 

[OP-Yuna]

Amaya had expected her approach to bring the lion down to her, and spurred on by hope, she had gone on. Now, face to face with him, she hunkedred down a little, subservient and meek as always.

'Ukuucha'Wafalme'...a pride?

She noted how he looked over her. Amaya knew she was looking worse for wear, and certainly not her 'eye candy' self. Indeed, she was quite hungry, and roughed up. Unkempt.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Amaya replied in a soft, yet parched, voice, accompanied by a nod.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

"Yes, our pride, this will be your new home." He stated firmly and watched her for a reaction. He wasn't used to being so blunt, but asking nicely and trying to persuade had failed him already and he wasn't about to let another female escape his grasp. He wasn't cruel all he wanted was to take them in protect them, give them a better life. Was that so bad?

"Your thirsty?" His expression softened and he moved closer. "Come we'll get you a nice cool drink...you must have been traveling a long time." He gently nudged her toward the lake. His frown slowly melted away leaving a gentle smile, his tone kinder.
 

[OP-Yuna]

Amaya really didn't know what to think. First the male before her was actung tough, and strict, and the next moment soft and amiable. She made no challenge to him stating that the pride would be her new home. After all, wasn't that what she was looking for? The thought that it could possibly be an absolutely horrible pride never crossed her mind. For the moment, she was just relieved.
She nodded when he asked her if she was thirsty, and as his tone grew kinder, she smiled a little.

"That assumption would be correct."

Amaya said little - after all, life had always served her best when she was quiet. Once on the bank of the lake, she looked down at her reflection, and her eyes widened a little. Oh! She looked terrible! She hoped that later she would be able to fix her appearance, but in the mean while,...a drink!  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali slowly relaxed as the female before him offered no resistance, finally maybe he had found a sensible one, the fates must be through with cruelly dangling lovely banu before him only to snatch them away. He watched her drink and slowly sat by her side his eyes sliding over her again, she needed care.

"I am Aali Sultan of this pride." His tone was friendly now, he didn't want to scare her, and he really wasn't much good at trying to intimidate a poor lonely female. She looked like a battered songbird, one that the winds had torn from it's nest and cast out alone in the world. Perhaps once she was safe, warm, fed again she would sing sweetly again as well. Love, he had discovered thanks to his wonderful harem was an amazing cure-all it's powers all encompassing.

"Tell me your name?" He nudged her lightly. "We'll take you back to my den and get you a meal?"
 

[OP-Yuna]

'Sultan' was not a term that Amaya was familiar with, but she supposed it might have been the equivilant of 'King' or something to that effect. With her thirst more or less quenched for the time being, she looked to this Aali, and answeres his questions, for they were simple ones.

"My name is Amaya. A meal..would be wonderful."

She wasn't much of a huntress herself. She had been put into her late master's care when she was a young cub, and the instinct had been almost snuffed out, as she was taught, oh so strickly, to just sit and look pretty. There was one instance where a young field mouse ran right over her paw, and she made no movement other than the slightest of twitch, and a glance. Even housecats were wilder than she was, in that aspect. In the end though, with her former master gone, it had been - should have been - a death sentence.
That said, she owed the Sultan her life.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

"Come then lets get you something to eat Amaya, why don't you tell me a little about yourself and I'll share a little about the pride." He smiled and gently nudged her moving to lead her towards his stone den, the landscape was mostly dry terrain with sparse trees and patches of grass. The warmth in the air seemed constant and humid no doubt thanks to the great lake.

"The UkuuchaWafalme believe that every male should be responsible for a group of females, our harems. Females each have duties, they are Banu...among the harem one Banu is chosen to be the Beybanu, she often guides and directs the others or is the favored of the group. The master of a harem is called the Pad. A Pad deals with his harems as he sees fit, the pads all respect one another as brothers and do not interfere with one anothers running of their harems. The harems are often allowed to gather together though to share quality time or hunt." He smiled softly watching for her reaction and eager to hear her tale. Would she enjoy their lifestyle or would he soon be dealing with a rebellious kajira?
 

[OP-Yuna]

Amaya digested the information, comparing it to her past. It didn't seem too different. Her former master had been alone though, stealing young females for his own 'collection' as he had called it. Most the time he would steal cubs, and raise them as he saw fit - to serve him. In fact, that was how she came to be in his possession.

"It seems like something I'm used to. Without the traveling.." Amaya remarked, giving a bit of a smile. He smile then turned into another frown. "For as long as I remember, me and many other lionesses traveled with one lion. We knew him only as 'master'."

She then proceeded to tell Aali about her former master's cub-napping ways, and the way he valued them as his own personal collection, and how she had been taught to do nothing but sit there, or walk where he could gaze at her.

"I was just there for the sole purpose of being looked at. Seldom was I to speak. Never was I asked to do anything. And then one night, a group of vigilantes came, and broke apart our group. The last sight I remember, on that stormy night, was seeing him laying there on the ground, a flash of light illuminating his body...and the group that attacked...their eyes looking at me...at us. We all fled in terror. We didn't have enough sense to stay together. Not at that moment, anyway. Fear took hold of us. So, I've traveled, looking for a home. And it would seem that I am being provided one." Amaya ended her story.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali frowned slightly at the story, it was a sad tale that she had been left alone and without the skills she would need to survive. Being used to such a group though, that was good...she would fit well here. He just needed to help her gain a bit of confidence and perhaps a skill.

"Well you may call me Aali, or Sultan Aali if we are in the company of the pride. Within the den with the rest of the harem things are a bit more casual." He chuckled softly trying to reassure her. "You may speak, and chances are you will be asked to help out when needed, but your new sisters will help you learn what you need to know. You'll be alright here, and no one will take you from this home, your safe now."
 

[OP-Yuna]

"Thank you, Aali."

A chance to learn something....Amaya really didn't know what all had been taken from her, just by the suppression of her natural instincts. Learning to be a lioness would certainly clue her in, though she would probably always be a real docile lioness.

But, being in a pride and not having to travel provided her with a sense of safety, more so than any words.

"So, I shall be with you and your females, yes?"  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

"Yes" He smiled then and continued leading her towards the den happily.

"Aysel is my Sultana, she is the Beybanu but her title has become Sultana since I am now Sultan. Then there is Taja who is very friendly and a wonderful huntress. Vika, she loves stories and she's quite sweet, and Neema she's very clever and protective. They will be pleased to welcome you I'm certain, soon you'll be close sisters."

It painted such a pleasant image for him the den filled with warmth and love, laughter and stories...now all they needed were the patters of smaller paws. He frowned for a second before slowly pushing the thought back...soon he promised himself.

"So Amaya, where might your talents lay...huntress? protector? cub sitter? storyteller? singer?" He looked her over appraisingly.

 

[OP-Yuna]

Amaya made not of the names, attributing each one with one of their respective talents. She ginuinely wished she could offer a talent, but in the end, she found she had none.

"All that was ever asked of me was that I be seen, and preferably not heard. I'm afraid that offers little time to have a talent."

She supposed, though, given time she could find one, sure enough She tried to think of what all she had learned in her long career of observance. There was the watching of the stolen cubs,..watching them grow up, and how the other lionesses had taken care of them...she didn't have the know-how, yet, to hunt, or even know how to protect herself. Perhaps, though, she had told her story eloquently enough...  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

"I'm sure you have a natural talent though, you just need some time and help to develop it. Don't worry." He smiled at her softly before deciding to change the subject less she become self conscious. He padded into the great den and peered about, hmm it seemed his lovely ladies were all up to something.

He moved into a corner and smiled, sure enough Aysel had left him a large delicious antelope leg. He grasped it and brought it out for Amaya taking a bite for himself as well. "Here you are."