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 Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:14 pm
Sumu sat next to the Tunu'dogo'mvo, the small trickling stream in the firekin's lands. The sound was soothing, almost peaceful as the water rippled and made its way lazily to its destination. In the bitter cold of the night Sumu was debating rolling in the water and ending it all. The wet, mixed with almost unbearable cold of this night would spell out hypothermia surely and she would not have to deal so much with the loneliness that she felt in side.
The tiny spider marked lioness stood shivering her one good eye watching the water as it rolled over a rock set in the middle. All I would have to do is take a few steps forward, and this would all be over with. Sumu let out a soft sigh and continued watching, wondering if she would ever get the courage.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:20 pm
Though the cold made him hurt, Bodaway found himself leaving the warmth of his den - Now occupied by not just himself and his daughter, Shula, but her mate, Kosuke, and their... MANY cubs... - To get some water. As the old lion limped his way down, his ears kept moving, listening for this and that. His vision wasn't so good anymore, made worse by the darkness of the night. He was well aware of the dark shape near it already, it was just a matter of... Well... Knowing who it was. "Good evening, nice night for a drink, isn't it?" She smelled familiar - He was sure he'd met her before. He could also tell it was a she by the lack of mass quantities of hair. Even juvenile males had masses of hair.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:27 pm
The tiny firekin nearly jumped out of her fur as he spoke, thank the stars that she wasn't a guard because her levels of observation were not all together stunning. Trying to not let on the she was startled she turned to him, she held her head sideways so that he could not see the massive scars that graced the left side of her face.
"A wonderful night for a drink, but so cold, almost right down to the bones, isn't it?" She remarked answering his question. She inhaled his scent and paused curiously, had they ever met.
"Have we met? You seem very familiar, I am Sumu. I apologize if I have forgotten you."
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:40 pm
The male's ears pricked. "Sumu... Yes, I remember you... You used to be a slave..." He shook his head. "Such a rank is wasted being applied to those who could have added to the main pride... More a rank for someone who's... Brown... Or blue..." He went to the water, lapping some up. Oh, it was cold, alright. Carefully sitting back, he grimaced just a bit. "I am Bodaway... The formerly lost Firekin." He stretched, popping his spine in multiple places. Oooh, that felt good... "Used to be a spitfire, myself... But those days are long behind me."
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:45 pm
She'd hated her rank as a slave among the pride, and hated the former ruling of the Firekin because they kept slaves and thought of themselves as superior. Sumu had looked just like them, black, white, and red, the only difference was that she was considerably smaller than most firekin, and did not have their passion, their anger, the very fire they were named for. She'd been a scared and lost lioness before being drug into the pride, and now she was just broken and in need of repair.
"I never understood the keeping of slaves, no matter the color," she sighed, he did not seem to have the anger toward her, and she felt she could speak freely in front of him. There were those that still adhered privately to old beliefs, but it seemed they were few and far between. "A mark of laziness."
"I believe I remember you, at least remember talk of your return. It's a pleasure to remeet you Bodaway, but a shame it's so cold a night, perfect weather for staying cozied into a den with a loved one." She didn't have any of those, but sometimes the thought crossed her mind how lovely it would be. Her den was filled with pelts for warmth in the night.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:58 pm
The male chuckled. "It was once the will of Finar-si to enslave those weaker than us, for we were superior in our survival within the desert. Then the plague came, and many scattered, quite a few never to return. When I returned, those I'd known as a cub were long gone..." He shook his head. "Slaves were considered the ones that would have to THANK us, since back then we would simply KILL any trespassers, if we felt like it. After the plague..." He closed his eyes. "I think the slaves were important then, because it allowed the pride to focus on rebuilding. They just went about it wrong, at the time..."
He offered the lioness a smile, not sure himself if she could even see him do so. "Well, you could always come join my den for a while... It's a bit full right now, but there's always space for one more. IF you don't mind the idea of any of my grandcubs sleeping on you."
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:06 pm
Sumu had never seen Finar-si, and had only heard the stories of her..there fir it was a moot point to mention her in the ex-slave's presence. There was no justification to Sumu for keeping slaves, at times she felt she was better off dead than disfigured and broken by her former masters. On the day Ny dragged her back to her children she was sure she would die, but she was here, there had been something in her that was resilient, something that kept her moving when she was sure she could never moved again.
She thought on his proposition, it wasn't a bad one, and it wasn't as if he was being extremely forward. Bodaway had offered her to stay with his family. She couldn't see the smile fully, not in the dark, her eyes were poor and one did not work at all, but she could hear the smile in his voice.
'Maybe just for tonight, it is so awfully cold," she accepted, "I don't mind grandcubs, never having any children myself, it would be a treat to have little ones around."
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:21 pm
His eyebrows went up. "Never had children...? My dear, you're missing out!" He slowly rose, feeling his joints protest after sitting. "Just a lot of energy..." He let out a good-natured grunt. "Always running around my paws, never sitting still..." Well, except maybe Soleil. That one spent too much time preening. "It's this way." The sand shifting, unfortunately, did little to ease his joints, though it still felt good on his paws to sink a little. When the dens came more into view, he did his best to focus his eyes. "Hmn... Getting hard to see..." He looked back at Sumu. "Don't lose the vision in that eye of yours.. If I remember right, one was injured, wasn't it...?" He swore he'd seen her when the injury was fresh.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:29 pm
Sumu followed behind Bodaway, she smiled listening to him speak about children, she'd wanted them, but not as a slave, and certainly not out and about in the wilds of Africa. She'd thought about having children, but one had to become attached to the pride they were in, and the other lions within it to find a mate and settle down. Sumu'd spent most of her time with the firekin in fear or worse.
She had started this night with the intent on ending her life, but having someone be so genuinely kind to her, even offering for her to be near his children and their children. Well, perhaps she'd put a pin in her plans, she'd never had the guts to go through with it.
"I hope to never become completely blind, the one is useless, and in the dark it's hard to make out shapes. Dumb to blind a slave, sometimes a lion can go to far." It hadn't been her original master who blinded her, she'd been attacked during the war while she tried to escape.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:34 pm
"Sometimes... Slaves were used simply as punching bags..." He shook his head. "Waste of a slave, when you could use it as something better, like... A cubsitter. Or to hunt for you when sick..." Legitimate things, in his mind. He shook his head again. "Ah, but that's in the past..." He offered her a smile. "Maybe, though... You could be a huntress or a cubsitter now... There's never too many of either in a thriving pride."
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:38 pm
"I'm currently a huntress, I do go out with the others, but it's very hard sometimes to be of any use to anyone." She came up short in hunting, but tried her best to be a constructive member of the pride, doing what needed to be done and never questioning what was asked of her.
"Cubsitting may be quite hard for me, little things are crafty," she laughed, she'd seen little ones slip past their mothers easily, having one eye that would make things most difficult.
"Are we coming up on your den?" She was almost sure they were, she thought she could remember seeing him in the area.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:42 pm
"Then perhaps teaching the older cubs to hunt... You strike me as having more patience to do so." It was, after all, something every cub needed to know, and not all parents had time to teach their cubs themselves. "Me, now I spend my time entertaining cubs with stories of my travels..."
Reaching the den mouth, Bodaway smiled warmly at Sumu. "Actually, we've made it to the den." He peeked in, noticing a pair of large violet eyes watching him from the dark. The way the moon glimmered in the den like it did made it possible. "Go back to sleep, Shula, everything's fine..." The eyes blinked, before the owner laid her head down and went back to sleep. The old male chuckled quietly. "Should try to be quiet or there'll be nine cubs trying to climb on us all night..."
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:48 pm
Sumu peered around Bodaway, blinking as the violet eyes reflected in the dark. There seemed to be quite a few of them.
"Oh.."
She was going to respond but then the Bodaway said it was probably best to be silent, unless she wanted the little ones to introduce themselves. Well, that would probably be best for a better time. Sumu did not want to disturb their sleep, cubs needed their rest, particular in a harsh climate like the desert. She followed him into the den, eyes looking back and forth counting the cubs. There really were nine, he wasn't exaggerating. So many grandchildren!
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:04 pm
Finding a spot, the male lowered his body to the ground, letting out a pleased sigh. "Much better..." He gave a spot a pat, stretching out. "You can sleep here, if you like. It's a particularly soft spot." He enjoyed it during the day, that was for sure. Right now, he wanted the spot he was in, it felt very good to his bones and body. He'd soon lay his head down, closing his gold eyes and falling asleep.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 2:08 pm
Sumu followed his lead and laid down beside him, he was right the spot was particularly comfortable and she felt content to lay there, head resting on her paws. It took a very long time for the small firekin to sleep, Sumu listened to the others sounds of sleep thinking they were particularly foreign to her. They were more soothing though that the trickle of the river, it eased her soul and she was able to close her eyes and fall asleep easily.
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