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 Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:51 am
Mimsey Sorry for the delay on this reply! Busy week left little muse. I also think Mouselet is going to join in too for the wrap up (or what appears to be a bit of a wrap up. . .)
And yet, she still didn't know what the nergui wanted them for! They had no power here, they had nothing but a sickness that ran through them, a sickness that was both a blessing and a curse. It wasn't some weapon, it wasn't something to be used. . . . it was something they absolutely had to contain. To spread it upon others was irresponsible and would achieve absolutely nothing. This was their lot, their path to walk . . .
It disgruntled Nawiri'chiwa that these strangers would speak to the gods in such a manner. She didn't know who this Graos Oma was, their leader it sounded like, but he was not the Kitwana'antara's leader. He was not the one the pride turned to, he was not the one whom carried this burden. If they had done any studying of their pride, they might have realized that the gods were revered here, particularly Pestilence. They had a strong faith, and while they might not always understand, they still believed. . . .
To come to her lands and claim they would have no enemies but the gods, to claim their savior came in the form of strangers, outsiders. . . . No. Was this a test? Was Pestilence allowing them entrance to the pride to see how they fared? To see if they kept the faith? Well, there was no question about it. The more these nergui promised and offered, the more Nawiri'chiwa didn't appreciate what they desired.
"It is a great honor that your kind thought of my people, and think of the Kitwana'antara as possessing such power. But the things you speak of, the promises you make, are something I cannot possibly accept. We have a strict way of life here, and while, in a sense, we are trapped to these lands, it is for good reason." She spoke firmly, waiting to see what the others might do, how they might respond.
Some contingency plan . . . hmph. She didn't like that either.
"I hope you might bring back to your kin that we were grateful to be thought so highly of, but your requests are not something that would benefit our kind." It sounded crazy -- why would freedom not sound beneficial? To let go of their self-quarantine, to find alliance with a group that appeared to desire power and strength?
It wasn't beneficial, because then the disease would be spread; and as much as she revered the Great Lady Pestilence, this illness wasn't easy to battle. Furthermore, it sounded as if they wouldn't so much be allied as they would be used. For what, she had no idea, but couldn't trust this others promise of being precious. . . . They would lose their identity as a pride and a family; they would be . . used . . . tools. . . be desired only for this alleged power.
She would not break up the pride over such garishness. It was her role as queen to protect those within the pride, and she was going to do just that. They offered pleasant thoughts, an easy way out, but like hell if she was going to accept.
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:09 am
 It wasn't that common a sight, Mittere looking for Nawiri'chiwa. But the pink lioness had been feeling uncomfortable all day and wasn't sure why. When she'd walked through the heartlands of the pride, where the most sickly took their time about dying, she hadn't once spotted the grey lioness. The Queen didn't spend all her time there, true, but she could usually be found in that area. Not today, apparently. The pink lioness widened her search area until she was loping along the very border itself - an invisible line that she'd crossed only once in her life. It wasn't that important to her...yet it was the very reason her life had been turned upside down. She shook her head to clear it of such useless meandering thoughts and looked up. There, before her, were three lions. One was clearly Nawiri. The other two... ...she'd never seen them before in her life, but she didn't like them on sight. Their posturing spoke of agression, though contained for the moment, and they were clearly strangers, given the distance between them and the Queen. Mittere angled her path so that she came up next to and slightly behind Nawiri, just in time to hear the the grey lioness finish rejecting the other lions. Blue eyes narrowed and the pink lioness cursed the fact that she hadn't come out to check the border sooner. She had no idea what was going on out here, but she was certain it couldn't be good. She'd love to just reach out and attack the visitors, especially the strange lioness who appeared to be plowing furrows in the earth with her claws. However, Mittere had no idea if she even had enough provocation to support such an action. Not to mention she doubted Nawiri would approve. Worst of all, she wasn't certain she could take them both. Both strangers had the look of fighters, and though Mittere's scars proclaimed her skill and willingness to enter combat, she didn't know how great a toll the disease may have already taken. "What passes, my Queen?" the lioness asked softly, pitching her voice for Nawiri's ears alone. The best she could do was hold back for now, and try to find out what exactly was going on. She had a feeling that the tranquil time the Kitwana'antara had known was about to be shattered, and she still had doubts about how combat ready the pride could be.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:33 am
Godlum bowed his head, a small but eerily amiable smile on his mouth. "I understand, although Godlum would suggest you give it more thought than a few passing moments. Graos Oma is not one to make many offers." Although he certainly didn't speak for the great one, he wasn't entirely a fool. Or at least, the machinations of Tzora still thrummed through him enough to draw his own conclusion as to the leader's plans.
"This gift you have," he continued. "...is one that is given quite easily. If the crovrems rurda decided they wished it, how would such a thing be stopped? A battalion approaches of worthy warriors, descends upon these lands. Perhaps you win, but most likely they will. Either way, the gift spreads."
He glanced towards Sarangerel, nodding to her sentiments. "The worthy stand up and embrace their gifts. They do not live trapped."
The black line stood suddenly, shaking off his haggard coat. "But we are...just ambassadors. With such a thing, you should have time to consider it. The horde is not close, just yet."
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:11 am
Sarangerel watched everything without uttering a single sound, her eyes fixed on Nawiri until she was joined by the ridiculous pelted other. Did they think that she and Godlum would be scared by a flower-petal female? It was laughable. Utterly laughable. They seemed a strange people for a god to favour, but these Kulukadok never were predictable - and not usually for good reasons.
She tore her eyes away to return Godlum's nod and when he stood she couldn't help but give a soft growl, curling a lip to bare a fang or two.
Were they being dismissed? Who was the other female? She looked nothing like the little queen, so not a relative - unless a distant one. Maybe another of high rank. Well, no matter. They had been warned and if they refused the Nergui had other ways of getting prides to co-operate. The thought of that pleased her enough that her growl faded out and she smiled a little as she freed the ground of her claws.
"I look kurvord to rasirmems." And she gave an exaggerated bow and backed up a few steps before turning away.
Above her on the branch, the raven gave a harsh cry and alighted, her wings snapping loudly as she caught an up-draft and chased ahead.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:29 pm
Nawiri'chiwa felt her expression shift, her somber expression deepening in to the faintest of frowns. She heard the foot falls of another, inwardly surprised that it was Ndale whom she had passed earlier, but Mittere. The grey queen wasn't sure if this was a good mix, considering how . . . rough . . .the warrior could be. Unfortunately, though her ears flicked in regard to the pink lioness' words, she refused to turn her gaze away from the strangers, and certainly wasn't going to speak about the happenings until they were gone. Not that she expected Mittere to demand her too. Her words had been more out of formality, more rhetoric than a demand for answers this very moment.
Godlum's words were not what she wished to hear. There were others on the way, some strange horde intent on taking their power, this gift. Intent on using their disease as some sort of . . .well. . . . she wasn't sure what exactly, but she didn't dare look upon them as allies. They knew nothing of their ways, nothing of the horror and pain the pride suffered. Godlum's threats, their warnings, well . . . . She heard them loud and clear.
The time of peace, it seemed, was close to being over. Though he claimed this horde was far, she could not trust his words. As Godlum rose, and the female lioness gave an over-exaggerated bow and snarl, Nawiri stood firm. She kept her gaze unwavering, and inclined her head at the pair. It wasn't a bow and it was certainly stiff, but it was enough. "I shall considering your advice, and we shall see what the future brings." She would not rise to him baiting her with threats of war.
While there was some truth in his words, that their 'gift' could be difficult to contain . . . .the gods be damned if Nawiri'chiwa was going to do all in her power to make sure such a thing didn't happen. These ambassadors, these strangers kept her on edge. They were crazy. Perhaps the pride was crazy in its own right, to live with disease as they did, but . . . . these lions, these Nergui, they were of darker stock. . .
What she did not give freely, they would take.
Silently, she said nothing, though her body language made it clear their conversation was over. She would sit and wait, would make sure the others truly turned and left before she turned her back to them. Even with Mittere, she didn't trust their intentions, and she wanted them gone.
. . . It was going to be a long night.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 5:15 pm
Mittere watched the strangers through narrowed eyes. She was more than passingly familiar with how soft words could mask deadly threats and she disliked hearing such threats against the pride to which she'd pledged her loyalty.
The threats she understood more through the tone than the language and ran the male's words through her head a few more times to try and understand. A gift? That could be spread easily? And what was this about trapped? Did he mean the way she had been trapped here...!
He was talking about the disease, the lioness realized. And from his words, he and the stranger female were looking to use it as a weapon! Mittere could be ruthless at times, but to knowingly unleash a plague upon the known world took a kind of cruelty of the soul that even she did not possess. Still, she took another couple steps forward next to Nawiri. She did not trust these two, and would not allow them to do harm to her Queen.
The female's words were almost meaningless, but hovered just on the edge of understanding. Mittere wondered idly if she'd heard that particular language before - she couldn't recall hearing it, but that didn't mean too much. The pink lioness had gone many places and heard many ways of speaking in her life.
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Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 6:47 am
Godlum peered quizzically at the queen and her guard, perhaps remembering their faces. Or perhaps just surprised that they seemed content in their fate. It was of no direct concern to him- Graos Oma had his plans. He was no clever lion, but his strength was loyalty. He didn't need to see the grand picture to know that everything would fall according to plans.
"Considering is all that is needed," he thrummed with mock pleasantries. "I do not think we shall be the only to suggest such a thing. Better to join the crovrems rurda than some mindless group that offers no guidance."
It seemed proper to him, at least. With Sarangerel bidding her terse fairwell, Godlum repeated the formal gesture. He pulled back, and shook out his stringy fur. "Good evening, queen."
With a passing look to her guard, he turned his back and followed the other nergui with an easy sway of confidence.
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