AIM & Here
Thalion:
- The moon in the lands had been without the hazey cover of the mist for too long. Long gnarled fingers rose up to the clear night sky where once thick, lively branches full of green, lush leaves had whispered in the night wind, glittering like the sea from the dew that had collected. At one time there was a soft humming of the crickets and the chirping of birds as they settled in at sleep...all was silent. A single silken form moved quietly through the short grass of the boarder. A proud figure, heavily muscled on his shoulders and chest but otherwise growing thin. A thick proud mane still lay around his face and shoulders, decorated with woven vines, leaves, and- oddly enough -beads.
Cihiru:
- How long had they been traveling then? Really, the lioness had lost track some time ago... It was hard to say where their journey really began, anyway. Even if she were to pick a day and count from there, the nights and dawns seemed to blend together lately; she would have found it difficult to make sense of it. There was one thing she was sure of, though - Kucha had grown since they left. It was easier to see on him; his mane was fuller now. To her, that meant it must have been a while.
That was the sort of thing she found herself thinking of, as her mind wandered almost as aimlessly as her paws. She was like that sometimes, mind, but it was worse this night than most. Jioni was restless, even. The uncomfortable lash of her raven-tipped tail and and almost hidden unease in her expression was out of place on otherwise ladylike features, but surely she didn't notice.
She did take heed of her surroundings though. If anything, it was them she was paying particular interest... If only because she knew they were were close. Kucha might have been content to rest and put an end to their joruney another day, perhaps discouraged by the thinning foliage and seeming lack of inhabitants. She knew better, though. Or maybe she was just hoping for more - Something, anything to satisfy the incling that demanded she do anything but sleep.
Thalion:
- Maji made his way up to a boulder overlooking the freelands inbetween the boarder and the wild lands. Barbarians lived ou there... their wild ways, their lack of refinement and respect. So many of those monsters were in his home. They knew nothing of the storm king, of the blessed land that had once been beautiful. The trouble started when they came...
He shook his head slowly and looked back out, catching a glympse of movement through the grass...the first thought in his mind was more of them- or some of them returning from a hunt. His ears folded back as he watched, giving a growl loud enough to announce himself.
Cihiru:
- That was likely not what she had in mind at the thought of 'anything'. Her hopes were dashed immediately, chased away by an audible growl that made her recoil a step and fold her ears as if she was going to duck her head. She didn't though. No, the lioness held her head high enough to make visible her quiet pride, though she held where she was when she heard it, and kept any thoughts he might have had to herself - including a greeting. But neither did she attempt to hide.
Thalion:
- Maji's bright blue eyes narrowed in the moonlight. Dispite his apparent hunger he was a strong figure. A long flowing mane of silky silver, a body the color of a stormy sky just after the rain. "Name yourselves and your reason for coming here..." he said loud enough to be heard. However strong his voice was intended to sound...there was a feel of gentlness and sorrow in it.
Cihiru:
- She sighed at that point, more from relief than anything. This was more than blind agression, then. "You may call me Jioni." Pausing only briefly, the lioness ventured to search for the demanding individual. Her gaze fell easily on his pale form under the moonlight, and she gave him a soft smile oblivious to the almost demanding tone - a gift from her mother's patience. "I am just trying to go home."
Thalion:
- "Home?" He inquired quietly. "Just where might that be? And how did you come by knowlege of this place?" Histone wasn't aggressive but demanding at the same time. Soft but strong. It was odd. He didn't sound much like he was used to making such commands... if one could call them that.
Cihiru:
- "Yes..." She started, only slightly softer, and then peeled her eyes from him to survey the surrounding landscape. "Here." There was a certainty in her tone that surprised even her. It sounded more sure than she would have originally expected, but seemed right just the same, despite her initial impression. "I inherited it." Jioni blinked plainly as her eyes settled back on the lion. She could have given a more direct answer, and perhaps this wasn't the best time to be playing coy, but she didn't want to wave around her heritage to strangers any more than he seemed to want them traipsing across 'his' land - even if that was an assumption at this point.
Thalion:
- Maji lowered his head slightly so his head was at level with his shoulders, studying the lioness from where he stood.... she had markings like his kind. Colors as well. "...come closer. I promise not to hurt you." Perhaps...if some of the markings were famiar. He had all but memorised the faces painted onto the walls of his home. Faces and markings of members long gone.
Cihiru:
- "A promise, was it?" It would have been difficult to tell why she repeated him; her tone was little more than noncomittal. She obliged though, pulling herself into the shorter grasses that just brused over her paws as the moon lit the darkness. "I promise if you're looking for someone, it isn't me."
Thalion:
- He slowly prowled from the rock, making his way over her though he kept his distance to a safe one. "....Hmm..." He slowly moved around in a slow circle. The patterns... he'd seen -simular- ones on a pair of lions from the wall. "...your parents... tell me about them?"
Cihiru:
- For the first time, Jioni frowned lightly. The question was more difficult than he might have expected. How much was appropriate to share? What did he need to know? If this was in fact what she suspected, she needed to satisfy him, lest he chase her from the lands they'd sought so long. "Is it possible to summarize an individual's entire life? Let alone two?" She paused thoughtfully before carrying on. "They left their pride a rather long time ago, before my brother and I were born. Not to leave, mind you, but to learn, so they could return and others may benefit from their efforts. They never had that opportunity though. Our father - he used to say I look like Mother, but I'm afraid that's all I have to share."
Thalion:
- Maji listened quietly, his sharpened expression softening at the lioness’ tale. Despite his fuming anger the last few months, he still felt for the outsiders and their situations. Those that really belonged, truly belonged, were welcome. Perhaps there was a way for the lioness to prove her ties. There were countless lions marked on the walls of the caves behind the waterfalls… each of them pride members. In fact he had read of a pair of lions who had left the pride seeking a way to mark all the lands upon the walls, give the lions there some way to know just where each pride was. A better view of their world. “I am sorry for your loss then.” Maji said quietly, then dipped his head towards the waterfalls, “Do you remember them well? Would you recognize them if you saw them again?”
Cihiru:
- The lioness couldn't help but smile solemnly as his remark resurfaced their memories. "Of course. That's not the sort of thing one lets go of easily..." One might even say she remembered them like they'd never left. Jioni could just see them smiling proudly in her recollections, sharing the ways of the world and telling of its mysteries. Memory was funny that way, she supposed, making moments that took place ages ago feel like yesterday. "I had the fortune to know them." But it seemed an odd question; almost as irrelevant as it was prying. After all, how often did one need to recognize a figure of the past? What use could he have for that knowledge? That she couldn't understand.
Thalion:
- Maji nodded slowly and turned, pausing just beside her, "Follow me then if you will. I don't doubt your story but I cannot fully trust you without some proof."
The silvery lion began away once more, padding smoothly though the dry grass towards the jungle. The cliffs where the caves lay was clear on the other side of the valley along its boarders. It was a long walk and seemingly an even longer climb. His build was enough to betray a bit of his lifestyle. Powerful shoulders and legs dispite his somewhat lean figure. Thinner than he should have been even.
Cihiru:
- Follow? Jioni met his instruction with subtle suspicion, narrowing her pale eyes ever so slightly. "Nor can I." She wanted to trust him - really, she did. But here she was, a lone lioness standing in all but familiar lands, exchanging words with an equally unfamiliar male. Reason thought better of it. There were times she was suseptable to such irrationalities, but thankfully, this wasn't one of them. No, it was with an entirely level head she nodded and took after him, keeping on careful alert. Granted, there wasn't much too much she could do in the face of emergency, but she liked to believe she could take care of herself.
That might come even more of a blessing, from the looks of things. To say it wasn't what she had expected became even more and more apparent further in... There were even points her faith considered wavering, betraying her insistance that this was their home. It held firm though, granting a surreal sense of comfort despite her cautious glances at the waning fauna and hesitation toward... Well, toward the lion who had yet to grant her his name.
Thalion:
- Maji continued in silence for much of the walk, his eyes seemed clouded over in through, gazing ahead through the dry night air as they walked on. The forest seemed almost weak, the branches having become dry and britle. The leaves rustled and almost clicked against eachother rather than the once beautiful hissing whispers that they made in the wind.
Maji glanced back a few times over his shoulder, his face twisting in throught. Eventually he drew in a deep breath, "I...think I should perhaps inform you as to why I'm going to such lengths of caution. I suppose it's the least I can do for having you follow me."
He looked forward, his eyes lifting a bit upwards to watch the last of the colors drain from the darkening sky, "...when I woke up here I was all alone. There were no other lions, nothing... I had no mother, no father, no siblings. The land was beautiful then... it almost spoke to me. I could read the markings on the walls, I knew the history of my kind but I had no knowlege of myself, my family... anything. I just knew what I was... a son of the mist."
He leapt up onto a dry log that had once served as a bridge over a small creek... so long ago. He and three of his friends- Baba, Biton, and Gure, had knocked the old log over to get to the other side...
"My friends were things I now have to hunt. Zebra, wildebeast, gazelle...the monkeys here." He looked around, almost as if he expected to see life in the trees again, "Others came... lost ties to the pride. All of them told me such stories. We formed a pride and they pledged themselves to me as it stood... I was the only one who could write or prove my tie to the pride... I accepted them with open paws and taught them of the storm king, of the mists's walkers... everything I could."
His expression darkened, "...then the outsiders came...They came into these lands without announcing themselves. They make their homes here, overhunt the herds I used to lay with at night, drink the waters dry, ignore the blessing this land was...they angered the storm king and for that we are being punished."
He looked gravely over a shoulder, "Even a firekin defiles these lands with his spawn..."
Cihiru:
- While the lion pushed on, Jioni was busy battling with herself as she strode alongside him. There was a part of her that wasn't sure what to make of all this - the realistic, sensible part that was unwilling to accept these remnants of a jungle could possibly be the same majestic sight her parents told of... No matter how plain it was this was the right place. The records told her so; she'd been raised to read them, and there was no mistaking it.
But there was always room for error, right? Maybe she'd read them wrong. Maybe Kucha hadn't noticed either. They were, after all, awfully hopeful. Or more unlikely still, maybe they were recorded improperly in the first place.
There was the other part though; the part that refused to accept doubt on her own behalf. How could she be balking at a time like that? It felt like home. The sort of thing one would have been hard-pressed to pinpoint, and was harder still to explain. It could have been her only chance - their only chance - to settle in their one true home, nevermind its circumstance. In good concience, she couldn't have thrown that away for a shadow of doubt. If it proved otherwise... Well, she'd tackle that if she came to it.
When he said he'd explain though, the story provided was all but what she'd expected. That seemed a regular occurance tonight. But more surprising than the personalness of it all, was the way it explained everything, dashing her fears in one swoop. That was a bit earnest and well-thought for a lie, she reasoned, and her hope eagerly accepted it - though not without reprecussion.
"I am sorry," was all she could manage at first, her ears folding and her expression plainly empathetic, if not regretful.
"We'll leave, if you want... I have no desire to further burden lands you obviously care so much about." Jioni paused a moment, as if to gather her thoughts as she looked on.
Thalion:
- "Those who belong are of no burden to these lands." He said softly, moving smoothly along the side of a riverbank, it was lower now. Much lower. The small dam he had built to store fish for himself as a cub was already whole lengths away from the actual water. His paws moved silently along the river rocks as he approached the thinning waterfall over the cliffs of the mistweaver valley. "Those that know the storm king and praise his blessings upon us, drinking rich of his wisdom and making use of the gifts he gave to his children are more than welcome...thosethat defile these lands I wish them the wrath of the most vengeful storm."
He turned to look up at the cliffs, "Which you are intitled to will lay heavily on a small test I'll ask of you."
Cihiru:
- It would have been with a heavy heart she relenquished their journey, so it came as a relief when he showed it might not come to that. The comment wasn't exactly an open invitation either though. She might have even ventured to say it sounded outright strange. Those who belong - who praise the storm king - a small test? Jioni couldn't have begun to imagine what it was he had in mind, despite the mentions prior. How was she to show a total stranger her place was here; to show him she had no intention but to honor his storm king - her storm king (and how comforting it was to hear from someone else, though that was another story entirely)? She wasn't - Or so she might have thought, had she been less determined and less confidant. "I understand. So be it." The lioness even managed to muster a gentle smile, hopefully conveying her genuine intentions.
Thalion:
- Maji nodded then smoothly began up the side of the cliff, his expert footing and smooth leaps almost seemed routene to the larger lion. "Follow my path up... it's a bit tricky if you're not used to it."
The perfect defense, however. Even the invadors weren't yet honed to the stones that led up into the 'royal' den where Maji hid the true pride and the cubs as they grew, nearly all of which were grown by now. His own...they'd be adults by now if they survived. He paused to glance out towards the boarders again, almost as if he expected to see her coming back...
He frowned and shook out his mane, pressing on. It would be a horribly long climb, seeming longer for someone who hadn't grown used to the strain it could be. Perhaps the silver lion was choosing the most difficult to detour her in case she failed the test, perhaps it was just a path. It was hard to tell, his expression for the most part remained deadpan.
Eventually he pulled himeslf into the mouth of a cavern hidden behind the waterfall, pausing to shake himself off before padding further into the cavern. It was growing dark outside but even from the outside a few feet from the cave, the lioness would be able to see stones glowing from the walls and ground. Soft blue stones illuminating the caves, almost placed perfectally so when one's light began to fade, anothers began to grow.
Inbetween the glowing rocks were marks on the stones, paintings...of words, of animals, of markings and maps. All of them smudged with paws and claw marks. Some fresher than others, some even nearly worn clean away.
Cihiru:
- She hardly needed told to follow; the jutting rocks and uneven, unsupported surfaces were instruction enough. Having grown on the skirts of the desert and open plains, mountain climing was anything but an art she'd mastered, and Jioni knew that well enough.
In fact, she seemed hesitant to keep her eyes on him long, for fear she might lose her footing and make herself look a fool - fairly literally adding insult to injury. Glancing to her path every now and then, she kept careful check on her balance instead, placing each paw only after she felt secure.
Undoubtedly, it slowed her, but she managed well enough. At least, she didn't feel cumbersome. The lioness was too preoccupied to worry over whether or not this was the most direct path, or what was waiting at the end though. Simply getting there seemed more pressing.
Which was probably why the sight that met her as she finally climbed into the cavern caught her so offguard. She took a moment to collect herself, blinking awe-struck as her coat dripped onto the stone beneath her paws.
Once she did gather her wits (only seconds later, running in infamously slow motion), Jioni shook the water from her pelt and looked to the lion between glances toward the walls. "This is what it looks like?..."
She'd heard of it before, here and there, nestled between explanations as her parents shared their mission and what was waiting for them back home. Never could she have imagined it would look like this though. "It's funny how our expectations are limited by our imaginations." Thoughtfully, she took several steps further in, glancing over the records on the wall.
Thalion:
- Maji continued walking through the hallway though his pace slowed a bit, nodding to both the lioness' question and commentary of the caves. "The mistweavers are intelegent, civalized lions...nothing like those mindless barbarians that have come into these lands. We keep track of our pride, our family lines, right down to the storm king himself though much of those markings I've yet to find. Even know."
He made a turn down another corridor, the light glanced off his silvery back slightly, mostly from the dampness, "We record the ingrediants to make healing fluids, how to dress wounds, how to create more ink for the walls, to cook, to hunt... we keep track of the land." He nodded to the markings- these he had made. From a cub- they were much lower down -the land was drawn as green. A bit sloppy but it was enough to explain the situation. The land was green for a while, growing higher on the wall as the lion must have grown until finally it seemed dryer... there were figures along the boarders. One red, black, a few smaller dots, one pink and white.
Again Maji turned down and led the lioness into a massive room. A spiraled path led them from the location they were, up, or down. Along the walls along the spirialing path were painted dozens of figures. "Alright...this is your test." he looked over to her, "Where are your parents?"
Cihiru:
- She followed his lead almost eagerly, keeping her eyes fixed to the scrawlings on the walls. They were not unlike what she'd seen before, but the sheer volume was so close to overwhelming, it seemed as though she might miss something if she turned away too long. Her interest didn't result in total distraction though.
"Mindless barbarians?" Jioni turned toward him at the words, her ears dipping back slightly. "That's not all you've come to think of wanderers as, surely." Lacking the desire to hold her bewildered expression, it fell into something that hinted of seriousness, though her tone was curiously questioning. After all, she considered herself little more than a rogue. She did doubt he would condemn her, should she pass his little 'test', but she wondered if he would others like her. Even if they were turned away from the pride, which she wholly understood, cursing them in entirety with little more than a second glance struck her poorly.
That was the least of her concerns though. As she soon learned, small test was an understatement. This room was anything but small, with countless paintings spanning either direction. "A fair question," she murmered, scanning along the nearest point.
They really did keep records of everyone. It wasn't that she doubted in the first place, but actually seeing it cemented something she found difficult to visualize in concept... Probably because spotting just two individuals was porportionately complicated, especially when she had little idea of where to look.
With her concience hounding her not to keep him waiting, the lioness finally settled on one several minutes later. It was the easier to spot of the two; a pale blue-grey male, with a white mane and markings not at all unlike her own. "This is the closest I'll ever come to being able to say 'meet [father'sname]', I suppose. There's little resemblance though." She studied the figure a moment before moving on, letting it unbury memories she'd forgotten. Like the time she thought it a good idea to pick a fight with a snake (it looked at her funny!), and he comforted her and assured her she was the bravest little lioness he'd ever met, even after she came running all the way home and buried herself in his paws.
When she turned from it to look for the second, there was a warm smile on her previously determined expression. "And this..." had proven much easier to find than the former, as it wasn't far from the first. A little further down - because she was younger, perhaps - but only a handful of individuals apart. "Is [mother'sname]." She was a darker grey; darker than Jioni even, with black accents. If he remembered, it wouldn't have been difficult to tell where the comment about looking like mother came from though.
Thalion:
- "It's...a loose term." He said quietly, looking down to his paws. He never used to say or even think such things as a cub. "Not all of them are that way, mind... I just cannot find it within myself to think much else of lions who steal young cubs from neighboring prides, reducing them to mindless warriors or slaves or breed their own cubs in a land with little food and water. They can't possibly live a good life." He shook his head, "It makes me sad to think there are such dark hearts in this land... when I was younger I wanted to think that everyone had redeeming qualities to them."
He lifted his head when she seemed to have made his decision. The names he would know rather than the forms and that was the important part- growing up he had little other interests that could detour him from reading the pride's history. Two lions -had- left. Map-makers, they wanted to bring the knowlege of the lands outside to the pride and add them to the walls. Knowlege was something to be treasured far above sheer brute force.
He came up behind the lioness, looking to the figures that she had pointed out. He was silent for a moment, looking over the lifeless markings as if they could answer back. Finally he drew in a long breath and glanced over to the lioness, smiling softly, "Welcome home, lady."
Cihiru:
- "It's unfortunate there are individuals who would not only do that, but live by it. I wouldn't expect you to think anything else of them." Relief washed over her as he withdrew the statement though, even partway. It was enough to assure her he still had faith in the integrity of outsiders, and so long as he didn't openly scorn all of them, it was enough to appease her for now. "It was everyone else I was concerned for. After all, though it seems true not everyone has virtue in his heart - the opposite isn't either. At least, I don't believe so. I'm glad to hear you don't either, even now."
Had he voiced his thoughts, Jioni would have been able to confirm them. Their parents were indeed map makers of sorts; their profession drew them all over the lands to record them and their inhabitants. It was the very thing to bring a premature end to their lives, with the way traveled so far from home, and were thrust into precarious circumstances without any support but eachother. The lioness earnestly believed they might have survived to see more if they'd never left, but at least she and her brother preserved most of their knowledge. They could attempt to pass it on, and that did console her; she was no stranger to the value of enlightenment.
His steps closing in behind her pulled her from her musings though, and she bent her neck to look over her shoulder. There was a brief time where she studied him quietly, trying to gauge his reaction, with her own vieled apprehension tinting an otherwise neutral expression. That too was short lived though - the words that broke the silence sparked a bright smile. "Sincerely? And what of my brother?" she asked almost tentately, afraid to decieve herself. Jioni didn't try to hide her joy though; her ears were pricked forward too, and her tail gave a happy sway.
And at last, it truly sank in. "I cannot thank you enough. I do wonder though - may I ask who it is I have the honor of being welcomed by? I never caught your name." It was probably an odd time to ask, but even moreso was thanking someone from the bottom of her heart when she didn't even know his name.
Thalion:
- Maji's expression had softened dramatically from the stern, suspicious expression he had earlier. There was always an almost distant look to the two later, but now his face seemed almost welcoming, gentle, and perhaps a bit weary. His smile was faint but it was a real one at least. "Yes, and your brother if he truely is yours." He nodded his head slowly, turning himself slowly. He opened his mouth to speak but paused as she asked him a second question.
"How very rude of me." He dipped his head in apology. How had he forgotten? Of course, had she proved to have been an enemy it would have been most unwise to hand out his name. "My name is Maji. Nothing spectacular. Quite simple." He chuckled. Simple...but appropreate. "Come, let me show you to where you may rest and drink. It must have been a long journey here."
Cihiru:
- "It's hard to believe we are finally home. Kucha won't believe me..." How could he, with how the lands had changed? They had even spent so long looking, he might have felt they were never destined to find it anyway. But he would come around, she was assured. Surely he too would feel at home.
"Cautious, not rude." Jioni was still smiling brightly. "I am very honored to meet you, Maji." He may not have realized how much she truly meant it. If they had not made the encounter, would she and Kucha have wandered through, second-guessing themselves and saying this couldn't possibly be it?
The lioness was just glad it hadn't come to that. "I would appreciate it. And honestly, I lost track a long time ago. It seems like we have always been traveling." Not for wanderlust though; hopefully it wouldn't take them long to settle in, and grow accustomed to a stationary lifestyle. "Thank you again."
Thalion:
- "I never used to have reason for caution." Maji explained as he walked, "And I do hope that you and your brother can find peace and rest here at last though I will have to be honest with you..." He looked over slowly, "A scout of ours -rather that of an ally pride- has informed us that there is a pride seeking to wage war on us. We're making all preperations possible. I can advise you to take caution around the boarders...this enemy had planted his spies among us. We've only recently been able to rid our lands of the abomination of a lioness..." He shook his head.
He'd known that Ithi was trouble the day she came in. He had been young still, mane only having grown along his neck and shoulders back then but he'd never been stupid. She'd always whined, always cried about how she wasn't good enough. It was the first time Maji had ever lost his temper towards someone. When she'd born cubs with the markings and colors of the enemy he knew it wasn't as simple as having been raped... it was never that simple. He'd suspected... and those suspicions were confirmed when Moses had vanished.
"My dear cousin has lost one of his cubs to the enemy...they seek to take these lands. We're waiting on the return of a messanger to the pridelands, seeking an allyance against this threat."
Cihiru:
- "Times are bound to change, I suppose, with or without our approval. But I believe they are bound to turn for the better, too." She tried to hold her positive expression, but it dissolved under the weight of the grave news that followed, giving way to concern. "Though sometimes not as soon as we hope."
That was not the way she might have dreamed ending her welcome. Not at all. "I am very sorry for your loss," she added, and lowered her head as she tried to comprehend why. Why would they take them, and why would they want to? Glad as she was to finally be here, it wasn't exactly a prime location to make a home - especially not for a pride large enough to wage war.
He mentioned allies though - even if what was left of the mistweavers was small, it was possible their assistence could change everything. "Are you hopeful for ally support?" But on the other hand, it could have just as easily been in vain. After all, she knew nothing of current pridal affairs.
Thalion:
- "We are...", Maji nodded slowly, "This pride is small but for the moment we must keep it that way. I regret sending the outsiders away but they've shown no respect to us. They avoid the pride here bt expect to live off what we've long protected. I believe that the storm king is angry that his gift to us is being abused. If we could have allys then they could come to our aid while we focus on rebuilding our lives here. Afterwards we may be able to return the favor."
He pulled himself out of the record chamber and back down into the hallway, flicking his tail as an indication for her to follow him. "We've befriended the Anansi... a mysterious but trustworthy group. They've managed to retrieve very valuable information."
Cihiru:
- "How small?" The lioness nodded her understanding though. Desperate times did call for desperate measures, and these seemed little else. "Do what you must; this is no time for regrets." It was unfortunate things had come to that - she could certainly understand what inspired the 'mindless barbarian' sentiment. But what little information he provided still sounded like good news. "One could hope they would never need it returned," she added wistfully.
With one last look over her shoulder, at the illustrated history behind them, Jioni trailed after him, out into the halls. "The Anansi?" Now, she liked to think herself a well-versed individual, educated even in matters she wasn't particularly interested in. To have to admit she was unfamiliar with this one was a bit of a dark realization, if only because she was embarrassed not to know of such a seemingly admirable group. "I am glad to hear it." She could only pray they stayed that way.
Thalion:
- Maji made another turn in the caves, glancing to the markings shortly as he walked, "Very small..the true members anyway. There's myself and my sworn sister, her mate and his family. Then my young cousin Ramses, his mate, and their children. My ...half sister has also returned to us and brought along with her a few that she'd met in ther travels. Other than that the beasts of this land have long been my friends." He cleared his throat a bit. Most thought that was something indecent of a ruler.
"The Anansi recently came to us through our very own tunnels... they live in the underground and say that they know of all prides because their tunnels travel under their very paws. A dangerous sort, they worship the god of trickery but I'm glad to have them tricking for us rather than against... already we've learned valuable information."
Cihiru:
- That was hardly even a remnant of the pride she might have expected. "Well, it shouldn't take long to make acquaintances." It served to ground her perspective, giving her a more realistic grasp on just how important it was to have allies, and more importantly, to atone for the misfortune that had befallen the land and its dependents. Fleetingly, she did wonder though - Was the ill-use and disrespect wholly responsible for claiming so many lives?
"I cannot say I've ever had the opportunity to know one." The lioness gave Maji a bit of a sideways, curious glance; in part for the statement, and the rest for the uncomfortable way he finished it. She didn't exactly know he was the ruler of sorts, though it did strike her a bit odd to socialize with a life one would inevitably have to end. And if he meant elephants and the like - which seemed reasonable enough - why the hint of discomfort?
His comment regarding the Anansi coaxed a shadow of doubt into her expression though, surfacing in the way her ears tipped back ever-so-slightly, for 'trustworthy' and 'trickery' struck her at somewhat conflicting angles. "You trust them in earnest?"
Thalion:
- Maji nodded slowly at her first statement. "You have returned, afterall. The Storm King's will is already coming into play. My sister has returned, the outsiders are beginning to flee from our lands, perhaps we are on our way to redemption at long last."
He half expected the polite return reguarding his past friendships. It would be a far too dull story to elaborate back on how when he awoke in these very caves that he was the only lion in the entire valley, that he ate fish back when there was enough to feed a lion, rather than red meat. That he used to sleep with the gazelles... and that three of the creatures were still his friends and under his protection. He quietly wondered how his old friends were doing...
"You find the most trustworthy hearts in the body of a trixter sometimes, and the greatest trixters in the body of those you once thought to be most trustworthy."
Cihiru:
- "We have," she returned, surprisngly brightly, obviously grateful for the turn in conversation. It would have seemed her mood wouldn't stay downtrodden long. "It is at least certain progress toward mending, I should think." Jioni was in no place to judge the Storm King's will, nor would she have claimed to be, but it did seem a step in the right direction, if nothing else. She made a small, but decisive nod for emphasis.
Then stopped - actually paused in her trail with Maji - and gave his words careful consideration. Her tail gave a few idle flicks, and the look on her face was obviously thoughtful. A few moments later, when she was through weighing them, the lioness resumed her stride and pulled alongside him. "No, it's not the mischevious spirit that makes me wary. It is the decietfulness that seems so willing to associate with what I've come to think of as 'trickery'. But," she turned her head to meet his gaze, "if you trust them, so do I. I do not mean to doubt your judgement."
Thalion:
- Maji stopped and turned as the lioness paused in her step, his ears rotating forward slowly. It wasn't difficult to note the slight discomfort and confusion in her expression. He gave a soft smile and nodded forward, "Perhaps I should explain better." He offered, "I'm told I speak of riddles sometimes. Not always the best way to welcome someone new though I would rather dwell on something that might rest your mind rather than grow suspicious as we've become in days of late."
Maji stepped into a massive room, round and tall once more. There was a pond in the center of it, fed from a small underwater stream. The water was horribly clear, upon looking down one could see all the way down to where the river flowed, illuminated by the mysterious stones in the rock. It gave the pool a glowing appearence. The room was lined with moss, it was damp and dark enough for it to grow freely, and even bud small little white flowers. The walls were decorated with paintings, some were akward... down at cub's level and developed into more readable figures as it grew higher on the wall. Along the side of the room it looked like a stack of wood and stone. Upon closer look it was a primitive table. Stones stacked up to support a strip of tree bark, still curved akwardly but the bark had been cleaned with claws. On top sat more curved bits of wood and leaf holding powder, some kind of liquid, and even some berries. Very few- but still some.
Maji looked around slowly, fondly. "...This is where I first awoke."
Cihiru:
- "There is nothing to explain." She shook her head gently. "I am sure there will come a day when I may meet the Anansi and see their deeds for myself, and until then, your word is more than enough to rest my mind." Earnest, almost childlike trust left no room for suspicion in her heart, lest the Anansi themselves would somehow come to scorn her... But she seriously doubted it would ever come to that. She wasn't able to dwell on it long anyway. As the halls gave way to another room, the lioness was once again drawn in by the scenery it offered, and dropped the contemplation from her mind.
"It is beautiful," Jioni commented honestly, her gaze tracing across the area. The way moss clung to the stone and bore small blossoms, and the crystal water fed into the cinter almost made it seem as though this room was shielded against the hardship that plagued the jungles outside. Fleetingly, she wondered if there were others like it.
The records on the wall tugged at her curiosity too, but the way they progressed discouraged her from examining too closely, as she had the writings before. They felt too... personal, almost; something she didn't want to poke her nose into unless explicityly invited. He must have spent a great deal of time here, and she could guess they were his recordings over the years.
"... I am sorry you were alone though." Genuine sadness tinged her otherwise content features; that was a tribulation she wouldn't pretend to fathom. If nothing else, Jioni had always had her family, and he hadn't even had that. A quick glance to Maji showed he was not upset, and went a long way toward smoothing her empathetic, albeit faint melancholy - but she couldn't help imangining how hard it must have been to wake one day and find her world empty.
Thalion:
Maji circled the pond slowly, looking up around the markings of the room. Most were his, others had been there long before he'd awaken- one had been the name he had taken for himself. His mother's only message to him. He often wondered how she was, what kind of a lioness she was and other futile things of the sort. Even then he had none of his memories of her or his father, none of the pride. It was all a blank, replaced with the memories of the pride's history. Only words, never faces. "There is no reason to be sorry." He looked over and smiled a bit, "I must always count myself fortunate to have survived whatever took them. The Storm King granted this pride a second chance and allowed me the knowlege of those fallen to pass to the others that returned to him."
He came to the water and sat himself down, giving a weary sigh. He was still a young lion but the fammine on the land was taking a toll on his strength, "And I had my friends... the gazelle and the like. If not for them I suppose it would have been miserable. The Storm King always provides for his children if they believe."
Cihiru:
- He was right, of course. In a backward, bittersweet sort of way... But he was blessed to be alive, and she supposed it was enough he was grateful. In light of that, she vowed not to worry it further. After all, he knew his place and his mission - and seemed content with it. Who was she to meddle in his affairs? And why hadn't that occured to her sooner?...
Inwardly, she gave a grim smile, bemused at her own antics. "Only the Storm King himself knows what actually happened, then?" If memory served, he implied it once or twice prior, but... Well, she was as eager to steer conversation away from her embarrassment as she was to confirm the source of the loss was indeed still a mystery. It was a sad thing to think of, but even worse was to imagine it was some sort of reconciliation for mistakes they were unaware of. What was to stop it from reoccuring?
"And Maji, I am sorry to keep you." The way he seated himself and sighed jarred some sort of realization in the depths of her distracted mind. It was getting later by the moment, and surely he would need rest at some point. As for herself; she still had to return to Kucha and convince him of her news, and make it back here if time and energy allowed.
Thalion:
- "Oh think nothing of it." He shook his head. "I do not feel kept in any way. It has just been a long season. I've been required to join the hunting parties rather than aiding in the return of the meal... I... am not fond of taking life from the creatures here but it is nessicary. The storm king wouldn't have it any other way. Lions cannot suvive on grass and he has taken from us the fish." Maji slowly laid himself down and gave a deep sigh, both paws curling up into his thick mane.
"I have shown you the way here. The others rest in caves of their own choosing, you are free to do so if you wish...and your brother when you find him."
Cihiru:
- "That is true," she started simply... softly, unsure how to adequately respond. She had been thinking it often tonight; she was aware of it, but... Well, it was unfortunate. She couldn't reason it any other way, and she was deeply empathetic. Not sorry for him, mind - She knew better than to pity others, but she saw no harm in wishing him brighter days.
"Good night, then. And thank you again." With that, and a smile hiding none of her gratefulness, the lioness gave him a farewell nod. She then turned and took back through the hallways, on her way back to her brother.
Thalion:
- "And to you, lady." He dipped his head slowly, "You know where you can find me if you need anything. I would like to meet your brother. Perhaps in the morning once we've all had some rest."
He watched her pad her way out, frowning a bit, moreso from thought than anything. There was a lot to attend to in the morning...
