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 Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:18 pm
((This is a PRP for Kidondo, Naar, Fia, Mzaa and Nakama, if you wish to join, please PM me))
She had given one last touch of her forehead to each of her cubs, her youngest, before Sinbad and the others began to move them to safety. Karana'Mzaana knew that they would be safe. None would challenge males, let alones one with the very young, and a thin scent of blood in the air from Mzaa's wounds. She let her head rest on her paws, feeling Mwako'Nakama still resting beside her. Her daughter had not moved since she arrived. She felt Nakama's head against her wounded shoulder, having her daughter so close meant so much.
"You should have gone with your brothers, and younger siblings," Mzaa said softly, eyes closed.
"I won't leave you," Nakama would not leave her mother when the nergui could turn back around. If they did, Nakama would be ready.
Mzaa laughed, softly, with a bit of pained tenderness in her voice said, "but I am leaving you."
Nakama's body cringed, and the pain hurt deeply, bother Nakama and Mzaa, the realization, the knowing, spoken aloud. "Mother."
"Shh now, don't be afraid."
But she was. Moreso now than any other time in the roguelands.
Mzaa then kept her voice to herself, saving it, knowing, hopefully soon, that those she had asked for would be coming. She needed to speak to Kidondo, and see her Naar, Fia...she needed to and waited with loose breathing.
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:18 pm
Naar was the first onto the scene. As a tracker she had grown swift and with her dear, dark-pelted friends help, she had grown confident, too. And yet she darted nervously from side to side as she came - perhaps afraid of leading to clear a path back to where her mother was. She was out of breath when she finally arrived, wheezing and coughing - her lungs like worn billows. Her throat was dry and tight and she struggled to get past the worst of it.
"Mother." Was the only thing she could say as she collapsed down in front of the dark lioness. She had never looked older than she did now and yet she seemed surprisingly calm despite what had happened.
"Came as--quick as I--could." She gasped, raising tearful eyes to look up at Nakama. She had dreamed of this reunion with her sister. Every day. Every night. And now the beautiful, wonderful thing was tainted beyond belief. Nakama was here but their mother was dying.
"Sister." She whispered, and this time the tears overflowed. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
[I'll have the others arrive in a post or two! :3 sorry for the delay, hon!]
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 3:55 pm
Nakama looked to her sister, her orange, fiery pelted sister whom she had envied and loved since her first days. She wanted nothing more than to have her pelt change, somehow, so that she would be redeemed in color and more suited for the firekin in Kidondo's...and everyone else's, eyes. But Naar and her mother had always seen such strength in her, and now, when all had been said and done. When Nakama had endured so much to bring strength back to the firekin in her sunset and sand pelt, it was true, tainted, tainted with such dred she could not bare. Her heart burned with sorrow and a want to redeem her late being.
"I wasn't fast enough," Nakam choked from her mouth, her voice, full of pain, "I was coming back to you when I heard what was happening, I wanted to help but I-"
"Shhh, my daughters my daughters, shh now, you are together again," Mzaa kept her eyes only half lidded, looking to Naar with such love and affection. "So strong, my daughters, both, firekin, always," no matter the colors or cost or circumstance.
She only hoped the others were coming.
Nakama's face was still half pressed against Mzaa's side, and it felt hot, but cold, and damp, and she kept her eyes closed again, knowing what was on her paws might be upon her face as well.
"You must stand when they come," Mzaa said softly to both Nakama and Naar, "you must be strong, my darlings."
But where was her third, her Fia?
Her breath was more shallow, her body beginning to feel cold now that the cubs had been moved.
And where was the regent, she needed to tell him of the strange female...warn him for the young one's safety.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:49 am
Be strong? How could she be strong? Her world was falling apart and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her mother...wounded...bleeding. How did one save a life when it was draining away so fast? Would the medics have been able to do something? Had anyone sent for one? Or had they given up on her mother already?
Naar-ehuka opened her mouth but only a low croak uttered forth. Words evaded her and, choking on her grief, she closed her maw again. For a long moment she was silent and unmoving and then - without warning - she stood. Naar was too afraid to touch her mother in case she broke her, but she was not afraid to press against her long lost sister; burying her face in the sandy crook of her sibling's elbow. What else could she do or say?
She wasn't ready to say goodbye.
--
Fia and Kidondo appeared sometime after that, walking side by side, silent figures growing larger and larger on the horizon until their silhouettes took shape and colour; burning red on gold. Their pace quickened when they caught sight of the small group huddled out on the dunes and, after a few more minutes, they were there.
"Karana'mzaana." Kidondo breathed, his face stoic as it always was. "My dear friend."
His voice was soft and gentle for all that it was deep.
His daughter, Fia, however, said nothing. She stood rigid a few paces away, seemingly unwilling to get close. Her face was stone. Her eyes hard. Her heart already knew so much grief. She wasn't sure whether it would be able to take any more.
"We came as soon as we could." He didn't ask after medics either, which must mean he already knew the outcome of this. "Why were you so close to the border unguarded, Karana?" He asked carefully, his eyes flitting to the golden lioness and realising the answer to that question before it was given.
The huria child. A daughter. Karana's daughter.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:49 pm
Mzaa smiled as she heard just the softested of movements, and her silver eyes opened to see Naar rise, and she felt a tiwge of warmth, and she knew no regret in her life as she saw her daughters together. But, Nakama's face was half turned as Nakama began to stand, and it troubled Karana's heart.
But the tiniest bit revealed itself on Nakam's foreleg, half turned, but she would not be able to hide it.
Nakama's pelt was becoming darker as she always wanted, but it wasn't supposed to be this way, tainted...
"Oh my daughters, my hearts, my flames," her voice spoke, and trailed off, becoming shaken, more broken, cold.
Nakama's face was half warm, her body, half warm growing cold. She felt ehr sister against her, against her golden self, but not against teh side she was now trying to hide. She had always wanted to be as her sister, darker, redder, but not like this.
Her mother had always said Nakama was never to become dark.
Did she see this coming, had she known?
"Naar," Nakama's voice spoke softly, her silver eyes burning, trying to hold in the tears. She'd waited so long to reunite, but not like this.
She saw them coming from the corner of her eyes, and as she turned her head, her eyes softened more, perhaps, became a bit more glazed seeing Kidondo, the male who had accepted her into the ranks before the rebellion, his daughter, Fia, Mzaa's daughter not by blood..as she felt, close by, but distant. But Mzaa smiled, nodded her head just slightly.
"I am glad you came," that they were in time, for she felt something encroaching on her spirit, almost like a release.
"She was coming to aid," Mzaa said motioning to Nakama, "her and her brother had heard, they wished to help, I wanted...I wanted to be the first," to welcome her home, she wanted to say, but her mouth grew dryer. She only hoped her understood.
She looked to Fia, who was still so far, her ears drew back, "I'm sorry," for she wished not to cause this grief on any, nor Fia, not after such loss not so long ago.
"There is a crazed lioness among them, Kidondo, that and a male, there was a third, but he stopped them," she started, her voice quick like a skittering serpent upon sand. "Half blind but she spoke in strange words, she has no mercy, I think she would've taken the cubs," whether her knew that she had been with child, she was unsure. She had only assumed that all knew, but it had been so early for their birth.. too early for Mzaa's body to handle.
"They were moved to safety, others came, SInbad, Kosuke...others," her memory was starting to fade. "Do not trust the female, there is something wrong...half blind, dark, red and dark, almost like us," a warning, beware of any solitary, passing stranger. "The male was the same, close to our color, and-" she coughed, her throat tense.
"Mother," Nakama lurched forward a bit, her head down. "No more, Kessek caught a glimpse, she can say more, please, rest mother." She felt a piece of her breaking away inside.
"Kidondo..." Nakama said, with her head still half turned from him, evident something distressing her, her face, perhaps shame of what happened, "please, let me stay, let me help after all this," she wished to fight to protect the land she loved, even when so far away. She stared at him, her silver eyes looking to his. ONce, a long time ago, she had tried covering herself in mud and sand trying to make her pelt darker. Now she had grown redder, but as she looked to him, it was not an act of a fire in her spirit coming through her pelt, but that of her mother's sacrifice coating her fur...She wished to protect the family that was here, Naar, her father, young siblings, the pride. "Let me help while she rests."
"I will rest, I will be fine my daughters," Mzaa said simply, and looked to Fia, still so distant, she outstretched a paw, "my Fia, you must keep your promise," she said, biting her lip, taking a breath, hoping Fia would remember, "protect them."
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:29 pm
Throughout, Naar-ehuka did not even look up or move at all; keeping her face firmly pressed against her sister. When Nakama uttered her name she only gave a choked sob and pressed harder against her. Perhaps if she didn't look - didn't listen - none of this would happen.
Kidondo, meanwhile, listened to Mzaa without a word, moving close so that she did not need to raise her voice to be heard. And when she paused to cough he gave her a small nod. "It's okay, my friend. Rest easy now. The cubs are all safe and well." Though in truth he had not seen them and did not know. "And the danger has passed. Your daughter will be able to tell us more. Save your strength."
It seemed there had been an attack on the border. Was it something planned or a coincidence? Mzaa had seemed convinced that this strange, dark female posed a threat. Could it be a mad rogue band? Someone looking to stir trouble? But no. Now was not the time to start theorising. His friend was in pain and weakening and by the looks of it she did not have long left.
His eyes moved back to the sandy pelted female, stained red with blood. The sight disturbed him more than he would have thought. "That is not a decision I can make alone, Nakama. Nevertheless, you will be permitted to stay for a time. You shall not be turned away now and perhaps there is something you can do." After all, options for huria had increased since Nakama's leaving. And then, automatically, he moved aside to make room for Fia to join him, but still she had not moved forwards.
And when Mzaa brought up a promise previously made, the young female tensed and her eyes narrowed. The word that followed startled even Kidondo.
"No." It was said with such force that it shook her frame. "No. You protect them!"
"Fia..." He trailed, realising she was speaking more from grief than rage. Did she think that by denying Mzaa she might encourage the old lioness to keep on going? Keep on living just that little bit longer?
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:51 pm
Karana'Mzaana went to respond to Kidondo, but let her mind rest, her face, rest, and she closed her eyes and nodded to him. It appeared as if a smile graced her maw, strangely enough.
"My Naar and Nakama, together at last," she said smiling. She had known this was important, if only it had been a little different.
Nakama, though still standing, was close to her mother, and let Naar stay close to her. She did not want to leave her sister, nor mother. But Kidondo's words, they made Nakama choke a little, but she had come so far...
And now...
Where would she go?
What would she do?
But Kidondo's words eased her, she could stay for a time. And whether or not it would come easy, she would protect, she would act as firekin, the soldier she was meant to be. She dipped her head to him, "Thank you," but she also hoped he would see the firekin she truly was, and she could redeem herself regardless of pelt color.
As Nakama watched her mother reach out to Fia, and heard Fia's words, Nakama's eyes widened, anger, rushed through her. She was refusing her mother? Now? How could she, how dare she. And when Nakama went to speak, Mzaa began again,
"Fia, my Fia," she said with tired eyes and voice, she stretched her paw out a little further, only a little, as much as she could. Her eyes opened to lay on the two toned eyes of Fia, such hurt, such anger, and a strike was felt in Mzaa's heart for causing such pain. "This is not the Fia I know, the Fia, my apprentice, my daughter," her voice was trailing now, "I never meant to cause more hurt...." she breathed, "I never meant to."
"Mother," Nakama said, tears brimming in her eyes.
"You are all my family, you must be strong," Mzaa said, laying her head on her paws, "all of you," she said again, making it clear that Kidondo, too, was her family, no matter what.
The firekin, in all, was her family.
"Be strong and live on, keep your promises, always," Mzaa said in a whisper. And as she took a last clean breath, smelling the sand, the sun, the firekin in all that they were, she smiled, "always...be firekin."
And she was gone.
"Mother, mother, mother please!" Nakama said, keeping still close to Naar but dropping a little, bending closer but not touching the ground. Still standing as per her mother's request. "Please, please, mother," her eyes burned from the tears that blurred her vision, and began to gain weight at the corners of her eyes, beading and streaking her fur.
The dunes grew silent, eerily silent, and the only water the graced the sandy peaks were tears stained with the blood of a mother who had sacrificed for her pride, her children, her family. Love.
Nakama raised her head to the sky and roared, mournful, powerful, pained, filled with sorrow.
Nakama had once had everything, home, family, a smile on her face. But it had been taken from her because of a pelt color, now, stained red with her mother's blood, she felt as if she'd lost it all again, home, family...love. And her cry contained the pain and remorse she felt.
Karana'Mzaana had woken into a world where she could barely remember her name and she found a life among the sand. She had fought for the rebellion, found love and family, and her mark would last within the pride. Her children are her legacy, and though the sand may wash away at her image on the stone slats of firekin history, she will live on.
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 2:58 pm
Kidondo had seen death before. It seemed it was a curse of his. He'd lost Ripuka in a similar incident years ago now, that poor old female bleeding out on the sand, a tiny cub curled close to her side. Where that cub was now, he had no idea, but he hoped Uddhava was doing well. The memory hit a chord in him and he bowed his head respectfully, sensing her end as all animals seemed to be able to do when death came for them.
He could sense Fia behind him, could feel the tension emanating from her.
"Rest easy my dear friend." Was his response, his voice low and calm. Years of responsibility had done well to curb any emotion that he might have shown otherwise. A leader had to be stoic and stubborn and push forwards despite what was going on all around him. This was a test of that and a hard test it was. Nevertheless, he managed it. "You did so much for us, Karana'Mzaana. For us. You helped shape us into the people we are today." He paused, unsure if he could continue. "You will never be forgotten." His head dipped lower still, his eyes falling closed.
This hurt.
And still Fia was quiet, though her body shook so fiercely that it was a miracle she was able to remain on her paws. And when Karana'mzaana passed her dark body seemed to sag a little, as if realising that there was nothing that could be done to stop this...
Nakama's cries were joined by Naar's - though they were mostly silent, too painful to even make much sound. Only the sharp jerks of her sides and the gasped breaths gave clue to the pain that she was feeling.
And when the desert-daughter lifted her head to roar - in tribute to the mother who was and the mother who had been - Kidondo raised his own, lower voice to join with hers. Even Naar, desperate for breath, managed to give a low, choked roar.
And still Fia did nothing, until at last, the emotions in her burst.
"This is your fault." She spat, venom carving a grotesque snarl into her face. "You shouldn't have come back. You should never have come back!!"
Kidondo turned to look at her - shocked - but it was only to see her rapidly retreating, back the way they had come, following the imprints of their paws yet to be wiped away by the sand. "It's not your fault." Kidondo corrected sadly. "She is angry and she doesn't mean it."
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:10 pm
It seemed quiet now, almost too quiet, and it was beyond Nakama's comprehension, what had just happened. A piece of her seemed to die as her mother's breath escaped into the wind, the wind which now gently caressed sand towards her body, as if to cover her, truly make her one with the lands she loved so much. Her voice had lowered after accompanied by both Kidondo, her sister. But as Fia's words cut into her, she felt a great pain, and tears escaped the corners of her eyes, and trailed her face, bringing remnants of her mother's blood to the ground mixed with ehr own, deep sorrow.
Perhaps she shouldn't have come...
But then again, her heart told her, she should have never been forced to leave.
She was firekin. Always, truly.
But as her paw reached and touched the tear, red stained sand, her once white toes were turning a soft red mixed with the golden sand. Perhaps her mother was right all along...she was never to be red as all the others...
"We will all be angry...we will all mourn, perhaps she is right in one respect, but wrong in another. But like the sun, I rise, I am never gone forever," her eyes raised to meet her sister's, then look to Kidondo's, "like the sun I burn witha firey heat unlike any other, a power undaunted, and I will not cease, I would like to stay, to fight, to protect, in honor of my mother's honor, her legacy and spirit for who she was as firekin, who I could never achieve to be," she said with determination, her mother's blood coursed through her, she would not fail her, even now.
She would make her proud.
"I am the firekin's sun, and even in times, darkened by such loss, such pain," her eyes never moved from Kidondo's, "I will rise."
She would fight, she would protect.
This was her family, those here now, even Fia, who might hate her for all time.
She would make her mother proud, her legacy would be through her children, her pride.
This was not over...not yet, and she would see it through.
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:33 pm
Kidondo nodded. "This is no one's fault. It is merely a tragic accident, one that I hope we'll not have to see repeated." He was already making plans to make it known that no one should be wandering the borders alone. A Firekin might have been strong but up against numerous foes, they may as well have been a cub for all they would have been able to survive.
"You have made your mother proud." He continued. "And I'm certain that the council will permit you to stay until this war of ours comes to an end. And when that happens perhaps you would like to serve as ambassador in one of our affiliated prides?" Or maybe as a watcher, though he'd have to discuss that particular possibility with Morag. She was the spy master, after all, and he didn't want to recruit more team members for her without first speaking with her about it. "But come, let us not think too far ahead. Share our shade and food and rest, though be warned, there is a drought that has yet to ease. The pride will differ from what you were once used to."
He lowered his head. "Let us begin the long walk home."
And, with one last glance at Karana'mzaana, he turned and began the long, solemn journey, following in the wake of Fia's paw prints.
With a soft, sad sniff, Naar-ehuka seemed reluctant to leave at first. And then, quite suddenly, she took off after Kidondo, not looking back. Never looking back for fear that she might not want to leave. Her heart was broken.
/fin?
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