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 Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:10 pm
 Azar'bijan was supposed to have been out on patrol by now. Out on the border with nothing for company except the dunes, the sun and a distant colleague; patrolling a short 'dash' away in case of trouble. Or that had been the plan until he'd had the misfortune of running into a crazed historian on the war path. Now, instead of out working and preparing for the coming war (Azar was sure there would be one) he was stuck in the heart of the pride until his wounds had healed. And they just weren't healing quick enough for his liking.
Not able to suffer Ea's...'Ea-ness' for any length of time, he had opted to do the recovering at his own den once the strange smelling herbs had been applied. And, even though he had little good to say about the head medic, he was starting to feel a lot better. Not that he'd ever admit that, though. He wouldn't give Ea the satisfaction. Still, the feverish heat that had lingered in the gashes on his belly felt cooler and no longer bled when he walked - though his movements were made with some delicacy to help prevent this. Unfortunately, nothing much could be done about the scratch on his nose that had cut down into a nostril. It was healing, yes, but the scar it promised to leave behind would be forever prominent. A horrible reminder that it had been given to him by a female and one of non-military ranking, just to make it worse. If he was going to get some scars he wanted to get them through battle and heroic deeds - not pinning a crazy historian to the floor to stop her from doing something stupid. If she was going to go running off into danger again Azar hoped that she'd choose a time where he wasn't anywhere in sight. He'd saved her life once and had got no thanks for it. He'd not put himself in harm's way for her a second time.
This day, having felt stronger, Azar had hobbled from his den to warm himself on the rocks still hot from the day's sun. Across the dunes, the sun had bled into the sand, casting it in fire. If Azar had been a poetic sort, he might have considered it romantic.
Azar was not a poet.
The setting sun symbolised only another day lost. Another day spent wasting away when he should have been getting stronger, claiming the rank of Captain - at long last - and preparing to lead troops into battle against the cowardly 'Monsters of the North'. He scoffed at the name. If they were monsters than what was he? A demon? The Firekin did not fight from the shadows. That was a coward's game and there was no honour in it. If the Firekin challenged them to battle, the cretins would probably turn tail and flee back to whatever swamp they had dragged themselves up from.
The corporal grumbled low under his breath and shifted on his rock, curling his claws noisily into the stone. This was Fia's fault for being a lunatic. And his fault, too, for being so damned honourable.
But perhaps this setback would not be a setback at all...
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Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:40 pm
On that note, she hadn't yet asked either of her parents about the "monsters" she and Kerra had spoken of, however briefly. Not for lack of curiosity. As a cub who didn't yet understand food did not fall from the sky -- and though water did, that did not mean it was to be taken for granted either -- she had little else to occupy her time with. But she worried what her parents would say. Would they tell her not to concern herself with it? Would she get in trouble for such bold questions? She didn't know which of the two would be worse, and she couldn't think of the optimal means of asking to prevent both.
Sure, maybe they'd just tell her. But what if they didn't? Shula wanted to know everything. No sugarcoating, no babying her.
The irony was she was too young to appreciate why someone might safeguard her from these horrible matters.
From what she'd heard of him, Azar'bijan was not the kind to spare her the cold hard facts. She knew cubs were not supposed to go around pestering those with important jobs, but if he was just laying around, it didn't count, right?
Shula had not been this nervous getting the attention of just one lion before. She carried herself with a little too much pride; obviously fake, obviously forced. But whatever the way she approached him, she did approach him. Even as uncertainties cubs had the most of told her to go get her mother and come back, or find one of her siblings for support, she kept going.
Only when it was too late to turn back did she think, hm, maybe she should have planned what to say before this.
"...Hi."
Nailed it.
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Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 4:21 pm
What was this? A cub?
Azar's lip twitched upwards in the beginnings of irritation as Shula made her way purposefully towards him; still so small but carrying herself as if she were fully-grown and proven in battle. It reminded him of someone...though he couldn't quite put his paw on it at that moment in time.
Cubs, in Azar's opinion, always spelt trouble. He'd had his own litter when he had been a stupid adolescent and was bearing the burden of that mistake even now in the shape of his son, Heti. His other kids? Well...they were somewhere about. Keeping themselves out of trouble, most likely, seeing as he hadn't heard much from them in recent days. Not that he'd gone out of his way to seek them out, either. And then, of course, there'd been his past apprentices - now all adults and flourishing in their careers (thanks to him). The only apprentice - to date - whom had struck any real chord in him was Hraga. That young cub had been a nightmare at first - mouthy just like his mother - but even Azar hadn't been able to keep a hint of pride out of his voice when he had seen the transformation in him. Azar'bijan liked to think that he trained the best guards of anyone. This was debatable, of course, but those he had taken under his wing certainly did not laze about on the job.
Unfortunately for Shula, her one word greeting didn't inspire much in the corporal. He narrowed his eyes at her and allowed the claws of a front paw to pause in their scratching.
"What do you want, kid?" He said at last; his voice gruff, his brow furrowing. "Can't you see I'm busy here? Go find somewhere else to play."
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Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 4:58 pm
Shula's name was nothing special, but that didn't mean lions could call her whatever they wanted. She didn't like nicknames, and she definitely didn't enjoy the belittling ones. Kid? That was the most unacceptable of them all (so far).
"I'm not here to play," Shula told him. That wouldn't do. "I don't want to play," she corrected. She didn't want him to see her as some baby that was just going through a phase. Better to be looked upon as a cub dull beyond her years. Adult could be boring, so she acted boring too. None of that fun stuff for her, thanks. Too mature for that!
Shula puffed out her chest and stood even straighter. By now, it was starting to look ridiculous.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:38 am
Azar glowered at her. Why was she still standing there? Why wasn’t she listening to him? Why did no one ever listen? Did rank mean nothing to people anymore? Okay, so he wasn’t the general – yet – but he was a corporal and that put him above most other guards in the Firekin. And, if his plans came into fruition, he’d be captain before the year was out. But no. People were still rude and, lately, the ignorance of his rank was becoming irritatingly prominent. It was one thing for a dumb, newly joined rogue to mouth off at him. (And yes, he was going to hold that grudge for the rest of his life) But a cub? That was reaching a whole new low. The last cub to do that to him had been Hraga, and…oh. Wait. Could she be…? He eyed her sceptically for a moment and tried to place the markings. Those burning little wings on her back were vaguely familiar. Hadn’t one of the regent’s daughters had that mark? The annoying one who had the same name as him and had only gained promotion because of who her family was?
Azar’bijan wasn’t bitter or jealous at all. Of course not.
“Let me guess.” He drawled, at last, folding his ears back into his mane. “You’re a relative of the regents, aren’t you?” Not a daughter of the pair – of course – but a niece of some description, perhaps? A granddaughter? Heh, they were all getting old when they could tag that title onto their names. He had Heti to thank for making him a grandfather. How that son of his had even found a mate was anyone’s guess, let alone someone smart and fierce like Armada.
She could have done better.
“Kid, I don’t care what you want to do. Go and ‘not-play’ somewhere else.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:35 am
Regewhat? Shula glanced between her front paws, trying to think of if the answer was "yes" or "no". Was it better to not say anything if she wasn't sure, or should she guess and hope she had gotten it right? It would either make her look very smart or very dumb.
This was that stupid rock all over again! She tried and she tried to do her very best to climb it, but gravity knocked her down and laughed at her. This conversation was another rock and Azar was another battle against gravity.
"Kid, I don’t care what you want to do. Go and ‘not-play’ somewhere else."
Shula's eyes shot back up in defiance of gravity. "My name is not 'Kid', my name is Shula," she drawled. "--Sir."
Way to save face, little cub.
"And I'm gonna be a guard --" She almost forgot again! "--Sir."
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 12:14 pm
He crooked a brow.
This little cub certainly didn't seem to be going anywhere soon and, with her declaration of future career ambitions, it was suddenly clear why she was here. (Though it really should have been before that moment). She was seeking out an apprenticeship and, of course, it was only natural that she would come seeking him. He was the best guard the Firekin had. An apprenticeship with him all but guaranteed her a bright future in the military. It was only to be expected that he would be in high demand by the pride's youth. Still, he wasn't sure it was something he particularly wanted at the moment. Having apprentices did symbolise rank but they also meant a whole lot of trouble. And, with the Nergui lurking around, he wanted to focus his attentions on them and not some scrawny little cub come begging to study his supreme guarding techniques.
"You need to work on your manners." Azar grumped after a moment of thought, his tail slapping once against the stone. "And let me guess: you've come here to ask for my help in that, right? Smart--but dumb. I'm not in the market for some scrawny cub apprentice at the moment. What makes you think you've got what it takes, anyway?" He eyed her sceptically. "Sure you wouldn't be better suited to a huntresses' work?"
It was a little mean but Azar had never gone easy on anyone; young or old. She was still too small to take on as a full apprentice but he had to admit he could admire her spirit. She'd chosen a good path, at least. He was curious to see her reaction to being goaded.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 12:37 pm
Shula looked like a properly scolded cub. She had never been the kind of youngster who fed her ego through acts of defiance. One could argue refusing to leave was just that, but no, it was different. This was not to be spiteful or bother him or to argue for the sake of it. This was for her future and the pride's, too, since the better the guards, the stronger the military; the stronger the military, the better the pride. Young and old knew that.
She found herself staring at her paws again. They were tiny, with claws she had chipped away to near uselessness with that bad habit of hers.
--Shoot, she was doing it again.
Her claws went scrapescrapescrape against the ground.
"I don't... I don't have what it takes yet. I'm too little." Ouch, that hurt to say. Too bad she had some growing to do whether she liked it or not. "But I'll get bigger -- and stronger. I will. And I don't wanna be a huntress. I'm gonna be a guard."
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:48 pm
And maybe she would be.
She was still there, after all. Perhaps another cub her age might have turned tail and fled by now. But not her. Not Shula. She was still here, even if she was looking a little...sheepish. But cubs were fickle creatures. She was making her pledge today but this time tomorrow she might want to become a soldier or a magistrate. He knew his grandchildren were still undecided and from the looks of her they were older than her.
"Maybe you will. We'll see." He replied, getting up onto his paws and stretching very carefully - so as not to agitate his wounds. "Or maybe you won't. We don't always get what we want in this life, kid." He frowned and corrected - though somewhat reluctantly - "Shula".
He looked down at her, small and white and branded with fire. "The life of a guard isn't easy, no matter what anyone says. Days out on patrol, staring at an empty horizon, sparse shade, the closest company too far away to speak with." His voice was growing more energized with both love of his work and frustration for the lack of recognition. "The soldiers harp on about how they will be risking their lives in battle, but who do you think will meet the enemy first? The soldier in his company or the solitary guard on the border? If the Nergui come the guards will be the first there to stop them. And if the Nergui are as tough as they like to make out, guards will die." His eyes narrowed, seeming to be looking for something. Some sign that he couldn't quite place.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 2:24 pm
Shula had no time to revel in the sound of her banal name. Kinda sucked, cause wow, it sounded like it was somehow special when someone like him said it. As for not getting what she wanted, psh, that was something all adults sounded the same about.
His appraisal of her attention span was reasonable, and statistically, accurate. For every five cubs that claimed they knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, four would forget they ever said it by adulthood. Only time would prove to Azar he had encountered the odd man out.
Shula often felt that was the case, and rather than finding her place among the masses, she was drawn to the appeal of being alone, working alone, yet still doing something of value. There was so much more to being a guard and he told her all of it. No sugarcoating, just like she wanted.
Shula's eyes were wide and her fur standing on end. Kerra had made the monsters -- the Nergui -- sound less intense. This was going to resonate in her mind and probably cause a plethora of nightmares. But those horrific dreams would be prompted by her certainty she would one day face down these beasts, scared or not.
Shula had a lot to learn about the world, but the world had a lot to learn about her too.
"I'm not afraid," she said, and held her head high like a proper Firekin. It wasn't true, but she could fool herself and someone her age. "--Sir."
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 4:10 pm
A wiser lion might have said that fear was a good and healthy thing, but not Azar'bijan. He would scoff at such a thing because for him, fear meant cowardice. He did not feel scared of battle and though he did not want to die, he very genuinely believed that his skills would make it near impossible for him to come to harm. He had always felt a sense of superiority - due to his inflated ego - and he was positive that nothing the Nergui could throw at him would take him by surprise. He was ready. He had been born for this. And who had the Nergui taken so far, hm? A non-combatant pacifist and a female practically on death's door anyway. What lion could claim glory from those easy kills?
Let the Hongshan bleat about monsters. Those stories were all that gave the northerners strength. But the stories would be proven as myth and he would personally see to the unveiling of their reputation.
So, instead of advising Shula against caution he gave her a short nod. It wasn't truly approval or agreement, more an acknowledgement of her answer. "Good." He snorted and dropped down from his rock to settle on the sand. "I've had enough of the stink of fear." He took a step back in the direction of his den and, almost as an afterthought, turned back to look at her again. "You're too young. Too small. Come find me again when you're older and maybe I'll think about giving you training. Maybe. I'm not going to make any promises and I'm not sure you're worth the trouble. I haven't got time to deal with incapable runts, so unless you're one of the few lucky ones, you're not worth my time."
He curled a lip and regarded her for a moment longer. "Now. Go bother someone else." And this time when he started off for home, he didn't bother looking back.
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:53 pm
Shula was truly at odds with herself on her way back to her family. She couldn't figure out how he could make something sound so likely and so unlikely at the same time. As a result, she felt proud that she'd made the progress with him she had, yet at the same time, inclined to pout he hadn't yielded and agreed to her request.
She would tell her parents nothing was wrong. She would carry on playing with her siblings.
And, sooner rather than later, she would come to the conclusion she did not have the patience to just sit around and wait to get older. If she wanted to be sure he would find her "worth the trouble", the first step was to not be any trouble -- and that meant training now.
All she needed was a partner...
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