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 Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:53 am
The recovery time from his final challenge had been short and Rokh was grateful. He was where his voices had insisted that he belonged and he was more than eager to investigate his new home. And since he didn't want to intrude on the Reavers' time, that meant finding another Freeborn.
Or maybe one of the Thralls, provided that talking wouldn't get them into trouble.
Heaving himself to his feet, he left the small cave that he'd been resting in and set out to find someone to talk to. As the black maned lion walked, he would pause once in a while to look about his new home with glad eyes.
The voices had been right. This place was perfect for him.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:00 am
Piripi was out as well, this time sitting near his cave and doing his best to identify the scents unique to his new home. He was quite curious about the mint he'd heard of, but he had yet to smell it. So instead, he was focused on the traces of sea salt that drifted up the cliffs. He'd never lived near the sea before. And it was certainly interesting.
A bit of movement nearby distracted him and he saw a smiling white lion with a black mane nearby. Smiling as well, the brightly colored lion sat up a bit and waved a paw, calling out, "Good day, friend! Come over and join me? You look new."
He remembered what Zsaria had said, that there were many new lions joining. This big fellow had to be one of them.
"Interesting necklace you've got. Have you already been on a viking?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:09 am
Jumping a little, Rokh turned in the direction that the voice had come from and found himself blinking. A lot. What a colorful lion! Still, he seemed friendly enough, so with a genial shrug, he headed over and sat beside the other male.
At the mention of his necklace, he bowed his head a bit that that he could see the bit of amber and smiled.
"Hardly. This was a present from my parents. I'm still far too new to go on a viking, I think. I'd rather get adjusted to this place before offering myself up."
Pausing a moment to really study his new friend, Rokh felt his voices prickle in the back of his mind. How curious! Usually he only heard them when their advice directly affected him. But rather than say anything about them just yet, he decided that introductions were in order.
"My name is Rokh. I've been a Freeborn for precisely one day."
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:17 am
"Piripi," he answered with a grin. "I've been here a little longer than you by about a week, I think. It's interesting here, don't you think?"
His heart twinged slightly at the mention of the necklace being a gift from parents, but let it go just as quickly. He couldn't spend the rest of his life feeling envious of everyone he encountered! He had a new home and he was making friends. That counted for something, surely?
"Yes, I can understand wanting to feel settled first. Though to be truthful, I'm not sure I'll ever volunteer to go on a viking myself. If one of my friends decides to, I will go with him for support, but beyond that? Pfft! Who knows."
Settling into a more comfortable position, he tilted his head as he studied Rokh. He was a big fellow and his teeth seemed a tiny bit longer than the usual. Still, for all of that, he didn't strike Piripi as particularly worrisome.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:28 am
"You're better off here, you know," Rokh blurted out without thinking. The voices clearly wanted this message to be heard. "You will find a better and stronger family bond here than you would have had with your blood kin."
There was a moment's silence and then Rokh whined softly, ears flattening from sheer embarrassment. Really, he usually had better control than that! Still, it felt right to have said it. Even as the thought crossed his mind, his mouth opened and more words came tumbling out.
"This is where you are meant to be. But your journey had to be difficult or you would not have been ready."
Then, just as quickly as the voices had risen up, they went silent, leaving Rokh sitting in abashed silence.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:36 am
At first, Piripi thought that Rokh was simply being friendly and he was inclined to agree. He was certainly much better off here. No one was chasing him away, for one thing. Then, the other male kept talking, and Piripi felt himself rearing up in alarm. Rokh sounded almost as if he had known Piripi's family himself! But, that was impossible. Rokh actually seemed a little younger and he rather thought that he would have remembered meeting a white cub with red eyes.
Noting the slight glaze in those red eyes, Piripi felt his hackles rise. It was almost like something else was speaking through the other male. Only when he'd gone silent did Piripi find his own voice.
"Where did that come from?" he hissed. "You speak as if you knew them. Who are you?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:48 am
With a sigh, Rokh closed his eyes and spoke slowly. He hadn't meant to startle the other lion so badly.
"My father was a god," he began. "I was told that this is why I can sometimes see or sense things. Usually what I see will only concern me. Sometimes though, as you've just found out, I will see something about someone else. The voices come when they will and I really can't control them."
Glancing up, he offered an apologetic smile and a shrug.
"I truly am sorry to have frightened you. I don't know what about you triggered my voices, but it was important enough that they thought you needed to hear it."
Cocking his head curiously, Rokh's red eyes seemed to bore into Piripi.
"You lost them a long time ago, didn't you. No wonder you were so startled. I apologize, Piripi."
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:58 am
A seer. Rokh was a seer! No wonder he'd sounded and looked so spooky. Shivering a little, Piripi managed a rather shaky smile as he tried to reassure the other.
I... I suppose that what they wanted me to hear isn't so scary in and of itself," he muttered. "But it would have been nice to have had a little warning."
He went silent for a moment, feeling mingled fear and resentment. Rokh on his own wasn't so scary, but add in his seer abilities and well. He was spooky. But he did seem genuinely sorry for the fright he'd given.
"When I was a cub," he answered. "They didn't realize that I wasn't following and kept on traveling. My own fault for stopping to look at a reflection."
Glancing up, he wondered how much Rokh had seen. He'd said that this was where Piripi had been meant to end up. So strange...
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:24 am
Interpreting Piripi's silence as revulsion, Rokh climbed slowly to his feet, head bowed.
"I truly am sorry. I'll leave you alone now," he said sadly. During his time, he'd encountered those who had feared him simply for what he was. At least, he thought, this is a large pride. Surely not everyone will feel the same way.
Sighing heavily, he turned to leave.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:31 am
"What?" Piripi said sharply as Rokh stood up and turned to walk back the way he'd come. "When did I say that you should leave? Sit down and keep me company."
Standing himself, he hurried to block Rokh's path before bending his head and giving the other lion a sharp nudge back.
"Just because you surprised me doesn't me I think you're a monster," he added drily. "Now sit back down. You apologized, it's all right. I would just rather not be the target of your voices anymore if it can be helped. Okay?"
He waited until the other lion sat back down and snorted. Then, wondering greatly at himself, sat down beside the other lion and yawned.
"If your voices say I belong here, I believe them. And I'm wise enough to know that the flightly little idiot I was wouldn't have lasted a moment here. So it's not like you told me anything that I didn't already know deep down. So relax."
As he chunnered, he saw the tiny signs of Rokh relaxing as well and nodded to himself. Well, that was all right then.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:34 am
As he found himself being gently driven back to where he'd sat, Rokh marveled. Piripi seemed more annoyed than frightened now. But he was still willing to talk. Truly, he thought, this is the best place for the bother of us. The orphan and the outcast.
Keeping the thought to himself, he decided that he rather liked the sound of it. But they were something more now. Thanks to this pride, they were brothers in arms as well. Relaxing slowly, he lowered himself fully to the ground and lay with his chin on his forepaws.
After a moment, a companionable silence fell over the two. And shortly after that, both were napping in the sun.
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