|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:08 pm
 The young red and tan cub made her way slowly across the dried grass, wandering aimlessly, her entire posture and form screaming for help. Her tail hung limply between her back legs, and her paws scraped against the dry ground despondently. The only lively thing about the young female cub was her bright, sky-blue gaze that glared fiercely at everything around her. She glared at the sun, the sky, the grass, the ground . . .
I've been wandering for hours, and I still have no idea where I am, Sirati thought to herself as her small form slumped down against the ground, refusing to take another step. Great. I think I'm even more lost then I was before . . . nothing at all looks familiar.
She was about ready to go into a full out, blow out pity session, when a strange scent caught her attention. Her small nose tested the air tentatively, as she tried to discern what it was. She'd never smelled anything like it before. It smelled almost . . . salty, though she had no idea what could permeate the air so completely.
Frowning still, but for a different reason, she struggled to her feet, and using her nose, followed the scent. She began to see some signs of civilization, though she still had no idea where she was. However, the only important thing now was to find out what that smell was.
After all, Sirati had never seen the sea.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:38 pm
At the edge of the pridelands, where the savannah met the sea shore a young male sat. His head held high, honey glazed eyes opened to slits as he watched the waves roll slowly towards the shore, a small smile graced his young maw as he tossed his deep red bangs from his eyes. Vuai had been born upon this shore, it was home to him. Every inch of the beach had been explored and though he was strictly forbidden, he had even dipped his toes int he mighty ocean. His father told him the sea was dangerous for cubs, that it might pull him in and drag him off to it's deapths.
On a day like today he could hardly beleive that. The sun kissed the shore turning the sand to a golden glow, the water lapped peacefully at the soft white sands whispering promises as it creapt up the soft shore.
Vuai sighed. For a cub such as he, there was no greater place but he longed for an adventure on that briney ocean. To swim in the waves and dance and laugh like the other, older lions did. It was forbidden, forbidden to go in to the waves, though he longed to splash and swim and even sink in the briney deeps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:49 pm
Sirati didn't notice the stranger cub until she had almost tripped over him. She stopped at the last moment by jumping back, ears laid flat against her skull, teeth bared in a snarl. She was already in a testy mood, and granted, she was the one that had almost run the other cub down, but what was he doing there in the first place.
A simple from replaced the snarl on her face and she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Once she had, she glanced over at the other cub, and demanded testily, "What are you doing?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 3:12 am
"Yar lassy, be a watchin whar ye be puttin yer land lubbin' feet, ye bout nearly tossed me in tha brine." His voice was strange to say the least, he had spoken like this though since he first started to talk and his accent could be put down to his mother and father.
"I be watchin' tha sea lass, wonnerin' whar she be a goin in such a nurry." He chuckled, it wasn't entirely the truth, it was a joke that seafarers, like himself, said to those of the land who knew nothing of the sea. He could tell just by looking at this female that she had never seen the briney ocean before and he pittied her. He couldn't imagine not living here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:03 pm
Sirati stared at the other cub, pure disbelief written on her face. As she was young, Sira was quite outspoken, and didn't often realize that certain things she might say would be considered rude. This was one of those times.
"Why are you talking like that? You sound very funny," she commented, her muzzle wrinkling in amusement. She was about to continue, when she followed his gaze and she found herself staring at the largest expanse of water she had ever seen. Water, as far as her eye could see, a swishing mass of color, the same shade as her eyes. She sat and stared with wonder, her small red and tan tail swishing softly against the grass around her.
"What is it?" she asked in wonder. She tore her gaze away from the shining expanse and returned it to the other cub. She realized by sniffing at the air, that the large mass of water was what created that intriguing smell. Sira was instantly curious, and she all but demanded the other cub to know what it was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:23 am
The dark male laughed as she spoke of his accent. "Aye be a pirate lassy, all pirates be a speakin' like this, it be tha pirate way arg!" He grinned his pale lips turning in a cheeky, roguish smile.
"Aint ye ever seen tha sea afore lass? It be tha mos' beut'ful thin' in tha worl' Tha sea, she's a mighty complicated mis'tress but she be 'ome ta those who love 'er." He spoke of the sea always as if he was speaking of another lipon, a mistress to obey and be controlled by. Of course he was being raised by his father in this manner. The sea was a wonderful dangerous thing, to be respected and adored. "Yar ye lan' lubbers don' be a knowin what ye be missin', thar be many a lion 'oo lives ere by tha briney shore."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:37 am
Sirati didn't like being called a "lan' lubber", whatever that meant, but she was still to distracted to start an argument. She hadn't known that that much water could take up so much space. She'd seen rivers, and ponds, and a lake before, but never this much.
"Why does it smell funny?" she asked the slightly annoying, but apparently intelligent cub. "And what's a pirate? What's your name, Pirate?" she asked, demandingly, as usual. She was always quite curious, but now she was enthralled, and nothing was going to stop her questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:38 am
Vuai laughed heartily at the question, his laughter though childish already held a hint of the roughness it would eventually break in to. "Smells funny? Yar lassy ye be a talkin' abou' tha salt an tha seaweed, tha fish and tha shells, ye be a smellin' tha sea, tis a smell all 'o it's own." He took a deep cleansing breath then. "It be a smellin' wonerful."
He grinned broadly as she asked him what a pirate was,, "A pirate lassy? A pirate be a lion who 'as alot 'o' trasures an' loves tha sea nearly as much as 'is own motha." He gives an affirmative nod. "An this ere pirate be named Vuai, cause it be a right 'ol pirateing name, a name caught from tha very tide its sel'!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:53 am
Sirati couldn't help laughing happily, delighted by it all. She grinned at Vuai, glad that he was answering her questions.
"Salt? There is salt in the water? That's interesting. There isn't any salt in the water around my home. That must be why it smells so different. There sure is a lot of water there. The most that I ever see is in the river, and of course, the lake and watering holes."
Realizing that she hadn't introduced herself, Sira turned back toward Vuai to remedy the situation. "I'm Sirati, by the way, from the Kusini'Mwezi lands."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:38 am
The young cub gave a chukle and a very affirmative nod to her questions, he was clearly cocky and clever enough to know the lands around him but he was still young and did not know the answer to everything about the sea though his father did tell him many stories.
"Yar lass tha water roun' ere be full 'o' salt,m ye canna drink it, ye have'ta go to tha springs in tha jungle ta gets water.my ol' man says tha' if you drinks sea waters ye veins will shrinks cause the salts 'll melt um, so don' ye be a drinkin from tha sea." He gave a grin and another of those nods, perhaps at some point Vuai had taken a lap from the water, for his next words spoke truer than all others "An' it don' taste too ot neither gives ye a mighty powerful thirst even tho ye ave already drinked!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:08 am
Personally, Sirati thought that water that you couldn't drink didn't seem to be useful, and rather that it should stop taking up so much space, but she didn't say a word, not wanting to offend the other cub. After all, his life was different than hers, and just because it was different, she didn't need to make mean comments about it.
Glancing up at the sky, Sirati noticed the place in the sun and realized that it was a lot later than she expected. She really needed to try to find a way home. Her mother would be angry, and worse, her father would be . . . disappointed. She hated to do that to him.
She turned toward Vuai and asked him anxiously, "You seem to know a lot about the layout of the land. Do you know how I can get back to my home? My family is probably very worried."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:44 am
"I'm afraid I only be a knowin tha beach lassy, but I be a seein ye come form tha' direction." He pointed off the way he was fairly sure the young female had come. "Jus' foller ye own paw prints an you'll soon fin' ye way 'ome I'm sure." he chuckled blowing his deep red fringe from his eyes.
"Good luck to ye lassy, if ye ever come back ta tha sea again look fer me this be the ony place I'll eva call home."
With that said the young male stretched and jumpped off down the beach a rolly little seadog full of high spirits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:34 pm
"Okay, thanks Vuai! Goodbye! Thanks for teaching me about the sea!" she called out before he disappeared out of sight.
Sirati smiled after the strange retreating cub. She loved to meet such interesting people on her journey, though she did wish she could be home. However, meeting other lions like Vuai and Banda was certainly worth the exhausting trip. She closed her eyes, and turning her head toward the sea, she took a deep breath, working toward memorizing the smell of the salt water on the air. She didn't want to forget the smell or the sight of the bright blue water.
Then, when she was certain that she had it, she stood, and stretching out her limbs, she decided to take the small cubs advice, and tracking her own small pawprints across the sand, she worked toward making her way home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
