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 Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:08 pm
It was early in the morning, almost too early to be getting up. As was typical, the family was all together for the night, but as they had grown older they had stopped sleeping squished into one massive, colorful pile of fur- which made Noki's escape that much easier! Carefully stepping around all of her siblings and making sure that daddy didn't wake up, she grinned and skipped away to go explore what could be found around the swamp in the early morning.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:12 pm
Kichea grinned, one eye open as she watched Noki go outside. She got up slowly and followed her out, always one for mischief and adventure. "Noki's not going to get away that easily." She smirked and whispered as she jumped over one of her sisters and quietly followed Noki. The shadows were her hiding place of choice as she sneakily pursued her sister. When she thought Noki wasn't paying attention, she pounced. "Boo!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:15 pm
Were Noki older and a practiced hunter, or even more attentive in general, she might have heard her sister follow behind her- but once she saw a clear way out and away from the den, she was off. Kichea caught up easily, and Noki was completely oblivious until Kichea suddenly pounced and shouted out to her.
She tried to duck, but it was no use and she fell forward into the cool, damp earth.
"Eee!" she squeaked, "Who- wh- Kichea?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:19 pm
Kichea laughed, "Hey sis! I want to go exploring too." She jumped off of her sister and stood nearly bouncing. This cub was worse than the energizer bunny, she never really got too tired. "So, where are you off to this early in the morning?.. Without telling dad even.." She looked at her pensively, eyes slightly narrowed, her tail twitching wildly. "Going to look for mommy?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:26 pm
Noki smiled at Kichea's laugh, though she was a bit disappointed at having been caught. Not because she didn't want company, but because she had hoped that she had for once managed to get away unnoticed. With so many eyes in their family, it was quite impossible! Your best chance of going alone was asking.
"I just wanted to go look around," she answered, getting up and shaking the loose dirt from her fur. Her pale stomach fur was nice and dusty looking now, but she wasn't terribly concerned. Noki got to her feet and frowned at the mention of their mother, glancing around them.
"Mommy could have gone any direction," she said sadly, "I don't know which way, and if she did.. how far do you think she could have gone by now?" .. why would she have gone at all? None of the cubs, Noki included, liked to think about that part of it.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:34 pm
Kichea sighed and looked down, she missed her mother dearly. At times she had been nothing but a pest to her mother and given the chance she would take it back in a heartbeat. "I miss her... I wonder if she's alone, if she's scared." Her smile had vanished and she was no longer bouncing. "Sorry for jumping on you Noki.." Kichea turned, her tail dragging on the ground and her ears and head down as she wandered farther away, she had to go find her mother.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:54 pm
Noki's frown deepened when Kichea suddenly turned very, very sad. She nodded, "I miss her too." This cheery little exploration session had turned very sad very quickly, and that wasn't what Noki wanted- but she couldn't cheer up so easily, especially when Kichea wondered where their mother was and what state she was in. She was forced out of her own melancholy when Kichea drooped, apologized and turned around. Now it was Noki's turn to wonder where her sister was going, but first she couldn't let her think she'd been a bother for pouncing her!
"No, it's ok, Kichea!" she called, jogging to catch up to her sister and nuzzling against her, "Where are you going?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:09 pm
"I'm going to find our mother." She said sadly but with determination. "Dad should have gone looking for her... I wonder why he didn't." She kept her head low, focused on her task. Nothing was going to distract her from this.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:21 pm
Noki stopped when Kichea simply said she was going to go and look for their mother. It wasn't that Noki hadn't thought about it, but she didn't know where to start at all. Her ears drooped sadly when Kichea pointed out that daddy hadn't gone and looked. That was really odd, but- but he had to stay here, stay with them, if mommy couldn't. Hadn't he?
"Kichea!" she called, catching back up, "How do you know this is the right way, though? Which way did we come, do you remember?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:30 pm
"I am going to search until I find her.. if I get lost then so be it.." Kichea kept walking. "I'd really appreciate your help Noki.." Her head lifted as she looked at Noki although her body was still showing her sadness.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:26 pm
Noki stopped again when Kichea declared a very dedicated search was about to start. It didn't sound like Noki was going to be able to talk Kichea out of this one, and it barely looked like she would even be able to say no to going. She wouldn't let her sister go off on her own to look for mommy, that wouldn't be right. Her only other option would be to run back for daddy, but then Kichea would get mad, and daddy would get mad, and if they didn't get back fast enough then Kichea would get away and daddy would be mad.
The idea of Kichea getting lost all by herself, and the way she asked for help.. those quickly won out in Noki's mind and she jogged to catch back up yet again.
"We'll go this way, then?" she asked.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:39 pm
Kichea nodded as she walked on bravely. "Thank you, Noki." She led the way, trying to sense which way their mommy would have gone. For a young lioness Kichea had very good hunting skills and hoped that they were equally useful for tracking.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:52 pm
Gharadi yawned, stretched his legs and peered around, everyone was off on their own, even Avani! He smiled to himself, felt warm, felt...it was hard to explain really, but it was a wonderful feeling that filled his heart. He really hoped the others, not just Moyo, would take a liking to Avani. His children knew of their mother, that she was not there with them now, but he hoped that they would accept Avani into their family with open arms, smiles, if not as a mother figure, then a friend.
Things were changing, but change was good sometimes, and he smiled, certain change was good, but changes that were occurring now were grand.
"Noki? Kichea?" he called, trying to track their scents.
Why would they sneak off?
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:00 pm
Noki smiled sadly at her sister, and did her best to mimic her sister's apparent bravery by choosing not to look back. She caught up and stuck close by her sister's side, looking around for any possible remaining signs that their mother might have come along this way.
"It's been so long," Noki mumbled, "Do you think we'll find something that says we're going the right-"
She was cut off by a familiar voice calling out to them, and she finally glanced back over her shoulder only to look back at Kichea.
"Daddy's found us," she said in a hushed voice.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:24 am
"Not yet he hasn't." Kichea whispered as she got on her stomach and crawled into a very smelly, bog-like area. "This should keep him from tracking our scents.." She motioned to Noki with her paw and got down low. The branches on the bushes hung low enough to hide them both.
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