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Afu was racing across the lands.
It might surprise someone who didn't know her better that she'd spend her energy in such a wasteful way when not hunting. But lately, she had felt wild and free and rather cublike again, and the air here was so crisp and clear: like the kind you got on mountainsides. It was exhilarating, to feel the rocks and grass tumble beneath her feet, to leap from boulder to boulder, and to glory in the feel of balance, swiftness, and grace that was the feline body.
Besides which, it was good practice. The lands were not flat whatsoever; surprise gullys and ditches cropped up in places, and she was forced to make split-second decisions as to where she'd place her paws. It was a game, and sometimes she was forced to slow down and lose ground, or else go head-over-tail off some cliff.
The black lioness paused, catching her breath and panting, in the northern territory, and scented the wind, ears curled upward to catch the elusive sound among so much tumultuous air.
Mwana would kill him if she knew where he was. Waking up in the early morning, he did one thing he usually didn't do, something his nephew and his father did; run in the morning. Lately, he had found this activity rather riveting. It felt like the worries and burdens were swept behind, too slow to catch up, he felt so free. Gave him some time to think about everything, the cubs, his mate, the House. What he found most enjoyable about it was that it gave him a rather challenging activity rather just racing across the flat savanna. Rocks that crumbled under heavy paws, steep inclines, ledges and cliffs to avoid and jump over, these mountains were full of dangers, dangers this one was prepared to take.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, the Lord walked about, looking all around from such a wonderful view point. The open savanna rolled out below him, the roaring waterfall of the House was now but a faint sound to him. The sky was open to him just as it was before down in the grasslands. Wondering, was the cubs looking at the same sky? Where they even awake? Poor Shu, appointed the job of Royal Guard and thus the watchful eye of the five royals. Not to mention, he would have to put up with his mate, Mwana. Certainly, the Lord will have to return shortly. Just as he took the step toward home, a familiar scent caught his nose.
"Empress Afu?" he murmured, looking about. Was she near?
Her ears pricked further, warily. There was something - or someone - nearby. They had not been installed on these lands for long, and Afu still did not know precisely what might be around; until their numbers increased and they could have scouts for the borders, she was reluctant to take chances. She had, she know, made numerous enemies as a result of past misdeeds, the most recent being the cub-stealing with Nyekundu. She was smarter now, knowing what made others tick; fear was a poor way of making others obedient to one. There were so many other, better ways to gain power.
But the shape that comes out of the early morning air, silouhetted against the dawn of purples and blues, was one of two very familiar shapes; if it hadn't spoken, she could have suspected him to be Ahali.
"Lord Sheng," she murmurs with a smile, relaxing, and casually jumping up on the boulder nearby. In truth, she rather liked the Lord, if not his mate, her sister. She did not and could not trust her ... and she was privately more worried than she'd care to admit about her own cubs' safety. It would be a careful game they played. "Good morning." Her tone was clipped and with the self-assurance of a queen; self-doubt was something Afu did not wallow in. "What news from the North?"
Sheng turned to the ebony emporess, dipping his head in a sign of respect. She was one of few who had his favor. Though he had a sort of love-hate-friend relationship with Ahali, Afu was different, he had respect for her. She had a good head upon her shoulders and a good balance of things where as he was more brawn over brain, then again that was what Mwana helped with. With his own past misdeeds, he was doing a far better job as a Lord, father, and mate than a mindless breeder, another stories for another day.
"Good morning, Emporess Afu," he smiled, more of a smirk really. "As for the Zhi Ming, my cubs have been born and should be resting with their mother. I have started to seek out members for our noble pride, so far, I have found the Royal Guard and Supervisor. So things are in working order for the time being."
Sheng took a few steps forward, looking over his shoulder. "Five cubs, three sons and two daughters. Mwana had grown rather attached to her daughters and I my sons," the larger lion smirked some. He was very of proud, the first litter that he will be fathering first hand, and one with someone he cared about. It took a while to accept it but it was worth it. Putting up with Mwana... if this is what it would mean in the end, he would listen to her rant for hours if he had to.
"Is there any news from your end? Ahali giving you trouble? Want me to cuff him one?"
She inclined her own head gravely down; not as much, but still enough to show that she respected him in turn. It surprised her sometimes to realize the emotion was a true one.
"I'll have to congratulate you, then," she said, purple eyes gazing at him with some unfathomable emotion. "For both new sets of members, it seems. Five is an impressive number; dukes and duchesses they will be. Have you chosen an heir - or heiress - from among them?"
She stretched. "Not overmuch," she said, shaking her head at the question.
A bemused smile curled across her lips at mention of her mate. "Now now, my Lord, none of that," she quips, in mock-seriousness. "It's unseemingly to go around cuffing emperors ... even when they may deserve it now and again." He was, perhaps, one of the few felines she felt free to banter with; it wouldn't do to let anyone lower see anything but a stern, regal countenance. Her tail curls around her forepaws as she seats herself, coyly tilting her head. "Ahali is fine, however; off doing some more searching across the lands and finding more members to recruit." She would be out there herself, but she had felt odd these past few mornings, and had spent the time sleeping in.
As she dipped her head, he could only give a slight smirk, cocking a brow. Was it alright for someone of her ranking to bow to one such as him? Maybe not so, but he did appreciate it neverhteless. Proves that he held some standing with her.
"You have my thanks in which case," his once dull green eyes had became brighter, full of life, ambition, and compassion, but deep inside was that anger that will always fuel the fire of his bloodline. Hopefully, Mwana's Mistweaver blood equalized what was transfused into the cubs. "Impressive? Well, I would say so, if my nephew was here, he would be preaching that it wasn't all my doing," Ah yes, little Ezekiel, great kid. He would be the one saying that cubs are a product from both the parents; the male who can give and the female on how many her body can handle. ... Now who taught him that? "As for the heir, Mwana and I have not yet settled on to which, they are still too young. Going to let them develop their personalities and habits before choosing."
"Awww, come now, my Emporess, I am sure he can handle a good swat or two. But if you do not wish it, I shall spare your mate... this time," he grinned a devious grin that lost meaning with the laughter that shortly followed. Even though Afu was a rank higher than he, he could not help but feel he was close to her. Then again, she was his sister-in-law. "At least he is doing his best to make this pride work. Have you heard any word from the other Lords and Ladies? Since I have came here, I have not got any word. Not even a messenger bird, which reminds me, I must recruit one of those myself." Always busy...
"Nephew?" She querries, arching a brow, but curious despite herself. She did not know much about his family ... not much at all, and it irked her to think he may have loyalties that she knows nothing about. She nodded at the response to her question, arrogantly shrugging it off. "As you wish; we will hold a ceremony for the child in the central lands once you decide."
Another curved smile at the reference to Ahali. "I'll be sure to let him know that," she says sweetly, purple eyes flickering with hidden laughter. In point of fact, she was impressed at how much Ahali had grown since he had come here; before he constantly looked to her for how he should act, but now he was truly taking things into his own paws. It pleased her; it suggested that she had chosen well.
She shakes her head. "No; I haven't. That's another reason why I'm out here ... I'm journeying to each of the Houses in turn, to check on their status." She features deepen into a frown. "Sheng ... that's an important factor. Our lands a beautiful, but vast, and if we can't keep in contact, the society we're building will fragment ... " Or worse, come to war, or worse yet (in Afu's mind), the power will become too decentralised for her to control. "You may be correct in messengers, but perhaps not only birds. Other creatures as well ... lions, swift cheetahs ... leopards would be ideal to this terrain. Perhaps a messenger service. To other prides, as well."
"To entice them, perhaps offer them hospitality no matter where they go; meat brought down by our hunters, when we have them," she adds, sardonically, with a roll of her beautiful shoulders. "What do you think?"
"My half-brother's son. Before we came here, they made it a choice to come visit me from time to time. Haven't seen them since," he replied. She seemed concerened but it was not something to be concerned about. They were not of the pride and they were too far away now to hold much of an impact on pride life here in the Ethiopian Highlands. "A ceremonies sounds like a wonderful idea, now just got to convince our dear female to move the cubs in their young age. Give it some time, I will do my best to get arrangements done."
"I wouldn't mind another male's day out with him for a while," Ahali was almost like a distant brother, an emphasis on distant. With how they acted around one another, he could not help at times that the male did not really appreciate him but it really didn't matter all that much for the Lord. As long as he was here, they will have to work things out. Ahali was another who had his respects. Now that he thought about it, it was not often that Sheng saw the pair together in one place.
"Now that is a problem, so they have not sought you out? Though, I should speak to myself. My apologizes. I would offer my company on this little journey of yours, but I should get back before the cubs start to wake," The Lord listened with close attention. He nodded and agreed with everything she spoke of. Messengers... now that was something he had to look into. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards, birds, he will have to find some of those too who may be willing to join them. "Until then, I have Fukuaji, our House's meerkat, to do our messages. Just make sure not to eat the little guy, tried once and he just made it far too troublesome."
"I thought about that, but considering that we don't have hunters right now, giving them something we do not have is going to be a problem to be resolved," Sheng smiled. "But it's a good idea, just like the rest of those that come out of your pretty, little head."
"I didn't mean immediately," she replies, toying with the amusing vision of an enraged Mwana at Afu's royal 'command.' As interesting as it would be to see, it wouldn't be worth it. Regretfully, she lets the image fade away. "And ahh; are they from another pride, then, or rogues?" Perhaps if they were from another pride, that would be a point of contact ... one, anyway. Afu had much grander plans than simply being isolated here.
"You both are enough trouble in the singular." In truth, Afu did not know how much of a strained relationship the two males sometimes had; she did not talk to them overmuch in the other's presence, and Ahali was a very closed individual. It suited her nature perfectly ... but she couldn't always tell what he was thinking or feeling. Ears tip forward at the large Lord's next words, and she shakes her head. "No, but I am not overly surprised. Adjusting to new lands is a chore; and you've had new cubs to manage, as an added burden." She should probably have cubs herself ... and soon, she thinks, suddenly. With Mwana out of commission for awhile, now would be the perfect time to raise her family; before Mwana's cubs got too old and difficult to control. Paranoid as always about her sister, Afu remained quiet about her fears. In any case, that was forgotten in another instant, as she actually laughs at Sheng's next statement. "A meerkat? I'll have to warn Ahali, then ... although he might ignore it, he couldn't make a mouthful out of him. However did you recruit a meerkat?"
Purple eyes narrow at that last. It was a compliment, but Afu wasn't entire certain he wasn't insulting her, as well. She lets her expression do the talking for her.
"My nephew is related to the royalties of the Pride Landers, any specific reasons why would desire such information?" He questioned. Natural curiosity. He had known his nephew and half-brother was realted to the the royal lines of teh pride where as he and the other two were nowhere near touching them. "Understandable, but either way, I will think about when a good time will be. I will send Fuku with word."
"Seriously? The two of use are that much trouble for you?" He smirked. He understood what she meant when they were together, considering how they met the first time in that crater with the fire. But things simmered down since then. "Thank you for understanding, but do not hestitate to pay us a visit. Talking with you is more enjoyable than I thought it may be, at least you can take a joke," he was one to talk since he was not one who quite gave them to start with. With how Ahali was and with Afu, he was curious when they were going to hook up themselves. They were mates right? They were always together... "Fuku? Oh... well, it was only natural that I take him along with me. He knows more about me than Mwana, I'd say. He's known me since a cub."
He blinked, pulling his head back. "That was a compliment. Do I not get a thank you for that?"
"Potential allies," she murmurs, not bothering to hide her reasons. "If you are related to this Pridelander royal line, it will be that much easier to make contact with them. I would much rather have allies than enemies." And, privately, she would like to see her own children in matches with other royals. "But I will have to carefully consider what kind of message; and what kind of messenger I will be sending first." They were also such a small pride right now; little more than several families and vagabonds thrown together. It was hard to consider a huge pride taking such a small one seriously. But that would change ...
A snort, at that. "Males are always some sort of trouble, my Lord." It's probably one of the few things she and Mwana may agree upon. "We females are so much more biddible and sweet-natured."
"Ahhh," she said, wondering how that odd relationship had played out. She had never heard of a preybeast willingly following a predator before; it was odd to her, quizzical, but she trusted Sheng too much to contradict him in something that small. After all, it wasn't like it was something she'd have eaten unless she were starving, or terribly bored. So long as he didn't start a revolution for all meerkats within the lands, she could ignore one meerkat.
The slight anger in her face disappates. "You might want to be a bit more careful with your words," she offers indifferently. "If you say things like that around Mwana, it's a wonder she doesn't cuff you for it."
"You have a point there. I have not actually spoken to them myself, but I doubt they will cause us any harm. If they are anything like my nephew, they are fierce defenders of their allies and friends," Sheng say himself down, retaining his own regal aura. His cubs had their own lives, as long as they were happy and kept in order, he was alright with the things they did. Their lives and they'll have to make their own choices.
"Are you saying females can't be?" He smirked. With his experiences with Mwana, she can be a handful herself, but he grown to love her through it all. Females can be biddible and sweet-natured, but most are fierce, assertive things.
"My b*****d father had him as a slave. He was there to make sure my mother did her work and that I was being watched for when he was not around. Not something I talk about with just anyone, Afu. He's a good merrkat, keeps things in order, but I've always been tempted to bat him around. You can do it yourself, it's quite entertaining," he laughed. Fuku had always been a long time friend. Ever since they split ways, he had lost his way and fell into the paws of another while he sought out a place to live. It was shortly after meeting Mwana did he find the meerkat again. Since then, he'd been keeping a watchful eye on Mwana. Jealous little thing he became, he was after Sheng's attention, he one that was going to be hard to earn with the cubs around.
"I'll do my best then," the Lord replied. "Trust me, my emporess, Mwana would not just cuff me one. Mind you, those hurt."
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