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 Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:03 am
Kidondo was unsettled. It was a feeling he didn't much like, the feeling of waiting for a storm you knew was coming but could do nothing to stop or prevent. You could run away from a storm but eventually you would have to return to the mess it had left behind. Besides, Kidondo did not run. No, he liked to confront a problem from all angles and to do this, he found his ideas more successful when discussed and critisied by his most favourite lioness in the whole, wide world.
His mate, No.
The steadily increasing numbers, the formal meetings of rogues and overlooking duels as well as providing for new litters and organising growing cubs to be apprenticed took up much of Kidondo's time. Usually being so busy kept unsettling thoughts from getting to him.
But not any more. Now they weren't ignorable and he couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to talk to No about this. Besides, knowing her, she'd already know what was bothering him because it would be bothering her as well. Not much got past the wily female. It was one of the reasons why he loved her so. Loved her and feared her!
He was making his way back to the den after spending a day carrying out his duties. The sun was dipping and with it, the temperature. He loved this time of day, not too cold but loosing that unbearable edge that had all lions retreating to the shade. Yes, the desert was not an easy place to live, but that was why he loved it so.
As he drew near he looked up and sought her dark shape amongst the waves of gold. "No?" He called, his voice strangely soft despite the fact he knew no one would be sleeping at this time. Hopefully the cubs would be out playing. He didn't want them overhearing his troubles.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:34 am
No never would have considered herself an optimist. She worried far too much for such happy, grand endeavors- and perhaps, if there ever had been an optimist living inside her, it had been buried a long time ago in the pridelands. It wasn't that she didn't hope for the best. She hoped for the best. She hoped for everything in the world.
She just believed that lions, perhaps not unlike man, were dually flawed. And sooner or later, the s**t would hit the fan and they'd need to find a new way to roll with the punches.
It was a seed that had been planted in the dark cat the day Kenna had arrived. Funny then, that as time went on, she was finding herself less concerned about Kenna, and more on her own pride.There was a great danger sleeping underneath the sand. And this one didn't have a name like Kimeti did. It was intangible. And intangible things were not something you could mount a rebellion on. They were not beaten with force, or even with wit. And she hated those sorts of things.
But, she was placid enough. Her children made her happy. They were little hellbrats, but she loved them. And this force had not made itself known yet. Therefore- she had, for the moment, time to plan and adjust herself. No was not so easily intimidated by metaphorical advisories.
The sound of Kidondo calling her in the distance turned the black cat in his path. His voice had been low- low enough to make her wince. It wasn't time for the kids to be around, and it wasn't that soft tone used between mates. It was cautionary- and she couldn't help but think that it was finally time for the two of them to discuss what had been keeping them restless at night. "Kidondo," She smiled. She kept her voice higher, hoping to dissuade him from thinking she worried. [If only!]
She approached him slowly and gently knocked against him in their usual greeting, before sitting upon the sand. "Such a stoic face," She lightly teased. "Who would think we had cause to wear such faces?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:43 am
Seeing her there brought such a wave of relief over him that he could not even begin to describe it. The feeling also worried him, made him realise how tense he was - or had been. Rumbling in greeting he leaned against her and then sat close to her side, catching her tail in his own; a habit he had not lost even in adulthood.
And then her words; smooth and calculated, just the words he needed to hear to get his cluttered mind organised before expressing his concerns and starting their brainstorming session.
"Leading fire-spirited lions never was going to be an easy job, love." He replied, letting his expression ease a little. "A pride...is like raising a cub, giving it attention, teaching it, watching over it, worrying about it day in and day out." He shook his head slowly. "We are parents than more to just eight children." Leaning to her again, he wondered how best to breach the subject. Well, Kidondo had never been one to beat around the bush. Might as well come right out and say it.
"No, I'm worried. And, oddly enough, it's not about Kenna. It's not even about her old followers - though they're probably a small part of a much bigger problem." He paused. "There's still disfavour amongst them. I sense it. I dream of it, though I think it more dreams born from worry than...than anything else." He cleared his throat. "I think...I think we've ignored it for too long." No, ignored wasn't the right word, but, it would have to do. "Something needs to be done." He looked at her, seeking something in her face to show him that she understood, that he wasn't going mad.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:04 pm
No smiled. It was a slow, cool grin. She'd recognized the metaphor. "Indeed, it is. With all the crying and screaming one might expect." The end of her tail flicked as she picked apart her own concerns in her mind. She wanted to be sure she did not seem too uncertain. Kidondo was always quick to catch when the black cat fumbled. And the last thing she wanted was to trouble his mind anymore then it was.
Another smile. She didn't mean to smile, but tension willed it on her face. Maybe, in a way, she loved the conflict. She loved the idea that people were, somewhere, secretly working against them. Because, oh! Didn't they know? Didn't they know who she was? "It's an unfortunate reality, I fear. The status quo will never be what it was a year ago as it is today. No, I know what you mean. I've sensed it too." Her jaw shifted. "It's not a nice reality, though, I'm afraid. It's the kind that always ends in more blood."
"You're thinking...that perhaps, we should be less concerned about an attack from the traditionalists as we should be an attack from the inside?" She suggested. "We're at the point where saying one is a rebel and saying one is a traditionalist no longer suggests they are for or against us. We have just as many traditionalists now as loyal friends as we do friends who may now be enemies." Were they? The hard thing about conspiracies was that it was half a guessing game. Obviously, if they knew there were plots against them, well.... those people would cease to be 'conspirators.'
Her head lifted, and the end of her tail slowly twitched. And in the middle of this, a throng of rogues who could only be trusted about as far as No could see them in a given day. "I don't have dreams, Kidondo. But I... know when there are whispers. Something is brewing." But she didn't want to wind him up either. "But, oh, love. There's always something!"
"What to do, of course... is another thing. You're right, something must be done. But as for what... it will be difficult to pick apart the faces we can trust from the ones we can't."
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:01 pm
He loved that smile and the meanings it held secret to those who did not know how to read them. Not unlike her, he had required a taste for a challenge, especially when it revolved around the pride he loved. He nodded at her words, agreeing entirely. What she said could not have been more true. "The Firekin have always brought abut bloodshed, though not usually to themselves." He replied. "And yes, you're exactly right. I feel, at this moment, that I trust some of the traditionalists more than our own." He let his eyes slide to the dens, thinking of all those that inhabited it. "But who, I do not know."
He shook his head and a stray wind caught at his mane, blowing it briefly across his troubled eyes. "I always thought myself a good judge of character. I have ideas, but as I say, only ideas. No proof. We're not in a good position to hear what is being said. Those who conspire, they wear two faces."
He looked to her as if hoping to find the answers written in her proud, dark face. "I do not blame them, though, love. When we arrived in these lands, we captured their attention during one of the darkest moments this pride has seen. They knew change had to come or face extinction, and sided with us. Yet, I don't think they - some of them at least - truly understood the changes they would have to embrace. And, when it arrived, they forgot all the misery and hopelessness of the old ways and looked upon those times with fondness. Memory is easily swayed." His brows furrowed. "I think things have grown worse since we've been allowing other rogues to battle their way into our ranks. Perhaps it was too soon to introduce it, but, it had to come eventually."
He shook his head. "No. Those who are here have all but pledged an allegiance. If they cannot accept the way things must be then the answer is simple. They cannot be allowed to stay."
He cleared his throat. "I am thinking, perhaps we can plot something to...integrate the members. All of them; Simo, Safi and rogue alike. Bring them under one roof, as it were, engage them in something where they can see and appreciate one another's skills. We do not allow rogues or weakness here, but except for the one they duel, the pride have yet to witness the strength of our new kin."
He cast her a querying glance. "What do you think?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:15 pm
She nodded her head slowly, her eyes fixating upon the horizon. The smile had not left her face. Maybe, sometimes, she was a little crazy too. "You're right. It makes sense though. The people we have most to distrust cannot operate so freely." She squinted. "But, perhaps it is about time we dropped these old titles. Rebels and traditionalists. We can never be one pride if these remain. Everyone is dragged back to level one. And we rebuild. We figure out who among us we can trust, with unbiased opinions, and a firm claw."
"But, you are also right when you say this isn't a job we can do. And I don't like saying that." She admitted. "If we ourselves try to grasp at these forces, it'll be no more effective then if we were trying to grasp a single grain of sand from the desert." As if to illustrate, she let the sand slide from beneath her paws. "They'll never show their faces to us. Not unless we catch them in their games."
But she liked where Kidondo was going with this. Whether he knew it or not, listening to him was like finding the missing pieces of a puzzle she had already been working on. And all of a sudden, it was lighting up like stars. "I like the idea of getting a more formal show of things. It may, perhaps...prove a good distraction, if we are to find the descenders amongst us. Something big. Something that will put everything on the table."
No mused, crossing her paws. "You suggest, some kind of contest, perhaps?"
But before he could answer- a flash of agitation crossed her face. Her brow wrinkled, and the tips of her fangs slipped from beneath her lips. "I will say this though, Kidondo. I respect the traditionalists for their beliefs. They are my people. But cowards- I cannot stomach. These people who are one thing and then the other. I will not tolerate such lukewarm blood in our lands. If I find these people in their foolish little games I'll..."
She left the rest up to the desert.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:55 am
"I agree. The titles are meaningless now. By coming here, the traditionalists have all but accepted change. They are Simo, too. We all are, even the rogues who join us, they accept this way of life and embrace it." He nodded. "We are all equals here." Or should be, he thought to himself.
"To be honest, if it is our own conspiring against us, at least it has one good to it. If a Safi rebels, the trust that has been gained would be lost. They would all become the centre of suspicion again and those that have adapted well will be shunned." He shook his head, it wasn't fair, but that was what would happen. The action of one reflecting on the number. Only yesterday he had told their daughter, Azar, to give the Safi more time before casting judgement on them.
"It is good, then, that we have a number of lions here we can trust." He thought of those and nodded, feeling more confident at knowing they would not be alone in this.
And then she finished his trail of thought. A contest. Yes! That would be perfect, an opportunity to break from regular routine and focus on something that the Firekin prided themselves on: their skill in battle. A thrill ran through him as he thought of it, already his mind racing ahead with ideas. He had to pull himself short, realising he'd fallen quiet. He snapped back to attention just in time to hear her last, angry declaration.
Yes, No was scary.
He touched his nose to the side of her muzzle. "You're right, love. Sometimes I think threats are the only way to get through to people. And, if threats don't work we'll be left with little option." He drew breath. "And, blood may return to these lands again."
He stood and paced a few steps before turning to look back at her. "It's decided then?" He asked. "To go ahead with this tournament? To see if any good comes of it?" He smiled to think of it.
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 8:48 am
No nodded. Kidondo was right. It was better for the pride should the problems come from their side- or, at least, from both. She could not stand the idea of the pact they had made with Kenna being so easily broken down into suspicion and fear once more. No was firm in her belief that the two prides be one. If only they knew the names of these...cowards.
"I believe much good will come of a tournament. Too many strong lions, without an enemy to focus their skills on...will, often find enemies amongst themselves. We might as well harness that energy, to be sure they never amount to real conflict. It may yet show us who we can trust." She mused. "And if not, it will in any least give our enemies something to be distracted with while we plan our movements."
Her jade eyes narrowed, considering something slowly. "...We will need something to reward a champion with. And, we will need someone to consolidate the rogues who are lingering outside the lands. The ones still waiting for their fight. Bring them in, and have them fight there, in front of everyone." A grin crossed her face. "How shameful it might be, should a rogue take the crown!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 11:21 am
He nodded. Yes, if they gave them something to set their mind too, something that could bring them respect and honour, it would at least steer their minds away from worse things temporarily. Discussing the tournament here, now, already had him excited for what it might bring. He flicked through names of pride members, wondering which ones would sign up, wondering who would arise victorious.
His heart thrummed at the thought of it.
"A reward would certainly give them something to battle for." He agreed. "But would would you suggest? A title, perhaps, to mark their victory? Or something more physical, that others can see and touch, a trophy or some trinket." All he had of any worth were the glass baubles left to him by his father...well, not really left for him, but he'd taken them as a keepsake nonetheless, and he wasn't keen to part with them.
He smiled then, thinking of a rogue fighting Firekin and winning. He almost hoped it would happen so that the others would come to see there was great strength in the outside world. It angered him to think that they had not already seen it, for he saw great strength in his mate every moment he saw her.
He leaned forwards, nuzzling her gently. "Shameful indeed, but if it happened I think it would do more good than bad." He smiled.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:27 am
She rumbled as his head brushed against hers. A slow chuckle threaded from her throat. "I agree. Perhaps then, they will know the danger of the world outside." Particularly the ex-traditionalists, who still seemed wary of the belief that a world outside them could ever oppose the might of the firekin. "I will think on the reward. A title, will be quite an easy fare- but, I'm sure an object will help as motivation. You can't see a title."
"But, they needn't know just yet," No said. She'd give herself some ample time to gather something worthy of their champion. A champion! Her grin widened, unconsciously following Kidondo's thoughts. Just who would put their name in? All the braggarts and their mighty battle skills. Would they scoff on the sidelines, so afraid to risk it all in glory? As though one loss might blot out the sun. Ah!
"I suppose we're disqualified." She added with a smirk, and playfully pushed her weight against him. "I'll speak with the kids. They're wild wild things, but I have a feeling they might have some fine ideas as to what we can present."
"We'll need to speak with Kenna as well." She confirmed as an after thought. Hopefully the once queen would not drag her heels. She had a feeling, however, that Kenna would not be against sanctioned fighting. "So we can be sure all will join."
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:28 am
He nodded, leaving the thoughts of prizes to her. He had no doubt that she would come up with something great. He smiled, nodding, leaning his head to hers, grateful for her company and her clear-headed thinking. Oh he would be lost without her! Her idea about asking the kids also brought a smile to his face. Yes, he was proud of their little devils, all a strong-headed and sturdy bunch. He smiled, too, because of what they might dream up.
"I'm sure they'll be happy to help. Our eager, little brood certainly are good at giving their opinions on things."
"If we entered, my love, then it would not be fair, would it? For who could stand against us and win?" He gave her a gentle push back. "Kenna?" He groaned at the thought of approaching the female but knew that No was right. It would be good to get her on side and encourage traditionalists to join in.
"Well, no time like the present, is there? May as well find her now rather than let it hang." He gave her a nudge and stood, shaking his fur and moving off, pausing to wait for her to join him.
Despite it all, he had a good feeling about this.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:05 pm
No smiled. She hoped she knew what she was doing by accepting the job. But she had a hunch she could figure something out. Something that'd excite up some interest anyways. "Yes they are." No preened. "And, I think they're old enough to start pulling their weight. I believe they'll be very pleased to know we trust them enough to ask." She might have faltered as being a mother at times- but No really did hold her children close to her heart. She hoped, by involving them, they would feel as connected to the pride as they were. And maybe understand why they were away so often.
She grinned. "Mm. And I suppose only one of us could win." Her tail twined around his. "Don't worry my love. I'd let you win." She chuckled. Oh! But he was right. She truly believed that, together, there was little they could not crush. This issue of spies? It would be a passing thing. They were the might that had carved the Motoujamii. Only fools dare stand between them and their goals.
"Ah...yes. I do believe it prudent to involve Kenna. Although, I wish I had thought of this earlier." She sighed. "My nerves are never good for dealing with her so late in the afternoon..."
And with a hop, she moved off after him- eager to get the task at hand underway.
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