[PRP] A Long-Awaited Reunion - FIN

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The day began like every other, the brown lioness casually strolling down the paths that she had worn into the ground. These paths, the hunting trails, were a clear indicator of the pride nearby. Binafsi walked the trails nearly every day, tracking the movement of the prey just outside the Nchi'mahadhi borders. It wasn't surprising that prey came here; Lake Victoria, though not visible from this distance, called animals of all sorts to its banks for a drink of water. During the dry season it remained a constant source of liquid to the African populace, and for that the huntress was thankful for their pride lands. Not only would they always have water, but they would rarely have to stray far to find food.

Today was not a hunting day, however, and she was not out looking for a quick meal. She'd gathered the lionesses together only two days ago, and the killings they had made would last for another few days. The number of cubs only increased the food demand, but Binafsi could not be cross. After all, new life was always something to be celebrated.

Pausing at a nearby tree stump, the huntress dragged her claws along the ground, tracing the hoof prints underneath them with her eyes. "A herd of antelope passed here," she informed her companion. Though not a hunter by choice, Mawi Mai was an important member of the pride, and thus Binafsi was pleased to have her companionship. "Looks like they'll be nearing the pride lands soon."  

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai wouldn't consider herself a very important member of the pride. But then again Mawi didn't like the idea of people looking at her any differently. Even after she was given her new ranking she acted the exact same way. She was like everyone else just slept in a different kind of den and and she also had a little more responsibility in some areas compared to others. She laughed slightly as she basically bounced after Binafsi. Mawi knew her since she was younger she always looked up to the huntress. Mawi could hunt she would admit that however the only thing is that she knew she wasn't as good as hunting and the order that she could maintain with the hunting parties and everything that had to do with that Mawi appreciated.

Her shakers started to rattle a little more quietly as she slowed down a little bit nearing the other lioness's side. She nodded toward the lioness before smiling. "Well then! Fresh meals for everyone." She laughed a bit before grinning ear to ear. "New cubs, they picked a perfect time to come around here." She laughed as she thought about having a good amount of food for the cubs to eat. It seemed almost all of the lionesses had a new litter around including herself seven cubs was a interesting number she was glad to have Aapep around. Her children older children were interested in helping too. Except for Kova but then again he recently had six of his own cubs to worry about!

She giggled as she looked around, she was always a cub a heart, before looking back toward the other lioness. "Do you have an idea for about how long they are going to be around?" She asked curiously. She flicked her tail around a few times before glancing toward the water she was debating on taking them all on to go swimming later. She knew her cubs would enjoy it heck she knew herself and Aapep would like it.

"Binafsi? Have you and any of the other huntresses been around here recently?" She asked curiously, something smelt different about the air.  

[Rainhowl]

"Step lively, now~"

Jukka spoke to the two lionesses that followed him in a cheery, eager fashion. The usually calm and composed male seemed somewhat more tense than usual and it would have been impossible to notice the spring in his paws.

It had been season upon season since he had set foot in the lands of the Nchi'mahadhi, the pride he had been born to so long ago. Yet he could not forget any of this, even if he tried. Sure, things had changed, new plant life flourished in some areas and had died back in others. Life had gone on, despite the sudden illness that claimed most of his pride, and the earth had shifted to her own rhythm, as the lion does to the beat of a drum.

"I think that we are nearly there. No. I am certain that we are nearly there."

Why the pilgrimage to their birth lands, he was not all entirely sure. It had seemed like a good idea at the time and shortly he would know it was an excellent idea at the time. He really didn't expect to find a pride or any other lions that were once familiar, but just visiting sounded as though it might bring good fortune. The first whiff of a lion to enter his sensitive nose spurred him on and he was more eager than ever to find those who called this place home, now. There was a glimmer of hope in his mind, though he struggled to keep it from inflating now that he was certain others were around, as a let down would be enough to send his cheerful mood (and possibly safety, as well) spiraling towards the earth.

He glanced sidewise at his two companions and grinned in the most cubbish fashion.

"I knew this was the right way, see? My memory isn't that foggy."  

[fenshae]

"Step lively?" Tarina echoed, with gentle mocking in her tone, but she obeyed -- taking rather exaggerated, high-stepping steps, the orange-and-yellow bands on her legs flashing in the light. "Well, if you insist."

She pranced along happily behind him, her orange eyes flickering constantly around the territory around her. She remembered this place, but only vaguely, in snippets of memory; she was younger than Jukka when they left, and had perhaps paid less attention to the world around her, having been generally quite consumed in her own thoughts.

Still, a scent caught her, and she tasted the air. "Antelope," she commented. And then, in an off-hand sort of way, "And lions. Do you smell lions?"  

[bipolar bee]

Zima followed behind her companions at a slower, almost leisurely pace. She'd scented the antelopes, and the lions, a ways back but had remained silent. There was really no cause to alarm Jukka and Tarina.

"Lions, yes. Two of them, maybe a third," she spoke softly. "They do not carry with them the scent of blood." Zima swiftly closed the gap between herself and the others. "We should be wary." She was the youngest of the three and at times it was obvious in the way apprehension could cloud her voice. She wasn't one to leap before she looked.

Zima looked towards Jukka; he was their "fearless leader" as it were, and if he wanted to continue towards the strange lions, well, of course she would follow him.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

The brown lioness nodded and gave her companion an answering smile. "Indeed! They'll want for nothing, at the very least. Fresh kills, warm days, and a lake to cool off in when the sun gets too hot." These days reminded her of her own child, in the original pride. They had grown since she'd returned to find a small band of musical rogues and her friend Isithunzi, and for that she was very proud. It was now, more than ever, worthy of the name Nchi'mahadhi, just as the old pride had been.

She was pulled from her nostalgia by Mawi's question and turned her attention to the prints. "Long enough. They'll want to get a drink in one of the creeks nearby if they can manage it, or try and go further down the river. Either way, I'd imagine if they've gone by the time we set out to hunt again something else will be passing through. Water is very important during… these… times…" Binafsi trailed off at the new smells, lifting her head and perking her ears. Travelling rogues? Well, it wasn't a surprise really. Sources of water brought all kinds of creatures here.

At the mention of the other huntresses she shook her head. "Jumuu won't go this far out, not without a partner. It's unlikely that it's someone from the pride." Cocking her head, she called, "Hello? Is someone out there?"
 

[Yin-Bug]

Mawi Mai glanced at the female again before chuckling slightly, she flicked her hair out of her eyes. She looked over and nodded. "And a little play time some times." She laughed quietly as she looked around. She looked at her friend before bumping into her playfully and then flicking her hair around. "Maybe you should work on bringing some cubs around here, huh?" she teased slightly before looking back forward. Mawi was a good natured lion and even though she was the one who liked her life of being settled with another lion she knew the fact that there was lions in the pride who rather have flings. But then again she didn't know Bina that well, she was more then sure the other lioness knew she was joking.

Mawi looked at the lioness then chuckled slightly and then nodding toward him again. "I'm really glad that we have water year around." she laughed. "When me and Aapep went to go to his brothers pride it was so hard to find water some times." She laughed slightly at the idea. It drove her crazy some times, the wandering was so much she wouldn't live well as a rogue or for that matter she wouldn't do that well at.

Mawi sniffed the air a few times before nodding in agreement. She laughed slightly before nodding. "Yeah I haven't seen Jumuu out here by herself in a while." She leaned against her friend before looking around. She wasn't that sure if she should wander over and find out or not. Her normally friendlyself was a little put off by the amount of other lions that she could hear.  

[Rainhowl]

"I caught their scent a little while ago, yes." He nodded his shaggy head in agreement with his two companions, his tail flicking as he debated his next actions. It was hot and thirst had him, but he knew these lands and knew water was nearby.

His thoughts, however, turned from water at the sound of a voice. He had not expected to come upon the pair of lions quite so soon and all thoughts of a drink were banished in an instant as his rounded ears pricked and his vibrant, green eyes seemed to light up with excitement. Though he had not yet clapped those eyes on the strangers and the voice didn't sound angry, more curious. That ought to be a paw-step in the right direction.

The voice also sounded familiar to an extent. He couldn't exactly place it, yet it brought back a flood of memories and sensations, reminding him of his early childhood.

"Yes! We are here, my two comrades and I. We've wandered far as rogues, but mean no harm of intrusion. Pray tell, does a pride inhabit these parts currently?" He spoke up, clearing his throat after the first syllable, and stepped forward, catching sight of the light brown female and her lighter counterpart.  

[fenshae]

Tarina nearly tumbled headfirst over Jukka, stopping abruptly in her high-stepping gait, landing nearly on top of him before disentangling her limbs and falling back on her haunches, eyeballing the lionesses with a distantly intrigued, dreamy expression in her orange eyes. She began to say something -- to posit, perhaps, precisely who these strangers were and what land they were inhabiting -- but caught herself before speaking, speculating that Jukka would perhaps not appreciate her input in such a tenuous moment of inter-lion diplomacy. He always got touchy about that sort of thing.

Instead, she offered a wide, beaming, 'I can't possibly be planning anything appropriate' smile at the others, and raised a paw in a friendly wave.  

[bipolar bee]

Zima wasn't expecting to hear a voice call out towards the trio, and she certainly wasn't expecting to hear a voice that held such familiarity. She barely recognized it and it gave her pause, her mind grasping tenuously at the threads of her memory. Who was it?

She let Jukka do all the speaking and kept a wary eye on Tarina, not completely trusting the smile that crept across her features. Zima held back, bringing up the tail end of the trio once more, and waited to see who owned the voice she knew from days long past, one she couldn't put a face to. It was good to come across new lions, especially ones that posed no threat to the three companions. Jukka's calmness and Tarina's... Tarina-ness had a habit of putting Zima on edge at times.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Binafsi chuckled softly, her smile easy. "I've thought about it for some time. Perhaps one day. But you never know when I might get the honour of taking care of someone else's children, so we shall see." In truth, it was rather unlikely for Nsundu to return with more cubs, and Kitambi had raised her just fine despite her own mother. Nantale didn't seem the type to leave her cubs to someone else either, which had left Binafsi without young charges since Nsundu's last litter grew up. Perhaps it was time for a new litter of her own.

She was pulled from thoughts of cubs when a voice answered hers, her ears perking instantly. A male and his companions? How peculiar! As the lions came into view she had the strangest sense of déjà vu, a small frown forming on her face as she looked at each of them. Why did they all look so very familiar?

Remembering a question had been asked, she answered, "Oh, don't worry. We don't mean any harm either. We're from the Nchi'mahadhi pride. It's just west of here." She tipped her head in the direction of the pride. "You're welcome to stay if you'd like and rest. We haven't had visitors for a long time, have we Mawi?"  

[Yin-Bug]

She looked at the lioness before chuckling a little bit then nodded. A smile was on her lips as she thought about the idea of more cubs being around. She loved cubs! "Well I hope to see some of your own little ones running around." she laughed then winked at her. Mawi loved seeing cubs around the pride regardless of who's cubs or how they got to the pride. Her favorite part was teaching them about their drum quest and also teaching them how to make their drums. Their curious minds always made her happy.

Her attention was cut from her thoughts as she heard the voice of a lion. She glanced at the trio, she was curious on who they were and why they were there. She stopped leaning against her friend before giving her normal friendly smile that she gave everyone. She flicked her tail around a few times excitedly the shakers on her tail rattling loudly. She shifted her stance making her drum shift too.

She smiled at the three lions before nodding in agreement to what her friend was saying. "I haven't seen any visitors in a long time! I'm happy to see them!" She giggled before nodding toward the lions, "Welcome!" She greeted. She looked at Bina before thinking, the way it seemed Bina knew something about these lions she could see it on her face. She shrugged the idea off before looking at the three again. She didn't recognize the lions. But then again she was born into the pride when it was being formed together once more.  

[Rainhowl]

His bright, emerald eyes bore into her as he studied her features. Yes, he knew her, though a name seemed to escape him at the moment. He knew it. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet it seemed as far away as an eagle soaring in the sky. Tarina had been about to speak, that much he could sense before seeing her actions or any word escaped her, but he had practically grown up all his life with her and such things could be expected. He was relieved when no sound issued forth.

Zima, too, was silent...

And then this stranger spoke, answering his question. His calm, almost diplomatic nature seemed to vanish from his features all together for a brief moment as a single name rang in his ears and most of the rest she said were lost on him for a few moments as his eyes flashed and ears pricked in joy.

"I hear correctly? Nchi'mahadhi's rhythm has not been silenced?" The small smile on his maw grew twice in size at the news he had received from these strangers. Or rather, one stranger and one not so stranger, though he could not remember her name.

"This is the best news I've had in seasons, since my father passed away. He was the Kima'baba, before the sickness."  

[fenshae]

It bubbled up in Tarina's throat unexpectedly, the words escaping her without conscious desire to speak, a song unfurling from her throat to a rhythm that seemed, somehow, to emanate from her very core. "Zwa le lizwe bo, Zwa le lizwe bo, Zwa le lizwe bo -- Zwa lomhlaba."

She remembered the words effortlessly, recalling them from a deep place inside of her, the place where things you cannot forget dwell until it is useful to remember them again. Of the three, she had the fewest conscious memories of her childhood in the pride; although she was older than Zima, she had carefully compartmentalized all of her memories and relegated them a position in her mind that was held with the same esteem as any other story she had picked up along the way. For Tarina, all memories, be they of real events or imagined ones, held equal footing.

But this...this was different, a visceral reaction to the words that had been spoken to her, and she threw back her head and sang in her throaty voice, "Cula ngo thando bo! Dansa ngo umoya bo! Cula ngo thando bo! Zwa lomhlaba!"

A smile crossed her maw and the spider-marked lioness fell silent a moment, before saying, quite simply, "We've come home."  

[bipolar bee]

Zima's eyes were glued to the darker female, one she recognized from days long past. As Tarina began singing joyfully, it was as if Zima's life clicked completely into place and righted itself once more. She staidly approached the lions, eyes never straying from the one who completely demanded her attention. She knew this lioness.

"Binafsi." The name was spoken softly, hesitantly. Zima remained silent for a moment before joining in with Tarina's excitement. She let out a loud, excited roar, the young lioness fairly bursting at the seams. "Jukka, Tarina, we are HOME!" She began a dance, a strange, almost clumsy movement of her paws in the dirt beneath her, one filled with joy and exaltation.

"We are blessed, we are home!"