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It had been sunny when he'd started out that morning. Nice and sunny and full of promise, a good day! And Asce had a feeling that maybe, just maybe, he might find his Name. The one he would bare for the rest of his life. He'd been merrily trotting along, keeping an eye out for other creatures, or for something...interesting. And then the clouds rolled in over him, from behind. And the skies opened up.
The rain had startled him more than a little, and he'd frantically looked for cover. A tree, rocks, a cave...ANYTHING. By the time he found a dry cave, his legs up to his knees were heavy with mud. The adolescent made a noise of annoyance, lifting his front paws to inspect. It was going to take forever to get all the mud off. And the dirt floor of the cave didn't help any at the front of it. Deeper in, however...deeper in was nice and dry. Sure, it was mostly dark. Except for some glowing moss. One patch of moss revealed something on the walls of the cave that had him immediately fascinated. And had him inspecting the other areas lit by the moss.
The walls were covered in paintings! Most crude, but some...some were beautiful and detailed, obviously done over a long period of time. One, in particular, caught his eye. By the wings on his back, the lion pictured was obviously a god. What caught his eye the most, however...where his markings. He looked almost exactly like Arden. Just...male. And a god. Asce could only stare at the image, then moved forward to put a paw on it. As he moved forward, however, a paw came in contact with something sticking out of the dirt. Blinking, he looked down. And saw bones. Old bones. He let out a yelp and backed away, staring. They looked like lion bones that hadn't been fully buried. But...they were LARGE for a lion. And...right below the image...
It clicked. The worn image resembling Arden, the bones, the stories he'd overheard Etihad telling his mother and Arden, the stories his mother had told that had been passed down by her mother...
He was standing in front of his ancestor. His mother's line had called him 'Tsubasa'. Etihad had called him 'Wing'. Asce inched closer to the bones, sniffing them. They smelled only of earth and time spent in the cave. There were no lingering scents of lion on them. The male frowned, looking to the image once again. And nodded. If what he'd heard was right...a lot of lions from where Arden was destined to be would want to be where he was. And would give the dead no rest.
He couldn't allow that. Ever. His ancestor deserved peace, deserved his rest. No...this was a secret Asce would keep. He would never speak of this place. And with his silence, he would protect it. As he suspected someone before him did. He curled into a ball beside the bones, to wait out the storm.
"From what Mister Etihad has told Mama...the pride you started is in trouble. I would help, but Mama said it's not my destiny to be there. That I'll be returning to the Jini-msemi." Perhaps his ancestor's spirit would hear him..."I'm descended from you. I've got a brother and two sisters, too. And Mama has two brothers. And...Mama says Grandmama has a brother as well. So you don't have to worry about your line dying out. And...one of my sisters, Arden...she's supposed to go to the pride you started. To help set things right." The adolescent sighed and shook his head.
"I don't know how she'll do that though. We were raised to be kind and courteous. We don't know the first thing about setting things to rights." He smiled sheepishly. "Heck...I constantly got ordered around by Kisa. Not that I minded really...I'd do anything to see Kisa smile." He got a dreamy look on his face. "Even her sorta-smiles are beautiful." Asce was silent a moment before he shook his head.
"Sorry about that...I'm getting off track." He sighed again. "I'm afraid I'm easily distracted. But...yeah. Mama settled in the Jini-msemi. So part of your line will always be nice and safe. One bad thing did happen there...but it won't happen ever again! We have lots of lions around now who'll help keep it from happening." He grinned. "So don't worry about us. We only leave to find our adult names, to help protect us from the Bad Spirits." He smiled slightly, yawning a bit. Storms always made him bored...and bored meant sleepy. "Others might think me weird for talking to a bunch of bones...but I know somehow, you're out there listening. After all...you founded my line. Surely you're keeping an eye on all of us, right?" He chuckled. "I hope, when it comes time for me to join the spirits, that I get to meet you. To stories passed down of you say you're really nice. That you're a good lion, who cares about others. That's what I strive to be. Good, and kind, and able to protect the ones I love."
He felt his eyes growing heavier, sleep trying to creep up on him. "If you're reborn like Uncle Fleance...I'd definitely like to meet you." He yawned again, wider this time. And a realization hit him. "You know...because of this...I think I know my adult name now." He grinned. "Yes. I know my name now." It was a name his mother had told him once, in a story. And it was a name he would now bare proudly. Because he would keep this place, this tomb, a secret. And maybe...one day pass on the duty to another. (Not the name, of course. This name was his...)
"I am Bedoier. I am the keeper of your tomb, and I will make sure no one disturbs your peace. Thank you." He suddenly felt light in his soul...like a weight had been taken from him. And he had a sort of purpose at last. He couldn't help the silly grin on his muzzle as sleep claimed him.
 Das Tor · Wed Jul 28, 2010 @ 03:18am · 0 Comments |
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