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 Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:39 pm
Zalla tilted her head, closing her eyes as she thought for a moment, then she blinked her eyes open again cheerfully and smiled. "I like your name." She decided, nodding to him. "Can I call you Pelo, then?" She asked, still hanging upside down from the log to look at him.
She bounced down, sitting in front of him with a silly grin on her face. "Do you like to play?" She asked, crouching to stare at him. "I mean, when your paw isnt hurt? I do, but sometimes it's hard to find people to play with." She paused, looking at him curiously, studying him. He seemed a bit too hardened to get what she meant...It made her sad. Thinking that, he looked familiar to her again, reminding her of the cubs she'd met. She watched at his tail, thinking in silence for a few moments before she looked at him again slowly.
"We've met before, haven't we....?" She asked quietly, watching him, and though she phrased it as a question, her eyes had a clarity and honest hope in them. She was sure she knew who he was. She was positive.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:08 pm
"You may, if you wish." His eyes opened again when he heard her move from her perch. It was ingrained in him to always be alert, so it would be difficult for him to let himself go even a bit for this rouse.
Boipelo shrugged noncommittally at the second question; he and his siblings had never really had the chance to 'play' growing up at least not in the sense she likely meant. Any play he had participated in was meant to train him in necessary skills for life and survival: hunting, tracking and such. Never purely for fun, though he had to admit some of those lessons had been fun.
She knew, she recognized him! That expression, her body language practically screamed it. Time to play it cool, then. His head tilted to the side as he watched her, considering his answer for a moment. "I do believe so, but its been a long time."
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:23 pm
Zalla stared at him a bit longer, then tears filled her eyes. She stood, moving closer to him. He really was one of the cubs she'd sent back into the Da'Lin lands, then? She looked him over again, as if trying to compare him to the cubs from before, searching for new scars or indications of his life after they'd met.
"You shouldn't be here....If the leader of this pride meets you again, I don't think he'll let you go this time..." Zalla looked around again, suddenly fearful for the male. "He only did so because you were a cub....But you're not a cub anymore, Pelo." She frowned, looking at him again in concern. "Do not put anymore pressure on your paw. The more you rest it, the faster we can leave...." She hopped back onto the log, dutifully scanning the horizon from all angles. She couldn't let Pelo be seen, or something bad could happen to him before he could explain....
She blinked, then looked down over the log, once again hanging upside down to see him. "Why did you come back to Zahina lands? Its dangerous for you here....If someone finds out who you are, you'd be in a lot of trouble!" She whispered, as if it were some kind of secret.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:04 pm
Boipelo had some scars, most were faint and barely noticeable a few were a bit fresher but would heal in time. Partly it was lessons and part was luck. He had managed to get along well thus far since their last meeting, most of his scars had come from slightly rough hunts.
"I wouldn't expect him to, I wouldn't expect any sort of kindness or reprieve from a Zahina lion." He snorted, inwardly he was sighing. "Being caught here isn't any worse than what awaits me there. Here, death possibly. There, death most certainly." Hopefully he wouldn't have to spell out where 'there' was.
"And technically I have already been caught. At least I stand a fighting chance here."
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:34 pm
Zalla blinked, then her eyes grew sad for him. She looked away, then sat up again and once more took up her watch. Her throat felt tight, though she wasnt sure why. She was sad for the boy, for having let him leave and for the life he'd obviously had to live through out there.
If he was running from his own family, from everything and everyone he'd known, then where did Pelo have left to go?
"You're not caught...You'd only be caught if someone who would forsake you found you out." She said softly, looking to her right with remorse for the life Boipelo had lived. "I will not forsaken you to the prides here. If you wish, you could have a new life here. You could have a home here. If you wished...."
But could he fit in here? Zalla wondered, glancing toward the ground and him. They were not the same as Da'Lin lions, were they? Had he possibly changed from the angry, violent cub? Could he have a life here, truly?
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:54 pm
Boipelo continued to watch her as she turned away again, apparently unable to look at him. He watched as her shoulders slumped. Zalla believed every word of what he said. It almost seemed too easy. Father was right, Zahina lions are quite soft.
"I would appreciate the help. What I do not need, however, is pity." He stood and ambled over to her side, careful not to put a lot of weight on his paw, settling himself down again just beside her. Perhaps he should give her the impression that he had softened some, that he wasn't some ruthless killer like she no doubt expected. "I have done what I needed to survive and have managed pretty well given the circumstances."
"I will just bide my time and see what happens, like usual." He grumbled a little as he made himself comfortable.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:18 am
Zalla smiled a little, watching him as he moved closer an tried to get himself into a more comfortable position. "We all do what we must to survive..." She agreed softly, before she looked away. "Perhaps you can find a home among the prides here. I'm sure they would like you, if they give themselves a chance to know you."
She herself was rethinking her quick assumption that all Da'Lin must be bad, to chase their own out as they had this male. Surely if he were only doing as he had to to survive, there must be others that felt trapped in their lives in Da'Lin lands as well. Perhaps they were only trying to see a way out, as Pelo and his brother had obviously been trying to do when they were cubs, and as Pelo now was doing as an adult. She wondered how his brother was, but surely asking now would only bring him pained memories... Zalla quietly stored the question away for later. When Pelo was ready to talk.
She smiled a bit at him then, her spirits a bit more bright. If he'd gotten away, she was sure his sibling's chances of escape had been good as well. Maybe he was already in Zahina lands, living a peaceful life as well. "I will not pity you, Pelo. You are a strong lion, that you have already come so far is proof of that. I will help you as I can, and whatever you need, I will try my best to help you with it." She vowed, flashing him a fanged grin. "I may not be much use for directions, but I can hunt just like the best of them. If you grow hungry, let me know."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:29 pm
"Even if they don't, I think I could manage here even better than I would've in Da'Lin lands. It is a bit less harsh here, than it is there after all." Boipelo watched her until she looked away, seeming uncomfortable so he turned his attention to his surroundings instead. It did seem rather nice here, now that he had more of a chance to look at his surroundings. Everything just looked so more alive than where he had grown up. Sure there was vegetation in Da'Lin lands but a lot of it was scraggly and unhealthy.
"Stay with me a while then, hn?" And with any luck by the time I'm 'healed' completely you won't want to leave. He smiled at her, doing his best to look charming again. "That way we can have a little tour around once I'm able to do more than hobble?" He truly did want to have a look around for as much sight seeing reasons as tactical ones. It couldn't hurt to know the lay of the enemy's land after all.
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:55 am
Zalla nodded in agreement, practically cuddling up to Pelo as she laughed. "Yea! I can show you all the places I like to go. There are warthogs and water buffalo, and a lot of other tasty creatures too. I can show you the best places to wait for them." At least, she could show him the places that had worked for her, once she figured out how to get back to the places.
"There are lots of shady areas too, to help keep the sun at bay when it is a clear and bright day." She looked to the sky, squinting a bit. "Kind of like today. I'm glad the log is here, or else we'd be roasted. But it's not too bad, since we always could roll in the mud to cool off." She looked at him excitedly, smiling. "I've seen warthogs and buffalo do it, so it's got to be a good method, right? But man, can you imagine trying to clean your fur afterwards?" She laughed again, shaking her head. "I would hate even trying, I think."
She suddenly fell quiet, then had the decency to look at Pelo in embarrassment. "If I...talk a bit to much, you can tell me to be quiet. Sometimes, I forget myself." She looked down, her ears back sadly. It wasn't often she had someone to talk to, at length, and when she did she was more often then not told to quite being so noisy and to do something useful instead of wasting breath. "I don't want to be a bother."
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:00 pm
Boipelo tensed when she moved closer and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He hadn't been this physically close to anyone (let alone a female) since he was a cub, when he used to sleep curled up with his brother Zesiro in the hopes that their divine siblings would leave them be during the night. Unfortunately, during his moment of awkwardness and confusion he had missed what Zalla was talking about for the most part. Silently he hoped she hadn't noticed.
"No, its alright. I'm usually alone too these days." The snake colored male inclined his head and gave her a friendly nudge on the shoulder. She mentioned trespassing a lot, which meant she was very likely a rogue. That was a lonely life, not all that unlike the life he had and continued to live. "Talk as much as you like, unless we're out tracking something. Wouldn't do to scare a meal away."
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:36 am
Zalla nodded, giving Pelo a smile. "I dont talk on hunts. I'd rather have a full belly, then a wagging tongue." She glanced at his paw, then started looking around again. "So far so good. We should probably wait here and move on when night falls, so that we won't be seen as easily by the resident pride."
She wasn't quite sure where they should actually go though. A lioness wandering through pride territories was one thing, but Pelo was a male and more then not, any prides they passed would think he was scouting for land. That could become an issue, if they weren't careful. Especially if someone figured out he was a Da'Lin.
Zalla looked at Pelo again, her eyes taking in his colors and marking, and the slight curl to the tips of his ears. Those ears could be the only thing that would tip someone off to his Da'Lin heritage, but so long as he did not act like a Da'Lin, those who had doubts would never have any proof.
"Pelo, do you still follow Da'Lin?" She asked softly, her wide and innocent eyes searching his features for truth. "Zahina rules here....If you wish for a peaceful life now, you can't bring your old God with you...." She hoped he wouldn't get angry at her for bringing it up, but worshiping an evil god in the lands of a sweet goddess like Zahina would be the first thing that could ruin Pelo's new existence here. She had had to ask.
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:21 am
Oh good. Seems she missed it.
Boipelo chuckled. "I worry only about survival. That leaves time for little else." It was a neutral answer really, one he hoped she would take it as a clear 'no'. There had been no hesitation or wavering in his voice to indicate otherwise. Da'Lin was wicked, sure, but he was also cunning and mischievous. There were other ways to win his favor, aside from the ways mentioned in bloodthirsty stories he had heard were told about the Da'Lin.
He peered around the surrounding area. It was odd that they had seen no border scouts from the pride whose doorstep they were practically on, or any others nearby for that matter. Were Zahina lions really so complacent in their own homes? It would be almost too easy for a group of Da'Lin to come to these lands and make a home here if that were true.
"And I agree, nightfall would probably be best. Maybe we can find a cave or something to pass some time in." His gaze drifted from the horizon, back to the lioness beside him. She was pretty for a Zahina, he supposed. It was a small wonder that soft colored coat of hers didn't make it hard to hunt. Though, perhaps if she were still enough and patient prey might mistake her for a patch of pretty flowers or something in passing?
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Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:08 am
Zalla accepted his answer with a silent nod, before she turned her attention away and looked around, again nodding slightly to his suggestion. A cave would be perfect for waiting out the daylight, and it would also provide them a way to protect their backs in case they had to fight. Zahina be willing, they wouldn't have to.
"I'm not quite sure where a cave might be around here. If we keep our eyes open, I'm certain we will find one though." She offered, her optimism showing in her bright and happy eyes. "There have to be some nice caves around for a den, and as long as we keep our eyes open and noses to the wind, we should be able to avoid any that might belong to someone we don't want to run into."
She looked at him seriously, then smiled again a bit. "Just make sure to stick close to the ground, and long grass if we can. You're a bit dark and if someone notices your coat, we should be able to pass as shadows if we're careful enough."
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Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 5:47 pm
"Shouldn't be a problem." Boipelo sat up and experimentally put some weight on his injured paw before shifting his weight paw to paw for a few moments. "It's still sore but I think I can walk for a while on it. We should get going now before the makes it way higher in the sky." He could do with a change of scenery and to get out of sight from the border for a while. The last thing he needed right now was a sibling to be following him, get funny ideas and wreck his masterful plan. Plus he didn't want to put himself or Zalla in any more danger than necessary right now.
What...no...I'm not worried about her. His expression turned sour for a moment before regaining its usual expression. Hopefully she'd mistake it for his paw bothering him. "What do you say?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:24 pm
Zalla nodded thoughtfully, then stood up as well. "I'm sure that will be alright, as long as you dont push yourself too hard." She didn't want to have to have an argument with him over his paw if he started limping again.
"If we head toward the west horizon, we should be heading toward where I live." She smiled a bit, then started walking, her head held high so she could keep a close look out for any sign of other lions in the area. "You can rest once we reach my den, and I will bring you something to eat while you let your paw have a break." She promised, glancing at him.
She couldnt help but wonder if he had a favorite food. Perhaps he'd like warthog? She didnt know if she could take a buffalo down alone, unless she could find a mother with a new calf. Even then... Thought darkened her expression for a moment before she shook it away and bounced ahead a few feet. "And after dinner, we can go star gazing! There are so many, you can never really count them all. I've tried." She laughed.
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