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 Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:59 pm
Heat was one of many things that a person (or lion, in this case) got used to. It was an irritation that could be accustomed to, it was a hindering factor only for a little while. But even those most used to the heat would inevitably succumb to the temperatures as they steadily rose. In the hottest time of the year, it was unbearable.
On days like today, it was barely bearable. Especially for a grouchy old lioness.
Of course, Snaedis wouldn't mind being called old. Or grouchy, even, on usual days. It meant that cubs and lions and other lionesses would leave her well enough alone, to do what she wanted as a rogue lioness. She was free to hunt for herself, do things her way, not be stuck under the thumb of a lazy lion. Screw nature and it's ways. She would look out for herself.
Today was one of those bareably bearable days, and Snaedis found herself more irritable than usual. Even the insults that she'd so openly embraced had started wearing on her nerves, even though she had herself been the one saying them. "A little shade would suffice." She growled, glaring at the skies that were so unforgiving. Lying in the grass wouldn't shade her well enough.
But around the watering hole she was heading to, there were trees to snooze under. Finding one such tree, the lioness plopped down unceremoniously and rested her paws over her eyes. A nap would be lovely, she'd sleep away until it was night time and much, much cooler out. Hopefully.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:53 pm
Certainly, the heat was brutal today. Any smart young lion would be somewhere sheltered and cool to stave off the worst of it.
The operative word here being smart.
The heavy air made Hibana's fur stick unpleasantly to her skin, but of course she didn't really notice much. There were more important things at hand for a knowledgable cub such as herself - such as teaching her new baby brother about the Zahina Plains.
"These are furplee flowers. They're my favorite 'cause they're so pretty. And that's a cloud - looks kind of like a fish, doesn't it! - and that's a... a... a whatchamacallit bird. On a bush." Rather uncharacteristically, her essential lecture was broken by a pause every now and then to glance back at the younger cub. Alcarin seemed happy enough, certainly, watching everything and nodding solemnly as she spoke. But he still wouldn't say anything! Just give him time, Bai Shan had said when she asked, worried something important might be wrong with her new sibling. He'll speak when he's ready. She didn't understand it at all. The cub sighed a little to herself, then continued on, the doubt flickering back out of her eyes.
"Those are the Whispering Mountains." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Bai Shan says they're a thousand million bajillion feet tall and freezing cold, but I don't believe him. And this is a whirligig, and... Oh hey! Trees!"
It was such a good thing that Alcarin had a big sis like her around, wasn't it? Otherwise how would he get along?
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:54 pm
When Hibana suddenly announced that morning that she was taking him out exploring, Alcarin had been all too happy to acquiesce. The telltale heat haze shimmering on the horizons promised a hot day to come, and sitting around panting with his family was certainly less desirable-sounding than being out and moving around where he might catch a breeze or two. Maybe they could even find the watering hole without his sister getting lost, or a mud wallow would do at a pinch.
And right now the cub really was enjoying himself. The air was fresh - more or less, if you ignored the stifling waves of heat rolling over them - the day was in its prime, and he had someone who was perfectly content filling him in on everything in sight without him needing to ask. Whether her information was any more accurate than what his own eyes and ears could tell him was debatable, of course. And he might have pointed out if he'd been able that he had seen most of these things already on their journey from the temple, but she was enjoying herself and it did him no harm.
He had noticed the trees, and the welcome scent of water on the air besides, long before she did, and was already padding toward them in no little relief at the prospect of shade. They weren't quite close enough yet to see the lioness lounging grumpily under one of those trees, but he did catch the faint scent of... something... besides water, and nudged his sister to warn her to be careful. She paid no attention, as always.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:19 am
For once, the elusive lioness had been so utterly involved with herself (her rant, actually, as it were...), that the sounds of approaching somethings hadn't registered in her mind, though they did drift to her ears. The scent didn't come to her until the cubs were much closer, and then she frowned and lifted her head, turning it every which way to see what was coming. From her position, Snaedis couldn't see anything because of her spot beneath the tree trunk, and so instead of rising to go check it out... She stayed where she was, the lazy lump. Snaedis wasn't giving this spot up for anyone.
She did, however, find herself sitting up more, her head raised up in what was supposed to be a dominating position even as she laid flat on her stomach. The heat was making her lazy, she knew and recognized this, but damned if she couldn't be lazy for a little while. It didn't take much for Snaedis to find a reason to get up and investigate, however. She was also thirsty, and it wouldn't do harm to go those few extra feet and take a drink from the watering hole. She could always go back to her spot after, and it'd satiate her curiosity about what was coming up on her. So, rising from her stomach and taking a brief minute to shake off any of the dust that had settled on her pelt, Snaedis strode casually to the watering hole.
Once she was at the edge of the pool, Snaedis looked around again, nose twitching to try and pick up that scent. Whatever it was was close, and she was in plain sight now. Either it'd be frightened away, or it'd be big enough to frighten her away. She hoped desperately for the latter, it was too hot to find another place to lie in the shade.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:51 pm
The sight of those trees had finally reminded Hibana just how hot and dusty it really was today. But, tail swishing amiably from side to side, the high-spirited cub still managed to find the energy for a skip in her step as the two headed for the shade.
Speaking of which, what was Alcarin doing, anyway? He kept nudging her and trying to catch her eye. Probably had a rock in his paw pad or something. Finally she did turn to him and demand, not unkindly, "What is it? Are you hurt or something?" He opened his mouth... shook his head in exasperation, and kept on going.
Hmph. It was probably nothing anyway. That was when Hibana realized they had reached the trees - and water! - and that they were not the only ones who had done so.
"Oh!" she said, and stopped dead. It had been a long time since she had seen any other lions besides her family - and that pretty lady and her companion at the temple, of course, but they didn't really count 'cause they were special. She wondered if this lioness would be as fun as Anya had been - in between those bath things everyone had kept giving her, anyway. Belatedly the cub remembered to close her mouth, and that some sort of greeting was in order here. "...Hello!"
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:21 pm
Yes... It smelled like lion, he was almost certain. But it was so obviously no use trying to get Hibana to notice; he'd have to wait for her to do so on her own. Alcarin was good at waiting, though. The moon chased the sun across the sky, the wind and clouds paused for no lion, and things would happen as they were bound to with or without the interference of an insignificant little cub, had been the first thing he learned.
But as his straining eyes finally saw the shadows beneath a tree disengage themselves and pad over to the water, and then the form began to resolve itself into that of a lioness at their approach, the cub was overtaken by a sudden fit of shyness. Moon and sun, wind and cloud were all well and good, but he had never had to deal with strangers before.
He casually sidled behind his sister where he could watch this new lioness without being the focus of attention. Her pale white fur must have been much cooler than that of the two dark cubs, though any lion would surely be feeling the heat by this time of day. What would she think about being approached by two cubs alone? She was facing away from them, but her bearing seemed confident and sure.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:18 pm
Confident and sure, Alcarin had been correct about. That was Snaedis in a few words. Confident and sure of herself and whom she was. A rogue lioness who obviously took good care of herself, since she wasn't malnurished in any way. The scent of the cubs came to her and was recognized a second too late, because it was deftly followed by a greeting from one of the cubs standing behind her. Shoulders barely concealing a cringe of irritation at being discovered and bothered, Snaedis glanced over her shoulder at them with a deadpan expression.
Cubs on their own. Why did that strike a chord in the ornery lion's heart? She raised one eyebrow at the cub who had addressed her, noting belatedly that the other seemed to be hiding behind the more confident cub, and snorted, rolling her icy blue eyes. She lowered her maw back to the lake and drank, not bothering to address the cubs. They'd go find their parents or learn that they were alone and survive, whatever their story was.
Though, as she thought about it, curiosity blossomed. Were they alone, or simply curious enough to venture out on their own? Were they siblings or simply friends? Maybe runaways from a pride that had nothing to keep them there? Her imagination, while usually kept in check, ran abound with the many possibilities. But one thing stood firmly in her mind: They were cubs, and they weren't alone. They had themselves, she hadn't had that. They were lucky.
After taking her drink, she glanced back at the cubs, and rolled her eyes a little. They hadn't vanished like she'd hoped they would, proving they were either smart enough to bolt or mirages brought on by the heat. So, finally, the lioness spoke. And it was in a dry and bored tone. "Hello."
What a chatterbox, huh?
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:58 pm
Hibana waited patiently as the lioness looked back at them, snorted dismissively, and then went back to her drink. Well, not quite patiently; her fire-tipped tail twitched a little at the end, and she finally half-turned to see what Alcarin was up to. How in the world did he think he was going to see anything properly from right behind her like that?
"You don't have to be afraid," she whispered to the younger cub, though undoubtedly it was clearly audible to the lioness. "She's not gonna hurt you." Although... that had been a really odd look the other had given her there, as if two little cubs weren't worth a second of her time.
...Nah, it was probably nothing. She must just be really thirsty; that was why she hadn't said anything back yet.
But her momentary hesitation vanished like a pricked bubble at the other's acknowledgment of them, never mind the tone or the wait. "Hello!" Hibana said happily, forgetting for the moment that she had already said that. "I'm Hibana, and this is my brother Alcarin. What's your name? Do you live around here too?" She bounced up and down a little on her paws with excitement as she waited for an answer. It was always fun meeting new lions, and this one looked like she'd been all over the place and had tons of stories to tell.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:02 pm
He huffed a little and shuffled his feet, embarrassed by his sister's oh-so-obvious cajoling. Alcarin wasn't afraid, exactly. Just... suitably cautious. The meaning of the way she looked at them had not escaped him: they were in no way wanted here. And Hibana was perfectly happy taking the lead, so why not let her?
But if Tiernay were here... He certainly wouldn't care about the lioness' attitude. Alcarin's brother didn't let anyone tell him what to do if he didn't want to, and they had as much right as her to be here, after all. He heaved a sigh and moved so he wasn't quite so obviously behind the other cub, though still hung a little behind to stay out of the spotlight. His bright eyes studied the lioness' reaction to Hibana's exuberant greeting curiously. Somehow he doubted she much went in for happy little cubs.
But she wouldn't actually hurt them or anything. Right?
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:32 am
Snaedis had heard the whispering from the female cub, but her hearing wasn't so good as to pick up what was said. Only that something was. She snorted under her breath, rolling her eyes at the cubs, and kept drinking. It was a welcome relief to the heat, the sudden cool of the water.
Acknowledging the cub had to be the worst mistake ever, Snaedis quickly decided. She talked. Fast. Snaedis's nose wrinkled up, and she took a step back from the cubs, narrowing her eyes at Hibana in particular. The other cub hadn't said a word, there was no necessary need to acknowledge him with the same distaste as his sister since he hadn't said something stupid. She curled her lip into a sneer, and rolled her eyes. "You talk too much." She said bluntly, rolling her eyes at the cub.
But what harm could come from giving her name? It wasn't as if Snaedis was connected to anything (or anyone, for that matter). She decided on a whim to humor the cub. Maybe it'd make her go away all the quicker. "My name is Snaedis." She said after a momentary pause, lifting a brow at the cub and taking another small step back. It wasn't apprehension that made her do this, it was... well. She liked her personal space, that's all. Cubs didn't make her apprehensive, they were tiny! The last question ran around in circles in her head, until finally... "I wander." She said finally, glancing at Alcarin and frowning. "Hyena got your tongue?" It was blunt, it was meant to be serious, but it came out kind of like a joke.
This would not make the cubs go away, she decided.
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:56 pm
Well, that hadn't been quite what she was expecting. Hibana stopped bouncing and simply stared for a moment, not sure what to say. It was slowly starting to filter through her naive outlook that perhaps this lioness was not the most ideal one they could have have met. And sure, she knew she talked a lot...
...in a vague sort of way...
But nobody had ever come out and said it like that. She finally mustered another friendly grin from her boundless supply. "I have to do the talking for two of us, don't I? Maybe you just don't talk enough." After all, Tiernay had been such a grouchy cub when she first met him. But Bai Shan had made her be nice to him anyway, and he was lots of fun now. So maybe if she just kept at it here... But this lioness wasn't really giving her anything to work with!
"That's a pretty name," she finally offered, unconvincingly. But the next thing Snaedis said made her instantly forget her misgivings again - and that the lioness didn't seem to like her talking too much. Of course, it never took much with the optimistic juvenile. "You dooo?" It was what she'd been hoping for, and without meaning to Hibana took a few steps forward in her excitement. "So does Bai Shan! Or at least, he used to, before he met me. What kinds of places have you been to? Oh, and he doesn't talk much." That last was thrown in as an answer to Snaedis' question about her brother.
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:32 pm
Even though he was half-expecting something along those lines, Alcarin was surprised to find his first reaction to the lioness' blunt statement was along the lines of, Who does this lioness think she is? She was just trying to be friendly. But his analytical side took over quickly; it wasn't his place to make judgments, and they didn't know anything about this lioness. And after all, it wasn't like anyone could deny that his sister could be... well, a bit of a chatterbox.
Besides, it was kind of funny the way the older cub's mouth was opening and shutting like a fish, lost for words for once in her life.
But why should Snaedis be slowly backing away from them? He hadn't taken her for the easily scared type, and her words seemed to fit that. The cub was so used to living with five other lions close at paw that he couldn't really understand her aversion. He shook his head at the lioness' question, a tentative grin cracking his muzzle before he could stop it. Was that trying to be a joke? It wasn't a very funny one, but it broke the tension for him, in a way. He couldn't help but look a little abashed when Hibana had to explain for him, though.
Of course, if Snaedis thought his sister alone talked too much, it was probably a good thing that Alcarin didn't talk at all...
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:29 am
Pleased with herself for having stopped Hibana from bouncing around like a flea, Snaedis arched an eyebrow at the cub. She seemed to be figuring that maybe Snaedis wasn't the best conversationalist. At least, she'd thought so, until she saw that friendly grin. What did she have, an infinite supply of them? Rolling her eyes a little, she snorted. "I don't." She said bluntly, but she didn't seem all that remorseful for not talking much. "Maybe you talk too much, so he--" She nodded to Alcarin. "--doesn't have to." She glanced over at Alcarin.
Maybe mentioning that she wandered wasn't the best plan. Whatever she did, this hopeful little cub turned it around on her. She rolled her eyes a little. "Nowhere." She said casually, looking around. "I've been nowhere." That was a blatant lie, and she wondered if the cub would pick up on it. Snaedis caught the tentative grin on Alcarin's face, and smirked at him. At this moment, she did prefer Alcarin to Hibana. But that was because he didn't talk. Pretending you weren't in the company of two cubs was much easier when they didn't speak.
Thinking back to the cubs being out here to begin with, though, she couldn't help but ask... "Don't you have a pride?" Snaedis was one who automatically assumed that cubs belonged in a pride, however small. It was natural for her. It seemed like lots of lions were in prides. Not that she'd cave and join one, oh no. "It's dangerous here." It was dangerous anywhere, really, but the watering hole drew a lot of predators. Although in this heat, how anyone could get to the watering hole through it was questionable. Still, warning the cubs seemed like a way to chase them back home. If they were smart, anyway.
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Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:09 pm
"Oh no, I talked a bunch before he came around too," Hibana admitted, laughing a little sheepishly. Her tail flicked out, its tufted end brushing across Alcarin's face mischievously.
"Nowhere? I haven't heard of that place." A land even Bai Shan, who knew practically everything there was to know, didn't know about? She looked at the lioness with awe. "Are there lions there too? ...Oh!" The adolescent's ears flattened in abashment. But that couldn't be right. "How can you have been nowhere? You're right here, and you must've been other places too."
"No, but we're starting one!" Hibana exclaimed. She couldn't wait, too. They were going to be lots of new lions around when that happened, like Snaedis. Hopefully most of them were not quite like Snaedis, a tiny voice inside her said. She glanced back at her little brother, then said, hesitating somewhat, "You could join us if you want. I bet you'd like Bai Shan."
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Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:11 pm
Or maybe he didn't talk because Hibana talked so much. The little cub didn't know, but as he snapped playfully at his sister's tail as it passed, Alcarin tucked away the idea for later, when he could think in peace.
He couldn't help but snort outright at Hibana's innocent question, though, and from her sudden realization she must have heard him. Alcarin was willing to bet she hadn't even heard the part about it being dangerous here. Hah! She was probably sure that if danger did rear its ugly head, she'd just come at it with teeth and claws outstretched like something out of their father's stories.
Snaedis' answering smirk, though of dubious friendliness, emboldened him enough to stare at her directly, instead of sneaking sidelong glances when she was focused on Hibana. She did seem safe enough - more or less.
But looking at the lioness with water still dripping from her dark-spotted muzzle, the cub suddenly became aware again of the way his tongue felt thick and swollen in the dryness of his mouth. They had originally come this way in search of something to drink, after all. He swallowed thickly, trying not to show his fatigue and thirst in front of the other, and ducked his head again.
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