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 Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:51 pm
 How long had it been since she'd been back here?
It was a minor thought that drifted through the lionesses mind as she strolled nonchalantly through the short grasses that spurted out of the land, smiling at the renewed growth of the lands since her last visit and it's minor.... er...
incident.
It had been long ago, however, and not many in the lands now could remember the wild fire that had busted through there in a quick rush, and the damage had quickly repaired.. but..
she'd never expect it to look so fresh again in such a short amount of time.
Laughing, Leboya sat down on a large rock that gaped from the landscape, leaning over it's edge to survey the surrounding area in a sense of awe at how quickly nature could repair itself.
Simply amazing.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:08 pm
The afternoon was hot, hotter than Mati remembered it ever being. He panted as he trudged through the tall grasses, regreting having ditched Mikondo; his jackal caretaker had more use than the pup had thought.
With a sigh, the small grey dog flopped down under the cover of an overhanging rock. The shade was scant comfort, but at least the sun wasn't shining directly overhead...
The pup rested his head on his paws, then snickered to himself. Mikondo must have been horrified to realize his ward was missing. And his mother... he grinned.
The sound of soft paws on the stone over his head made him jerk to the present. The hair went up on his back, and he felt a burst of fear. But this is Momma's land! With a little growl he lept out of his hiding spot.
"Who're you?" A lion! Mati blanched, but stood his ground.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:14 pm
It seemed as thought he initial shock of company would hit more then just the pup, as Leboya's fur stuck up on her back out of surprise at the sudden voice, remaining in such a way as she looked around curiously forthe source of the voice, her eyes only drifting down towards the edge of the rock she sat on to see the rather.... well camoflodged, at least against the side of the rock, pup and chuckle a bit.
His mannerisms were of no surprise to the lioness, whom took no offense to the child's obvious distasted in her.
Shifting a bit, the jellyfish lioness grinned down at the pup.
"Oh? Are those proper manners, young one?" she inquired, her voice airy and playful, almost as if she were taking the pup without a threat.
"Wouldn't it instill more fear in me to hear the almight defender of the rocky-spot declare his name unto me before I cowardly reply with my own?" she then added, losing the amusement in her tone so the pup would take her joking words more seriously.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:38 pm
Well... maybe she wasn't so dangerous as he'd thought. She hadn't tried to eat him yet, and she was even talking to him! Mati puffed himself up and made the fur along his back stand up. It was a little difficult to look down his nose at a creature higher up than him, but he did his best. After all, he had to represent his pack.
However, the lioness' comment on manners rocked Mati back on his heels, and his mother's insistance on polite behavior instantly surfaced. He bowed his head, ears drooping slightly. Momma would be so dissapointed. "Sorry, ma'am."
He kept his eyes on her though, uncertain what she would do. Lions, he'd heard, were tricky. And if she was anything like that Leopard he'd met earlier... He focused back in on her words. Defender of the Rocky-spot?
Grey fur puffed out as he reclaimed his previous self-confidence. Mati's ears pricked and he assumed what he believed was a regal expression. "I'm Matima, son of Miremba. These are my Momma's land!" No matter what anyone thought, even that stupid Leopard. He eyed the lioness. "Purple is a funny color."
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 11:51 pm
Leboya nodded a bit. "There you go, much better. Your own name, then the request of another's name." she purred encouragingly, rather amused, though she kept it internally, by the pup's actions to keep himself looking as the 'king' of the pair. Which she didn't mind.
Best to respect that and not hurt his feelings.
"Ah! What a lovely name, both yours and your mothers." her interest was piqued by the mention of the lands being 'momma's', but nodded. "I see. She got claim to good land." she complimented. "Fine land, and a good son, keeping sure to let everybody know that they can't have it, it's taken."
"Well, I am Leboya. I am nobody's daughter, mother, or mate, and I am but a wandering rogue, here to simply admire, not take over."
Leboya looked down at her coat when Matima chimed that purple was an odd color, before laughing and brushing her fur down a bit.
"Ah, yes." she agreed, frowning a bit. "But is it my fault that nature blessed me with a 'funny color' for my coat?" she inquired.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:13 am
Mati beamed at Leboya's compliments. "Momma says we hafta protect our home!" He confided, "We've gotta protect..." a slight frown furrowed his brow as he fought for the correct words. "... protect our assets!" He grinned. That was it. He wasn't sure what assets were, but they must be important. Mati suspected they were hiding somewhere in the forest, but he hadn't found them yet.
With only a little scrambling he made his way up the slight slope and flopped down in the grass close to the lioness; fear forgotten, he gazed at her with unabashed curiosity. "You don't have a Momma, or puppies?" How strange. "I think everyone needs a Momma." The pup declared.
Up close he could see Leboya's markings, long swishy marks... like water! They were pretty, even if they were strange. Mati considered his own coat, remembering what Miremba had said about her last litter...
"No, it's not your fault." He wagged his tail. "I like it. Momma says my coat reminds her of the moon." The pup grinned. " Yours reminds me of water at sunset! All purple and swirly." He nodded.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:24 am
Leboya lounged on her side lazily, allowing the pup to draw closer and investigate her, while musing over his words. "Yes. All should protect their homes as they are enabled too. I fear some things cannot be protected against.. such as the plague.. and natural disasters."
The lioness looked at the pup and nodded. "So protecting your assets, home, and being able to help bounce-back after tragedy are all honorable traits to have, and would make for a good leader."
She frowned a bit at his un-gaurded question, before laughing a bit. "No. No momma, no puppies.." ,she decided she would play along with the use of the term 'puppies', as opposed to 'cubs', "no daddy, no brothers, no sisters. Nobody." she confirmed, before laughing aloud at his last statement.
"Yes. Everybody needs a momma, but unfortunately not everyone will have a momma, so that need I try to cater to."
The pup's wagging tail brought a strange, but very contented and happy feeling to the lioness, though it was not a trait that her own species bore, thus she nodded a bit. "Ah, yes.. your coat does indeed remind me of the moon as well, though there are many other things it reminds me off.." she paused, then looked at her coat again, laughing.
"Ah, but my own coat reminds me of the ocean, or at least a creature it bears, with it's long swirling legs which drift about as it floats through the water aimlessly..." Leboya got a dreamy look in her eyes, before she realized she was doing it again, and laughed. "Oops, looks like I'm getting off ahead of myself, little one."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 12:47 am
Mati chewed on a tall stalk of grass, contemplating her words. Her mention of tragedy and plague didn't escape his notice, and although he wasn't quite sure what those things were, he knew they were sad things. Leboya used the same tone his mother used when she was remembering her lost litter. Maybe this 'plague' was why the purple lioness didn't have any family.
"My Momma would take care of you!" He spoke around the stalk of grass, his voice slightly muffled. "She takes care of everyone." For a moment he was silent. "It's sad that you don't have a family. My family's all I have." The pup turned serious eyes on the lioness lounging next to him. "That's why I have to protect them."
Mati fidgeted, batting leaves with his small paws. "Momma told me she had another litter, but they were taken away." He sighed. "It's sad, isn't it? That things hafta go away." It made his chest hurt too, but he swallowed his saddness and forced a faint grin. "You should make a family! Then you wouldn't hafta be alone!"
The grin quickly became real as the pup's thoughts drifted further from his mother's loss. "I think you'd be a good momma, you're nice!"
Mati wondered what his coat reminded her of, but before he could ask Leboya launched into a story about strange things, and his attention was caught. "Ocean? Long legs?" He canted his head and regarded her curiously. "What are those?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:35 am
Leboya watched his actions carefully, smiling. He was a good kid, and she could see the gears in his head turning ever to subtly, as he tried to peice things that didn't make sense together.
"I'm sure she would, Matima, but alas, I'm also sure my prolonged presence here for more then a visit would bring along visitors that your mother wouldn't like. More of my kind, and some, I'm sure, who would be keen on taking this land over."
She frowned as the happy little pup spoke of his family being all he had, before sitting up again, looking at him curiously, while subconviously grooming a paw. "But it's nice to have little things like that to protect, it gives life meaning, over searching for a reason. You do well, little one." she encouraged.
Her train of thought quickly disappated into thin air, when he suggested she'd make a good mother. "Oh?" she pondered this for a mom ent, before smiling again and nodding. "Well, I'm sure that if you think so, I must be so." she thought.
... She'd never actually given realy thought about having a litter before... maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
His inquiry about the ocean made her smile before nodding.
"Ocean. Big body of water." she explained. "And legs are these.." she lifted one of her own. "It's go lotsa these..."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:34 pm
Mati frowned slightly, ears dropping a degree. "Other of your kind? Do you mean lions?" With a quick look around, as though fearing being overheard, the pup leaned forwards and whispered conspiritorily, "Momma says I shouldn't go near lions. She says they're dangerous." He sat back and looked Leboya over. "But you're not dangerous, are you?"
He'd only seen one or two lions in his whole life; a few Jeuri had shown the pups, and then Leboya. If they were all as dangerous as Momma and Jeuri insisted, then this purple lady woulda eaten him already. But now Leboya was telling him they were dangerous? "And Momma an' Jeuri wouldn't let them take over. We would protect our land!"
Even as he spoke, a faint doubt sparked in the back of his mind. They were so big, with huge teeth and claws... The pup nodded to himself. He would have to be careful.
"An' I know what legs are!" Mati grinned and wiggled his own slate grey limbs. "I was wonderin' what creatures lived in the... ocean. Ones that look like you, I guess, huh?" He tried to imagine Leboya floating through the water and snickered.
The grass was warmed in the sun, and his eyes felt heavy. Mati rolled over on his side, batting absently at a flowering stem. "It must be nice to see so many strange things..."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 8:01 pm
Leboya smiled at the pup's curiousity, nodding. "Yes.. lions are my kind.. unfortunately, all of us are adheared to the name that a few lions have given us with their brutality.. and I'd hate to be the cause of a conflict between two species over a misunderstanding.."
When the pup inquired as to if she were dangerous, Leboya shook her head."No.. I don't attack those whom leave me be. I am simply a defender."
The lioness sniffed towards the limbs that were being wiggled about, laughing amusedly at his antics, before nodding. "Ah yes, but you did seem rather confused about it, little one.." she explained, purring, before flopping back down onto her side.
"It's... decent enough to see odd things out and about in nature, persay, but somethings...
you...
well.. you prefer to not get attacked by some things you prefer them dead, such as the creature I resemble.. in life, it's legs have stingers which can be lethal..." she explained, nodding.
"But there are other things, that I would think you'd love t'see.."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:30 pm
"Well, I certainly prefer you alive!" The pup assured her, wagging his small tail. Who would want her dead? As far as he knew, the only good dead things were things you needed to eat. Everything else, as long as it didn't bite, like a snake - Mati grimaced - was fine. In fact, it would be a rather sad and boring world if everything were gone...
He rolled over and lay on his back, paws in the air, content to watch the sky and the few bugs that he could see flitting above the tall grass. "When I'm older, I'm gonna see the ocean, and the stinging legs." But he wouldn't touch them, not if they hurt. Bees were bad enough! "But I can't go too far; Momma needs help with --"
"Matima!" A voice tainted with more than a little irritation floated across the rocky plain. Although the speaker could not be seen, a fair amount of movement in the grass indicated he'd spotted his prey; Mati froze.
"Quick!" The grey pup scrambled to his feet and sprinted behind the purple lioness. "Hide me!" Mikondo was gonna be so mad at him! Mati could almost hear his lecture now; Your mother will hear about this, young one! Not only do you run away from your guardian, but I find you speaking with a lion! "I'll never hear the end of it if he finds me!"
Mati's head peaked out from around Leboya, eyes wide as he spotted a little blue jackal making his way determinedly towards the pair.
Stupid little puppy! Mikondo grumbled to himself as he stomped his way through the high grasses. He'd only closed his eyes for a minute back there; the sun had felt so good on his tired body, and Mati seemed preoccupied with a grasshopper. Apparently he was wrong.
I suppose this kid will require a closer eye from now on. He sighed. Damn it. No more naps. I liked it better when he was still an infant.
Well, that was life, and the price of saftey in a pack. So be it. The kid wasn't so bad, as they went. In fact, the grey pup was full of suprises... like today. Meeting with a lioness? Good thing she was friendly. Miremba would have a fit. If she finds out...
"Hello, Lady." The blue jackal bowed his head slightly, then met the lioness' red eyed gaze. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted his ward dissapearing behind the purple flank. "No chance you've seen my charge around here lately, hmm? Small kid, grey and white?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:51 pm
Leboya smiled as the pup pipped up that she was a more preferrable living being, as opposed to a mass that just layed there. That was good. However, the sudden jolt of changing locations seemed to confuse the lioness, whom hadn't thought of the possibility of this little one having a gaurdian with him.
She laughed a bit as Mai hid behind her, wrapping her tail about his paws absent mindedly, before bowing her head to the jackel that approached the pair, obviously amused by the entire thing.
"Hello there!" she chimed cheerfully, bowing her head to him respectively, before pretending to mull over if she'd 'seen' the pup he asked about or not. "Oh?" she blinked, before considering it for a moment.
"I'm sorry, my friend, but I cannot tell you if I've seen any of your description or not, you see, I am blind, and thus all I can tell you is what I have heard and smelt.." she explained, though she herself knew it was a lie, being blind, who was gonna call her on that?
Besides, this way she could let the pup have his fun, as well as not exactly well... lie anyworse then she already had.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:37 pm
Mati scrunched himself down behind the purple lioness as though seeking to be absorbed by the grasslands themselves. Momma would be so dissapointed! Maybe if he told her he was defending their lands, she wouldn't be mad? If she met Leboya, she would know that the lioness wasn't dangerous. But Leboya wouldn't go back with him...
He huffed a small sigh, but managed to smile. Well, it had been fun while it lasted. He'd have other chances to slip away from Mikondo and --
What? Mati almost gave away his position by blurting out a question. Leboya was lying for him? The grey pup's smile grew into a maw stretching grin. This was fun! Mikondo would never find him now!
Mikondo eyed the lioness, uncertain of how to proceed. He was fairly sure she wasn't blind; after all, she'd returned his own bow. That wasn't something you could smell... was it?
But maybe he understood this game... and perhaps he could still keep himself out of trouble with Miremba. If Matima learns he can get away with sneaking off, he'll do it more often, you know. Yeah, true. But that was the future, and the future be damned! Mikondo sat in the grass and lazily scratched behind one ear. He'd deal with the present first, before worrying about possibilities.
"I see, lady. My apologies." Mikondo considered his next words. "Well... in that case, would you mind giving him a message?" Without waiting for an affirmative, he plowed forwards. He raised his voice, certain that the hidden pup was listening. "Tell Mati that Mikondo was here, and that I won't tell his mother on him, his adventures - for today - will be free from reprimand." He paused. "But remind him, it's getting late."
The blue jackal fixed her with a nonchalant, slightly amused gaze. "That is, if you happen to ... erm, smell him nearby." With a grin and a second bow, Mikondo got to his feet and padded away. He made sure his path was clear and slow, just in case.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:45 pm
The lioness grinned and nodded. "Ah, yes.. I'll be sure to pass on the message, should I meet up with your little companion." she replied, a twinkle in her eyes. Ah yes, this one knew how to play the game well, and was pleased by it, as it was rare for her to even play the game, less someone else go along with it.
"Of course. All young ones should skitter off back home when it gets late, I'm sure." she added in agreement, making a good point to not say anything stupid to give herself away, watching the Jackel walk away, before flopping onto her side, still blocking the pup from his gaurdian's protective view, before whispering so only he could hear;
"... Well I think that went rather well, no?" she inquired, before giggling into her paws.
She'd done a rather convincing job of acting blind... or at least -she- thought so.
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