Feigned Freedom

Posts : 127 Pride Points : 470173 Join date : 2012-01-09

The jungle was distant from the other kingdoms, with most of its northern border touching neutral territory. It worked out well for the Lowlanders' hunters, who lacked large game in their own home, because no one was able to claim some of the middle lands or the prey that migrated through it. Seldom did Nyota encounter her neighbors, not even on the savannnah, but it was rare that she ever left the jungle. Today was a new day, and the queen was on her own.

It was the only opportunity Nyota had to leave her own kingdom. She was not normally a member of the hunting party, but that day, she had left the jungle behind for a few short hours. Her excuse to her followers was that she was scouting for herds, but in truth, the young queen had been feeling particularly restless. Recent encounters with rogues with the liberty to come and go as they pleased had planted she seed of discontent in the lioness, and though she still loved her jungle home, there was a growing part of her that was curious about what lay beyond -- and who.

The brown pelted lioness had never met a lion within her own pride that interested her in the slightest. She had always been more friendly with the other females around her, but they wouldn't be giving the queen an heir any time soon. It wasn't that Nyota was looking for anyone, but the thought had occurred to her that perhaps she was missing something by not venturing out beyond the borders. Today, she had managed to go further than she had ever gone before, and the terrain was entirely unfamiliar now. A rush of excitement filled Nyota now, a new sense of freedom she had never experienced before leading her onward through the savannah. Deep down, she knew she would have to go back. She had duties, others who relied on her, but for the moment, she pretended the responsibilities didn't exist back in the jungle.

Posts : 101 Pride Points : 468619 Join date : 2012-01-25

The grass was getting browner, and the waters were drying up. It seemed each day a drought was settling in. The herds would be moving on, and Ismahel was doing something very risky. He was hoping to hunt something and drag it through the Shadowlands, without being caught, and take it back to the Coldlands. No doubt the other lions would smell the scent of the kill and try to take it from him, but that was the risk he would take to try to bring his pride some food. He had duties to do, but his pride had dwindled down to almost nothing. He had not many responsibilities and nothing urgent for him to do, except for hunt of course.

The large lion padded through, again realizing the disadvantage of being pure white. He would have a more difficult time sneaking up on prey. Either way, it seemed prey was no where to be found and instead he spotted a lioness not too far away. She had a pelt of brown and he was certain he had never seen her before. While he wanted to go up and speak with her, he was not sure if she was aggressive and wary, or if she was a sociable lioness. She seemed to just be enjoying the view, from what Ismahel could tell anyways. He made his way toward her, but decided to try to get into her sights so he could best address her. "Greetings, stranger." He said, well, it was not going to hurt to flirt a little, right? "What brings a pretty lioness such as yourself out here?" He inquired, keeping his head high and trying to let the sun shine upon his snowy white pelt. Of course, he was not going to get pushy, just a little innocent flirting was all. Ismahel had great respect for lionesses, but who could blame him for trying?

Posts : 127 Pride Points : 470173 Join date : 2012-01-09

The afternoon's silence was interrupted suddenly by the baritone voice of a lion, and Nyota started with surprise. The scenery had been so distracting, she hadn't detected his presence, and it was a mistake that could have easily proven fatal. She easily spied the unusual lion approaching, and a brow arched curiously to see something so unusual. She was a lioness not accustomed to being addressed so casually, but she consciously held back an expression of surprise, instead casting the pure white male a quizzical look. As a cub, she had heard stories of lions as white as the moon, spirits who wandered the land of the living after they had died. Her mismatched eyes could see easily that this lion was as real as the nose on her face, and his presence brought an amused grin to her muzzle. Certainly, none of the lions in the jungle had the courage to flirt with the young queen, and this was a new concept to Nyota, who seemed unsure of how to react.

"I was looking for the herds, naturally. And yourself?" The white lion stuck out like a sore thumb on the savannah, but Nyota was intrigued. His blue eyes seemed all the more bright against his snowy fur, and it was unlike anything the lioness had ever seen before. She couldn't help but stare as she asked another question, before falling silent to allow him a chance to answer. "Are you from one of the local prides?" There was a good chance he was a rogue, given his presence in the neutral territories, but in truth, the young queen hadn't met any of her neighbors.

Posts : 101 Pride Points : 468619 Join date : 2012-01-25

Well, at least he had not scared her off. Had Ismahel known she was a queen, he certainly would have approached her differently. A smile was upon his own maw. She seemed like a nice enough lioness in that she had not attacked him or anything. Well, he would admit that she was quite pretty. Perhaps she was timid? It had been silent for him as well until he had laid his blue eyes upon her, and he had broken the silence with his own voice. Oh well, sometimes silence was meant to be broken. The spirits knew that he had as much silence as he could handle, and more than he could not really handle.

"The same pretty much." He responded. Despite being as white as snow, he still found ways of hunting. The next question had come and he nodded his head, "Allow me to introduce myself, m'lady." He said, giving a dip of his head toward her, "I am Ismahel, and I am the king of a pride in near the Shadowlands. May I ask for your name?" He inquired of her. After all, were not the Coldlanders supposed to be a rumored pride or something? He was not sure. Perhaps it was time that the mountains be made known unto the other prides. Unfortunately, Ismahel was not really the type to want to get involved in pride politics, but knew that as a king, he may one day have to.

Posts : 127 Pride Points : 470173 Join date : 2012-01-09

"King?" She had never met another monarch, save for members of her own regal family, and her curiosity was piqued. Finally, away from the jungle vines and ferns, she had met a lion of her equal, and her smile widened. "What is the name of your pride, sire?" The last word rolled off her tongue, the irony not lost on at least one of the two. She didn't move any closer to the unique white lion, instead sitting a few feet away, eyes examining his snowy pelt once again. He had inquired about her own name, and Nyota paused before giving a response. Ismahel had made no secret about his own title, but the jungle queen questioned whether or not it would be wise to reveal her truth in return. There was no telling how he would react to the idea of a kingless kingdom, or an unprotected queen out alone. She didn't want to give Ismahel any ideas.

"My name is Aida," she lied coolly, recalling the name of a childhood friend who had died years ago. He hadn't asked where she was from, but she offered the information anyway, which was also not quite true. "I am a rogue, originally from the jungle, far from the mountains. How strange that we would find each other, both so far from our homes, but from opposite directions." Their territories didn't touch, were not even close to each other, and the chances of the two ever meeting were highly unlikely, and yet there they were. Nyota was not one to believe in mere coincidence, having always had faith in the guidance of the Spirit of Life, and she wondered what the meaning of their encounter would be. Each of the prides had their own interpretation of the Great Spirit, but most believed essentially the same concept.

Posts : 101 Pride Points : 468619 Join date : 2012-01-25

Ismahel had felt he had nothing to fear with revealing who he is. Besides, he was hoping it would help woo the lady, but it did not seem his intent would be reached. He had asked for her name, and there was a little silence before she responded. "Oh, that is an answer for another day." He simply responded but went quiet again when he heard her name and where she lived nearby. Perhaps she should not have told him that she was a rogue, for it widened the smile upon his maw, "A rogue, hm? Perhaps you could return to my pride with me?" He suggested. It was true, his pride was empty and he could use some lionesses there. It was only for the strong though, was she strong enough?

The white lion had no idea that she was lying through her teeth about herself. Now he genuinely thought he had stumbled upon a rogue with no home, "It's very out of the way, very safe. No one foolish would want to go up there." He said, though there was the fact it did not have much food, but very seldom will a herd of Gemsbok or Antelope come through there, which would be the small amount of food they would need. Ismahel has killed some primates before. He sometimes hated to do it, but when a lion was hungry, they had to eat. He was hoping to catch something small here in order to return to his pride. His goal was to constantly be stashing food away, and working to find things to store so the Coldlands will not have to worry so much about finding food.

Posts : 127 Pride Points : 470173 Join date : 2012-01-09

Return to his pride? Was this some veiled invitation to become a member of the harem he undoubtedly had back home? The lion seemed to enjoy the notion that she was a rogue, and Nyota bit back her amusement to continue her charade. "Oh, I don't know," she said, appearing thoughtful as if she would truly consider his offer. "My independence is very important to me, you see."

The situation was very unusual, but Nyota kept a poker face the entire time, not allowing any visual clues to surface that she was being dishonest. In spite of her claims to be a simple rogue, she was well spoken, head held high with a nobility that could not be unlearned. Her height was average for a lioness, but a lifetime spent climbing jungle trees had created a strong, muscular frame. She sat, seemingly comfortable in the snowy king's presence now as her tail curled around her body.

"I will admit, the lifestyle can be lonely at times." Now, the lioness had let a bit of truth slip out. Life was lonesome for the coffee colored lioness, but not because she lived a life of solitude. She wasn't especially close to any of her subjects, they all respected the young queen too much to be playful or joke around with her, let alone flirt. The white lion before her looked young as well, probably close to her own age, and it struck her as odd that his kingdom would have such a young leader.

Posts : 101 Pride Points : 468619 Join date : 2012-01-25

"I quite understand that." He said, "Lionesses have it easier. They can hunt well on their own." He responded, well, it was worth a shot. Drawing his back legs beneat him, as she had sat down, Ismahel also sat with his tail curled around his back leg. At least he was able to speak with one lioness now, even if she was not going to return to the pride with him. The climate was harsh and unforgiving anyway, and only the strong survived there. Blue eyes looked to her as she mentioned that the life-style could get very lonely at times, "I imagine it would, not being in the safety of a pride. My pride has been barren for a while now. The lionesses mostly left after the death of my father. I don't think they could handle the young, new, king." He said, remembering how mournful the lionesses were and how, one by one, sometimes two by two, they had began to leave. Some had just out-right died from the cold, but he was not about to tell her that.

Posts : 127 Pride Points : 470173 Join date : 2012-01-09

Nyota listened with a curious grin as Ismahel spoke of the natural hunting talents of the females of their species. An impressed look in her eye, her gaze fell obviously to the muscular frame of the lion. "Surely a lion as strong as yourself is a fine hunter. If you say otherwise, I simply won't believe you." There was a playful look in her mismatched eyes as she complimented the male. Was this flirting? She was uncertain, but it was fun regardless, and she found herself grinning naturally.

Now she learned the reason he had been so casual to invite the lioness into his pride: he didn't have a harem at all, the females had left the pride once he ascended the throne. This was an interesting fact. Did the lionesses find their new king to be untrustworthy? Or just plain unworthy? Nyota was impressed with his physique, regardless of this thought, not to mention his unusual snowy pelt. Could she handle the young, new king herself? She was intrigued by him, from coal black nose to the tip of his tail. "I see. The same can be said for my homelands. A new leader assumed responsibilities and the pride seemed to dwindle. Can one lead a pride if one is suddenly alone?" She mused the last idea aloud, not meaning to sound insulting; Nyota wondered for her own sake.

Posts : 101 Pride Points : 468619 Join date : 2012-01-25

"Ah but I can not chase the prey for long distances like lionesses do. I have to become close enough to pounce one and bring it down in one." He responded to her, "But thank you anyway." He said, since she had gave him a compliment, and he did not want to offend her by brushing it off. He really appreciated what she had said, but was just speaking the truth. Lionesses could chase prey and catch them still even if they had to run longer distances. For lions, their manes tended to make them hot, so it was more difficult for them to chase prey for too long a period of time.

"It is difficult to lead a pride while alone..." He said in answer to her next question, "But perhaps new comers will arrive at your pride, and mine, and we will soon have some to lead. The problem for me was, some lionesses just could not let go of the past." Ismahel responded, speaking of his own problem. Some lionesses were unhappy that their beloved king had died and did not like the fact a lion as young as Ismahel was ruling. Oh well, it could not be helped now. His tail flicked as he thought of something else to say, "You say you're from a jungle?" I imagine you have plenty of prey to hunt there. The Coldlanders have to almost scrounge and scavenge for food." He added, "It sounds terrible, but I think it makes us hardier lions for it." The white lion spoke, not wanting to scare the potential member off. Little did he realize she was not ever going to join his pride, since she had a pride of her own to run.

Posts : 127 Pride Points : 470173 Join date : 2012-01-09

Of course Nyota was well aware of the male's weaknesses when it came to hunting, and offered a slight shrug in response. It struck her as ironic at that moment that the lions would be the more dominant of the species. Kings were respected, while queens were seen more as a decoration, prize, or heir-bearing machine. But in truth, it was the lionesses who were the muscle of the prides. The idea made Nyota scoff to herself, but she quickly wiped clean the expression of vague contempt for the unfairness of being born the wrong gender.

His next comment brought a nod of agreement: she knew first hand it was challenging to lead a pride while alone. It seemed the two young monarchs faced similar problems at home. It wasn't every day that the young queen met someone who understood the difficulties she endured, but she said nothing on that matter. "It's rather a shame that our homelands are so far apart," she commented vaguely. "Actually, the jungle is not known for its large prey. It can be difficult to come by." This was a true statement, but even if the kingdom was more prosperous, Nyota wouldn't be fool enough to share the information with the young king. It was still yet to be seen if the white lion could be trusted. She realized he had probably been far more honest than she had, but was still wary of the unknown.

Still, her demeanor seemed relax, tail flicking idly beside her. "May I be frank? I was always told the Coldlands were a mythical place, and white lions a creature of fantasy. Today has been very eye-opening for me." She spoke with a coy grin, watching his icy blue eyes closely.

"I hope you will not think me rude, but I must be on my way. Perhaps we will meet again someday, Ismahel." As the words escaped her mouth, Nyota turned away from the lion, tail flicking behind her as she peered over her shoulder to the Coldlander king one final time, adding with a wink, "That is my sincerest hope, at least. Fare well, fair king."

Posts : 101 Pride Points : 468619 Join date : 2012-01-25

Well, it seemed she was a good listener. Ismahel was the type to treat lionesses equal to lions, since he understood it took all of the pride to keep working, and he would even join lionesses in a hunt if he had any. "It is a shame that our home lands are so far apart." He agreed with her, "Really? I figured the jungle would be teeming with prey. You could hide amongst the shadows easily, and pounce upon something passing by." He said to her. Well, that showed him for his ignorance, never having been to the jungle. His father once told him of a pride that lived there. Perhaps he should pay a visit to meet the king or queen sometime, whoever ruled it.

Suddenly, she mentioned how she had thought the Coldlands were a myth, and the white lions were creatures of fantasy. A wide smile crossed his maw, slightly showing his teeth, "Well, I tend not to show myself very often, but sometimes I am driven from my home in search of prey." He spoke to her, "As you can see, I am very much here." He added. It was then she had to dismiss herself, "I certainly would hope to see you again as well. Feel free to come visit me in my pride." He said to her, "Farewell, lovely Aida." He said as she left, and it was then he caught the scent of some prey off in the distance, and so he headed toward them to see if he could perhaps catch one.

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