Post by Shomoro on Apr 15, 2008 18:56:49 GMT -5
Involved:
Mizuka, Kivuli King
Kamau, Tyne Heir
Amahl, Tyne Prince
Kamau is tired. It isn't too great a distance between Tyne and Kivuli, but it's further than the young lion has ever travelled before. It /feels/ like a huge distance. He doesn't exactly know where he is either, so he isn't sure how much further he'll have to go before he finds Kivuli's king or his nephew. All this pressure is making the young lord of Tyne a bit sullen, not to mention wary of his surroundings, and as he walks through the grasslands his demeanor is a bit droopy. Ducked head, ears back, slinking along like he isn't sure if he should be here or not. But he is a lion with a mission, and he isn't about to turn around, either. So on he slinks, towards the mountain up ahead, and hopefully towards water too since he's a bit thirsty after the journey.
The sun is well and truly risen by now, and it's /hot/. Were it up to him, Amahl would be enjoying a nap in the shade right now, still quite unaware of everything that's going on back home...but Mizuka had approached him a short while ago, wanting to speak with him, of all people, and the boy hadn't been about to say no. He's the king of an allied pride, after all, and so the two of them have been making their way out to the border, conversing of the usual pridal matters--how the drought has affected Tyne, how the pride is faring beyond that, and so on. Just this, though, is a good lesson for him in and of himself; the only royalty he's ever spoken to up until now have been his own family, after all. Their exchange is a quiet one, words dulled in the heavy, hot air, but by and large it seems civil enough. Which makes it /quite/ surprising when Mizuka's attention snaps off of him all of a sudden and fixes onto some point in the distance. Maybe there's enough grass to provide some cover to a slinking lion, but it's dry; it rustles and snaps under somebody else's weight. And when the Kivuli king /does/ sight Kamau, he's utterly unfamiliar. Has a rogue slipped in through the scent markers? Well, this is the last thing they need. And, unfortunately, Mizuka's nerves are frayed just at the moment. His lips wrinkle back in a silent snarl, and he speeds up a bit, rushing to meet the younger male. "Lion," he snaps, and his voice holds a brusqueness that it hadn't a moment ago. "You're past my borders. Explain yourself." Amahl, following behind rather more slowly, hasn't had enough time to identify Kamau. After all, he doesn't know his uncle terribly well, and he's not closing the distance as swiftly as Mizuka.
Kamau stops walking as soon as the other lion charges him, and he has to bite back a return growl. He can't help having the urge, since the last time he tried to come to Kivuli /he/ was ambushed, but he manages to merely grit his teeth and look onto Mizuka with a mix of annoyance and wariness. He has yet to spot Amahl either, since his attention is all on Mizuka right now. "I am looking for King Mizuka," he finally says with a bit of an edge to his voice. "I'm Lord Kamau of Tyne. I... I don't mean any harm." But the way he looks at the unfamiliar lion before him, he would be more than willing to cause harm if somebody else starts it. Woo, Pridal relations!
The older lion stares back. His expression is irritated, and his teeth are showing in clear indication that he's quite ready to cause harm in turn, but like Kamau he doesn't actually attack. "You look upon him," he rumbles back as Amahl draws nearer to them, taking in the sight of the 'rogue.' He's surprised that Mizuka has chosen to intercept him with bared fangs, but at the same time he's not that surprised at all. Intruders usually /are/ met with hostility, especially this far past the borders--or so is his limited understanding. He thinks that's the way Tyne's guards deal with potentially dangerous males, anyway. Yet, there's something about this male; no, they aren't close, but he should hope he'd be able to recognise one of the heirs that caused so many headaches for the pride! "Wait, he's--" the adolescent starts, but Kamau does a good enough job of introducing himself. And when he does, those bared teeth disappear, replaced by a less hostile expression. "My apologies, then, Lord Kamau," Mizuka responds, and the dip of his head seems contrite. "But I've had to be especially protective of Kivuli's borders lately." What with the possibility of random passersby inviting themselves in for the drink they won't find in the Forgotten Lands, and everything. They /really/ can't spare the water at the moment. "What brings you here, then?" Is he another would-be diplomat, like Amahl?
Kamau turns to face Amahl even before Mizuka backs off a little, surprised to see his nephew even if he knew the lion was here. "Oh. Amahl," he greets, his surprise coming through in his voice. "I..." he shifts his gaze between the two and lets himself relax a little, even if this isn't very relaxing business. "I'm glad I found you as well. I actually came to speak with both of you." He nods to Mizuka then, understanding the 'need to be protective' thing. "I actually have quite a few things I needed to discuss with you. With both of you, for parts of it. First off, in case you were unaware, there are some vicious rogues that, last I spotted them, weren't far from your borders. They attacked my brother Onaedo and I, and took away our friend. Our... lioness friend. It sounded as if they were only out for Tyne blood, but since it happened closer to your borders, I thought you should know."
No, he's obviously not here for the same reason Amahl is; that much becomes clear as the lord continues to speak. And Mizuka's expression becomes one of puzzled curiosity when Kamau says he's here about several different things. Amahl's too, though he stays fairly quiet for the moment after flicking his ears in acknowledgment of his pridemate. "...I see." That curious expression has become a frown instead; maybe he's right to be suspicious of unfamiliar faces, then, with lions like those roaming around. "I'm sorry," is all he can say initially. "I haven't smelled them here, nor seen any trace of them. What did your friend look like? If I catch wind of any of them, I'll send word along as fast as I can." This is a king that the Jinjin'tau may prefer to see; he actually seems sympathetic, less harsh than he has recently. But the pain of loss is one he can empathise with.
Kamau looks mildly surprised at the offer to help. Even if he is here for help, the fact that it's getting delivered without his asking has him a bit off guard. But hey, good sign! "Oh. Thank you. Her name is Sundali, she's a white lioness. Amber eyes. My age. There's a scout looking for them as well, and I didn't see any evidence of them specifically on my way here, but there does seem to be an unusual amount of movement lately..." the young lord doesn't think much of it though, and ends up just shrugging his shoulders. Right. On to more important matters. "Also." Except now he hesitates. He isn't exactly known for his, ah... sensitivity, and this /is/ a sensitive topic. "Elimnyama would like to know if you have any healer you could spare. Waset is... very ill." Clearing his throat, he turns his eyes on Amahl. "He also has requested that you come home. Just for a short while. To see your mother." Before she dies. Gulp.
Mizuka expels a soft sigh through his nostrils, and shakes his head after a minute. "I haven't seen anyone matching her description, I'm afraid. We've had several guests arrive recently, so that may be the reason our border has seemed active." But...onto other things. Other, but no less unfortunate things. The older male's answer is probably clear just in the way he averts his eyes: no, they can't spare a healer. "...Would that I could," he says eventually, and his voice has become rather more guttural again. This time, though, it's from an emotion other than anger. "Our healer has been missing. To where, I don't know. None of us have seen her for several months now." And they could also use Tumbuiza's services, no doubt. He looks at Amahl briefly; the adolescent, now he's aware that Waset's condition has worsened, looks almost petrified. Kamau hasn't said just /how/ bad it is, but if they're asking him to come home, it can't be good. "Of course I'll come," he manages after a minute, and barely spares a look of his own to Mizuka before he's padding forward to join his uncle, apparently ready to leave /now/. Or at least as soon as Kamau's ready. Doubtlessly Sammar, at least, will wonder where he's gone, but he isn't even thinking about that right now. His mother is far more important.
With a sigh, Kamau nods once again. He'd been hopeful, about the healer, since /he/ wants Waset to get better too. But if it's missing it's missing. Nothing either of them can do about that. "Alright. Well, thank you for your help. If your situation changes before Amahl returns, you'll let us know?" His eyes only briefly slant to Amahl, though the look his slightly younger nephew gets is appreciative. He's glad /one/ of his nephews isn't going to be a pain. "That should be all. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other before too long." From there he inclines his head in a bow, then turns to go back the way he came - hopefully now with Amahl in tow, and a little more relaxed now that he has SOME back-up. Even if it is just Amahl.
"Yes," Mizuka agrees. "If she returns, I'll send her along." After she's seen to Khamisa. It's a fine time for everyone to get sick, he thinks dourly. Of course, the chances of Tumbuiza returning by this point are rather slim; if she hasn't come back by now, he doubts she will. "Good luck, both of you. I hope that the next time we meet will be under more favourable circumstances." He bows his head in turn, then steps back. He doesn't move to depart yet, and instead just watches the two of them--seeing them off, though, rather than making sure they're leaving. Amahl, for his part, certainly doesn't seem out to cause trouble; unlike his brother, he actually doesn't harbour any ill feelings towards Elimnyama's chosen successor, and even if he did, such a petty conflict couldn't possibly take precedence over getting back to see Waset. He doesn't say anything until the two of them are out of Mizuka's earshot, and even then the boy's voice is soft. "...Is she dying?" He doesn't want to know, but oh, he needs to. Because if she is, he has to be prepared for the horrible possibility that she might be dead by the time they get back to Tyne.
Despite being tired, Kamau doesn't try and suggest he and Amahl wait. Tyne isn't too far away, there'll be water soon. So he pads right along, back to the foothills, and setting a pace he doubts will cause Amahl many problems. But at his nephew's question, his steps falter a little and he hesitates before answering. "Yes," he finally says. "Maybe if she had a healer, something could be done, but... your father isn't very hopeful. Neither is my mother. She wasn't awake when I left." He actually sounds pretty upset about the whole thing, too. After all, Waset is his sister-in-law. She was sort of mother-like towards Kamau, with his own mother not being around much. "I'm sorry, Amahl."
Amahl is looking at him, and his expression is just the tiniest bit imploring--he's hopeful, perhaps desperately so, that the answer will be no, it's serious but it isn't /life-threatening/ and they just want him to come back so that her whole family can be nearby while she recovers. Of course, that's not the case, and he drops his gaze after a minute. The prince's slender body seems to just sag, as if some heavy object has been placed upon his back. "Okay." His voice is rougher now, and even though he doesn't say much it's clear that the answer has hit him hard. This slower pace irritates him, even though he knows that he couldn't keep up with anything gruelling; once again he's furious with his stupid, defective body, because he should be getting back home /faster/, with this news hanging over him. And maybe he does walk a little faster, though he stays himself from running with the knowledge that he'll be unable to move at /any/ speed if he pushes himself too hard, especially so soon out of Kivuli.
Mizuka, Kivuli King
Kamau, Tyne Heir
Amahl, Tyne Prince
Kamau is tired. It isn't too great a distance between Tyne and Kivuli, but it's further than the young lion has ever travelled before. It /feels/ like a huge distance. He doesn't exactly know where he is either, so he isn't sure how much further he'll have to go before he finds Kivuli's king or his nephew. All this pressure is making the young lord of Tyne a bit sullen, not to mention wary of his surroundings, and as he walks through the grasslands his demeanor is a bit droopy. Ducked head, ears back, slinking along like he isn't sure if he should be here or not. But he is a lion with a mission, and he isn't about to turn around, either. So on he slinks, towards the mountain up ahead, and hopefully towards water too since he's a bit thirsty after the journey.
The sun is well and truly risen by now, and it's /hot/. Were it up to him, Amahl would be enjoying a nap in the shade right now, still quite unaware of everything that's going on back home...but Mizuka had approached him a short while ago, wanting to speak with him, of all people, and the boy hadn't been about to say no. He's the king of an allied pride, after all, and so the two of them have been making their way out to the border, conversing of the usual pridal matters--how the drought has affected Tyne, how the pride is faring beyond that, and so on. Just this, though, is a good lesson for him in and of himself; the only royalty he's ever spoken to up until now have been his own family, after all. Their exchange is a quiet one, words dulled in the heavy, hot air, but by and large it seems civil enough. Which makes it /quite/ surprising when Mizuka's attention snaps off of him all of a sudden and fixes onto some point in the distance. Maybe there's enough grass to provide some cover to a slinking lion, but it's dry; it rustles and snaps under somebody else's weight. And when the Kivuli king /does/ sight Kamau, he's utterly unfamiliar. Has a rogue slipped in through the scent markers? Well, this is the last thing they need. And, unfortunately, Mizuka's nerves are frayed just at the moment. His lips wrinkle back in a silent snarl, and he speeds up a bit, rushing to meet the younger male. "Lion," he snaps, and his voice holds a brusqueness that it hadn't a moment ago. "You're past my borders. Explain yourself." Amahl, following behind rather more slowly, hasn't had enough time to identify Kamau. After all, he doesn't know his uncle terribly well, and he's not closing the distance as swiftly as Mizuka.
Kamau stops walking as soon as the other lion charges him, and he has to bite back a return growl. He can't help having the urge, since the last time he tried to come to Kivuli /he/ was ambushed, but he manages to merely grit his teeth and look onto Mizuka with a mix of annoyance and wariness. He has yet to spot Amahl either, since his attention is all on Mizuka right now. "I am looking for King Mizuka," he finally says with a bit of an edge to his voice. "I'm Lord Kamau of Tyne. I... I don't mean any harm." But the way he looks at the unfamiliar lion before him, he would be more than willing to cause harm if somebody else starts it. Woo, Pridal relations!
The older lion stares back. His expression is irritated, and his teeth are showing in clear indication that he's quite ready to cause harm in turn, but like Kamau he doesn't actually attack. "You look upon him," he rumbles back as Amahl draws nearer to them, taking in the sight of the 'rogue.' He's surprised that Mizuka has chosen to intercept him with bared fangs, but at the same time he's not that surprised at all. Intruders usually /are/ met with hostility, especially this far past the borders--or so is his limited understanding. He thinks that's the way Tyne's guards deal with potentially dangerous males, anyway. Yet, there's something about this male; no, they aren't close, but he should hope he'd be able to recognise one of the heirs that caused so many headaches for the pride! "Wait, he's--" the adolescent starts, but Kamau does a good enough job of introducing himself. And when he does, those bared teeth disappear, replaced by a less hostile expression. "My apologies, then, Lord Kamau," Mizuka responds, and the dip of his head seems contrite. "But I've had to be especially protective of Kivuli's borders lately." What with the possibility of random passersby inviting themselves in for the drink they won't find in the Forgotten Lands, and everything. They /really/ can't spare the water at the moment. "What brings you here, then?" Is he another would-be diplomat, like Amahl?
Kamau turns to face Amahl even before Mizuka backs off a little, surprised to see his nephew even if he knew the lion was here. "Oh. Amahl," he greets, his surprise coming through in his voice. "I..." he shifts his gaze between the two and lets himself relax a little, even if this isn't very relaxing business. "I'm glad I found you as well. I actually came to speak with both of you." He nods to Mizuka then, understanding the 'need to be protective' thing. "I actually have quite a few things I needed to discuss with you. With both of you, for parts of it. First off, in case you were unaware, there are some vicious rogues that, last I spotted them, weren't far from your borders. They attacked my brother Onaedo and I, and took away our friend. Our... lioness friend. It sounded as if they were only out for Tyne blood, but since it happened closer to your borders, I thought you should know."
No, he's obviously not here for the same reason Amahl is; that much becomes clear as the lord continues to speak. And Mizuka's expression becomes one of puzzled curiosity when Kamau says he's here about several different things. Amahl's too, though he stays fairly quiet for the moment after flicking his ears in acknowledgment of his pridemate. "...I see." That curious expression has become a frown instead; maybe he's right to be suspicious of unfamiliar faces, then, with lions like those roaming around. "I'm sorry," is all he can say initially. "I haven't smelled them here, nor seen any trace of them. What did your friend look like? If I catch wind of any of them, I'll send word along as fast as I can." This is a king that the Jinjin'tau may prefer to see; he actually seems sympathetic, less harsh than he has recently. But the pain of loss is one he can empathise with.
Kamau looks mildly surprised at the offer to help. Even if he is here for help, the fact that it's getting delivered without his asking has him a bit off guard. But hey, good sign! "Oh. Thank you. Her name is Sundali, she's a white lioness. Amber eyes. My age. There's a scout looking for them as well, and I didn't see any evidence of them specifically on my way here, but there does seem to be an unusual amount of movement lately..." the young lord doesn't think much of it though, and ends up just shrugging his shoulders. Right. On to more important matters. "Also." Except now he hesitates. He isn't exactly known for his, ah... sensitivity, and this /is/ a sensitive topic. "Elimnyama would like to know if you have any healer you could spare. Waset is... very ill." Clearing his throat, he turns his eyes on Amahl. "He also has requested that you come home. Just for a short while. To see your mother." Before she dies. Gulp.
Mizuka expels a soft sigh through his nostrils, and shakes his head after a minute. "I haven't seen anyone matching her description, I'm afraid. We've had several guests arrive recently, so that may be the reason our border has seemed active." But...onto other things. Other, but no less unfortunate things. The older male's answer is probably clear just in the way he averts his eyes: no, they can't spare a healer. "...Would that I could," he says eventually, and his voice has become rather more guttural again. This time, though, it's from an emotion other than anger. "Our healer has been missing. To where, I don't know. None of us have seen her for several months now." And they could also use Tumbuiza's services, no doubt. He looks at Amahl briefly; the adolescent, now he's aware that Waset's condition has worsened, looks almost petrified. Kamau hasn't said just /how/ bad it is, but if they're asking him to come home, it can't be good. "Of course I'll come," he manages after a minute, and barely spares a look of his own to Mizuka before he's padding forward to join his uncle, apparently ready to leave /now/. Or at least as soon as Kamau's ready. Doubtlessly Sammar, at least, will wonder where he's gone, but he isn't even thinking about that right now. His mother is far more important.
With a sigh, Kamau nods once again. He'd been hopeful, about the healer, since /he/ wants Waset to get better too. But if it's missing it's missing. Nothing either of them can do about that. "Alright. Well, thank you for your help. If your situation changes before Amahl returns, you'll let us know?" His eyes only briefly slant to Amahl, though the look his slightly younger nephew gets is appreciative. He's glad /one/ of his nephews isn't going to be a pain. "That should be all. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other before too long." From there he inclines his head in a bow, then turns to go back the way he came - hopefully now with Amahl in tow, and a little more relaxed now that he has SOME back-up. Even if it is just Amahl.
"Yes," Mizuka agrees. "If she returns, I'll send her along." After she's seen to Khamisa. It's a fine time for everyone to get sick, he thinks dourly. Of course, the chances of Tumbuiza returning by this point are rather slim; if she hasn't come back by now, he doubts she will. "Good luck, both of you. I hope that the next time we meet will be under more favourable circumstances." He bows his head in turn, then steps back. He doesn't move to depart yet, and instead just watches the two of them--seeing them off, though, rather than making sure they're leaving. Amahl, for his part, certainly doesn't seem out to cause trouble; unlike his brother, he actually doesn't harbour any ill feelings towards Elimnyama's chosen successor, and even if he did, such a petty conflict couldn't possibly take precedence over getting back to see Waset. He doesn't say anything until the two of them are out of Mizuka's earshot, and even then the boy's voice is soft. "...Is she dying?" He doesn't want to know, but oh, he needs to. Because if she is, he has to be prepared for the horrible possibility that she might be dead by the time they get back to Tyne.
Despite being tired, Kamau doesn't try and suggest he and Amahl wait. Tyne isn't too far away, there'll be water soon. So he pads right along, back to the foothills, and setting a pace he doubts will cause Amahl many problems. But at his nephew's question, his steps falter a little and he hesitates before answering. "Yes," he finally says. "Maybe if she had a healer, something could be done, but... your father isn't very hopeful. Neither is my mother. She wasn't awake when I left." He actually sounds pretty upset about the whole thing, too. After all, Waset is his sister-in-law. She was sort of mother-like towards Kamau, with his own mother not being around much. "I'm sorry, Amahl."
Amahl is looking at him, and his expression is just the tiniest bit imploring--he's hopeful, perhaps desperately so, that the answer will be no, it's serious but it isn't /life-threatening/ and they just want him to come back so that her whole family can be nearby while she recovers. Of course, that's not the case, and he drops his gaze after a minute. The prince's slender body seems to just sag, as if some heavy object has been placed upon his back. "Okay." His voice is rougher now, and even though he doesn't say much it's clear that the answer has hit him hard. This slower pace irritates him, even though he knows that he couldn't keep up with anything gruelling; once again he's furious with his stupid, defective body, because he should be getting back home /faster/, with this news hanging over him. And maybe he does walk a little faster, though he stays himself from running with the knowledge that he'll be unable to move at /any/ speed if he pushes himself too hard, especially so soon out of Kivuli.