Post by Shomoro on Nov 14, 2007 3:13:31 GMT -5
Involved:
Waset, Ex-Queen of Tyne
Almasi, Princess of Tyne
Amahl, Prince of Tyne
Tyne - Pridal Cavern
Tyne's resident barbary - no longer serving as one of the pride's Queens - has spent a lot of time recently to herself. Waset can't help the heavy feelings in her heart.. that's she's failed, that she has let down the pride, let down her children, let down Elimnyama. Great Kings, what must Elimnyama think of her? That she, his chosen mate, found herself unable to keep up with the duties as Queen. The past Queens of Tyne must be looking down at her from their places amongst the Great Kings in the stars. But, shameful as she may be feeling, Waset is now venturing back to Tyne Rock for, no matter how woebegone she feels, she's still a lioness and, thus, a social creature. And she's not one to up and abandon her little family completely.. at least, not yet. The lioness' paws plod heavily along the earth, ears perking as she draws nearer the cavern, listening for any signs of life scampering about nearby.
There isn't much signs of life, Almasi is settled off to the side of the cave curled up and half asleep it seems. She misses her mother, an no one has told her what has been going on. Though she is use to no one telling her anything so has just given up asking where she is. As to her father they keep passing by, she asleep and he awake or the other way. A ear twitches and her head lifts as she hears some movement, nose wiggles while she shifts and eyes the cave curiously a few moments as if waiting to see just who it is.
Call him delicate, call him weak, but there are certain things that Amahl can't keep up with either--the rough-and-tumble play most cubs engage in is simply too much for him, and so he's found other ways to entertain himself. Other ways that /don't/ involve interacting much with larger and more aggressive family members. He's stretched out just under the shade cast by the entrance of the cavern, peering out over the lands with his eyes squinted against the sun--he's not moving much, and one might think him half-asleep, but he stirs quickly enough when he sees somebody padding up towards the cavern, his ears swivelling forward.
Waset slows her pace even further as she nears, not wanting to disturb anyone who has just settled down to nap. Her ears press forward, listening for tell-tale signs of movement against the cavern floor, but it is movement, however slight, that draws her attention first to her son, and then to her daughter. And, despite her recent feelings, Waset feels her heart lift slightly. Moving just within reach of the cavern entrance, the barbary issues a low, rumbling chuff, mixed with a lilting purr near the end. "Amahl? Allie? Are you snoozing, you little lazy heads?"
Is it--? It is; it's his mother! Most children would be put off by Waset's absence, but to Amahl, who is, by and large, accepting to a fault--it just makes seeing her coming up the path to the great rock even more of a treat. He scrambles to his feet, stretching first his forelegs and then his hindquarters, and practically tumbles over to the lioness; he'd tried to move too quickly after he finished stretching. "I wasn't asleep," he says with dignity, even as he makes to twine himself around her front legs like--well, like some overly friendly cat. "I was just--thinking."
A quick glance is paid to Almasi, who, it appears to Waset, must have been asleep afetr all. Twitching in her dreams, perhaps. But, her reappearence at Tyne Rock isn't a complete bust, for here comes Amahl! In the few seconds it takes for the boy to cover the ground between them, Waset's gaze locked on him the entire way, she offers up a brief prayer of thanks to the Great Kings, as she always does. Thankful to see Amahl there, Amahl alive, to feel the heat from his little body as he presses himself against her legs. Thankful for everything, since for so long she feared he would not survive, or that he would succumb to any tiny illness or injury. Dipping her head, Waset offers her son a warm nuzzle and a few motherly kisses to the top of his head. She was keeping herself away from the pride for what now? What silly, stupid reason could keep her away from /this/? Hindquarters dropping heavily to the ground, Waset busies herself with showering Amahl with a great deal of affection.. enough to probably make most cubs his age and older roll their eyes because.. MOTHER? KISSES? EW NO! But, none of her other cubs are here and so Amahl gets the full force power of the Your Mother Loves You display. Though, finally, smiling, she asks, "Thinking? About good things, I hope?"
Honestly, her fear was well warranted, given how--well, how /runty/ he is. He's a frail little thing that bruised easily the few times he /was/ drawn into playfighting, but maybe Amahl's got a stronger constitution than most people gives him credit for. He survived his own birth by the skin of his teeth, but he must have hung on tenaciously to live at all. And now? Now he seems much healthier, even though he's still small and nowhere near as boisterous as the other Tyne cubs. Certainly he seems energetic enough right now; as Waset sits, /he/ stands up, resting a paw on her leg, to return her affectionate nuzzles with such enthusiasm that he almost falls over. .../Does/ fall over, in fact. This balancing act is more difficult than it looks! But at least she can rest secure in the knowledge that while /most/ children outgrow their mothers right around now, Amahl doesn't seem to have caught on that the Your Mother Loves You Display is uncool. He beams up at her without getting back to his feet, sprawled in an ungraceful little pile. "I guess, yeah. Is what's outside of Tyne good?" Oh, great. He's got wanderlust. But at least, from the sound of it, he's been confining his explorations to within the pride's borders.
It is wonderful not to be greeted with a MOM YOU ARE UNCOOL SO STOP sort of greeting after having not seen any of her children in a bit. Amahl's returned affection has the effect of lifting his mother's spirits even more so that, for the moment, Waset basks in happiness and her old, cheerful self comes shining through. Though, as the boy tumbles, something in her heart constricts, as if fearful he'll hurt himself. To be fair, the barbary would feel the same even if any of her other children so much as stubbed a toe.. it's a mother's job to worry about her kids, to feel any hurts they have. But she does not fuss, especially as the tumble doesn't seem to have bothered Amahl himself any. Instead, Waset slides to her belly alongside him, giving him a wide grin. The inquiry of things beyond Tyne's borders is met with a small, thoughtful frown as she considers her answer. After a second or two of quick thought, Waset decides that the truth is the easiest, and the best, answer. After all, she never would trick herself into thinking that her children - hers and Elimnyama's children - would stay safely within Tyne's borders for all eternity, never expressing interest in the outside world. And, despite how much she wants to deny the fact, her children aren't exactly little babies anymore. "Depends on what you find," She says truthfully. "It's a big wide world out there, and it can get pretty scary sometimes. See this?" She rolls just slightly onto her right side to display the large hunks of scar tissue - now completely healed, just.. scar-ish - situated along her left side and behind her left foreleg. "Right before I settled down with your dad, I went out wandering. Got those when some hyenas tried to eat me for dinner." And she's hardly exagerating about that, either. But, in all fairness to life outside Tyne, she continues, straghtening again. "But, when we - your dad, your Uncle Aitan and I - were about your age, we all lived - the whole pride did - in the unclaimed lands to the south of here. That was pretty fun for a while. There were lots of other lions from other prides there, and lots of new things to explore. It's fun to meet others and to hear how life is in their pride, or in their group.. or how they live as nomads."
It's probably surprising that his first question is of what's past Tyne's borders and not demanding to know where she's /been/ lately, but...Amahl trusts that there was a reason for it, some vague and important Mother Business that he's not capable of wrapping his brain around. He definitely hasn't considered the importance of her not being a queen anymore, if he even knows about it at all; after all, Waset is still the most important lioness in the world to /him/, even more important than the huntresses that bring the pride's dinner. And he does like his dinner quite a bit. He's happy to settle in, draped haphazardly over Waset's forelegs, but when she shifts to display her scars he raises his head, his ears pinning back. He's seen them, of course, but he'd never attached any significance to them before; he hadn't thought there was a /story/ behind them, much less one so unpleasant. "Are hyenas bad, then?" he wants to know, frowning. He's seen a few before, but from a distance; they hadn't seemed terribly /bad/ to him, though seeing predators larger than he is (and there are quite a few, mind) always puts him on edge. But if they tried to eat his /mother/... And, just like that, he's got both sides of the story: the bad /and/ the good. It's mention of his parents and uncle living somewhere other than here that really catches his interest, though--this cave is so familiar he can't imagine /what/ that would be like. "And why did you live there? If lots of people were there, why is the land unclaimed?" His head's settled back down; he's still frowning, but it's more thoughtful this time. At least the barrage of questions are moderately more thoughtful than 'Why's the sky blue?'
Are hyenas bad? Waset's first reaction is to say that yes, yes they are very bad and very evil and do not ever go anywhere near them for you are one of my precious babies and I could not stand to see those villans tear at your tender flesh! But, something stays her words, forcing her to give her reply more thought than that. Tongue washing out over her muzzle to give her a moment to think, the barbary considers her son for a long moment. "Some," She replies finally. "Lions and hyenas have been enemies for as many generations anyone can recall. I do not know the reasons, but I'm sure prey is a big part of it. But.." Waset pauses again, but only briefly. "As there are sometimes lions who are bad and who would do harm to others, I am sure there are hyenas who are kind and gentle." There. That was wise and motherly, right? Oh, wait... "Still, if you ever come across one, it would be best to be cautious." And she leans over to give Amahl a kiss to the cheek. Sitting back, the boy's next questions are met with a smile. "Well, back then, the lands - Tyne, and other places - became very cold. Something called 'snow' fell. Snow is white, and..." Hm. How best to describe something her son might never see? "It looks.. almost /fluffy/.. when it's on the ground. It's very cold, and it falls almost like rain. Well, it got so cold there was no prey.. they moved where it was warmer. And the unclaimed lands were warmer. So, your Grandpa Fuadi and Grandma Tisea, who were King and Queen then, moved the pride there. And no soon had we arrived, than other prides arrive there too, for their lands were cold as well. And other groups came, as did nomads and loners. Everyone was seeking the wamrth and prey in the unclaimed lands." Waset's tail taps the ground behind her, thoughtfully, recalling those days now long past. "But, one day a horrible flood came and wiped across all of the unclaimed lands. Many died, of all different species, and with such a large amount of death often comes illness. So, we all returned home to Tyne, and were quite happy to find that the cold had gone. And it hasn't been back since." Although the dry and heat now seems to be having its day, what with the current horrid dry season.
/Enemies/? Amahl is a little dubious; it seems like too much effort to hate someone you don't even know just because they're a different species. And if they're enemies because they eat the same things, why aren't lions outright enemies with leopards? Or cheetahs? The thought that hyenas--and wild dogs--are the only other species that live in big groups like lions do and thus also require quite a bit of food doesn't occur to him; he doesn't know anything about the way hyenas live, and decides to ask about it. ...At some later date, maybe, because it sounds like Waset is settling in to tell him a story instead of giving a short answer. Ooh. He likes stories; they're much more entertaining than wrestling. The tale of this 'snow' almost seems more like a fairytale than fairly recent history; he's never known anything but the warm weather of Africa, and lately the much hotter, drier weather they've been having. He at least knows what rain is; he hasn't seen terribly /much/ of it, but he has seen it before. But the whole thing leaves him with an even deeper frown on his face. He casts about for a way to ask what he wants to ask, and is unable to come up with anything more eloquent than the most dreaded question of parenthood: "...Why?" He attempts to quantify a minute later, though not terribly well. "I mean...where'd the flood come from? And why hasn't the snow been back?" Who makes the weather and why is he such a nutjob? He demands some accountability, people!
Waset cannot hide her grin, amused as she is at the constant flow of questions. Was she ever so curious about the world that she had to ask how everything came or be, or why things worked as they did? She doesn't remember it if she was. Though Waset knows she won't ever be able to answer every question to come out of her son's mouth, she tries her best to give him answers.. and truthful answers, at that. "I don't know why," She admits, smiling softly. "Perhaps someone, somewhere angered the Great Kings to such a degree that they thought we all should be punished. Or maybe, instead of punishment, they wished to test us, to see how neighbor got along with neighbor. Our pride and another, larger pride - the Kivuli - were not such good allies as we are now. But, that day, when the flood waters came, we were all the same. All running, all trying to save our families, all trying to save ourselves." She pauses, her smile growing warmer as her gaze grows more distant, recalling some far-flung memory. She comes back to herself a moment or two later, beaming at Amahl. "That day, I saw your father risk his life to save some cub we did not know. That's when I realized how very much I loved him." Awww! Shifting her position slightly, Waset shakes her head slowly. "Why the snow has not come back.. again, I do not know. I /do/ know that it is a very, very rare thing. I have never met anyone who has seen such snow fall in the lands like it did back then. I do not know why the snow even came in the first place. We will most likely never even see it down here again. It was an odd thing. But it made for an interesting experience, this much is true."
Well, he had to have gotten his inquisitiveness from /somewhere/! Some children might be content with an explanation of 'That's just the way things work,' or 'Because I said so,' but Amahl likes to know specifics. He likes /details/. Knowing how things work is a much friendlier pasttime for him than more physical activities. It's clear from his expression that he'd like very much to interrupt with /more/ questions, or perhaps useless observations, but he holds his tongue until the full story is out; then he can't keep quiet any longer. "The Great Kings can't be very /nice/ if they'd punish everyone with snow and a big flood," he decides, a bit irked. "Especially if they were punishing everyone for something one person did. I hope /that/ wasn't it. Grandpa Fuadi's one of the Great Kings, isn't he?" Of course, Fuadi was alive and well then and would have had nothing to do with it...but the thought that after a king dies he becomes something so /callous/ doesn't sit well with him. If /he/ were a Great King, he wouldn't, he thinks, be a /vengeful/ one. "But I guess it was a good thing if it made you realise you love dad?" He's a little bewildered; he isn't sure /what/ to make of the whole thing. And, fortunately, doesn't seem to have a kneejerk 'ew, /looove/' reaction. "...And it's a good thing /you/ didn't die, and that /dad/ didn't die saving that cub." Or he wouldn't be here to criticise the Great Kings! Oh, that's not a nice thought. But, of course, if he didn't exist, he wouldn't be able to think it wasn't a nice thought because he never would have had it in the first place. Which is perhaps even more troubling, and he snuggles in close suddenly, soothing himself with touch.
One stocky foreleg wraps gently around the young lion, holding him close, and a low purr rumbles from the depths of the barbary's chest. A few soothing licks are aimed at Amahl's ears (or maybe she has just suddenly decided that, his ears! They need cleaning!) before Waset speaks again. "I do not believe the Great Kings are all together vengeful spirits," She says. "But I imagine they know more than we, saw something we did not and from that decided upon punishment. Or maybe they thought we had grown too distant from our neighbors and sought, through trying times, to bring us together." Waset pauses, allowing a small silence to stretch between them for a moment. "Then again, perhaps the Great Kings hold no sway over the weather or disasters such as floods." But, for Waset it is almost scarier to consider that those things come out of absolutely /nowhere/ and happen for /no reason at all/, so she is personally inclined to believe in the power of the Great Kings. "Yes, son, Grandpa Fuadi is one of the Great Kings. But he would not allow such punishment upon Tyne unless the pride was bringing about its own ruin; even then, I believe he would only cause such things to gain our attention, to draw notice to the fact that we are doing something that will result in our end as a pride. He is as connected to Tyne as you and I, and would no more wish the pride to fall anymore than we would. He is one of the great protectors of Tyne, as Uncle Aitan and your dad are in life now, so is he as a spirit and one of the pride's ancestors." Waset chuckles, nodding, at the boy's next words. "I agree, it is a very good thing it made me realize I loved your dad. If I hadn't.. I would have you, or your siblings.. maybe I wouldn't even live here in Tyne anymore." The former Queen's smile widens as she studies her son, her gaze speaking of nothing but love for Amahl. "And a terrible shame that would be, because I wouldn't be able to give you this kiss now." And she does just that, washing her tongue towards Amahl's cheek, then leaning in to nuzzle him warmly.
Pssh! Amahl is a cleanly child; his ear hygiene is /impeccable/! ...Or, all right, not so impeccable, because even though he doesn't spend his days running around and jumping in mud puddles he still can't clean himself as well as an older lion. And it doesn't help that he's a bit absentminded, so the sand from the cave floor tends to accrue on his pelt in a fine, chalky dusting. Ahem. "Well, /someone/ must control the weather," he says firmly. After all, it makes sense! Everything else in the world is accountable to /something/. Even parents have parents, that have parents of their own and so on; he can't believe that the weather would just run around willy nilly doing whatever it wants. "Maybe not the Great Kings, though. Maybe something else." He's silent for awhile, pondering just what sort of creature would control the weather, and what it would get out of sending a flood down on everyone. Maybe it was just bored, and there was no greater purpose behind it. It's a horrible thought--and it makes him feel a bit bad about an anthill he'd knocked over last week because /he/ was just bored and couldn't think of anything else to do. The parallel is really kind of scary. "...Well, I hope he can stop the other Great Kings from punishing us too much, then," he says, chagrined. "I don't think I ever want to see snow." Of course, he /is/ seeing extreme drought right now, but this is the only dry season he's ever seen; he doesn't have experience with a bunch of other dry seasons to compare it to like the adults. He's knocked out of his brooding thoughts by that nuzzle, and just as quickly as he'd started worrying over great, important topics, his concern is gone and he's beaming up at her again, stretching up to lick her cheek rather inexpertly. No, he's /not/ very skilled at grooming yet, but the sentiment behind it is quite genuine; he's apparently something of a mama's boy. Aw. <3
Waset, Ex-Queen of Tyne
Almasi, Princess of Tyne
Amahl, Prince of Tyne
Tyne - Pridal Cavern
Tyne's resident barbary - no longer serving as one of the pride's Queens - has spent a lot of time recently to herself. Waset can't help the heavy feelings in her heart.. that's she's failed, that she has let down the pride, let down her children, let down Elimnyama. Great Kings, what must Elimnyama think of her? That she, his chosen mate, found herself unable to keep up with the duties as Queen. The past Queens of Tyne must be looking down at her from their places amongst the Great Kings in the stars. But, shameful as she may be feeling, Waset is now venturing back to Tyne Rock for, no matter how woebegone she feels, she's still a lioness and, thus, a social creature. And she's not one to up and abandon her little family completely.. at least, not yet. The lioness' paws plod heavily along the earth, ears perking as she draws nearer the cavern, listening for any signs of life scampering about nearby.
There isn't much signs of life, Almasi is settled off to the side of the cave curled up and half asleep it seems. She misses her mother, an no one has told her what has been going on. Though she is use to no one telling her anything so has just given up asking where she is. As to her father they keep passing by, she asleep and he awake or the other way. A ear twitches and her head lifts as she hears some movement, nose wiggles while she shifts and eyes the cave curiously a few moments as if waiting to see just who it is.
Call him delicate, call him weak, but there are certain things that Amahl can't keep up with either--the rough-and-tumble play most cubs engage in is simply too much for him, and so he's found other ways to entertain himself. Other ways that /don't/ involve interacting much with larger and more aggressive family members. He's stretched out just under the shade cast by the entrance of the cavern, peering out over the lands with his eyes squinted against the sun--he's not moving much, and one might think him half-asleep, but he stirs quickly enough when he sees somebody padding up towards the cavern, his ears swivelling forward.
Waset slows her pace even further as she nears, not wanting to disturb anyone who has just settled down to nap. Her ears press forward, listening for tell-tale signs of movement against the cavern floor, but it is movement, however slight, that draws her attention first to her son, and then to her daughter. And, despite her recent feelings, Waset feels her heart lift slightly. Moving just within reach of the cavern entrance, the barbary issues a low, rumbling chuff, mixed with a lilting purr near the end. "Amahl? Allie? Are you snoozing, you little lazy heads?"
Is it--? It is; it's his mother! Most children would be put off by Waset's absence, but to Amahl, who is, by and large, accepting to a fault--it just makes seeing her coming up the path to the great rock even more of a treat. He scrambles to his feet, stretching first his forelegs and then his hindquarters, and practically tumbles over to the lioness; he'd tried to move too quickly after he finished stretching. "I wasn't asleep," he says with dignity, even as he makes to twine himself around her front legs like--well, like some overly friendly cat. "I was just--thinking."
A quick glance is paid to Almasi, who, it appears to Waset, must have been asleep afetr all. Twitching in her dreams, perhaps. But, her reappearence at Tyne Rock isn't a complete bust, for here comes Amahl! In the few seconds it takes for the boy to cover the ground between them, Waset's gaze locked on him the entire way, she offers up a brief prayer of thanks to the Great Kings, as she always does. Thankful to see Amahl there, Amahl alive, to feel the heat from his little body as he presses himself against her legs. Thankful for everything, since for so long she feared he would not survive, or that he would succumb to any tiny illness or injury. Dipping her head, Waset offers her son a warm nuzzle and a few motherly kisses to the top of his head. She was keeping herself away from the pride for what now? What silly, stupid reason could keep her away from /this/? Hindquarters dropping heavily to the ground, Waset busies herself with showering Amahl with a great deal of affection.. enough to probably make most cubs his age and older roll their eyes because.. MOTHER? KISSES? EW NO! But, none of her other cubs are here and so Amahl gets the full force power of the Your Mother Loves You display. Though, finally, smiling, she asks, "Thinking? About good things, I hope?"
Honestly, her fear was well warranted, given how--well, how /runty/ he is. He's a frail little thing that bruised easily the few times he /was/ drawn into playfighting, but maybe Amahl's got a stronger constitution than most people gives him credit for. He survived his own birth by the skin of his teeth, but he must have hung on tenaciously to live at all. And now? Now he seems much healthier, even though he's still small and nowhere near as boisterous as the other Tyne cubs. Certainly he seems energetic enough right now; as Waset sits, /he/ stands up, resting a paw on her leg, to return her affectionate nuzzles with such enthusiasm that he almost falls over. .../Does/ fall over, in fact. This balancing act is more difficult than it looks! But at least she can rest secure in the knowledge that while /most/ children outgrow their mothers right around now, Amahl doesn't seem to have caught on that the Your Mother Loves You Display is uncool. He beams up at her without getting back to his feet, sprawled in an ungraceful little pile. "I guess, yeah. Is what's outside of Tyne good?" Oh, great. He's got wanderlust. But at least, from the sound of it, he's been confining his explorations to within the pride's borders.
It is wonderful not to be greeted with a MOM YOU ARE UNCOOL SO STOP sort of greeting after having not seen any of her children in a bit. Amahl's returned affection has the effect of lifting his mother's spirits even more so that, for the moment, Waset basks in happiness and her old, cheerful self comes shining through. Though, as the boy tumbles, something in her heart constricts, as if fearful he'll hurt himself. To be fair, the barbary would feel the same even if any of her other children so much as stubbed a toe.. it's a mother's job to worry about her kids, to feel any hurts they have. But she does not fuss, especially as the tumble doesn't seem to have bothered Amahl himself any. Instead, Waset slides to her belly alongside him, giving him a wide grin. The inquiry of things beyond Tyne's borders is met with a small, thoughtful frown as she considers her answer. After a second or two of quick thought, Waset decides that the truth is the easiest, and the best, answer. After all, she never would trick herself into thinking that her children - hers and Elimnyama's children - would stay safely within Tyne's borders for all eternity, never expressing interest in the outside world. And, despite how much she wants to deny the fact, her children aren't exactly little babies anymore. "Depends on what you find," She says truthfully. "It's a big wide world out there, and it can get pretty scary sometimes. See this?" She rolls just slightly onto her right side to display the large hunks of scar tissue - now completely healed, just.. scar-ish - situated along her left side and behind her left foreleg. "Right before I settled down with your dad, I went out wandering. Got those when some hyenas tried to eat me for dinner." And she's hardly exagerating about that, either. But, in all fairness to life outside Tyne, she continues, straghtening again. "But, when we - your dad, your Uncle Aitan and I - were about your age, we all lived - the whole pride did - in the unclaimed lands to the south of here. That was pretty fun for a while. There were lots of other lions from other prides there, and lots of new things to explore. It's fun to meet others and to hear how life is in their pride, or in their group.. or how they live as nomads."
It's probably surprising that his first question is of what's past Tyne's borders and not demanding to know where she's /been/ lately, but...Amahl trusts that there was a reason for it, some vague and important Mother Business that he's not capable of wrapping his brain around. He definitely hasn't considered the importance of her not being a queen anymore, if he even knows about it at all; after all, Waset is still the most important lioness in the world to /him/, even more important than the huntresses that bring the pride's dinner. And he does like his dinner quite a bit. He's happy to settle in, draped haphazardly over Waset's forelegs, but when she shifts to display her scars he raises his head, his ears pinning back. He's seen them, of course, but he'd never attached any significance to them before; he hadn't thought there was a /story/ behind them, much less one so unpleasant. "Are hyenas bad, then?" he wants to know, frowning. He's seen a few before, but from a distance; they hadn't seemed terribly /bad/ to him, though seeing predators larger than he is (and there are quite a few, mind) always puts him on edge. But if they tried to eat his /mother/... And, just like that, he's got both sides of the story: the bad /and/ the good. It's mention of his parents and uncle living somewhere other than here that really catches his interest, though--this cave is so familiar he can't imagine /what/ that would be like. "And why did you live there? If lots of people were there, why is the land unclaimed?" His head's settled back down; he's still frowning, but it's more thoughtful this time. At least the barrage of questions are moderately more thoughtful than 'Why's the sky blue?'
Are hyenas bad? Waset's first reaction is to say that yes, yes they are very bad and very evil and do not ever go anywhere near them for you are one of my precious babies and I could not stand to see those villans tear at your tender flesh! But, something stays her words, forcing her to give her reply more thought than that. Tongue washing out over her muzzle to give her a moment to think, the barbary considers her son for a long moment. "Some," She replies finally. "Lions and hyenas have been enemies for as many generations anyone can recall. I do not know the reasons, but I'm sure prey is a big part of it. But.." Waset pauses again, but only briefly. "As there are sometimes lions who are bad and who would do harm to others, I am sure there are hyenas who are kind and gentle." There. That was wise and motherly, right? Oh, wait... "Still, if you ever come across one, it would be best to be cautious." And she leans over to give Amahl a kiss to the cheek. Sitting back, the boy's next questions are met with a smile. "Well, back then, the lands - Tyne, and other places - became very cold. Something called 'snow' fell. Snow is white, and..." Hm. How best to describe something her son might never see? "It looks.. almost /fluffy/.. when it's on the ground. It's very cold, and it falls almost like rain. Well, it got so cold there was no prey.. they moved where it was warmer. And the unclaimed lands were warmer. So, your Grandpa Fuadi and Grandma Tisea, who were King and Queen then, moved the pride there. And no soon had we arrived, than other prides arrive there too, for their lands were cold as well. And other groups came, as did nomads and loners. Everyone was seeking the wamrth and prey in the unclaimed lands." Waset's tail taps the ground behind her, thoughtfully, recalling those days now long past. "But, one day a horrible flood came and wiped across all of the unclaimed lands. Many died, of all different species, and with such a large amount of death often comes illness. So, we all returned home to Tyne, and were quite happy to find that the cold had gone. And it hasn't been back since." Although the dry and heat now seems to be having its day, what with the current horrid dry season.
/Enemies/? Amahl is a little dubious; it seems like too much effort to hate someone you don't even know just because they're a different species. And if they're enemies because they eat the same things, why aren't lions outright enemies with leopards? Or cheetahs? The thought that hyenas--and wild dogs--are the only other species that live in big groups like lions do and thus also require quite a bit of food doesn't occur to him; he doesn't know anything about the way hyenas live, and decides to ask about it. ...At some later date, maybe, because it sounds like Waset is settling in to tell him a story instead of giving a short answer. Ooh. He likes stories; they're much more entertaining than wrestling. The tale of this 'snow' almost seems more like a fairytale than fairly recent history; he's never known anything but the warm weather of Africa, and lately the much hotter, drier weather they've been having. He at least knows what rain is; he hasn't seen terribly /much/ of it, but he has seen it before. But the whole thing leaves him with an even deeper frown on his face. He casts about for a way to ask what he wants to ask, and is unable to come up with anything more eloquent than the most dreaded question of parenthood: "...Why?" He attempts to quantify a minute later, though not terribly well. "I mean...where'd the flood come from? And why hasn't the snow been back?" Who makes the weather and why is he such a nutjob? He demands some accountability, people!
Waset cannot hide her grin, amused as she is at the constant flow of questions. Was she ever so curious about the world that she had to ask how everything came or be, or why things worked as they did? She doesn't remember it if she was. Though Waset knows she won't ever be able to answer every question to come out of her son's mouth, she tries her best to give him answers.. and truthful answers, at that. "I don't know why," She admits, smiling softly. "Perhaps someone, somewhere angered the Great Kings to such a degree that they thought we all should be punished. Or maybe, instead of punishment, they wished to test us, to see how neighbor got along with neighbor. Our pride and another, larger pride - the Kivuli - were not such good allies as we are now. But, that day, when the flood waters came, we were all the same. All running, all trying to save our families, all trying to save ourselves." She pauses, her smile growing warmer as her gaze grows more distant, recalling some far-flung memory. She comes back to herself a moment or two later, beaming at Amahl. "That day, I saw your father risk his life to save some cub we did not know. That's when I realized how very much I loved him." Awww! Shifting her position slightly, Waset shakes her head slowly. "Why the snow has not come back.. again, I do not know. I /do/ know that it is a very, very rare thing. I have never met anyone who has seen such snow fall in the lands like it did back then. I do not know why the snow even came in the first place. We will most likely never even see it down here again. It was an odd thing. But it made for an interesting experience, this much is true."
Well, he had to have gotten his inquisitiveness from /somewhere/! Some children might be content with an explanation of 'That's just the way things work,' or 'Because I said so,' but Amahl likes to know specifics. He likes /details/. Knowing how things work is a much friendlier pasttime for him than more physical activities. It's clear from his expression that he'd like very much to interrupt with /more/ questions, or perhaps useless observations, but he holds his tongue until the full story is out; then he can't keep quiet any longer. "The Great Kings can't be very /nice/ if they'd punish everyone with snow and a big flood," he decides, a bit irked. "Especially if they were punishing everyone for something one person did. I hope /that/ wasn't it. Grandpa Fuadi's one of the Great Kings, isn't he?" Of course, Fuadi was alive and well then and would have had nothing to do with it...but the thought that after a king dies he becomes something so /callous/ doesn't sit well with him. If /he/ were a Great King, he wouldn't, he thinks, be a /vengeful/ one. "But I guess it was a good thing if it made you realise you love dad?" He's a little bewildered; he isn't sure /what/ to make of the whole thing. And, fortunately, doesn't seem to have a kneejerk 'ew, /looove/' reaction. "...And it's a good thing /you/ didn't die, and that /dad/ didn't die saving that cub." Or he wouldn't be here to criticise the Great Kings! Oh, that's not a nice thought. But, of course, if he didn't exist, he wouldn't be able to think it wasn't a nice thought because he never would have had it in the first place. Which is perhaps even more troubling, and he snuggles in close suddenly, soothing himself with touch.
One stocky foreleg wraps gently around the young lion, holding him close, and a low purr rumbles from the depths of the barbary's chest. A few soothing licks are aimed at Amahl's ears (or maybe she has just suddenly decided that, his ears! They need cleaning!) before Waset speaks again. "I do not believe the Great Kings are all together vengeful spirits," She says. "But I imagine they know more than we, saw something we did not and from that decided upon punishment. Or maybe they thought we had grown too distant from our neighbors and sought, through trying times, to bring us together." Waset pauses, allowing a small silence to stretch between them for a moment. "Then again, perhaps the Great Kings hold no sway over the weather or disasters such as floods." But, for Waset it is almost scarier to consider that those things come out of absolutely /nowhere/ and happen for /no reason at all/, so she is personally inclined to believe in the power of the Great Kings. "Yes, son, Grandpa Fuadi is one of the Great Kings. But he would not allow such punishment upon Tyne unless the pride was bringing about its own ruin; even then, I believe he would only cause such things to gain our attention, to draw notice to the fact that we are doing something that will result in our end as a pride. He is as connected to Tyne as you and I, and would no more wish the pride to fall anymore than we would. He is one of the great protectors of Tyne, as Uncle Aitan and your dad are in life now, so is he as a spirit and one of the pride's ancestors." Waset chuckles, nodding, at the boy's next words. "I agree, it is a very good thing it made me realize I loved your dad. If I hadn't.. I would have you, or your siblings.. maybe I wouldn't even live here in Tyne anymore." The former Queen's smile widens as she studies her son, her gaze speaking of nothing but love for Amahl. "And a terrible shame that would be, because I wouldn't be able to give you this kiss now." And she does just that, washing her tongue towards Amahl's cheek, then leaning in to nuzzle him warmly.
Pssh! Amahl is a cleanly child; his ear hygiene is /impeccable/! ...Or, all right, not so impeccable, because even though he doesn't spend his days running around and jumping in mud puddles he still can't clean himself as well as an older lion. And it doesn't help that he's a bit absentminded, so the sand from the cave floor tends to accrue on his pelt in a fine, chalky dusting. Ahem. "Well, /someone/ must control the weather," he says firmly. After all, it makes sense! Everything else in the world is accountable to /something/. Even parents have parents, that have parents of their own and so on; he can't believe that the weather would just run around willy nilly doing whatever it wants. "Maybe not the Great Kings, though. Maybe something else." He's silent for awhile, pondering just what sort of creature would control the weather, and what it would get out of sending a flood down on everyone. Maybe it was just bored, and there was no greater purpose behind it. It's a horrible thought--and it makes him feel a bit bad about an anthill he'd knocked over last week because /he/ was just bored and couldn't think of anything else to do. The parallel is really kind of scary. "...Well, I hope he can stop the other Great Kings from punishing us too much, then," he says, chagrined. "I don't think I ever want to see snow." Of course, he /is/ seeing extreme drought right now, but this is the only dry season he's ever seen; he doesn't have experience with a bunch of other dry seasons to compare it to like the adults. He's knocked out of his brooding thoughts by that nuzzle, and just as quickly as he'd started worrying over great, important topics, his concern is gone and he's beaming up at her again, stretching up to lick her cheek rather inexpertly. No, he's /not/ very skilled at grooming yet, but the sentiment behind it is quite genuine; he's apparently something of a mama's boy. Aw. <3