Post by Msasi on Jan 27, 2013 0:38:39 GMT -5
Saturday September 02 07:56:43 PM
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| ~*~ Luvuvhu Forest River ~*~ |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| From the mountains, through the acacia forest, and towards the |
| savannah, the Kivuli Luvuvhu river flows, breaking right through the |
| growth of trees and caring not who or what it will pull with it on its |
| way. It has just recently been released from the high peaks and rushed |
| down the waterfall, and now nothing can stop it. Even crocodiles would |
| have problems surviving in the strong pull of this river .... |
| |
| Does this river ever end? Where will it go? What lies ahead? It |
| almost seems to be alive ... millions and millions of water droplets, |
| covering a distance in only a few seconds, which a four-legged creature |
| would take hours to travel. |
| |
---------------------Type 'khelp' for a list of commands.---------------------
[zzz] Ausikifa, male adol. lion [IC ] Khamisa, female lioness
[IIC] Raiyan, male lion
It's hard to say exactly what time it is. Back here in the jungles of Kivuli, the trees can often make it difficult to see the sky. Though Khamisa is certain it is either sunset or early evening. From what she can see from her perch, the patches of sky above are indeed getting darker, but her view is blocked of the western sky. The local pride's only surviving princess is stretched out on a low-hanging tree branch, all four paws dangling towards the earth no more than a few meters below and her chin resting lightly on a patch of moss. She is the picture of utter relaxation. With her brother, Atreyu, apparently watching her every move (or so he says), Khammy cannot risk any ventures towards the Mbaamwezi border.. so she is settling for sticking closer to the heart of Kivuli territory. At least until her brother's suspicions fade.. or he forgets about them in favor of thinking more about that lioness he's got the hots for. A crocodile splashes into the swift flowing river several paces downriver of Khamisa's position and her gaze lazily drifts in that direction. But only for a moment. Once it is determined that there is no threat.. her eyes close again. Laaaazy evening.
Their expedition into Kivuli has proven fruitless in more than one way, at least as far as Raiyan is concerned. Whatever's going on here, the two Mbaamwezi Mercenaries haven't been able to find a single thing out - and Ausikifa has nearly made things. Aggitated and irritated, the young warrior-lion paces measuredly along the river's edge, content to leave the crazed, blood thirsty, and brash adolescent where he sleeps. Rai knows better than to let his thoughts take over, especially in 'enemy' territory, but even he has his slip-ups. Ears laid flat to either side, eyes steeled upon the ground before his paws, he merely moves along the shoreline, paws keeping naturally quiet, body moving out of habit, near-instinct, to produce as little sound as possible. The splash of the croc is noted too, by the lion, who stops and glances towards the river, a bit caught off guard by the noise. But, with nothing else to see, scent, or hear, he relaxes a bit, and sits where he has stopped, peering into the swift-running surface of the river, unaware of the presence of anyone else.
SAnd for a long while, Khamisa is unaware of the presence of the lion. The sound of the river is relaxing, lulling her into a half-awake, half-asleep state of mind. It is the distant call of a bird that catches her attention, she forcing her eyes to open for a half second just to reassure herself that all is still well. At first, her gaze sweeps right over Raiyan. Not that she doesn't see him.. but at this section of the territory it isn't odd to see other members of the pride wandering by. Her eyes drift closed again.. and then snap back open suddenly, as if her brain is only at that moment processing the fact that Raiyan's colors don't match to any of those she knows are members of the pride. Lifting her head, Khamisa stares at Raiyan for a moment, blinking several times to make for certain that he's actually there, and not a figment of some wild ream she's having. It's once she's decided that, yes, he really IS there that she gets somewhat nervous. Knowing that he works for the Mbaamwezi.. his presence in Kivuli can't be a good thing. Gathering her paws beneath her, Khamisa leaps lightly to the ground where she stands, facing Raiyan, tail giving a half-twitch. "Just what are you doing here?"
He's not expecting anyone else to be around here; they had chosen their hiding spot well. And Raiyan's definitely not expecting that anyone to be Khamisa. He's caught completely off guard and a little bit unnerved by the sudden appearance of the Kivulian Princess. Anyone else he would have been able to deal with just fine. Anyone else. Such surprise is shown in that he doesn't initially move, eyes widening and then narrowing in the next second. He stammers an answer without really thinking, perhaps just out of enforced habit, "I-I'm not doing anything...apparently." Whatever that means. Rai stares a moment, regaining whatever composure he can, and assessing his situation - he's been caught where he shouldn't be, and by the one Kivulian that could certainly foil everything, especially if Ausikifa decides to come looking for him. But what to say? He can't bluff Khamisa like he has the few he's ventured to talk with; she knows him and knows, for the most part, what he's about. So, Raiyan doesn't say anything else for the moment, still a bit dumbfounded.
Khamisa's eyes narrow a moment, a frown tugging at her features. He's here.. not doing anything? Honestly, that doesn't sound at all believable. But what would? And how shoul she be reacting? Even Khamisa herself isn't quite sure. On one hand, he's had chances to kill her.. or at least injure her or take her captive or what have you.. in the past. But he hasn't. And, if she were to be honest with herself, Khamm thinks he's an interesting individual, and that curiosity has been enough to warrant venturing out to the border on various occassions.. and lying to parents and brothers about it. But on the other hand.. he works for /them/. Mbaamwezi. The enemy. Murderers of her beloved uncle. Would he take her out if he were ordered too? What if the Mbaamwezi were attacking and--- As soon as the thought enters her mind, Khamisa's blue eyes go wide, fear paralyzing her muscles. Ears slipping back against her skull, the Kivulian pauses with a single small forepaw lifted, unsure if she should approach Raiyan and be question questioning him.. or be running, either to save her own life, or to go offer what little she can to the rest of her family should they actually beunder attack at this very moment. "A.. are the others.. are they here too?" It's hardly more than a whisper, echoes of fear coloring her words. A Mbaamwezi attack is NOT what Kivuli needs right now.
While he can't read minds, Raiyan seems to have an idea of what thoughts filter through her mind; it's not exactly written clearly for everyone to see, but it's clear enough by her reactions. "Wait, wait...don't run, don't panic, okay?" he states a little to quickly, standing, fearing she will, indeed, do just that. "There's no one else here, well, there's Ausikifa, but I'm taking care of him...there's no one else from Mbaamwezi, I swear it," he says, words rushing upon themselves to be said. No war, not yet. Sighing heavily, quickly, Raiyan runs a paw over his eyes and down his muzzle, clearly stressed and trying to keep his head level. What does he say and how much of the truth does he reveal? His loyalties have been stretched to the limit, his abilities pushed to the edge. "Khamisa, look, we were supposed to find out if Kivuli was planning to attack. After your border guard was nearly killed...We just came to find out." He hasn't faced the fact that he's been a spy up until this point; he's managed to put it out of his mind until he's had to nearly say just that.
Breath is exhaled in a loud puff, muscles relaxing so suddenly that, for a quick second, her legs feel almost like they're made of water. While Khamisa isn't exactly the most knowledgeable about Kivuli's defenses - being just a lioness in the pride, and one who is simply a Princess and Historian by profession - she knows enough to know that her pride is very vulnerable at this point. The thought - however brief - that they could have been under attack was quite worrisome. After a quick glance at Raiyan, the lioness pads over to the edge of the river, muzzle lowered to the surface for a quick drink that is taken merely to give her a moment to think rather than to quench any thirst. Finally lifting her head, she glances at the lion again, licking a few stray droplets of water from her muzzle. Sighing softly, she shakes her head. "No.. no attack." To her knowledge, anyway. She had heard talk of one.. but that was way back when Ankarri was first attacked. Since then, things have changed in Kivuli. "Thankfully."
As she relaxes, Raiyan allows himself to do the same. So they won't have to beat an immediate retreat to Mbaamwezi for the moment. "I've gathered as much...and that's about it." He watches a moment, toying with what else he could or shouldn't say. "I talked briefly with your border guard...the lion that attacked him wasn't of Mbaamwezi, and I'm not sure where he is or where he came from." Which just goes to show how much out of the loop Raiyan is with Zira; he's become nothing more than a tool for her, one held in place by his loyalty to Seth. Raiyan half-sighs again, "He didn't seem inclined to believe me and insisted the pride was going to retaliate at some point." Rai appears more haggard than when Khamisa last saw him - this game of spy, of trying to play diplomat without the other finding out - has been wearing hard on him. He's supposed to just be a fighter, after all.
Khamisa nods, seating herself along the river bank.. at the same time trying to figure out what /she/ should say. While she herself doesn't have to play spy, there's a fine line of what should and shold not be said.. of what could endanger the pride should it get back to Mbaamwezi. The Princess frowns slightly at the news that the lion who attacked Ankarri wasn't of Mbaamwezi, but quickly pushes it aside. And then, a small, wry smirk curving across her muzzle, she glances at Raiyan. "Ankarri isn't here anymore," She says. "No reason for us to attack Mbaamwezi in retaliation for an attack by a supposed Mbaamwezian when he who was attacked is no longer a member of the pride." A brief look of irritation crosses her face as she speaks. She is finding Ankarri's departure to be slightly rude. She'd liked him a bit, after all.. they'd gotten along well from the moment they met, he seemed to enjoy hearing her talk about Kivuli's history.. the pride took care of him when he was injured.. and he just leaves. It annoys the hell out of her. "All for the best, I suppose.. if it delays the onset of any fighting."
"Delays," Raiyan repeats, cynically. Is that all any of this is going to do? He's come close to simply giving up on preventing war, for all the good any of it is doing. The news that Ankarri is going is recieved well enough; he merely nods, feeling a bit more relieved with it. Still well aware he's somewhere he shouldn't be, Raiyan can't help but return the wry smirk with one of his own. "What happens now, Princess Khamisa?" he asks with a familiar teasing tone. "You've caught your enemy trespassing well beyond the border...no doubt a force could be mustered before either of us found our way back." That, in itself, is no lie - Raiyan is more than aware of how precarious his situation could be. But, while he's half-hoping he'll get cleanly away and back to Mbaamwezi, there's also the near-insane hope that he'll be caught, though whatever motivates such a feeling is beyond him.
Yes, the delays are getting to be somewhat annoying, eh? It's hard to start getting worked up, bracing oneself for war.. only to have it not come. Khamisa herself simply wishes the Mbaamwezi would go terrorize someone else for a while.. as horrible as that sounds. White-rimmed ears perk as the lion speaks again, and though Khammy smirks back.. she finds herself wondering just what she /should/ do. Two of the enemy in their territory? Kivuli would probably jump on the opprotunity to take hostages.. although, no doubt, the hostages themselves would probably be treated a hundred times better than any Kivuli hostages Mbaamwezi would take. And away even two from Mbaamwezi's force... But, still, Khamisa finds herself hesitating. If it weren't Raiyan, of course Khammy would act quickly. They actually aren't all that far from the pridal caverns.. others /could/ be summoned very quickly.. especially by a call from the Princess if it sounds like she is in danger. Although, she argues with herself, Raiyan /shouldn't/ matter. He /does/ work for the Mbaamwezi. He /is/ here as a spy. She shouldn't make any distinction. She /shouldn't/.. but she does. And probably stupidly so, a voice in the back of her head mocks her. Tilting her chin slightly, Khamisa gives Raiyan a critical once over. "Hm. I dunno.. from the looks of you, I think I could deal with you myself." Mostly teasing, but with the faint trace of a tone to let him know that she realizes how haggard he appears.
Tail swaying thoughtfully behind him, Raiyan merely stares back in return, amusedly unsure how to respond. Another time, another place, he might press his luck, but not here, not right now. After a moment, he drops his eyes and shakes his head, chuckling hoarsely, "You know, I think you probably could at this point. Wouldn't be the first time you've surprised me." Perhaps he's feeling to comfortable - or just fatalistic - for he flops down where he stood, tossing his head once to chase back the length of white-forelock before his eyes. "I'm no good at this, this deception thing, slinking around to find things out. I'm supposed to just...just fight, protect, that sort of thing," he admits, chuckling again, dryly, humorlessly.
"So I've noticed," The royal lioness quips in response, stepping a pace or two from the river and stretching out lady-like on her belly upon the cool ground, forepaws crossed in front of her. "I don't think I would have caught too many spies off-guard dropping out of that tree, since I hadn't made much of an effort to hide myself to begin with." She'd had no reason to, of course.. this being her home and the heart of Kivuli territory. All is supposed to be relaxed and peaceful here. And then, curious, she tilts her head slightly, blue eyes focusing on Raiyan. "Don't they have any.. just.. spies.. in Mbaamwezi?" She asks slowly.. not sure if it's a question he can answer or not. "I would have thought they would, anyway.. and then just send in the fighters when it was time to.. rip us to shreds and stuff." Although her knowledge of what the enemy could do is pretty limited, having grown up in the peaceful, decent pride of Kivuli.. and not a pride of murderers.
The question makes him uncomfortable, evident enough by how he shifts his weight, scratching at the back of a paw with the other. "Zira has...others," he says, knowingly giving away more than he should now. "I think they've played out their part here too much before though." If Kivuli didn't realize they had spies among them - other than Raiyan and Ausi, that is - it should be easy to figure out now. Either that...or Rai and Ausi were thought of as easily expendable if something went wrong. "I wish I could argue that point with you," he states, scowling just a bit, but I suppose that's not too far from the truth. "Mbaamwezi isn't as bad as everyone wants to think," he states, though not with much conviction himself. Raiyan has done a lot of learning, more than he cared to.
Khamisa wouldn't have pressed had he chosen not to answer.. if anything, she can understand perfectly the whole idea of having to walk the fine line of what can and can not be said. Although, really, even if Raiyan told her everything about Mbaamwezi and she took that information to the King, she's not even sure Kiet would listen.. he'd most likely think she was just being a cub wanting to 'play war' as cubs often do. Raiyan's last statement is met with a long look by Khamisa as she tries to process that without the obvious bias of 'but they killed my uncle!' "I would hope so," She says finally, though she doesn't sound like she much belives it. "It seems like it would be a horrible life to live with that much.. hatred.. or evilness.. or whatever it is." She's not even sure herself. They killed her uncle, and Khamisa herself hates them for that.. but at the same time, she knows that in the past Ronan himself wasn't exactly a model citizen. "But.. I suppose there are those out there who would think my life just as horrible.. having to behave a certain way just for being a princess."
She has no idea about Mbaamwezi - and if it comes down to it, Raiyan isn't too far behind. He's not as naive about the pride as he was to begin with; recent events have done well to destroy whatever innocence he might have claimed with them. But living under the hatred they do seem to bare for most everyone - even fellow pride members - has taken its toll upon the exotic lion. Yet that's not his to comment upon, nor would he, if even pressed for it. He's still trying to justify being part of the pride. He closes his eyes for a moment, listening quietly, musing to himself, before speaking again. "I thought about that, before. When you 'explained' to me how you're supposed to behave. It's restricted and, I imagine, hard to uphold. But I'm just an uncouth sort myself," he adds with the hint of a smile.
Mbaamwezi probably is far beyond what Khamisa can even imagine, most likely. Not that she can be blamed for that, though, having lived an incredibly sheltered life. The lioness shifts slightly, settling chin on forepaws, a small smile dawning across her muzzle as the lion speaks. "I don't know.. I've never found it too restrictive.. although I guess since it's the only way of life I've known, I wouldn't know any better." All the Kivuli kids turned out all right and proper - Mizuka being the extreme, as far as Khamisa herself is concerned. And at the far opposite end of Mizuka's extreme rigid royal behavior is Atreyu's.. well, Atreyu-ness. "Although my brother has always been the wild and free one. Drives my parents mad." She grins, tail curling gently behind her. Khamisa is starting to come out of her own shell a bit.. ever since meeting Raiyan.. and with some continued pressure from Atreyu to chill already. "You remind me of him, sort of. So you're not /that/ bad."
Raiyan shakes his head, "I'm not...what you might think. Neither wild and free...or restricted-royalty." The mercenary shrugs, "I've my own set of rules that I abide by, ingrained in me since birth." And the source of his misery as it stands. He's tempted to even contradict the statement about not being too bad, but it's kind of nice to know someone has a higher opinion of him than he does. "Kivuli's been quiet," he starts, changing the subject, "May I inquire why?" He rests a paw across the other, leaning towards her a bit more, hoping to push the conversation towards the exposed subject for curiousity's sake.
It's hard to imagine what that might me like.. having ones own set of rules to live by. To Khamisa, it sounds like living life dangerously. There is a certain spark of curiosity about it.. but she's sure that whatever she imagines that life to be like is highly romanticized. Nothing is hardly ever as good as one imagines it to be. As the subject changes, it is now her turn to become uneasy. They're once again back on a subject where she has to decide what she can say. Khamisa feels comfortable enough around Raiyan.. but to know that what she says could get back to Mbaamwezi.. it's nerve-wrecking. Tongue slides out along the side of her muzzle in a nervous gesture, blue eyes gazing off into the distance as she considers his question. And then, still undecided, she looks back to the lion, frowning. "We.." She begins, before pausing again. He mentioned something about Zira having others. If there had been spies in Kivuli before, they might already know. Heck, more spies could come along and figure it out.. it's not like it's any great secret. Heaving a sigh, Khammy lets the tension and uneasiness drain from her. "We've lost Ankarri, as I told you. We've also lost another couple of males in the pride.. who've gone off to find mates or whatever," She says. "And..." She pauses, but only briefly. If Raiyan reports all this to Zira.. so he does. Even if he doesn't, Mbaamwezi spies could easily figure it out. Might as well just say it. "My father is.. getting old. And Uncle Ronan's death.. and Auntie Kietleaji, who died shortly after him.." None of them have yet to figure out that she was murdered by the Mbaamwezi too. "..and I think he's falling ill. He hasn't been himself lately."
Raiyan frowns; the news is grave indeed. "Your father is ill?" he questions, merely repeating what he's been told, eyes dropping once again. Again, he's glad Ausikifa is not around; not only would the consequences of his mere presence be bad enough, but he'd be gleeful with such news. The thought makes Raiyan shudder. Zira would certainly welcome the news. Will he report it upon his return? "Perhaps we should quit talking," he states, suddenly standing up. He seems inclined to say more, but just shakes his head instead.
Khamisa simply nods as the lion stands, and doesn't elaborate on the status of her father's health. Her gaze slips from Raiyan to the river, watching slivers of moonlight reflected on the moving surface. She knows perfectly well that she could have just put her pride in extreme danger. Does she trust Raiyan not to say anything? She's not sure.. though she wouldn't blame him if he did report it. After all, he's out here to do a job, not just have pleasant conversations with a local lioness. But if there are spies out and about in Kivuli.. perhaps they'd have found everything out on their own sooner or later. And if not, just the news that Kivuli is quiet might have been cause to send in more spies. And, at that thought, Khamisa is hit with a sudden rage; it's not /fair/. Kivuli has no spies in Mbaamwezi. But.. apparently, life and war aren't meant to be fair.
Rage itself is hard to mistake; even those that hide emotion well have a hard time disguising that. Raiyan notes the cue, taking the emotion to be directed at him, and quite frankly, he wouldn't be able to blame her. "We'll be leaving Kivuli directly," the gold lion informs her hollowly, "...and if you see me set paw again here, then you'd do well to rally your pride." Does that mean the next time he'll be Kivuli, it'll be for the attack? Or something else? There is a certain misery about his expression, stormy blue eyes darkened moreso than usual, but he does well to keep his features as blank as possible. He lingers a moment still, once again, as if he'd say more, but instead merely nods once, white-tufted tail twitching against his hocks.
Khamisa's gaze snaps back to Raiyan, blue eyes wide. Surprise quickly falters into a look of faint distress. So he is going to report what she's told him? Not that it surprises her all that much.. but the possibility that he may be coming back to attack her family.. or even /her/.. is hard to take. And is this the last they are to really see each other, then? To talk? That.. is a depressing thought. But what can she do? This is supposed to be war. She's not supposed to be hanging out and chatting it up with the enemy by the river. Or.. you know.. giving him information. But.. what's done is done. And the future is suddenly bleak. Pushing herself to her paws, Khamisa's gaze liners on the exotic lion. And then she moves, really wanting nothing more than to head off and curl up in the caverns somewhere to sleep. And she has to pass Raiyan by to get where she's going. Her paws carry her a few steps closer to him than she actually would have to pass.. and she slows, just enough to attempt to brush her head beneath his chin briefly. She lingers for hardly a second, attempting to match her tone to his, though hers shakes ever so slightly. "Mind when you cross the border.. my brother is watching it." And, without waiting for a response - and not quite sure she wants to see how he'd respond - she carries on, seeking out the solitude of the crater caves where she can struggle with a decision of her own.. whether or not to go warn Atreyu that there will be Mbaamwezians coming his way.
There's a lot of what's passed that they shouldn't have allowed; Raiyan's intent was to deal with his demons, so to speak, on the journey 'home'. His life-debt to Seth is proving to be more than he can stand, yet honor will demand that, should Seth want it of him, he will have to deliver. Nevermind that Seth is dead - Raiyan knows nothing of that yet. The conflict isn't reflected in his stoic features, clash of white mane on his gold hide, blue eyes - dulled now - merely adding further contrast to his rugged appearance. The implications of his statement are left to linger, left to be made up in either mind. He stands, to keep himself steady more than anything else, and doesn't move as she draws near. But he certainly doesn't even think she'd come so close, to brush up against him, the subtle movement eliciting a startled response, though that's only shown by the widening of his eyes as she draws her head along his chin, nostrils flaring briefly. His ears barely catch her words of warning, barely register upon his mind. And there he'll stand a moment longer, stock still, swallowing slowly and exhaling a slightly trembling breath after she passes. He turns his head to follow her retreat, silent, and still reeling. After a moment, he too, finally carries on, heavy steps heading towards where he left Ausikifa slumbering.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| ~*~ Luvuvhu Forest River ~*~ |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| From the mountains, through the acacia forest, and towards the |
| savannah, the Kivuli Luvuvhu river flows, breaking right through the |
| growth of trees and caring not who or what it will pull with it on its |
| way. It has just recently been released from the high peaks and rushed |
| down the waterfall, and now nothing can stop it. Even crocodiles would |
| have problems surviving in the strong pull of this river .... |
| |
| Does this river ever end? Where will it go? What lies ahead? It |
| almost seems to be alive ... millions and millions of water droplets, |
| covering a distance in only a few seconds, which a four-legged creature |
| would take hours to travel. |
| |
---------------------Type 'khelp' for a list of commands.---------------------
[zzz] Ausikifa, male adol. lion [IC ] Khamisa, female lioness
[IIC] Raiyan, male lion
It's hard to say exactly what time it is. Back here in the jungles of Kivuli, the trees can often make it difficult to see the sky. Though Khamisa is certain it is either sunset or early evening. From what she can see from her perch, the patches of sky above are indeed getting darker, but her view is blocked of the western sky. The local pride's only surviving princess is stretched out on a low-hanging tree branch, all four paws dangling towards the earth no more than a few meters below and her chin resting lightly on a patch of moss. She is the picture of utter relaxation. With her brother, Atreyu, apparently watching her every move (or so he says), Khammy cannot risk any ventures towards the Mbaamwezi border.. so she is settling for sticking closer to the heart of Kivuli territory. At least until her brother's suspicions fade.. or he forgets about them in favor of thinking more about that lioness he's got the hots for. A crocodile splashes into the swift flowing river several paces downriver of Khamisa's position and her gaze lazily drifts in that direction. But only for a moment. Once it is determined that there is no threat.. her eyes close again. Laaaazy evening.
Their expedition into Kivuli has proven fruitless in more than one way, at least as far as Raiyan is concerned. Whatever's going on here, the two Mbaamwezi Mercenaries haven't been able to find a single thing out - and Ausikifa has nearly made things. Aggitated and irritated, the young warrior-lion paces measuredly along the river's edge, content to leave the crazed, blood thirsty, and brash adolescent where he sleeps. Rai knows better than to let his thoughts take over, especially in 'enemy' territory, but even he has his slip-ups. Ears laid flat to either side, eyes steeled upon the ground before his paws, he merely moves along the shoreline, paws keeping naturally quiet, body moving out of habit, near-instinct, to produce as little sound as possible. The splash of the croc is noted too, by the lion, who stops and glances towards the river, a bit caught off guard by the noise. But, with nothing else to see, scent, or hear, he relaxes a bit, and sits where he has stopped, peering into the swift-running surface of the river, unaware of the presence of anyone else.
SAnd for a long while, Khamisa is unaware of the presence of the lion. The sound of the river is relaxing, lulling her into a half-awake, half-asleep state of mind. It is the distant call of a bird that catches her attention, she forcing her eyes to open for a half second just to reassure herself that all is still well. At first, her gaze sweeps right over Raiyan. Not that she doesn't see him.. but at this section of the territory it isn't odd to see other members of the pride wandering by. Her eyes drift closed again.. and then snap back open suddenly, as if her brain is only at that moment processing the fact that Raiyan's colors don't match to any of those she knows are members of the pride. Lifting her head, Khamisa stares at Raiyan for a moment, blinking several times to make for certain that he's actually there, and not a figment of some wild ream she's having. It's once she's decided that, yes, he really IS there that she gets somewhat nervous. Knowing that he works for the Mbaamwezi.. his presence in Kivuli can't be a good thing. Gathering her paws beneath her, Khamisa leaps lightly to the ground where she stands, facing Raiyan, tail giving a half-twitch. "Just what are you doing here?"
He's not expecting anyone else to be around here; they had chosen their hiding spot well. And Raiyan's definitely not expecting that anyone to be Khamisa. He's caught completely off guard and a little bit unnerved by the sudden appearance of the Kivulian Princess. Anyone else he would have been able to deal with just fine. Anyone else. Such surprise is shown in that he doesn't initially move, eyes widening and then narrowing in the next second. He stammers an answer without really thinking, perhaps just out of enforced habit, "I-I'm not doing anything...apparently." Whatever that means. Rai stares a moment, regaining whatever composure he can, and assessing his situation - he's been caught where he shouldn't be, and by the one Kivulian that could certainly foil everything, especially if Ausikifa decides to come looking for him. But what to say? He can't bluff Khamisa like he has the few he's ventured to talk with; she knows him and knows, for the most part, what he's about. So, Raiyan doesn't say anything else for the moment, still a bit dumbfounded.
Khamisa's eyes narrow a moment, a frown tugging at her features. He's here.. not doing anything? Honestly, that doesn't sound at all believable. But what would? And how shoul she be reacting? Even Khamisa herself isn't quite sure. On one hand, he's had chances to kill her.. or at least injure her or take her captive or what have you.. in the past. But he hasn't. And, if she were to be honest with herself, Khamm thinks he's an interesting individual, and that curiosity has been enough to warrant venturing out to the border on various occassions.. and lying to parents and brothers about it. But on the other hand.. he works for /them/. Mbaamwezi. The enemy. Murderers of her beloved uncle. Would he take her out if he were ordered too? What if the Mbaamwezi were attacking and--- As soon as the thought enters her mind, Khamisa's blue eyes go wide, fear paralyzing her muscles. Ears slipping back against her skull, the Kivulian pauses with a single small forepaw lifted, unsure if she should approach Raiyan and be question questioning him.. or be running, either to save her own life, or to go offer what little she can to the rest of her family should they actually beunder attack at this very moment. "A.. are the others.. are they here too?" It's hardly more than a whisper, echoes of fear coloring her words. A Mbaamwezi attack is NOT what Kivuli needs right now.
While he can't read minds, Raiyan seems to have an idea of what thoughts filter through her mind; it's not exactly written clearly for everyone to see, but it's clear enough by her reactions. "Wait, wait...don't run, don't panic, okay?" he states a little to quickly, standing, fearing she will, indeed, do just that. "There's no one else here, well, there's Ausikifa, but I'm taking care of him...there's no one else from Mbaamwezi, I swear it," he says, words rushing upon themselves to be said. No war, not yet. Sighing heavily, quickly, Raiyan runs a paw over his eyes and down his muzzle, clearly stressed and trying to keep his head level. What does he say and how much of the truth does he reveal? His loyalties have been stretched to the limit, his abilities pushed to the edge. "Khamisa, look, we were supposed to find out if Kivuli was planning to attack. After your border guard was nearly killed...We just came to find out." He hasn't faced the fact that he's been a spy up until this point; he's managed to put it out of his mind until he's had to nearly say just that.
Breath is exhaled in a loud puff, muscles relaxing so suddenly that, for a quick second, her legs feel almost like they're made of water. While Khamisa isn't exactly the most knowledgeable about Kivuli's defenses - being just a lioness in the pride, and one who is simply a Princess and Historian by profession - she knows enough to know that her pride is very vulnerable at this point. The thought - however brief - that they could have been under attack was quite worrisome. After a quick glance at Raiyan, the lioness pads over to the edge of the river, muzzle lowered to the surface for a quick drink that is taken merely to give her a moment to think rather than to quench any thirst. Finally lifting her head, she glances at the lion again, licking a few stray droplets of water from her muzzle. Sighing softly, she shakes her head. "No.. no attack." To her knowledge, anyway. She had heard talk of one.. but that was way back when Ankarri was first attacked. Since then, things have changed in Kivuli. "Thankfully."
As she relaxes, Raiyan allows himself to do the same. So they won't have to beat an immediate retreat to Mbaamwezi for the moment. "I've gathered as much...and that's about it." He watches a moment, toying with what else he could or shouldn't say. "I talked briefly with your border guard...the lion that attacked him wasn't of Mbaamwezi, and I'm not sure where he is or where he came from." Which just goes to show how much out of the loop Raiyan is with Zira; he's become nothing more than a tool for her, one held in place by his loyalty to Seth. Raiyan half-sighs again, "He didn't seem inclined to believe me and insisted the pride was going to retaliate at some point." Rai appears more haggard than when Khamisa last saw him - this game of spy, of trying to play diplomat without the other finding out - has been wearing hard on him. He's supposed to just be a fighter, after all.
Khamisa nods, seating herself along the river bank.. at the same time trying to figure out what /she/ should say. While she herself doesn't have to play spy, there's a fine line of what should and shold not be said.. of what could endanger the pride should it get back to Mbaamwezi. The Princess frowns slightly at the news that the lion who attacked Ankarri wasn't of Mbaamwezi, but quickly pushes it aside. And then, a small, wry smirk curving across her muzzle, she glances at Raiyan. "Ankarri isn't here anymore," She says. "No reason for us to attack Mbaamwezi in retaliation for an attack by a supposed Mbaamwezian when he who was attacked is no longer a member of the pride." A brief look of irritation crosses her face as she speaks. She is finding Ankarri's departure to be slightly rude. She'd liked him a bit, after all.. they'd gotten along well from the moment they met, he seemed to enjoy hearing her talk about Kivuli's history.. the pride took care of him when he was injured.. and he just leaves. It annoys the hell out of her. "All for the best, I suppose.. if it delays the onset of any fighting."
"Delays," Raiyan repeats, cynically. Is that all any of this is going to do? He's come close to simply giving up on preventing war, for all the good any of it is doing. The news that Ankarri is going is recieved well enough; he merely nods, feeling a bit more relieved with it. Still well aware he's somewhere he shouldn't be, Raiyan can't help but return the wry smirk with one of his own. "What happens now, Princess Khamisa?" he asks with a familiar teasing tone. "You've caught your enemy trespassing well beyond the border...no doubt a force could be mustered before either of us found our way back." That, in itself, is no lie - Raiyan is more than aware of how precarious his situation could be. But, while he's half-hoping he'll get cleanly away and back to Mbaamwezi, there's also the near-insane hope that he'll be caught, though whatever motivates such a feeling is beyond him.
Yes, the delays are getting to be somewhat annoying, eh? It's hard to start getting worked up, bracing oneself for war.. only to have it not come. Khamisa herself simply wishes the Mbaamwezi would go terrorize someone else for a while.. as horrible as that sounds. White-rimmed ears perk as the lion speaks again, and though Khammy smirks back.. she finds herself wondering just what she /should/ do. Two of the enemy in their territory? Kivuli would probably jump on the opprotunity to take hostages.. although, no doubt, the hostages themselves would probably be treated a hundred times better than any Kivuli hostages Mbaamwezi would take. And away even two from Mbaamwezi's force... But, still, Khamisa finds herself hesitating. If it weren't Raiyan, of course Khammy would act quickly. They actually aren't all that far from the pridal caverns.. others /could/ be summoned very quickly.. especially by a call from the Princess if it sounds like she is in danger. Although, she argues with herself, Raiyan /shouldn't/ matter. He /does/ work for the Mbaamwezi. He /is/ here as a spy. She shouldn't make any distinction. She /shouldn't/.. but she does. And probably stupidly so, a voice in the back of her head mocks her. Tilting her chin slightly, Khamisa gives Raiyan a critical once over. "Hm. I dunno.. from the looks of you, I think I could deal with you myself." Mostly teasing, but with the faint trace of a tone to let him know that she realizes how haggard he appears.
Tail swaying thoughtfully behind him, Raiyan merely stares back in return, amusedly unsure how to respond. Another time, another place, he might press his luck, but not here, not right now. After a moment, he drops his eyes and shakes his head, chuckling hoarsely, "You know, I think you probably could at this point. Wouldn't be the first time you've surprised me." Perhaps he's feeling to comfortable - or just fatalistic - for he flops down where he stood, tossing his head once to chase back the length of white-forelock before his eyes. "I'm no good at this, this deception thing, slinking around to find things out. I'm supposed to just...just fight, protect, that sort of thing," he admits, chuckling again, dryly, humorlessly.
"So I've noticed," The royal lioness quips in response, stepping a pace or two from the river and stretching out lady-like on her belly upon the cool ground, forepaws crossed in front of her. "I don't think I would have caught too many spies off-guard dropping out of that tree, since I hadn't made much of an effort to hide myself to begin with." She'd had no reason to, of course.. this being her home and the heart of Kivuli territory. All is supposed to be relaxed and peaceful here. And then, curious, she tilts her head slightly, blue eyes focusing on Raiyan. "Don't they have any.. just.. spies.. in Mbaamwezi?" She asks slowly.. not sure if it's a question he can answer or not. "I would have thought they would, anyway.. and then just send in the fighters when it was time to.. rip us to shreds and stuff." Although her knowledge of what the enemy could do is pretty limited, having grown up in the peaceful, decent pride of Kivuli.. and not a pride of murderers.
The question makes him uncomfortable, evident enough by how he shifts his weight, scratching at the back of a paw with the other. "Zira has...others," he says, knowingly giving away more than he should now. "I think they've played out their part here too much before though." If Kivuli didn't realize they had spies among them - other than Raiyan and Ausi, that is - it should be easy to figure out now. Either that...or Rai and Ausi were thought of as easily expendable if something went wrong. "I wish I could argue that point with you," he states, scowling just a bit, but I suppose that's not too far from the truth. "Mbaamwezi isn't as bad as everyone wants to think," he states, though not with much conviction himself. Raiyan has done a lot of learning, more than he cared to.
Khamisa wouldn't have pressed had he chosen not to answer.. if anything, she can understand perfectly the whole idea of having to walk the fine line of what can and can not be said. Although, really, even if Raiyan told her everything about Mbaamwezi and she took that information to the King, she's not even sure Kiet would listen.. he'd most likely think she was just being a cub wanting to 'play war' as cubs often do. Raiyan's last statement is met with a long look by Khamisa as she tries to process that without the obvious bias of 'but they killed my uncle!' "I would hope so," She says finally, though she doesn't sound like she much belives it. "It seems like it would be a horrible life to live with that much.. hatred.. or evilness.. or whatever it is." She's not even sure herself. They killed her uncle, and Khamisa herself hates them for that.. but at the same time, she knows that in the past Ronan himself wasn't exactly a model citizen. "But.. I suppose there are those out there who would think my life just as horrible.. having to behave a certain way just for being a princess."
She has no idea about Mbaamwezi - and if it comes down to it, Raiyan isn't too far behind. He's not as naive about the pride as he was to begin with; recent events have done well to destroy whatever innocence he might have claimed with them. But living under the hatred they do seem to bare for most everyone - even fellow pride members - has taken its toll upon the exotic lion. Yet that's not his to comment upon, nor would he, if even pressed for it. He's still trying to justify being part of the pride. He closes his eyes for a moment, listening quietly, musing to himself, before speaking again. "I thought about that, before. When you 'explained' to me how you're supposed to behave. It's restricted and, I imagine, hard to uphold. But I'm just an uncouth sort myself," he adds with the hint of a smile.
Mbaamwezi probably is far beyond what Khamisa can even imagine, most likely. Not that she can be blamed for that, though, having lived an incredibly sheltered life. The lioness shifts slightly, settling chin on forepaws, a small smile dawning across her muzzle as the lion speaks. "I don't know.. I've never found it too restrictive.. although I guess since it's the only way of life I've known, I wouldn't know any better." All the Kivuli kids turned out all right and proper - Mizuka being the extreme, as far as Khamisa herself is concerned. And at the far opposite end of Mizuka's extreme rigid royal behavior is Atreyu's.. well, Atreyu-ness. "Although my brother has always been the wild and free one. Drives my parents mad." She grins, tail curling gently behind her. Khamisa is starting to come out of her own shell a bit.. ever since meeting Raiyan.. and with some continued pressure from Atreyu to chill already. "You remind me of him, sort of. So you're not /that/ bad."
Raiyan shakes his head, "I'm not...what you might think. Neither wild and free...or restricted-royalty." The mercenary shrugs, "I've my own set of rules that I abide by, ingrained in me since birth." And the source of his misery as it stands. He's tempted to even contradict the statement about not being too bad, but it's kind of nice to know someone has a higher opinion of him than he does. "Kivuli's been quiet," he starts, changing the subject, "May I inquire why?" He rests a paw across the other, leaning towards her a bit more, hoping to push the conversation towards the exposed subject for curiousity's sake.
It's hard to imagine what that might me like.. having ones own set of rules to live by. To Khamisa, it sounds like living life dangerously. There is a certain spark of curiosity about it.. but she's sure that whatever she imagines that life to be like is highly romanticized. Nothing is hardly ever as good as one imagines it to be. As the subject changes, it is now her turn to become uneasy. They're once again back on a subject where she has to decide what she can say. Khamisa feels comfortable enough around Raiyan.. but to know that what she says could get back to Mbaamwezi.. it's nerve-wrecking. Tongue slides out along the side of her muzzle in a nervous gesture, blue eyes gazing off into the distance as she considers his question. And then, still undecided, she looks back to the lion, frowning. "We.." She begins, before pausing again. He mentioned something about Zira having others. If there had been spies in Kivuli before, they might already know. Heck, more spies could come along and figure it out.. it's not like it's any great secret. Heaving a sigh, Khammy lets the tension and uneasiness drain from her. "We've lost Ankarri, as I told you. We've also lost another couple of males in the pride.. who've gone off to find mates or whatever," She says. "And..." She pauses, but only briefly. If Raiyan reports all this to Zira.. so he does. Even if he doesn't, Mbaamwezi spies could easily figure it out. Might as well just say it. "My father is.. getting old. And Uncle Ronan's death.. and Auntie Kietleaji, who died shortly after him.." None of them have yet to figure out that she was murdered by the Mbaamwezi too. "..and I think he's falling ill. He hasn't been himself lately."
Raiyan frowns; the news is grave indeed. "Your father is ill?" he questions, merely repeating what he's been told, eyes dropping once again. Again, he's glad Ausikifa is not around; not only would the consequences of his mere presence be bad enough, but he'd be gleeful with such news. The thought makes Raiyan shudder. Zira would certainly welcome the news. Will he report it upon his return? "Perhaps we should quit talking," he states, suddenly standing up. He seems inclined to say more, but just shakes his head instead.
Khamisa simply nods as the lion stands, and doesn't elaborate on the status of her father's health. Her gaze slips from Raiyan to the river, watching slivers of moonlight reflected on the moving surface. She knows perfectly well that she could have just put her pride in extreme danger. Does she trust Raiyan not to say anything? She's not sure.. though she wouldn't blame him if he did report it. After all, he's out here to do a job, not just have pleasant conversations with a local lioness. But if there are spies out and about in Kivuli.. perhaps they'd have found everything out on their own sooner or later. And if not, just the news that Kivuli is quiet might have been cause to send in more spies. And, at that thought, Khamisa is hit with a sudden rage; it's not /fair/. Kivuli has no spies in Mbaamwezi. But.. apparently, life and war aren't meant to be fair.
Rage itself is hard to mistake; even those that hide emotion well have a hard time disguising that. Raiyan notes the cue, taking the emotion to be directed at him, and quite frankly, he wouldn't be able to blame her. "We'll be leaving Kivuli directly," the gold lion informs her hollowly, "...and if you see me set paw again here, then you'd do well to rally your pride." Does that mean the next time he'll be Kivuli, it'll be for the attack? Or something else? There is a certain misery about his expression, stormy blue eyes darkened moreso than usual, but he does well to keep his features as blank as possible. He lingers a moment still, once again, as if he'd say more, but instead merely nods once, white-tufted tail twitching against his hocks.
Khamisa's gaze snaps back to Raiyan, blue eyes wide. Surprise quickly falters into a look of faint distress. So he is going to report what she's told him? Not that it surprises her all that much.. but the possibility that he may be coming back to attack her family.. or even /her/.. is hard to take. And is this the last they are to really see each other, then? To talk? That.. is a depressing thought. But what can she do? This is supposed to be war. She's not supposed to be hanging out and chatting it up with the enemy by the river. Or.. you know.. giving him information. But.. what's done is done. And the future is suddenly bleak. Pushing herself to her paws, Khamisa's gaze liners on the exotic lion. And then she moves, really wanting nothing more than to head off and curl up in the caverns somewhere to sleep. And she has to pass Raiyan by to get where she's going. Her paws carry her a few steps closer to him than she actually would have to pass.. and she slows, just enough to attempt to brush her head beneath his chin briefly. She lingers for hardly a second, attempting to match her tone to his, though hers shakes ever so slightly. "Mind when you cross the border.. my brother is watching it." And, without waiting for a response - and not quite sure she wants to see how he'd respond - she carries on, seeking out the solitude of the crater caves where she can struggle with a decision of her own.. whether or not to go warn Atreyu that there will be Mbaamwezians coming his way.
There's a lot of what's passed that they shouldn't have allowed; Raiyan's intent was to deal with his demons, so to speak, on the journey 'home'. His life-debt to Seth is proving to be more than he can stand, yet honor will demand that, should Seth want it of him, he will have to deliver. Nevermind that Seth is dead - Raiyan knows nothing of that yet. The conflict isn't reflected in his stoic features, clash of white mane on his gold hide, blue eyes - dulled now - merely adding further contrast to his rugged appearance. The implications of his statement are left to linger, left to be made up in either mind. He stands, to keep himself steady more than anything else, and doesn't move as she draws near. But he certainly doesn't even think she'd come so close, to brush up against him, the subtle movement eliciting a startled response, though that's only shown by the widening of his eyes as she draws her head along his chin, nostrils flaring briefly. His ears barely catch her words of warning, barely register upon his mind. And there he'll stand a moment longer, stock still, swallowing slowly and exhaling a slightly trembling breath after she passes. He turns his head to follow her retreat, silent, and still reeling. After a moment, he too, finally carries on, heavy steps heading towards where he left Ausikifa slumbering.