Post by Nyigakali on Mar 12, 2007 5:40:22 GMT -5
Light looms in the dome of clouds streaming across the night, augmented by a shadowy gibbeous moon. There's been activity in the distance tonight...a barely noticeable air of activity. Hard to say what it is...but the wise know that news comes in all directions in time. The quiet sound of a hornbill approaches.
Ahadi is resting quietly near his slumbering daughter, Ajenti, and the blind cub Abidemi, though he is not asleep. Though they are nestled somewhat into him, as he detects the hornbill's approach he slyly extricates himself without disturbing either's sleep, checking on them again before making his way to meet the bird where their rondezvous and conversation wouldn't disturb the sleeping members of the pride, young or old. "What's going on, Zuzu?"
She spots him, she lands, there's no commotion or effort to it. From a dew-moist patch of low grass, she speaks to him, abandoning all ceremony, if not formality. "There's been a massacre, sire." Her head points for a fraction of a second to the southeast. That's where it was--the subtle feeling of noises and scents in the air confirm it admirably.
Ahadi's warm expression goes sullen. "A ... massacre?" He looks in the direction. "Palandasya ... ?" A terrible chill takes his spine. By the Gods, may Pride Rock come in time ...
Zuzu nods in her simple way. Her wings unfold and fold again more properly, straightening the outer feathers. "It's too late," she says, anticipating the king's reaction. "They have stopped fighting. The attackers were lions...mostly males, helped by a martial eagle. I don't know why, sire." She bows briefly. "The Palandasya pride lost. Half or so were killed...the rest...?" She pauses in thought. "Headed this way, sire."
Ahadi looks back at his pride. "My ... King Chioh ... and his brother ... ?" He looks around. "Dammit ... Uru ..." he grunts and curses in a fashion he would not normally display. "The one time in her life she takes a few days off and ... this ..." he mrrowls. "I gave Chioh my word. We would help each other ... have you seen Karoti or Sunfire about? And our huntresses will need to double their efforts ... the survivors will need food ..."
Zuzu looks at the king with round, prominent, sympathetic eyes. She waits until the king is done with his immediate train of thoughts, and then waits a little longer, glancing slightly at something in the unnervingly warm night. Then she replies. "I have not seen Karoti, Sunfire, or her highness the queen. I have been busy along the eastern track." Her body shifts position. "From what I hear, Chioh is alive. His queen is unaccounted for. His brother is dead."
Ahadi shudders. "Him and any other survivors are to be treated with respect and kindness ... make sure everyone in our Pride who encounters them knows that. If you do spot Uru, only tell her she is urgently needed ... if she still insists on needing time, bother her no further." The King begins to pace, looking back at his pride, wanting to rally them all, awaken them all and go and avenge Chioh's pride, but wisdom and experience set in ... they'd be in completely foreign territory and there's no telling how lightly the intruders had gotten off. If they'd managed to drive Chioh from his own territory, there's little doubt in the King's mind they could and would kill at least some of the Pride. "How far off is Chioh?" he asks. He should, at least, meet him.
Zuzu lifts her wings and shakes them, dew falling. "Yes, sire. I shall seek out Uru. As for the survivors...I saw them, but did not speak with them, because I didn't want to raise their hopes in case you were unwililng to receive them." A deeper bow this time. "They were a day's travel away. They should reach here tomorrow night, or the morning after if they take their time. They may--several of them were wounded."
Ahadi continues to pace. "Hopefully the murderers will be licking their wounds for awhile, but still ... all border security is to be on the alert. Make sure all the cubs, elderly and wounded get to safety ... mayhaps your son can help with that, at least, and make sure he is safe as well ... an eagle on their side makes even the skies unsafe. I'll need at least a pair of knights to help escort Chioh and his entourage in case their murderers follow them here. With Uru not around to lead them, the huntresses are going to really need to pull it together ... and hunt twice what they normally do ... I would like food ready by the waterhole for our guests when they arrive. We'll have to figure out something longterm ... maybe Bughudhi ..." he grunts, then shudders. Something about that King ... seemed unfit for a King.
Zuzu bows and acknowledges the orders. "Uru will return, sire. I am confident of that. Food at the waterhole by tomorrow night. The elderly, the young, pulled in. A pair of knights. Yes, sire." She raises her body taller and peeks at the Rock behind Ahadi. "Bughudhi, sire? The King of the Mwenyezi? If I may ask, what has he to do with this?"
Ahadi says, "The Pridelands may not be able to support Chioh's survivors. I'm sure the huntresses can hunt more, and maybe Chioh has some huntresses with him who could help out, but ... if we hunt too much, we'll all run out of food and starve. We do have an agreement with them, I just ... I'm not as confident in their willingness to We may have to look elsewhere longterm for a solution." The king pauses finally from his pacing. "That's long term, though ... for the short term we'll make do with extra duty for the huntresses."
Zuzu moves slightly as she thinks it over. Then she bows and spreads her tail. "Very good, sire. Heed your better judgement, though--be cautious when dealing with the barren pride." That's her nickname for Mwenyezi. "They are always...always dangerous." Her eyes shine.
Ahadi nods. He puts a large, soft paw over Zuzu. "Your son is doing a fantastic job and growing to be a fine boy ... very dedicated and eager. Things are undoubtedly about to become very chaotic in the Pridelands while we shelter the refugees, and your wings will undoubtedly be sore. You've long served my family and the Pride well, I know I can count on you."
Zuzu bends to accept the gesture fluidly. Dew drips from her knobby knees. "The boy and I will work hard to smooth things out between the lion kingdoms," she replies. "Is that all for now?"
Ahadi sighs, wishing he could comfort Zuzu somehow. Such hard work the majordomo has, and he knows she gets snubbed a lot by his own kin who don't understand how valuable Zuzu's services are. Taka seems to think they're food and Mufasa seems to think they're only good for pouncing lessons. "Yes, except ... get some rest. You'll definitely need it. Your service honors us all."
Zuzu ducks out from the lion's paw with grace and draws herself up. "Good night, sire. Rest while you can. I intend to do so." Following this simple farewell, she flies around and over his head, toward the Great King's Valley where she makes her nighttime home.
Ahadi bows to Zuzu as she departs and while her reciprocal advice is wise, Ahadi knows he will sleep little if at all.
Ahadi is resting quietly near his slumbering daughter, Ajenti, and the blind cub Abidemi, though he is not asleep. Though they are nestled somewhat into him, as he detects the hornbill's approach he slyly extricates himself without disturbing either's sleep, checking on them again before making his way to meet the bird where their rondezvous and conversation wouldn't disturb the sleeping members of the pride, young or old. "What's going on, Zuzu?"
She spots him, she lands, there's no commotion or effort to it. From a dew-moist patch of low grass, she speaks to him, abandoning all ceremony, if not formality. "There's been a massacre, sire." Her head points for a fraction of a second to the southeast. That's where it was--the subtle feeling of noises and scents in the air confirm it admirably.
Ahadi's warm expression goes sullen. "A ... massacre?" He looks in the direction. "Palandasya ... ?" A terrible chill takes his spine. By the Gods, may Pride Rock come in time ...
Zuzu nods in her simple way. Her wings unfold and fold again more properly, straightening the outer feathers. "It's too late," she says, anticipating the king's reaction. "They have stopped fighting. The attackers were lions...mostly males, helped by a martial eagle. I don't know why, sire." She bows briefly. "The Palandasya pride lost. Half or so were killed...the rest...?" She pauses in thought. "Headed this way, sire."
Ahadi looks back at his pride. "My ... King Chioh ... and his brother ... ?" He looks around. "Dammit ... Uru ..." he grunts and curses in a fashion he would not normally display. "The one time in her life she takes a few days off and ... this ..." he mrrowls. "I gave Chioh my word. We would help each other ... have you seen Karoti or Sunfire about? And our huntresses will need to double their efforts ... the survivors will need food ..."
Zuzu looks at the king with round, prominent, sympathetic eyes. She waits until the king is done with his immediate train of thoughts, and then waits a little longer, glancing slightly at something in the unnervingly warm night. Then she replies. "I have not seen Karoti, Sunfire, or her highness the queen. I have been busy along the eastern track." Her body shifts position. "From what I hear, Chioh is alive. His queen is unaccounted for. His brother is dead."
Ahadi shudders. "Him and any other survivors are to be treated with respect and kindness ... make sure everyone in our Pride who encounters them knows that. If you do spot Uru, only tell her she is urgently needed ... if she still insists on needing time, bother her no further." The King begins to pace, looking back at his pride, wanting to rally them all, awaken them all and go and avenge Chioh's pride, but wisdom and experience set in ... they'd be in completely foreign territory and there's no telling how lightly the intruders had gotten off. If they'd managed to drive Chioh from his own territory, there's little doubt in the King's mind they could and would kill at least some of the Pride. "How far off is Chioh?" he asks. He should, at least, meet him.
Zuzu lifts her wings and shakes them, dew falling. "Yes, sire. I shall seek out Uru. As for the survivors...I saw them, but did not speak with them, because I didn't want to raise their hopes in case you were unwililng to receive them." A deeper bow this time. "They were a day's travel away. They should reach here tomorrow night, or the morning after if they take their time. They may--several of them were wounded."
Ahadi continues to pace. "Hopefully the murderers will be licking their wounds for awhile, but still ... all border security is to be on the alert. Make sure all the cubs, elderly and wounded get to safety ... mayhaps your son can help with that, at least, and make sure he is safe as well ... an eagle on their side makes even the skies unsafe. I'll need at least a pair of knights to help escort Chioh and his entourage in case their murderers follow them here. With Uru not around to lead them, the huntresses are going to really need to pull it together ... and hunt twice what they normally do ... I would like food ready by the waterhole for our guests when they arrive. We'll have to figure out something longterm ... maybe Bughudhi ..." he grunts, then shudders. Something about that King ... seemed unfit for a King.
Zuzu bows and acknowledges the orders. "Uru will return, sire. I am confident of that. Food at the waterhole by tomorrow night. The elderly, the young, pulled in. A pair of knights. Yes, sire." She raises her body taller and peeks at the Rock behind Ahadi. "Bughudhi, sire? The King of the Mwenyezi? If I may ask, what has he to do with this?"
Ahadi says, "The Pridelands may not be able to support Chioh's survivors. I'm sure the huntresses can hunt more, and maybe Chioh has some huntresses with him who could help out, but ... if we hunt too much, we'll all run out of food and starve. We do have an agreement with them, I just ... I'm not as confident in their willingness to We may have to look elsewhere longterm for a solution." The king pauses finally from his pacing. "That's long term, though ... for the short term we'll make do with extra duty for the huntresses."
Zuzu moves slightly as she thinks it over. Then she bows and spreads her tail. "Very good, sire. Heed your better judgement, though--be cautious when dealing with the barren pride." That's her nickname for Mwenyezi. "They are always...always dangerous." Her eyes shine.
Ahadi nods. He puts a large, soft paw over Zuzu. "Your son is doing a fantastic job and growing to be a fine boy ... very dedicated and eager. Things are undoubtedly about to become very chaotic in the Pridelands while we shelter the refugees, and your wings will undoubtedly be sore. You've long served my family and the Pride well, I know I can count on you."
Zuzu bends to accept the gesture fluidly. Dew drips from her knobby knees. "The boy and I will work hard to smooth things out between the lion kingdoms," she replies. "Is that all for now?"
Ahadi sighs, wishing he could comfort Zuzu somehow. Such hard work the majordomo has, and he knows she gets snubbed a lot by his own kin who don't understand how valuable Zuzu's services are. Taka seems to think they're food and Mufasa seems to think they're only good for pouncing lessons. "Yes, except ... get some rest. You'll definitely need it. Your service honors us all."
Zuzu ducks out from the lion's paw with grace and draws herself up. "Good night, sire. Rest while you can. I intend to do so." Following this simple farewell, she flies around and over his head, toward the Great King's Valley where she makes her nighttime home.
Ahadi bows to Zuzu as she departs and while her reciprocal advice is wise, Ahadi knows he will sleep little if at all.