Participants:
Kasjari - lioness, King Mzohari's mate.
Kikora - juvenile lioness, adopted into the pride.
Korzar - juvenile lion, son of King Mzohari and Kasjari.
Onaedo - adolescent lion, son of King Mzohari and Kenta.
Wingu - juvenile lion, son of King Mzohari and Kasjari.
Kopje Valley - Bottom of the Waterfall Cliff
You come to the bottom of a large cliff. Just above you is a massive promontory jutting out of the side, it sends a shadow across the waterfall. A large torrent of water comes down, creating a large 'lake' at the bottom of the cliff. Many sweet grasses grow on the edge perfect for grazing animals. As you look up the cliff face, you see a small path leading to the promontory and then stretches further along the cliff.
To the [K]opje [V]alley [Climb] up to the Promontory
[E]dge of the [S]avannah
A sparkling and cool lake
You can see the 'end of' a runoff stream.
Aww, shucks — seems like poor Kikora can't catch a break. Her great attempt at sneaking up to the border was thwarted by her sudden sleepiness! The little lioness is awake now, covered in a fair amount of dust and grassy debris, moving slowly in from the bottom of the valley.
Onaedo is settled down near the water, stretched out and sleeping it seems. His had a long night of patroling and is also dust covered and dirty looking, faint scratches found across his face and shoulders as he went through some thorny bushes that was thicker they then looked. A faint mumble is escaping him in his sleep.
Wingu is sleeping, on his back, with his paws curled up against his chest. Unlike his father, the young lion hasn't taken to snoring yet, so mostly there is just a gentle rise and fall of his chest as his back leg twitches, perhaps dreaming about pouncing some great foe. One white paw reaches up and bats at the air as he mumbles, "Rrrr. No. My antelope!" And then flops over onto his side, still dreaming away.
Kikora drops down into a stalking position as she comes closer — whether or not she has some wicked little plan of pouncing either Prince is still unseen. She comes to a complete stop at the very edge of the longer grasses, her brown eyes wide and wild, little shoulders working in a hunter's rhythm before …. she POUNCES! But it isn't at Onaedo or Wingu — her target is a long-bodied, opalescent-winged grasshopper. Kikora opens her paws into a little cup and finds them empty, frowning sharply at the sight. "Rrrr…" she lets out a low-pitched childish growl, now frantically searching for the insect. "Hopper…where aaaaare you…?" She mocks the bug in a whispered voice.
Onaedo blinks some and grunts while lifting his head and glances around a few moments at the voice, seems he wasn't fully asleep. "Er?" Is said while he snuffles out. He lifts a forepaw and rubs at his face a few times, grumbling at the scratches.
The complaints from Kikora seem to get incorporated into Wingu's dream, as he swats a paw into the ground and begins to mumble. "Mmm.. no giant hoppers. Uhgn." He grunts and swings a paw again. This impact with the ground is enough to rouse him just a little, blinking, "Huh, wha?" He looks down at his paw, and then around the basin, as if he were wondering where his antelope had gotten off to.
Kikora's sharp, intent little eyes spot the grasshopper — it has made a few feet of distance between itself and the lioness cub. Instead of displaying her small hunting skills again, Kikora bounds toward the grasshopper with childish determination. As she draws near, the grasshopper unfolds its wings and zips off into the sky, over the grassline and into the unknown. This causes Kikora to cry out in protest, little brows furrowed. "Fine, stupid hopper. I don't wanna play with you -anyway-." She sounds glum and downtrodden, lowering herself into a sitting position with little finesse. Wingu and Onaedo's voices find her ears and she turns her head, looking in their direction. "Hi!" Her expression brightens a bit, glad to see others awake.
Onaedo humms faintly while he looks around for the voices and then towards Kikora and tilts his head. "Hello Kikora." Is said with a smile. "The hopper get away from ya huh?" He questions while stretching his form out, tail lashing. "Hey Wingu." This said once his brother starts to move about.
Wingu's eyes follow the hopper when it flies away, blinking. "Nah, couldn't be." Apparently wondering if the one flying off was the giant hopper in his dream trying to steal his antelope. Turning his face suddenly, the boy offers a sleepy smile. "Oh, hey Kiko." And then he chimes an equally happy little, "Hey Ona."
Kikora's ears turn back theatrically and she hangs her head in mock shame. "Nah… hopper can fly. I can't!" She grins at Onaedo brightly, white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "How's Ona? Good?" She inquires of the adolescent, lifting her hind end again to get a bit closer to Mzohari's sons. "Hi, 'Goo! I met s'more of the pride — Msasi an' Gadi!" She appears to be pretty happy about this, hoping that she'll get to meet -all- of the pride after a while. "Msasi took me up to the border, and Gadi and I played."
Onaedo chuckles softly and smiles to Kikora. "Well that's true.. I'll have to show you how to really sneak up on them sometime." This said with a grin. "Oh really? Well that's good. Did you all have fun?"
Pushing finally to his feet, Wingu gives himself a good shake to toss off the last of the sleepy feeling that had taken him over. "Oh?" He seems happy that she's making friends in the pride. "Jus' be careful on the border." His ears twitch down slightly as he scrambles a little closer, trying not to be overheard too much. "A bad lion stole Gadi and his sister from the border. His sister didn't come back. Don't get stolen, okay?"
Kikora gives Onaedo a playful look, wrinkling her pink nose a bit in response to his words. "How -you- hunt? Ona has big mane!" She giggles again, lifting one forepaw up to her maw shyly. Her ear ticks toward Wingu as he drops his voice, her brown eyes finding him as his words become a bit more serious. "…Stolen? That why Gadi can't leave waterfall?" She's immediately affected by this, pinning her ears back and hunkering down, shoulders hunched. "Bad lion gone? Did King get bad lion?" She's had plenty of experience with 'bad lions' — they killed her father, after all.
Onaedo pauses as he hears Wingu and humms faintly at this, he didn't want to bring all that up after all. "You'd be surprized what I can do." This said with a grin to Kikora, he can hunt to some degree. "No.. Gadi's father took care of the bad lion, his gone for good." This said with a soft tone. "An yes that is why Gadi can not leave the waterfall."
"Hey, I got mane too." Wingu says as he raises a paw and fluffs up his little pre-mane. Then again, he's nowhere near as old as Onaedo. The pale cub looks over at Ona, surprised that he could overhear, but then again the adults always seem to be able to. So, he drops the whispering and just nods. "Yeah, his dad's afraid of cubs getting hurt now. So you gotta be careful not to go too close, or he'll YELL." The boy gives a little shiver, obviously not liking the yelling of Kori.
Kikora frowns at Wingu's words, her little ears still pinned back in distress. "Gadi-Dad too loud, like Kiini?" Her tail shifts across the grass in displeasure, its tuft twitching a few times. "Hrr, 'kay. But not all lions outside are bad…" she says quietly, glancing off in the direction of the savanna. "-I- was outside!" She huffs almost indignantly, but drops the subject after that little display. "Mama told me that lions get manes so they can look scary an' big. She said lionesses don't so we can hunt." She thinks this over for a second and then nods her head once. "Plus, boys get'ta be King. Girls get'ta be Queen!" Only partially true — but not -all- boys and girls grow up to be rulers, after all.
Onaedo chuckles at the Kiini comment. "Ya well.. No Kori can be, but his not that bad." He likes his brother-in-law better then his brother if that's possible. He grins at Wingu and lifts a forepaw to ruffle his 'mane'. "Ya you do buddy.. SOme boys can hunt you know. Even if we don't always hunt we need to know how." His maw twitches at the King and Queen comment. "Not all boys and girls get to be King and Queen you know?"
"Ona, he's bad now." Wingu says to his brother, ears folding downward. "Lailen and Gadi wanted ta' play with me an' we were too close to the border, and he got really, really mad and started yelling at everyone." Okay, maybe he's exaggerating -just- a little, but to a cub, a little yelling is a lot. "My mom said buys get manes to protect the pride. And girls don't need em cause they have to be fast to hunt." Of course, he believes his mother's side of things, but he does chime in agreement with Onaedo. "Yeah, there's lotsa cubs related to da, but none of us are gonna be king." Afterall, Mzohari hasn't named anyone an heir to the throne.
"Just some!" Kikora agrees, this time nodding her head a few times at Wingu and Onaedo's words. "My dad was King, but mama wasn't -Queen-. She was just… hunter, I guess." Of course, she wasn't really taught the rules about her pride — and it would have confused her just the same, as her grandfather had conquered another lion for the throne. Kinship of the current King meant very little… something that her own half-brother, Kiangazi, discovered just recently. "But can't anybody make a pride an' be King?" She wiggles a bit, shifting her meager weight from one side to the other. "Couldn't you, Ona? If you had lotsa lionesses?"
Onaedo glances to Wingu at the talk of Kori and frowns at this. "I didn't know that.. I'm sorry.." He will need to have a talk to Kori. An that is true about there father, no one has been named heir yet, not that Ona thinks about it he might be the son of a King but doesn't think he could ever be one. He blinks at Kikora and ohs faintly. "Me?.. I don't think so.." After all no lioness are around that even like him to start with.
"Only if a lion gets big and can protect a buncha lionesses that like him." Wingu replies, at least this is his idea of how things work. "But sometimes it gets passed along. Like 'da got it from the last king." So the story goes as far as the pale cub knows. He does look towarsd Onaedo, his favoritest older brother, perhaps wondering if he were going to run off and make a pride of his own and leave his adorably cute younger siblings. "You gotta stay Ona. You're my brother." Apparently this means everything."
Kikora listens intently to Onaedo, glancing side-long at Wingu as he pipes up, begging Onaedo to stay. She climbs to her paws and pads over toward the bigger lion, her pelt still coated in dust and little bits of broken grasses. "Ona staaaay, Ona stay!" She says in a sing-song voice, stepping around to the adolescent's side with a grin on her face. She tries her best to climb up on Onaedo, intent on keeping him in place. "Climb on Ona! Then he can't leeeave!" She calls toward Wingu, her ears turned forward. "C'mon, 'Goo!"
Onaedo glances to Wingu a moment, he didn't think his siblings actually like him around. "I won't go anywhere Wingu.. Promise.." Well unless his father make him leave of course. He looks to Kikora and chuckles as he is now a rock it seems. "Right right.. I wo't go anywhere alright?" A faint grunt escaping him as the girl clambers up onto him. "Well I really can't leave now." This said as he grins.
Chiming in with the girl, Wingu follows her as he gives his own sing-songy, "Ona stay!" The pale boy trots over and tries to flop over one of his bigger brother's paws, looking up adorably. "You can't go, who else is gonna teach me all the guard stuff da thinks I'm too young for?" Uh oh, apparently Ona's being recruited as a teacher, hah.
Kikora makes herself comfortably on Onaedo's back, four legs sprawled out on either side of him. She lowers her chin into his mane, nestled between his ears. "Yeah, I wanna guard the valley, too!" She announces, not at all informed about the job — or it's qualifications, which apparently include having a mane. "I can beat up all the bad lions that come in." She lifts a forepaw idly, batting softly at the side of Onaedo's face. "Goo an' I can be the best guards in the whooooole savanna!"
Onaedo chuckles softly, tail swaying about. "You want me to teach you?" He isn't to sure what to say, not like Kiini ever tryed to hang around him no matter what he would say to the older brother. "I suppose I could teach you some things, but I bet dad will want to teach you really." A glance is offered to Kikora and he chuckles softly while humming. "Well.. The lioneses tend to hunt, I dono about that.. But I could at least teach you, nothing wrong with that.." Right?
"Yeah, but da says he won't teach me till I get a big mane." Wingu pouts a little bit, tail swishing. "Even bigger than what you have. I'll -never- get trained at that rate." The cub complains, obviously having believed his father when he joked about needing a full mane to get guard training. He flashes a smile towards Kikora, beaming at her, "Dontcha wanna huntt hough? I bet you'd be the best hunterss ever."
Kikora wiggles more on Onaedo's back, her paws pushing off on the poor lion's shoulders and forehead until her stomach rests on the slope of his maned neck, her head held high over his own. "Aww, 'Goo… I wanna know how to be a guard -and- a hunter!" She exclaims, giving him a silly look. "That way I can be super helpful! I can fight and bring home food." She grins, hoping that the two males approve of her desire to be a smart and strong lioness. She felt extremely helpless when her mother stole out into the night as her father was attacked by the nomads, and Kikora says in a smaller voice, "'Sides, I wanna learn how to hunt with the big lionesses and by m'self, too. Just in case." As she says this, she glances over toward the savanna again — where her mother's bones are probably scattered by jackals and vultures. "I wanna know how to hunt no-matter-what."
~ Very close to you, from 'Kopje Valley', Vikali roars!
Onaedo lowers his headto nose at Wingu. "No he won't.. It'll be alright, I mean look at me. I'm already doing patrols on my own after all." He says while nodding. "An.. Maybe I could take you along with me during some of them, so you could see what its all about?" A glance is offered to Kikora and noses out at her cheek. "Your be able to. My mother is the head huntress and the best hunter around, all the other lionesses are great hunters as well."
Kasjari chuckles as she approaches, hearing a bit of the conversation, "My ears are burning, are you guys talking about the huntresses?" she asks as she pads out of the grasses and joins the group with a smile, returning from a fruitless solo hunt.
"Okay…" Kikora says in a relenting voice, now resting her forepaws on the very top of Onaedo's furry head. "But I still wanna learn how t'be a guard, too. 'Kay, Ona?" She says this in a 'motherly' tone, one that would surely stick in the adolescent's head. "'Cause I wanna keep you, 'Goo, Kor' and Gadi safe. No more bad lions." She settles down now, resting her head back down on her paws. As Kasjari enters, her face brightens and her little ears perk. "Hi!" She says, still not aware of the lioness's proper name. She's still 'Wingu-Korzar-Mama' to the cub.
Onaedo watches Kikora and smiles at that. "Don't worry.. No one is going to bother you with me around.. Alright?" He questions softly while nosing at the cub again. If there's anything he can do about it he'll keep them all safe that's for sure. He looks over to the new voice and nods. "Hello Kasjari.. An ya we was sorta talking about them."
Kasjari grins happily at the gathered group, pausing to give each of the three of them a warm nuzzle in greeting, "What if /I/ want to bother Kikora?" she asks, playfully teasing Ona as she nose-pokes at the little lioness playfully.
Kikora makes a high-pitched 'eek!' sound as the bigger lioness noses her, erupting into a fit of giggles. She lifts one forepaw and bats softly at Kasjari, her brown eyes sparkling. "Don't mind if -you- bother me!" She says amidst her laughter, sliding down the lion's maned neck until she's at his back. She hops off of Onaedo and bounds toward Kasjari, pouncing around at her paws playfully.
Onaedo chuckles and grins. "Well if its just you Kas I suppose I could /allow/ it." He offers while nuzzling Kasjari back. "How are you Kas?"
Kasjari grins as Kikora slides down off Ona to approach her. She grins and swipes her tongue at Kikora's passing head before she lifts a forepaw and playfully nudges it against Kikora now and then, offering her a moving target at the same time, "I'm doing alright Ona, yourself?" she asks as she watches her formidable opponent. :D
Kikora hops around Kasjari, keeping her eyes trained on the lioness as she waves her paw occasionally…and then she catches sight of something even -more- intriguing: Kasjari's tail. With one swift motion, Kikora is batting ferociously at the 'toy', balancing on her hindpaws for several seconds at a time. "Goonna-gettit!" She says to one no in particular, still trying to catch the elusive tail plume.
Onaedo ohs softly. "I'm alright, sorta tired.. Was patroling late." Though he really isn't complaing mind you. A glance is ofefred to Kikora and he chuckles softly as the girl bounces along. "There all so full of energy."
Kasjari chuckles softly to Ona as she looks back as well, lashing her tail snakishly for the cub's amusement, "Yeah, I'm beginning to think we're feeding them too much or something," she comments with a grin, trying to tickle Kikora's nose with the tuft.
Oh no, Kikora's not going to lose -this- one! After her failed attempt at catching the grasshopper earlier, the poor cub is in a fierce and fiery mood. As Kasjari waves her tail, the younger lioness claps her paws together, still balancing on her hindlimbs, hoping that she's caught that rascally tuft!
Onaedo chuckles softly and humms while nodding. "Well that is possible.. Better cut back on what ever your feeding them Kas or there going to take cover the place for sure."
Kasjari giggles at that as Kikora claps her paws around her tail. She grins and gives it a defiant wiggle, "Viva la cubolucion!" she proclaims with a playful gron to Ona.
What?! Kikora looks perplexed, noting that Kasjari's tail is firmly caught between her two paws. She totters a bit on her hindlimbs and, in a moment of desperation, clamps down on the tail — but gently, as so not to cause the poor lioness much pain. Just as she loses her balance, her forepaws hit the ground, saving her from a most certain faceplanting! "Grr! Ah haass ii!" She exclaims, mouth full of wriggling tail, bright eyes searching for anyone with whom she can share her victory. "Ah haass ii!" She repeats, -obviously- meaning 'I has it!'.
Onaedo grins and chuckles while watching the cub play. "That you do Kikora, good job!" He offers while flopping down to his side and stretches out, a yawn escaping him now.
Kasjari chuckles and smiles as Kikora improvises in her taking of the tail, though it still gives a retaliatory lash or two of the tip hanging out one side of her muzzle. She grins to the cub and noddles, "Good job Kikora," she says with a grin, "The cub takeover of the pride has seen it's first victim," she teases, grinning.
Korzar pads in here from the valley, looking to relax.
Korzar has arrived.
Kikora grins around the tail in her mouth, looking up toward Kasjari and Onaedo almost shyly. She works Kas's tail in her maw for a few minutes, getting it nice and drool-covered before dropping it. The cub snakes her way through the bigger lioness's paws, rubbing her side against Kasjari's legs, bumping the top of her head against her chest affectionately before flopping gracelessly at Kas's paws, peering up at her. "I'm gonna be a guard -and- a hunter!" This announcement is also made to jog Onaedo's memory — after all, he can't get away with -not- teaching her how to protect the valley. Hmph!
Onaedo tilts his head while peering at Kas and chuckles. "Well that's true.. If we're not careful there going to take over the whole place." He says while grinning. A faint humm escapes him as he hears Kik, pondering what Kas will say to that. Not like he has a problem teaching her.
Kasjari smiles and purrrs warmly as Kikora works her way forward to flop down before Kas. As the lioness gives her damp tail a lash to free a bit of the drool she lays down keeping the girl before her. She smiles and laps over Kikora's head gently, grinning, "The talents for those overlap a bit, I don't see how that would be a problem if that's what you want to do dear," she says, purrring softly. She looks over at Ona and smiles softly, "you don't have to rush into your training though, there's still plenty of time to have fun, we have lots of lionesses doing those jobs now." She grins, "Of course, if you cubs take care of all that, us adults can just kick back and relax and let you young lions take care of us for a change." :D
Kikora wiggles on the ground, dragging and scooting herself until she's mostly in the spot between Kasjari's outstretched forearms. She leans her head against the lioness and says in a quiet voice, "And I wanna know how'ta hunt by m'self." She figures that Kasjari will understand, after all — she was the one who witnessed her mother's collapsed body. That could have been avoided if Kinamisa had just practiced hunting solo more often, and Kikora isn't about to make the same mistake as her mother. "Just in case." She adds on in the same low voice, nuzzling her nose against the lioness's jawline.
Onaedo chuckles at Kasjari. "Well that's true.." He says with an amused tone. Though he started the whole patroling bit early, but then his always been somewhat of a different child growing up. On his own while his siblings slept so he had to keep himself busy. "I don't think she'll have a problem with it, specially if she really wants to do it. But Kas is right, enjoy being a cub Kikora.." If he could he would have that's for sure.
Kasjari smiles warmly and nods down to Kikora, "I can teach you to hunt solo Kikora, I do it occasionally. But you must not forget the importance of learning to hunt with your sister huntresses as well," she says, grooming at the little lioness tenderly. She smiles and nods to Ona's words, glad he went along with her points.
"Who will I hunt with?" Kikora asks, glancing around the grasses that surround the waterfall and pool. She's well aware that she'll be apprenticing for quite a while, following and observing the more experienced lionesses in the pride — but who are her 'classmates'? "I guess Kat, then." She seems to answer her own question, peering in the sleeping Katili's direction. "And… Ona!" She calls out with a giggle, now focusing her gaze on Wingu and Korzar's older brother.
Scrambling to his feet, Wingu abandons his brother's forepaws in favor of a quick jog over towards his mother. "I know how to run and how to pounce." The pale boy explains, apparently quite proud of those little accomplishments. "Momma, can maybe we watch a hunt sometime?" The boy asks, looking up adoringly towards her before giving a glance towards his friend. "That way we can learn, right, Kiko?" Wink wink nudge nudge.
Onaedo is not one to go against what the lioness says, after all his father says that the males should listion to them right? He looks to Wingu and ohs softly. "Well its a possible that they learn something from it huh?"
Kikora oohs, her eyes shining with interest at Wingu's words, little ears and brows drawing up. "Yeah! I wanna know how to catch the -fast- things," she says, apparently thinking back on her grasshopper. "Especially big fast things, so the whole pride can eat!"
Well, at least his brother agrees that it would be a good idea. Wingu's ears perk up, giving one of his best adorable cub looks to his mother. You cannot say no to the adorably cute cub eyes. However, his friend soon distracts him as he laughs a little bit, nodding his head. "I wanna see how they hunt. How can I learn to protect everybody if I don't even know what they do all the time."
Kasjari chuckles softly, "It is the job of us full grown lionesses to do the hunting. We can arrange for you all to watch a hunt I'm sure, but you have to remember that hunting is a dangerous activity, and you won't be allowed to hunt anything bigger than you are until you're big and fully trained." She smiles, nuzzling Kikora and Wingu as they clamber near her, grinning to her son, "Those are vital skills dear."
Kikora listens intently to Kasjari, drinking in as much information as possible. "What can we hunt?" She asks, squinting her eyes as she tries to think of a prey animal that's of comparible size to Wingu and herself. "All I can think of are springhares an' warthog piglets." She bats a paw gently against Wingu's own, tilting her head to the side. "Do you know of any more..?"
Onaedo listions to the others, tail lashing about while another yawn escapes him and he actually dozes off for a bit. Naptime!
Even if it may be a girl's job to hunt, Wingu certainly looks interested in the prospect of getting to watch the older lionesses hunt. Afterall, if nothing else it gives him an excuse to maybe go back out to the savannah past the borders. Of course, he doesn't mention this tidbit, keeping it to himself as he looks over to Kikora with a little grin. "I dunno, Never eaten anything small except bunnies and maybe a mouse or two."
"Mama was 'bout to teach me how to hunt before," Kikora starts, dipping her head a little bit. "…'fore the bad lions came and we had to leave." She lets this roll off of her shoulders without even a second thought, putting it behind her — until she brings it up again, that is. "I never got'ta watch the lionesses hunt. I just know how to run an' pounce, like you." She shifts her weight a bit, getting more comfortable up against Kasjari. "Do you think there's big antelope an' bontebok up past the border?" She asks with a bit of mischief in her voice. Is she suggesting something? Even with the story of Gadi's displacement (and subsequent return), the little cub is hungry for adventure and knowledge. What's up above the valley? Other prides? Little prey to practice hunting? There could be -anything-!
Korzar pads softly towards the big lake, approaching from the center of the valley. He'd been playing with grandma Bal yesterday, but when he'd awakened a little while ago, nobody else had been up! Bored, he's made his way towards the water, searching for his family and new friend, Kikora, too. When he spots Wingu and Kikora perched near his mother, a smile breaks out across his muzzle. Woohoo! They're awake. He quickens his pace and once he's close enough, he calls out. "Heya! What you doing?" Even though he's getting older, he still hasn't yet perfected his speech. It's always just been secondary to Korzar, who much prefers action and play. He arrives too late to hear Kikora's words, but now he's close enough to here her and his brother's responses to him.
"Dun think that'll work." Wingu says in a hushed voice to the girl, knowing full well that -no- one was appreaciating them up by the pridelands border since … well since the bad thing happened. "Maybe they'll take us to the savannah though. No bad lions there s'far as I know." Wingu turns as his brother comes rushing towards them, his smile widening as he reaches out to bat a few times at his brother's ears. "Tryin to convince mom to let us watch a hunt."
Kikora hmms, her ears drooping a little bit at Wingu's words — she -really- wants to know what's at the other border. She's well-versed what lies beyond the savanna; that's how she and her ill-fated mother came, resulting in Kikora's membership of this new and very large pride. "Maybe Ona take us?" She asks, recalling a tidbit from Korzar's punishment in the frosty forest. "He's big, and he said he'd protect us!" She says, puffing her chest out a bit in excitement. Her ears swivel as Korzar speaks and she glances toward him, grinning wide. "Kor! We should get Ona to take us past the big cliff-border." It sounds like even if the two brothers don't back her idea, she might saunter up there and find out for herself!
Onaedo ears flick forward and he mumbles a bit. "Wa?" Is questioned knowing he heard his name but isn't full sure what the cubs are tlaking about it seems. His eyes open and he peers out towards the others while blinking a few times.
Ooooo, a hunt. Well, this talk is interesting enough to keep Korzar in one place, after, of course, he bats Wingu's little, growing mane in 'retaliation'. "Yeah!" he exclaims, and then turns to peer up at his mom, with an innocent and somewhat pleading smile. New = fun. Watching a hunt would definitely be cool. When he turns back towards the other cubs, and Kikora explains her plan, his grin fades and his ears droop. "Can't," he says sadly. "Da groundeded me." He would like nothing more than to go check out the pridelands border again, but by now his dad's made it clear that he isn't allowed, even with an adult, for at least a moon.
"As long as someone 'dult goes with, I can go." Wingu offers, although he does look at his older brother, not knowing if he really qualifies as an adult in the eyes of his mother and father. "Not right now, though, okay?" The pale boy settles down into a laying position, looking at both his brother and his friend. "Still tired. Da's snoring woke me up even b'fore the hopper." With that, 'goo places his head on his paws, eyes lidding slightly, even as his ears twitch to catch sound.
Kikora lowers her ears at the news from both of her friends, looking almost devastated — but not quite. "Aww," she says in a disappointed voice, giving her head a little shake. "That's no fun…but, 'kay." She relents, and begins to separate herself from the pile that she, Wingu and Kasjari make up. Once she's free from the worn-out Wingu and his sleeping mother, Kikora moves toward Korzar and bumps his upper forearm with her head. "You're not sleepin', are you?" She questions, glancing over at all the other lazy lions. ;) "First Ona, then your mama, then 'Goo!"
Onaedo snuffles faintly while he looks over the area and then towards Kikora. "What you guys talking about now?" He questions while a yawn escapes him and he stretches so his sitting up, still looking half asleep through.
Korzar nods his head. He knows it's no fun! But he's stuck for the time being. He leans towards his brother and bats him on top of the head playfully. "C'mon Goo, don't sleeep!" Getting no response from Wingu, Korzar sticks his tongue out towards his brother. When Kikora gives him a little headbutt, he turns his attention to her. "No, I not a sleepyhead," he giggles, using the word he's heard some of the adults use from time to time. He glances towards Ona when he speaks up. Hey, looks like not *everyone* else is sleeping! "We was talkin' about going to the borrrrder," he explains, then hurriedly adds, "With you."
Kikora nods enthusiastically when Korzar explains 'the plan' to Onaedo, hopping with her forepaws, standing in place. "Yeah, Ona! But since Kor' is groooounded…" she says, her voice growing a bit higher at the end of her incomplete sentence, "…we can't go." She swats at the ground with one paw, flattening a few blades of grass. She isn't trying to rustle up any trouble, but she's so -curious-!
Onaedo blinks while peering at the two and ohs as they explain, his tail lashes while he stretches and shifts up onto his paws to get his bones back in order. "But didn't dad say you was grounded for a mon Korzar?" He questions while smirking and eyes his younger brother.. Well he was there when it happened.
Stupid grounding. He's finally gained the new privilege to get outta the valley every now and then with an adult, but now he's cooped up anyways! Korzar's not going to disobey again… after all he's not a terrible cub, simply an adventurous, curious, and daring one. But it's frustrating. He nods his head to Ona. "Uh huh," he affirms, tail drooping again. Everytime he thinks about it, he can't help but feel a little sad.
Kikora makes a quiet 'hmm' sound deep in her throat, looking over her shoulder toward the low scoop of land that makes up the main part of the valley. "Maybe…we could go play by the fallen tree?" She lured Gadi there yesterday, but that was before she knew -why- he had to stay -here-. Korzar's only grounded from leaving the valley, not from playing in his father's territory. Her tail swishes and she regards the two with her bright, brown eyes, waiting for a response.
Onaedo smirks at his brother and chuckles while nodding. "The tree sounds good.. An when Korzar isn't grounded I'll be glad to let you go along to the border alright?" He questions before moving over to get a drink.
Korzar brightens. "Treeeee is fun," he remarks, grinning over towards Kikora. She's got some great ideas, even if the first one will have to be put on hold. He's even played with his dad on top of the fallen tree, so he knows it's definitely fine to go there! "Ok. Let's go," he smiles, giving Kikora a friendly nudge and playful bat at her swishing tail, as he begins to move towards the center of the valley. He's in a much better mood now that they're off the topic of his grounding.
Kopje Valley
You come down from the edge of the Valley into a large open plain. Small baobab trees dot the landscape. You can see the cliff edge looming above you, sending a shadow over your body. To the north you can see a large cliff with a waterfall flowing from it. To the west you see some beautiful plains, and there is a large and expansive savannah to the south.
[UP] to the edge of the valley [W]aterfall [C]liff
[L]ukesia's and [S]iombe's [P]lace [P]ath of rememberance
[Sh]aded [P]atch
You can also see a 'runoff stream'.
A fallen 'umbrella thorn' tree lies across the stream.
Korzar slowly comes into view, travelling from the waterfall.
Korzar has arrived.
After the first few moments of walking, Kikora began to dart off in the direction of the valley floor. She rushes through the tall grasses, laughing, enjoying the way they feel as she bullies her way through them. "C'mon, Kor!" She calls over her shoulder, paws thumping against the earth. "I'll beatcha!"
Korzar blinks in suprise, but soon recovers and begins to sprint as fast as his paws can carry him after Kikora. He's always been pretty agile and coordinated. While Wingu has him beat on talking, Korzar is more adept physically, at least so far. So maybe he actually has a small chance to catch Kikora! But she is a lioness, and will grow up built for speed and quickness, while Korzar will grow up to be a border guard, and definitely not as fast. He tries his hardest though, pounding his paws on the ground. "Gonna catch you!" he calls out, but soon after that he's panting too much to be able to yell anything.
Kikora starts to lag a little bit, still trying to work her strength up to its former glory — before she had a limited diet, before the bad lions came to her birth pride. Still, she laughs breathlessly and pumps her legs, giving Korzar a pretty big chance of catching her without knowing it. Darn legs, move faster!
Hey, maybe he could catch Kikora after all! He begins to slowly but surely lessen the distance between him and her, and soon they're just about even. As the two cubs approach the stream and tree, they're neck and neck. Who's gonna win? It's… it's… a tie? Korzar reaches the overturned tree at just about the same time as Kikora. "You fast," he pants, tongue lolling out of his mouth a bit as he gasps for air. If she'd been at full strength, Kikora could have whipped his tail. He pads slowly into the stream, getting a drink after the long run. He turns back to his new friend, and swipes a paw at the water, trying to playfully splash Kikora.
Kikora, unlike her race with Wingu, manages to stop before she tumbles head-over-paws into the narrow creek. "Thanks!" She manages to huff out, her back, sides and chest all heaving in identical cadence as she tries to catch her breath. She manages to calm down after a few moments of doing nothing but breathing, lifting a forearm to block her face from being splashed. So that's how it is, huh?! Kikora giggles and puts her own paw in the water, almost elbow-deep before she drags it back up to the surface, palmar-side up in an attention to -really- splash Korzar. She giggles the entire time she does this, her ears perched up and forward on the top of her head. Seems she's forgotten all about the border, Korzar's grounding -and- that Onaedo followed them out here.
Yikes! Korzar is soaked… at least it feels good after getting hot running around. So, Korzar giggles, and makes to swipe at the water again, this time making sure to get a lot of water into the splash. Good thing they both like the water, or this kind of play would never be possible. And it would suck to miss out on awesome fun like this.
Kikora reels back from the edge of the stream as she's soaked in water, flattening her ears — but she's still laughing, and that's a good thing! Though the stream is about seven feet across, she's still too compact to fully make the jump; instead, she looks for an alternate route to get to the other side. Ah, ha! The acacia! Kikora sticks her tongue out at Korzar playfully and then turns, tearing up the side of the acacia with her claws out. She has good purchase and so she's not terribly worried about her slippery pawpads, slowing down as she gets a bit higher across the arced trunk. "This is fun!" She calls out to the boy, turning to watch him.
Okay, if you say so. Korzar is not overly fond of heights, but if he's prodded, then he's not going to miss out on play. So, after a slight hesitation, he scrambles slowly up after Kikora, digging in with his claws as he climbs his way up the trunk. Hey, it's not so bad! He giggles, as he nears the top as well. "Fun!" he agrees.
The acacia seemed to be fairly old when it was toppled, and so its trunk is wide enough to support the two big cubs. "I'm sleepy now," Kikora says with a little yawn, folding her ears back as she does so. "Wanna sleep in the branches?" She suggests, swinging her head in their direction. It's probably not as comfortable as a nice patch of springy grass, but the boughs -are- close. Without waiting for an answer, Kikora starts off in their direction, walking carefully as she crosses the stream, relaxing a bit as she stands over the ground once more. She climbs on to one sturdy bough and sprawls herself across one of the branches, resting her chin on its hard surface. "G'night, Kor'…." she says, eyes closing and ears drooping as she falls asleep.
