Kikora And Gadi

Participants:

Gadi - juvenile lion, son of Kori and Nonceba.
Kikora - juvenile lioness, pride youth.


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.

Last night took a lot of energy out of the little cub, and Kikora had virtually isolated herself from the rest of the group in a thick patch of grass. She's moving about now, though hesitant to get too close to the border trail — Kaidi included — so she's perched at the rough bank of the runoff stream, her shoulders hunched and her head bowed. She appears to be staring down at her own murky reflection, but the expression on her face reads distant and stormy.

Soft, damp soil hides his pawsteps, but the water betrays his reflection as Gadi comes up from the other side of the stream. His mismatched eyes settle on the quiet, dour looking lioness. He utters a soft, quiet noise to warn her he's there as he sits across from her, tail curling about his paws. "…hey."

Kikora's eyes track Gadi's approach and they lift to regard him — she shows a bit of uneasy in her features, but it isn't directed at the young lion. She's just worn out all over, her muscles are sore and her head aches a bit from her crying. "Hiiii," she says in a quiet voice, casting a wary look in Kaidi's direction. "Why did she hafta come -here-? Now it's gonna be bad all over 'gain." Her voice is quiet and downtrodden, almost … defeated. She looks back to Gadi questioningly, knowing that he won't have the answer, but expects something from him just the same.

"Dunno, but… well, she's here now." Comes Gadi's mutter in return, unhelpful as it is as he stares down at his reflection. "…maybe, mebbe you're supposed ta' make up with her or something. S'what my mom'd say, anyway." He scuffs the ground with a paw, scooping a few stones free with his claws. "Just, don't let her push ya around. If she's mean, lemme know, kay? Or, a grownup. Just cuz' she's here doesn't mean you can't be happy."

Kikora gives Gadi a little look, one that suggests that she knows he's right … but how can she let go of the past that easily? "Back at Mizinga, she was the princess. We had the same daddy, but different mamas … her mama was Queen. She'd go out of her way to find me an' pick on me. She'd say, "Kikora! Wanna come play with us? Oh, sorry, -you- can't because you're not -important-." and I'd go tell my mama, but nothin' ever happened to her." She glares in Kaidi's direction, the fur on the back of her neck stiffening some. "She said it's my fault that daddy got killed. How did -I- do that? Why does she hate me -so much-?" She issues an irritated sigh, her head still hung low.

"You /didn't/." Gadi says, voice quiet but firm, the faintest frown touching his muzzle. "Ya can't.. stop that stuff, jus' like.. I…. like I couldn't save Kio." His voice cracks, teeth briefly showing in a gritted attempt to keep back the choke of a threatening sob. His tail thumps hard against the ground, his tension evident, and perhaps proof he still blames himself. "I don't think she hates you just… she hurts. I at least had someone to fight, she doesn't… you're all she's got left, an'… she's just angry."

Kikora peers at Gadi over the stream, her black-ringed ears pulled back. "You're right." The cub frowns, listening to the boy's explanation about his sister, feeling sadder than ever. "I wish I could make -her- see that." Kiko' sighs and climbs to her paws, finding a spot in the stream that's narrow enough for her to leap clumsily over. She pads back toward Gadi and headbutts him a little, but without the enthusiasm that she's known for. "I liked Kota, she always played with me if Kaidi wasn't 'round. Kaidi started talkin' about hyenas, and I can't remember the rest." It seems as if she's had a hard time with last night's confrontation, and the only thing she truly remembers is how her sister threw their father's death in her face. She makes a low whining sound, plopping back down to her haunches dejectedly.

"Eh… she might figure it out, eventually." Gadi murmurs as he leans over to bump his fuzz-topped head into her shoulder lightly, grinning lopsidedly. "Don't let her get to ya. It'll just make it worse if she knows she can make ya mad! She probably just needs a reason to be mad at someone right now. …maybe I can try talkin to her later? She didn't seem ta like me too much, but, maybe I can help, or at least let her be mad at me and not you."

Kikora smiles a bit — small but genuine — and gives Gadi a friendly nuzzle. "Thank you, Gadi. I dunno if it's just her bein' a dumb jackal-brain, or if her mama taught it to her. My mama always told me to be friendly to everybody." … and that is the difference between the daughter of a King and a huntress, and the daughter of a King and a Queen. There is no false sense of entitlement when it comes to Kikora.

Gadi grins wide and toothy as he aims a slurps across the top of the lioness' head, chuckling as he bumps his shoulder into her's. "Be happy! Go get some food and go see who else is up and I'll wait here for Kaidi to wake up. Don' worry, I'll do all I can to try and cheer her up some." It's a surprising show for him, normally quiet and reserved, but then there's still some Nonceba in him there, even if his mother is a much quieter and solemn cat as of late. "Go, go… stop sulking by the water."

Kikora grins sheepishly, feeling a bit better about the whole thing. "'kay," she says easily enough, hopping to her paws. "I'll go see if Mwaliko brought back anythin' to eat." She moves off in the direction of the waterfall cliff, though her ears register the roar, and her heart skips a beat. What if it's Kosea? … Nah, it's probably just loud ole Vikali. Kiko' moves off and disappears in the grasses, giving Gadi one last look over her shoulder before she's gone.

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