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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:56 pm
 With the change in leadership had come a number of changes. Most importantly, the announcement that lions with bright yellow pelts would no longer be considered huria and would be welcomed in the pride. There had been additional important information conveyed after that, but Geni hadn't been listening any longer. At long last, her sister could come home. Geni had wanted to leave immediately, but her father had taken her aside and pointed out that the world beyond Motoujamii-Simo lands was massive, and it was very difficult to find a single lion if you didn't even know where to start looking. He reasoned that it could be years before Geni might even run into someone who had seen Erle, and how was that any kind of productive? So she had to find her sister. But how to do that when she was still home in the pride?
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:03 pm
No matter what her parents had said, no matter how involved they had been in the whole process.. Titaia had met every change to the pride since Kidondo and No stepped down to make way for their new regents with disdain, if not outright hostility. She had refused to vote and though she had been present for all the announcements and changes going on, she was reluctant to let herself consider them official or even reasonable.
Between that and throwing herself into her hunting, which was harder than usual lately, she was leading a very exhausting life. Cracks were finally beginning to form in her resolve but she clung to them stubbornly.
She was resting in some shade, watching the passersby with a mildly annoyed look on her face.. but even that was getting tiring.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:06 pm
The Water-Seeker was so intent on her thoughts and the puzzle they prevented that she was not paying attention to where she was going. Swerving out of the way of another lion walking the opposite direction, she stepped on something warm and squishy.
Before her inadvertant road could growl, Geni realized what had happened. Turning to face the other pridemember with a horrified expression, the lioness began to apologize.
"I am so sorry! I didn't even see you, I was just thinking about how to find my sister and, well, sorry!"
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:12 pm
Titaia let out an angry yelp even as Geni started apologizing for stepping on her- and she was quickly on her feet, though more to get out of the way than to yell at her. It was tempting, but you couldn't go picking fights around here without taking some serious risks- accepting an accident was always the wiser choice, especially when you shied away from outright soldiering.
"No harm done," she said, with only a minor flash of her fangs that was hard to prevent as she waited for the dull ache to stop-- then she realized what Geni said, and tilted her head. Looking no more friendly but almost concerned.
"Your sister?" she asked.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:16 pm
The younger lioness nodded. "Yeah, we were really close as cubs, but when she was old enough, they kicked her out just because of her fur." Geni's voice hardened as she recalled those days, and how absolutely furious the Unfairness Of It All had made her. Today the anger wasn't as well buried as usual.
"But Dad said that she could be anywhere out there, and I shouldn't just go out blindly searching. But I've never seen her when I was looking for water..." the Water-Seeker trailed off and looked at the older lioness. She didn't know if the other female would be able (or even willing) to help, but it was worth a try, right?
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:26 pm
It took a moment for all of the information to absorb as Geni explained what happened to her sister. There was absolutely no mistaking that she was a Huria, a yellow one most likely, and now her family wanted to bring her back. This sister seemed especially passionate about it. Titaia had never thought to question the Huria practice, it simply was how things were. A compromise for bringing in new blood, for accepting those who had the fire of the Motoujamii.. and, of course, Titaia had never been affected by it directly.
It took a great deal of self control not to frown and send the lioness away simply because Titaia didn't want to listen to any new rules the Regents imposed. Instead, she was silent, and stayed silent for a long time.
No wonder the lioness had been distracted- it would be no easy task to find any individual lion out in the wide world beyond the desert. If her own sister didn't have any idea of where she might have gone, there was far too much ground for anybody to cover.
"Have you spoken to any Sentinels or Trackers?" she asked, "They would have escorted her out of the pride, and would be most likely to have seen her if she were anywhere nearby."
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:32 pm
"Not yet," the younger female admitted. It was an obvious thing to do. However...
"But she left a couple years ago, so even knowing what direction she started in probably won't help me find her now," Geni pointed out, putting this possible revelation together with what her father had told her. Some of the lioness' desperation seeped into her voice. She couldn't not find Erle after all this time! Surely something could be done!
"I just want to find her," the Water-Seeker concluded lamely.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:39 pm
With a huff, Titaia straightened up and actually smiled at Geni. The other lioness was younger than her but she was an adult and she was a Firekin, and she was acting like neither. For once, rather than being annoyed, Titaia was pleased. Family was important to her, it was the entire reason she had been so stubbornly sour lately. If it was this important to the other lioness, then she would help.
"Stop right there," she said, "You'll get nowhere with an attitude like that and that's not going to help your sister get home. There's an answer, even if you haven't thought of it yet. Talk to the Sentinels, it has been a while but someone will remember her and will know if she's been spotted nearby since she left. Another Huria has already come home, you can ask her how she found out. And if you need help covering a lot of ground at once, talk to the eagles in the nearby Bird Clan. They won't help for nothing, but they have wings and sharp eyes."
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:44 pm
Eyes as red as her fur opened wide as the older lioness commanded her to stop and think and suggested resources for Geni to turn to. She still wasn't sure about how much help the Sentinels could provide, but she also hadn't known that at least one other former Huria had already returned.
And the eagles...now there was an idea! Sure, it would still take time for even a bird to search, but they could fly a lot farther in a single day than any lion could walk.
"That sounds...thank you! Thank you very much!" It may have seemed effusive, but this was the first bright spot in Geni's life since the momentous announcement that Erle could come home. In fact, she was going to go to the Sentinels right now, and then to the Bird Clan after that. Perhaps Erle could even be found by the Solstice!
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 2:49 pm
It was so strange being involved in something she had so adamantly refused for so long but it was also refreshing to be a part of something that held such joy and excitement for another. So few Firekin actually seemed to appreciate the feeling, Titaia certainly had failed at it.
"Off you go, then," she said, shooing the stranger without even worrying about not catching her name. If they crossed paths again, perhaps she would ask then, but for now this was enough.
As for her own afternoon activities.. perhaps glaring from the shade wasn't a great idea. Maybe there was something better to do with her time.
Fin
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