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Smriti had been on her own for a while now, skirting the borders between pridal lands, keeping her head low and out of trouble. She was a young lioness, slender and pretty with rather striking markings. But those markings were also definitive of her heritage. Occasionally her mother would speak of her siblings, always fondly, but Smriti couldn't help but feel as if something was off about them. Perhaps it was her own disatisfication with her mother that made her think that way.
Niyati, while a pretty lioness, was a terribly inattentive mother. Always had been. It was a miracle that her cubs had made it to adulthood, and Smriti herself had a few close calls as a cub. She supposed it forged her into a stronger, smarter lioness. But she could have done without the near-death experiences. If she had cubs, she would always be sure to tell them not to play with potentially venomous snakes. Or any snakes.
She had left her family as soon as she could hunt for herself. Smriti had never been disappointed with that decision either. Sure, life was harder on her own... but it was her's. Her mother had already moved on from her children by then, if not physically, mentally. It was clear she just wanted to shack up with some loser lion and repeat her terrible choices again.
The night sky was cloudless, the stars bright and vibrant. She blended almost perfectly in, and if wasn't for her white underbelly she would be unnoticeable now. In the dark, she had no idea where she was, only that she was going somewhere. Wherever somewhere was.
Niyati, while a pretty lioness, was a terribly inattentive mother. Always had been. It was a miracle that her cubs had made it to adulthood, and Smriti herself had a few close calls as a cub. She supposed it forged her into a stronger, smarter lioness. But she could have done without the near-death experiences. If she had cubs, she would always be sure to tell them not to play with potentially venomous snakes. Or any snakes.
She had left her family as soon as she could hunt for herself. Smriti had never been disappointed with that decision either. Sure, life was harder on her own... but it was her's. Her mother had already moved on from her children by then, if not physically, mentally. It was clear she just wanted to shack up with some loser lion and repeat her terrible choices again.
The night sky was cloudless, the stars bright and vibrant. She blended almost perfectly in, and if wasn't for her white underbelly she would be unnoticeable now. In the dark, she had no idea where she was, only that she was going somewhere. Wherever somewhere was.
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It was chance that had Dhe'U wandering the rogue lands that night. It had not been so long since he had parted ways with his brother - the two of them had set out together, leaving behind the dying pride and sense of purpose that bound their father to it. Though they had not chosen to follow his priestly ways there was no denying that he was his father's cub, through and through.
Unfortunately, he looked rather much like his mother.
He had met her only once when she had come back to check up on them as adolescents. There was no love lose and his heart felt better knowing that she was a lioness of little affection - it also settled his curiosity over whose face had plastered the mask across his own, forever branding him with a look of perpetual anger. It helped ward off attackers though, he supposed. At times he was thankful for the defense mechanism.
If his father had been with him, though, he would have told him that there were no such things as simple chances - and tonight was a night that only the fates could have planned.
As he wandered through the high grasses, his eyes had drifted up to the constellations he had studied since a child, picking out familiar ones. He and his brother had named them all and, though he had come to know them by more proper names later in life, he still preferred the imaginative versions. It was this distracted nature that had him nearly upon her before he noticed and, at the sudden sound of someone walking so close, he hunched down and peered at her above the tall, dry grass shutes.
"Who goes there?"
Unfortunately, he looked rather much like his mother.
He had met her only once when she had come back to check up on them as adolescents. There was no love lose and his heart felt better knowing that she was a lioness of little affection - it also settled his curiosity over whose face had plastered the mask across his own, forever branding him with a look of perpetual anger. It helped ward off attackers though, he supposed. At times he was thankful for the defense mechanism.
If his father had been with him, though, he would have told him that there were no such things as simple chances - and tonight was a night that only the fates could have planned.
As he wandered through the high grasses, his eyes had drifted up to the constellations he had studied since a child, picking out familiar ones. He and his brother had named them all and, though he had come to know them by more proper names later in life, he still preferred the imaginative versions. It was this distracted nature that had him nearly upon her before he noticed and, at the sudden sound of someone walking so close, he hunched down and peered at her above the tall, dry grass shutes.
"Who goes there?"
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She must have been blind not to notice him until she was nearly upon him. That was the downside to getting into the motion of long distance travelling. Smriti's mind had been numb to all but her own thoughts, her legs setting a path for her. The dark lioness stopped in her tracks, hoping the pause in her movements would help to mask her presence. But, it was too late. She had been noticed, though she wasn't quite sure if that was a bad or good thing.
Smriti turned to face the lion, her posture tall and proud. At least she was a good actress, and could bluff her way through most situations. "Smriti, daughter of -" eh, what did it matter now anyways. If she wanted to distance herself from her family, she needed to stop claiming herself as a part of them. "Who are you?" Even in the dark, she could see him relatively clearly... "Wait. Do I know you?" He looked strikingly familiar - so much so that it made her a little uncomfortable.
Curious now, she stepped over to him, abandoning any defensive posturing so that he wouldn't be alarmed. Upon closer look, his markings were way too similar to her own for comfort. "Who are you parents?" Smriti was certainly a demanding stranger.
Smriti turned to face the lion, her posture tall and proud. At least she was a good actress, and could bluff her way through most situations. "Smriti, daughter of -" eh, what did it matter now anyways. If she wanted to distance herself from her family, she needed to stop claiming herself as a part of them. "Who are you?" Even in the dark, she could see him relatively clearly... "Wait. Do I know you?" He looked strikingly familiar - so much so that it made her a little uncomfortable.
Curious now, she stepped over to him, abandoning any defensive posturing so that he wouldn't be alarmed. Upon closer look, his markings were way too similar to her own for comfort. "Who are you parents?" Smriti was certainly a demanding stranger.
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At first he only thought it peculiar that she had begun to name herself and then stopped so abruptly. Then it became even stranger that she abandoned the idea and began to make demands of him. Who were his parents? He began to take a step backward, hesitating over his choice to say anything at all, wondering if his mother had made some enemies he might have to answer to - until he saw those same peculiar markings that marked not just himself, but his siblings as well.
Damn it all, but he wished that dastardly lioness had told him more about who his family was.
"I am Dhe'U, son of Mahaska and.. Makri." He hesitated over his mother's name, knowing that it had to be the one she wanted to hear if she had noticed the same features in him that made her seem so famliar. "I don't.. think I know you at all. Perhaps you know my mother? She wasn't around much so I'm not sure where she's been." Or who she'd been with.
For all he knew, this lioness could have been a sister or an aunt. There were endless possibilities when one didn't know a damn thing about heritage.
Damn it all, but he wished that dastardly lioness had told him more about who his family was.
"I am Dhe'U, son of Mahaska and.. Makri." He hesitated over his mother's name, knowing that it had to be the one she wanted to hear if she had noticed the same features in him that made her seem so famliar. "I don't.. think I know you at all. Perhaps you know my mother? She wasn't around much so I'm not sure where she's been." Or who she'd been with.
For all he knew, this lioness could have been a sister or an aunt. There were endless possibilities when one didn't know a damn thing about heritage.
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She recognized the name, though it had only been mentioned to her in passing. "Oh," was the sound of realization, and Smriti backed off of the lion now that she had the answer she had been looking for. Smriti had never met the lioness that was Dhe'U's mother, but she had heard of her from her own mother. Niyati had mentioned her family on a few occassions, and spoke of them with a certain amount of fondness. She had never been able to tell if it was genuine or not, because everyone seemed to be a fleeting fancy of her mother's.
"No, we don't know each other. Our mother's do." She sighed at the thought of her mother's family spreading their genes across the savannah. Her mother was never a lioness of outstanding character, and Smriti had to imagine anyone connected with her couldn't be all that great either. "My mother is Niyati," she tried not to say the name with too much disgust. "Makri, if I recall, is her sister."
She sat back and shrugged her shoulders. "So we're cousins. I guess... that's cool?" She didn't sound impressed. If anything, the news of relatives was disappointing. "Are you on your own out here, then?" Smriti had a lot of questions. But, the lioness was just hoping that he was her only relative in the area. She wasn't sure she could handle more.
"No, we don't know each other. Our mother's do." She sighed at the thought of her mother's family spreading their genes across the savannah. Her mother was never a lioness of outstanding character, and Smriti had to imagine anyone connected with her couldn't be all that great either. "My mother is Niyati," she tried not to say the name with too much disgust. "Makri, if I recall, is her sister."
She sat back and shrugged her shoulders. "So we're cousins. I guess... that's cool?" She didn't sound impressed. If anything, the news of relatives was disappointing. "Are you on your own out here, then?" Smriti had a lot of questions. But, the lioness was just hoping that he was her only relative in the area. She wasn't sure she could handle more.
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The bit of unease that had taken root in his muscles seemed to ease as she digested the answer and backed off. She wasn't a threat, it seemed.
"Ah, I.. guess." Dhe'u didn't know anything about his mother and she had certainly never bothered to mention her family. His father had perhaps made a few passing remarks but, truth be told, his brothers and sisters were the only family he really had in this world. He looked remarkably like her, though, he knew. Would there be others? Certainly she had siblings? How many more lions might know his face because of his heritage?
Like Smriti, the knowledge didn't exactly make him feel comfortable.
"No, well, my brother is some ways off. We were travelling together but he got a bit.. sidetracked." His broad shoulders rose and fell with a shrug but his eyes seemed glued to her, picking out all the things that reminded him of his own family. "I was raisd by my father, he's a priest that made some sort of devil deal with Makri, or so it seems to me."
"Ah, I.. guess." Dhe'u didn't know anything about his mother and she had certainly never bothered to mention her family. His father had perhaps made a few passing remarks but, truth be told, his brothers and sisters were the only family he really had in this world. He looked remarkably like her, though, he knew. Would there be others? Certainly she had siblings? How many more lions might know his face because of his heritage?
Like Smriti, the knowledge didn't exactly make him feel comfortable.
"No, well, my brother is some ways off. We were travelling together but he got a bit.. sidetracked." His broad shoulders rose and fell with a shrug but his eyes seemed glued to her, picking out all the things that reminded him of his own family. "I was raisd by my father, he's a priest that made some sort of devil deal with Makri, or so it seems to me."
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She should have just assumed there was more family around, but the hope that there wasn't too many more of her family was dwindling quickly. "I see. Did you guys have any destination in mind, then? I've just been... wandering. I left without much of a plan on where to go or what to do." Smriti had just wanted to get away, and she had achieved that. The lioness just did not know where to go from here.
"A... priest." Smriti tried not to laugh, but failed as a chuckle shook her shoulders. It wasn't that the profession was hilarious, but rather the fact that a priest would have children with anyone in their family was amazingly outrageous. "So your mother left you guys when you were young, then?" she hoped following up with a question immediately would distract Dhe'u from her laughter. "My mom tried. It's a miracle any of us actually survived childhood with her supervising us."
How she learned how to do anything was a miracle. It was a lot of trial and error between herself and her siblings. They had managed, and in time realized that Niyati was never the mother she should have been.
"A... priest." Smriti tried not to laugh, but failed as a chuckle shook her shoulders. It wasn't that the profession was hilarious, but rather the fact that a priest would have children with anyone in their family was amazingly outrageous. "So your mother left you guys when you were young, then?" she hoped following up with a question immediately would distract Dhe'u from her laughter. "My mom tried. It's a miracle any of us actually survived childhood with her supervising us."
How she learned how to do anything was a miracle. It was a lot of trial and error between herself and her siblings. They had managed, and in time realized that Niyati was never the mother she should have been.
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The laugh did not go amiss but instead of taking offense, he simply smiled, showing the sharp teeth between the layers of his gnarly mask. If he hadn't been cursed to wear her face, he might have been a rather pleasant sort of fellow.
"My father responds to the whims of the gods as they steer him, visions and all that," he brought a paw up and waved in a little circle about his head. The old lion had predicted too many things in Dhe'u's life for him not to trust that the things he saw were truthful. "He said it was a task he was given, peculiar though. So far as I understand it, she left and showed back up with is a while later. I've met her once or twice, not for very long though."
He sighed and sat slowly, letting the tall grasses camoflouge his form more completely. At least with most of his lower body below the blades it meant his white pelt didn't stick out quite so obviously.
"We have heard of the Stormborn, do you know them? I am not certain we aim to stay with them but we are curious about who they are and what they do. We bumped into a travelling bard of sorts that was talking about them."
"My father responds to the whims of the gods as they steer him, visions and all that," he brought a paw up and waved in a little circle about his head. The old lion had predicted too many things in Dhe'u's life for him not to trust that the things he saw were truthful. "He said it was a task he was given, peculiar though. So far as I understand it, she left and showed back up with is a while later. I've met her once or twice, not for very long though."
He sighed and sat slowly, letting the tall grasses camoflouge his form more completely. At least with most of his lower body below the blades it meant his white pelt didn't stick out quite so obviously.
"We have heard of the Stormborn, do you know them? I am not certain we aim to stay with them but we are curious about who they are and what they do. We bumped into a travelling bard of sorts that was talking about them."
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"Visions," Smriti answered, sounding equally skeptical of the truth behind those so-called visions. She hadn't met any lions who claimed to answer to the gods. Most of the lions she had encountered in her lifetime were godless. Perhaps it would be nice to have to hold oneself accountable to a higher power, to remain on the right trck in life. But, it also sounded like a load of crap in her opinion. She supposed she would just have to be one of the godless. "I don't know that if I started to see things I would actually... follow them."
It was rude to pick on Dhe'u's father, especially when comparing the lion to her aunt who sounded significantly worse. "At least he was there for you, even if your mother wasn't." She felt it was worse that her mother had stuck around, and proven to be a terrible parent anyways. Things would have been better if Niyati had dropped off her children with someone else more capable of raising cubs. But, her mother was not so merciful.
"Only rumors of them," Smriti answered with a curious tilt of her head. She knew enough about them that the general consensus was to stay away from their roaming bands. The pridal lands were somewhere, and a safer bet for those who wished to join them as equals.
"Well, take me with you." The request came out of the blue, but there was a sudden, determined look in her eyes. Her best bet at finding a new place to call home was here, and travelling with another lion was far more safe than travelling alone, especially in these lands. "If you're going to these Stormborn, I want to come with." It was almost ironic that she had run away from her family, just to bump into another member of it and insist on joining them.
It was rude to pick on Dhe'u's father, especially when comparing the lion to her aunt who sounded significantly worse. "At least he was there for you, even if your mother wasn't." She felt it was worse that her mother had stuck around, and proven to be a terrible parent anyways. Things would have been better if Niyati had dropped off her children with someone else more capable of raising cubs. But, her mother was not so merciful.
"Only rumors of them," Smriti answered with a curious tilt of her head. She knew enough about them that the general consensus was to stay away from their roaming bands. The pridal lands were somewhere, and a safer bet for those who wished to join them as equals.
"Well, take me with you." The request came out of the blue, but there was a sudden, determined look in her eyes. Her best bet at finding a new place to call home was here, and travelling with another lion was far more safe than travelling alone, especially in these lands. "If you're going to these Stormborn, I want to come with." It was almost ironic that she had run away from her family, just to bump into another member of it and insist on joining them.
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"I'm not complaining that she was gone. My father was a good lion." He shrugged at that, knowing it to be the truth. If her mother had been anything like Makri he was certain that he would not have enjoyed being raised by her and from the tone in his surprise cousin's voice, she hadn't exactly found it to be pleasant.
Perhaps that was why he didn't seem terribly aken aback by her request and why, too, that he actually remained silent for a time to consider it. He didn't know her at all and his brother, undoubtedly, would be skeptical of anyone that was suddenly so keen on joining their party, but he couldn't deny anyone that small need to connect and form a bond of kinship. Even if all she wanted was the safety of their numbers, that made sense too.
"If you.. really want that, I don't see why not?" His shoulders rolled in another easy-going, dismissive shrug. "Father always said to take such signs seriously. Why else would I just run into you out here, in the open rogue lands?"
Believer of gods or not, even Dhe'u had to admit that the circumstances were strange.
With a deep, resigned sigh, he pushed himself back up to his paws and nodded back in the direction that he had come.
"We are making camp this way."
Perhaps that was why he didn't seem terribly aken aback by her request and why, too, that he actually remained silent for a time to consider it. He didn't know her at all and his brother, undoubtedly, would be skeptical of anyone that was suddenly so keen on joining their party, but he couldn't deny anyone that small need to connect and form a bond of kinship. Even if all she wanted was the safety of their numbers, that made sense too.
"If you.. really want that, I don't see why not?" His shoulders rolled in another easy-going, dismissive shrug. "Father always said to take such signs seriously. Why else would I just run into you out here, in the open rogue lands?"
Believer of gods or not, even Dhe'u had to admit that the circumstances were strange.
With a deep, resigned sigh, he pushed himself back up to his paws and nodded back in the direction that he had come.
"We are making camp this way."
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Smriti wanted to write it off as coincidence that she had met her cousin out in the farthest reaches of the roguelands. It was either that or her family really had spread too far and wide. "I've sort of been wandering aimlessly all this time. I can't pass up the chance to finally actually head towards something." All this time, she had been waiting to find a destination. This was the first one that had caught her attention, and it seemed wrong to deny the opportunity.
"I think this is the first time I can claim running into a family member has actually been worked out for me." Dhe'u seemed like a well-balanced individual. As long as there weren't any secrets to uncover about him then she was sure they would get along just fine.
Smriti was unapologetic about pushing her way into the brother's journey. Dhe'u had accepted her request, and didn't seem to be bothered by it. If her insistence and bold actions bothered him, he didn't show it. The dark lioness stood up, flashing her cousin a smile that looked wicked with the dark fang markings along her jawline. "Lead the way, and hey, thanks. I know it's kind of weird, but I appreciate the company."
She waited for Dhe'u to lead the way, and then followed the lion to where they were settling down for the evening.
"I think this is the first time I can claim running into a family member has actually been worked out for me." Dhe'u seemed like a well-balanced individual. As long as there weren't any secrets to uncover about him then she was sure they would get along just fine.
Smriti was unapologetic about pushing her way into the brother's journey. Dhe'u had accepted her request, and didn't seem to be bothered by it. If her insistence and bold actions bothered him, he didn't show it. The dark lioness stood up, flashing her cousin a smile that looked wicked with the dark fang markings along her jawline. "Lead the way, and hey, thanks. I know it's kind of weird, but I appreciate the company."
She waited for Dhe'u to lead the way, and then followed the lion to where they were settling down for the evening.