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 Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:05 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 5:48 pm
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The pride had been rather quiet. After all the constant tornado made a white noise that comforted the pride to stay in close. Most missions were already completed except for the ambassadors like Zaahir. They were constantly in and out of the pride to work on strengthening Kuroi'Nera's allies. That was his goal.
This time he was working on a group that noted themselves as 'fae' and he had a rough time trying to understand their culture and that in itself was taxing. He stayed away for gods know how long. After was summoned back home. He reached the tornadoes with the king of the pride, the Ash. He was regal and he didn't speak much at all. When they were at the tornadoes of the pride, he took off the Ash's blindfold.
Zaahir turned to him.
"Do you wish to do ill to our clan? Only the tornadoes will know."
He offered the Ash to go first, but the male cheetah whom was decorated like the night sky stared at him, questioning what lies beyond these tornados. The question made the Ash straighten himself as he walked calmly in to the kicked up sand storm ahead of him. Zaahir went in after him and to his surprise, the Ash was at the forest ring of the pride waiting for him.
"Good." Zaahir bowed his head. "Follow me and I shall take you to our Queen."
The Ash nodded and followed. Noting that here, many eyes were in the forest ring watching him. They got to the entrance and Zaahir nodded to the guards and on they went to the immense crater that made up their home. When Zaahir came in, several greeted him, and of course he led the Ash to GodMother- Ami.
She stood, with her guards at her side as they stood and she nodded and sat down. Offering the Ash a seat amongst them. Zaahir politely bowed and left back to the pride's land. Seeing many of his old friends and 'job'-mates. He went to his mother to ask about the cheetah he had brought from an old pride.
"Yaana- is her name... How has she faired?"
"Ah... Yaana... from what I have seen- she is training to be a priestess. She should be at the shrine for the gods."
"Thank you, as always mother."
He went off and went to go look for her. Trotting about til he saw her slightly rainbow pelt.
"Yaana."
Once his voice echoed in to the tunnels of the shrines, she turned around with a basket of shiny things to put for the gods shrine. Lowering it down she trotted over to him. Bowing.
"Master Zaahir."
"No no- Not master! Remember ! You are your own being here... How has the pride been treating you?"
"Ah.. " Her voice was so soft still. "I have... been cleaning the shrines of the gods and making sure their offerings are fresh."
"So you want to apprentice to become a priestess?"
"...Yes... If you allow."
He moved closer to her and rubbed his forehead against her. "I want for you- to do whatever you want to do. If a priestess is who you desire to be, I will back you 100%."
"You are much too kind.. You have left for quite some time.. I thought for sure that we would hear nothing good from the pride announcer."
"Ah- I had a lot of trouble around the pride that I was in. The Ash took forever to get an audience with me- and even then it took forever to gain his trust enough to speak more than two words for me. It is as much as a surprise when he said he would like to come see our Queen. GodMother.. I won't bore you with the details."
Yaana blushed and rubbed her face against him too.
"Your travels do not bore me, nor does your company. Would you.. Like to walk with me so I can arrange these tokens for the gods? I would like to hear more about your adventures."
"If you stop calling me master- I'd be delighted to share with you more of my travels. Which God do you believe in? I haven't met any except for the Goddess of Tornadoes.. "
"I believe that for every faith, for every walk of life, up to even the smallest stone- there lies a god that is produced. Especially from our own thoughts. We give them life by believing in them. That is what I believe."
"Ah.... I'm unsure if there is a god for stones, since stones are not alive? So their god must not be strong...?"
She looked at him, and shook her head. What... do we plant our feet down on day after day? What holds all the weight of the world? Do you not believe that the stone beneath your paws while you travel is strong? So Should the God?"
Zaahir blushed. "I guess I have much to learn then."
The rainbow dotted cheetah smiled softly. "Not to worry, that is why the priests and priestesses are around, is that not what they are for? To educate and advocate for the gods and guide others that may need strength and prayers for?"
"You have really dived in to becoming a priestess huh... Do you have a favorite God that you pray to often?"
She gave a small hmm before she answered. "Aharu'kai, Goddess of Thieves."
He stopped in his tracks and looked at her with concern. "Goddess of Thieves..?" He repeated. "When I went to your old pride... they were going to execute you for stealing. So... Did I save a criminal?"
Her eyes didn't raise to meet his. "You saved a thief, yes. And allowed me in to a pride of thieves that with fancier names. I know what kind of pride I am in, and for that I am grateful. Aharu'kai kept me safe, I just know it to be true. So I will be her priestess and help others have the protection of her brilliance. I do not understand, if you brought me here- yet you say you saved a criminal. Aren't we all? In this pride?"
He led his life with dignity and albeit enough ego to feel as though he was above stealing. "I guess .... that is our pride.. But we make *deals*, we save prides, we help calm wars. We are so much more than a pride of thieves. There are those whom race! Those whom gamble when they get home. But we live a life worthy of dignity."
"And our spoils of war? Items and even pelts of those whom had a life- and we, wear it proudly?"
"We are more than thieves.... "
"There is a tale about a thief... who was beloved by the whole savannah. Their name was robin hood. Do you know of this tale?" That is when she decided to keep moving. Going to the shrines of the GODS and began to fulfill her duties as she spun the tale... of Robin Hood.
Being more generous to different gods, some had smaller trinkets and shiny things. Others had pelts.
"Robin hood knew the savannah. But there was a pride that governed over the lands. Policing the savannah harshly. The royals had their fill and then some. Always taking taxes like a cub or something dear to the lions whom they governed. Some, were even sacrificed." She motioned for him to follow her lead when coming in to the gods shrined chambers, she cleaned her paws- "It is sacred grounds here..."
He followed suit, cleaning his paws as he followed along. Hanging on her every word as she spun this tale.
"Robin Hood- this brave lion went in while the royals slept. He would steal from them. Coming in the night to give to the savannah things that they needed. Some even being tokens of safe passage away from the pride's reaches. But no one creature knew whom this hero was. To the royals- he was a villain. A thief. To others a hero. Some of the savannah would go hungry for days. And when they awoke the next morning, food at their dens." She expressed herself so passionately with this story that Zaahir was captivated. He thought to himself if she was thought she was like Robin Hood that maybe that was what she did to almost be executed.
"This went on, and soon there was a manhunt for this, now famous thief. They say that he was, Aharu'kai's son or even an extension of herself. Either way, this thief provided for those who could not do it on their own. Whom defied the royals because of those in need. Now... this famous thief grew more bold, and started to gain followers. It was, as you say- a revolt. This very pride so said, had one. That Emi was the one whom started the revolt that her brother- now casted out and his followers- began to kill hybrids and treat them very poorly. Less than slaves, whom in this pride aren't very slave like. Slaves here can have lives beyond their masters. So the pride that you rescued me from...... It meant I was *your* slave..."
She began cleaning up a shrine of a god. Of trade where she put most of the crafters trinkets for the goddess there.
"Robin hood was told to me by my mother. I don't remember much of her, she passed away when I was very young but she told me of this tale and so. I guess when I was younger- I always was... in the more frail type but I learned to be sneaky- and I would do for those that couldn't. If that meant stealing something from those that had more than the others. I was nimble enough to do things that the others couldn't since... I was a cheetah and most were lions."
"So.... you were wanting to be Robin Hood."
"I guess....Something like him." She said softly. After she finished cleaning she took him to a shrine... that didn't have much except a curled horn of an elk. "This... is the shrine of Vigilantes, Tawarei. In my story.... you are like Tawarei. You thought my life should be spared. So you saved it even if it made negotiations worse for you. Who were you to save my life? Someone whom wanted to save someone else..Not yet a hero... because in your mind now, you saved a thief, a villain."
"I guess .... I have misjudged you, I am no better than the ones that wanted to execute you. But I must give you a warning. If you steal from the royals here- to give to the slaves- then-"
"I would be dating my execution none the sooner than the last pride."
"Yes. The royals here- are those that worked hard to get there. Our Queen- The GodMother is fair in her rulings."
"That is why I am at your mercy, that I call you my master. It is because I love the pride I am in. You can work for your rank- slaves have the ability to rise in rank. I do not have to steal from anyone- because everyone has the ability to become a royal or a slave if their heart desires. It is because of this that I want to be a priestess... I want to shower my faith in Aharu'kai's blessing and guidance that led me here. I am respected... because I do something that I truly follow with all my heart. I can do so freely here. Maybe you should have faith in another, above yourself?"
"I am unsure if the musings of a soon to be priestess will tip me over to find a god to pray to. I know the Queen, our Godmother is particularly fond of Tornadoes - Chamchela, the goddess that blessed the pride of any whom wish to do us harm- that the tornadoes will consume them. Emi was the one whom met Chamchela herself to ask for her blessing. She is also fond of the goddesses of Charity, and Empathy."
"That, I do know. God Mother comes at the mouth of our tunnel to give her offerings to her gods."
"I see...." He trailed off and watched some hand offs himself as the walked back to the general social area of the pride.
"Do you have a mate, Zaahir?"
Zaahir blushed, shocked at her question. "Ah... no. I don't. I am very busy being an Ambassador."
"Ah... I see.... I asked about you. I only got that you are dedicated to your work and queen- and obviously you take care of your mother and siblings since your father has been away, yes?"
"Why did you ask about me? Curious thing."
"Because I had all the reason to believe that you spared my life to be your mistress."
Zaahir blushed more and took a few steps away from her. "I don't need a mistress if I haven't even gotten time for a mate." Sighing. "You are not sealed to me. If you desire someone- pray tell you go forth and make your own future."
Yaara stepped closer to him and bowed her head...
"Do you still think I am a bad one that you saved."
"No.... I believe you were just following what you believed was right. You gave me an explanation when you didn't have to. I thank you for entrusting me with YOUR adventures."
"I would very much like to see you again, and if you say I am no longer your ward. Then maybe you can see me as a partner.... I know that you may not have the time, and you are away for long periods of time... but your mother said you don't have a den of your own here. Now here I am. With a den of my own because you spared me."
"Yaara. I wouldn't want to overstep because you still call me master. But I check on you when I come home because I do care about you and your well-being. Now I learned that I may in fact like the company of a robin hood." He licked her forehead and nudged her a little. "I'll remember to stop by your den... to check on you. I will be home for a while now, if you still want to hear about my adventures-"
"Oh I'm so sorry! You are right! I asked about YOUR adventures and I seemed to have rambled from my own. Please forgive me!"
"Already forgiven." He nodded and turned around and left.
Leaving her to watch and ponder all the butterflies in her chest.
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