[Closed] Little Stranger (Taraji Chapter 1)

[KiarasMate]

Seeing that his presence was no longer needed, Simba began to make his way back into the main den, giving Caine a warm smile and a friendly greeting as the two males crossed paths near the entranceway.

”Good morning Caine. Hope you slept well. In case you didn’t hear yet, there will be a Pride Meeting tonight, so I’m sure I can count on you to be present, correct?”

Knowing that Caine was very dependable, Simba really didn’t even need an answer from him. Letting Caine and Shani to their own accord, Simba made his way past the two as he approached Kivuli once again, keeping the same polite tone that he had used with Caine as he addressed the grey furred male.

”There’s going to be a Pride Meeting tonight Kivuli so if you could attend, that would be nice, although if Mila’s still hanging around the main den, I have a feeling that you’ll already be here before the meeting even starts.”

Taking a seat now, a few paws length away from Kivuli and on the opposite side of Mila, Simba leaned down to lovingly nuzzle his adopted daughter as his eyes scanned her frame, surveying the extent of her injuries, which thankfully didn’t look all that bad.

==========

Watching as Rahina hoisted the large wildebeest onto her back, Nala looked a bit puzzled as she spoke in a concerned voice.

”Do you think you should really be carrying such a heavy kill that way Rahina? I think it might be better if you drag it by the neck.” Nala stated, showing Rahina an example of just how she was suggesting for the dark furred lioness to do, taking the neck of the other wildebeest in her maw, clamping her jaws tightly around it as she positioned herself so that the kill would drag in between her paws as she walked, before dropping it to the ground once again so that she could speak. ”Like that. It just puts a lot less stress on your body and in our condition, that can be a very good thing. Yeah, it’s a lot slower to travel with a kill like that but we don’t really have to worry about anyone trying to steal our meals here, so it’s okay to take your time.”

Smiling in a friendly manner towards Rahina, Nala picked up her wildebeest once again and started to make her way back towards Pride Rock, keeping a steady pace with Rahina so that the two could keep each other in sight at all times, although having a mouth full of wildebeest prevented the cream colored queen from upholding any sort of conversation while the pair walked.

Arriving back at Pride Rock around the same time when the small group of felines had dispersed, Nala noticed Vitani, Kopa and Almasi near the base of the majestic structure. Feeling a bit exhausted from the effort of the hunt, Nala was happy to be back and by the looks of her fellow lioness, Rahina was too.

Kopa had stayed quiet while Simba spoke, watching as Almasi thanked the king and returned to his side. Looking down at the young lioness, deciding to fill in her question that Simba had failed to answer in his hurry to leave, Kopa spoke softly to her.

”I’ve seen one other cub running around these lands, aside from your friend Daxis. She had reddish looking fur and crystal looking eyes. I’m not sure if she’s your age or not Almasi but maybe you two could play together some day. I can’t remember her name though, but maybe you can ask Nala, the next time you see her.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kopa spotted the two returning lionesses now as he smiled, relieved that Rahina had come back and by the looks of things, the hunt was successful. Turning back to Almasi now, Kopa stated.

”Speaking of Nala, looks like she’s back and they have food.”

Looking up to where Vitani was still seated at, Kopa called up to her in a gracious voice.

”It was nice to meet you Miss Vitani and I appreciate your help in locating little Almasi here. Perhaps we can get better acquainted later but if you don’t mind, I should see how my mate did on her first hunt here in your lands.” Kopa stated, giving a nod towards the approaching lionesses in the distance.

Lightly nudging Almasi to follow his lead, Kopa started to make his way towards Nala and Rahina, a warm smile on his muzzle as his eyes met with Rahina’s.

==========

Kiara had noticed the strange male across the waterhole from where she and Taraji were positioned at. Keeping calm, even though her mate’s words from the previous day still echoed in her mind, the golden furred princess spoke softly to Taraji, who had already taken refuge underneath her once again.

”Stay close to Mommy Cutie. I don’t know who that is.”

Keeping a protective stance over her daughter, Kiara watched as the new male’s attention seemed to have been grabbed by something else. Squinting her eyes to try and see who he was talking to now, Kiara could just barely make out the figure of her mate. Feeling a bit uneasy, as she saw the new male’s stance shift into a more aggressive posture, Kiara was about to act, when his body altered once again, back into a more relaxed state. Feeling nervous by this point, hoping that Taraji wouldn’t notice her foster father across the way, as she might decide to run off to him, Kiara kept close to Taraji as she continued to observe the situation.

[LionPrincess]

Almasi knew of the cub that Kopa was speaking of, it was Taraji the frightened cub from earlyer, as she seen Nala and Rahina she was really pleased as she was really hungry and when Kopa nudged her she quickly followed "im starved" she told him as she ran under were he was about to stand and almost got stepped on

[Lodrill]

Rahina smiled thankful at Nala for her advise but did not bother to change the position of the wildebeest now that she had finally managed to bring it on her back. She walked all the way next to Nala but even if her muzzle was not full she did not say any word. She thought about this - in her eyes bad - hunt she just had. She still had a lot to learn until she could hunt in her old form here.

Ariving at the den she just unloaded the wildebeest next to the one Nala had been placed on the den floor and walked tired to Kopa. Again she felt that her body made changes and the hunt wore out her more than she have thought.

"Hi darling!" she greeted Kopa and nuzzled him. Her voice was still warm and soft but also sounded a bit tired. She smiled at Almasi and pad her with her paw. "Have you two spent a nice morning?" Rahina lay down and looked up to Kopa with her black eyes. Again the thought about her situation raced through her head. She had to tell Kopa soon but...

'... not yet!' the voice in her head told her. 'There are to much around!'
Rahina knew that this were only excuses she made. But she did not try to fight her own worries and stuborness just yet. She was to exhausted for that. Instead she leaned back and now lay on the side with the full length of her body. Her eye still were focused on her mate. The cold rock under her felt good. Due she lay on her right sight the scar that ran from beneeth her shoulders over the full length of her leg until to the tips of her paw was clearly visible. It covered half the width of her leg. The momento of the attack of the hyenas in her childhood. It did not hurt anymore but it was a clear sign that made her stick out off hundred lionesses. Her breath slowly calmed down as well as her heart.

[hr][/hr]

Taraji did not notice Kovu due she was to busy with hiding below Kiara. Not only that she had been startled by the strange lion also the command of Kiara to stay close to her and the anxiety of Nala that the sensible cub could feel very strong made the situation look even more frightening and serious. Taraji curled herself into a very small fur ball that was pressed on the ground right behind Kiaras paw. Even if she was clear visible there she hid as good as it was possible in this situation. Maybe her shyness and that she hid right away in any given situation came from her experience as she was very small and still with her mother. She had to hide there all the time. The only one she had have contact before she came to the pridelands had been her mother.

The only noise that the small body did emit was the silent growl of her stomach.

[hr][/hr]

Laini licked over the face of Daxis. "We will now go on with the lesson for you to learn to clean yourself. So show me what you remembered from last time. If you have finished your bath you may go out and play again."
Laini hoped Daxis would get the hang of it soon. She knew she was not made for teaching youngsters. Maybe she should ask other lionesses for help... ...but to be honest this would be too much for her. She would never approach another lioness if it was not really nessesary. So she waited for Daxis to start clearning himself.

[SinChei]

Daxis purred when Laini licked His face. He felt so Safe when She was around Even if He knew She wasnt a good fighter. the He looked up in her face and listened. the Red maned cub didnt like it to clean himself alone but He wanted to Trakt for laini and He knew He had to learn it anyways. ok i will try
daxis started ho lick His paws and then turned to the hind leg's with the Trick laini shower him but it was à Bit difficult for him and He fell on the Ground several times

[Mike]

Kovu held the newcomer's eyes for a moment longer, still trying to find some hint of deceit. Finding none he relaxed slightly. It seemed to him that the stranger was telling the truth. "I'm gonna have to take you up to Pride Rock to meet our king okay?" He said, still wary, but no longer hostile. "You understand that I've got to be careful after an attack like yesterday's. My name's Kovu."

With the immediate threat of violence passed, he glanced across the waterhole and caught his worried mate's eye. Kovu gave a reassuring nod to let Kiara know that everything seemed to be okay. In spite of this though, he wanted to hold off the introductions until after Simba had cleared the lion. He planned to lead the newcomer directly to Pride Rock once he agreed to follow.

------------------

"Morning Caine," Vitani replied with a distracted air. She had still been in a slightly pensive mood, but the sudden flurry of activity brought her back into the moment. It seemed that Nala and Rahina were already back. She shifted position to be able to greet them without twisting over her shoulder when they made it up Pride Rock. She was pleased to find that her injured paw now supported her weight. "Don't mention it." she replied to Kopa's thanks with a grin. "I'd like that, Maybe I'll come see you and your mate later today. I'm just about ready to get up and about again." With that, Kopa and Alamsi left to greet the returning lionesses at the base of Pride Rock, leaving her to wait on the promontory for their approach with Caine and Shani.

[JaguarOne]

Caine just nodded when Simba informed him of the impending pride meeting that night. He had no problem with pride politics, just as long as they didn't interfere with the way he lived his life. One of the things he liked about Simba was the lion's somewhat lax style of rule, only being aggressive and assertive when the situation called for it. He felt that, while Simba was far often informal for a king, he still had control and authority over his subjects. Another reason the lion held Simba in high regard was his open-mindedness about Caine's preference for a mate. He's heard stories about lions being kicked out of prides for that reason and that is something he'd rather not have happen to him.

"You know it," He replied with a nod as he watched the king pass while making his way towards the den. He probably didn't need to vocalize his understanding with Simba, knowing the lion felt he was dependable, but he felt like some sign of acknowledgment was necessary.

"Good morning to you too, Vitani," Caine replied somewhat chipperly when he heard the lioness greet him. The feline turned around so that he was facing the lioness who appeared to be distracted, her expression being one of contemplation. "How's the paw? Healing up nicely, I take it?"

//Little Stranger (Taraji Chapter 1).doc

Santiago had relaxed well before Kovu figure that he would do no harm. Not that he would, he wasn't that stupid. He knew where there was one lion, there were bound to be more. With one of him and most likely a number of them, any attempt at fighting would be a death sentence for the lion. The feline felt a rush of relief flood through him as he watched Kovu relax.

"Name's Santiago. Look, I understand your wanting to keep your pride safe, but I'm not a threat. As the former prince in line for the throne of my original pride, I wouldn't dream of knowingly intruding on another pride's territory. I'm not stupid," The lion replied, his voice containing the accent of his first pride where he had grown up. The very same pride he had to flee from when his parents were murdered in a violent act of mutiny.

[Mike]

"You've got royal blood too then?" Kovu asked with a raised eyebrow as they started off at a brisk pace. Kovu opted not to stop by Kiara. She was off the direct route to Pride Rock, and Kovu was slightly wary of letting a total stranger get too close to his mate. Best to play it safe he thought.

"We've got old kings and princes dropping in every which way it seems. Along with one or two shady characters that seem to wish they were kings and princes. You'd be surprised how stupid some of them can be. Sorry for jumping on you when we met."

"The lioness across the waterhole was my mate Kiara by the way. I'm sorry we missed the introductions, but I'm sure you'll be able to meet her at some point if Simba lets you spend time in these lands. Don't worry about that though, he's a very open ruler, he's taken quite a few wanderers under his protection."

As the pair approached Pride Rock, Kovu made out the shapes of several pridelanders, including what he thought was Simba, Two lionesses were bringing home the day's meal, but he couldn't quite tell who they were.

------------------

"Oh you know how it is." Vitani said, and Shani saw her grimace. "I'll be limping for a day, maybe two, but I can already get around."

Shani had never gotten around to apologizing for attacking Vitani, and he didn't intend to either. Quite aside from thinking that he'd behaved appropriately, Shani also respected Vitani as a warrior, and didn't want to insult her by apologizing for defeating her. He rightly guessed that this would be worse for Vitani than breaking her other paw. Likewise, he didn't expect Vitani to mention the slowly vanishing mark that remained on his side marking the place where she'd retaliated.

Not finding pleasant talk all that interesting, Shani peered down Pride Rock to see how the hunters were getting on before returning his attention to the conversation in front of him.

[KiarasMate]

Seeing the reassuring nod from her mate, Kiara too, began to relax, if only slightly, as she finished drinking and turned her attention back to Taraji, who had curled up into the cutest looking fur ball behind her fore paws. Unable to resist a smile, even though she knew that her adopted daughter must have been scared, Kiara gently nuzzled the little bundle of fur, licking her softly as she spoke in a convincing tone.

”It’s okay Cutie. Things are fine now. C’mon, let’s go back to our den and wait for Daddy to come home. Maybe we can go get you some breakfast after that, okay?”

Not wanting to take the liberty to carry her daughter, as Kiara knew that Taraji would have to learn to be a bit braver around everyone, Kiara waited for her to uncurl herself as she smiled down at her, giving an encouraging look to try and ease the nervous cub. Being patient, allowing Taraji to regain her composure, Kiara took a single step forward in the direction back to their den, watching to make sure that Taraji would follow her, before she started walking at a slow pace to not get ahead of the little cub.

==========

”I’m glad you’re back my precious. I missed you so much and I’m glad your hunt went well, from the looks of things.” Kopa stated, returning his mate’s affectionate nuzzle as he did his best not to get tripped up by Almasi, who seemed very energetic and ready for a much needed meal.

Gazing over his mate, just to make sure that she was alright, noting how tired she looked, Kopa still wondered if letting her hunt was the right thing to do. Typically after a hunt back at their oasis home, Rahina would recover quite quickly but she seemed so exhausted now. Keeping his thoughts to himself for the time being however, Kopa continued to speak as his mate rested in front of him.

”Things went okay while you were gone. Almasi behaved herself and she even met a new friend here to play with.” Kopa said, casually leaving out the fact that he had almost lost track of Almasi, as he figured that Rahina didn’t need more stuff to worry about right now and not wishing to make himself look incapable of watching over Almasi himself, Kopa just decided to omit this little detail.

Letting the reunited couple be, Nala picked up her wildebeest and started to make her way up the slope leading to the main den, giving a friendly nod to Vitani, Shani and Caine as she passed, neatly depositing the fallen beast in the usual spot within the main den before she returned outside to socialize with the small group, addressing Vitani first in a sly tone.

”Well well Tani. What did I tell you. Hang around the main den and you’d get a male visitor but looks like you exceeded my expectations. Two handsome lions. Aren’t you the popular lioness?”

Flashing both Shani and Caine a playful smile, Nala took a seat in the middle of the group, turning to face Caine as she spoke in a sweet voice to him.

”Or perhaps Shani is here to see you, hmm Caine?”

[JaguarOne]

"I did until my parents were killed in an act of mutiny," Santiago replied as he walked alongside of Kovu, some of the images of that fateful day flashing back in his head. The sight of the lionesses charging into the den in a manner that the young lion had never seen before, one of the rogue males standing watch from a nearby boulder. He wasn't a direct witness of the atrocity, but he heard his father's roaring and his mother's screaming and knew he had to run.

And run he did.

He didn't know whether it was self preservation or fear that made him run as fast as he did when he initially fled, but whatever it was, it helped keep him going. Ever since then he had lived as a wanderer, almost joining the pride of his former mate Malawi to whom he almost got married until tragedy struck again.

"I can imagine. And don't worry about it. I probably would have done the same thing in your situation," Santiago said when Kovu offered his apologies for his hostility. Even though it was highly inconvenient and Santiago wasn't too thrilled with the cold reception at first, in all honesty he would have done the same thing if he were in Kovu's situation.

"You're a lucky lion," The lion stated when Kovu told him that the lioness at the waterhole was his mate. His remark was only half true as Santiago thought that Kiara was pretty attractive, but he didn't know a thing about her personality, so he couldn't make that judgment call just yet.

"And even if your king does let me stay, I don't know how long I'll be here," The lion confessed, having been offered a home by many prides, only to end up leaving when he realized there was nothing there for him. All he wanted was to find his soulmate. That one lioness that was for him.

Judging by Malawi's fate, she wasn't the one.

No matter how much he loved her.

------------------

Caine just nodded when Vitani used the classic cliche "you know how it is." Honestly he hadn't had the pleasure of having his paw injured in the same manner, so he couldn't say, but he could only imagine. Had it been any other lioness, Caine would have expected her to be waited on paw and hindpaw, but Vitani was tough. She probably didn't accept much of the herbal remedies that was offered to help the pain considering her past as a warrior.

Caine couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the playful joke Nala had cracked about Vitani attracting the attention of him and Shani. He was quite fond of Nala's jokes, her sense of humor seeming to be on par with his, or at least it seemed like it was. And then she made a comment that caused his cheeks to flush red.

"I, uh, I doubt it. I mean I'm not that popular among the guys," The lion replied, still blushing as a result of what he believed that Nala had implied. Of course he found, Shani hot, in his opinion it'd be hard not to, but this morning was the first time that he had tried flirting with the lion and he didn't seem to respond. He didn't see any reason that Shani would be interested in him in that manner based on this morning.

Then again, he shouldn't base romantic intentions on first impressions, should he?

[KingKivuli]

Kivuli was still laying near Mila. She was still asleep gently breathing. The quietness of the den was disturbed when Simba made his reappearance inside. He spoke to Kivuli about Pride meeting Even if Mila would not be there i would still come. She will just make it, shall we say, more interesting. I know you are still uneasy with my proximity to Mila, but we do put a smile on each others faces. Surely you must have noticed that. I would never put Mila in harms way Kivuli knew too well this was a touchy subject. However it needed dealing with, and what better time than in an empty den alone with Simba Excuse me being blunt but I do wish to know where you stand with your feelings toward me and your daughter. We may as well deal with this subject. We both know it must be addressed Kivuli lay on the smooth rock surface looking up at Simba and waited for his reply