The King of Grass Walls [Private: ImaniFaith and Amadeus]

[ImaniFaith]

Imani felt a brief flood of warmth fill her heart at Tenga's statement. He didn't want to see her die....

"My mother's name is Leta." She explained, stepping in rhythm with him, "And my father's name is Unika-- he was a rogue, like you. They met when my mother and her sisters were out on a hunt."

Imani paused a moment, trying to remember the story exactly as her mother had told it to her, "It was during the rainy season, and they had gone too far away from Grass Walls, into another territory. Some rhinos were grazing there, and got angry when they saw they were being stalked. They turned on my mom and my aunts, and if it wasn't for my dad stepping in and leading them into a shelter at the last minute, they would have been trampled."

She quickly looked over at her comrade, hoping she wasn't boring him. However, he was merely watching her, seemingly waiting for her to continue. Tenga was actually listening to her, she realized with a start, and a grin lit her features. "Well, to make a long story short, he and Mom got together and had me; but it didn't last. He stuck around for a while, but he left when I was a cub. I still see him, off and on, but he's got his own pride now."

As she had anticipated, the air was beginning to heat under the searing gaze of the serengeti sun. It was still cool enough, though, to enjoy their walk. "So, what about you?"

[Baya]

Tenga took in everything she was saying with great interest. Her father was a rogue like him. He really doubted that, considering there was not one rogue out there like him. Perhaps he had even met her father without realizing who it was a long time ago. He was saved by a lion when he was an adolescent whom was also a rogue, but he didn't even bother thanking him. Tenga just ran off on his own. Could that rogue have been Unika?

Tenga sighed as it was now his turn to explain his story. He looked down for a moment as they walked then up forward staring at where they were walking. "I have no parents. My mother died of starvation, and my father killed by pride lions. I had one older sibling, but I've never met her. Mother said she left to join the pride that was responsible for my father's death." Tenga explained. The words he spoke were very difficult because he was almost reliving each moment as he spoke them. His heart was shattering and his temper was rising. When this sort of thing happened he usually let out a loud roar to let off steam, but he couldn't do that. Not in front of Imani.

Tenga looked to Imani's gentle grin and he began to calm down. How could he stay mad when he had a friend like her? He could finally say that his past didn't haunt him as the present was what mattered.

[ImaniFaith]

Despite the sadness she felt for Tenga's loss, Imani was touched by his honesty. This rogue whom she'd been so afraid of the day before had taught her, listened to her, and now even opened up to her-- which was more than anyone had done in a long time.

However, it was obvious that telling his story was having an adverse effect upon the young lion. His teal eyes had clouded and then become unnaturally bright, as though he were undergoing a great internal battle. Unsure of how to help him, she offered him a small smile. He responded by looking away from her, and her heart sank, "I'm so sorry." she whispered, "I've never gone through anything like that. I can't imagine how it would feel."

She sighed, slightly nervous about what she was planning to ask him next. "...Tenga, how do you live? All alone, I mean?" He turned to her with eyes devoid of expression, "I know I could live without my pride, but if my parents died-- when they die-- I... don't know what I'll do."

[Baya]

"How do I live? Who's to say I live? Just because I'm breathing doesn't mean I'm alive. I don't have a mate, I don't have cubs and I don't have a pride. I wouldn't call that living." Tenga murmured with a slight grin. "Though, perhaps that will change in the future." Tenga said quietly to himself, more then to Imani.

Tenga looked to Imani for a moment. "When my parents died, I felt as if there was no true point of being alive. I just wandered the desert, looking for purpose. For a reason to stay alive. A reason to kill another rogue, and not just simply because they will kill me if I don't kill them." Tenga said quietly as he stopped walking and sat down near a rocky cliff side. He looked down over the cliff at the barren land below.

"Right now I have purpose. The last few hours I've spent on this land have been the most I've enjoyed in a long time. "Tenga muttered quietly. "Imani, right now, you are my purpose." Tenga said as he looked to her. [He didn't say it in a lovey dovey way.]

[ImaniFaith]

Imani felt all the blood rush to her face, until her entire head seemed as though it were aflame. For a moment, her mind went totally blank, and she could only gape at him in wonder.

Only a day before, she had seen herself as uninteresting, unwanted, and alone.... Now, here was someone sitting right before her, telling her that she gave him a reason for living. How could that be? She was not any better from any other lioness; she was plain, introverted, and socially awkward. What about her could possibly interest a lion as mysterious and... well, handsome as Tenga?

"I'm your... purpose?" She stumbled on the words, "What-- what do you mean?"

[Baya]

"I mean you give me a reason to survive. I don't want to move on from this land. I've never wanted to stay anywhere before, and I actually thought about reasons why this land would be a nice home. At first I thought it was because it had plenty of water, and a decent amount of food. I was wrong. You are my only friend Imani. I don't want to leave, because that would mean I couldn't see you again." Tenga murmured simply. He knew what he said sounded sort of ridiculous coming from him, a terrifying rogue, but it was true.

Tenga looked down at the desolate land from the cliff once again. "Have you ever explored down there?" Tenga asked, trying to change the subject now. He could feel his words were taking a different meaning to Imani, but he couldn't help but saying them anyway. Tenga looked around for a way to get to the base of the cliff.

The ground of the desolate land was shadowed over by the cliff, and there fore there was no plant life what so ever. Tenga found that there was a small stone pathway down the cliff, but it was a little steep. Tenga looked to Imani with a small grin. "I'll go first." Tenga murmured as he used his claws to grip the stones so that he didn't roll down the hill.

[ImaniFaith]

The air had become thick and smothering; but up on the cliff, a small breeze blew, refreshing her. Imani followed closely behind Tenga, her tan fur blending in perfectly with the dry, rocky terrain. She had wanted to explore here many times before, but it had been so far away from the safety of Grass Walls, she hadn't dared go alone. Now, she felt safe... and happy. She was finally with someone who seemed to enjoy exploring-- Tenga....

His words were still ringing in her ears, and her heart pumped fast at the thought of them. She was his only friend. He considered her a friend. If only he knew how much that meant to her-- who had been friendless most of her life.

As they decended, Imani suddenly paused, an unfamiliar scent jarring her out of her reverie. Puzzled, she glanced around, but saw nothing. A prickling chill tensed every muscle. The warm sense of safety vanished.

"Tenga?" Her voice came out deeper than usual, and her tone was clipped-- a reflection of the discomfort she felt, "Do you smell that?"

His lesson on using her nose, however brief it had been, seemed to have paid off. She smelled something, and it wasn't food.

It was lion.

[Baya]

Tenga stopped with his claws rooted in the rocky terrain in which he was descending. He lifted his nose so he could verify what kind of scent it was. It was indeed another lion. "Keep moving down. I don't like the smell of this." Tenga said with a stern tone. He quickly made his way down until his paws were touching the cold hard land that was over looked by the cliff.

Tenga made sure Imani was beside him before looking around possible hiding places from which a lion could attack. "Imani, if this gets ugly I want you to run ok? You are not ready to face another rogue if that is what is going to occur" Tenga whispered quietly as he looked at her with concern. He stepped back slightly hoping that whoever this lion was, they wouldn't try a sneak attack.

"Come out! Whoever you are!" Tenga shouted, the echos ringing off the stone walls of the cliff. He looked around wildly with more and more worry. It wasn't about his life anymore, it was about Imani's. If who ever was hiding so much as laid a paw on her, Tenga would not restrain himself from tearing them limb from limb.

[ImaniFaith]

"Come out! Whoever you are!"

Barahi froze in horror at the sound of his rival's shout. He was downwind-- how on earth had... ?

Ah, there was his answer. Per usual. Zuzu had explicitly ignored his instructions to keep a low profile as they spied on the couple below, and now he was close enough for his (rather pungent) stench to give them away.

Bahari suddenly regretted having eaten breakfast. He was slow, lethargic, and should the need arise he was positive he could not outrun the rogue or the lioness. Worse yet, his plan was now seriously threatened. Zuzu carried Bahari's scent on him as well, from their almost constant contact with each other. Imani would have no difficulty discerning this scent when he introduced himself to her later on, and she would know immediately that he was the lion who had been stalking them by the cliff. He would have to think up a story... some excuse... but first--

"Zuzu, get back here!" He hissed, yanking the excited lion back by its mane, "We don't want them to see us!"

//

Imani disregarded Tenga's command to run. She had no intention of simply fleeing if trouble came. Whether she was strong enough to hold her own or not didn't matter. Tenga was her friend now, and she would not leave him.

However, to her great relief, the smell seemed to be receding, as if the lion-- or lions, rather-- were backing off. She glanced at her companion, wondering what he would do. Would he let them go, or give chase and demand an explanation for their behavior? It was wiser in in her own eyes to do the former-- but, then again, she had no real experience in these things.

"I think they're leaving...." She whispered, "What should we do?"

[Baya]

Zuzu whimpered slightly as he was pulled back. He was horrified of Tenga, and if he angered the rogue anymore he was afraid he might actually track them down and kill them. "B-Boss. He knows we are here! If we don't come out, he'll find us anyways! He'll be alot more angry if he finds out the hard way!" Zuzu whispered hoarsely.

Zuzu frowned as they retreated while Bahari thought of a good plan to escape.

//

Tenga sighed as the scent slowly disappeared, as familiar as it was. He snorted slightly and looked to Imani's curious face. "Don't worry about it. Let's keep walking. Should the scent come up again, I'll find the source and kill the lions that it belongs to. I know who they are, and if they are wise, they will leave." Tenga murmured quietly as he walked alongside Imani again.

Tenga took notice of all the dried up watering holes, animal bones and the cold earth. This land was abandoned quite some time ago by his guess, for the same reasons as the other land was being abandoned by animals. Only difference was that this patch of land had no water at all and received little of the sunlight. Tenga noticed that there were corpses of lions around too, skeletal remains that was. Tenga saw the remains of a cub, and he frowned slightly hating the sight. That could've been him all those years ago had he given up!

[OOC: Sorry this post is so short xD]