Post by Rani on Apr 30, 2020 15:15:18 GMT
(February 7th, late afternoon during the same events as The Mystery Basket. For Vitani and Rani.)
The Pridelands were a sea of black curves. Little half-circles sharpened to lethal points arched in every direction. Ropes and clusters of the thin whips were matted thickly over all the dying grasses, rock formations, and trees that tried to rise out of their grasp.
One curve was not black, but milk-chocolaty brown. It had a dark tuft at it’s tip, and swirled just a little more than lions of the Pridelands’ tails did. It was attached to the hind parts of Rani, and lashed in concentration.
The future Queen of the Tree of Life tried not to grunt as she scuffled along, her belly matching the dust beneath it. It was somehow harder working her way toward Pride Rock from this direction, with the Great Forest at her back, than it had been coming here a few weeks ago.
As she went, the cherry heart nose twitched. Sniff, sniff. Just a short while in Mufasa’s lands, but the little female was learning that she was not as well trained in hunting or tracking as his pride.
Well, why should she be? Lions of the Night Pride were taught with a specific purpose. They didn’t have to stalk, because their prey were enemy animals usually coming to them as intruders. And they didn’t have to sniff them out for the same reason!
”Ergh—I should be home now...helping to guard...” Rani huffed to herself, pushing through another thicket. Was this the clearing where she’d met Kion? And his friends? And that female from the Cursed Thorns?
Her Grandmother had sent her out here to learn about the war, like it or not. Which meant she trusted Rani, a six-month-old cub, with a great responsibility. And Rani knew that meant learning about both sides of the fight. After all, that was what they did when animals had a quarrel at the Tree. Grandmother Janna found out who was right and helped to settle it.
What was unsettling was that, even with the sunshiny nobility and bravery she felt meeting Mufasa and his grandson, Rani couldn’t shake how sorry she had felt for the girl cub they’d scared off from tis very spot.
Well, she hoped it was this spot. This was where she’d come to...learn. Learn more. Maybe the Great King was right, and maybe that Nirvana girl had been some spy. She just looked so frightened, there at the end. And Rani felt so out of place even in the Enchanted Suns. She’d always known exactly what her job was at home. Maybe she wanted to find Nirvana because she needed to do something, feel like she was fulfilling her duty out here. Or maybe she would just feel back in her comfort zone if she could help an animal who’d been in distress.
Nutmeg-whorl ears dipped. Yellow gaze flicked around uncertainly. But maybe this was dumb. It had been a while. Why would that scraggly cub come back here? ”Maybe...I shouldn’t have come.” The proud, Princessly voice was low and grumpy.
The Pridelands were a sea of black curves. Little half-circles sharpened to lethal points arched in every direction. Ropes and clusters of the thin whips were matted thickly over all the dying grasses, rock formations, and trees that tried to rise out of their grasp.
One curve was not black, but milk-chocolaty brown. It had a dark tuft at it’s tip, and swirled just a little more than lions of the Pridelands’ tails did. It was attached to the hind parts of Rani, and lashed in concentration.
The future Queen of the Tree of Life tried not to grunt as she scuffled along, her belly matching the dust beneath it. It was somehow harder working her way toward Pride Rock from this direction, with the Great Forest at her back, than it had been coming here a few weeks ago.
As she went, the cherry heart nose twitched. Sniff, sniff. Just a short while in Mufasa’s lands, but the little female was learning that she was not as well trained in hunting or tracking as his pride.
Well, why should she be? Lions of the Night Pride were taught with a specific purpose. They didn’t have to stalk, because their prey were enemy animals usually coming to them as intruders. And they didn’t have to sniff them out for the same reason!
”Ergh—I should be home now...helping to guard...” Rani huffed to herself, pushing through another thicket. Was this the clearing where she’d met Kion? And his friends? And that female from the Cursed Thorns?
Her Grandmother had sent her out here to learn about the war, like it or not. Which meant she trusted Rani, a six-month-old cub, with a great responsibility. And Rani knew that meant learning about both sides of the fight. After all, that was what they did when animals had a quarrel at the Tree. Grandmother Janna found out who was right and helped to settle it.
What was unsettling was that, even with the sunshiny nobility and bravery she felt meeting Mufasa and his grandson, Rani couldn’t shake how sorry she had felt for the girl cub they’d scared off from tis very spot.
Well, she hoped it was this spot. This was where she’d come to...learn. Learn more. Maybe the Great King was right, and maybe that Nirvana girl had been some spy. She just looked so frightened, there at the end. And Rani felt so out of place even in the Enchanted Suns. She’d always known exactly what her job was at home. Maybe she wanted to find Nirvana because she needed to do something, feel like she was fulfilling her duty out here. Or maybe she would just feel back in her comfort zone if she could help an animal who’d been in distress.
Nutmeg-whorl ears dipped. Yellow gaze flicked around uncertainly. But maybe this was dumb. It had been a while. Why would that scraggly cub come back here? ”Maybe...I shouldn’t have come.” The proud, Princessly voice was low and grumpy.
