clear&cold::The North Wind Calls (Open to Anyone)

[Coffee & Pickles]

Ntombi's eyes flashed in his direction and narrowed as he spoke. "Bite yours!" she hissed referring to his reference of holding tongues. 'How dare he speak to me that way! How rude, has he never learned any manners? From anyone? I even learned my manners and I never had a mother there for me… Why I ought to teach him a few manners right now and take him… stop it Ntombi… that wouldn't be good, he is bigger then you and you aren't his mother… he'd be likely to kill you. So… ' she thought speaking to herself in thought bubbles. Her eyes narrowed further and then she turned towards the other female and nodded her head. One of them must have manners, she doesn't look of his kin… if she is I should be leaving. she thought to herself. She looked over the darker tan female, her judgment quick as she turned towards the ivory male. They mustn't be kin Anger filled through her stubbornness "What makes you think I want something from… you?" she growled using a tone of voice that was perhaps her downfall, harsh and snappy, like her mother. She sigh. She looked at the male one more time and let a strange sound come from her throat, one of disgust.

She looked at the dark cliffs and the mud under them, it was easy enough to hid from these lions but it would have been extremely impolite. "Now look." She almost sounded like a mother. "I could have easily gone past you without you noticing, foolish Virgil, but I didn't for the sake of graciousness." Ntombi felt like mangling the cow in front of her but decided not to, only her claws dug at the earth and she attempted not to lunge forward at him and destroy him. 'What do I want?' she asked herself unsure, now that she was hear she might as well stay, once she had gotten into this entire feud. The mid-sized female was preparing herself to leave but her mothers mischievous side had gained the better of her, she liked to see this male discomforted… She grinned feverishly.

There was an air of silence that filled the great earth as Ntombi turned her attention towards the older female. Other then a tare in her ear, which a lot of rogue lionesses had, she was nothing special. The female gave a half grin and then turned away. 'Well, I don't know what her problem is, but at least she isn't rude.' she then noticed that the female turned back around with a stone cold stare, this intrigued her more then Virgil's stare. Ntombi had seen a lion such as Virgil before, though never white, just as ruthless and cold as he was. She knew his kind so well that he no longer held her interest, though this was no surprise since the young lioness had the attention span of a shrub. But, the females movements made Ntombi wonder what she was thinking, if not for her curiosity, then for her mother's. Ntombi looked up at the sky. 'Mother I wish you could see this guy, you'd rip him apart' Then Ntombi let out a chuckle that seemed almost random. She blinked her eyes and got back to the situation at hand. That's when she realized that the female had been looking at her, their eyes locked. "It doesn't affect me at all." She nodded to the female. "Just a bit of a blur is all."

Then she wondered if the male had noticed, would he think worse of her if he knew she was partially blind? She didn’t care but it could only mean trouble for her in the future if he did, she'd need to find her own power. Quickly she noted all his features that may have proven him less of a lion, all she noted were his scars, along his neck and side. She noticed how completely old they had been and she frowned, poor creature. She thought, feeling pity, he'd probably gotten them when he was young and she cared about young creatures more then anything, it was a maternal aspect. Then she looked at him and felt like kicking herself for even thinking about him in pity, the stupid thing. 'Virgil's an odd name.' she'd honestly never heard of a name quite like that… it was nice. What a shame for a nice name to be wasted on such a creature as he. She thought about the female silently 'In politeness I would ask your name but… I'd rather not.'

Ntombi felt small compared to these lions, both of whom were tall. The older female was tall, though not as stocky and muscled as herself, though she was sure that the older female had enough experience and muscle to easily beat Ntombi if she were ever in a fight. Virgil on the other hand had been strong and tall, he was an average, sized lion with an extremely tall height, towering over her. She figured that she must have thought her pretty stupid to come right up to two older, wiser, and larger lions, maybe she was stupid, maybe she was in denial of her own height, but instead, Ntombi had seen the best in each of the lions before she'd even spoken to her. The female was asking a question that seemed a nice gesture towards the male, and for her to be near the male he must have been at least some what kind. Ntombi was wrong. She frowned.

[Lassiel]

Power tends to corrupt.

Power won't save your soul.

Power is not wisdom.

Idiot girl! You think you can talk that way without any repercussions? Despite the anger coursing through his veins, his expressionless face did not change. No tensing of his muscles, no dangerous flash in his eyes showed itself to alert the two to his swiftly rising rage at every word the girl spoke. There was simply....nothing. The pride members from his past--his fellow murderers and killers--would have seen his absolute stillness for what it was. The majority would have fled, or at least slipped into the background. A few of the more foolish would have stuck around in an attempt to help the unlucky one who garnered Virgil's attention. But no one would risk their lives for another in a pride like that, and eventually those do-gooders left the picture. Some of the victims would plead at the very beginning, while others would hiss and snarl in his face. He dealt with them quickly enough. Only when they were desperately begging for their lives would he consider his next move. If the individual was useful, he would let them live. More often though, they were easily replaceable. A good portion of the pride carried scars--courtesy of his claws and teeth--and never once did one who survive his ire risk it twice. In short, this stillness and coldness did not bode well.

The girl was beginning to ramble again, but this time there was a maternal sound to her...chiding. And he wanted nothing more than to tear into her, to silence her insolent words. But to lose control of my emotions is to lose power. I will not allow this wench to have that satisfaction. It was not the words she said--no, it would never be the words. He was Virgil, and he had survived (more than survived, ruled) a life these two women could not begin to imagine. He did not want others to need him. And he did not need their kind thoughts. It did not matter what this girl thought of him, and it never would. But her assumption that she could speak her mind without worry....oh, was that mistaken of her. Ysega was stubborn and sharp-spoken, but she knew he was dangerous--something this child did not seem to comprehend. And perhaps, in the end, it was that which kept him from lunging forward. This girl was nothing but a child, and for all his ruthlessness and coldness, Virgil had his honor. A twisted version, perhaps, but it was his, and he would follow it to the end. He did not fight those who had no hope of defending themselves, or no idea of the gravity of the situation the found themselves in. It was dishonorable, and not conductive to his gaining of power.

Varied expressions were dancing across the girl's face--grins, chuckles, frowns--everyone one of them open. She was somewhat blind then, as he expected. A weakness, but one that could be overcome if she spoke the truth about its effect on her. He heard her words to Ysega, even though she had apparently decided he was no longer worth her time--and that would have made him laugh if he had been in the mood. Fool. The sibilant whisper in his mind spoke of malice. I am Death and I am Darkness. I am the man your parents tell you to run from. The one they tell you not to even speak with. And I am worse than the ghost in your nightmares, for I am real. The rage in his blood had cooled--or at least, he had contented himself with finding a different outlet. He would not kill her at the moment, though the slight pity he detected in her eyes when she looked at him rankled to no end. But the emotion disappeared quickly, and so did the wavering of his self-control.

When he finally did speak, the words were short and clipped. I grow tired of your voice. And then, with the swift precision of the assassin he was, he launched forward, shouldering into her smaller frame. His greater strength and size, not to mention his training, made the move a simple matter. He followed her to the ground, landing so that she was pinned beneath him. Without missing a beat, he lowered his mouth to her ear and, with a frigid hiss, spoke menacingly. Insolent girl. I did not ask for you to join us, and your lack of respect grows wearisome. He withdrew enough to glare into her eyes and carefully flex the claws in his right paw. The ebony tips appeared for a moment, a warning to all who could see, and the tone of his voice hardened. You are treading on dangerous ground, wench. I could kill you quite easily, if I so wished. Disgust dripped from his words. But you are no more than a child. You are not worth my time or effort, and so I must tell you to restrain your petty emotions. With that last icy whisper, he withdrew, giving her one long, cold look before resuming his previous position a few steps away. If the girl was smart, she would take his warning to heart. And now, since you have forced your way into this conversation, I must know what your name is. Just like with Ysega, the words were far from a request. They were a command, and Virgil was in no mood to not have it obeyed.

There is nothing in me to corrupt.

My soul does not need saving.

Wisdom is the the crutch of the weak.

[Kamaria]

The past is gone.

No one can bring it back.

Nothing can change it.

Ysega nodded slightly to the young female, but her eyes darted back and forth from her to Virgil. She was waiting for it, for him to leap at the young, ignorant lioness. Even Ysega could see it, but it did not bother her as much as she knew it bothered Virgil. She could stand ignorance, just not the babbling. She wanted to shake her head at the female, to warn her not to say such things, but she controlled the impulse. But her muscles were tensing steadily, knowing that at any moment the male would do something, and she might have to jump into the middle of it. Her muscles in her hind legs were bunch, ready to push her to her feet as soon as Virgil moved, and her tail twitched with anticipation. She knew better than to predict the male's movements, for he would show no sign that he was about to move even just before he did. And so she did not waste her time, but programmed her muscles to react as soon as either of the two lions before her moved.

And finally he did, and Ysega jumped to her feet, her claws unsheathed as she watched the young lioness topple to the ground and then Virgil end up above her. She had expected him to move quickly, but she hadn't expected the smooth grace of his movements. Even as he leaped, he made no sound, neither from his maw nor his paws. She stepped forward as she heard Virgil speak, knowing full well that he would not kill the female. He would have done it in that first leap if he was ever going to. She would protect the younger female, if only because it was a mother's instinct. She stepped back and sat just as she had before the lion had moved as he stepped away from the lioness with a cold glare.

She watched the younger female with slight pity in her eyes, though her they were still hard and determined. She didn't pity the female because she had been tackled by the stronger male, but because she obviously didn't even realize it was coming or that she had been setting herself up. She did not move toward the young female, for it was not her place to comfort the aquaintence. She glanced at Virgil again, giving an ear flick before looking back at the younger female.

[Coffee & Pickles]

Weight pounded over her shoulders, she could feel them moving further and further, closer to her. As soon as the male lion was off she jumped up. She didn't make any face even though her bones ached, she didn't want to give him that satisfaction. She wanted to scream, she wanted to fight back but that would have made his satisfaction … grow. Instead she became emotionless as well. She bit down on her tongue, instead of her visible lip, to ignore any pain and she raised her eyebrow questioningly. 'My voice, he should hear his own haughty voice. He needs to chew on some shrubs or something, even rotting carcass doesn't smell that bad.' her thoughts were jumbled as she, unsurprisingly, became stunned for those few moments. 'Insolent? How dare he? Can I please kill him!' it was un fair to her. How could some one, so horrid, be allowed to live with so much power? How was it that they were given the power to rule over the souls that were kind and caring? The smart ones were ruled by the ones with muscle? How was it that the only ones that deserved strength didn't get it? Not only was it unfair to her but it was unfair to so many other animals. She became angry, some emotion she'd never felt before, a flicker of anger filled her face but then it faded.

'He's no more then a cub!' she exclaimed in her mind. 'He's only a cub, his movements are that of a cub who's scared and angered easily… like when one is play fighting with their mother. His emotions are primitive, any adult lion could hold anger in,' so she thought. 'but like a cub, he cannot has he the lack of self control?' her eyebrow dropped. She thought about what he said, and he was wrong. There was nothing easy about killing her, sure you could do it in a swift blow but not without puppy dog eyes, or a long chase. Ntombi knew that if she were ever to come to that breaking point with him she'd have to rely on running off, her puppy dog eyes and charm would have no effect on his heartless soul whatsoever. But she knew his breaking points and she wouldn't pass them. She had gotten close in her long anguishing test, but she hadn't broken the barriers yet. She had only one more word to pop in before he had broken and there she knew her limit lay. She glared at his question. Why had he even bothered asking her name? Did he think that he was going to get a name from her? Did he actually think that she valued her life that much? In honesty she would have liked to see the male squirm over not being obeyed, even if it meant she would die in the process, but once dead she'd make sure his life was more of a hell then soft, satin, fluffy, warmth could bring upon him.

"My lack of respect?" she pondered aloud looking at him. Did he honestly think she was the one being disrespectful? After all, Ntombi had only brought herself into the conversation because sneaking around them just to get back to her living quarters would have been rude. Not to mention the fact that he slammed a female to the ground and spoke to her in such an awful way. Did he honestly believe that that was any kind of respect at all? What his demands even suggested were that of a pig! If she weren’t worth his time then why did he bother? Why didn't he walk off? Why didn't he ask her politely to leave. "You ask to dismiss some one to leave. One word "leave" and I would have." her tone was solid, not at the point where it showed she was upset, but not at a point where she was confident anymore. He had toned her down, she knew her place, and she always had, but now she acted as though she'd just learned it for the first time. She looked towards Ysega wondering why the female had jumped to her feet and then sat down. The young lioness wanted to bow at the older Female's gesture but knew that it could only bring trouble to the old Lioness for even attempting to prove strength while Virgil was the attacker. Instead, Ntombi looked at Ysega with an emotionless yet locked stare before pulling herself away and looking at Virgil.

His swift, soundless movements were enough to convince her to settle herself. She would not give up against this male though, oh no, Ntombi was to foolish to give up, back down, move away. "My name? Tuh! It would be a waste of your time!" She became enraged with the thought that this male thought he was more respectful then her. With that, out of no where, even to her, she leapt up about to attack him, but instead she stopped, 'FOOLISH' she shouted at herself but it was to late, she put her paws out in an attempt to stop but she had already gained enough momentum to knock out a bull and this was only decreased with her paws gritting against the earth. She slammed into his large white body, barely moving his rocky physique. She bounced back and landed on the ground, face down. She quickly got to her feet and backed away unsure of what she had just done, not even thinking about what he was going to do. The lioness had shocked herself even, she had always thought herself kind and noble, a dignitary, but this indignant creature before her had brought out a different spirit, an air about her.

Instead of next thinking what Virgil would do, she thought about Ysega the lioness in-between it all. What graciousness would come of her if she allowed Virgil to attack her and Ysega happened to get hurt because she was nearby. Instead of using this fact to her advantage, and using Ysega as a sort of shield, Ntombi stepped away from Ysega, and backed up. The lioness shook her head still stunned over what she had done. What had she gotten herself into? The large rocky white lion was like a mountain and Ntombi, an ant, decided that she could try and move it? Oh no, that was not a smart idea, and that was not something she should have done at all! She was not smart, this was true, but she wasn't Foolish and she'd done a fine job of disproving that as well. She bit her lip and her ears went flat against her head. She lowered in a submissive state and crawled backwards until she was against a tree. She wanted to climb it and she would if she had to, it was well known that because of their size lions had a hard time climbing trees unlike the smaller leopards. Then it occurred to her that she was the smallest of the lions there, if she could make it, even though it was doubtful she would be able to live up there until Virgil lost interest in her and went away, but then she'd have to watch her back the rest of her life. She shook her head… not a good plan. "What did I get myself into?" Her voice was quite but audible.

[Lassiel]

Power tends to corrupt.

Power won't save your soul.

Power is not wisdom.

He had to applaud her lack of expression when she jumped back up to face him--though that small spark of approval vanished as a flash of anger appeared on the previously blank face. Really, when would the world learn to keep their emotions hidden? It was far too easy for others to use them to their advantage. Mmmm, she was speaking again--but this time, thankfully, she was no longer babbling. That bit of annoyance, then, was no longer a factor. And despite her words, the self-assured tone was no longer there. Control over the situation...he had it, though her pitiful attempts at resistance still continued. She would find her situation much easier if she would simply submit. Idiot girl. What reason have I to show you respect? You barged into my conversation, prattling on without even stopping to see of you were welcome. Now you blatantly refuse the stronger of us. Respect must be earned, little girl.

The sudden rage in her features set him off. Immediately, his own muscles tensed up to return the attack as she lunged toward him. What did she hope to accomplish with this? She could not hope to knock him to the hard earth as easily as he had done to her. But even as he moved to meet her, a look of recognition entered her eyes and she...was trying to halt her leap? In mid-air? He halted his own movements, for once unsure what was happening. Honestly, he couldn't remember a time when someone had attacked him, only to stop before even making contact. Paws dug into the ground, slowing her speed only marginally before her smaller form collided with his. Were she not being thrown back by the force of her blow, she would, perhaps, have noticed that slightly stunned stunned look crossing his face before disappearing entirely. The small look of shock, though, was simply covering up the much larger feeling that was flooding him. What on earth had just happened?

She looked back up at him, and he regulated that thought to the back of his mind for later. The foolish girl had denied his order, and then tried to attack him! As she backed away, entire form screaming compliance and surrender, Virgil stalked after her, allowing cold fury to show in his eyes. The girl continued on before she pressed into a tree, her retreat obstructed. Ysega and their surroundings had been dismissed (but not forgotten, never forgotten) in the face of this child's defiance. Her softly uttered words reached his ears just as he stopped moving forward. Standing no more than a foot from her crouched form, he stared down at the lioness. A good question--but one that can only be blamed on yourself. What are you trying to accomplish with this resistance? Steel words that were commanding as ever left his mouth. It still stands that she is nothing but a child, despite her brave words. And as much as I want to, I will not lower myself to killing her. Not that she knows that, of course. And it did seem she was learning her place, if it was going a bit slowly. His voice lowered, though it was not quite a growl. You disobey me, you try to attack me.....why should I not kill you? Slightly musing, but a question directed toward her, nonetheless. But give me your name, and I will let you be. You are hardly worth the effort for this, and I doubt I will ever need to know your name in the future. Yet one can never know, and I would prefer not to be caught unprepared. Not to mention the fact that she shamelessly ignored him the first time he asked.

An ear flicked back toward Ysega as he silently wondered at her silence through the whole ordeal. He doubted the woman approved of his actions--but since when did that matter? But he did find it somewhat amusing that she was simply letting this continue on. Smart though, if her interference would work against him. He would not refrain from dealing with her if she thought to keep him from the girl at his feet. You have been silent, Ysega. He raised his voice only slightly to address her. Do you have nothing to say? Innocent enough words, but ones that held underlying tension. Do you disapprove? Yes, I would assume so. But will you do anything about it?

There is nothing in me to corrupt.

My soul does not need saving.

Wisdom is the the crutch of the weak.

[Kamaria]

The past is gone.

No one can bring it back.

Nothing can change it.

Ysega had had no time to move before the younger lioness had already collided with the white lion. She found it slightly amsing, but she said nothing. She was too shocked to do anything to stop Virgil from advancing on the startled two-year old. Once she got her bearings, she got to her feet, though she didn't move otherwise. She simply watchd, wondering just what would happen, and if she would indded end up in the middle. She knew that if things got too bad, she would have to step in, whether she really wanted to or not. It was the mother's way, and it could get her into trouble she didn't need.

Ysega watched the girl back into the tree, and she gave a growl of disapproval, though it was barely audible. She blinked as the young lioness spoke, almost surprised that she was finally realizing what she had gotten herself into. Ysega raised a paw off the ground slightly, ready to step forward and interfere, but Virgil stopped just in front of the girl, and she put her paw back down where it belonged at the moment. She flicked an ear almost nervously, trying to decide what to do.

If she did get into the middle, she would inevitably get hurt to some degree. She might be able to get the younger lioness out of harms way, but she would only swap places with the girl instead of stopping the whole thing. She wanted to prevent it, but knew it was impossible. She unsheathed her claws and scratched marks into the hard ground, frustrated that she could do nothing.

But if she did nothing, she might have to watch the girl resist again and get hurt as a consequence. She didn't want to see that, but it just might be inevitable. She shook her head, knowing that one way or another she would find herself somewhere in the middle. She almost resented that, but it was too late. If there was one thing she'd learned in her five years of life, it was that the past could not be changed and you had to forget it. Sometimes it was hard, but it had to be done in order to acheive survival.

Virgil's words snapped her out of her indecision, and she knew what he was doing. He was testing her, wondering just what she would dare to do. She wanted to growl at him, but had already learned that it was better not to. She glared at the back of his head, but stepped forward slowly. That was also part of indecision, and she stopped with that one step. She flicked her ear again, frustrated but determined not to show it. "What good would it do?" It wasn't necessarily a question, and if it was even close it was rhetorical. She looked at the young lioness meaningfully, trying to tell her silently not to resist anymore. But she didn't know if that message would get through or not. She was still thinking, working out what she would do under all kinds of circumstances that could come out of this encounter.

[Coffee & Pickles]

"That question was rhetorical" her face grew once more emotionless. "And it's Gayana" Ntombi spoke silent words, her voice quiet she honestly missed her mother, why hadn't her mother warned her about these lions? Ntombi had always believed that only one male lion had ever been so horrid, the brutal attacker, and now this ghost was proving her wrong. She said it without further hesitation. "My name is Gayana" her brow narrowed and she stepped forward. The female over looked the entire situation. She was asleep! That was it! Ntombi convinced herself that this was all one horrible nightmare, she hated the night, and she must have fallen asleep scared or something. She knew it; that was it she was just having some horrible dream that she never wanted to have again, that would explain the strange white lion. Hysteria was working it's way over her as she wondered what the hell she'd been doing here.

Through the entire conversation, the only thing she didn't know about either of these lions was Ysega's name. She'd heard the female speak Virgil's name, and now finally she knew it, Ysega. What a beautiful name. The young lioness had figured out the both of their names, it was all she really wanted as well. Her eyes flashed to Ysega's face as the older lioness had spoken. Though the entire situation Ntombi had figured Ysega was some sort of mute lioness or a hesitant talker… but again, she was proven wrong. "Ysega, he's right, to know my name is the most respect, it would only be fair now that I know both of your names." She smiled warmly and then walked passed Virgil. She'd gotten tired of this, she wanted to walk around, she was happy to talk, but she never realized that she was more of a loner.

She let out a yawn as the horizon turned orange. She didn't realize until now that she'd just lied to the older lion. Her name wasn't Gayana, her name was Ntombi, yet she'd just told Virgil and Ysega that her name was Gayana. The first thought that ran though her mind was that she best keep silent. She wouldn't want to go back on her word now, and it wasn't because she now thought she was ingenious, no, instead it was for her own life. The female sat down and then bowed her head to the male. "Great job, good show, blah blah. … you're very respectable, but yet you make every one hate you? I'd prefer respect where people actually like you instead of fear you." Ntombi was trying to keep her trap shut, but she didn't want Ysega's question to even phase the male. Who knows what he would have said to her after Ntombi had riled him up like that. "But I suppose that's you're way of proving your strength… right?"

She turned to look at Ysega, her own eyes threatening, but only in the sense that Ysega was to keep quite for her own good. Ntombi would stop. It was a response to her earlier unspoken glare and now Ntombi answered it. "I suppose your right. I shouldn't have even said a word, I should have snuck passed and hoped that you wouldn't hear or see me." She let her head drop. She knew it sounded a little opposing, but she honestly meant what she was saying, it was now obvious to her that most of the lions around here were not as sociable as she'd thought. Most lions would have just nodded her off or told her to leave, but no, he'd attack. Oh yes, the strong man… it could have helped him to have brain.

'I hope he dies sour' she thought. She'd shocked herself that she'd even thought that, her pupils widened. Why had she thought something so mean about such a lion? He was strong, and it was her fault for starting this feud, her and her giant mouth. She rolled her eyes. The urge had been waiting for so long, earlier she'd wanted so bad to roll her eyes while talking to the brute, but now she finally did, no bravery amounted to the fact that while she was kind hearted, generally nice and pure, she was not wise to the ways of the world. Ntombi frowned once again. She remembered the question that Ysega had asked Virgil earlier. "Let me make up for my interference." Her frown still planted heavily on her face. "I believe Ysega was asking you Virgil about the pain you've suffered. " Ntombi had been told one thing by her mother, bullies were only bullies because their life was never good. Ntombi had never thought that was a good enough reason, she'd had a horrid life and she turned out at least a little kind… she'd never bully another lion around, and she could, she may not have been stronger then this male, but she was stronger then a lot of Lionesses her age.

[Lassiel]

Power tends to corrupt.

Power won't save your soul.

Power is not wisdom.

The girl before him spoke quietly, too silent for him to hear. Eyes beginning to narrow at the thought of having her repeat herself, he was relieved of that order when she spoke up. An eyebrow rose when she gave her name, watching as some form of confidence seemed to return. Honestly, Virgil did not expect her to give it away so quickly and (relatively) easily. Interesting...it seemed he had misjudged her character somewhat. Lips pressed into a firm line, an expression not all that different from his usual one, save for the slight tightening at the corners of his mouth. I must do better. Miscalculations are not acceptable. His time with Kali's pride (or his own, as it later became), taught that lesson swiftly. Misjudging the situation could lead to death in a group like that, and so one either became an expert at it, or paid with their lives.

Ears flicking back at the sound of Ysega's voice, he kept his gaze trained on Gayana. Yes, what good would it do? He would not stop simply because she wanted him to. In fact, the older lioness's interference would only make things worse. How wise of her to keep her distance. Before he could reply, Gayana spoke and slipped around him, appearing to have regained her confidence and his gaze following her all the way. I do not like that you have my name, but it cannot be helped now. And I doubt you can bring any trouble to me by knowing it. It was irritating, yes, but not something that couldn't be worked around. Again, her voice echoed on the mountainside as she gave a mocking bow. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her childish words, he stamped his annoyance at her need to fill every bit of silence with noise down. The girl knew so little and was painfully naive.

Returning to the end of the ledge they were on, he seriously debated leaving the two lionesses. The conversation had quickly become tiresome at the younger one's appearance and, quite simple, he had better things to do with his time. Like explore that village he had been observing before Ysega tried to sneak past him. With his back toward the other two, he murmured so softly he doubted they could hear him, And why should I care what others think of me? Once, long ago, he worried how others saw him, but no longer. To care about another's opinion meant you relied on them. He would not allow such dependancy. Besides the side comment, he said no more in reply to her earlier words about strength. She seemed to be trying to annoy him and he would not give her that satisfaction.

A few moments of blessed silence surrounded the three, but Virgil could just hear the wheels turning in Gayana's head. Surly the talkative fool wouldn't let the quiet drag on much longer? Hn. It appeared he was right, though he wondered how she planned to remedy the situation. Face hidden from their sight, his eyes flashed as she brought up Ysega's question again. How dare she! It is not her place to question my past! Perhaps she was wearing on his nerves more than he thought, but a slight note of irritation entered his voice when he spoke. I suggest you move on to another topic. Words cold and controlled, he said no more. He was, really, a man a few words and short answers. Before, with Ysega, he had said more than usual, but now he was reverting to his usual tendencies. Let the girl ask away, if she wanted. She would receive nothing.

There is nothing in me to corrupt.

My soul does not need saving.

Wisdom is the the crutch of the weak.

[Kamaria]

The past is gone.

No one can bring it back.

Nothing can change it.

Ysega's ears flattened and her tail twitched in annoyance as the younger lioness spoke again. She had almost hoped to forget that topic, but now it was the past, only being brought up again by a child wishing to make things better for herself. Her lips twitched as the young lioness passed her, but she gave no sound or any other movement. She let out her breath when Virgil spoke, cold and quiet, like most of his words seemed to be, only these were frozen and not just merely cold.

Still standing, Ysega turned her head away from the cold white lion. She wondered why she had even asked, for she'd known he wouldn't give her anything. She lowered her head so it was level with her shoulders, still turned away. But she turned back to him and finally spoke, her own stubborn mood once again switched on by his coldness. "Do you honestly wish to carry on a conversation with me?" Her words were cool, but still curious. She kept her eyes on him, wondering just what he would say. The white lion had turned away, moving to the edge of the ledge, as if to leave both lionesses behind and carry on whatever he had been doing.

Ysega moved her head to the wind, just to catch a little of the light breeze on her face to cool her down. Her head was turned the same direction Virgil faced, though her body was still turned the way she had angled it when the tension had moved freely through the air. She let the air move over her face gently, closing her eyes and holding her breath for a moment. But she finally drew in a breath and her eyes flew open. Her breath came in sharp, louder than she had meant. Perhaps the only sign that she had scented anything. But the scent was there, ever so obvious. She glanced anxiously at Virgil, not sure why. Surely he would have smelled it too? It had been a month since that scent had filled her nostrils, and now she was worried that the scent was so near.

She knew it was nearly impossible that Virgil had not scented the fragrance on the wind. She had held her breath for too long, and she let out her breath heavily, not a sigh but not silent and normal. She unsheathed her claws, scratching marks into the stony ground once more, and even that made a noise. She longed to jump off the ledge and run to that scent, but something held her back. Her muscles had unconsciously tensed, and her tail flicked back and forth, her ears pricked toward the scent. But she glanced at the younger lioness. She couldn't let the girl reach it, and if she could help it she wouldn't even let her move toward it. She was protective of that smell, and she had yet to let anything touch it.

[Coffee & Pickles]

Ntombi sat finally and looked towards him, giving a sigh. 'Because, people can give you power.' The female curled her tail around herself and then looked around, what else was there to say about this lion in front of her? She cared not about any more, she'd learned all she could ever learn from him. She let out a yawn and looked at Ysega. The female lioness had too given her little want to care further about her. She was boring, but Ntombi did feel a certain something about her, a protective side… a side of a mother. Ntombi smiled at her and bowed her head. The young lioness almost hoped to see Ysega again sometime, under better circumstances.

She became tense once more, following Virgil's fur, every way it went, while the wind blew north, she was watching for it to move south, his muscles scared her. She scanned his eyes for anything at all. Nothing came from his eyes, like a rock they were fixed to something that couldn't be grasped, this emotionless state only assured her of who she was dealing with, not a caring spark in them. She had gotten used to looking for something good in every lion. Every lion had respect in her eye until they lost it. Not like Virgil, a lion had to prove themselves worthy of respect. She pressed her lips tight together, about to make a comment about to make another comment about her name, say something, but her lips moved not.

Ntombi flexed her paws, uncomfortable feelings grasping at the earth. The stable earth was her savior, it was the only thing steady about her, her posture never changed no matter how bold she got, or how quiet she got, her posture would always hold firm. She wondered if she would change the subject, or if she wouldn't, but instead of doing so, she dropped it, why ask it when she wasn't going to get a straight answer, if an answer at all? What was the point while dealing with a selfish, disrespectful lion who hated all others. One question popped into her mind, something she urged to ask, but didn't. 'Are you lonely Virgil? Is that why you stopped Ysega to talk with her? Or did she stop you? Either way, you were still here talking with her upon my arrival…' she kept her mouth shut though, knowing that she would get choked up if she'd asked anything about being lonely.

Ysega had changed the subject though, and Ntombi was glad. She almost breathed out, but she held it in, hoping that her body wouldn't explode under the mixed emotions she had been feeling over the course of the past few minutes. Her lip did not quiver, her frame still, unmoving. She scratched behind her ear quickly and flicked her ear at a fly. 'How annoying… go bother him!' she thought. She wondered if she was like this towards all lions, just an annoying fly on their pelt? When a lioness came up to her and talked with her, did they soon regret their decision? Did at least some of them care to speak with her at all?

Then her own question came up in a different form. No longer was Ntombi wishing to ask Virgil if he was lonely, but instead Ysega was asking if he would carry on a conversation with her, and if he honestly wished to. That was similar to her question and the answer would give her the knowledge she wanted without him becoming silent… this was a way to put the question in a Yes or No form, which was not insulting. A yes would not mean that he was lonely, but a No would mean that he was just as cruel and heartless as she thought he was.

Ntombi hated to think that any lion could be totally cruel. She looked up at him, she wanted to know more, and it bothered her that she never would. She would have liked to see just one tiny spark, one small thing, even if it was microscopic she would pick up on it. Any thing, any thing that said he wasn't all bad, even if he was 99.999% bad, if there was an ounce she wanted to know it. The female knew that she wouldn't find much out, and she wanted to leave, but leaving now would only mean that she would never find out… she had no intention on meeting this lion again. Something had happened to him, his lack of any personality was disheartening to someone like Ntombi who'd worked her whole life just to ignore something ten times more cruel then he. She could just see her father in him.. of course, she'd never known her real father, and she wished she had, maybe it would have changed her view on the lions of the male gender.

[Lassiel]

Power tends to corrupt.

Power won't save your soul.

Power is not wisdom.

Silence. At last. No more words were said as the girl let the matter drop without another word. The wind moved about him, unobtrusive and welcoming. He felt eyes boring into him, but did nothing. Perhaps this quiet was uncomfortable to the others, but Virgil welcomed it. Just like he welcomed the sharp, fresh air of the mountain. He was a ghost, content to move through life quietly, but leaving a hint of fear wherever he went. And it looked like it was time to move on from this haunt. The pale lion was not one to spend time with others when there was nothing to be gained. As soon as his decision was made, his senses immediately sharpened as he focused on what they were actually telling him. The faint scent of other creatures, including lions, reached him, but nothing deigned to threaten him.

Mind made up, he turned to travel down the ledge, but was halted by Ysega's cool voice. He smirked slightly upon detecting that stubborn note once again and twisted his head to watch her out of the corner of his eye. I began the conversation, did I not? There is no point in doing such a thing if I did not want to. And let that be that. She did not need to know exactly why he chose to speak with her, only that he did. He was not one to speak without reason, even if the reason was known only to himself. Indeed, he was not one to do anything without reason. Everything he did was planned with sharp precision to meet some purpose--to advance him toward some goal. Never a wasted moment or breath.

A soft exhalation of air caught his attention, and his keen glance landed on Ysega who, inexplicably, appeared unsettled. Gayana, thankfully, had remained quiet, though, once again, he doubted it would last long. An annoying pest, she was--and quiet capable of digging under his skin. Which, of course, only made her more irritating. Returning his attention to the older lioness, he spoke lowly, his voice unconcerned. Is there a problem? Had it been the girl to utter such a noise, he would have dismissed it. Ysega, though, had shown herself to be somewhat levelheaded and not prone to unneeded bits of noise. As such, this unexpected display warranted a question.

Raising his head slightly, he scented the air once again. He seriously doubted there was any danger near by, and that thought was confirmed. Yes, there was the light scent of another lion, but no more than one. If she was honestly more worried about this strange one than him....well, she needed to get her priorities straight. But, on the off chance she knew something he didn't..... It never hurt to be prepared. Repressing a sigh of irritation, he faced the two again, no longer attempting to leave. It looked as if he would have to suffer through this a little longer.

There is nothing in me to corrupt.

My soul does not need saving.

Wisdom is the the crutch of the weak.

[Kamaria]

The past is gone.

No one can bring it back.

Nothing can change it.

Ysega turned her head to the white lion. He stood now nearer to her, but in the path that she could have taken to get down to the thing that carried that familiar scent. She watched him carefully, wondering why he bothered to ask, for there was clearly something bothering her. She still had her ears flicked toward the direction the scent came from. But then she realized something. He hadn't realized what that scent meant. At least, not what it meant to her. He hadn't realized that the wind carried the scent of a young cub, barely old enough to be on his own.

She shook her head. "Not anything you should really be concerned about. But can you not smell him? Can you not smell my son?" Her voice was resentful, and guilty. She remembered leaving the cub behind, running from the two males that had come so close without her knowing it. She had been foolish that day, and she swore she would never make the same mistake twice. She was surprised he had made it this long, survivied without her there to protect and feed him. She had tought him well, for otherwise he would not be so near her.

She didn't bother to waste time running down the narrow path, and she just jumped off the ledge. She landed nimbly, on her toes and lowering the pads of her paws down once she had landed. She didn't lose her balance. She'd made jumps higher than that before. She padded forward, past Gayana and then stood there. She opened her strong jaws and called. The sound was low, but it traveled far. The high-pitched call that came back to her ears was refreshing, especially after not hearing it for a month. She bounded forward.

It took her a while, but she finally found what she'd been looking for. The four-month old cub was crouched in the shade of a rock. His eyes widened when he saw her, and he jumped up. "Mother!" he cried, running toward her. She dipped her head to him and rubbed her chin along his side. The cub made a little purring sound, but it would never be a purr. Just a happy little sound that was uttered before his mother turned and flicked her tail at him. She was telling him to follow. She had nowhere to go now, except back to Gayana and Virgil. She was suspicious of Virgil still, not sure exactly what he was capable of or what ran through his mind and certain times, but she had nowhere else to take her cub but back there.

She walked back to the other two, glancing at each of them in turn before calling back behind her to the cub. She smiled as Bakar came running, bounding up to her and rubbing up against her legs. She moved under the lonesome tree that Gayana had backed herself into earlier, and sat in the shade it provided. She finally got a good look at her cub, and the guilt in her heart grew. He was thin, obviously he hadn't eaten in days, but he had eaten at some point, for he wasn't exactly skin and bones. She lay in the shade, and let him nestle in the curve of her sleek body. She watched him close his eyes and fall asleep, possibley the only time he had gotten sleep in a while.

But she looked up, almost gorgetting the other two lions, but not completely. No, she couldn't forget them, even if they had traveled to the back of her mind when she had been focused on the cub. She looked from Virgil to Gayana. She decided to speak, to tell them what would inevitably be asked, by one or the other. "My son," she said, though her voice was incredibly calm. "Bakar."

[Coffee & Pickles]

Ntombi felt her paws quiver. There, he said something that wasn't a flat out no. The longest that had ever come out of his mouth thus-far. She almost yapped in joy at what he had said, there was something a little more interesting now, something sweet and kind…. Though buried and destroyed, mangled and twisted deep down within the old brute of a lion. Brutal though he was, he was not a ghost, he was a lion, he was alive, he had a soul. She sniffed as she turned to Ysega. Her short attention span had already forgotten every thing about Virgil, yet again, and she was now focused on the small cub bounding towards the older lioness.

Ysega's low grunt had sounded so much like the sounds she heard as a cub. Her mother would go and hunt, and she and her siblings would wait in the tall grass until they heard that same sound, then the lot of them would burst from their shelter, their mother had told them the coast was clear and it was time to eat, time to come out. Ntombi felt her brow furrow. She closed her eyes and breathed in heavily. Her heart just about jumped from her body as she heard the young yap of the cub. Ntombi raised her paw, out to catch the bounding cub she was, but she stopped, Ysega had said it was her son? Ntombi blinked, amazing, truly amazing. She watched the reunion of the cub and it's mother from afar until Ysega came forward.

Unsure, and a tad fearful, Ntombi turned to Virgil, she knew that Ysega would protect the cub with her life, she would die for the cub, but she also knew Virgil wouldn't do anything… it wasn't worth his time at all. The young lioness bit the bottom of her lip as the mother and cub united below the slightly shady tree. If Virgil did attack, she knew that she would gladly give her life. What was her life compared to a loving mothers life any way? She was a gnat, and they were moths. She frowned, upset. The cub had found it's mother, was that what Ntombi was supposed to do? The young lioness looked at the cub still, but moved her body away from Virgil's cold, uncaring eye.

Was Ntombi supposed to find Gayana? She'd failed if so… and now her mother was long gone. It was apparent to her now that her mother hadn't done anything to find her, sure Ntombi ran away, she hid from her mother and her father during their fight, but Ntombi would give only everything just to have seen her mother in her final moments. Her nostrils flared and she gripped the ground. Her ears flattened and she licked her chest, anything to get her mind off her mother. She turned her head back to Bakar. 'How cute.' she wanted to run up to him and start playing, but memories would only destroy her instead. She loved cubs but was this going to be her reaction every time she saw one?


[ooc|| sorry low on muse right now... I sleepy]

[Lassiel]

Power tends to corrupt.

Power won't save your soul.

Power is not wisdom.

Ears flicked forward slightly, revealing his interest as Ysega's voice took on a guilt-ridden tone. Indeed, it was not the words she said, but the emotions that lay behind them that truly captured his attention. Yes, it could be that she simply left her son in hiding and brought no attention to him for fear of endangering her child's life--but that did not explain the shame that colored her statement. He doubted she felt it because she had failed to introduce him until now--and what about her uneasiness from before? She should have been showing it throughout their entire conversation, not just at the tail-end. Virgil's mind worked silently and quickly at this sudden development. One did not rise through the ranks of a murderous pride by brute force alone and, despite what others might say, the white furred lion was quite intelligent.

He watched the two meet dispassionately, studying their actions the whole while. As the cub called out, he caught the vastly relieved tone and noticed his thin state. Ysega was better fed than that and would surely not intentionally let her son lose so much weight. And then, of course, their greeting was of two long separated--unless they were both just overly affectionate. But he doubted that. No, Ysega did not know he was nearby, and neither did the cub know of her. Interesting. There were several explanations for the situation, but all seemed to center around Ysega losing track of one she should have watched closely. As Calina had done to him, even up to the very end...

His glance landed on Gayana, catching the worried, and vaguely accusing, look. Had he been less composed, hackles would have risen at what she appeared to be thinking. However, his pale blue eyes only narrowed. He killed without mercy, yes, but it was simply dishonorable to kill children! Of course, some would argue that what he did do might as well be a death sentence--leaving them to face the world alone without parents. But still, it was not as if they did not have a chance. It could be done--one simply had to be strong enough and smart enough to do so. Hadn't he survived? And Ysega's young son apparently had as well, if he read the signs right. And besides...she wouldn't like it.

She wouldn't like a lot of the things you have done. The criticizing voice darkened his mood immediately. Had he been less preoccupied with keeping up his unfeeling self-control, he would have noticed it for what it was--the last shreds of that soul from Before. But despite Virgil's remarkable cunning, it was rather wasted when it came to himself, and so he only marked that such unreasonable things had been entering his mind more often since his last killing a week ago. Staring harshly at Gayana, he spoke firmly, his frigid words brooking no argument. I do not murder children. With those words said, his gaze rested on Ysega and...Bakar, once more. You lost him. Far from a question, it was a blatant and uncaring statement of what he saw as fact. Eyes flicking to the cub in question for a brief moment, they then returned to his mother. He is resourceful, to have survived long enough to find you again. Not quite praise, for that was not something Virgil did, and the voice was too unemotional to mark them as such. But the lion recognized achievement when he saw it.

There is nothing in me to corrupt.

My soul does not need saving.

Wisdom is the the crutch of the weak.

[Kamaria]

The past is gone.

No one can bring it back.

Nothing can change it.

Ysega wondered if he would figure it out, and she could almost see the wheels turning in his white head. She knew he was plucking the evidence from her actions, as well as the cub's. She watched him, patiently waiting for the facts to put themselves together in his mind. She once glanced at the cub at her side as he stirred and rolled over, burying his face in her fur. But her eyes flicked back to Virgil when she saw Bakar hadn't woken.

Finally it came, the statement she'd been waiting for. She knew it wouldn't come in a question. He was too good at thinking things over to ask a question after the evidence that had been strewn everywhere. She turned her eyes away from him as he spoke, the light brown shade leaden with the shadow of guilt. To hear it from the white lion like that made her heart ache. But not necessarily because it came from the white lion, but merely because someone else had finally realized it. She had resisted the urge to show her pain during her conversation with Virgil, but it had showed through a few times when Gayana had entered the conversation. She sighed, as the pain ebbed away, but the guilt still shadowed her mind.

She should have known that he couldn't keep up with her, and she should have slowed her pace. But the panic hd enveloped her, and the one thing that really made her want to get away from the two males was the very thing she had left behind. She shouldn't have been that foolish, to leave behind what she most cared about and what she wanted to protect, what she needed to protect. She looked down at the cub, apologetically. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, only audible to the sleeping cub's ears, and rasped her tongue between his ears as he slept. She sighed and made her expression once more as emotionless as she could get it, though her never ending guilt still showed through her eyes.

But she looked up at the white lion, and shook her head. "No, I left him. I was a fool a month ago, but I will not make the same mistake again." Her voice was determined as she spoke, almost defensive. She was glad her son had made it back to her, for she had nothing else to live for. "I should have paid attention. But I didn't pick up their scent, and I ran like a coward, and forgot him like a fool." Her voice lowered to a grieved whisper as she went on, but she stopped as she called herself a fool aloud. She winced as the word left her maw, and she almost wished she hadn't said it. But nothing could be done to take it back. It was already heard.