[PRP] Time to Go Home I

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Lailah had no idea what the world was coming too. She'd succeeded her mentor Stellaluna at long last...but under duress. The lioness had had no doubts that if she hadn't agreed to support Shangyue, he'd have killed her. The King needed the Shaman on his side in order to take and hold the throne. It had helped that the young male had brought some good ideas to the table, that the Mwezi had sorely needed.

Overall, the past two years had been quiet, though tensions had been rising as time passed. She'd been stunned when the King turned up one day and dumped a cub on her, telling her the girl, Antara, was his eldest high class (and illegitimate) daughter. And that Lailah should train her as one of her own Apprentices. Antara was a worthwhile student, but the whole situation was awkward. Especially after Shangyue made Parisa his Queen and got a litter on her too. Which made three by anyone's count who wasn't fooled by false propaganda.

How Lailah longed for the good old days when Thoth and Khathelela had reigned!

That was her train of thought when she caught sight of a familiar face that she hadn't seen in far too long.

"Neema! What brings you here?" she asked her sister.  

[nessiaing]

Antara had been careful and had been keeping her head down since the hunter's strike. Though she was keeping busy by constantly and carefully moving the moon plants about the pride as per Kimondo's directions. She had just moved a rather large number of bunches and was heading back to the area the Shaman regularly worked. Antara did her best to stay around the area as often as she could. If she could be seen working and with the Shaman then no one could say that she was doing things she shouldn't be doing, as much as she wanted to be working with the rebels to bring down her father.

Rounding a corner Antara paused mid step. She had assumed Lailah would be there but she wasn't expecting to see Neema there as well. She had met Neema at the hunter's strike one of the only times that she had met the twin sister of her boss. She had been kind enough and as far as Antara could tell she hadn't told on her for being there.

"Good Evening." she greeted them bowing her head in greeting. She wasn't sure why both sisters were here but something in the pit of her stomach told her it wasn't good.

Ecavi

 

[mouselet]

The change in Neema's tone was enough to make Lailah's eyes narrow as her sister changed her focus to the Apprentice. Whatever had happened, it wasn't good. The blue-marked lioness looked from the purple lioness to the other white female. The Shaman didn't think her sister was actively involved in the tensions, but what else could her presence here at this time portend?

"If it's Antara you need to speak to, perhaps I should be on my way. You are welcome to visit any time you please," Lailah reminded her sister with slightly forced levity.  

[nessiaing]

Antara continued to stand where she was, not quite willing to join the two sisters. She could feel tension in the air and she wasn't sure she wanted to be apart of it. She had spent the majority of her life trying to avoid being seen or noticed, she wanted nothing more than to fly under the radar. Frequently she wished she was her sister living a life outside the pride and its politics.

"Me?" Antara asked hesitantly. She looked towards Lailah wondering if her boss knew anymore than she did about what was going on. "You don't have to leave Lailah." she said quickly when the blue twin offered to leave them alone. She had never had a heart to heart with the Shaman but she also had never had a problem and suddenly she found herself wanting the comfort of having a familiar body with her and since she wasn't able to spend much if any time with her family, or at least the family she wanted to be with, Lailah was the best next best thing.

Ecavi

 

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The Shaman had taken a couple steps away when her Apprentice asked her to stay. She felt even more uncomfortable when Neema echoed Antara. Lailah might have tried to dissemble further, but her sister took control of the conversation. If the blue-marked lioness had had time to react, she would have been indignant at her sister's "kidnapping" of Antara. But then Neema continued.

"But...how?" Lailah asked. Umepatwa, from what she had seen, was a smart, capable lion with a good head on his shoulders. She didn't ask why. She'd heard about the strike. That was more than enough for Shangyue to demand the boy's death.

She almost turned and left, realizing she'd asked for more information without even thinking about it. The Shaman did not want to know how unstable the pride had become because of Shangyue. She wanted simply to maintain it in the traditions of their ancestors and preserve that which made them Mwezi'Johari.  

[nessiaing]

It felt like her world was crashing down around her. A rushing noise filled her ears and her knees went weak. She wasn't sure when or how it happened but the next thing she knew she was on the ground. She was beyond shedding tears, everything she feared of her father had come true.

She thought back to the night of the hunter's strike she had wanted to go to her brother and congratulate him but she had thought better of it she couldn't put herself at risk and him further at risk.

"Where is my mother, my sister." she said not being careful of her words anymore all she wanted now was her twin, they had spent their life apart and now more than ever she needed her sister. She felt the tears starting to fall from her eyes but they was no noise just silent tears slipping down her face.

Ecavi

 

[mouselet]

Lailah might have been shaken and uncertain, but the lioness was intelligent enough to pick up the seemingly insignificant words that first Antara and then Neema spoke. Tyfu's bastards killing the boy, well, that was just bad blood all around. The whole pride knew (or strongly suspected) that the litter had been sired by Shangyue. So the fact that the King had ordered them to kill their half-brother, and they'd succeeded, was horrific to the extreme.

And yet, that was not the most important piece of information here and now. Tyfu and her children were and ongoing problem that would have to be dealt with eventually, but not necessarily immediately.

"Sister?" the Shaman asked quietly, eyes flitting from one lioness to the other. There was some secret here...why?  

[nessiaing]

Antara felt a lump in her throat grow when her boss picked up on the mention of the sister. She looked panicked and turned her head towards Lailah hoping that she would have more answers.

"I don't understand." she whispered. How could someone kill her brother. "Will we have to leave the pride is this the end?" She asked while the thought of leaving this place behind was appealing she also had finally found someone here that understood her and she couldn't imagine loosing Maja from her life. Her head was swimming with all the information that had just been shared. Though she did find the bright spot in the fact that she would soon have her twin sister with her, it finally meant that the hole she felt in her existence would be filled.

Ecavi

 

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"It seems as if this is a time for you to be with your family, Antara," Lailah said finally, looking from one lioness to the other. They didn't want to clarify whatever secret they were keeping, fine. The Shaman had some suspicions.

"I'll leave you to it, so long as you don't neglect your duties," she informed the younger female. Though it was a question of how long the Shaman would be able to keep regular lessons while this chaos gradually consumed the pride. For the time being she would try to retain some semblance of normalcy. Lailah retreated, leaving the other two alone.

So...Antara had a sister. One which had apparently been kept secret from the pride. It seemed logical to assume that it was the sister and not her Apprentice who was the eldest of the lot - Shangyue's eldest high class child. Why else go through all this deception?

Birth was no guarantee, though, when it came to the throne. Hadn't the reigning King already proved that? His own mother, Selene, had never actually become Queen though she'd been born and raised to it. A pity, Lailah would have preferred her.  

[nessiaing]

Antara was lost for words. She moved towards Neema accepting the fact that she would go. Her head was swimming with ideas and concerns. She had to deal with the first aspect though and that was going to her mother, to her sister. "I want to fight." she said more to herself than anyone else.

Once standing next to Neema she turned back to mentor, she may not have been super close to Lailah but the lioness had always treated her well. "I promise to keep up my studies." As much as Antara hated her place in the pride as her father's daughter she had genuinely enjoyed the teachings of the Shaman. It was something that she hoped she would be able to do after all of this was done.

Blinking back tears she turned to Neema "Okay lead the way." she said bowing her head. It was going to be nice to be around her family but she wished it was for some reason other than her brother's death.

Ecavi

Sorry for the delay