Anderleit
It had been a long, long time since Vidokoni had been to the beach. Not for any particular reason, mind, as her last stay had been nice enough. Brief, but...well, that was a matter of necessity. It was too easy to forget herself in the hospitality of this pride, and that was something the lady couldn't well risk.
Given the recent tales, however, it had become well worth the effort to return. Rumor drifted on the winds to the dog's sharp ears, darting to-and-fro across the sky, eagerly borne by her feathery little friends - and just as easily given up for a bit of seed or a shiny trinket. Vidokoni found out more than once that she would be a fool to ignore such ready sources of information. She was a story-teller, after all; more than that, she was a story-keeper, a story collector. The wild dog gathered tales like a pirate to plunder.
And as such... She chuckled to herself, tongue lolling as the salt-rich smell of the ocean water thickened the air. As such, she'd learned what kind of events heralded a good story. The opening of a chasm where one had not been before? Well, that seemed like the kind of thing to have a bit of a yarn behind it. And if it didn't? Oh well! Perhaps she would create one. She thought herself a canny old dog. Vidokoni loped on, slowing her stride only once the borders of the Kizingo'zaa loomed near.
Given the recent tales, however, it had become well worth the effort to return. Rumor drifted on the winds to the dog's sharp ears, darting to-and-fro across the sky, eagerly borne by her feathery little friends - and just as easily given up for a bit of seed or a shiny trinket. Vidokoni found out more than once that she would be a fool to ignore such ready sources of information. She was a story-teller, after all; more than that, she was a story-keeper, a story collector. The wild dog gathered tales like a pirate to plunder.
And as such... She chuckled to herself, tongue lolling as the salt-rich smell of the ocean water thickened the air. As such, she'd learned what kind of events heralded a good story. The opening of a chasm where one had not been before? Well, that seemed like the kind of thing to have a bit of a yarn behind it. And if it didn't? Oh well! Perhaps she would create one. She thought herself a canny old dog. Vidokoni loped on, slowing her stride only once the borders of the Kizingo'zaa loomed near.
MiddyGlow
Itsaso had been living with the Kizi for as long as she could remember, then again she could remember very much. Her memory really wasn't that good, but she did like looking after the young cubs of the pride. She just couldn't remember all of their names and often called them by the wrong names. Shelly tried to remind her of the things she forgot but sometimes Itsaso didn't listen to Shelly or misheard what her shell necklace happened to say. She loved the ocean it was beautiful and the place she had found Shelly who was a comfort to her soul, her muse. She breathed in the sea air, she wouldn't collect more shells after all she didn't want to betray Shelly. She knew about the chasm and the events with the other pride though she wasn't sure why everyone had been so mad and Shelly hadn't told her.
Anderleit
A gaze that held a bevy of questions combed the ground, alert for any disturbance or potential changes. Legends spoke of the earth opening its maw before, and belching forth lava and precious gems. The sand here, though, seemed just the same as she remembered. For all it may have been a bit more well-trodden, she could at least deduce that the event probably did not fall on the cataclysmic side. The pride living around it seemed no worse for wear, after all. Though there was something different about the lot, something she couldn't quite put her paw on...
Was that a lioness? It was embarrassingly hard to tell: even with eyes narrowed, Vidokoni could scarcely tell where her pelt ended and the sea began. It was a damn fine trick, and the dog said as much, trotting up to the stranger with a bark of laughter in her tone. "Must be nice, havin' fur that takes after somethin' so lovely. Spend all your time at the beach, and you'll never have to worry about bein' hunted." She grinned at her own little joke. There was little chance of anyone ending up in such a situation around here, anyway. Violation of some cardinal rule of theirs, from her understanding. At least, Vidokoni hoped that was still the case. It had always been one of the things she liked best about this pride, even if she personally found the price a little too high to pay.
Was that a lioness? It was embarrassingly hard to tell: even with eyes narrowed, Vidokoni could scarcely tell where her pelt ended and the sea began. It was a damn fine trick, and the dog said as much, trotting up to the stranger with a bark of laughter in her tone. "Must be nice, havin' fur that takes after somethin' so lovely. Spend all your time at the beach, and you'll never have to worry about bein' hunted." She grinned at her own little joke. There was little chance of anyone ending up in such a situation around here, anyway. Violation of some cardinal rule of theirs, from her understanding. At least, Vidokoni hoped that was still the case. It had always been one of the things she liked best about this pride, even if she personally found the price a little too high to pay.
MiddyGlow
Itsaso blinked confused and then listened to Shelly tell her that she should say hello, but instead she spun around looking at her colors and marking very much like the sea. Itsaso smiled and then blushed "Why thank you, are you a visitor to the Kizi lands?" Shelly whispered in her ear that where else would the wild dog have come from? "How would I know that?" Itsaso said out loud. She laughed "Besides I am the hunter not the hunted." Shelly reminded her that she was a nanny not a hunter. "Well yes I am a nanny not a hunter but I still have claws and teeth." She muttered. "I don't hurt anyone." She said firmly "The golden rule of the Kizi."
Anderleit
Ooh, didn't she miss this. A bemused smirk quirked the corners of Vidokoni's lips, watching the lioness speak both to her...and not quite. She knew, of course, that the Kizi were not strangers to other influences - their Muses, so she'd heard them called - but that didn't mean the storyteller understood what exactly those were. Easy to assume that the pride were just particularly susceptible to the wayward voices in one's head - but it would be less than gracious of her to presume that it was only that. No, Vidokoni chose to be open to the idea that there was something more going on; both as one who catalogued the wonders spoken of in the world, and out of simple courtesy to whatever-it-was that kept these folk fun.
"I sure am, darlin'." The wild dog's grin returned, stretched wide. "And you certainly are. Claws the size of my muzzle, you lions've got. No need for them between us, though. I know your golden rule." Now that the lioness was done admiring herself, she trotted closer. Her tail wagged a hopeful testament to her words. "I'm Vidokoni, travellin' storyteller and seeker of all things strange. Can I ask, who might you be?"
"I sure am, darlin'." The wild dog's grin returned, stretched wide. "And you certainly are. Claws the size of my muzzle, you lions've got. No need for them between us, though. I know your golden rule." Now that the lioness was done admiring herself, she trotted closer. Her tail wagged a hopeful testament to her words. "I'm Vidokoni, travellin' storyteller and seeker of all things strange. Can I ask, who might you be?"
MiddyGlow
Itsaso nodded as she listened to the strange sounding creature she was not familiar with that way of speaking curious if the creature was from a far away land. Shelly agreed that the accent was strange and Itsaso nodded her head to agree with Shelly. Her tail flicking back and forth. Itsaso smiled "Good good, follow the rules or there will be issues and issues are bad. I am Itsaso I am a nanny, I look after the cubs in our pride." She paused a moment "I guess you already know that visitors are welcome as long as the rules are followed." She looked around and then nodded her head again and looked out at the ocean. "Stories are good the cubs like stories, I am not very good at remembering stories though."
Anderleit
Vidokoni's head tilted. Of course the storyteller didn't plan on causing any 'issues', but she had no doubt that Itsaso would act on them if she did. Maybe it was a pridal thing. If she were ever to join a pack, would she feel the same way? What a curious thing, to feel threatened by a lioness like this. And not even for the most obvious reasons.
"Noble thing, lookin' after the little ones. Bet they're a handful, though - I remember my brothers and sisters bein' so when they were pups." She chuckled. "One of the reasons I spun my first yarn, calmed 'em down long enough for me to get a break."
Though her admission got Vidokoni's head tilting the other way. Hard luck, having a poor memory. Though it did explain her somewhat, ah...spacey nature. "That's unfortunate, my dear, but not unusual. What about songs - have you any luck with them? Sometimes a story is easier recalled when you set it to a bit of a tune." Probably for the best this lady found herself in a pride, all things considered. But missing out on a tale to tell the young'ins just because she couldn't remember the words? Well, what kind of talespinner would the wild dog be if she let that slide?
"Noble thing, lookin' after the little ones. Bet they're a handful, though - I remember my brothers and sisters bein' so when they were pups." She chuckled. "One of the reasons I spun my first yarn, calmed 'em down long enough for me to get a break."
Though her admission got Vidokoni's head tilting the other way. Hard luck, having a poor memory. Though it did explain her somewhat, ah...spacey nature. "That's unfortunate, my dear, but not unusual. What about songs - have you any luck with them? Sometimes a story is easier recalled when you set it to a bit of a tune." Probably for the best this lady found herself in a pride, all things considered. But missing out on a tale to tell the young'ins just because she couldn't remember the words? Well, what kind of talespinner would the wild dog be if she let that slide?
MiddyGlow
Itsaso smiled and nodded "Yes the cubs can be a handful, but I still want to be with them and want to add more to the pride someday." She said a dreamy look on her face thinking about having her own cubs someday she loved cubs and so did Shelly. She perked up at the suggestion of a song being easier to remember then words. "That sounds like a wonderful idea and Shelly agrees." She said nodding to the three of them in her strange way. "Please sing me your tale." Itsaso asked hopefully. The Kizi loved stories and songs, anything to share tales across the land. Shelly thought it was a blessing to bring stories from other lands and Itsaso agreed.
Anderleit
Shelly? Her jaw parted to ask, but Vidokoni thought better of it in mid-thought. Far be it from her to take the chance of offending her odd companion. "But of course! We'll give a quick little one a try." Maybe it was the unusual nod that called her attention to it, but the dog found herself scrutinizing Itsaso instead. The storyteller's compliment from earlier had been genuine, not merely a greeting: whether the lioness knew it or not, her fur was very pretty. The coastal quality that she'd pointed out upon first meeting was only helped by Itsaso's setting, complete with numerous seashells scattered around her paws. Not to mention the - now that Vidokoni was actually looking at it - extremely obvious shell necklace tucked into the fur around the cat's neck. It was practically her only adornment. Call it a hunch, but the storyteller was pretty sure she knew who 'Shelly' was meant to be.
"This is a tune about a lion cub and a crocodile, a little cautionary tale for the wee ones. Sing after me as you can, alright?" The dog smiled at the lioness. In the way Vidokoni sat, back straight and tail thumping softly against the ground, it would seem clear just how often she took this stance of the storyteller. And when she tipped her head back to sing - a high, hollow-sounding howl just this side of haunting - the look on her face made plain that she loved every moment of sharing her stories with others. Was she getting a bit distracted? Yes, but it was worth it, without question. There would be other opportunities to gain the knowledge she sought here. Vidokoni could hardly resist an opportunity to pass on some of her own, instead.
"This is a tune about a lion cub and a crocodile, a little cautionary tale for the wee ones. Sing after me as you can, alright?" The dog smiled at the lioness. In the way Vidokoni sat, back straight and tail thumping softly against the ground, it would seem clear just how often she took this stance of the storyteller. And when she tipped her head back to sing - a high, hollow-sounding howl just this side of haunting - the look on her face made plain that she loved every moment of sharing her stories with others. Was she getting a bit distracted? Yes, but it was worth it, without question. There would be other opportunities to gain the knowledge she sought here. Vidokoni could hardly resist an opportunity to pass on some of her own, instead.
MiddyGlow
Itsaso smiled as she listened to the wild dog's song she couldn't remember if she caught their name, but she would remember the song and sing it to the cubs to warn them to stay away from danger which was a very good idea. "Thank you." She said gently "Shelly says thank you too."