[PRP] Mournful Calling (Ryujin and Naar)

[Kimaria]

A lioness roared.

A call to the one she cared for. The one she loved. Hoping, desperately, that he would answer. That he would be close.

Her heart was in turmoil and, for the first time, Naar-Ehuka was facing the cold face of death. A death that had taken her mother away and left her heart-broken. Her mother had been a beautiful, kindly creature who had never done anything but her duty. But where had that gotten her? A bloody grave.

There was talk that the Nergui were the culprits but Naar had not seen them and knew that it was pointless to jump to conclusions. Unlike Fia, she was not quick to rage, preferring to drop into sadness and gieve in peace. And so she had - for many days - having only ventured forth that morning to find some comfort in company. She had sought out her sister, Nakama and now she was seeking out her dark-pelted companion.

Ryujin.

She lifted her head and roared him again. Long. Low. Mournful.  

[DragonsRage24]

He had heard something terrible had occurred. He had been able to scour the sands and know his siblings were safe, that his mother, his past, had not come. But no, something more, perhaps, something that hurt deeper, had struck against the heart of the pride, and hearts of those he knew. One, especially, he cared for with his own heart that felt a deep grief for such a loss.

Ryujin had lost his mother, for leaving ehr behind him, but for a choice.

Naar's...had been taken. By cruelty, brash, heartless actions. Naar had her mother stripped away, and he felt a great pain for her.

As he heard her call, he answered as his dark coated body bound over the sand beneath him, closing distance. It was not a call of conflict, nor distress of attack, but pain, sadness, and it hurt him.

As he rose over a dune and descended, he saw her, and his eyes, silver, watched her form as he closed the distance between them. He wished to rush to her suddenly, but, he did not want to alarm her, have her pull away from him. He did not wish to cause anymore hurt.

"Naar," he spoke clearly, softly, as he took steady, cautioned steps to her, his eyes meeting hers.

And as he was a mere stride away, he could not bare the distance and brought himself close to her, lay his head on her neck, kept her close and closed his eyes, breathed her scent, and made sure she knew his care for her.

"I am sorry," sorry he was not there to help her mother, sorry he could not change the past, sorry he could not bring her back...but he was here for her. He always would be.

He would protect her from whatever nergui, rogue cruel beast might come to their pride.

"What can I do?" if anything, anything at all. If he could change something, he would, whatever the means, he wanted to try and make her smile, laugh, make the hurt not last and hurt so deep.  

[Kimaria]

He answered her call; appearing as if by magic. And he certainly was a welcome sight. All dark, concerned eyes and gentleness. He was her sturdy friend. No. More than that. He was not just a friend now. He was so much more. And Naar was so incredibly pleased to see him - as if his presence helped to keep the demons at bay.

"Ryujin." She croaked. There was no need for him to be so hesitant. He, of all people, was perhaps the only one who could bring her true comfort. She loved him with all of her heart. And then he was there, pressed against her, and she nuzzled against his neck, her face burying against the warmth of his mane. It felt like too long a time since she had felt such warmth. Tears blotted against his fur, hidden against the dark.

His apologies echoed in her ears and she shook her head against him. He had nothing to be sorry for. Nothing at all.

"Don't leave me." Was her muffled response. "Everyone always leaves." Her sister and brother had left (though they had returned temporarily). Now her mother was gone. Perhaps she was cursed.

"Ryujin." She whimpered sadly. "I don't know what to do."  

[DragonsRage24]

As he felt her against him, her warmth, her gentle being, he felt comfort and condolence, but a great happiness she had not been targeted. A strange and almost cruel thought, he supposed. To be in love that one was here, though another had been taken away. At her statement, he pulled her closer, curled around her as if enveloping her from everything around them. The hurt, the pride, any evil being beyond the borders. "Nothing, no one, will take me away," he spoke confident, gentle, strong, "I will never leave you, Naar," he spoke into her ear. "And none will ever take you from me," she was his, his love, though he being male, and perhaps a little stupid, did not say it enough.

"You must be strong, for your new siblings, they are still young," he had heard children had been born before the elder had passed. And a thought crossed his mind, "I want to know what your sister knows of the intruder," he wanted to make sure there was nothing similar in design between his mother and that cruel she-beast that had come.

"But I want you safe," he said, pulling away, lifting her chin to look at him, "I want to see you smile again."  

[Kimaria]

His words were a great comfort.

"I'll try." She replied hoarsely, trying to gain control of her emotion though it seemed hard to do so. But Ryujin wouldn't mind her tears. Around him she could just be herself. With a small sniff, she pulled away from him just enough to rub a paw across her nose. And then she looked up at him with her watery eyes and gave a small nod.

She wouldn't say it, but his words broke her heart all over again.

"I can take you to her but I don't know what anyone can do."

Naar had dreamt of introducing him to her sister, Nakama. Had wished for it more than anything. But not like this. Never like this. She wanted her sandy sister to return in a blaze of beautiful glory. For them to relive tales of adventure to one another. And yet this introduction would bring conversations of death, monsters and murder. Not joy and life and hopes. But that, like so much else, had been snatched from her. The Nergui had so much to answer for.

For him, she attempted a smile, though it was weak and brief. It was a start, though, and she leaned against him again. "Why would the Nergui hurt my mother? Everyone is so sad.." And she thought of Fia. "And angry. It's turning us into something horrible. I don't like it."  

[DragonsRage24]

Ryujin shook his head and kept her close, "No," he said softly, breathing deep, looking to the dunes, the borders, closing his eyes again, "not yet, not now, now is not a time for such things," perhaps tomorrow, or the next day. Now was a time for them, alone, away from everything and everyone else. "There is too much for more to come so close," he looked to her face, tried to keep her eyes' attention, "you need room to breath," but he offered a smile, perhaps a grin, "except from me, of course," he said nuzzling her face.

He pulled away, just slightly, to listen to her words, her plea of wanting answers. "I don't know," he said honestly, "it appears nergui, but altered, something...sick, provoked... internally, by something else, if that makes sense, we can't let that type of thing grab hold of anyone here," he thought for a moment, eyes narrowing looking at the borders.

"We can't give into such rage, npt here," he wouldn't allow it.

"But you need to be strong, as I know you are," he looked to her, smiling, touching his forehead against hers, "you are stronger than you know."  

[Kimaria]

She nodded, looking grateful that he was offering to stay close to her. She needed him. More than she had ever realised. "I will try. I am stronger when you are here with me." Admitting that came easy enough. Ryujin knew of her insecurities. He made her better. Stronger. She felt like she could almost be a true Firekin when she was with him. The type of Firekin that would have made her family proud. When she had him at her side she felt like she could face down anything. Or nearly anything. The Nergui were still frightening to her and they had taken so much already.

What if they took him, too?

Her heart thudded.

"I love you Ryujin." She whispered softly, for him and him alone. And then she leaned against him again, as if afraid to be separated. "Maybe we can go and see my sister tomorrow?" And she shifted her weight from one paw to the other before, at last asking him something that she wa clearly a little shy about asking.

"Can I....can I stay with you...in your den? F-from now on? Maybe. If you don't mind."

She was afraid to be alone.  

[DragonsRage24]

He smiled and sighed in content, breathed and felt whole when by her side, having her so close, having her within his life. "There is no life without you, no breath," he said soothingly, "you are my everything, my wake, my fire and dawn, my life, here," and she would always be his alone.

He would not let anything take her from him.

"Nothing will ever keep me from you, ever," he spoke with confidence, reassurance, truth.

"I love you with all I am, Naar'Ehuka," his fire, his dawn, his light.

With her words, he chuckled and nodded, "Yes, perhaps tomorrow," and as she spoke, he felt his heart and spirit lift, and his heart and soul grow stronger, he smiled and waved a paw in front of him. "but now, I must show you home."

Their home, at long last, together.
 

[Kimaria]

He was such a romantic and she was lucky to have him. Still she wondered how she had managed to catch his eye. How she had managed to capture his heart. Naar hardly felt worthy and yet she was glad. And happy. Ryujin managed to keep the grief at bay - if only for a little while. But it would be enough.

If only her siblings had had someone like him. If only Fia had. Maybe then they would be okay. Or perhaps time would heal them. She sorely hoped so.

Perhaps, someday, she might name a daughter after her mother. It seemed customary to do so now. To name a child after a great ancestor. And Karana'mzaana had been a great lioness. But she kept that to herself for now. Talk of cubs might scare him off and right now she needed Ryujin close.

"We have to make her proud." She continued. "Not sad. Mother wouldn't want me seeking vengeance. I can try and make her proud, right?" She asked as they moved towards their home.

 

[DragonsRage24]

"You've already made her proud by being who you are to her as a daughter, and by being who you are now," he reassured her. "Everything you do now she will have pride for, and her legacy will live through you and your siblings, you'll see," he said smiling.

"There will be justice, I hope, for what has been done, but actions done in the right, whatever happens, you must take in mind that you have others to care for, your younger brothers and sisters, they'll need your guidance," he said thinking, closing his eyes.

What would he and his siblings have done if been abandoned by his mother, cast to the wind? They all but had, to a point, but they had been strong.

"You will will form a new and strong foundation for your family, your siblings, you've made your mother proud by simply thinking of wys to make her memory happy."

All would be well in time, he knew, it would just take a bit of time to get to the still waters.