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 Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:43 pm
 She hurt. A lot. She wasn't really sure how much further she could go at this point. But onward she kept going. Why? Dogo wanted as far from the insane little lion as she could get. But the sun was growing hotter, and her pain was growing sharper...Of course, the dust and bits of plant that stuck to her and irritated her wounds wasn't helping.
The little leopard finally collapsed, the pain overcoming her. At least she'd found some shade...She closed her eyes and tried to shut the pain out. Stupid, stupid little lion...
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:21 pm
The black form padded through the trees in a light trot, necklace of beeds and claws bouncing around a strong, elegant neck. A young lioness moved with ease through the lands she'd called home all her life, the only place she'd ever known. This bit of forrest, though, wasn't as well known as the area closer to the dens. On the outskirts of Antianeira lands, the only lions that came out here were the ones on sentri duty, to ward away rogue males and escort females into the safety of the pride.
Such was Hippolyta's duty today. Despite her unoffical role as heiress to the throne, Kiuma believed in sharing duties, and no one was exempt from doing what they could. Scouting wasn't the worst job in the pride and the young female rather enjoyed seeing new sights and occassionally new people.
Something strange caught her eye today though... something orange-ish under a tree near the edge of the lands. Curious, she padded closer, practicing her hunting skills with a silent approach.
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:35 pm
Too stubborn to sleep, too tired to be awake, Dogo drifted somewhere in between. One moment she was awake, the other she was dozing, and the next she was awake again. And then she realized something. Food and water. When was the last time she'd gotten some after running.
As if to taunt her, a mouse went skittering over her nose, stepping on dry blood mixed with dust and making the leopard sneeze. Which led to Dogo whimpering in pain. Maybe death would be merciful...
But she wasn't going to be merciful to herself. No...The eye not obscured by dried blood and healing wounds narrowed. Not until that insane little lion was dead.
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:53 pm
The sneeze and mew of pain was all it took to break Hippolyta from her stalking and into a lope. While not a particularly motherly girl, she did care, and something that small in pain was too hard a thing to ignore.
"Hello?" She called out as she slowed, coming close to where the thing was curled up. She smelled blood... "Are you okay?"
What was this thing that the young lioness had found? It was hurt, that much was blatantly obvious... She had a moment's thought if it was a male something or a female something and hoped it was female. Mother would never let her keep it if it was male, and that didn't bode well for it healing very well. Mother might let her take care of it for a little while, but not too long.
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 3:18 pm
Another voice pierced through the pain-filled voice of her mind. Dogo blinked her good eye and looked up at the source...and felt fear overcome her...anger too. Was this lioness like the cub who hurt her? Or was she like the one she'd met long ago, shortly after her parents disappeared?
She chose to speak up. Dogo knew she was hurt, and needed help. "I'm not. I hurt, and tired...and mad." Dogo was not one to keep things inside. "When I'm better...I'm going to KILL that nutso demon cub!"
She promptly winced in pain. Maybe she'd opened her muzzle a little too much...
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:13 pm
The black adolescent frowned as she came to stand over the little leopard girl. It had become clear to Hippolyta when she got close enough to get a clear look.
"You poor thing... What happened to you?" She mewed softly, glancing around to make sure the culprit wasn't around any more. "Did this... demon cub, hurt you? Is he around here?" Who would be so cruel as to do this to a cub, even if it was a leopard and not a lion? Anger bubbled up inside of the young lioness at the thought, her red eyes flashing. This was why Mother had founded the pride and brought them here to this safe place... to prevent things like this.
"Please, lie still... don't move around too much." She said softly, her voice warm and comforting, unaware of the unease of the cub around her.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:00 pm
Dogo closed her eyes again, not wanting to see the lioness. Her voice was soft...but she was still uneasy and hurting. Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, she could forget the other was a lioness.
"He...he hurt me lots. I. I fought back, but...he won." The words were slow and halting, the leopard trying not to open her maw wide enough to hurt. "He...left me somewhere...And I ran. I don't...think he's around anymore." She didn't bother trying to curl up...somehow she knew it would hurt to do so.
And when the thought of the other being a lioness didn't vanish, Dogo couldn't help but voice her fears. "Please don't eat me...or hurt me too..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:19 pm
Hippolyta shook her head as she stood over the leopard, shifting from paw to paw as she looked her over, assessing the damage. It didn't look like anything was broken, which was all to the good. Bending down, she gently ran her tongue down the leopard's spine, licking off blood and straightening the soft fur. She rumbled gently, hoping to sooth the young one.
She was taken back, though, when the poor little one begger her not to hurt her. "No! Please... don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you... I just want to help. It was a terrible person, that hurt you like this. If he were here, I would give him a piece of my mind and the sharp ends of my claws..." She grumbled, licking one of the little ears.
"Do you think you can stand up? Just for a moment. I want to see where all the injuries are. Then you can relax, little one. I'll take care of you."
This welling up of the need to care for something was alien to Hippy, and natural at the same time.
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Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:00 pm
It was strange, the care that was coming from the dark lioness. And it dashed Dogo's fears. This one was nothing like the demon cub. This one wasn't out to hurt her. She shakily stood up, a little better after having been off her paws for a bit. And though the lioness' tongue had hurt in some places, the leopard didn't feel so dirty.
"I...thanks." She couldn't figure out what to say. Then again, she'd never been good with words.
"I...I'm Dogo."
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Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:07 pm
The black adolescent smiled as she nodded, filing away the name in her memory.
"My name is Hippolyta." She offered in return. With a gentle paw, she touched the leopard cub's legs, carefully lifting one and setting it down before picking up another. She moved them gently, just to see how well they did and how much it hurt, if it did.
"I would like to take you back to my pride, atleast until you're healed... but we don't have to go right now. If you want, we can rest here a little while first... I don't want to leave you alone like this."
It just seemed the natural thing to do... to take care of this little one. It never crossed her mind to leave her alone, to not take her back to the safety and comfort of the pride. After a moment, another thought occured to her and she rushed to comfort the cub.
"You don't have to worry about my pride eather, Dogo. They're like me, my family. They wouldn't turn you away, not hurt like this." She knew coming back with her might not be what the cub wanted and the young lioness struggled to convince her and quiet her fears.
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:38 am
Most of the damage seemed to be scratches and bites, though her paw pads were cracked from running so much, and her legs obviously over-used. And though nothing was broken, moving her legs did seem to hurt.
"A...pride? I met a lady in one once...She was pretty." She smiled weakly. "I-if your pride is nice...I wanna go. Can I sleep til I'm better?" That's all Dogo wanted to do right now, was sleep until everything stopped hurting. Especially her paws. Her paws had never hurt so much before.
"Fam'ly...family is nice." This lioness reminded her of the distant memories she had of her mother...sweet and kind and well...motherly.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:53 pm
Hippolyta smiled gently as she nodded along with the young leopard. It made the young princess happy that despite the beating the little one had suffered, she was still able to trust, to move towards a better future and remember the better times in her past. It boded well for her healing process. Hadn't Hippy always heard that the body followed the mind? At least, that was something her mother liked to say when teaching her daughters to hunt and fight.
"Yes, yes, of course! You just rest here a bit and I'll watch over you. When you feel up to walking again, I'll take you home with me till you're all healed." She assured the cub, actually coming to lay with her. Setting down her black paws carefully, she sank down on her stomach beside the cub, close enough to feel should she get too cold and need the warmth of another body.
Distracted with her though, the young lioness bent to lick at some of the worst of the wounds, cleaning them up so they could heal faster. "Family is very nice, Dogo." She said softly. "They can be your strength, your support, your home and heart." She smiled gently, red eyes warm and gentle.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:45 pm
Dogo flopped down, wincing at the pain that caused. But it faded as the pain from standing did. "Thank you...You're nice. Like the dark lady lion I met a long time ago..." She closed her eyes sleepily, letting the warmth of Hippolyta help usher sleep to her.
"See you when I wake up, Hippy..." With that, she dozed off, letting sleep carry away all the pain...
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:11 am
The black adolescent smiled as the leopard cub flopped down. The thanks was taken with a nod, but the comparison to a dark lioness she'd known before brought a look of curiosity to her face. Maybe she'd ask her about it later, it wasn't really important right now.
The warmth of the air and the drowsy quiet of their little hiding spot was working even on Hippolyta. She tried to hold back a yawn, but it broke out anyway. Giving in the inevitable, she let her head and ears droop as she fell into a light sleep, napping beside the cub. Any sound or movement nearby would have her instantly awake and on the offensive, but for now, it was rest time.
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