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 Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:06 pm
 Kude closed her eyes with a weary sigh. Traveling always took it's toll on the dark lioness, even more so with her bad hips. Finding a shady spot under a tree, she eased herself down with a low groan of relief. What she wouldn't give to be home again, but she quickly cut off that train of thought. It would do no good to worry over what could not be changed.
Laying her head down on her paws, she took a deep breath, forcing calm through her body, one paw curling protectively around the ratty bag that hung about her neck. The spirits whispered into her ear as she hugged the bag closer.
Louder than the spirits however, was the angry growling from her stomach. The dark lioness winced, her ears laying back. She wasn't much of a hunter on her good days and a day like this, where pain filled her body, there was no chance of food to come.
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:06 pm
Two days had passed since Fasa left his 'child.' The odd cheetah wasn't really his child, having adopted the odd male as a son when they were both grown. A sigh, Mufasa kept walking.
It had been one day since the female klipspringer at his side decided to travel with him. She was normally silent, as was he. However, glancing over, the black female's eyes glittered in mischief. She was rather childish sometimes, but then... He learned that Klipspringers kept a child-like quality until their first litter.
She was mean though. Feh.
The darkly spotted lion kept moving, weaving through the grass and Clandestin following closely behind him.
"Fasa, can we stop to eaat?" Clandestin's stomach rumbled. "I haven't had any good rockgrass in a while..." She wasn't complaining, much. Mufasa glanced at the small female, only giving her a nod.
He supposed he could hunt for himself as well.
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:00 pm
Kude's ears perked as she heard voices, lifting her head to see who was coming. Her eyes immediately narrowed in on the little klipspringer, before darting to the big male with it and sneered. Dammit another of those sick lions that traveled with their food...
Still, it had been awhile since she had seen another lion, the old male that raised Kude would have tanned her hide for neglecting her manners. She winced pushing herself up to her feet to take two steps out of the shade.
"Hello there!" She called with a faint smile, careful to keep her weight off her bad leg, resting it casually as she studied the two creatures before her, her eyes still lingering on the talking 'food'.
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:36 pm
The small klipspringer almost gave a whistle of fright upon seeing the darkly colored female. However, she simply glared at the ground for getting so frightened - she normally didn't.
A brown gaze drifted to the black and white lioness. "Hello," the male gave a small nod to the female and curiously watched the dark klipspringer grow angry. At what? He wondered for a small moment before looking back to the lioness to study her.
He noticed her leg quickly, as he had been trained for so long - note weaknesses and be careful of strengths. He was a forced fighter - rather paranoid in fact. "What can I do for you?" He stepped closer to the lioness, partially sheilding Clandestin from the lioness.
After all, it wouldn't do for the small preybeast to become just that - prey.
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 9:16 pm
"It has been awhile since I have seen another lion pass by and I was simply being polite." Her words weren't sharp themselves but her tone was, clearly saying she though he was being rude and curt. Limping back to the shade, she eased herself back down, pointedly looking away from him and the dinner at his side.
She had been hoping to bargain with him, somehow, for something to eat but her pride would rather she starve than beg for food from a stranger. Ignoring her growling stomach, she nosed the bag of rune stones, taking comfort in the soft mummer of the spirits when they felt her touch.
She had drug the bag with her as a cub, too small to carry the pouch but desperate to save her heritage. She had long ago outgrown the short neck loop, but still she carried the stone faithfully.
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:49 am
The dark lion gave a frown, shifting from one white paw to another, subtly though, as if contemplating something. "I apologize humbly," He told her, though his expression didn't change to match his apology, though the tensing and relaxing of his muscles lessened with the confession.
He wasn't raised to be a knight, simply a killing machine, but the small mannerisms of his childhood shone through occasionally. On a normal day, he would simply shrug his shoulders and walk away.
The klipspringer at his side, though, gave a small indignant huff, as if the other female was being rude. Mufasa shot the prey beast a look in an attempt to quite the small beast.
Kude's ears flicked faintly at his words as she nodded her head slightly accepting his curt apology. Turning her head, her maroon eyes pinned him with a sharp look, not a rude one, just curious about the dark male.
Part of her brain noted he was rather handsome and well built, but it was more of a side note, the pain in her leg and in her stomach was stronger than ideal thoughts.
Dark brown eyes studied the female, eyes calculating and a slight bit curious. "I'm curious as to why such a lovely lady, such as yourself, is doing out here alone?" He asked, hoping to not sound as a flirt, but not really caring if he came off as one. With a side glance, he watched as Clandestin shifted around on her hooves, apparently uncomfortable with being around an unfamiliar lion.
Clandestine shifted closer to the male, brushing against his side, but paused and looked at the female. "You won't attack me, will you?" She asked,slightly fearful. She knew she couldn't outrun a lion - she obviously couldn't tell she was injured. A small hint of fear and wariness overtook her voice.
Kude blinked at the prey beast a few times then made a noise of disgust, "Well not -now-." Heaving another sigh, " I make it a rule never to eat something I had spoken with."
Her red eyes sharpened when he called her lovely, wondering what was his angle. She knew she was gaunt and unkempt from her travels.
The child-like prey beast brightened, trusting the lion to keep her work, just like Mufasa had. Mufasa was watching the interaction with a faint amusement. "Oh, good," The black female said with a smile, she, despite the more trusting nature, stkk stayed close to the large male's side.
Looking from him to the prey beast and then back, Kude shook her head. It always amazed her how innocent and trusting some souls could be. It was a cold a cruel world and trust was to valuable to be given so easily.
Sighing faintly she laid her head on her outstretched front legs, wondering why they were still here.
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:23 am
"If you don't need anything miss, we'll be on our way," Mufasa gave a nod of head to the darkly colored female. The small preybeast was already pushing her nose through the grass and scouting for any other dangers - female lions usually came in groups, after all.
Mufasa, though, wasn't one to leave in such a hurry - he'd been raised better, by a proper mother that taught him his, albeit lacking, manners and how to slaughter mercilessly, but what was besides the point.
"Sure, I'll be fine." She grunted faintly, her eyes still locked onto th little preybeast. She had no hope of even trying to catch her. Not only could she not run, but the big male wouldn't even have a struggle to kill her. He had the look of a sleek killer about him. Something that Kude was beginning to consider might be a blessing...
The dark lioness was dying, slowly and painfully and she knew it. Without a pride or a family to care of her, she was starving to death, wasting away a little bit more everyday.
It took a moment, before Kude could get her legs under her and stand up. Laying down, the shade and the lay she had been laying had concealed how bad a shape she was in, standing it was obvious that starvation wasn't that far from claiming the dark lioness. Her dark coat was mangy as she didn't have the strength to truly groom it, her skin hung loose on her bone, her ribs and spine showing through the fur. She laughed bitterly ," Don't worry little snack, I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to." She didn't even have the strength to lunge for the food that stood so near.
Mufasa gave the lioness a glance, a small one. He would hunt - yes - and bring it back to her. "I'll be back in a moment," He ducked his head in the semblance of a bow. He'd find something for her - his knightly honor surfacing from when he was a cub.
He hunted swiftly, lessons of a killer surfacing harshly, and he took down a prey beast - a young antelope - quite quickly. It was close by after all. He pulled the baby prey beast by it's neck to the dark female, like a parody of a family, but not even close.
Kude blinked stunned at the food then back to him, supicion in her dark red eyes, " Why are you feeding me? You don't owe me anything, we aren't pride...so why?" In her short and hard life, no one was kind without some hidden motive, they didn't do something for nothing was the saying.
Mufasa shrugged. "You looked like you needed a helping paw, is all." He commented. Odd, coming from him, but it was just how he was. He would feel horrible knowing if he left without helping the female and it possible for her to come across someone that would kill her.
He did have a motive, after all - to not feel guilty. It was selfish of him, to help someone so he would feel like a better lion.
She would have likely been more comfortable if he had admitted it was out of guilt, but her body couldn't deny itself any longer and she feel on the meal with the starving beast she was. It was a measure of her hunger that she didn't dis guard any of the beats, eating even the hide and cracking the bones for the rich marrow inside.
Finally through, she lifted her head to watch him once more, her eyes still suspicions but brighter...or perhaps that was just the blood on her face and legs. "Thank you stranger...your gift, though I still don't understand why.." there her eyes narrowed some but she continued, " Have bought me a few more days of life."
I will stay with you, then, until you don't need me any longer then," Mufasa said in a low voice, "I would feel horrible knowing you could not get any food for yourself and starve." He sat before the female, Klipspringer against his side. It would be time to sleep soon, the sun was already falling below the horizon.
Kude just stared at him for the longest time trying to figure out his angle. No one was ever this nice for no reason. "What do you want out of it?"
A small smile crossed Fasa's face, some of the ingrained training pushing through, but he held back his thoughts. "It's a bit late, and rest would be welcome, yes?" He asked. He didn't have too much of a hidden agenda.
"I just don't want to feel the guilt of leaving someone to starve. I know how it feels to be hungry with no one willing to help. I would not wish it on anyone." He told her. Personal gain really, he was told, was such a useless emotion - one that he could not help but feeling.
She nodded slowly, a faint smile curling her lip " So...you are doing it for your own peace of mind?" That was something she could understand and made her feel...well honestly it was a relief. If he was only helping her out of guilty, then he didn't excpect anything from her in return.
Mufasa only gave a nod. "You should rest now that you've had a meal. I'll hunt for you again in the morning," he bowed his head slightly to her and lay where he stood, a bit away from the suspicious female, but still close enough to hear her should anything happen.
Kude's ears flicked as she watched him, then the little prey beast before huffing, "You can move closer I will not attack you or her."
Mufasa shifted a bit closer, the klipspringer at his side sifting with him against his back. He gave a nod of his head and didn't speak. It wasn't as if she could seriously harm him, but he didn't state that, instead, just moving a bit closer so he was closer, placing his head on his paws.
Kude heaved a sigh as she laid her head down on her own paws, her eyes watching him for a long time before she slowly drifted off to sleep, The feeling of a full belly at long last lulling her to rest.
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