Barafu'malkia was exhuasted. Dried blood clung to her shoulder, making walking painful, and also quite annoying. There was only one gash, but it was enough to send Ishida into a rage. Bara was using all the rest of her energy to calm him down.
"Ishida," she breathed, "Ishida. Don't. Please. Just let it go." She slipped, feeling a jolt of pain as she landed on the ground.
As if her fall had finally shaken Ishida out of his blind fury, he snapped out of it, rushing to Bara's die, fretting over her. In all his training on trying to be strong, his knowledge of injuries was lacking. He was mentally kicking himself over this, watching his beloved in pain, and really unable to do anything about it.
"Stop," Bara grunted. "It's not your fault, it never was." She coughed before pushing herself up onto her belly, feeling too shaky to try and stand. She needed to rest, gather her breathe, and hopefully get Ishida to calm down. Ugh, men.
"How is it not my fault?! It's my duty to protect you, and I wasn't there for you-"
Bara cut in harshly. "Since when was it your fault to do all that? I've taken care of myself for quite a while; and as head of the family, it's my duty to keep everyone in line."
Ishida's only initial reply was a growl, obviously not agreeing with her statement.
"Oh, shush. I'll heal; it's nothing like what he got. Old fool, thinking he could really do something against me when he's practically harmless himself." She snorted before resting her head on Ishida's paws, pretty much making him relax with the contact. She hated abusing that trust, that love, but she needed to get him to calm down, and see her side of things.
When she had rested her pretty head on him so softly, Ishida grew quiet. He could still feel the bubbling of wanting to protect what he loved, but watching her rest was enough to push it away. Fine, he would deal with it later. Korongo certainly had gotten his part of the deal, and was probably almost an invalid if he didn't heal correctly. Served him right.
"I never liked him," Ishida commented, trying to keep the growl from escaping his throat.
"I know. He's hated me for many years; he must have been trying to kill me again."
Ishida shook his head. "He could get in real trouble here, y'know?"
"I know."
He snorted. "You won't do anything about it, though, will you?"
He only received a sigh as a reply. Hmph. "Fine, if that's how you want to have it. But we'd better figure up how to fix you quick. Questions won't help, and with how you need to be free for your duties, I don't know how we're going to hide this fact."
"I know," she commented, and raised her head up to look at him. She was terrified of the idea. Terrified that she would turn out just like her sister. She knew that she was always the more responsible one of the two, but in the end that really didn't mean anything when they were your own. Would she turn out like her mother? The most ideal mother in the world? Or would she turn out like her sister? The one relief she did have was that there was no possible way of losing any children; Zuri had never forgiven herself for that. The one that happened to look like her from the first litter, gone. Never heard from again. Tahari had taken it hard as well, and lashed against her mother.
Bara sighed. Maybe she could do this. Tahari had always been a handful, but she had almost always listened to her. Bara was practically the girl's mother, if moreso in discipline than anything.
Ishida looked at her with a questioning look. He had no idea what she was implying. "You know, it wouldn't be that hard to hide this. We could just say that I had taken you out for a hunt, and we had come across a very unhappy leopard. They may be a little smaller than us, but they're more crafty." It was an honest observance.
Bara shook her head. "No, that won't work. Then why would you have no mark on you, even if you had driven the leopard away? No, there's really only one way to keep me within the cave for a few days at the least, and to keep me secluded too, beyond Mother."
Ishida narrowed his eyes. "What?"
She smiled quite softly, some of the worry starting to seep into her face. She leaned up, motioning him to lower his head so she could say it quietly. Whisper it. Almost as if it was a secret, something forbidden.
He got it quite quickly. Almost the moment she indicated that she didn't want to say it out loud. With shock on his face, he really spent the time to look into her face, the fear that was touching the sides of her expression.
"You don't look sure," he said, the only thing he could say. No matter what anyone said, it would carry the heaviest burden on her. And he knew enough of the family situation to have a deep understanding of exactly what she was saying. Offering, almost.
She sighed, shaking her head slowly. She pawed at his paws, urging him to lie next to her. Once he finally did, she cuddled up next to his side, trying to feed from his strength. It was so hard not to cry.
"I am scared," she finally said. "I'll always be scared. Can I live up to my mother, or will I turn into the failure my sister was?" She felt the nuzzle of disagreement, but continued on. "I know I won't know until it happens, but the fear still lingers."
She looked up at him, almost pleading with him. "Please, Ishida. I know it's soon after living here, but I don't know what else to do. My father is my problem, not the pride's problem. If he even survives what I did to him..." she grew quiet, only thinking of her mother. Bara hated her father, but her mother was her world. And, sadly to the pale blue lioness, her mother loved her father very much, no matter how terrible he was to his own daughters. He had been a king of kings, so high on the world. To see him where he was now...she didn't even want to think what her mother thought. She knew that was why her father hated her so; Bara had essentially destroyed the pride, though indirectly. Freedom to the slaves and the abuse, but Father would never see it that way.
"Please?"
Ishida looked at her for a moment longer before resting his head on the nape of her neck. He closed his eyes, only thinking. His own family situation had never been a good one; he had no example to look at.
"I don't know how I would ever be as a father, either, Bara. You know of my background; I've told you everything quite willingly. I've never pressed you for your past, knowing what I know has been enough. You shouldn't judge yourself before it's even happened, though."
She gasped, though very softly. "So...?"
"If that is what you wish, and you feel it is something more than an excuse to hide yourself for a few days."
Bara smiled. "Alright."
Ishida nudged her gently. "We should get you in soon; the sun sets."
She almost giggled, mostly from anxiety and fear. But...there was a touch of excitement there, too. The plea for a few days of cave rest, for she was feeling quite under the weather...it was a flurry of emotions, that.
The male grumbled. "Hopefully your father won't want to kill me when he finds out, for more than one reason."
Bara could only laugh at Ishida for that.
