Yokheved:
Yokheved walked to where she had left Li and Squall that morning, having stayed where she was for a time after her unfortunate encounter, then wandered about for a while, in case the dangerous male was still following her. She needed to tell King Rotem, as soon as possible, to avoid problems later, as well as explain her vision and the new lands for the pride.
But Tamar was honoring Basmath's grave today. As her mother's former totem, Tamar took the day she died every year, and sat beside her grave. 'Heve didn't know what the monkey did, she respected her totem enough not to pry.
And the only other creature who could even come close to understand and translate for her was Li, even though she didn't want him to know what had happened to her.
Li Wei:
Feeling a little better, and strong enough now to walk on his own four feet, Li returned to his mortal form and spent the morning bathing himself in the God's sea to ease the still aggrivated wounds and rid his fur of any blood that had seeped from his healing wounds during the course of the night.
He had rinsed himself off in the stream, enough at least for him to groom himself without gagging on the salty water caught up in his fur. After spending the morning resting in the sun, his fur had returned to a healthy shine, patched here and there where the male had bitten into him.
He cracked an eye open as 'heve approached. He'd found a sunny rock not too far from where he'd been laid to rest. Yawning, the young god stretched his paws out and slowly stood himself up.
Yokheved:
'Heve smiled a bit when she saw Li, up and about and looking better, back in his mortal form. She approached him and paused at a place between them where she could draw in the dirt. She motioned him to her before starting to draw. First a side view of a lioness and she placed her face mark next to that one, to indicate it was her. Then one of a lion facing the image on herself and next to him she wrote the symbols upon the king. And finally, between them she drew Li, trying to convey that she needed to talk to Rotem, and asking if he could translate for her.
Li Wei:
Li slid himself off the rock and approached 'heve as she beckoned him forward. Yawning off his nap, he took a seat and watched her draw. His brows raised in understanding. "You're going to talk to the king? And...you want me to speak to him for you?" He looked up and slowly rolled his ears back. "....I've....not met him yet. Will I be welcome here?"
Yokheved:
'Heve smiled again, reached out, and drew him close to her sore body in a hug. She gave him a squeeze before leaning back to point to him and then pressed the paw to her chest. She drew a smiling expression above Rotem's figure, trying to assure him that he would be welcome if she was, especially since he would be translating for her in Tamar's absence.
She gave him another squeeze and looked at him expectantly, hoping he would feel okay with it.
Li Wei:
He nuzzled against her, taking a deep breath. A scent caught his attention and stiffened his shoulders. Haunted eyes slowly looked upwards. He knew that scent... it was a scent that accompanied the memory of blood and angry claws.
"....'heve...what happened to you?"
Yokheved:
Her eyes turned sad as she looked down at him, then tapped the picture. Above it, she drew the male's face. 'Heve pointed to the picture and looked around as if she was searching for something, then pointed to Li. She pointed to the face again, then to herself and opened her mouth just to snap it shut again, as she had done before. The look she gave the picture was angry as she rubbed one paw against her belly, hoping nothing would come of the encounter, but unafraid if something did.
Once more she tapped the picture of Rotem. She needed to tell him, about the evil lion as well as the safe lands Li had found.
Li Wei:
Li slowly looked down at the picture as she drew it out. His eyes went wide and the hair on the back of his neck slowly began to rise up off his back. He slowly looked up to 'heve, though it was clear he missed half of her statement. He'd not yet learned some of the 'facts of life'. It went over his head.
"...we need to warn him. That's what your saying, isn't it? He's close..."
Yokheved:
'Heve's head nodded back and forth a bit, unable to find any other way to explain it. That established, she stood and tilted her head in the direction of where she had an idea where the king would be. She just hoped he would actually be there, so they wouldn't have to search the entire pridelands for the king.
Li Wei:
Li sat silent for a moment, eyes heavy as he studied the drawing and digested the information. Why would he attack 'heve? She didn't do anything wrong... why had she gone out alone and unprotected? Perhaps asking Squall to keep an eye on her too....
He reached a paw up to rub at his eyes. "...I'm so sorry."
Yokheved:
'Heve's eyes shot wide as she pulled him close again and gave him a number of gentle licked to his forehead, trying to reassure him that she wasn't mad or anything like that. She was proud of herself and the courage she had manage to gather in protecting Li against that horrible male. If only she could tell Li how she felt.
Li Wei:
He leaned against her leg and wrapped one of his paws around her in an attempt at a hug. "...you got hurt because no one was protecting you... I should have known..."
He licked her leg and looked up to her, forcing a smile. "...I smell blood on you. Are you okay? Can the king get you a healer?"
Yokheved:
At the last word, 'Heve pointed to herself. She was sore, but didn't know she was bleeding anywhere. She would have to check, but not until she saw Rotem. She gave Li a reassuring smile and gestured in the previous direction again, her expression changing to a more questioning one.
Li Wei:
He nuzzled her forepaw again and gave a long sigh. "...alright... just promise you'll take care of yourself."
He stood himself up and gave her a gentle nudge forward. "Let's go. The pride needs to be warned. They have warriors...and... maybe I should.." He swallowed. "...take my other form. So they'll believe us when we tell them that we need to move...."
Yokheved:
'Heve nodded in affirmation to his request for a promise. And when he nudged her, she started walking towards where she hoped to find King Rotem. She looked at him when he asked about taking his other form and she thought about it for a moment as she walked. It might be good if he did, to show that he knew what he was talking about and so that the king knew they had a god living in the pride again. So after a moment, she nodded and licked his ear again, trying to tell him it would all be okay.
Li Wei:
He smiled softly and took a few steps away. After a short look around, assuring that no one else was around to watch, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A slight breeze rushed up around him, tossing his mane about as it unfurled into a long, golden wave of mane. His tail flicked as it seemed to stretch outwards and grow a long, silky sail of gold. His horn pushed free from his forehead as the fur along his back and belly pulled back, exposing his shimmering scales.
He shook himself out and stepped back over to her. "Lead on."
Yokheved:
'Heve paused and watched Li change from his fluffy mortal form to the more sleek, but still cuddly (In her opinion, anyways) true form. She kept the smile when he came back to her and nodded. They started walking again, 'Heve leading him towards one of the drinking pools where she had often seen the king at this time of the day.
Li Wei:
Li slowly lifted his head and puffed his chest out. During each of his encounters with his fellow immortals- minus, of course, Maua, he'd seen them display an air of pride and confidence. Royalty had instructed him to mind his mannors in the presense of a royal, but to carry himself with pride.
It didn't mean he looked comfortable doing it.
Rotem:
Sure enough, lounging by the pool in the sunlight, Rotem lay stretched out. His easy, carefree expression had been replaced with a troubled, distant one. He belatedly noticed the approach of the pride's healer and the shimmering creature at her side.
Rotem quickly rolled to his belly, eyes going wide, as he glanced, uncertainly, between Li and 'Heve. As they came closer, he stood himself up, tense and uneasy. "...Well...this is unexpected."
Yokheved:
'Heve smiled politely and dipped her head respectfully as they came within proper speaking distance with the king. He knew who she was, but she wasn't sure if she saw the mortal cub in Li's god form, so she looked to her little friend and waved a paw from Li to Rotem, asking Li to introduce himself, giving him a private smile, hoping he wouldn't get too stressed out.
Li Wei:
Li slowly stepped forward and tipped his head in respect. The orb encircled in his horn pulsed faintly. The pride was a peaceful one, and while Rotem seemed tense and on guard- his heart was a good one. He had a kind pair of eyes and an easy air about him.
"Sir... my name is Li Wei... you knew me once as Lewe. It has been... a long time. I ask your forgiveness for my absnese- but right now I come to offer a warning."
He looked back to 'Heve, his expression tightening. "Sir...there's something hanging over the pride. A monster lurks the boarders and something...terrible is approaching. 'Heve has been troubled by dreams as of late..."
Rotem:
Rotem raised a paw, his brow creasing, "One at a time... hold on." He shifted himself up onto his paws and shook his mane out, sending it flying out from his large body to settle along his chest and shoulders.
"You...you're Lewe? But..." He shook his head. "...how?"
Yokheved:
'Heve sat down across from the king and her smile fell. She understood that Li's background was important, especially in that he was once Lewe, something she didn't really understand, either, but the evil male and the looming doom were more important at the moment.
She touched Li's shoulder and tapped the side of her head, then drew a picture of the new pridelands. Of all the issues that needed discussing, that was the most important in her mind, so she felt that should be discussed first.
Li Wei:
Li swallowed and slowly dropped his ears. "....sir I.. I think I died not too long ago. I'm sorry. I...recently got some of my memories back."
He looked over to 'Heve, ears perking as she started to draw out the new lands. He looked back to Rotem. "Listen...'heve had a vision of something terrible coming to this pride- and of a place for us... I found this place."
Rotem:
Rotem's ears fell. With a slow nod he lifted his silvery eyes to the female. "...I think your vision was warning us. Our hunting party returned, terrified... man has returned to these lands."
Yokheved:
'Heve's eyes widened and her ears shot up at that news. Man, back in the pridelands? That was a danger, after all. No wonder her vision had been so urgent. She looked to Li and nodded.
With the lands established, 'Heve sighed mutedly and looked to Rotem for a moment. She turned back to Li and put a paw over half of her face. Part of her didn't want to have to tell the king of the incident, but it needed to be told. Cubs out of a mated pair were frowned upon, unless in extenuating circumstances. Such as in her case. Should she have them, 'Heve wanted to make sure they would be accepted completely.
Li Wei:
Li tipped his head to one side. "Man? I've...never heard of...a man." He glanced over to 'heve, but it was Rotem that answered him.
Rotem:
"Man... built the ruins that we call home here." He nodded back towards the crumbled buildings. The lions of En Gedi called them home now, their cubs played where great men once sat. "They're creatures that stand on two legs, they have just one little patch of hair on their heads, sometimes on their faces. They're not dangerous just as they are...but the things they do, the things they know." He looked back, "They carry pointed weapons, or they did...now apparently they carry sticks that shoot thunder.
Li Wei:
Li shuddered at the description. They sounded terrible... creatures that could call the thunder itself. He'd only thought that power was given to the gods themselves.
"....oh." He glanced to 'heve, glad for the distraction. "Sir...she was attacked by a rogue on the boarders. Me too... he's a terrible thing. Half his body's clawed up, his face is hidden behind a mask of bone..."
Yokheved:
The smallish female nodded as the king explained to Li what men were, remembering her history lessons as a cub. The idea of them had always scared her, so maybe that had been aiding the appearance in her dream.
When Li explained, briefly, about the masked male, 'Heve returned her gaze to Rotem, holding her breath. She let it out slowly for a moment before drawing in the loose dirt at her paws. A female she labeled with her mark, a male with a mask. And between them, a much smaller lion, a cub. She tapped the cub and shrugged in uncertainty, her gaze to the ground.
Rotem:
Li sat, baffled, at the drawing. He assumed the cub was himself- but Rotem seemed to know otherwise. A muffled growl rumbled at the back of his throat. "....'heve....he did that to you?" He looked up, a dark cloud passing over his normally gentle eyes. "Where is he? We'll send the warriors out immediantly."
Li Wei:
"Sir... if I may speak..." Li piped in quietly, "....we don't have time. We have to leave."
Yokheved:
'Heve nodded slowly, glancing up to see the fury in her king's eyes. Her ears flicked back and she shook her head quickly. She didn't want the warriors to be sent out on account of her, and Li was right. There was no time to be tracking the insane male down. She gestured to Li and nodded, agreeing with his statement. His words seemed cautious and thought it might be that Rotem's anger was frightening Li, so she scooted closer to the young god, resting a paw lightly on his shoulder. She smiled down at him before turning a pleading gaze on Rotem. She swiped her paw over the drawings she had made, erasing them completely.
Li Wei:
"This is a conflict you cannot afford to engage in..." Li continued gently. "The journey to the new lands are going to be hard enough... your pride will need its strength- including the warriors. Especially the warriors..."
Rotem:
Rotem leaned back, his eyes hardening as he turned his gaze out towards the boarders. He stood in silence, breathing hard to calm the quiet fury boiling in his chest.
With a long sigh, he turned back to face the two. A seer and a god... he could hardly believe he was in the presense of either.
"....very well. Give me a day to speak with my warrior chief.I don't make any decisions without his knowing of it."
Yokheved:
'Heve dipped her head low in both acknowledgement and agreement to her king's request. It seemed something important enough to do so. She stood then and looked to Li, to see if he had anything more needed to be said. She was forgetful at times, so there might have been something. Though she was quite certain everything had been covered, she also had a problem with doubting her memory even when it worked.
Rotem:
"....wait... ah..." He dipped his head, unsure how to address a god. "...will you...be staying with us then?"
Li Wei:
Li took his spot beside 'heve and looked over to Rotem. After a moment of consideration he smiled and gave a short nod of his head. "So long as you make this pride a safe one... where the scent of blood is only a memory, then yes."
Yokheved:
Yokheved smiled at that. It made her feel better knowing that Li wouldn't be going out again. She worried for him, after he'd come back beat up and running into the male that stalked him. She wouldn't be able to stop worrying should he leave, especially if he went out alone. The silent healer had grown fond of the young god, and would no doubt only grow more attached to him as time wore on.
Li Wei:
"Come find 'heve when you're ready to announce your decision. I'll be sure to come if you decide to go. I know the way." He nudged Heve's shoulder gently and nodded forward. "You need rest."
