Night came as a blessing in the desert, doubly so to the weary travellers who tred the sandy path. Lavendar eyes pried open with a soft, almost inaudible sound of pained protest before the lioness shook her head to clear them of sand and grit. Her once pure white coat, was shabby and ill kept as the rest of her. Already slender in build, Zana was skinner still, but it was skin streched over toned muscles giving her stamina and speed that she had once lacked.
Lifting her head and slowly getting to her feet, She hissed as she streched then gently nudged her companion. "Kim it's dark. We need to see if we can find water."
Kimya's once luxurious mane was frizzled and stuck to his face. He rolled onto his side with a painful grunt, opening his eyes with alot of effort. It hadn't felt like he was asleep for very long at all. Kimya slowly stood beside her, stretchign out his hind legs with a yawn, looking at her at a sidelong glance.
She wasn't look at him, she was looking out into the desert. "I don't know how much further it is. I don't know if I can find water or enough to fed you Kimya." Her tone was soft, almost full of despair but at the same time it held a note of truth in it.
Kimya growled. It wasn't just him that needed food, or did he always have to remind her of that? He felt more like a nuiscance than a travelling companion enough as it was. Ever-so-not-subtly, he tapped her shoulder with his paw and motioned. Might as well get started.
Perhaps it was the lack of food and water, or the stress of the day, but she jerked away with an angry cry. "Dammit Kim! Why didn't you listen to me when I begged you to stay behind!?"
Kimya's ears flipped back and he looked away, a snarl on his lips. Because I wanted to go with you? Was that so wrong? When he turned back to her, the same stress showed on his face. He made a little growl of protest. She'd been fine with him until now, so it wasn't completely his fault.
"Don't you growl at me! I warned you over and over and you wouldn't listen!" She sniffled turning to face him now with tears of anger in her eyes. "You were so sure you would be fine, and now you are dying!"
Kimya stepped forward and shoved her chest. Your not exactly so hawt, yourself! It wasn't like she was purposefully hurting him, or hurting him at all. It was just the whole damn place. And the sand! To hell with sand!
She snarled when he shoved her, shoving back, in her anger forgetting how bad off he was. "I should have never let you come with me!"
Kimya yowled, his voice deep and harsh because of his vocal cords. He backed off with another growl before he cleared his throat to speak in his harsh whispering tone; "Don't....want...?"
"Don't want what?"She nearly sobbed though it came out a angre gruff. "Don't want you to die? You should have listened to start with!"
"You...don't li'sin." He snorted irritably. Why wasn't she getting it? It wasn't like he could go off on a rant to her.
"Neither do you!" She looked away from him then, her body tense with emotion.
"N-n-never li'sin." He said angrily, his claws flexing into the dirt. "Sel'ish. Always 'bout...you."
She spun around her mouth dropping open, "Selfish!? I'm selfish!? I never made you come with me on my quest! YOU insited on following me! I told you my reasons, I didn't twist your tail to come."
His throat ached too much for him to continue, so he simmered quietly. Kimya's fangs grated on one another. Why hadn't she bothered asking him why he was with her, why he was still here when he should have been gone long ago? Hell, he was her escort, not her friend and he'd been stupid to think of it as anything more.
She shook her head, finally shoving past him. "Come on..those buzzards had to have found water around here to nest. Once we get there, you stay with the water untill you are safe to go back."
Kimya snorted. Haha, ya right. He wasn't going another step with her, even if water did sound tempting. If anything, he turned sideways with half his back turned on her.
She growled "I am not arguing with you anymore. I am not gonna lead you to your death."
Kimya growled back. Why did she have to be so damn difficult? It was at that moment that he started thinking about the little negative things about her, like the butt nomming thing and her inability to hunt. Why did he even stay?
"Come on Kimya!" She frowned her ears laying flat back against her skull as her tail lashed the air behind her. Dammit she didn't have much time left in the night to find him a safe place and then find the pride too.
Slowly, and as calmly as he could, Kimya shook his head. No, no more. He was done with this. With this whole journey. Kimya flopped back down on his butt resolutely.
"...FINE! Stay here in die then!" She all but screamed before taking off at a dead run, as if by runing she could change fate.
