Pumzi's forelimbs had healed well, well enough that she hardly limped when she was fresh and took care walking. The last few nights had been rainy though, and the damp chill had seeped deep inside of her. The places where her bones had been shattered ached miserably that morning. As she made her slow, careful way to her usual outpost on the edge of the pride, it felt as though her bones were splintered columns in her legs, grinding and tearing with every measured step.
Finally reaching her usual spot, the golden-brown lioness lay down for a moment. Her spot was high up, high enough that she had a good view of the surrounding lands all the way to the horizon. If she spotted visitors approaching she had time to make her way back to the dens and alert the guards. Today Pumzi didn't even glance at the horizon, distracted by her pain. The rising sun was steadily warming the stones beneath her, and she felt the healing heat soak into her legs. Closing her bright eyes, the lioness slipped into a doze.
Gunnar had seen a couple of lions from afar, but his pelt was subdued enough that he could hide himself well. He was interested in this land. It was high and rocky ... it reminded him somewhat of home. The Stormborn had been away from home for a while now, enjoying himself and causing general mayhem with his friend Taraxa. So far he had nothing to show for it, though. He needed something to bring back to his pride. A thrall perhaps, or a lovely female, or at least some good conquests to brag about.
Lying about such encounters never even occurred to him. The thought of being caught out in such a lie ... well, it was simply unthinkable. Gunnar would never set himself up for such a humiliation. So he lay in wait, hoping for some easy prey to stumble across his path. He didn't know that he was near the border of a pride, but he did know that he blended in well with his chosen hiding spot. If he saw no one, he would move on.
He had hardly been in hiding for a couple of hours when he saw a lioness make her weary way across a rocky ridge not too far from him. She looked young. His age, perhaps, or if older, not by much. She was pretty enough, in pleasantly neutral colors. Gunnar waited until the lioness had settled herself down for a nap before creeping closer.
Dozing as she was, Pumzi didn't notice the other lion's stealthy approach until he was almost on her. Sensing something, she raised her head, blinking at the stranger. He was big. Not huge, but big. The lion looked a good deal wilder and more uncouth than the visitors she usually associated with. He was big, he had a cocky, snarly smile on his face, and he had crept up on her. Hardly the actions of a noble lion. There was a lot to set off warning bells in the average lioness, but Pumzi either didn't notice or didn't care. It all came to the same in the end.
The warmth of the rocks had eased Pumzi's pain somewhat during her short nap. She sat up carefully, pushing off with her stiff forelegs without a wince. The lioness studied the stranger, bright blue eyes assessing him. "Hello, stranger. I am Guide Pumzi," she said slowly. This situation was strange, but much of life was strange to her now.
The female didn't seem to be alarmed at all. Hmm. Well, some females were braver than others. Some found his ferocity appealing and tried to seduce him. If this female was one of those, she seemed to be going about it a litlte strangely. She was just sitting there, staring at him blandly. Staring through him. Unlike his friend Taraxa, Gunnar always felt a bit awkward around females. He was an utter failure at being the one to initiate flirting. Intimidation and aggression usually worked. Or those embarrassing incidents where a female found his discomfort cute ... ugh.
Gunnar smiled his fiercest smile at the inoffensive lioness. "Pumzi. What are you doing alone, Guide Pumzi? Don't the males of your pride take care of their females?" He stalked around her slowly, more to seem threatening than to actually inspect her. He really didn't have much interest in her, in truth.
Now the stranger was definitely acting sinister. Pumzi sat still as he circled her, complacent in the knowledge that if this lion attacked her there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Why worry, then? "I am a Guide. Our Guards accompany me when escorting visitors through our lands." She turned her head to look at the stranger, blue eyes perfectly calm. "You are not here as a peaceful visitor." It was more of a statement than a question.
Gunnar was feeling a bit put out. She didn't seem scared of him at all, just sat there like a lump. Now that he had gotten a closer look at her, he was also realizing something dreadful: she was injured in her forelimbs. They had been broken or twisted somehow. The scars were just visible beneath her fur, and when she sat up he could see that they weren't quite straight and pure. She would be a terrible thrall, if he even managed to get her home with him.
Taraxa would laugh at him.
"Of course I'm not a peaceful visitor!" Gunnar snapped. He sounded more frustrated than ferocious, which in turn frustrated him more. "I'm a Stormborn, you weak little thing!" He snarled at her.
Still sitting, Pumzi took all this equably. "Will you go away then, Stormborn?" She asked mildly when he was done. "We are peaceful. We have nothing for you."
Putting on his sinister face again, Gunnar laughed darkly at her words. "I am away from my pride searching for thralls ... and women," he said. He cast another glance at her legs. Damn it. She couldn't run away from him, but why would he want to keep her? It would be a long, slow walk back home. Gunnar had failed in his mission before he had even begun.
Pumzi could tell that despite the lion's words he wasn't very enthusiastic about his stated mission. In truth, she felt a little bit bad for him. She found it difficult to understand normal people, usually. Their thoughts ran differently from hers. She could sense something in this Stormborn, though, something a bit fractured. Conflicted, perhaps. After having drowned, Pumzi was quite unafraid of anyone mortal. She reached out a slightly twisted paw to the stranger, gently. Sympathetic. "I will be your woman, Stormborn. Then we can both go our ways," Pumzi said, her voice even and mild.
Gunnar had come as the 'seducer' and failed. He had never, ever been seduced by a woman in quite this way before. He didn't know what to make of it. The Stormborn was utterly put off guard. Thankfully there were no lions of his pride around to see him. His snarling expression faded, replaced by a slightly puzzled frown. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a trace of sympathy for this twisted little female.
Should he just leave? The honorable part of him told him firmly that he should just leave this strange, sad little lioness to her business. That part was quickly drowned out by the part that told him he could use this tale. Alter it, of course. But it would be a triumph! Seducing a little innocent pride-lioness. "Well, all right," he said, unable to keep the awkwardness from his voice.
