“What a lovely night sky.” Murmured the pale lilac leopard to herself as she sat down beside a waterhole. Everything was calm with only a faint breeze stirring the long grass behind her. Ah, if only every night was like this. Perfectly quiet and peaceful –
“Oiy!”
Or at least like what it had been.
Sighing the leopardess turned around and watched with faint annoyance as a dark form dragged itself forward. “Really? How many times are you going to come to me like this?” Her nose wrinkled at the smell of fresh blood, “Such a mess, just after I fixed you up so recently too.”
“Nice to see you too, Lalika.” The lion replied before he came out of the grass and stood wobbly in the moonlight. His head hung heavy with obvious exhaustion yet his dark midnight blue eyes gleamed with humor. Or was it pain? Really she couldn’t tell.
“Xennek.” The leopardess sighed before walking over to him, “Stand still and let me get a good look at you.” Her gaze scanned over him and though she didn’t love what she saw, Lalika had to admit that his condition was better than the last time she had seen him.
“How’s it look?” He tried to look down his side, but ended up wincing instead.
“Horrible.”
“Heh. And if you think I look bad you should see the other guy.” He grinned.
“Yes, yes. I know.” Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the proud lion,
Lalika motioned her head to the side. “Come on inside where I can get a better look at you, Xennek.” Supporting the lion she slowly made her way to a den near the waterhole. It was deep and surprisingly clean for a place that no one lived in. She only used it to take care of her random patients – mainly the big lion that always found himself getting into fights.
Stretching out to let the leopardess see his side better Xennek grinned. “Looks the same as always in here.”
“I’m so glad you remember.” She muttered before picking up some dried herbs and chewing them slowly. “So thell me whath was ith this thime?” Ugh. As much as she was used to it, this herb really had a sour taste.
“A lady’s honor was at risk.” Lalika gave him a look and Xennek quickly shook his head, “It wasn’t my fault! …this time anyway.”
“Sure it wasn’t.” She finished chewing and set to getting the juices dripped over his wound. At least the bleeding had stopped earlier. He was lucky.
Last time blood had been all over the place because of a wound in his side. This one was shallower than before, not as deep as the last. Good, she could pack his wound with some strong plants and that should keep it from opening up again. If he behaved that was. Sighing she looked over at him. Probably not.
“She was all alone. Out here in the roguelands.” Xennek muttered softly mostly to himself, but Lalika realized that she was his audience, “Then that rogue came to her, tried to quickly romance her. She was a smart one though, knew better than that. Still that brute didn’t leave her be and started to get violent.”
“And you happened to come along?”
“Aye.” He grinned up at her, “Of course.”
“You just wanted to fight, admit it.”
“Now wait a second!”
“Don’t start arguing. You need to rest, not try to pointlessly lie.” The leopard started to press dried herbs into the side. Gently, of course….at first.
“Oww!”
“You’ll live, stay still now.” She started to mix in some more juices before layering the rest of the herbs over his wound. “Good.” Now that that one was taken care of she could pay attention to the more minor ones. First she took a look at his hind leg which was missing a bit of fur due to the long scratches from a low swipe. “Keep it up and you’ll lose your dashing looks, Xennek.”
He snorted in light laughter before wincing again, “You know me. That’ll never change, Lalika.”
“Not vain at all are you?”
“Not at all.”
“Of course.”
Their playful banter was the norm for the two. Ever since Xennek had come around this area, the leopardess had taken to being his healer. Though the gods only knew what or who kept him alive before her. She sighed and shook her head. If she ever met that other lion, the plant lover, she would love to hear his stories. They should be interesting tales according to the scars that decorated the large lion in front of her. Especially that long scar that ran across his lower side.
“Hey, how much longer until I can move again?”
Lalika refocused on the lion and gave him an exasperated look, “A while. You know you can’t just get up and walk away after I just got the wound sealed up. You’ll open it again, and then we’ll have to figure out how to get rid of your carcass rather than fixing you up.”
“Such optimism.” He grinned lazily before flexing his paws, “I guess that means I better catch up on my sleep then.”
“You should.” She gave it the day. By the next morning, he would probably be limping his way back to another fight. Typical behavior. Really how did he survive? “Xennek I have to get back. Can you manage to behave for at least one day before I come back to check on you?”
“Of course!”
“Promise.” She looked at him, “On your honor that you will be right here where I left you when I return.”
“I do, I do.” He waved his paw at her, “Now get out and let me get some rest.”
Smiling Lalika nodded and after one last look back into the den started racing through the grass towards her home. Surely, this time she had him. After all that lion may be a trickster and a flirt, but he definitely had honor.
Somehow.
