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 Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:42 am
Gasping, she floundered helplessly, paws struggling to cling to the rock that was slick with water. Spray showered her face, making her cough and splutter when she tried to cry out for help. Struggling to breathe she almost lost her grip on the rock that was the only thing keeping her head above the water as the torrent rushed past.
Trembling with fear and the pain of water in her chest, she closed her eyes tight against the waves that smashed over her head. Was she going to die here?
She had been wandering as usual, walking with no set direction in mind, just following the trail that spooled out under her paws, occasionally stopping to examine something that caught her eye, but mostly, going nowhere. Though she would have eventually settled down to hunt, she hadn't seen a decent herd for a few hours and hadn't yet been hungry enough to worry. The path had led across a river, but there had been a very thin band of earth stretching over it where the river had tunnelled under the land and slowly eroded away each end of the tunnel until only a narrow band remained as a 'bridge' of sorts. She had been half way across when the whole thing crumbled, dumping her into the middle of the fast flowing river. She had struck her head on a half-submerged bolder, managing to get a grip on the rock before she had been swept off, and now, she clung to the stone tightly, dizzy and unable to see from the blow and the waves of water breaking over her.
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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:25 pm
Alasiri had been lapping at the water on the edge of the river, where it pooled inland to form an eddy that kept the liquid clean, and kept the danger of the swift current from pulling you in. It was also to small for hippos and only young crocodiles could fit their scaly hides in the shallows. It had become his favorite drinking spot in the small area of the Rogue Lands he had started to consider 'home'. His boulder ringed tea-tree was only a few meters away.
He'd been thinking about lunch, and if he should go scare up something larger then hair or baby impala. He'd hoped that the lioness he had met the other day would return. As much as he hated to admit it, he was worried she was not eating enough. Perhaps he should catch something bigger, just in case.
Alasiri had just made up his mind and was about to turn away to find a spring buck or baby zebra when he heard what sounded like a muffled cry for help. Narrowing his violet colored eyes, he looked out onto the rapids and saw a pale shape griping onto a boulder as the river tore at its precarious perch.
" Hold on!" he roared as he darted along bank to where the boulders jutted out from the side of the river. Jumping from on to the other he got to the large grayish stone just beside the one the bedraggled cat was clinging to. " Can you hear me?" He yelled above the rush of the water.
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:37 pm
A sound pierced through the roar of the water, vague and distant, barely caught against the roar the water in her ears, but it sounded almost like a voice. Turning her head, coughing and choking as she tried to open her eyes, she squinted against the spray, barely able to make out a dark shape close by. Dragging a raspy breath into her lungs, spluttering from the water that followed, she cried out again, voice weak and panicked.
"Please! Help!"
Yelping as a large wave crashed against the rock she clung to, she felt her grip slipping and scrambled to keep her purchase, a fearful keening escaping as she tried to dig claw into stone.
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Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 11:55 am
The young male didn't hesitate a moment longer, he braced his front feet on the slippery rock and made a grab for the smaller cat's nape. His sharp teeth closed around the loose flap of skin and fur, clamping down as tight as he dared.
Backing up with his powerful hind feet and pulling with his whole body, he managed to get the pale, soaked, body up over the boulder. Keeping his hold he half carried, half dragged the near drowned cat to the safe side of the river bank.
Setting he?she? down, Alasiri collapsed beside the prone form, his sides heaving. The wound on his hind quarter from the run in with the honey badger a few days ago had broken open again and was painting his dark fur a nice shade of crimson.
Now that they were out of the river and immediate danger, the male lion turned to get a look at the wet, near drowned, feline. Hoping he hadn't hurt it to badly by carrying it like a cub, he gently touched one of his massive paws to wet shoulder, " Are you ok?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:29 am
Suddenly she felt the sharp press of teeth at the back of her neck and her body just went entirely limp, claws retracting as she just let go of the rock. It was not voluntary, the grip on the ruff of her neck was like a trigger, putting her body into a relaxed state despite the frenzied panic of her mind.
At least she wasn't flailing about when the large lion dragged her free. Once set down on dry land she lay there, gasping and coughing as she tried to get the water from her lungs and catch a breath. Yet eventually, she could breathe a little easier and her eyes opened, the pale lilac hue filled with anxiety and stress. Rolling her eyes until she spotted her rescuer, she tried to speak and instead sent herself into a heaving coughing fit, that once over, left her weak and trembling.
Eventually the leopardess grew calmer, her breathing evening out and deepening. Opening her eyes again she looked over at the male, tongue licking her jaw nervously, shyness etched in her features yet a deep sense of gratitude shone in her pale eyes. "T-thank you..." She managed to whisper huskily, her voice broken from her coughing earlier. She stayed flat on her side, too afraid to move and set off another bout of painful coughs, that and the fact she couldn't feel her paws just yet..
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:18 pm
" You're welcome," Alasiri told her, his violet eyes looking over her. Deciding she was far to wet and far to weak to leave along the bank of the river he knelt down, " Come on, sit up so I can get you on my back. We can't stay here, you need to dry off and you're not going to do that with the river spraying everywhere."
He waited patiently for her to sit up, " My tree is not that far from here. It's well sheltered, and I was about to go hunt up some dinner when you decided to see if you could breath underwater."
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 5:42 pm
Blushing at his last comment she tried a weak smile, though the expression was strained from her close brush with death and the fact that her chest hurt considerably from ingesting too much water and the violent coughing afterwards. After a moment she gave a faint nod and struggled to push herself up onto her front paws. It took a couple of efforts before she fond her balance, but finally she made it, legs splayed wide as she hung her head, breathing with a bad rasping sound.
"I... I'm sorry to be such trouble.." She managed to croak out.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:32 am
The young male lion snorted, the sound amused as he stepped up beside her, " Seems I keep attracting trouble these days," his warm voice laced with teasing, " Come on, let me help you."
Alasiri lowered the left side of his body, dipping his head so she could drape herself over his flank, " I hope you like a couple of day old Honey Badger, if not I will go scare up some Spring Hare or a Pangolin. I saw a nest of them a little south of here."
Once she was settled, he began to walk slowly toward his Tea Tree, " Name's Alasiri by the way..."
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:47 am
Quite red-cheeked now, she managed to pull herself up enough to slide over his strong back, one fore paw latching onto his mane though she forced herself to trust him and didn't cling to his side with her claws like she wanted to. As he stood, she felt rather like a dead possum, draped over his shoulders as she was, but it was better than trying to walk with how her ribs hurt, and now that she was thawing out a little, her near shoulder was starting to throb fairly.
"Trouble?" She wheezed painfully, lilac eyes closing as her world began to sway back and forth with the movement of his body. "Honey badger sounds perfect..." She added a little weakly, finding herself getting shy as he carried her along. It took her a minute or two before she regained her breath but finally she added softly. "Lakeisha... thank you for saving me, Alasari..."
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:12 pm
Alasiri laughed ruefully, " Well maybe not trouble, but certainly damsels in distress." The male kept his walk even so that he did not jostle the leopard to much, concerned that she'd hurt herself badly in her near drowning.
" How did you fall into the river anyway?" He asked as he approached his Tea Tree, ducking low so that the over hanging branches did not poke her. Alasiri moved up to the sweet grass bed he'd made for his lovely, dark, lioness, and half knelt on the ground so that his unplanned for guest could easily slip off his back.
He waited patiently for her, and once she was settled, he stood up on his hind legs and pulled down what was left of the Honey Badger carcass. " Its not much, but it should help get your strength back. We need to dry you off, wait here a moment."
Slipping back out from under his tree, Alasiri left the leopardess alone in his small, but neat den made at the base of a tea tree, and more then half ringed by boulders. It was protected on three sides, and from above, was usually in the shade and kept the majority of the rain out, all in all, not bad for a rouge male.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:56 pm
She liked the sound of his laugh, it was warm and familiar and made her feel safe. Relaxing a little she fell silent as they travailed to his home, but it was a companionable silence. Only when he spoke again did she rouse herself, lifting her head enough to glimpse the tree before letting her body go slack again, the pain in her shoulder making itself known.
"Oh... I was crossing the water, there was a small bit of land but it gave way as I walked over it... I didn't know it was weak.." About as weak as she now felt, thanks to the battering her body had taken in the white waters. Sliding from the male's back as he crouched, she managed to catch herself but soon sank onto her belly, a grimace of pain crossing her face as she put weight on one shoulder. Instantly shifting to her other side she settled, watching as he pulled the carcass down.
before she could ask if he was sure about giving her his meal, he was gone, leaving Lakeisha looking somewhat lost and confused, and very bedraggled. Glancing round she couldn't help but admire his home, since she herself usually slept up a tree where ever she happened to stop for the night, or otherwise just rested out in the open.
Eventually she dipped her head and delicately started to pick bits of meet off the honey badger bones.
/1,112
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:38 pm
Alasiri couldn't help put chuckle to himself as he slipped out form under his Tea tree. How in the gods name had he managed another female who needed assistance? Not that he minded, certainly not in least when it came to Kibaazi, who he was starting to have very strong feelings for, but he did find humor in the situation. Chuckling a little more, he stopped when he came to be open expanse of sweet grass he'd been using for bedding for his blind lioness.
Some of this should work, he thought to himself, just enough to dry her so she won't catch a chill. Though she's gonna smell a little minty for awhile. Shrugging, deciding it could not be helped, Alasiri began to dig at the sweet grass, mowing down a good amount. Using a couple of the long reeds, he tied it all up into a neat bundle and picked it up in his mouth. With a bounce in his step, he trekked back to 'his' tree.
"Thish sood wofk te dra yuve erff." He sorta said as he backed into the den, his violet eyes smiling at the leopardess, pleased to see she was eating.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:00 pm
During the lion's absence, Lakeisha had overcome her fright and discovered a fierce hunger. When he padded back to his den, the leopardess had her muzzle burred in the honey badger carcass, blood flecked her pale cheeks ad the pad of one paw where it held the badger still. Pausing as she finally realised he had returned she slowly lifted her head, gaze dropping shyly as she self consciously licked the crimson stain from her maw.
"I'm sorry...."
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:58 pm
"Surry fer hut?" he mumbled around the bundle, carefully positioning it at the 'front' of his den so he could untie it and let it open to create a 'pad' of grass she could then roll around in and dry her coat, while adding a fresh minty scent to it and getting rid of the slightly fishy one she had now.
Laying it where he wanted it, he took a claw and sliced the tied reeds, the grass fell more or less where he wanted it to. Alasiri looked over his shoulder at her, his white mane falling over one eye giving him a rakish appearance.
" You'll have to come over here, roll around a bit, but it should dry you off. I will wait outside, give you some privacy." He smiled at her again, then with a slight bow, went to sit outside his 'den' to wait for her.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:49 pm
Blushing, she mumbled something in return to his question while watching him move about from the corner of her eye. His pleasant manner and friendly words made her natural shyness come forward in a rush and she could barely meet his gaze as he smiled at her. Flustered and still in some amount of pain, the young leopardess flushed brightly, waiting till he went beyond the den before burying her face in both paws.
Yet after a moment she painfully pulled herself up and limped over, only to lower herself back down in order to roll stiffly on the minty grasses. She couldn't put any weight on the one shoulder, but she squirmed as best as she was able before carefully hobbling back to where she had started. Head low she called out to him softly, letting him know she was done while keeping her muzzle under one paw.
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