Gaddith:Gaddith hauled the young male into the cool shade of the den and dropped him down close to the center. He wasn't sure how the male would react if he came around...
He raised a brow and poked the side of the youth's face. "You sure? All we know about this guy is he's not built for the desert. If he comes to, he might turn."
Mosi:If you want to you're welcome to stay. I'm sure Dafina won't mind a little extra peace of mind." Mosi nodded, then slipped out to find one of the leaders.
Dafina:Dafina moved over towards the "sleeping" lion, stopping close by to carefully brush some of his mane away from his face. He looked as though he'd certainly seen better days, but he was a "child" like her, according to the pride's standards.
"I wonder what would drive someone to come this far..." She mused, leaving it up to Gaddith if he answered or not since their guest clearly could not.
Right. Well, she could see to his paws, or get a healer that could do that at the least. They'd be thanking him for it when he came to, though maybe not for trekking such harsh, unforgiving lands.
Gaddith:Gaddith gave Mosi a short nod and glanced back to Dafina. She was the healer, not him, and it might make her a tad uncomfortable to have him hovering over her like a worried fowl.
"I'll be right outside. If he wakes up, and gets moody, I'll handle it. Just get out."
He shot her a short smirk and prowled his way back to the mouth of the cave, his shadowey bulk soon vanishing just around the corner of the cave.
Caspian:The lion had suffered a number of bruises and along his thin, dirty frame a few thick scabs were beginning to heal up. His eyes, mouth, and nose were filled with sand.
"...Mirez..." The lion muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His throat ached, his eyes and paws burned, he hardly had the strength to move- but he'd heard the soft voice above him. Somehow...
Dafina:Dafina looked up at Gaddith as he took his leave of the room, and upon a closer inspection she could see why Mosi had chosen this one. They kept water on hand for the cubs for when they were in lessons, likely because they weren't allowed to go out unattended and it was only one scribe per group. Whatever the reason, it would serve her well now.
She had taken a few spare lessons from healers here and there, both in her travels and upon arrival to the Dawnwalkers, out of curiosity. It would also come in handy. Granted she wasn't as GOOD as the others, but she could at least tend to some of his needs.
With a small smile after Gaddith, one of mild mirth at his smirk (Confidence in males, to Dafina, was usually only one of three things: charming, amusing (sometimes both), or annoying.), she moved to look for something to use to hold some of the water. A desert turtle shell, among other things, sat to one side of the classroom. It would have to do.
Retrieving it in her jaws she carefully scooped some water into it, hearing Caspian speaking up just faintly while her back was turned. Dafina didn't react rashly, as others might have. Instead she turned her head calmly to look back, then carefully returned to set the shell down with it's contents safely unspilled.
Mirez? Who was that?
"You're alright now." The young female replied, still speaking softly, which may indicate that it was her normal way of talking. "It's time to wake up though, at least for a little while."
Caspian:The lion groaned his weak protest and slowly raised a paw. It managed to raise just a few inches off the ground before it plopped back down alongside his face. Too much effort...he was so tired. Reality faded in and out, sounds came as if from a great distance...echoing? They were inside? He could feel stone, solid cool stone, under his cheek.
He slowly pulled one of his eyes open- and instantly wished that he hadn't. Sand scraped at his sensitive eye and now blinking only made it worse. He groaned and weakly began rubbing at his eye- another mistake, that made it MUCH worse.
Dafina:She saw his effort, but knowing first hand how long it took one to get used to having sandy paws almost constantly she reached out a paw to stop his instinctive move, a moment too late, but still drew his paw back gently.
"None of that, you're covered in sand head to toe. Here, let's get you cleaned up a bit first. I'm not exactly one of the healers, but I think I know enough to take care of some of this till my mother finds one."
She went to work with what supplies she had on hand. It was no speedy task, but she managed to help him clear his eyes of the sand, his mouth, and then to relieve him of some of the heat with a bit of water.
"I'm Dafina, by the way." She greeted at last, already setting a fresh dose of water in front of him. "Drink before you try speaking again. Take it slow."
Caspian:Caspain laid idle on the ground, miserable and confused while reality came in thick, heavy blurs. Every sound sent a hammer blow to his temples and every touch- gentle as they were -sent stars through his vision. With the sand from his eyes and muzzle, he felt well enough to at least raise his head and fight the faint blur in his vision to behold the face of his caretaker.
He opened his mouth to speak- only to recieve a gentle command to first parch his throat. He'd been raised well enough, and it was rude to remain silent when addressed and introduced...but she'd asked him to drink her offering of water first. His body screamed for his complience.
He drank the water greedily and licked the shell long after he'd drained it of its contents. His throat rejoyced and a flood of relief washed over his body.
"Thank you...", He said at last, his voice strangely accented. It rolled pleasantly, even through a throat as dry as his. "I am Caspian... where...is this?"
Dafina:Being more her father's daughter, rather than her mother's, she was normally quite content to exchange well mannered pleasantries, but in that instance she knew well enough that his throat would NOT be thanking him if he tried to speak before he had quenched his thirst a bit. Poor thing, bless his heart, if his state hadn't been proof enough the way he went after that water certainly was.
Not minding it a bit Dafina waited until he seemed willing to part with the shell before reaching to take it for a refill, but before she could lean in to retrieve it she did answer him with a kind, still observant (Out of concern, though he sure wouldn't be bad to look at once he was back near his usual health, she was sure......... Not that he was BAD to look at now......... OR listen to.) look. His accent made her ears immediately perk, curious. She'd only had the pleasure of hearing one other creature with an accent, especially one even remotely close to his.
"Caspian, it's a pleasure to meet you, though for your sake I wish the circumstances hadn't been quite so dire. You're in the Tuait'Tekem territory, we just call ourselves the Dawn walkers. It's a friendly pride, so you'll be safe here."
CaspianThe lion slowly curled his paws around the shell, now re-filled with water. Rather than gulp the contents down, he allowed himself a slow, more enjoyable drink. His throat rejoyced once more, every sip was better than the first. Thank the heavens for water...
He smiled at her from over the turtle shell and slowly wiped at his chin. "A pleasure. Thank you for saving me. No doubt I'd have been dead within hours."
DafinaDafina treated him with a smile to see him taking his time with the next round. It meant he wasn't so ravenously thirsty, which had to be an improvement from before.
"The desert isn't the kindess mistress, no. You're welcome, though it's Gaddith you should thank, he's the one that found you..." Dafina answered truthfully, not at all minding passing the credit to where it was due. She might be only a bit younger than him but she carried herself with confidence anyway, even though she wasn't really much of a healer. Confidence even in the face of uncertainty, that was what sold a good performance, and something she'd learned even before she knew she wanted to become a dancer.
She moved to his side, always within his view, but wanted to look over some of his scabs and look for any sign of infection that might be obvious enough for even her to catch. "One of the healers will have a proper look at you once my mother gets back. I realize you've probably already been through a lot, but one of the leaders will want to meet you soon, I imagine once you're rested."
Her brown eyes were curious, curious about his accent, curious about how he had ended up there in the desert, curious as to what might drive him to travel so far into what seemed to be harshly unfamiliar territory, and curious about who he was-- the last of which questions could likely be answered by all the first.
Caspian:"I will have to remember to thank him... when I am able." He slowly shifted his weight and pushed up away from the turtle-bowl. With a grunt he was sent back down to the ground. Another blow to his pride... he couldn't even sit himself up...
"Yes... please allow me to rest. I am in no shape to be brought before your leader..." The young male dropped his head back down to his paws, swallowing his pride in favor of slow, painful resting. He didn't like being so prone in such a new territory... he didn't know these lions or their ways- but they had rescued him. He owed them his life.
Dafina:"Take your time. Everyone takes a while to get used to the desert the first time through." She replied reassuringly, watching him, but politely avoiding staring as he struggled a bit. "Just don't make me have to order you on bed rest." She offered a tiny little smirk, more of a grin to let him know she was just teasing. She got the feeling he'd be the type that would keep trying every now and then, but maybe she was wrong. "How did you end up so far into the desert anyway?" She couldn't help but ask, seeing as he didn't seem to have any infections, or be in any major pain.
Caspian:The lion smirked benieth defeat. She was right...he'd do himself no good in trying to drag himself over the sands. Death would be on his heels the moment he stepped out into the sunlight again.
His face dropped almost instantly at the harmless inquiry. It was a fair question, and one that was bound to be asked sooner or later.
"I...was driven here. The soldiers wouldn't follow me this far in, I understand why that is now..."
Daina:When he answered with some difficulty Dafina directed her gaze from him towards the doorway quietly, then back again. "Well you're safe here now. This place is protected by the likes of which I've never seen before. I'm sure they won't mind if you want to take the time to rest here for a while, or if you decide you'd like to stay."
She nudged him just so, again reassuring.
"So chin up, Caspian, you're in good paws here. We'll get you back on them in no time."
Caspian:He wasn't so much worried about his own safty. What if the soldiers had found their courage afterall? What if his uncle had ordered them to continue their hunt? Knowing him, he'd not be satisfied until his cooling corpse lay at his paws...
Caspian blinked away the distant thought and forced himself into a calm. She didn't need to worry about that... if the soldiers did arrive by some stroke of ill fortune, perhaps they'd be reasonable. There was no reason the guards here would have to risk their pelts to keep an outsider safe. Frankly, Caspian couldn't blame them if they decided he wasn't worth the trouble.
"Again, I thank you." He pushed the empty turtle shell away and stretched himself out a little more, enjoying the cool feel of stone against his belly. "Tell me of this place... how do lions live in such a land? Nothing grows... nothing can."
Dafina:Judging by the glimpse of the look in his eye that she caught, he was elsewhere for a few moments. Seeing how he had reacted to being asked how he got there though she didn't intend to push. Her "common sense" (in a manner of speaking) suggested avoiding the topic until at least he had had time to recover and rest. Stress wouldn't do him any good right now.
Instead, she seated herself properly across from him, each movement fluid and relaxed, but certainly not lacking in grace. Folding her front paws as she settled into an otherwise sphinx like position in front of him, Dafina settled down to answer his inquiries with a pretty smile.
"Oh, no, things do grow here. They grow wild, lush, green, and vibrant. You only need to know where to look."
When he felt better maybe she could take him to see the garden at the pride's communal lake, the one that housed the shrine, which, incidentally, only the king was allowed near or in, but hardly preventing the pride from enjoying the rest of the pool's waters.
"When you know how to navigate the desert it does become easier, but taming the route is hardly an easy task. Most of our members come in exhausted or in hardly a better state than you, nothing meant by it of course. I barely managed to find the place, and I more or less had to be rescued as well. Outside of these four den walls there are a lot more rooms. There's an oasis, where we gather to socialize. The pride uses this... this strange mountain for shelter. The gods look after us from the Eyrie on the top area. With shade it's considerably more bearable."
Caspian:The lion slowly rose a paw to his right temple as the female began her brief explanation. So much to take in- and all with a migrane... They did sound like a peaceful lot at least. Gods watching from above, an oasis, training, adapation- all of it... it made sense. To live in such conditions a lion had to be strong, sure of himself, and know just what he (or she) was doing.
"You came from the outside as well then?" That was certainly a comforting statement. He wasn't alone then. Feeling less like a fish out of water, he relaxed further, nearly melting into a puddle on the ground. By the heavens, it felt good.
"You must enjoy this place."
Dafina:Seeing him rubbing at his temples caused her to react by again debating, then deciding best to wait. Her mother would send someone along if she hadn't already.
"A place called the Pridelands, nothing like this. There's green everywhere back where I came from. I love it here, though. Ah, this must be the healer now."
She had scented them, moving to get up, and after looking to Caspian she greeted them as they entered, filling them in on the situation. They looked over his paws, wounds, and made sure his eyes were clear. They took care to put salve on the injured areas and did what they could to treat his head's ache, but then had to excuse themself again, once more leaving the youths alone.
"Hopefully that feels at least a bit better." Dafina commented.
Caspian:Caspain tolerated the healer's fussing in silence. He didn't much like having his hurts and injuries pointed out, it was easy enough to ignore hurts he was unaware of. His paws would heal in time, and some of the claw wounds in his hide would require some looking after- in case he managed to gain an infection. When the healer took her leave, he offered her a few words of gratitude.
Once alone once more, he stretched himself against the ground. With his hurts treated and his throat quelched, he allowed himself to relax.
"It sounds like a fantastic homeland. I come from a prosperous territory as well. Rushing rivers and a view of the ocean..."
Dafina:She couldn't help but be glad it wasn't her on the receiving end of the fussing. She didn't mind having a good looking male or her friends fussing over her a little, but a healer was an entirely different matter all together. She was also sure that she heard Mosi's voice coming and going, along with the queen's. So they were opting to let him rest a bit more first, but probably would be back before long, now that they knew he was healing alright.
"I've never had the pleasure of seeing the ocean. I've heard tales about it from passing acquaintences in my travels though. Is it true that it seems to go forever?" She inquired with genuine curiosity, though her expression and tone remained calm, even if tinted a bit.
Caspian:It is the great water..." Caspian's maw tugged into a faint smile as his eyes grew distant. "The sky and the water become one on the distant horizon. Many believe that the dead journey beyond that horizon to a forever-land. The sea protects this place. The waves roar along the rocks, but at the same time they whisper along the beach. My ancestors were fascinated by the sea."
So fascinated, in fact, they had driven out the local prides from their territories. His old teacher had blood from one of the old prides and carried with him much of their culture and traditions. It was fascinating and a little sad that all that had been lost.
Gaddith:
Gaddith: