Jnata stretched, rolling over as she started to rouse from a nap. Staying at home with her parents seemed a strange thing for a grown lioness to do, but her father was ill and needed caring for, and her mother had to do that, so hunting was left on the girl. Her siblings had all grown and headed for their own dens, and she was a huntress for the pride anyway, so it was a reasonable enough arrangement. Just bring extra home so mommy and daddy didn't have to get up and go out more than they had to. With the another long stretch, the female stood, shaking some dirt off of her brown coat before going in to check on her parents.
"Lo mother. Any idea of what you and father want me to see about tonight? I can't make any promises of what's available, but I can look when I go out if there's something you really need."
The orange lioness was grooming her slumbering mate, listening to his breathing and listening for rattles. Luckily, his wheezing was getting better and he was starting to get up and walk about the den again. Things would be alright soon. All of her attention was focused on the brown male she fell in love with. She looked up when her daughter came in and she gave her a bright smile, getting up and stretching hard. Making the sign to be silent and follow her, Aekea moved out of the den and yawned widely.
"I th-think.... your f-father would lik-ke a z-zebra, if yo-you can. If n-not, some h-hares will do nicely. He's getting.... b-better, you know."
"That's good then." Jnata seemed cheery for just waking up, leaning over to snuggle up to her mother's side affectionately. She may not be as wild and playful as in her youth, but Jnata was still a friendly and cuddly thing, and she knew her mother needed what comfort she could get. "I'll look while I'm out and see what there is." she promised.
"How did Jagat's visit go today? I was too tired to stay up and say hi so I didn't get to see him. Did he have any news for you?" her brother often came to see their parents, like clockwork, and the lioness did try to stay awake long enough to greet and tease him a bit. But after being out late last night searching for something her father had really wanted, Jnata had needed a good long sleep.
Aekea cuddled right back against her and purred quietly. Yes, she'd raised her cubs with lots of affection and attention and was always thankful when they returned it. Opening up her violet eyes again, she frowned and thought back. No, Jagat hadn't been here yet. It was starting to worry her.
"H-he.... he hasn't sh-shown... up yet-t. W-would you go s-see if he's alright-t?" Aekea was just glad that none of them seemed to have her stutter she got from her father.
Jnata nodded a bit. "Yeah yeah, I can stop by his den on my way out, see if he's just busy or tired or something." the girl promised. It would be a lot of work and it was tiring, but Jnata knew it was probably best to do it just the same. Mom would worry herself sick otherwise, and the younger female could tell the stutter tonight wasn't just her natural speaking. She was getting on edge with both Kafele sick and Jagat not turning up. He was very particular about his visits and that meant at least SOMETHING had come up, at the very least.
Bidding her mother goodbye, she headed out towards her brother's home, poking her head in before she left. However, the lioness was shocked to find it empty and looking like he hadn't been home in a while. Where was her brother? With a puzzled look upon her face, she sniffed the air a bit and headed out, wondering if maybe he'd gotten lost or met someone out in the savana and gotten held up. She may not have the tracking abilities of a canine, but Jnata was a huntress and right now her prey was her brother, first and foremost.
Jagat was... in pain, on the ground still and so tired. His red eyes were just focused on the distance, not on anything particular. Things were hard right now, for him. He seriously didn't want to go home. Jnata would make fun of him because he got beat up this bad by a girl. But at the same time, he needed help getting back. Grunting, he attempted to get up and managed to sit up, on his haunches awkwardly, trying not to put weight on his injured foot.
Jnata eventually managed to pick up the scent of her brother on the air and charged that direction, eventually spotting his orange hide against the ground. Heading forward, she called out his name, "Jagat!" Was that blood on the air? Man she hoped it wasn't his. But it smelled like it was. Oh man, this was BAD!
Rushing over, she skidded to a halt and nearly fell over beside him. "H-hey! W-what h-h-happened to you?" she asked, the faintest tingles of her mother's stutter entering her voice as she stared at the state her sibling was in. He looked AWFUL! "Where are you hurt?" Aw man, she knew nothing of medicine! She was a huntress, not a medic!
Jagat's face was scratched up, bleeding still under his left eye, and his flankes were all but shredded. Shuddering a little bit, the male turned his head and looked to his sister, growling. s**t. That's not what he wanted to happen! Ears flicking, he gave a little sheepish look and sighed. "Hey...... Jnata. It's alright. I just.. ran into someone unfriendly while patrolling."
It was the truth. She had been completley unfriendly with him. But he really, really didn't want to say what gender beat him up. Jagat had it in his head he had to be the man for everyone. He was the only man, besides dad, in their family, so he had to make up for all of that by being some macho thing.
Jnata didn't really care so much about WHO beat him up as much as he was beaten up AT ALL. IMmediately the lioness went over and nuzzled her brother a little, seeing if she could help him move some. "Here, come on, let me get you up. We gotta get you back home to Mama, she'll be worried sick." The immediate panic gone from him talking and his attitude was enough to settle Jnata some but she did need to stand and lift him just the same. "Urg, lay off the extra zebra brother." it was the closest she was going to get to teasing, struggling to lift the larger lion onto her shoulders some. "Come on, up now, there we go." Really, whoever had done this was a jerk - her mother was going to be SEVERELY upset!
"I'm not fat. I'm just... muscular. You know that." He flicked his tail and got up with Jnata's help, groaning and whimpering as he hobbled with her back toward the pride. His ears lay flat against his head as he made her stop and rest again. They didn't get very far, but he was in so much pain. Everywhere, even in places that shouldn't hurt.
".....Jnata don't.... bring me to mom. Just.. bring me to my den and tell mom I'll see her tomorrow? I don't have the energy to be worried over like she will." It was true. His mother would practically smother him once she found out.
"Well stop being so heavy either way." she complained and sighed, helping him along and stopping here and there. As they approached a clearing of trees, she could smell zebra on the air. Dammit, she knew she'd either have to come back to get one for her father or chase one down later. She'd done her hunting for the pride with minimal stops for him the day before but now she knew he'd need a bit more to help him get better faster. That's why she'd asked her mother and that's why she was so worried now. With a sigh and a small shift of her sholders when Jagat was off them for a second, she nodded.
"Jagat, rest here a moment. I'll be right back. I have to get a zebra to take home with us for Dad." she said, crouching down some, "I can tell mother that I took so long because I was trying to find one for him, and she won't need to know I had to take a while to get you in."
"I'm not fat, Jnata. You're fat," he grumbled under his breath and then groaned when she said she was going to take down a zebra first. Then again, it was for dad and that meant he was getting better if he wanted zebra. "I'll walk after you take down the zebra. ....I think I can walk if I don't put any sort of weight on my foot."
He nodded and sighed, laying down on the ground when they stoopped. It seemed to be the only comfortable position. Jagat was pretty sure he as getting sleepy from blood loss, but he didn't really know what to be doing for it. Shifting his head, he closed his eyes, going to sleep until his sister got back.
"I said HEAVY not FAT. You're the one who said fat again - I think you're DEFENSIVE." she hissed and then was off, stalking through the grasses.
Killing a zebra and carrying it over her back was hard enough but coming back and seeing her sleeping brother brought another small sigh to the lioness as she moved to slip him over her shoulders some as well. Might as well just carry them both home, asleep like this he was practically dead weight anyway. She just hoped he didn't wake up next to a zebra and have a panic attack. That would be the last thing she needed. Jnata wasn't the best at coming up with GOOD ideas, but she did at least come up with brave ones and she was DETERMINED to get him home safely as well as her father's kill. It was important to her.
He stayed asleep until he was in the pride and then blinked at a jolt. Things weren't the way they should be. Flicking his tail, he yawned and then blinked when he realized his sister eas carrying him and dragging a zebra. Without a word, he rolled off of her and landed on all four paws before crying out in pain and tucing his injured back leg under him.
"The hell were you doing, Jnata? I said I'd walk!"
"Because you're hurt, stupid." she said with an eyeroll and moved to lift him up some, "You're just gonna make it worse walking on it and we're almost there. Anyway, you were unconscious, or really heavily asleep and you looked like you needed it." Stupid brothers - were they EVER grateful when you put out a lot of effort to help them? Her shoulders hurt so much but she'd gotten him all the way back here, with a zebra too!
"Thanks for carrying me back here...." He didn't really mean to upset her. Flicking his ears, he hobbled over to her and nuzzled against her before hobbling off ahead of her. "I'd help with the zebra, but like you said. I'm hurt. I hate it, but that b***h beat me." In his opinion, anyway, because she got up and walked away. Jagat? He just flopped over and passed out. In his book, that meant loser.
Jnata smiled some and lifted the zebra a bit more carefully. She just had to make sure he got in okay and then get home and everything would be okay, she could nap. "It's okay, I'm glad you're safe at least." she commented, walking along with her brother towards his den. "I'll see if I can find something to help you clean up a bit or wake someone up to come and help you out quietly so you at least get some care. Would that be good?"
He shook his head. "Just let me sleep and I'll see how I'm doing in the morning. If I still feel like s**t, which I probably will, I'll go see a healer." He was like any man and didn't want to bother with healers or over worried females. That wouldn't be cool at all. "Then I'll go see mom and let her know I'm alright. ....Well I'll let her see I'm alright, then I'll get promptly smothered."
"All right." Jnata agreed, nuzzling him a bit and helping him into his den. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't worry, I'll just say you were out exploring today and got in late."
"Thanks, 'nata." He nuzzled her cheek and then licked her forehead before hobbling up into his den and curling up. He would watch his sister drag the zebra carcass across the way to their parents and smiled a bit. Jagat was so lucky he came from a good family.
Jnata shuffled into her own home, pulling the zebra in with her. "Mother, Father, I brought back some dinner!" she called in between breathes. The brown female had tried not to show it, but she was running low on breath and starting to pant heavily from all the extra work. Man, who knew it was so much work keeping her family in good order? Her mother was amazing!
