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 Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:18 pm
 Athena gave a satisfied sigh as he laid in the shade of the rock outcropping. He had managed to get the leopardess back to where the others were laying about, and brought back the meal. For the most part everyone was napping while Athena was keeping an eye on their new friend. He had made sure Sadara was just far enough away that if she woke in alarm it should not disturb the others easily. After how she had acted earlier, he was prepared for the worst.
The male lion laid so that the leopardess was not trapped in, but was still under the shade. He had put some of the meat not too far away so that if she woke she could eat. He should not be so worried about a stranger he supposed, but he wanted to help. The way she had passed out when they were talking earlier, it made him worry. Talking? Alright it was more her yelling at him and him trying to explain himself, but still.
Athena refused to lay his head down and nap while he was watching over Sadara. He had been offered to trade places by some of the others, but he did not take it. Last thing he needed was to have the leopardess wake up to an unfamiliar face and freak on them. He did not want anyone to end up hurt by something that could easily be avoided, and he hoped he was doing the right thing by brining her back here. Maybe he should have tended to her where the others couldn't be seen and put into harms way?
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:41 pm
 Sadara woke slowly, her pale eyes opening slits as she tried to remember where she was and why she was laying in the shade. She vaguely remembered hunting, the spring bucks...and....
The leopardess bolted straight up, looking around her till she saw the object of her searching, the fluffy male who had taken her kill, and it seemed, brought her to his family'.
Taking a moment to get her bearings, she decided she needed to buy herself some time. Settling herself more comfortably in the cool, she lifted a fore paw and began to groom herself, while she tried to figure out what to do next.
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Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:50 pm
Athena perked his ears up and twitched them toward Sadara, when she started. He did not look over at her. She had seemed fine the last he had looked and he was sure if she could move that much she must be allright now. Maybe he could catch a cat nap now. Maybe. He lowered his head onto his paws and watched the others napping here and there. Niade was hiding in the shade and not about to move unless she had to with her dark fur.
Zenobia was usually sunning herself unless it was horribly hot with how light she was, and her son was curled up not far from her taking time to recharge. There were a few others that might or might not stick around beyond them. Mostly those were females that either were not sure they wanted to stay around the other females, or that had somewhere to go after they got tired of Athena. He did not mind. Any company no matter how brief was worth the time. So far every one of the females was a lion, though.
Maybe how Sadara had reacted to him was showing he was no longer in touch with other felines besides lions? Athena hoped not. He loved all felines. Heck, he even liked the little servals. Not for mating, but he certainly liked having them around. It was something to think on, and thinking kept him from sleeping. He kept his head on his paws but his eyes remained open as he watched the others in the distance. There were just too many thoughts in his head for napping.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 1:00 pm
Sadara finished her impromptu grooming, and glanced sideways at the large fluffy male sitting in the shade, and then over at the meal he had left her. He'd been kind, and it seemed had carried or dragged her and his kill here with these others who could only be his 'family'. The leopardess looked around, feeling very out of place among all the lions, and a little afraid.
Closing her eyes, she felt the tears start again, and rather than moving over to the meal, that her belly was telling her she needed to eat, she simply laid down. Maybe she could just lay here, in the shade, forever. It would be so much easier then trying to keep going.
Kyoko would be disappointed in her, and little Lahiu's hard work to save her leg would be for naught, but she was so tired. Sniffing, she curled her tail tight around her, burying her nose under it, just wishing it would all go away, even if she knew it wouldn't.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:39 pm
Athena watched Sadara out of the corner of his eye for a while. She did not seem at all concerned as she took to grooming herself and ignored him. With how calm and collected she was, Athena was all the more puzzled about her collapse earlier. She didn't even make a move toward the food he had left for her, and that worried him more. Something was not right and he wished he knew what it was.
The big lion wonders if he should sleep or ask her about the collapse. He wanted to help, but at the same time he did not want her to feel he was prying. He kept his head down while he mulled it over. After a few moments, Athena lifted his head and shook out his mane, making it fluff up and puff out. He finally turned his head to face the leopardess. Here went nothing. "Are you well, beautiful? I wonder because of how you collapsed... If you need somewhere to rest for a while, you are welcome here, though here tends to change from time to time... we travel a bit as a group mostly"
He gave her a soft smile and the playfulness was gone from his eyes for the moment concern being the prominent thing in his mind. "We may not be a pride, but myself and the others would be more than willing to have you along and help protect you." It was true too. Zenobia would never protest, Niade was one to lend a paw to others even if she did not always seem it, and others that joined Athena were much the same. Athena attracted that it seemed.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:05 pm
The pale leopardess did not move as the fluffy maned lion spoke to her, her body shivering, despite the heat. It was cool in the shade, but certainly not cold. Sadara took a breath, and managed to steady her voice as she answered him in a soft, and tired voice, " I have not been sleeping well. I think that was the cause of my fainting."
She swallowed around the tears that streaked her cheeks, keeping her body and muzzle turned away from him, " Thank you for not leaving me for the scavengers, and I am sorry I yelled at you. If I may just rest here for a little bit, a couple of hours, I would be grateful. Then I can be on my way and leave you and your harem in peace."
Forefather's but she was so weary, a weariness that went further then her body, it went into her soul. She missed her mother, still mourned her death, and she missed her cubhood friend, Lahui. She had been a fool to leave him, but she had hurting with Nevena's death and had just needed to get away from the wild dog den they had hid in after the Pride had been killed. Now, she was lost and alone.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:36 pm
Athena listened closely to the leopardess' reply. Not sleeping well, probably not eating well either, she definitely needed some help, even if she did not want to take it. He thought he knew why she kept herself turned away, but could not be sure without seeing her face. She was probably crying and too proud to let him see it. Her certainly could not blame her for it. She hardly knew him afterall. He was just some lion that she had yelled at a little while ago and here she was owing him.
"They might resent the harem remark. I have no claim on the ladies here, and those I do share a relationship with are more friends than lovers. If you wish to stay here for a couple of hours, I insist you stay long enough to eat and get good rest before you leave. I do not wish you to get out on your own only to collapse again. It would not be good for you and it would be a mark of a bad host on my part anyway." He carefully slid over and nuzzled the back of her neck fondly.
He withdrew again and got up to push the bit of meat toward her. "Go on, eat. You need your strength. I do not thin Zenoba.. that's the cub over there, will be up for some time, so you should be able to rest easily." Athena paused for a moment and looked right at Sadara again. "Before you think it, he is not mine. But I wish he was. I hope when he is older he will stay around... you might think I have the others around for lovers... but I am just as happy having them around as friends... I like company."
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:25 pm
The leopardess went still as he nuzzled her, her sniffling a little softer, not wanting to let the male see how distraught she was, but his kind words made her pause and she looked up at him with her pale eyes.
" Why are you being so kind to me?" She asked softly, " Even after I yelled at you and called you Fluffy? Sadara bit her lip, and looked at the offered meal, before taking a breath ad pushing herself up into a sitting position, her tail curled tight around her back paws, the fur on her cheeks still damp from her tears.
" Would...would you eat with me? Or at least keep me company? I don't want to be alone..I'm always alone and right now, I just...." She sniffed again, and hunched into herself, as if warding of a chill that didn't exist.
" Please.." she whispered, looking down at her paws, embarrassed she'd asked, and that she needed the company so very badly.
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 2:00 pm
Athena felt her stiffen and thought perhaps he had offended her. He really hoped he had not managed to do so. When she looked at him, he knew he had not done so, that she was more likely embarrassed by the tears. He went over to the kill and grabbed another chunk of the it. He brought it back so he could eat with the leopardess. It was not a bad request as far as he was concerned.
As he settled down with the meat he finally answered her questions. "I am being kind to you because it is who I am. I care for others. You see these lionesses? Unless THEY want to, I do all the hunting for them, and I help raise Zenoba as best I can and he is not my offspring. I often help others that do not stick around, but to me it is important to help them regardless. You yelled at me, yes, but calling me Fluffy is far from offensive to me." He purposefully fluffs himself up.
"I am honored that you would like me to eat with you. I will be quite happy to oblige you." Athena grinned at her and licked her cheeks dry. "Do you want to stay a while? I would be quite glad to keep you company as long as you like. And I am a good pillow for sleeping if you ask Niade." He munches a bit of the meat to encourage Sadara to eat as well. He wanted her to be comfortable here.
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 2:41 pm
Sadara wiped her eyes with her paw, and gave him a slightly sheepish smile, " Well..you are fluffy..." she said, " but it suites you." She laughed gently as he made himself even puffier.
Despite her worries and her exhaustion, she found herself relaxing in his company, so when he returned with a piece of meat for himself, she was already taking polite bites out of her own super.
"Thank you for letting me stay. I..I need the company, and I promise not to be a burden on you or your family. I've just had a hard time lately, and it seems to have caught up with me finally."
At his mention of being a soft pillow, she laughed again, " I imagine you would be, as full of fluff and stuff you seem to be." Her tone was slightly teasing, showing she had finally begun to relax in his company.
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 6:34 pm
Athena licked Sadara's nose. "Of course it suits me! With a mane like this it could not be otherwise." Athena grinned and took another bite out of his meat. He was happy that she was smiling and laughing a bit. He was much better at dealing with happy felines than angry ones. "I think you will like traveling with us for a time. One travels slower with cubs, so even injured parties have very little trouble keeping up easily."
"I doubt very much you could be a burden. If anyone is a burden it is my fluffy arse on the lovely ladies around here." He gave another playful grin and took another bite or two. He loved each and every one of those females even if he knew they were not going to stick around. It was so nice to have company, so nice to know that he could share time with someone else even briefly. He liked company much too much to not find all of it worth while.
He fluffed himself up again and purred loudly. "Yes, the fluff does help make me a better pillow. Soft and warm... and snuggly. Let us not forget the snuggly part." He grinned brightly and finished his bit of meat. He laid down not far from her. "I am glad to play pillow, if you want, or just lay nearby if it makes you feel better." Athena fluffed himself up and laid down to wait for Sadara's decision.
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Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:50 pm
Sardra actually giggled at the nose lick, a small smile coming to her muzzle as she shook her head at the big male. He was so odd, but in a charming cuddly kind of way. He certainly was nothing like the strong warrior Silhab who had been so generous to her and Lahui....but he had the same compassionate nature about him.
She watched him as he moved to make himself comfortable, tilting her head to the side as she regarded him. He seemed harmless enough, and none of the other females looked stressed or put out. It wouldn't be so bad to actually lay beside someone and be comforted...would it?
Taking a breath, she padded over to him, and flopped herself down against him, cuddling up under his ruff. Sadara giggled again, he had been right, he was fluffy and cuddly! Purring in contentment, she closed her eyes, not expecting to fall asleep right away, but in just a few moments, his warmth, her full belly, and the sense of knowing she was safe, caught up to her and she fell into a deep and much needed sleep.
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