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 Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:53 pm
It was painful to watch the poor lioness struggle in her efforts, and Tamba had to interject.
"Please, save your strength. We can talk when you're better," he said rather bluntly, speaking just as soon as 'Kota had finished. It wasn't in rudeness, it was in urgency. Khepri could explain herself later, it was obvious she needed rest and a safe place, and despite the hang-ups about her origins, Tamba had no right to deny her sanctuary.
"There are some rocky dens, nestled within the jungle that borders the beach. You will be safest there," he said. "Can you carry her?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:35 pm
'Kota nodded, the one thing he could do was carry Khepri, he may have been little use in the healing department but he knew his strength could hold her. Turning to the deep red femme he licked her cheek softly. "You 'old on lassy" He whispers holding himself as flat as he could to the ground, the jet black male waited for her to scramble upon his back. The caves near the jungle, he could carry her there without a problem. Once within their shelter he would bring her plenty of food. He glanced at the fish then which he had already scavanged from the sea. "Could you bring that capn'? Ah don' reacon I can carry that an' me lady ere." He chuckles, though his eyes were full of worry, those choarcoal orbs full of tears which he could not shed because it would reveal his weakness to Khepri. He feared so deeply for her life.
"Come on nah Khepri, you won' be makin it all tha way yer gunna ave ta let me carry ye, thas an order from tha capn' ere lass clamber abored, I kin carry ye." He turned his head slightly to look at Khepri, watching her breath heavily, her beautiful golden eyes so tired. He wanted that spark back and he would get it, he was determined to get it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:43 am
Even with her eyes closed the large ex-firekin felt a surge of discontent swell up in her huge heart at the two male's insistance that she be carried to wherever these rock dens were. Of course she also knew that in order to force herself onto her white toes and into the trek with her own muscles that she would have to allow that wicked Firekin blood to flow freely and make her pride swell until it couldn't any longer. It was fear of Tamba kicking her out for her blood and her red fur just as the Ela' did, just as the Firekin did for her lack-there-of did, just as every creature that met her commented on.... she didn't want to lose another home when she might possibly have a good one at last.
It wasn't that Khepri figured she would be accepted, in fact thanks to her rather broken past she didn't trust that she would be welcomed, she trusted that Tamba would say he couldn't trust her thanks to her brick colored fur and blood. This was what made her so sad, what made her so cynical and saddened and even weaker than normal. The fact that she was already thinking the worst.
So was the life of a female that had traveled herself into a skeleton, one that had chased the ghost of a promise that had ended up being more false than the beliefs that rose from the sands and threatened to kill.
Letting a sigh ghost from her muzzle, the large female cast a glance at 'Kota's broad back and sunk her claws into the sand, wishing that it would be more stable in order for her to haul herself up with her stronger shoulder muscles. It took every ounce of her remaining strength to haul herself to all four white paws, so much so that in order for her to even crawl onto his back she had to half fall half brace herself in the air for the landing.
Finally resting on 'Kota's back, unable to move any longer from fatigue and starvation and bloodloss, Khepri felt her heart beat faster and faster, her vision blurring so violently that she was forced to close her tarnished golden eyes. Lacking even the muscle strength necisarry to grab ahold of his sides, Khepri simply hung on 'Kota's large back like a carcass, eyes closed and ears at the sides of her head, even her once constantly moving tail was hanging still, a limp doll laying atop her mate was all Khepri had become.
She wanted to say something to 'Kota, to Tamba; to thank Tamba for his hospitality, to appologize to 'Kota for how her large and heavy body had fallen on him. What she didn't know was that after so many months of her body becoming slowly and slowly more emaciated that she'd lost a considerable amount of weight. The ragdoll she appeared was all she would have weighed to 'Kota who was only a little smaller than her but not even by much.
Despite how light she was, Khepri still disliked having to rely on him to help her... dislikd being forced to ride on him like a cub.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:22 am
'Kota waited silently as Khepri clambered on so his back, she felt feather light to him. He was fit healthy and young, his body was ready and willing to help though he knew it hurt his blood red mate to be carried. He turned his head slightly and a whisper rolled from his maw, a whisper which Tamba would doubtedly be able to hear. "I know ye be a hurtin love, but I can't let ye die out 'ere on the sand ye ave ta let me elp ye." He turns his gaze then back upon Tamba and gives a nod. "Lead tha way sir I be a ready."
With all that finely tuned strength the jet black male lifted himself to his paws, those coal black toes sinking in to the sand, his mucles bulging as he clambered to his feet. For a moment his mucles strained but they quickly solidified. He just had to get Khepri some where safe, somewhere he oculd feed and care for her, maybe he could even get her a healer of some sorts. For now though, first thing was first,s he needed to get out of the sun, she needed food and rest, he was perfectly happy to provide all those things, he jkust needed the way to go.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:24 am
Tamba watched 'Kota struggle and felt even more aware of his size than before. He could still help out in a way, but there was no way he could ever carry Kkepri, not without dragging her and causing further injury.
He looked down at the fish that Kota had dropped in order to care for Khepri.
"Leave it. I will catch something more hearty for her when we reach the jungle. I know these lands well enough," he said as he began to the lead the way.
After a while, when the jungles were mere paces away, Tamba took to one side of Kota/Khepri, in order to be there for support should they need it. He spied a currently disused den that was on the edge of the sand/soil merger, so they would be close to the fresh sea breeze, but sheltered from the harshness.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:30 am
Nodding his head to the king he followed obediently his paws sinking with every step, the sand causing more hastle than help. He didn't notice though, nothing mattered as long as Khepri would be safe.
Passing in to the den he lay down slowly and looked up at the king, his dark eyes glimmering with praise, with thanks, with happiness. "Thankye sir, ye be mighty kin' ta us." He whispers his voice guarded as he looked back to Khepri his pale nose nudging softly at her deep red cheeks. "Ye will be safe ere lass." Come an rest ere now and we'll go an 'unt for somethin' fer ta fill ye belly." he grinned, he was trying to remain cheery even though he was worried sick about his lady love.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:15 am
For all that she was trying to keep herself awake, trying to alieviate some of Kota's oblems with carrying her and being forced to tred the ground under her weight, Khepri couldn't keep her eyes open. They drifted shut on her constantly, causing her more pain than she needed to go through, causing her to almost wish to whine as she kept trying to prise them open in order to see where it was that they were going. But to no avail.
In the end, which was only a few minutes, Khepri simply deigned that it was easier to just lay there on her love's back and let him bear her weight. Her pride stormed inside her but there was nothing that she could do, how could you do anything when you were so sick and hurt and hungry that your eyes didn't even work?
Only the cool feeling of shadow on her burning fur made Khepri realize that they must have made it to wherever their destination was, as she was too tired to even lift her head to acknowledge it. Her mate's words only made her wish that she wouldn't have to roll off of his warm fur, but Khepri allowed herself to slide down from his back and onto the stone of the rocky den she'd been brought to and onto her side.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:05 am
Looking down with worry in his dark eyes the charcoal male moved closer to Khepri, nizzling her cheeks softly. "Khepri, darlin' ye jus' rest ere now, ah'll be back ta ye soon wit some scran for ye." He looked over her body then checking that rolling from his wideback hadn't injured her more. Once he was satisfied he gave a nod and turned to the king of the seas. "Sir if ye can show me whar to get some big stuff ta give 'er Ah'll be mighty 'preciative." He smiles weakly noting that Khepri's eyes were closed. "We be muchly 'preciatin' ye 'elp capn' I know that ere, she'll be well agin in no time." He looked to Khepri once more his eyes burning with determination to turn his beautiful flame back in to what she had once been, the khepri he had known on their journey to the sea.
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:34 pm
"You stay here with her. The den will be cold, it hasn't been used for a while. Stay here and help keep her warm. I will be able to hunt faster without you, my friend," he addressed 'Kota as if he were giving orders.
And before the large lion could argue a point or even catch-up, Tamba was gone. His dark pelt, whilst not as dark as 'Kota's, was patterned and he melted into the dappled lights easily.
After about a half hour's passing of the sun, Tamba returned dragging a rottweiler sized forest deer with him. It would be more than enough red meat for Khepri to start feeling better. He dropped it at the mouth of the den for 'Kota to then sort out.
"This should be a good meal for her."
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:44 pm
'Kota didn't get half a chance to argue with Tamba, he simply lay curled up with Khepri his head draped over her shoulders to keep her warm. His own thick fur almost wrapped around her body.
It didn't take long though for the king of the Bhari to return with the game. He smiled gratefully and dragged the carcass in to the den before returning to it's mouth. "Thankye sir fer ye assistance! I won't be fergettin' it in a 'urry, if ye be needin' anythin' jus' ye ask Ah'll bout do anythin ta assist ye sir." He smiled and giving a nod he retreated in to the den.
Nudging Khepri on the shoulder he carefully woke her from her sleep. "Eat lass tha king imself as braught ye some food. Eat then rest, Ah'll stay ta protect ye, I promise." He whispers laying down close to Khepri once again to keep her body warm his large dark form almost engulfing hers to keep her thin coated body heated against the cool den.
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:17 am
"Its no problem Kota," he replied with a heartfelt smile. "And I may just take you up on your offer one day."
"I shall take my leave now, and come and check on you in a few days," he said as he departed with one last smile for the caring dark male. Tamba was left with a few more things to think over in his mind.
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:25 pm
If it hadn't been 'Kota's voice, Khepri would most likely have ignored the words of encouragement altogether. She was tired, all the large female wanted was to sleep the rest of her life away to make up for the lack of it during her years of travel. Two years she'd traveled the savannah, two long unfulfilled years.
Yet now here she was, finally safe with Kota once more, finally in his arms and able to nestle her body against his large black one without so much as a second thought.
She owed him the ability to reach out and wrap her huge teeth around that hunk of meat before her. Owed him the ability to sit up and try to get well again so that he could make a good impression on his king. But the only thing she seemed to be capable of at the time was the ability to crack an eye and sink her claws into the shank as to drag it closer to her red frame.
Khepri decided that she would eat later, for right now she was so weak and cold from the breeze hitting her blood soaked and rain-soaked fur that she had no appetite. All she wanted in the world at the moment was to curl up tight to Kota and try to dream away her pain and weakness.
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