Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lol. Preferably no but it'd be up to blue xD

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but for the daddy & Daughter duo, do we need two separate RP entries, or one entry?

^^; I think I know which one it is, but i'd like to be doubly sure before we submit anything.

We are Family!
Cub's name (And meaning): Zrina Ney'ite
Username for cub: SSBrosM
Father's name (And meaning): Mawey Ney`ite
Username for father: Depawsit
*note on names: they were made with the help of na'vi name generator if that's okay. They don't have a specific meaning, but instead we really liked how they sounded. If that is no good we can go back and edit them.

Bio: In the beginning Mawey Ney'ite, saw the time he spent with his then companion were the best times of his life. She understood him, laughed at his jokes, and gave him a sense of companionship he hadn't known in years. But as much as Mawey assumed that she was to be his lifemate, it was never meant to be. It all happened one evening, only a few days before Zrina's birth. Mawey's mate had given him the best day he could imagine, and then dropped the bomb. She admitted to Mawey that she was pregnant, which shouldn't really have come as much of a surprise. But to Mawey, who just assumed his mate was getting fat - it was as if a thousand fireworks were exploding around him, and his heart would burst open with joy. But the feeling vanished as she quickly blurted out her next bit of news. She was leaving him, as well as the cubs she would soon deliver. She mentioned something about Mawey and rebounding, and then an old fling's name, that Mawey recognized from her passing comments about him. Mawey was crushed, and pleaded with her not to leave him, but instead she left that very night. Disgusted with his lack of dignity and dominance.

It must have been about 4 nights later as Mawey lie on a tree branch, attempting to waste away his days, when she returned. She appeared much skinnier, and also had something bundled in her teeth. She glared up at the male, and then roughly lay the bundle down at the base of the tree before mumbling something about, not being able to return with another lions cub. She then left as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Mawey with his one connection to the lioness he had once loved.

It wasn't long after Zrina was left under Mawey's supervision that a realization came to him. The roguelands were full of dangerous lions, and other creatures; and he wasn't at all comfortable with that. Which led him to the idea of perhaps joining a pride. Not only would he have the protection his daughter needed, but she would grow up in a very healthy, stable environment, very unlike a rogue life would be.

It wasn't until one day while traveling across the roguelands, that the Iknimaya even crosses his mind. He and his daughter had been traveling for quite some times, their paws were tired, and their minds even more exhausted. Mawey hd put his guard down, when a female of a lighter blue hue ran up and began to excitedly buzz to them as though she had known them her entire lives. Naturally Mawey became protective and demanded to know the reason for her intrusion, to which she calmly apologized an explained her story. She was a lioness from the Iknimaya traveling on her own for a bit. When she had seen the duo she was immediately reminded of home, and without much thought, had rushed over assuming they were part of the pride.

Mawey was very intrigued by this point and spent hours questioning the female. Hoping to better understand what exactly the Iknimaya were. After a very long and unexpected chat, Mawey devoted his available attention to getting he and his daughter to the pride. Hoping that perhaps, their search was finally over.

Cub personality: A bit naive about the world, Zrina is sad that her mother did not stay with her and her father. However she does not hold any bad feelings against her mother, as her father takes very good care of her. She dotes very much on her father and hates to see it when he is sad.

She tries not to get into too much trouble, but her curiosity has overcome her a few times. She also has a bit of an adventurous streak to the point where she might wander off from her father for a bit, just to see what is there. Having an overprotective father, she hasn’t quite learned about the dangers of the world, so she takes no precautions about wandering about and “playing” with things she really shouldn’t be bothering.

She often lets her father do what he wants, especially when it concerns her, knowing that all he does is for her, whether it’s good or bad. She is not afraid of saying what she wants to her father; nevertheless she does not speak her mind for fear of making her father sad rather than any fear of retribution.

Father personality:Mawey is an extremely over protective, and doting Father. Since his daughter's birth, his entire life seems to have morphed around her. As though he were now her entire world, and what little he had known before no longer mattered.

He is powerfully over protective, almost to a fault. Mawey does the things he does for the best possible future for his daughter. But what he doesn't realize is that perhaps some of his antics are a little damaging; not just to Zrina, but to himself.

Mawey seems to punish himself for his past mistakes, by attempting to over compensate for Zrina's missing Mother. He tends to surpass his own limits in order to please her, and make her happy. The punishment end of this, is that he is no good in any type of social relationship. He is so wrapped in his daughter, that the thought of being away from her, fills his entire mind. He begins to imagine the dangers she could be in, or in some cases, even begins to fear that the one he is being social with, is only attempting to get close to him to get to her.
Leaving little to no room for anything else. As much as trusts the babysitters of his pride, he doesn't believe anyone can ever do a better job of protecting her than he can.

Before Zrina came into the picture, Mawey was a very submissive lion, he was never ferocious; and the phrase "A lover, not a fighter." was definitely his life motto. But the moment Zrina came into his life, everything changed. He still holds true to his motto, to an extent, but has no problems with showing his teeth to anyone who deserves it. Mawey is a very intelligent lion, and wishes to pass on the same qualities to his daughter, so he is very dedicated to the ideal that teaching to her interests is the best idea. Mawey, teaches her all of her life lessons in the form of a vivid childhood story so that she can imagine them as she wishes, and therefore will remember them more vividly. He's a firm believer in lecturing, but has a hard time holding up to the stern part of a lecture.

RP!: "And where are you off to in such a hurry young lady?" Maway Ney'ite's voice was gruff, with a slight undertone of worry. This was his least favorite part of the day, watching his little girl grow up. He'd always known it was going to happen, and had always promised himself that when the time came; he would accept it. The words were much easier said than done of course, and so even now; as Zrina reached her peek of adolescence he still kept a secret, but watchful eye on her.

"I'm just going for a stroll Daddy, you know? The same thing I do everyday?" Zrina Ney'ite sighed a bit, but kept her toothy smile in place. It wasn't so much that she was frustrated with him, so much as she felt like a broken record. Every day it was the same conversation, and every day it ended the same. Her Daddy would sneak after her and do a little spying, something he wasn't very good at. But Zrina loved him, and never really had the heart to tell him, that she knew all about his spying. Instead she let him be blisffuly unaware. It wasn't like he'd ever had a reason to bust her before.. But today he did, and she was a little nervous about that part. See there were these new lions that had joined the pride, and one of them was really, really cute. So she'd agreed to meet him and see what all they had in common. A creepy, stalker, Dad probaby wasn't one of them.

Padding gently over to her Father, Zrina nuzzled him lightly on his mane, and then took off at a full dash, just as she did everyday. There was hardly any time for her to hear her Father parting remarks - "Be safe, I love you!"

[[ Time Skip ]]

It had taken awhile for him to get to her, what with having to expend enough time for her to get far enough ahead. But this time, she'd gone farther than he expected. Farther than she ever had in the past, that fact gave him little in the way of calming down. His thoughts immediately sprang from boys, to her Mother. Was she running away to be with her again? Surely she wasn't, she knew everything her Mother had done! The more Maway debated this thought, the more he began to hyperventilate, he needed to calm down, and he needed to do it fast!

A rustling in the bushes across the way from his stealthing spot, caught his attention, and immediately his breath caught in his throat. Crouching low to the ground, and squinting his eyes, Mawey caught sight of the reason for his daughters strange change of course. And immediately a low rumble began low in his belly. He didn't like this idea, and he was damn sure going to make himself clear! Just as he was about to step his first paw out of the jungly underbrush, he paused as he noted the happiness on his daughters face. She seemed so much older, than the cub he'd always seen her as, so much more mature and wise. A swelling of pride replaced the rumble in Mawey's chest as he slowly, and quietly turned to leave the two in peace...

Well perhaps he wouldn't... and with that thought, he crouched himself farther into the brush and watched the two intently. The swelling of his heart, managing to push a tear of joy from him right eye. He was so proud, but that didn't mean he was ready to let go.


---

As the two young adolescents stood together, exchanging flirtatious remarks, a noise caught the male off guard, and he jumped at the opportunity to show his bravery to the newest object of his affection. But his plans were quickly thwarted as Zrina leaned in close to his hear and nuzzled his sprouting mane, whispering lightly into his ear. "It's OK, it's just my Dad." she then giggled lightly once more, flashed her toothy grin and darted away, expecting the two males to follow after her.

NOTE: The concept of the RP was thought out by SSBrosM, and the prompt itself was written by Depawsit - If this is unacceptable, just let us know and we will gladly redo it :]
* her personality written out by SSBrosM (me) so there is a bit of how I write at least. But as Depawsit said, we can change it if we need to.

We are Family!
Cub's name (And meaning): Amelle (Hope)
Username for cub: mewmewkittykat64
Father's name (And meaning): Salam (Peace)
Username for father: TanuKyle

Bio:
It starts, as all stories do, with an act of fate.
In this case, a rather pointy jungle bush, and a rogue lion unused to the terrain.

The lioness pricked her ears up, cautiously peering out of the hollowed tree that was her den. She’d heard something…it sounded like an animal in pain. Biting her lower lip, she offered a quick prayer to the forest mother, and slipped out of the den. She leapt from tree to tree, long limbs aiding her, along with years of practice. She’d learned that most creatures didn’t expect lions to be in the trees – combining that with her dark blue coat, covered in lighter swirls that almost imitated the dappled light in the forest, she was nigh invisible. She peered through the dense foliage, only to let out an inaudible gasp at the sight before her. A lion! And a big one! Pressing herself closer to the shadows, she looked at him. Her first instinct had been fear – but now, she saw he was hurt, and her heart flew out to him.

He’d caught himself in a snaggle bush (She was aware that wasn’t their actual name, but it made sense, so hey.) and had squirmed – he’d ripped up his fur pretty badly getting himself out. He was bleeding. Biting her bottom lip, her nervous habit, she stepped out of the shadows, calling softly to get his attention.

The lion growled. This forest was full of nasty, horrid spiky bushes, and whilst he’d been careful, whilst dodging one he’d catapulted himself straight into another. Tearing himself free, he roared in pain as it snagged deeper than he expected, tearing off a whole strip of fur and blood flowing freely. Free of the bush now, he paused, face scrunching as he dealt with the pain. His teeth bit into his gums as he pressured his jaws to deal with the hurt. His eyes were squeezed shut to prevent tears. When he opened them again, it was to a soft call and a lioness half-visible in the shadows, with eyes that shone a beautiful purple. He blinked. He thought the stories about lionesses leading good lions to a happier after was a dream. And then he moved and pain shot through his leg, he yowled, and the lioness came forward making a worried noise low in her throat, and he looked up and he was so very glad it wasn’t a dream despite the fact he hurt BAD.

The lioness’s purple eyes softened immeasurably as she got closer, determining this was no play or trick – he was in great pain, and was obviously very confused. Worriedly she peered at his wound, without going closer. She spoke up, her voice low, shy, but with a layer of steel in it.

“I…think you should get that treated. I can help, if you like?”

As the lioness looked at him, the lion was stunned into silence - eventually, he nodded his head, and the lioness smiled, like sunshine coming out from a cloud. She helped the injured lion to a clearing, applying some herbs.

It took him a while to recover - days spent in the sunny clearing, laughing with the lioness, discussing plans for the future, overcoming pasts that were fraught with pain. But he healed up. He had to leave.

But fate (and the lioness) had different plans.

When the morning came to leave, the lion sat on the edge of the clearing. He was sad. Very sad. But he didn't want to impose on the lioness. So he went to her sleeping area with a flower from the very snaggle bush that had first made them meet, and began to leave.

On the way out, he heard the lioness, breathlessly calling after him.

"Wait!"

He turned, and was faced with a kiss on the muzzle and then an armful of blushing, stammering lioness.

He stayed.
They spent many months together, looking at flowers, chasing prey - laughing, rejoicing.
And then into their lives came the biggest joy of all - children.
Five cubs - three sons and two daughters.
The lion cried like a little cub when they were born, reduced to tears by his emotions.

He cried more later.

The lioness had been ill all through the pregnancy. Taking steps to hide it from her enthusiatic husband, telling him she just needed a nap - exciting him to hide her pain. It had worked.

It crushed him to know that.

The illness took his love, and even worse - it took four of his five children.

He was listless, lifeless. And then his daughter mewled, and determination was born.
He had failed her, and his sons and his daughter.

He would not fail the remaining one.
His love had always told stories of a pride deep in the forest.
Who connected with it in ways that almost seemed magical.
Who were a family.

With the loss of his own, and a young daughter, who whilst amazing, his hope, he didn't know how to care for, it was the best solution.

He would find the Na'Vi.
Cub personality: After losing most of her family at a young age, Amelle has been found to be a very solitary cub. She doesn't connect easily with others (not that she really wants to) and in her world, the only one who matters is her father. Even though she knows that he works his paws to the bone, she can't help but feel upset over the fact she doesn't see him very much.... But knowing he does it all for her, she tries her hardest to help out in little ways, like making sure their home is tidy, finding a bit of food when she can, or anything else she can do.
Father personality: Salam is desperate. He’ll take on any amount of work, any amount of ANYTHING, to save his remaining daughter. She is everything to him. The best description for him would be a workaholic – the kind of father who tries to do everything for them, and then completely forgets the fact that most kids just want to interact with their parents. He’s never been particularly good with emotions, and he’s not now. Flustered easily, Salam is terrified of being a disappointment to his daughter – or to the memory of her mother.
RP!: (RP them as if they were together. Or be creative! We want to see your skills.)

Salam groaned lightly as his paws hit the bark of hometree. They’d made it here, him and his Amelle, his hope, his last memory of his love. They’d built a hammock, small and secure, filled with the tiny scraps of treasures that they’d managed to bring with them. Her mother’s necklace hung round her neck. All their dreams that he and Mawaddah had dreamed. Only she wasn’t here. And neither were his sons or his daughters. He paused for a second, eyes tightening and a single tear sliding down his cheek, leaving a damp trail in the fur of his muzzle, before making his way to the hammock. He still had Amelle. And he would make her and Mawa’s memory proud. He was bone-tired and he ached, but as he entered the little conclave they called home, he forced a smile onto his muzzle and a bounce into his step.

“Amelle~!”
Amelle's ears perked at the sound of her father's voice. He was finally home! she thought gleefully. She quickly glanced about her from her place in the shadows, just out of sight of her father. She had been spending a nice bit of the day cleaning and organizing, putting every treasure was in its rightful place to swiping away every cobweb she could reach. She desperately wanted to make sure everything was perfect so her dad didn't have to do anything more than he had to. With a quick shake to remove any dust, she quickly bounded over to her father, a wide smile across her face. "Daddy! Welcome back!" she said brightly as she came up to him, giving him a small nuzzle.

As soon as Amelle appeared out of the shadows, the forced smile was replaced with a genuine one, happiness shining from the lion, eyes crinkling as he looked upon his daughter. He chuckled as she nuzzled him, bumping noses with her affectionately and using a single paw to bring her up and onto his back with a playful whooshing noise. He tossed his mane playfully as she hung there, heading further inwards.

“How was your day, starlet?”

With a giggle of joy, she clung to her father's back with her smile growing even more. She loved it when he got home, he made everything a million times better. "It was really good, I cleaned most of it" she said lightly. Taking another glance, making sure she didn't miss anything big, she hoped that he would notice her work. By no means was it perfect, but she did try her best, "How did your day go, Daddy?"

"My day was very good - I got lots of work done and helped the pride." He padded over to the area where they slept, and stopped, confused. "Nope. This can't be right. Amelle, am I in the right place?" He looked around over-dramatically. "Well, there's our stuff. And you're here...but, this can't be right." He dipped his shoulder down, allowing Amelle to slide off, and stared at her. "Do you know something, Amelle?" He raised an eyebrow and paused for suspense, before grinning, letting her know he was joking.

“Because our place was never this clean!” He grinned brightly, nuzzling her and pushing onto her back to tickle her tummy, blowing raspberries on it in the way that always made her shriek and giggle. He loved that sound.

"That's great" she began before she slid down his shoulder but took a pause at his serious look... but she smiled widely up at him when he grinned "I'm so glad you-eep!" she let out a squeak and then she started squealing and giggling at the tickles and raspberries "D-daddy!" she squeaked out through the giggles. She flailed a bit as she tried to escape the tickling, but she knew she couldn't... though she didn't want to stop, it was too much fun!

Salam’s low chuckles interspersed with the high giggles of his daughter. He stopped, licking her tufty head gently, and scooping her up in his jaws. He knew that she was too big for it now, really, no longer a newborn, but allow an old lion his foibles – despite the fact he wasn’t really that old. Depositing her gently in the hammock she slept in, he carefully brushed her fluffy coat with his tongue, before settling in front of her. They had two separate beds, even though most nights one of them usually crept in with the other after nightmares, but the green-eyed lion had arranged them so when he lay curled-up, his nose was almost next to hers. Now it was time for stories. Mawa used to tell them every night. His weren’t as good…but he was trying.

As she curled up beside her father, she let out a small yawn, her fur all cleaned up and her thoughts beginning to scatter as each minute went by. She felt herself already drifting towards sleep, but she needed to stay up. It was time for her favorite thing of all, story time. No matter how the before went, she knew that the stories would bring her to a happy slumber. She always adored the things her father came up with, each night a different adventure or tale that continued to linger in her dreams until she awoke in the morning. "So what is tonight's story, daddy?" she said on the end of a light purr. She looked up into his big eyes, so happy that she still had him.

As Salam looked upon his daughter, he smiled.

“It starts, as all stories do, with an act of fate.”

Draw me a drawing!
Screen name: Syrius Lionwing
Name: Minagi - moon queen
Entry link: What the duce?
Desc: Syr like the extended version of Avatar, nuff said!

We are Family!
Cub's name (And meaning): Nárya (None)
Username for cub: Lorne_Sionn
Father's name (And meaning): Faeron (None)
Username for father: Tanakako

Bio: Faeron had fallen for his beloved mate, Ithariel, many years ago and had settled down with her to a quiet, peaceful life after a youth filled with violence and war. He had been one of the top warriors of their Pride, with a natural skill that had been nurtured by the older warriors from a young age. They had respected their younger peer's choice to become a devoted mate, and not to soon after, a loving father. Ithariel and Faeron conceived a single cub, a little girl, that they named Nárya. Soon Faeron the Blue Warrior disappeared into myth and legend, and only Faeron the loving Father and devoted mate remained. The warrior he had been suddenly and silently disappeared from the face of the earth, but it was ill fate that the rumour of his prowess did not. When the demon marked lions came looking for him, it was to test their claws against one so fabled. Their disappointment in finding not a warrior in his den, but a weak fool with a mate and cub to protect, was great. And so they challenged him. When he refused, for that part of his life was over, they murdered Ithariel in front of him, tearing Nárya from her paws. Faeron went mad, fighting as he never had to get to his daughter's side, but they were numerous and despite his skill and the many he felled, he was still only a single lion against many. This was the fight they had come for! Unable to rescue Nárya, Faeron was finally subdued by the demon marked, and captured. Yet they did not kill him, for they recognized a powerful weapon when it fell into their paws. With great and evil joy they struck a 'deal' with Faeron, be their servant, and nothing would happen to Nárya, rebel, and death would be a blessing she could only pray for.

So Faeron became their dog, bowing to the cruel-minded pride’s every whim, all for the sake of his beloved little girl. Very quickly they discovered the extent of his unique talents and soon put those to work for them, turning the once placid and loving lion into a cold hearted killer. Every time he tried to fight back, they pulled his daughter out from the cave they had kept her in and threatened harm. Often they hurt her in small ways, to remind him who as in charge, and though he did his best to protect her he was away most of the time on the pride’s diabolical orders. Before long, both he and Nárya wore the demon mark upon their backs.

The blood of hundreds of innocents stained his paws, and even heavier than their blood was the weight of his guilt as he stole young cubs from their loving families in order that his masters could send them to a strange place where furless devils walked upright. What happened to the cubs, he had no idea, had never asked as he knew he could not stomach the answers. He had no inkling that the pride who kept his daughter were trading cubs to human poachers so that they themselves would be left alone. He only knew that the cubs always vanished and still the pride demanded more sacrifices.

Guilt weighed heavy upon him, twisting his mind until he could not bear to look at his own reflection in the water. Not once did he blame his beloved child, but slowly, gradually, he started to lose his grip on who he was. The mindless violence and terror of his nightly raids seeding a madness within him. One dawn he returned to the demonic pride empty-pawed, his efforts for the night proving unfruitful as the lions in the local area had all moved out or hired protection from the ‘night demon’. Bloodied and wounded he returned to his masters fury, for the sacrifices of late had been few and the human poachers had become restless. In fear of their own lives the pride took Faeron‘s daughter and sent her in the place of the usual sacrifice, but Faeron caught her scent and followed them. Realizing what was about to happen, the warrior went into a blind rage, tearing through the two lions who were escorting her and stealing her away before the humans arrived.

Knowing they would be followed and they would be lucky if death would be their only reward if caught, father and daughter took flight, running for their lives through the savannah. When Nárya grew tired, her father took her onto his back and ran. Days rolled past and the pair barely stopped to drink and scavenge what food they could, but fear drove them, convinced the demonic lions were right behind. For whenever Faeron spared the moments to double back along their trail, they had been right on their heels and no amount of his skill seemed to be able to shake them from his and his daughter's paws.

Eventually they made it to the boarders of the Iknimaya’s territory. Unable to go a step further and realizing that out of all the places they could hide, the vast dense jungle would offer the most security. Knowing the pride that was more myth than fact that inhabited these lands were rumoured to judge a lion by their heart, Faeron decided to beg for entrance for his daughter’s sake. He knew he was too scarred and twisted by what he had done to deserve the rumoured pride’s sanctuary, but his daughter was innocent and deserved a better life than he could provide in the Roguelands. It was all he could do to save the child he loved with what was left of the lion he had been, and so Faeron plunged into the darkness of the trees, the demons howling on his tail.....

Cub personality: Nárya is a attentive cub, she watches everything, but more importantly, she listens. She was very young when her mother was killed, but she has memories of her, and of her father and of the time when they were a loving family. During her captivity the lioness who watched her tried to tell her that her father was evil, but Nárya never believed her. She is the type of cub who makes her own mind up. She can be shy, and a little unsure, but she has a gritty determination that she tackles life with and nothing keeps her down for long. She rarely speaks unless spoken to, but you can coax out a ghost of a smile, or a soft laugh. She has her dad's generous, warm, heart and if nurtured, it will come through despite her rough cubhood as a captive. However, in her father's presence she becomes a different cub all together, playing with him gently, bringing him back to himself with a wisdom far beyond her young age, seeming to understand that he needs her to be there for him in a way that no other lion can be.

Father personality: He was once a very loving male, kind and generous with a warm heart. He loved his pride and was dedicated to his duty within it. Then he met his mate and was a tender father and protective and loving mate. After his mate’s death and his daughter’s capture he became a loner, cold and remote he walled his true feelings up inside in order to do what had to be done for the sake of his little girl. As his slavery continued he grew bitter and broken, guilt and self-hatred festered, turning him into a mere shadow of his former self. No longer does he smile or laugh, instead he remains alone, on the edge of the pride, gaze vacant as he watches something only he can see. The only one who can get him to interact with the real world is his daughter, and it is only in her presence that he regains a little of what he lost and returns to being the lion he used to be, though only for the shortest periods, then he reverts to the eerie, slightly unsettling blank expression.

RP!:
Exhaustion rode his aching body, muscles screaming in pain. It had been weeks of running, desperately trying to escape the demonic creatures that were chasing them. He thought they had gained a little ground, managed to confuse their tormentors at that last mountain crossing. He could still feel the cold deep in his body, making old wounds throb painfully.

Lowering his dark eyes to where his daughter rested, he felt a tightness build in his chest. This was not the life he wanted for her, not how he dreamed her growing up when he and Ithariel had brought her into the world. The many miles they had travailed had been etched into her, leaving her thin and weakened. Forcing himself to lift torn and wounded paws he moved over and gently touched his muzzle to her mane tuft. No, he would not allow this to continue, they would stop running. He knew the lions that lived in the forest close by were a very spiritual pride, he had heard many a rumour over the past few days about them, their strange customs and unique ways. But the thing that made them a possible option was the simple fact that they were a peaceful pride. They only went to war when their own were threatened, and they were very spiritual, believing in nature and respecting all living things. Of course these were all rumours and heresy, but not a single lion, leopard or wild dog that he had met, had a single bad thing to say about the mysterious pride, and it seemed that while they were incredibly hard to find, they were not entirely against outsiders joining them. He knew he himself did not deserve such a sanctuary and after all he had done, he didn't expect them to grant him the luxury, but his daughter... she was innocent and deserved the chance at a real life, not the bare existence of a fugitive on the run.

Letting a heavy, worn sigh escape he suddenly drew her close against his chest with one powerful foreleg and hugged her tight, eyes squinting against the sudden tingle of tears as the tightness in his chest increased tenfold. It was the only thing he could do to protect her now....

Nárya hadn't been asleep, she didn't really sleep when they managed to rest. The youngling didn't want to be the one to slow them down. She knew they were running for their lives. Blinking as she was brought close to her papa's ruff, she smiled at him with her mother's eyes. He looked so weary, his once full mane was ragged, and the hollows under his eyes made him look worn thin. He couldn't keep up like this, and the thick jungle spread out before them would not be easy to run through or to hide their passing. Papa needed to rest, he needed to sleep, he needed real food. There had to be somewhere they could be safe.

Please..please if there are such things as prayers..please...please help papa and me... the little cub thought with all the innocence of a child as she sat up, twisting around to look at him.

Standing up on her hind legs, Nárya touched her tiny paws to his cheek, catching his tears, her voice soft, " I'm ok papa. See? All rested. We can go now."

Feeling her paws brush over his cheeks, he opened hi eyes and looked down at her, feeling his heart constrict yet again at the expression of gentle concern on her delicate features. She was too young to be subjected to this kind of fear, to be hunted like some lowly hyena. Forcing a smile to his maw and knowing it was hollow, he gathered her closer, simply just holding her for a long moment. He loved her so much...

"You are so brave, my darling. Have I ever told you that?" Licking her cheek gently he allowed a rare, honest smile to curl across his muzzle, it was tired and pained but full of his love for her. "We aren't going to run any further... I am going to get you accepted into the pride that lives here. They are a very secret pride, and will be safe for you." Ignoring the pain in his chest at the thought of loosing her, he knew he had no other choice. "They live with a Goddess and seem to be very peaceful." He tried to keep the strain from his voice but he knew he was failing. He had never been able to lie to his daughter, even when it was for her own good.

Nárya glanced over her shoulder at the dark jungle and pressed a little closer to her father, " Me? I'm not brave Papa, I'm only brave cause you are with me...Papa..please..." she looked up at him, her eyes frightened, " Why can't you come to? Won't their Goddess want you too?"

The ragged, thin, little cub wrapped her paws around her father's foreleg, " I know you did bad things, but you had to Papa, to keep me safe. I forgive you papa..I forgive you..." she whispered softly into his fur, " please, don't leave me papa...please. You mean the world to me papa."

Easing down onto his belly he drew her close against him, gathering her close as he wrapped his forelegs around her and tucked her under his chin so she wouldn't see the expression of pure agony on his face. "My darling... my beloved little angel.... " Losing his voice as a lump lodged in his throat, he could only hold her tightly for a long moment. Finally easing back a little he looked down at her with such longing it was painful to see. "I wish that I could come with you, but I don't think they will allow me to... I am a killer, how could they trust me when I can not deny that simple thing?" Gently he nuzzled her tiny mane tuft, trying to burn the feel of her against him, her scent and her warmth into his soul for when he was long gone from here, so that he would have that small reminder of her.

She bit her lip and clung to him harder, " Then I'll be one TOO! I'm not going without you PAPA! I won't go...I won't!"

Holding onto him for all she was worth the little female cub cried into her papa's worn mane, with each sob a plea was sent into the dark, jungle, depths as she dug her claws into his fur.

Please..please, save my papa too! He didn't mean it...he didn't! please help us...

Faeron could do nothing except hold her close against himself, feeling her warm tears soak into his mane, his heart breaking apiece at a time for causing her yet more hurt on top of everything she had already gone through. Lowering his head he rested his cheek atop her furry tuft, dark eyes gazing into the great looming forest of the Iknimaya.

He could only hope they would accept his Nárya... They were his last chance.