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 Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 5:52 pm
 Noyana felt odd, meandering across the roguelands without a soul. She wished someone were with her, Chane or Chaka... Someone. Though, she had someone up ahead of her, unknowingly leading the way. The bright lioness flicked an ear as she travelled. She had had to resist the urge to rush and meet her friend, Tufah, after an encounter she had smelled. She hadn't, though, heard a word from it. She had no idea what the pair had discussed, but it must not have been successful, since Mat was still out here... And so was she.
She had shaken off all of the inner conflict and had come to an odd equilibrium with herself, deciding that what she felt was... well... She still couldn't describe it, but she felt closer to knowing what it was than before. She still felt she was following the male out of pity, and an urge to help him. He seemed helpless out there, in his condition, and whether he liked it or not, he needed someone to help him out.
The lioness knew her skills of hunting would be useful. While in the Pridelands they were a nice thing to have, out here they were a necessity and the yellow female knew it. She could see Mat as a speck on the horizon, but turned now away from him and towards a more enticing smell... The kill. She ducked down into the grasses and she was no longer Noyana anymore... She was a hunter, a killer. A young gazelle was her target today. She would've gone for something more ambitious, but she felt today would be a good day to catch something and take it to Mat. Maybe see him in person, maybe just drop it off and run, her scent on it would be enough for him to tell who it was from.
She had managed to finish off the beast and picked it up, heading towards the little speck that she had followed for a couple of days, wondering which would be better, a face-to-face approach, or a "here it is, and now I'm outta here" approach.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:32 am
Mat sat outside for long whiles throughout the days he had claimed the lives of the family that once inhabited the den, the bones that littered the entrance was proof of their loss and his claim. His leg was feeling better, able to move and be used but the pain that occasionally shot through it made him limp and very conscious that if he used it too much that the affects would become permanant. He was not ready to become handicapped just yet, in fact, ever. His paranoia raised as the days passed on; he always kept seeing a small, dark figure in the distance looking at him and then disappearing behind a tree, rock, or the tall grass. Instantly, he felt he was being watched by none other than the one that wanted to kill him and his family...
His father.
He was afraid, he would admit it. He did want to be out here too long, not too long ago he had a meeting with his sister. He was becoming more and more paranoid that their father had seen her; correlated their relation and might have trailed her... possibly even killing her. Being out in the rogue lands, he had no idea what was going on out there; at home or anywhere for the matter. The rogue lands were a rather rough place to live. Enemies with no friends to be found; hunting was important to one's survival and being able to defend one self is the utmost necesity. Survival of the fittest out here... and he was losing. His body was still recovering; the scar on his face made it a little less hard to see out of his right eye, though it was getting better, his limp prevented him from hunting... nothing was looking good for him.
Mat was determined to finish this little lesson of his and hopefully change for the better. As of now; he only needed to learn three things; respect females, respect family, and respect his pride. He respected his family... maybe not Tahka too much when he got Mat into a fit, but he still loved his brother... Pride was going to be difficult since it was all the way over the border and as for females... he turned Noyana away already and Tufah knew that he cared about her. Then again, she was part of the family, so that didn't seem to fit right. So it was just Noyana really and he had sent her home. The females around here were strange, more so annoying than her! Go figure...
Mat took one glance around and saw no mysterious figure looming around his temporary den. He headed inside for some rest before another look out. The rest was going to be difficult with a constantly growling belly... he was ready to eat just about anything and how he did it, he stopped caring.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:46 am
Noyana had made her mind up. She would go, let him know she was giving him food, and see how it went from there. She wouldn't go home if he drove her off again, just keep maybe a slightly further distance than before... Yes, that was the ticket. She padded closer and closer to his den and stopped about 20 feet away.
"Mat?" She called. It would be loud enough for the male to hear, but hopefully not loud enough for any others. Somehow, Noyana felt no threat out here yet. Only met a nice lion or two. Just as when she had left and met Intombi, Noyana saw (and felt) little different between the roguelands and the Pridelands. She'd always wondered in the back of her head if, the further out you went into the roguelands, the more desolate things would become. But all there was different was new faces. "Mat, I brought some food for you, if you're hungry," she called and sat, awaiting some reaction. She expected rage for her following him, but she knew he'd need the food. She hadn't smelled a kill that she hadn't made in a long while.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:56 am
Another voice? Was it Tufah again? Mat sat up in the rather narrow, dark burrow and limped his way up, hoping to come face to face, yet again, with his little sister. With a growl, he roared.
"I thought I told you to head home, Tufa-" he paused to find that no one was outside his den. Wait, then what was that voice? Was he going insane? Seeing figures in the distance watching him everyday? Hearing voices that were not there? Was this why his mother left him out here? To become mentally insane that he'd eventually die? Yeah... right.
His emerald eyes dropped to teh ground when a scent hit him smack in the face, his belly grumbling even more now. It was the unforgettable scent of meat, the carrion of the dead, the delicious red meat that all carnevoirs ate! His eyes jerked over to the kill when he saw something yellow just behind it. His eyes traced the object to the face. He wasn't very pleased with the sight, but his hunger came first.
Limping toward the kill, "I thought I told you to go home too, Noy..." he murmured, pulling the kill to him and slowly started to wolf it down. He didn't care how he looked as he ate, savage, feral, a mess. He was just hungry.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:06 am
Poor guy... Noyana thought to herself, not daring to say it. She wondered if he'd gotten any food since she'd last seen him. "I told you once, and I'll tell you as many times as it takes, I'm not going home until you do. Besides, a little venture into the roguelands is good for the soul," she said, not sure if she really believed that or not. "Besides, are you not happy I brought you something? I can leave you alone for a while, if you want." She said quietly, tail flicking behind her, though she personally thought that he would be grateful for some company.
"You doing ok besides the hunger?" She asked, not looking at where his eyes would be should he look up. She knew better to make eye contact with someone as dreadfully hungry as he seemed while they were eating, she'd heard it could provoke an attack. She looked over some of his cuts instead, seeing how they were healing... He seemed to be feeling better than when she had run into him, at least a little. "I know where a little water hole is, if you want me to tell you. You probably know about it, though," she said as he ate.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:21 am
He finished up rather quickly and nudged her to follow. He was still paranoid of someone watching him and if they were to talk, it would be in private. He could not risk another mauling from his father... no, not again. Last time he was at good health and he was brought to near death from that one meeting. He could hold his own for so long but his father had too much experience to contend with.
"Thank you for bringing me the food, are you happy?" he spoke rather sarcastically, actually, this was the second time he had said thank you in his life! The first being with Tufah recently for doing the same thing. "Well, if you did leave me alone and went home, then that would be something I would want."
He paused just outside the burrow's entrance, flicking away a skull of one of the previous owners. "I'm fine." he said rather agitated. "I know where the stupid water hole is, I just can't get to it..." rather he was afraid to. The water hole was surrounded by tall grass which left him little visibility. He was always paranoid that his father was lurking in there, ready to pounce him again. So he only went there when there was a herd heading in that direction. It seemed less subtle.
Mat turned his attention back to her.
"I told Tufah to tell you to stay away. Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? You think I want no one around? Hell, I would ******** love the company, but I would rather not have it dead and laying in the corner," he sighed. "If you stay around here too long, you might meet my father. Trust me, he may not let you get off easily as he did me. Just go home and stay there until I get back or something."
Gasp... was that a hint of caring?
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:46 am
Noyana smiled at the male. Not only did she pick out the 'Thank you' but she also managed to sense that hint of caring. She also managed to see the fear in him. She knew his wounds were bad, but she didn't know what it had done to his mind... it hadn't occured to her that it would affect him in that way too. She felt something stir in her, but she wasn't sure what. It wasn't pity... Whatever it was, it felt girly, and she didn't like it. But part of her told her not to care and to let that stupid guard down already. She would've growled in frustration, but she figured Mat could probably interpret that incorrectly and just released a tiny, upset, tomboyish Noyana into her head to beat up on whatever the feeling was. She didn't know it was affection... It was different for the love she felt for her family. She knew it was that mushy stuff of girly cubs, always fawning for a romance story while Noyana would always be off trying to hunt.
"Did he give you a time frame or something? If it's so dangerous, out there, why can't I stay with you? I'd be safer than I would be alone, and so would you. You could rest more, we could take turns watching." If he got overly mad at this, she would leave again and keep her distance for some more time... maybe give him the impression she'd left and bring him food again. She felt he wouldn't explode too bad, if he did, though.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:56 am
"If you were at home, I wouldn't have to worry about you getting killed. Because it would be my damned fault for you following my a** around. You look like a small lost cub looking for it's mother. However, in this case, it seems like I am the one you keep following," he scoffed. "My father has been watching me since I we had last talked. He wants to make sure that I am alive long enough to tell my family about him and to stay away from the rogue lands... then he'll kill me then. He doesn't want any of us alive it seems. I am sure if he saw me with you, he'll kill you too, probably for kicks. If he is anything like my mother said, he could always give you cubs for for kicks too." he added. He heard some stories about his father, never quite recalled his name but he knew that he had gotten Tiah pregnant and left. If he was able to do that to such a strong, adult female like her... he didn't want to think what he could do to Noy. He pondered for a moment and looked back at her.
"Fine, stay if you want, but if he comes, you better start high tailing your a** out of here."
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:07 am
She smiled again at him and dipped her head, almost like a bow, but less formal. "I would be honored to be allowed to stay with you. I'll even not talk to you, if you want," she said as she sat inside the cave. "Are you sure it was him and not me? I've been following you for a couple of days," she admitted, ears folded back like a cub who just admitted they'd messed up the den or something. She wanted badly to believe that he wasn't in real danger... Definitely to believe he didn't have a killer stalking him and waiting for the opportune moment. She shivered at the thought. In a way she was in denial of it, but every time she looked at him it was quite clear that his words were reality... It showed in the gashes that now spotted his fur.
I'll bet Tahka wouldn't have survived it, Noyana thought wryly to herself, a small smirk crossing her face. She knew Mat was the strongest of his siblings... Sometimes brawn was really a lot better than brains. She doubted he'd have survived it if he'd been weaker.
She stepped to the mouth of the den and sat, not going outside it, but close enough to have a good view. "I could go get some water, I'm sure there's a way to carry it here," she said thoughtfully, thinking maybe a leaf would help... "Or we could go together. Either way, I'm thirsty." She'd taken little time to rest over the past few days, and though she refused to show it, Noyana was exhausted too. She'd been watching out for someone as much as he had... though he'd gotten fairly predictable within the last day.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:16 am
"Do whatever you want, talk to me if you want, just don't expect me to be nice about it, twit," he said as he entered the den, leaving her outside. He laid down in the corner where he had for many times now, going up and down that slope, made bigger recently from his passing, the dirt clung to him. There were specks of piles of dirt outside from it shaking off, but he passed it off. He didn't really care. He laid down and looked around. The burrow was for a family of small creatures... to them it was a palace, to him... it meant that if Noyana stayed, she was going to have to sleep rather close to him. Mental slap to the face for that one...
"Go for water, I am staying here. I'm not thirsty." -a lie... he was parched as he can be and the only liquid he drank lately was the blood from the recently delivered meals. That was not enough, he needed water but he did not want to go out there...
"If you do go, watch out for a lion that looks like me, shorter, more scarred, and black mane. Make sure to give me regards and hope you actually make it back without a belly of cubs. Or even alive for that matter," he shrugged and slumped against the back of the cave. Being underground, it was cold. He had gotten used to it over time, but it was not doing too well for him. He was going to get sick, the occasional coughs were still lingering in him and they were more harsh than ever.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:40 am
Noyana looked at him with a smile. He was so... odd, in his own way. It was kinda cute. Her little mental self went wild when it heard the c- word, but she ignored it. "I'll be careful," she said, and she honestly meant it. She took a look around before she stepped out and kept a careful eye and ear trained around her. However, she saw nothing, and headed rather uneventfully to the water hole. Once there, she found a tree conveniently placed near the water, one she hadn't noticed when it wasn't important. Fortunately, it had rather broad sturdy leaves. Before weighing herself down with water, the lioness lept up into the tree and carefully plucked a leaf before descending, the stem in her mouth. She drank her fill, then oriented the leaf as a pouch and submerged it into the water. If it was strong enough, she'd be able to take some water back.
Fortunately, it worked, and she was back in no time, dripping-leaf in mouth.
"I brought back some wahder anyway," she managed through gritted teeth. "Wan- some?"
Mat looked at her for a second. This was the second time; actually third, that she had attended to his need. Strange this female. She is always presisitant in the things she does, but like everyone else, she doesn't listen to him! He growled and snatched the pouch from her, gulping it down hungrily, wanting more... however, he could not ask her to get any more. He sighed and put the pouch down. He made no eye contact before flopping down again in his corner, curling up slightly. He didn't understand females. Why did Noy keep wanting to help him? Why did she insist on feeding him? Getting him things? Keeping him company when clearly he was worried about her. He sighed and stayed there.
"If you wish to keep yourself out of harm, I suggest you go to sleep."
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:53 pm
She knew he'd be thirsty. Her ego was only boosted by the way he took it in, almost ravenously. Noyana took his advice and curled up in the opposite corner of him, her emerald eyes open just to slivers as her mind raced. What the heck was up with her? She was all... Weaky like. She didn't like it... then again... it wasn't all that bad. No no no, she didn't like it. And that was that, except kinda not really... Her brows furrowed as she silently argued with herself, upset at the indecisiveness of it all. Was this that stupid thing that her younger self had spat upon? Was this... love she felt? YUCK. Except... it really wasn't all that gross...
"Thanks... for letting me stay," she said to Mat and looked him in the eye. She really meant it. She looked away soon after she said it and tried to go to sleep, but found herself shivering from the cold of the den instead. She hid it as best she could, but it was still visible, if one was paying attention.
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:18 pm
Mat looked over his shoulder, his ear perked from her "thanks". He had no other choice but to let her stay here. First of all, if she wandered alone, she was a perfect prey for his father. Secondly, she won't leave him alone... so itwas best to stay here. He hated to admit it, but he would not mind company. Being out here by himself, he felt distant and disconnected from everyone. Noy's shiver could be felt, after all, her fur touched his. The den was a very small space that it was almost impossible not to touch another. Being lions, they were rather big.
Mat sighed and rose up to his feet, moved a little closer and laid down beside her, closer to her and laid himself down.
"Don't get any ideas, Noy. I am cold just as you are. I am just stealing your heat..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:32 pm
Noyana's ear twitched when she heard and felt him moving. She didn't expect the reaction she got, but she had to "say" (or think, rather) that she didn't mind the extra heat. Honestly... She didn't mind the feeling of him next to her, either. Immediately her mind raced again. Don't. Be. An. Idiot. Like. Mjrn. the younger Noy in her head said angrily, as the older Noy rolled her eyes and flicked her out of the picture. Such inner conflict was difficult, but with more comfortable conditions, sleep couldn't resist taking her victim.
"I won't Mat..." she said tiredly through a yawn. "Thanks," and with that, the bright lioness was asleep without another thought. She immediately fell into a dream in which she was successfully hunting an elephant, a feat she doubted that she alone could ever achieve in reality.
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