Gebali'moyo found himself buried in fur, during the night something had startled his mate and she slept very close to reassure herself. The wing marked lion was amused but tried very hard not to show it. The swamps were something to get used to, they made different sounds than her home.
Feeling her breath slow, her chest no longer heaving in fear he smiled. "Asleep?" he whispered softly to the cream colored lioness and was not surprised when there wasn't a response.
The sound of the wind through the trees almost, for just a moment sounded like the spirits that he so desperately needed to hear. His seer powers were auditory, he heard the future and because of his upbringing assumed that what he heard was the Spirits of his pride talking to him. The spirits were silent, his "visions" weren't coming any longer. It bothered him, he wasn't used to being left in the dark for so long, wasn't used to not knowing what was next.
Lalakesha groaned in her sleep, the cream colored lioness' ears switched and her paws clawed at the earth beneath her. Her head was a on top of Gebali-Hewa's. Her nails dug into him, she didn't mean to she was not consciously making any noises or movements.
"Lala," he paused nudging her with a paw, "Lala, wake up." Gebali'moyo did not want his mate to suffer so, he felt that perhaps he had made a mistake bringing her here, the swamp lands did not seem like they were good for her.
"Dear one," he slowly withdrew himself from beneath her, "You're having bad dreams." His heart ached. He didn't regret wanting to keep her by his side, she had been wandering before he and Indu had found her, she was skinny and Indu had helped him nurse her back to the plump lioness before him.
"What?" her teal eyes snapped open she started to visibly shake, "Oh..Oh Hewa I'm sorry." She frowned and held back tears. Why was she so stupid and frail now? She never had been before, she felt weak and stupid, stupid and weak.
Lala yawned slowly and looked around her, eyes focusing on Hewa..
"I'm just...just not used to being away from my family..and with all of the bad things that have happened..." she did not want to admit it but she missed Indu something terrible, each time she thought of the death and unhappiness here it wore the face of Indu. She loved Indu profoundly, as did Hewa and her going home to her pride shook Lala up.
"I miss her."
She didn't have to explain who 'her' was, he knew, of course he knew. He missed Indu as well, but he had heard the future and knew Indu would be happier with her family than she would ever be in the pride lands. Scooting closer to Lala he licked her ear and placed his forehead against her neck.
"You do not need to explain to me, Lala, I know, I really do," He paused, "I don't want to think I was wrong bringing you to my home, dear one....things will get better. There will be a big difference when the lions responsible for everyone's fears and for the murders are brought to justice. Things will be better, you will love it here..I hope..but if..if you do not I will move us anywhere." He secretly hoped she would not ask for that, it would break his heart to leave home, but he was sure he would never mend if he left her.
She nuzzled him back softly, "I would never dream of leaving these lands, " she paused, "not without giving the swamps a proper go."
"I just need to make some friends," Lala rose to her feet shaking flecks from her front paws, "I'll make friends you'll see." She wanted to please him just as he wanted to please her, there had to be a happy medium. Lala felt she was being overly fragile and silly, of course this home would be great; too bad their coming had been smudged with the deaths of lions.
"You've told me so much about here, there's no way I wouldn't give it a proper chance," she thought of the spirits he spoke of, and of his adoptive mother...Asali who had passed. He wasn't really her son, but he spoke of her just as a son spoke of a mother.
"Tomorrow, how about you take a walk? Stick near by the den," he omitted the 'just in case', "find someone nice and normal to make a good friend with?" Gebali thought that would be a very good idea, she could find someone besides him to talk to, a good female friend to gossip with and learn about the pride from someone who wasn't too close to her.
"I bet that's a pretty good idea, if that doesn't seem right we'll figure something else out," he nudged her.
She thought it over, feeling a bit groggy, her thoughts were a bit muddled. "I think it's a very nice idea, I really do." Baridi smiled and her eyes drooped, "I think I'm just old-home-sick."
"I miss my siblings, my mother moved away from the pride and I don't know who's left." she let out a long yawn.
"I'll meet someone tomorrow," she yawned again, there was a plan hatching in her groggy brain.
"You're tired, dear one." Gebali stated the obvious, "I am too, this is a very important conversation that shouldn't be had in the middle of the night."
He felt bad and felt angry for feeling bad that he brought her here. Gebali felt very much like Hewa..his baby self in that instant, possessive and scared he wanted to know she would be his forever..he'd lost a lot in his short life. Two mothers and a lover..could he stand to lose another? He didn't think so.
"I..love you Lala-Baridi," he whispered and nudged her gently settling down beside her.
"I love you too Hewa-Gebali," she said back softly her heart fluttering, she felt it really would all be okay around him. There were just so many hard things to think about. Lions were dieing! No one knew who was the cause and that concerned her most. She thought perhaps she was safe..the ones dieing came from the same group..she did not..but that didn't stop the worrying. "There are a lot of important things to speak about, the middle of the night isn't ideal," she yawned again and then continued, "But..we're both awake?"
"Could..could I take a few days..possibly a few moons to visit the Pride Lands?" She introduced the concept slowly wanting him to feel that in the end it was his decision and his idea for her to go.
Baridi had one way to hold herself together and that was silence and acceptance, she held everything inside and pretended everything was alright.
Hewa felt caught, he didn't want her out of his sight for too long, but at the same time he couldn't force her to say, his brown eyes focused on her. "I don't like making decisions when I am tired, I like to be able to think about things."
"I think that, that would be a wonderful idea. It will let you see some of your family, keep you away from the pride..maybe while you're gone they'll catch whoever is doing all of this. When do you want to leave?" He tried very hard not to allow his body to tense and show that he wasn't exactly keen on the idea.
"Yes, those are all very good things," Lala nodded and rested her head on his paws, "I wont leave right away, I'll make a friend in the lands first..and then I'll be gone, not too long, I promise..we'll discuss it more in a few days? So we can plan which way I will go and the way I will come back." She let out another yawn and scolded her mouth for giving away her tiredness.
"Yes, we'll plan, now go to sleep, too much thinking for the middle of the night, Miss Baridi'ini." He chuckled softly and set his head along her back cuddling into her.
Hewa closed his eyes and listened, hoping the Spirits would have something to say to him, something that would reassure him that she was going to go and come back safely. The Spirits didn't speak, not even the soft breeze in the trees sounded like voices to him..where had they gone?
"Sleep?" Lala could barely keep her eyes open, I don't need slee-" but she was so tired her voice trailed off into slow breath sounds.
"Told you, you were tired," he joked in a whisperer and closed his own eyes ready for sleep. He wasn't sure he would be able to with so much to think about but sleep came easily enough.
