Tembezishaha:
Shaha walked along in the cool afternoon with his eldest, Safi. It had rained for most of the day, and the day before as well, and he was having a nice time watching her dance about through puddles and avoiding the more muddied areas. Of all his children, Safi seemed to have the most energy. Perhaps it was gained from spending less of it speaking. He had long since learned that she wasn't impaired in any way that kept her from forming proper words, simply that she chose to save her words and listen instead. He wasn't an old lion, still in his prime, in fact. But when his mate and children were concerned, he was always a little distracted.

Fususi:
Fu stopped in her own walking, not too far from the den that Pich would grow angry with her, certainly not far enough away that he couldn't hear her should she need help... Not that she would call to him anyways. No, she wasn't about to go running to him for help. She was worried enough as it was. Already she was starting to feel differently towards him. He wasn't as cruel as the rest of his family seemed to be, except his uncle. The older cheetah bothered her a little bit, and his scars were worrisome, but of the family he seemed the most... well, the least likely to cause her serious harm, besides Pich.
She was starting to forget that Pich had taken her prisoner, kept her from her family. Yes, remember that. If she remembered that, she wouldn't do something stupid.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich followed Fu outside, why he couldn't say, his eyes trailed to the rare flower fading away on her paw. Silly that he should want to find her another, she didn't need a flower. He moved closer to her side about to open his mouth stupidly to ask her if she would like one anyway when the scent hit him. His head twisted quickly and he stalked away from the den until his golden eyes fell on a distant lion. The lithe shape of a female hybrid was near him and Pich gave a soft growl. Poor thing was probably being brainwashed, well he wouldn't stand for that. What would aunt Shai say if she saw how close he had allowed a lion to roam near their home!

"Stay here!" He growled at fu, last thing he needed was her being attacked by a lion.
He sprang into motion running full speed at the larger male, without warning he leapt to attack with a snarl.

Safimoto:
Safimoto was happily twirling ahead of her father, her coins jingling as she did so. Suddenly, she felt a chill go up her spine and she turned back to look just as a cheetah sprang at her papa.
"Father look out!" she screeched as the cheetah snarled.

Tembezishaha:
Shaha turned just in the nick of time. Well, sort of. If he hadn't, his attacker might have gotten him across the back of his neck, somewhat protected by his fluffy mane, but it could have been the end of him nonetheless. But because he turned and tried to shy away, the cheetah only grazed him across the back with his claws. As pain shot through him, his vision grew red. Not only was he being attacked for no apparent reason, but his baby girl was in danger by being here. He could hear her sometimes shrieking, sometimes snarling in the background, and he feared she might not stay there for very long. His attention split between keeping her behind him and putting up a defense against his opponent.
And that would surely make him lose in the end.

Fususi:
Fu started when Pich growled at her and she looked up to see him run for a large lion with a small... she looked like a cheetah, but was too big to be one, and she looked too much like the lion. Probably a hybrid, then.
She didn't know what Pich was up to until he sprang at the large male with a snarl and the fight began. With a gasp, she ran after Pich, trying to process what she was seeing.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich attacked with fury born from years of his aunt and uncles careful training. His aunt had drummed a hatred for lions into him, reasons be damned. His uncle had given him lesson after lesson until Pich knew how to use every aspect of his speed and size in a fight. He raked at the larger male with a snarl his ears pinned back even as he moved quickly around him trying t use advantage of his distraction with the younger female.

This would be another pelt to bring his aunt Shai, he could already hear the echo of her praise in his ears. He whipped around trying to snap at the males weak points. He had no idea how close Fu was getting, confident she had obeyed his command and stayed put.

Safimoto:
Safi didn't know what to do!
Her father kept putting himself between her and the cheetah and that just seemed to be making matters worse! And then another cheetah was running up!
She didn't know what she was thinking or what she would do, she just hated the thought that they would gang up on a gentle soul like her daddy. Without a second thought, she snarled and lunged at the new female.

Fususi:
"Pich stop!" Fu cried as loud as she could when she was close enough, but just as the words left her maw, the young hybrid attacked her. She jumped back with a screech, unable to do anything but dodge the younger female as she was snapped at. There was a hatred in the girl's bright blue eyes, a ferocity matched by those in the lion's. And Fu knew she wouldn't stand a chance. This hybrid was younger than her, but she was agile and graceful in her movements. So was Fu, mind, but this girl also had a little bit of fight training. And Fu had none.

Unable to do anything else, she used her one advantage.
She turned and fled, running away from the lands of Pich and his family.

Tembezishaha:
Shaha was slowly working himself more and more into the fight, dodging and blocking more of the cheetah's attempts as he went on.
Until he heard Safi snarl and glanced over to see her lunge at an older female cheetah who had run up to yell at who he assumed was the male. When his daughter engaged the older female, he let out a roar of rage and tried to get himself towards his daughter.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich was starting to enjoy the fight, it was a challenge but he knew a victory would be his! Until he heard a familiar voice, he leapt away from the lion and snarled at the hybrid. When he saw Fu turn and run he clenched his teeth in fury. Damn! He gave one last snarl at the lion and the hybrid before lunging away and racing after Fu.

Oh he was going to thrash her good when he got a hold of her, the stupid little thing! What had she been thinking getting in on his fight like that! Poor aunt Shai would be deprived of a new skin it seemed. At least the hybrid hadn't hurt Fu...not that she wouldn't have deserved it.

He was gaining on her at last and he snarled speeding up. "Fu! Get back here!"
roxy connected

Tembezishaha:
When both cheetahs had fled, Shaha snarled and sprang after the male, only to find Safi in his way.
The bloodlust fled from his eyes and he simply stood there, looking down at the fear in his daughter's eyes as she looked up at him, crying.
"Daddy, I wanna go home," he heard her whisper and she pressed her face into his chest. That was all the prompting he needed.
The bard and the dancer fled at quick speeds away from the site, quickly towards home.

Fususi:
Fu heard Pich running behind her, calling to her in a snarl, but still she ran. No! No, she wasn't going to go back! He was a monster, a creature, a beast! How had she ever thought there might be something good in him? As she ran she saw the flower on her paw and growled, raking one foot over the dried grass, severing it with a claw so that the flower fell off. One back paw crushed it into the mud.

She glanced back to see him gaining and turned slightly in her running, trying to get away. That's when she saw empty space not far in front of her, a crevice in the earth. With a gasp, she tried to turn away, but there was mud beneath her paws. She slipped and slid, her paws falling out from under her and with a scream she was over the side.

She landed hard, on a ledge several lengths down the side of the cliff, a river some ways farther down. She lay on her side, wrapped in a level of pain she'd never felt before, too much for her to do anything but cry, and barely that. It hurt to breathe, oh how her side hurt so much. She was dying, she was sure of it. There was no other explanation for that much pain. She didn't want to die. There was so much she had wanted to do. She wanted to have a family, a mate and cubs. She wanted to see her family grow and have families of their own. She wanted to show her mother and father how well she had done.

And yet, all she could think of was that she didn't want to leave Pich. He had attacked that lion for seemingly no reason and yet all she wanted was to live, even if it meant staying with him. Could she really have changed him? He was cold and stern, but the flower... He had given that to her to make her happy and sooth the longing she had for her family. Would he have done that for anyone else?

Her crying grew in fervor. It hurt so much.
"Pich...." His name came out, part gasped, part moaned, and part sobbed.

Pich'Nkosana:
He growled to himself and put on a burst of speed to catch her when he saw her turn. No! His mind screamed as he saw her paws hit the mud, the cliff ahead...no, no, no! He slowed himself down and stopped with his eyes wide and a silent gasp escaping him, it happened so slow, and yet so quick. He saw the way she slid, her paws moving frantic, the way her mouth opened in a scream. The scream put him back in motion, but he was careful, he leapt to the edge and then carefully jumped down. Still, it was a distance and he felt a deep ache in his paws when he landed, but it was easy to ignore when he saw Fu.

"Fu! Fu, are you alright? Where does it hurt! Where? Where!" He kept his body between her and a longer fall down, thank goodness for the ridge. Yet his mind was in a panic, she looked like she was going to die. He wanted to stop her pain, he wanted to take back her fall. He leaned in close his breathing erratic, panicked, nothing had ever scared him like this. Why was he so scared? He leaned in closer as he heard his name and gently nuzzled her cheek. "Shh you'r going to be okay...you are...you are..." He looked up and around the panic setting in. Oh god how was he going to help her!

Fususi:
Fu let out a soft, pained mewling sound and closed her eyes tight.
"I- I can't... breathe... hurts," she gasped, pain crossing her face every time she spoke and took in a breath. Her paws hurt just a bit, but nothing seemed broken. If her side wasn't hurting so much, she would focus more on moving them to make sure they were still working properly. But her side...
She tried taking a slower breath, something in the back of her mind noting his panic and not fully registering it, but when she took in too much air, the pain hit again and she let out a sob.

Barafu'moyo:
Barafu stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at his nephew and the female he had captured not too long ago. He had been making a rounds when he heard his nephew's panicked voice. He'd come carefully running, looking over the edge to see the pair on a ledge not too far down into the crack. Pich hovered over her while Fu was lying on her side, crying, having no doubt fallen.
The female... Fu, that was her name. She had fallen over the side and wasn't moving much. She was crying, he could hear that no problem. Had she broken something? Most anything she could do to herself in a fall would probably lead to them having to kill her. Such a pity, she seemed to be making his nephew happy.

And yet not. She was an outsider, with different ideas. He knew that what he did was wrong among most other creatures, his mate's hatred for lions was not shared by all of her kind, in fact there were even hybrids out there that were from lions, just as his Shai was a cheetah and a leopard. She could taint Pich, turn him against the rest of the family, if she tried hard enough.

Or he could change her...

Barafu was cold. He was calculating and hateful of most of the other creatures in the world. But not his mate. Not his sons or daughter. And Pich was his son. He had raised him from such a young age, it was almost as if Shai had given him to the family from her own body. And as hateful as he generally was, he wanted to see his family happy. He would tease her, but he loved seeing Shai pleased.
And if this female, so unfitting in their family, such a taint on the the ideals he and Shai had trained into him... If she made him happy, he wouldn't hamper that. Even if she would someday turn his son against him.

"Pich, lift her up to me carefully. Don't try climbing up," Barafu called down to Pich and carefully moved so that he was in a position to grab the female by her scruff and lift her up.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich leaned close to Fu his ears plastered back, he wanted to stop her pain. He gently nudged her cheek and looked her over, but there was no blood, no wound he could see to try and help. "Shh, shh, you'll be alright..." She had to be alright! She just had to!

His head snapped up and he almost sighed with relief, uncle Barafu! His uncle was the best, he would know how to fix Fu, and even if he didn't aunt Shai could help. Yes, yes his family, they always helped him when he needed it, not that he had ever really needed them like now. His throat was tight as he carefully nudged his body under Fu to lift her as high as he could. "She-she fell...slipped over the edge...she...she's hurt real bad Uncle..." His voice was tensed, pained.

Fususi:
Fu let out a short scream as he lifted her, but quickly shut her mouth, trying hard not to agitate either male any more. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth, only letting out a faint whimper as she felt teeth clamp on the skin at the back of her neck. That, too, hurt like hell, but she only grit her teeth more as she was hauled up over the side.

Barafu'moyo:
Barafu grabbed the female and grunted softly as he pulled her up. He might have been the smallest of his siblings, but he was no weakling. Once he had her over the side, he started looking her over, trusting his nephew to be able to get back up himself. He looked down at the female and did something he never thought he'd have to.
"Tell me what hurts," he said and listened as she mewed about her side hurting her when she breathed. He frowned and looked to her side. He nudged it and she gasped, flinching away. He glanced at her face and then back to her side, looking close. Under her fur, he could make out darkening skin, a bruise.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich cringed at the sounds of her pain, once she was up he quickly and easily leapt up himself. He looked over Fu again assuring himself she was at least alive. He looked at his uncle his eyes still held that edge of panic. "Will she...she'll be alright?" He tensed and stood there, uncertain.

His eyes slowly fell back over her, he could see streaks of mud on her snow colored fur and he moved closer. She had to be alright...she just had to...but why he couldn't quite say. She was his, so that meant she had to be alright.

Barafu'moyo:
"I think a bone or two is broken," Barafu replied as he straightened up and looked at his nephew. His frown remained at the panic he saw in the younger cheetah. He had thought that the female had gotten under Pich's skin, but he hadn't realized just how far. His ears set back slightly for a passing moment and the he turned away.
"She'll heal. Carry her back to the den and have her rest until there is no more pain or tenderness when she breathes and moves. Knock her out if you have to," he said and started away. He needed time alone. Time to think.

Fususi:
Fu whimpered at Barafu's words, but she was given some comfort. At least she would get better, she wasn't going to die. She didn't like the thought of being knocked out. Even though she hurt, she didn't want Pich to strike her, to control whether she was awake or not.
"Don't... knock..." she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him. The pain was still there, but ever so slowly starting to shrink.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich nodded at his uncle, slowly the panic was fading, he gave a firmer nod trying to re-compose himself. "Thank you uncle." He dipped his head before looking at Fu. He knew that Barafu would have just knocked her out, it made the most sense. If he didn't she would suffer the whole way as he carried her back, better she sleep through it. Yet...her pained voice reached him and he frowned hesitating.

"It will only hur-Alright...alright...don't worry...no ones going to knock you out..." He frowned and carefully wriggled his way under her slight frame to lift her on his back. His ears folded back and he sighed, at least she was going to live.

Fususi:
Fu made a sound of pain in the back of her throat when he slipped beneath her, but nothing too loud and it was short, held back. She didn't want to upset him any more. She closed her eyes and let him take her back to his home, her side still throbbing the entire way. But she didn't lose consciousness. Whether it was because she didn't want to, or to show him she had some strength, she wasn't sure and she really didn't care. She kept her eyes closed, but her mind aware, at least partly. No thoughts, really, just the understanding of sensations. And pain, of course.

Pich'Nkosana:
He carefully slid her onto his furs and nuzzled her neck with his nose. "Your going to be alright Fu, just sleep..." He moved to curl up carefully around her back. He couldn't quite close his own eyes yet, still haunted by the image of her slip and scream. Why had she run like that?

Fususi:
"Why... attack the... lion?" Fu asked softly once she was lying on her uninjured side on the warm furs. Thunder crashed outside, heralding more rain. There currently wasn't anyone else in the den, but if she had thought about it, she would be sure that the rest of his family would show up soon. His uncle especially, for she had noticed he hated the rain and storms.
She was tired and all part of her wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep, but she needed to know. She had to know why.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich looked at her confused a moment before frowning "Lions are bad Fu, their dangerous, I don't tolerate them this close to home. Aunt Shai could have been hurt, or my cousins...I have to protect the things I love." He sighed and rested his head on his paws.

Why did you run? He wanted to ask, but he wanted her to sleep more. Questions could be saved for once she was recovered. "Now get some sleep..." He softly pulled the fur closer to her his ears picking up the sound of rain and thunder. It had not been a good day...

Fususi:
Fu closed her eyes at his words, letting out a soft mew.
"Cheetahs, too... Would you... attack me?" she asked, for the most part answering his unasked question. She had run because she feared him. Would he hurt her to, someday? What about her family? If he kept her from them and they tried to take her back, would he fight them? Kill them? She was scared of losing to him something just as precious, only to have that be shattered and thrashed. She had started losing herself to him and then she saw the monster in him. Loving him could get her killed...

But she wouldn't hear his answer. Before she could, darkness washed over her, sending her into the realm of dreams and nightmares.

Pich'Nkosana:
Pich gazed down at her for a long time, he watched as she fell asleep. His golden eyes slowly followed her form, the rise and fall of her breathing, the smudges of mud on her coat. He softly nuzzled her cheek as she slept and sighed softly. "No..I would never hurt you Fu..." His voice was only a soft whisper, and he knew she couldn't hear it, but he had to answer for himself.

Finally he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, he needed to sleep, needed the darkness to hold the strange feelings inside at bay. And when he woke it was still dark, if there had been light he might not have had the courage...he returned with a single flower and tucked it carefully beside Fu as she slept before slipping away in search of food.