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 Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 11:11 am
 He was tired.
Not just any kind of tired; he was bone-deep, soul-cold tired. He ached heinously, the scratches and gashes across his shoulder and back still seeping blood. Spenta huddled in a pile, slouched and unmoving; perhaps if he ignored the pain he would be graced with the blissful kiss of sleep.
The pain would not be ignored.
The earlier altercation with his brother had left him battered and bruised, his heart heavy and his pelt smeared with the coppery crimson of blood. Six or seven gashes across his shoulder, deep enough to break skin; more of the same stretched along his back.
He just needed sleep.
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Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 12:26 pm
The wind was whispered through the grass and her light fur, clouds were chasing across the sky, and the unknown path she was following was utterly new. The smallish lioness smiled softly to herself, her golden eyes warm and contented. New earth or familar, beneath her paws it was pleasent with a few lingering traces of warmth from the sun. Besides, trees and such might stay in one place, but people moved. And it was the people she so loved to discover. It didn't matter where she went, there would be someone there for her to find...
But she never expected to find someone like this.
"Are you alright?" she squeaked, her relaxed walk turning into a bounding run as she raced towards the scent of blood and the limp form she'd glimpsed from the corner of her eye. She froze as she came close, looking more than a little distressed as she took in the sight. A lion, his fur seeming predomiently white but now soaked in red. He wasn't moving, but...but he seemed like he might be breathing. She hoped he was! There wasn't much she knew to do to help, but at least she could clean the wounds and make sure he had food and such. Maybe there was a shelter she could bring him to, only she wasn't familar with the territory...
"Are you awake?" Keena called softly, padding closer until she was crouching beside him, her eyes huge with concern. "What do you need me to do?"
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Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 12:43 pm
Spenta was as defenseless as a lion could get in his condition, and he could barely lift his head let alone move should the newcomer prove to be aggressive. Thankfully she seemed like she wanted to help; he really had no idea what she could do to assist him. Spen's mind burned red-hot with the ache of open wounds and flies were starting to gather; he should move.
"I need water," he rasped, his usually melodious voice harsh with thirst. "These wounds will need cleaning." It was so hard for him to speak, and he tried to rise to his feet and failed. He couldn't do it alone, and his crimson eyes locked onto her pleadingly.
"Can you--?" He gestured weakly, indicating that perhaps with her assistance he could rise to his feet and they could make their way to water. There was a small pond nearby, he knew that, but they would have to follow their noses to get there.
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Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 12:51 pm
"Water," Keena repeated, glancing around anxiously. She'd stopped for a drink that morning, but that was ages away. She wasn't sure this lion would last so long, she didn't wish any harm to come to him while she was away trying to figure out how to carry water for several hours. As for walking, she didn't think he'd make it that far, not the way he looked, poor thing! So maybe she could find some water around here, except she'd no idea where to look.
"Can I...? Oh! Oh, yes, of course!" the lioness hastened to move to where he might lean on her. She was sturdy enough, though she doubted she'd have been able to lift him or even drag him very far. "Only...only I'm not from here. I don't know where to get water," she explained mournfully, looking around as though a pool might somehow just...appear.
At least she knew she could clean his wounds for him, and not for the first time did she wish she knew more of healing. Perhaps someday she'd manage to find someone who could teach her a thing or two. That would be so helpful... She'd have to really look though. She didn't like being so...so helpless when someone needed help!
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Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 12:58 pm
Spen attempted to rise again, gasping with effort. His movement caused the wounds that had sealed to reopen, inciting the flies to riot about him with even more intensity. Finally he made it to his feet, leaning heavily against the lioness. He raised his head slowly, blood seeping in a faint trickle from his mouth.
"It's close," he grunted, urging her to move forward. He thanked the gods that the sun had started to recede; it wasn't blisteringly hot and a cool breeze picked up on occasion. Spen jerked his head foward, gesturing towards the path they should take. "Very close by. Just head straight this way." They would run into water soon enough, and then he could drink... and maybe even sleep.
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Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 1:32 pm
Keena winced at the way the scent of blood grew stronger again when he moved. Oh, that must have hurt him! She struggled to figure out where best to position herself to give him something to lean on, her ears laying back in an uncharacteristic display of irritation as the flies buzzed around him. He was not carrion! They did not belong here! She hissed at them, though that did absolutely nothing at all, of course.
“It’s this way?” she asked, relieved that he, at least, knew the lay of the land. Feeling the pained way he moved, she wished so fervently that she’d been born bigger or grown stronger. If she’d been powerful enough to carry him, he wouldn’t be suffering so much. Not that she wasn’t comfortable in her own skin, but sometimes she wished she could better help.
“Is that it, there?” Keena asked, her ears pricked forward towards the faint scent, as though listening would inform her of whether or not she really did smell water, or at least the sort of things that went with water. Like the rich, dark, cool scent of mud…
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:48 am
It was all he could do to nod at her question. It pained him to speak; his tongue felt six sizes too big for his mouth, and he feared at least one of his teeth were broken.
"Home," he choked out. Angra had found his new home and the fight had occurred nearby. There would be a small pond, a tree, and a small bed of grass that Spen had collected. It was minuscule but it was Spenta's, and it was home.
Hopefully it would be safe. Hopefully Angra would not return; if he did, he would kill the defenseless Spenta.
"Careful, watch for him." She likely wouldn't understand his pleading words, but he had to warn her.
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Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 7:59 am
Keena nodded, her ears laying back slightly with uncertainty as the poor injured lion choked out a warning. Watch for who? Anxiety ate at her, and it was a strange new sort of feeling. Once, she never would have dreamed anyone could do such a thing intentionally. But that was before… she didn’t like to think about it. Not only had he killed another lion, deliberately and intentionally, he’d also…he’d…eaten him! A small shudder of horror crept through her even at just the thought, but she forced it down. That was neither here nor now, and this lion needed her help.
Carefully, she guided him to the edge of the small pond, noting distantly that it was a pretty sort of place. Small maybe, but quiet and comfortable too. Or it probably had been. Satisfied that he would be able to get a drink now, Keena stepped away from him for a moment, trying to gauge the damage. He looked to be in so much pain…
“I can clean those for you if you’d like,” the lioness offered, her eyes on the deep scratches in his soft white fur, “But I…I’m not a healer exactly so…so I don’t know how much help I can be…” She’d have to learn. Surely she’d find someone who might teach her to be better help to those who were hurt.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:46 am
Every inch of him screamed in agony, but Spenta made no noise to show such pain. Instead, he haltingly leaned down to sip at the cool water, letting the refreshing moisture rinse out his mouth. He spat the pink-tinged water into a patch of grass then turned back to the pool and drank thirstily.
"Please," he whispered, knowing that wounds left untended would lead to infections and that was a path he did not want to travel. He gestured weakly towards a rock, one overrun by a spongy moss; it would work well in holding water. "Soak the moss, clean the wounds." It was all he could do to form sentences, and he hoped his voice was kind enough that she didn't think he was unappreciative.
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Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:05 pm
All Keena cared about was that he'd needed her help. He'd needed it, asked for it, it didn't matter to her if he acted grateful or not. He needed help. She gave it. That was all there was.
Carefully, she seized a chunk of the moss in her teeth, though she was nervous about leaving his side even to do that. He needed so badly someone who could do more to help than she could! Why did she not know enough to heal him properly?
Padding back beside him, she dipped the moss into the water before, ever so gently, pressing it against the wounds. Oh, they looked horrible. So painful. Poor dear...
If only there was more she could do for him!
"Ma...be..." she tried to pronounce her words through the moss she was using to clean the gashes, "A..sw..im... wo...ld...he...lp?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:50 am
Spenta, had he been feeling himself, would likely have chuckled at the adorableness of the eager lioness. As it stood, all he could do was offer a weak smile and a nod. A swim would feel heavenly against his battered muscles.
"Yes," was all he said, nearly tumbling forward into the water. He didn't dare stray far from the edge, doubting his ability to keep himself afloat. He looked at her pleadingly, crimson eyes warm and thankful.
He would have to find a way to repay her for her kindness.
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:28 am
While Keena was glad he seemed to think her idea would help, at least she was doing something useful, she still let out a startled squeak when he all but fell into the pool. Dropping the moss, the water would clean the cuts better than she could, and soothe them too, she bounded into the water after him. Shifting, Keena moved until she was standing between the injured white lion and deeper water, just in case he should lose his balence and fall. The lioness doubted she'd be strong enough to drag him out if he started to drown, though she would certainly try!
"You could lean on me again, if you'd like," she offered softly, bracing herself slightly. "Unless there's something else I could do?"
She needed to learn to be a healer, that was all there was to it. There must be someone from whom she could learn, someone who would be able to help her help others.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 10:06 am
Spen seemed content to let the cool water lap against his sore body. It felt so relaxing; he didn't normally enjoy submerging himself but oh, how heavenly this felt.
He lapped again at the water, ignoring the coppery tang of the blood that tainted the pond around him. With a hefty sigh, he laid down in the shallow bit, warm eyes moving back to the lioness who'd saved him.
"You're an amazing lioness," he commented oddly, trying to show his thanks. "I don't want to dirty your fur more than I already have."
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:03 am
Keena just shook her head slightly when he called her amazing. She wasn't so amazing, if she was she'd be able to help him much better than she had. If only she was a true healer! Perhaps someone might someday teach her. Her thoughts kept returning to that point with every glance at the poor white lion who'd been so badly hurt.
"I don't mind," she offered when he said he didn't want to dirty her fur, "It always comes clean eventually," the lioness assured him. "I just want to help is all, I really don't mind getting a bit messy."
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:25 am
"And wounds will always heal," Spenta murmured, rising back to his feet, "If they don't kill us first." His tone was wry, amused, the pain edged out for the moment. The water had done wonders in refreshing him. The blood was rinsed free from his mouth and though muscles were still sore and aching, this wasn't the worst beating his brother had ever given him.
Spen watched her carefully, feeling that now was the time for introductions. "I am Spenta," he said, moving from the water towards the bed of grass he'd collected and formed to make his bed. "And I assure you, lioness, I wish we had met under completely different circumstances."
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