Lavender eyes stared up at the blanket of stars that filled the midnight velvet sky, as the white lioness lay still and quiet in the tall, cool grass. For her to be still and quiet was something of a feat, but there was a pensive look on the lioness's face, a set tension in her slender frame.
A pair of blues watched the lioness as Kimya padded closer, tired but accomplished with the limp hare that hung from his maw. He frowned as he saw her expression, coming over to nuzzle her before dropping his kill at her side.
She blinked, coming back from whereever her mind had been, a sweet smile crossing her muzzle when she saw who had nudged her and why. "Thank you Kimya, I didn't even realize I was hungry." She was horrible about that, just forgetting to eat until she felt she was going to keel over.
He smiled and moved to first sit down beside her, then lay down on his back with a loud 'omph!'. Still, he was concerned and it showed. The blue lion poked her side, cocking his head at an angle.
She giggled shaking her head as she put on foot on the rabbit to hold it still as she tore it inhalf, nudging the other half towards him. "You eat too. And I was just thinking about my family. I miss them terribly, but I couldn't stay anymore."
Kimya shook his head, pushing his share back to her, not being hungry himself. He frowned. When had he forgotten that she had a family? It seemed like it was just the two of them, without anyone else and thinking of a family....was just weird.
"Eat it" She gave him a stubborn look, not going to eat unless he did too. She knew he would do without if he even thought she was hungry and well...that just wasn't gonna work!
Kimya's eyes widened and he gulped, hurriedly rolling over onto his tummy to take his share in his mouth. He knew he would have better luck arguing with a rock than with her, so grudingly he gnawed off a piece.
When she was sure he was eatting, Zana quickly tore into her portion making short work of the meal. Hopefully they would come upon a oasis soon and she would be able to make up for the dent they had been having lately when it came to food. Not that he didn't try, but food was getting harder to find the closer they got to the harsh desert lands.
After finishing up, the male burped, a light flush coming to his cheeks before he looked away. The lush lands he grew up in were gone. While it wasn't completely barren, the area he was in now looked practically dead to him. It was unnerving, having to hunt here, because it felt like what little life he took stole from what poor predators actually lived here year round.
"Did I ever tell you why I was traveling to the desert?" She smiled knowing the direction his mind strayed and sought to distract him from the bleakness of the land around them.
Curiously, Kimya turned his attention back to his companion and shook his head. It had plagued him, but he never had the ability to ask. Though, truthfully, by now he had completely forgotten to even try.
"My family is cursed Kimya, both with a wanderlust that will never let them stay in one place long and then..." She sighed looking away from him. " From the time I was a small cub I knew something was wrong with my siblings. They liked to hunt too much. They liked causing pain and suffering. They took pleasure in torturing. " She shuddered, true her siblings never hurt her but only because her father and mother protected her from the physical.
Kimya's eyes widened immensely, jaw gaping. He kept waiting for her to say 'Haha, just kidding!', but it never came. Siblings weren't supposed to act like that; no one was. It reminded him of his mother and the violence she held within her heart. The same that took away his voice. He moved closer to her and leaned against her in silent understanding.
"I asked my father once why, and he just got this sad look on his face and said it was in our blood. " She leaned her slight weight against him. " Then my mother told me I had an aunt, who was a seer that lived deep in the desert with a tribe there. If anyone can tell me why my family is cursed, and help me break it. It will be she."
Kimya nodded, but truthfully, he didn't understand. What would it help if they found this Aunt? Its taken ages to get where they are now, let alone to get where she was and how long would it take to get back? Or...He looked at Zana fearfully. Was she going to become like her siblings? No, impossible. She couldn't....could she?
She caught his quick glance and laughed softly, " No, I do not have the bloodlust as my father calls it. It is not for myself I seek the answers, but one day I want to be a mother and have my own family. How can I thought knowing they might be born so afflicted?"
Kimya thought about it, then nodded. Her worries were justified, though they bugged him worse than his own. He'd almost figured a way around her being the demonic one, but cubs? And just who would she have those cubs with?
She sighed softly looking back up at the stars, " And I fear the long journey into the desert. It is a harsh place with no food and little water, only enough to sustain the little life found there." She turned her head to look at him then, " Kimya I can't ask you to face the dangers of the desert for my mad quest."
He rolled his eyes with a sarcastic snarl. That much he had figured out for himself and as much as he would miss the over abundance of everything, he pressed his forehead against hers stubbornly. No way was he going to let her go alone. She was the only reason he was out this far in the first place, and he wasn't about to abandon her now.
She shook her head stubbornly "I release you form your promise Kimya. I wont see you dead for me." He was her best and truest friend, the idea of him in pain and suffering because of her was more than she could stand.
Kimya growled; lightly and enough to make his chest vibrate. Whether she liked it or not, he was coming. That was that. He back off with a firm nod, then scooped up all of the bones from their meal to dispose of them.
Zana gave a squeal of frustrated rage, sounding all together too cublike as she slapped her front paw against the ground. "You...you...hard headed bully!"
Kimya looked over his shoulder, eyes have lidded before he spat a bone at her. Then he stuck his rump in the air and sashayed away.
Her jaw dropped open in shock as he pranced away. Not even her brothers had been so crude....but then agian this was her Kimya. Shaking her head, Zana chuckled as she flopped back over on her side secretly glad he would be coming with her.
