(( Kibela: Manda
Ngao: Ary Keeyara ))
Ngao had to admit, things after the conflict had been rough. The pride had been a mess for a while and though things were settling down, she doubted anything would ever be exactly the same. They had lost friends and family and she had lost a little part of her own world. Ever stubborn, she was adapting though. She could move around smoothly again and she had most of the lands mapped out by feel and step counts by now. She still needed her avian partner in sparring, but she was getting better. Hopefully she'd be able to fight without him one day. It wasn't that she didn't value him, but as helpful as he was, he was also a cruch. She had to be strong, if she was ever to protect the pride from another tragedy.
She was resting now, after practicing a bit while Hofu watched. It felt good, to feel the ache in her muscles. Working out like that, practicing, getting her abilities back...it made her feel a bit more secure. She always worried that, if something were to come up suddenly, she wouldn't be ready to face it yet. Feeling that burn...it reassured her otherwise, even if it wasn't necessarily the truth. She sat down beside a small tree, turning blinde eyes up the sky and closing them.
Kibela had been kept busy since the conflict as well - almost always on patrol, inside or just outside the pride borders. He, as well as the other guards, understood that if anyone else saw them as weak, now would be the perfect time to attack. He still regretted somewhat not having been more help -during- such a trying time, but the large male was doing his best now to make up for it.
And speaking of the conflict... he had noticed the Captain's scars she had gotten from that, having seen her from a distance several times now. But he had yet to find an opportunity to speak to her. Spotting her now, as he came off patrol... Kibela tilted head for a moment and then padded over toward her - muttering to Raviv to get lost for a while. Of course, the bird complained (good-naturedly) but he went - understanding his partner's need to do some things alone.
Ngao tilted her head and leaned forward slightly as Kibela came forward. She didn't open her eyes at all, but she didn't need to. She was getting used to the darkness, at least physically. As far as everything else...well, that was a little bit different, but she was holding out.
Her nose twitched a little. She was trying to figure out who it was, but she would hate to guess wrong. But she was pretty sure she knew. If not well...then, perhaps she really was loosing herself. "Kibela...? It's good to see you." She paused, not even wondering over her speech, but more over what to say to the other lion, "Things have been very...busy."
Kibela blinked slightly. See him...? But she hadn't even opened her eyes. Then he winced slightly, remembering. He had heard from several others that Ngao was blind now - though he hadn't been sure whether to believe the rumors or not. But looking at her from this close... he could tell that it was true. Still, he determined not to say anything. Treat her as he always had. "Yes," he rumbled in reply. "They have been. Though thankfully quiet for the most part..."
Ngao nodded. A small easing of tension in her body spoke of the fact that she was extremely relieved things had been quiet after the crisis. Worry was common for the young Captain of the Guard, as that was her personality and her sense of duty, but her impairment had only added to that.
"That is a good thing," she agreed simply. She would not mention her fears, as she was a little embaressed of them. After a moment she asked, trying to be casual, though by nature she wasn't a very casual person, "You've been well, I trust? Despite all that we've been doing...?"
Kibela nodded at that, and then realized she wouldn't be able to see it and said, "Yes, as well as can be expected. I was nearly crushed by some rocks during the quake." There was a little growl underneath those words. After that, he'd been trapped outside... and his companion at the time had been killed. But then Raviv had found him...
Ngao waited a moment for him to continue. When he didn't, she murmured softly, "I'm sorry about...what happened to him." She had lost a lot, but she still had Hofu. She had him were closer than ever now. To think of him gone...it was hard for her. It must have been hard for him. "...But I am glad you came back alright." Alright...it was such a relative term. She immediately hated it, but couldn't think of what else to say. She wasn't the most eloquent speaker most of the time.
Kibela sighed softly and nodded again. "It's ... all right. I'm starting to get used to Raviv," he replied with a bit of a wince. Raviv was -far- more talkative and younger than his old bird had been, and it took some ... adjusting. It didn't help things that Kibela wasn't much of a talker either.
"That's good..." Ngao smiled weakly, almost as if she were trying to laugh at her inability to express herself. They had a strange kinship, and always had. They never said much. She supposed in some ways, she really liked that about him...it made her feel less like she was doing something wrong. It was ok to be quiet, as long as their actions were loud.
"Thanks...thanks for all your hard work," she said suddenly. If she hadn't had some of the guards return and take up rounds well...her poor nerves might have shattered. She'd never say that much, but, she felt she should thank him.
Kibela actually smiled just faintly at that, a rare expression to see on the generally grumpy lion's face. "It's not any trouble," he replied, tone a bit gruff. "So long as you're alive... life goes on. There are things that have to be done."
For a while after the quake and resulting events, that was more or less how he had lived. Just... day to day, doing things that were needed. It was only recently, that he was starting to pay attention to things outside of duty again.
And there. He had so little, but had connected so much with her. She smiled, fully this time, and opened her blind eyes. There was a little sadness there, but the smile held it back a little. "That is true...I don't think there is much that is truer than that," she agreed. That statement, it was her life, in a sense; she had lived, no matter what had happened. She still had things to do and always would. As did they all.
Kibela nodded again and made a rumbling noise that was clearly in agreement. "Yes... Well. I should get some rest," he said then, a bit awkwardly. He really didn't ... talk much to others. But no one seemed to mind.
"Alright," Ngao nodded her head, letting her own body fall back a little to relax. No, she really didn't mind at all.
