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Days had passed (or had it been weeks? It was hard to tell, so much had happened...) and Weyard was back on her paws once more. She'd been very wary of the pride members after emerging from Pyke's den; they however had treated her with a wary sort of welcoming. She'd been left mostly to her own, which had suited her. No one made her do anything, and she quickly had found herself bored beyond compare just lying around and healing. She'd taken Pyke up on his offer to fetch for her someone to teach her about the pride. She hadn't been all that interested, but at the time anythign was better than nothing.

To her surprise, the pride had been very interesting. She'd balked a bit at the mention of slaves, but the matter had been swiftly cleared up. In this pride, lions looked to the moon for blessings and protection. Those born when the moon looked away, was gone, were unguarded and at risk. Fearful, they would do the bidding of the pride eagerly, in return for their physical protection and potential spiritual blessingsl they sought to earn the moon's blessings. Or something. The pride on the whole seemed very peaceful, and openminded.

And most importantly, males and females were seen as equals.

She'd thought on the matter a long while after, wondering and turning the idea over in her mind like some toy or piece of tantalizing food. Should she stay? Could she? Every time she thought of leaving now though, something tugged, ached inside her. Just what made that feeling she wasn't sure of...but as she came wandering back towards the den (she still shared it with Pyke, at his insistance) and spotted the dark male lounging about, something clicked. She nearly blaked then and there, then forged on. She prayed her face hadn't betrayed her panic. Was this what she wanted?

Pyke lifts his blond maned head from it's resting position and he smiled. Weyards paws were a welcome sound to him, it had been nice since she came, nice to not be living on his own, nice to have a friendly if some what weary face to come home to when he came off duty.

"Hey, did you have a nice walk?" He smiles broadly, he was glad she was getting better, she was recovered enough he knew that if she wanted to leave, it would come soon and he wouldn't stop her though having he there had tweaked something deep inside him and it wasn't just the old subservience, it was something else, he wanted, no needed to help her to care for her and it wasn't just because she was a female.

"Is something wrong?" He asks seeing a slight, unusual flicker on her maw as she approached, "do you need something?" he leaps to his paws his tail flickering in a worried manner. "Did you hurt yourself? I'll get the healer." He rambles looking to her for confirmation before he moved, though he wanted to be gone and back as quickly as possible if she was hurt.

Darn...He'd noticed. She was suprised he'd caught it, but they had been near each other the last many days. Surely he'd gotten used to seeing her expressions, and knew some of what to look for.

Or maybe she'd been more alarmed than she thought.

"No, no, I'm fine. Just thinking." She gave the male a smile to calm him. He really was too sweet, always worrying over her. She really should thank him again for all he'd done. If he hadn't found her, thought to bring her here...Well, that hadn't happened, so best not to think about it.

"Pyke...I wanted to thank you. For saving me, I mean. I'm sorry I swiped at you, and for al lthe trouble I've made, taking up space in your den. I hope I didn't interrupt your life too much." She sighed, and looked past him to the border. "I never meant to stumble across a pride. That's what I've been running from; a pride. But this place...well it's been kinder than I could have hoped for." Her words toke on a tone of finality as she went on. She'd decided...

The dark male smiles and lets a little chuckle roll over his lips as he sits down ever so slowly. She was okay. He'd learnt at a very young age to read the faces of females to predict their will. It was all he could do to be amused at his own quickness to assume something was wrong and to jump to conclusions.

"Hey, hey I told you Weyard you've been no trouble. I'm sure you would have done the same for anyone else if they were in as much trouble as you were." he used the word trouble but what he meant was, a much pain, she had been so injured.

"You ran from a pride? You never told me that, were they cruel to you?" the fur on the back of his neck lifted up and he frowns a little, who had hurt her? Why had they hurt her? How DARE they hurt her! He felt a slight welling of anger boiling in his stomach as he looked at the beautiful female, this gentle girl who never did anyone any harm.

He noticed her glance towards the border and his anger calmed, though it was nothing but a flicker in his eyes he felt suddenly desperately sad. "You've decided to leave?" He cleared his throat trying to keep his voice steady. "You don't have to you know. I'd take care of you, make sure no on one ever hurt you again." He puffs his chest out, trying to look brave and strong. "If you wanted me to..that is." he deflated and looked at his toes, he didn't want to have to say good bye to Weyard.

She nearly cringed again as he questioned her. The pride had hurt her, yes, more than she'd known they could. What they did to females...it just didn't seem right. But that so many of them had even enjoyed it...while she'd been driven to do unspeakable things to get free of them...Maybe it really was her who'd been wrong...

But no. She knew that wasn't true. Her home hadn't been that way, nor this place or any other she'd seen in her life. They had been wrong. She sighed, sagging a bit. How were her cubs? Were they even still alive...?

Pyke's offer filtered through her fogged thoughts. He'd protect her, defend her. That same old part of her ached again, making her pause. She didn't answer him at first, and by the time she looked up he'd looked away, down. His posture was so wretchedly sad, she almost laughed. Someone in the world cared that much for her? After all she'd done? It was well more than she deserved.

"Pyke, I've decided..." She bumped his head with her nose, to get him to look her in the eye. "I've decided to stay, Pyke. Now don't make that face...I don't want anyone else to cry because of me."

He lifted his head at her nudge, his light purple eyes fised upon the pretty female, she had fully stolen his heart in the time since she had come, he'd almost fallen back in ot his old ways because of her but that didn't matter, the point he knew in his own mind, was that he was willing to be the old, subservient Parastar to please her to make her safe and to take care of her.

Of course, he couldn't help but Whoop when she stated she was staying. A grin lights up his features and he lifts a paw pulling her towards him hugging her against his chest his big fluffy blond mane surrounding her for a second before he lets her go and takes a step back.

"I'm sorry! I got a little excited." He stutters shuffling his paws on the ground. 'I'm just very glad you're staying and, and you can stay with me if you want, not that you have to!" He looks at her in an embarrassed manner, he wanted her to stay with him "I know theres lots of other lions in the pride and maybe you want a den alone, it's totally up to you.." He shakes his head lowering it a little so that he was looking up at the soft coloured female. "I'll protect you though, if you want me to, I promise."

Oof! She hadn't expected such a strong reaction from the male, and now suddenly she'd been tugged forwards to him, and was half buried in his mane. He let her go swiftly, looking sheepish, and she nearly laughed until he commented on other lions in the pride. That was something she hadn't thought about...If she stayed, would she be given a den? Would it be odd that she'd spent so ong in Pyke's?

Another thing made her push aside the worry of where to stay for the moment. "You've protected me this long...I heard that newcomers need a guard to watch over them during their trials...I know it's supposed to be a certain guard, but...maybe you'll come check in on me from time to time?" Of all in the pride she admitted that she felt safest with him. He'd had plenty of chances to harm her when they were alone, but enver been less than the sweetest to her.

"I think I should worry about that before thinking of where to stay. Even if I wanted to stay here, the moon might dictate I go elsewhere, right?" Of course, she didn't NOT want to stay with him...but she felt so awkward saying that. They barely knew each other, but still...it had seemed nice, just the two of them...