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 Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 8:20 pm
Nav'hian was no stranger to injuries. As a youth, he had received his fair share of cuts, scrapes and bruises from his rough-and-tumble cub-like attitude, and had gotten a few whacks around the ear from the elder population of the pride for some of his actions. In the rouge lands, he had been attacked and bruised from the occasionally tough female, or male. He wasn't a stranger to pain. But his sulky attitude as he limped back towards the den under the cover of darkness had nothing to do with pain. He was humiliated. His paw dripped blood from where the buffalo had caught it beneath his own hoof, thankfully not breaking anything more than the skin and straining the muscles.
It had been days since returning to the pride with his beybanu Fura, and reuniting with his pride. Fura's own paw had been growing better but Nav would not let her strain it further by hunting (he told her this, but it may have come out cruelly or more insulting than he had intended it to. He was still not good at talking civilly to the female, as much as he wanted to). Instead of asking for the sultan's banu, who had been offered earlier as assistance if they needed it, Nav'hian had hunted for the couple himself but only when night had fallen and no one was around to see him do it. It was woman's work, after you had become a pad, afterall. Still, he was an adequate hunter or so he had thought.
The buffalo had caught him offguard when he had been hunting a gazelle. He had tried to dodge but it had continued after him, until he had injured his paw and turned to take a swipe at the creature, only then had it backed away and allowed him to limp back towards the den in disgrace. He hunched his shoulders as he moved, tried to hold his paw in a way that the blood would not drip as he moved but he was basically leading a trail of blood to his den. He swiped dirt with his tail over the trail, hoping to disguise it a little, so that no concerned pride members tried to follow it or anything else humiliating like that.
Nav'hian paused outside the den, wondering what kind of reception he would receive coming back without any food at all. He took a deep breath and, hunching his shoulders and attempting to hide his limp, entered the den. He almost immediately went to the back of the den. Perhaps she would not notice his injury and he could simply ignore her comments of the lack of food?
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:19 pm
Fura's head rose from her paws when she heard someone moving around outside the den. Alert for trouble, she'd been still as stone, listening, scenting, watching for who was entering the den. She had grown rather protective of their home. It was her sanctuary, even if her relationship with her mate was rather rocky, even at best. That didn't mean she hated this place. It was home, and her home at that. No stranger should enter it uninvited.
But the familiar scent of Nav drifted to her as he went directly to the back of the den, passing her by. She relaxed, not bothered by or even noticing the lack of a kill. But the smell of blood was there, so she raised her head again and looked at him, puzzled. He'd lain down and hunched away from her, which was typical. But he was not unkind when it came to food, so he must not have brought any. Then... what was the bloodscent?
She rose and padded slowly towards him, ears swiveling with uncertainty. She didn't limp anymore, but had been working to strengthen the paw so she could take over the hunting. She knew it must bother him to do her job, and honestly wanted to spare him the embarassment. But she hesitated because she wasn't sure how to approach him. Concern warred with caution, leaving her standing there, near him but feeling pushed as far as the moon away from him.
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Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 1:57 am
Nav'hian had angled his back to her, paw rested on his other paw as he carefully lapped at it, trying to ignore the eyes he felt resting on him. He knew Fura was watching him, but he didn't want to answer the questions that he was sure she wanted to ask. He was trying to clean his paw as best he could, but the blood still seeped out, and the taste was disgusting in his mouth. Blood tasted different when it was from a lion to when it was from a prey animal. He crinkled his nose in disgust and pulled away with a small painted and disgusted noise.
After a few moments of her hovering nearby, not saying anything but not leaving either, grated on his nerves. He growled lightly, glancing up and over his shoulder back at her, with a heavy scowl on his face. "What do you want, Fura?" He snapped.
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:17 pm
Her ears swiveled to either side in dismay and exasperation, but she stood her ground. "I think you need my help," she answered him softly but forthrightly. "I know you won't ask for it, but as your Beybanu, am I not supposed to be here for you?" She wasn't entirely sure how well this tactic would work, but he'd have to let her in eventually, at the very least because custom and tradition demanded it, to some small extent.
She moved around in front of him, the smell of blood stronger. His surly grunt had also sounded like he was having some sort of pain, so she decided to go right for the issue. "Let me see," she said firmly. "There is noone here to see, except me, and whether you know it or not, I don't intend on broadcasting our private matters to the whole pride." She had a suspicion this was part of his problem, that he feared others seeing him as weak, or maybe as lesser? She wasn't entirely sure, but she was determined for him to realize she was on his side.
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:03 pm
Nav'hian scowled at her, his shoulders hunched. Damn it. He didn't want her help but she had a point. As his beybanu, she was supposed to be the one he relied on the most. She was the one he was supposed to believe would help him no matter what. His shoulders relaxed a little at her words, saying she did not intend to broadcast their affairs all over the pride. It was not something he wanted spread around the pride that he could not even provide for the two of them.
He hesitated still, but his paw was stinging painfully and it was still bleeding, filling his nose with the scent of his own blood. He growled.
"Say anything to anyone and you will regret it," he said, before he shifted, bringing his injured, scraped and blooded paw into the light. He could only be thankful that it was not broken. He tilted his jaw up, staring at her with distrustful eyes, just waiting for her to put the blame on him for his injury.
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Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 4:39 pm
The darkness mostly hid her wrinkled lips, pulled back in a silent snarl. When would he stop this nonsense?! "I said I wouldn't, didn't I?" Her tone was gruff, but her touch was gentle. She put her paws to either side of his, cradling it tenderly. Very gingerly she explored the extent of the injuries with her tongue, whiskers, and nose. It was pretty well battered and still oozing blood freely, but he seemed able to move it functionally.
Relief eased the sudden squeeze of her heart when she'd realized he truly was hurt. The idea that he was supposed to bring home dinner never even entered her mind. "Goodness, were you stampeded?" She gently but thoroughly cleaned his paw, tipping it back and forth as necessary with her own paws, letting him rest completely at his ease, if he so chose.
Head bent over his paw, she raised her eyes alone to look up at him, looking for something that wasn't likely there. Some glimmer to give her hope more fuel, to make her enduring his cold shoulder worth it. He still gave her such glimpses, but not very often. It wasn't long before she'd cleaned the fur, and she set to work letting her rough tongue urge the scratches to close and stop bleeding.
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Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 12:48 am
He sneered at her gruff denial. Why should he believe her? She was not someone he trusted, she had not earnt it yet, nor his respect, so he would not deny doubting her. However, her gentle touch was a big surprise. She was careful, making sure not to bump his paws or hurt the abused area. He tensed at her comment though, but realised that she was not being sarcastic, or cruel, but instead just...asking a question. How odd.
"I was caught offguard by a buffalo," he said, watching her clean his wound with a confused but wary expression hiding beside his eyes. "The gazelle I had been stalking got away," he added, as if daring her to make a comment about how he could not provide for them, and even less so now that he had strained his paw and injured it. He was defensive. Why was she being so nice? He wasn't used to this. His father had always told his mother not to fuss over him when he was hurt as a cub, telling her that she would make him weak by fussing. He had just been expected to tend to himself and get over it, or his father would have been displeased.
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:39 pm
Though she had not seen anything to encourage her hopes, at least he hadn't snapped at her. He'd answered her honestly, which was saying something. She mulled on how best to reply as she lingered over his paw, her licks gentler and more like caresses as the bleeding stopped.
"I think your paw will be well in a day or two," she said quietly, not looking up at him this time. She constantly was torn with whether to show him affection or not, whether to show him who she was or mask it. The inner conflict was shredding her confidence, but still she tried valiantly to find something in him to love, or at least try to love.
"This gives me a chance to start tending to my duties as your Beybanu," she added lightly, moving from his injured forepaw to his uninjured one. She tried to be nonchalant about it, and began cleaning that one too, getting dirt from between the pads. She tried very hard not to tense against a cuff that might come for her action, tried to steel her heart against harsh words he might have for her.
"Maybe I can prove myself to you, finally." This was said so soft, so low, and with more emotion in it than she intended. It carried sorrow, pain, and wistfulness, all wrapped into the one whispered sentence. The dark hid her face, hid her look of pain, but could not hide the feelings that drifted through the air as if on an errant breeze.
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 8:01 pm
Nav'hian had not moved his paw as she cleaned it, keeping his entire body still. He watched her actions with a curiousity that bordered on paranoia as he watched her for any aggressive moves but he saw nothing. She had simply gently cleaned his paw, and even stopped it from bleeding with her gentle licks. His face furrowed into a frown, but it was not from anger, but instead confusion.
His body, though still, had not been tense, until she mentioned beginning her duties as his beybanu. Admittedly, he had been only taking on the duties until her own paw was better, which it seemed to be now, but he wondered if she had meant it as a slight against him, that he wasn't able to take care of them and that he needed her to do it, because he couldn't. He scowled, but the scowl faded when she began to clean his uninjured paw. He blinked at her in confusion. What...was she doing?
It was the tone of her last comment which got him to speak. It was a pained and sorrowful tone, but it spoke more than her words did. He...did not enjoy that tone. He would have preferred her angry, or uncaring tone to that one, he decided, the heavy frown returning to his face.
"If you are still not able, I can seek Aali out for the use of a Banu until you are fully healed," Nav'hian spoke quietly but gruffly, as if he was as reluctant for her to hear it as he was to actually say it. It was an olive-branch, of sorts. He did not want wish for her to injure herself further and delay her recovery, simply by trying to accommodate his own stupidity. It would only mean he would have to hunt and take care of them longer, he told himself, with a scowl. However, he would hate to seek out his old friend, not only because he was the sultan and therefore not someone Nav wanted to see begging help off of, but just the fact it was another person and he would hate to appear weak in front of anyone, but they could not last without food with both of them injured.
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:26 am
She had paused in surprise at his words and reaction. Not only had he not snarled at her for grooming him, but he'd even offered to seek another lioness to hunt for them, so that she could heal! She mentally shook her head as she returned her attention to his uninjured paw. It was soon clean, and she drew a measured breath.
"I believe I feel well enough to hunt for the two of us," she said quietly, without any heat or nuance. It was simple truth. She hadn't tried running on it yet, but she was certain she could. It was odd, but out of deference to Nav's private nature, she had stayed near the den even when she was well enough to venture beyond it. She almost felt like she should seek his permission before breaking the need-imposed seclusion. And perhaps she had been hoping to use the time withdrawn to try and get closer to her prickly Pad.
"I would enjoy the chance to get out and do something for you, after all the hunting you've done for us," she added before shifting slightly closer and beginning to groom further up his leg. She inched closer yet and soon was beside him, hesitantly grooming his shoulder. It was what family did, a gesture of closeness by grooming one another. Still she remained internally tensed against his coming rejection. She doubted he'd let her do this very long, even though it was a genuine gesture of affection. He just was funny that way.
Despite that, he'd let her do this much, and it made her heart soar. If he'd let her do this now, maybe he'd start accepting her on other levels too. She was beginning to long for more than just a passing acquaintance with her mate. She craved the normal, affectionate, supportive relationship that she knew should exist between mates. They had had such a rocky start, but surely with time he could come to love her?
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:56 pm
Na'vhian watched her, somewhat suspiciously, but his eyes were lidded, half closed as they peered at her. It gave him the appearance of being relaxed, but inside his mind was racing. Why was she being so nice? He had hurt her, he was the reason she could not hunt, and yet here she was, cleaning his paw and and she began to groom him, instead of just helping his paw to heal.
“Do not push yourself,” he warned her, but did not shrug off her gestures as she continued to groom him. “You will be of no use to me or yourself if you push yourself too hard on that injured paw.”
He would later blame the pain – though it was not that bad, really, he had had far worse as a cub – but his lifted a paw, placing it over her injured one. It was a light gesture, and since she was lying beside him, it did not require him to move his paw very far, however, it was not designed to hurt her -which he could have, by pressing down on her paw considering he was heavy than she was – and instead designed to...well, he wasn't sure what he hoped to gain by that gesture, it was simply a reaction to her presence near him.
After a moment or two of leaving it sitting there, lightly resting on top of hers, he removed it, shifting somewhat awkwardly. He turned his face to the side, trying to hide the embarrassed look on his face. Why had he done that? He looked like a pansy doing that. He winced at the yelling he could hear, still in his father's voice and still criticizing him, this time for his actions with Fura.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:25 am
His gentle gesture sent a quiver of astonishment and thrill through her. She groomed a bit further, then murmured submissively, "I promise I'll be careful." She tucked her chin with a smile, and added, "I will only go after smaller prey, nothing too big." His concern, for once, included her in his consideration. It warmed her, along with his paw. Even after he moved it, she still felt the glow it had given her.
Made braver by his behavior, she leaned against him, resting her head against his neck. This was so close to what she wanted, it made her ache inside. It felt very good to take solace against a large, male form that was indeed her mate. It was a stolen moment, a glimpse of what she could perhaps attain. With a sigh she relaxed against him, closing her eyes. "I'll go," she murmured softer, "in the morning. I like it here too much to move." The last was a mere whisper as she clearly sank into sleep. It was entirely possible she wasn't even aware she'd spoken aloud, in fact. His head being turned from her and tension returning to his body went completely unnoticed, for in moments she was comfortably and soundly asleep, leaning up against Nav.
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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:17 pm
He inclined his head, face still turned away in embaressment as she suggested only small prey. They were not small cubs, so small prey would force them to hunt every day but if she felt she was up to it, then he was prepared to let her try. If she injured herself further, well, he would be forced to see the sultan's aid, or take another banu - both of which he was not keen to do yet.
He started minutely when she leaned against him and tensed. He had...not expected her to do that, at all and he turned back to her carefully, not dislodging her from her spot lying against him. His head ghosted atop hers due to their position and he would deny the weird feeling which filled him at her whispered words.
She liked it there. He was vaguely aware of that voice niggling the back of his mind, telling him she would make him week and that he should push her away, but instead, he rested his head atop hers, staring out at nothing but feeling...content. He could not remember ever seeing his mother and his father in such a pose, nor any other banu his father had kept - albeit briefly - and that was a comfort. Perhaps he would be a different Pad than his father had been. Perhaps he would never see that hate and fear in Fura's eyes. His own were slipping closed, caught up in a daydream he hoped would happen, but feared might not. At least, for the moment, he had Fura close to him and perhaps...that was enough.
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