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 Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:22 pm
 Yawning softly, the large black and blue lion stretched, bones creaking and muscles flexing in the early morning light. He had spent the night out on the flat grassland and the wind had been unusually sharp. This morning he woke with a fair degree of stiffness, mostly around where his old wounds were hidden under his fur. Shaking out his heavy mane, the tall male set off along the worn pathway he had been following for four days now. he needed to hunt, and then he needed to work out just where he actually was... But for the time being, he just walked.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:09 pm
Lihau sat down wearily, his ears drooping forward as he shifted the bag around his neck to ease some of the discomfort from it. Squinting, he looked up, trying to see if he could spy Lani, but the sun was already high over head and he couldn't see the light blue avian against the sky.
He licked his maw, realizing he was thirsty, and hungry, he'd really not eaten much these past few days. He'd been giving most of his kills to Sadara and her mother, in hopes to give them both a little more strength to keep going. Sadara at least seemed like she would recover fairly well, maybe a slight limp, but Nevena was dying, and there was nothing more he could do.
Bowing his head, he looked at his paws, sighing softly.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:28 pm
Not much time had passed before he spotted something, or rather, someone. Pausing, he squinted into the light, head tilting and ears flicking as he struggled to pick it out. After a moment he realised it was a leopard, and he looked pretty weak too.. Sliabh knew he couldn't just walk on by, so altering his path he set off towards the pale figure.
Not long after he padded up from the side, stopping a few paces out as. Studying the one who was certainly male now he was closer, he cleared his throat. "Is everything alright?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:40 pm
Lihau looked up, his pale eyes blinking against the glare of the sun. He'd have flinched or started if he hadn't been so exhausted. Instead, he glanced back down to his paws. Standing a little shakily, he backed up a little, " Fine..thank you."
The hesitancy in his voice spoke volumes as to how worn out he was, and how fearful he was that the rogue lion in front of him may hurt him, or worse yet chase him away.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:45 pm
Gold eyes watched the shaky leopard for a moment before the dark lion walked forwards, turned and set his shoulder under the other male's, body hunched low as he took the weight of the leopard, helping to steady the clearly exhausted male.
"Easy there... I wont hurt you." Carefully he propped the stranger up, which made it impossible to look at him when Sliabh spoke, but it was better than simply standing by and watching the blue male totter and fall.
"Do you have a resting place anywhere near by?" He asked, keeping his voice gentled and low.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:56 pm
Lihau did flinch this time, a nervous quiver running through his fur as the stranger helped him to stay upright. Swallowing at the rouges reassurance, the young healer nearly collapsed then and there.
" I..I do, its just down the way there. It's an old wild dog den..my...my friends and I are there for now." He looked back up at the huge lion, unsure if he should lead him to Sadara and Nevena, " Its not far...I..I can make it. Really."
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:01 pm
"Ummhmm..." The low, pleasantly husky voice of the lion murmured in non-believing tones he gently started to nudge the leopard towards the den. "Can you make it?" He asked gently, keeping his large, warm body at the leopard's side so the stranger could lean into him for support as they walked slowly.
Gradually, as they padded gradually closer, Sliabh looked down at the painfully thin youth. "Have you eaten recently?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:12 pm
Lihau was going to protest, but it died on his lips with the warmth of the large lion's voice. The healer instead padded along beside him meekly, his pale eyes focused on the ground.
" A few days ago sir," he said in his breathy voice, " I...I give most of what I catch to Sadara and her mother. They are sick." He finished in a whisper, stopping a little before opening of the den.
" Thank you for helping me. We'll be fine now." He glanced nervously over his shoulder, willing Sadara to be sensible for once and not come see who was with him. Wafting down from the den came the tale tale smell of the dying.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:17 pm
Nodding faintly as the younger quit protesting, Sliabh glanced at him as he replied in that soft tone. Once they arrived at the den, Sliabh knew instantly that the curse was here, maybe a different version, but he had lived around sick and dying lions his whole life so he knew the scent of sickness al too well. With a heavy heart he looked at the pale leopard beside him.
"I am sorry." Murmured in his husky vocals, dipping his head to the den's entrance in a sign of respect. "Rest here while I go and hunt, you need to eat or you wont be able to look after your friends."
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:30 pm
The healer looked over his shoulder toward the den, his pale eyes suddenly bright with unshed tears, " I..I tried everything I knew, but Alaiyah hadn't finished training me. I was just an apprentice. I don't know what else to do..." the anguish in his voice was palatable.
He plopped down in the dirt in front of the den, his ears tight to his head, shoulders hunched over in defeat. " Nevena is dying, she'll be gone very soon, and its my fault."
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:39 pm
As the younger sat down, Sliabh gave the leopard a compassionate look. After a moment he moved over to sit down next to the pale blue male. "Of course its not your fault. This is how life is.. how it has always been. Some are blessed with long life, some are not. What is important is making those days as comfortable and as warm as possible. The warmth of friendship is as important as meat and water." Gently resting his pale paw on the leopard's shoulder he smiled sadly. "You can not fight the will of the gods. But you can be there for the. That is the greatest gift of all." Glancing at the den he wondered how old this stranger was, he seeds fragile.
"You are already doing everything you can for her, death will be a release, trust me." He kept his voice low and reassuring, the deep, gentle timbre held age and knowledge.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:50 pm
The healer looked up at him, sniffling, and it was clear to see that he was very young, only just an adult, and more then a little overwhelmed with his situation, " I..I am her healer, I should have been able to stop the infection. I know I did it right...but she was so weak...there was so much blood...." His voice faded away and he leaned into the strong male, taking comfort in his paw on his shoulder.
Lihau wanted to cry, to vent his grief, to break down and not be the strength for Sadara and her mother. He'd never been the strong one, he'd never had to carry the hope of other's on his shoulders. His gentle nature, and compassionate heart was not suited to the this role thrust on him.
Taking a shaky breath, the young leopard tried to reign in his emotions before he embarrassed himself further with this kind stranger.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:55 pm
Maybe it was his rough job as a guard, or the fact that he had seen more death and sickness than most living beings outside the Kitwana pride, but he slid his foreleg round the young leopard and pulled him firmly against his muscular chest, much like he did with older cubs when they wondered to the edge of the pride, feeling too old for the comfort of a nanny's hug and yet not old enough to cope with the sheer weight of grief.
Sitting silently,he held the youth close against him, his low husky voice a deep rumble in his chest as he murmured gentle reassurances. Encouraging the young leopard to let go of all that stress and grief and guilt.
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Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 6:03 pm
Lihau resisted at first, straining against being pulled into the stranger's embrace, but emotional and physical exhaustion won out and soon he found himself sobbing into warm, silken, soft fur, the edge's of the rouge's mane brushing over his back.
The little healer keened, venting his grief and his guilt, snuggling deeper into the warm body that towered over him, borrowing the large male's strength. What would it be like, he thought silently to himself, to always feel this protected...., sniffing, he turned his head away, knowing that such a feeling would not be his either. Males did not love other males. Another sign of his failure to his dead Pride.
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Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:30 am
Sliabh let the young leopard lean into him, head lowering to rest his muzzle atop the healer's head. Only when Lihau turned away did Sliabh move again, head lifting to look down at the younger male, amber eyes compassionate.
"Its not your fault." The low, husky voice was firm and heavy with the weight of experience. A feeling the steady gaze of golden eyes held also. "You must not let it break you. Death is a part of life."
This leopard was so very young, not in body, but in mind. Sliabh wondered where he had come from and what had kept him so very innocent. Feeling more than a little responsible, he knew he had to get food to the kid. Easing back he lifted his paw from round the other and watched him quietly. "You are very strong, to care for them alone like this." His low voice was soft with honest reverence.
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