[PRP] Unplanned return (Sliabh & Lihau) Fin

[Tanakako]

It had been just over a week since he had been in this area, yet he had never planned to return here. His journey was mostly a one-way trip while he was wandering the wilderness, but the herd he had been stalking for food had rapidly led him backwards and by the time he had brought down his target, he was just a short walk from the river he had met the wounded leopardess and her healer-friend.

Having eaten his fill he stood and walked the short distance to the river, slacking his thirst in solitude, Sadara no where in sight.

 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Lihau sat beside the water's edge, his pale eyes unseeing as he repacked his herb pouch. He was not really paying attention to what his paws were doing, lucky for him they had stored and sifted herbs for so long, they could do it without his help.

It was a good thing they could, the young healer's thoughts were far away, and with Nevena and her passing the day before. She had gone peacefully, with him and Sadara beside her. The extra dose of drop-seeds had made sure she felt nothing as she returned to the circle of life.

Looking down, his eyes suddenly focused on the last few drops seeds he'd gathered. A broken sob left him, before he could stifle it, and the tears began anew.

 

[Tanakako]

It was the sound of tears from just beyond his line of sight that attracted the guard's attention. Thoughts on the two leopards he knew were around here, he turned and padded along the river bank, finally rounding the bush that had hid the rest of the river and its bank from his sight. The view that greeted amber eyes stopped the lion dead in his tracks in surprise.

"Lihau?" He asked softly, slowly stepping closer a she realised the young healer was crying. "Hey.... whats wrong?" The male's low voice was gentle, almost lost under the sound of the immortal river running by a few yards in front of the pair.

 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Liahu looked up at the sound of that deep, familiar voice, his tear blurred eyes just barely making out the shape of the huge lion. Crying, he stood in a swift motion and threw himself into Sliabh's ruff.

He huddled against him, sobbing out all his pain and grief, shivering so hard it seemed like he would shake his bones loose. " She's gone, she's gone Siliabh, I ..I..failed...and now she is gone......"

 

[Tanakako]

Startled by the body that was flung agianst him, driving him back onto his haunches, and having his paws full of slightly damp blue fur, the large male carefully wrapped one foreleg round the shaking leopard, letting the youngster hide against the thick fur of his mane. Uncertain quiet what to do he listened to the muffled sobs and mumbled words, finally understanding what had the healer so upset.

"You didn't fail Lihau." Hi answered, his voice calm and reasuring with its low, husky tone and hidden strength. "It was her time to go on... you did everything that was possible for her." Shifting alittle so he sat properly, he gently rubbed the youth's back before tightening his grip a little and holding Lihau close against his chest, guessing that the younger male needed to break down and get the stress and unnecessary guilt out of his system.

 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Liahu pressed against the reassuring warmth of the large lion, letting all the horror and stress of the past three months wash away in the torrid of tears. All the pain and distress and insecurity that he had shoulder with the destruction of his Pride welling up so hard he couldn't breathe.

Trembling from nose to paw, he wept, and wept, till there was nothing more inside him. He curled as close as he could to Silabh, needing the contact, needing the protection of the larger, older feline.

The small leopard only half heard the soothing words, but he felt the large paw on his back, and he let it comfort him. Finally spent, he sagged weakly against the lion's now rather damp ruff, sniffing a few times.

"Sadara is gone too, she left this morning. Lani, my avian friend, she went with her for a bit. To comfort her. I'm all alone, with no where to go." His breathy voice was filled with sorrow, and a thread of fear.

 

[Tanakako]

Sliabh kept the leopard against him, murmuring softly as the youth cried. Evenually, once the tears had faded away and Lihau seemed slightly more aware, Sliabh leaned back to look down at the sodden, depressed healer though kept his foreleg round the younger cat.

Surprised to hear the female had already left, he studied the young leopard for a moment. He couldn't very well leave Lihau out here.. he'd fallen apart and it was doubtful he'd have the will to hunt, let alone catch and kill prey. Ignoreing the dampness of his fur where the young one had cried against him, he smiled gently. "Why don't you come with me?" he offered softly, rufling the kid's scruff reasuringly.


 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Liahu looked up, his pale, sky born eyes red from all his weeping, " Go w...w..ith you? I...I don't want to be a burden." The young leopard knew he should pull away from the comforting warmth of the other male, but he just couldn't bare the thought.

If he did, he was afraid he would never feel safe again, protected. Ashamed that he needed that, that he was placing his foolish fears on Silabh's shoulders he gave another miserable sniff.

" I am a decent Healer..." he whispered, " you...you might have use for me...you said your Pride was sick...or...I could go just a little ways with you..or I could just stay here....."

His breathy voice trailed off, knowing he was not making any sense with his rambling. It was just that he so tired, so tired of being scared and worried. He'd had little sleep, little rest, since his world had fallen apart.

 

[Tanakako]

Putting on a calm and assured expression, the lion let Lihau cuddle close, his low, deep voice a reassuring rumble. "Don't be silly, you will not stay here. You are no burden at all. You can join me on my journey and then return home with me if you wish." Pausing he looked at the young leopard with a serious expression. "It is a long way, but I will protect you. You just need to keep yourself well, alright?"

 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Liahu sniffed again, sitting down on his hunches. Wiping a paw over his tear stained fur, he nodded. The leopard looked so very young for a moment, his fur rumpled, and grief painted all over his expression. He could not have been very long out of cubhood when he had been forced to take care of both Sadara and her mother.

It seemed as if all these months, all that had kept him going was that the two females had needed him to be their caretaker. He'd not even had a chance to really mourn the loss of his family, of his loving and adoring siblings, or of Aaliyah, his teacher and second mum.

" I can do that Silabh, I can take care of you too. I'm good at it. Really good. My brothers, they liked me taking care of them. I won't fall behind, I promise.." Liahu's breathy voice sounded hollow, and his words rambled together, as he stared at Silabh's huge paws with unfocused eyes.

 

[Tanakako]

Puffing out his cheeks with a silent breath, Sliabh lifted a paw and gently patted the youngster's back. He really wasn't very experienced with this kind of thing, but his cubs had at least taught him a few things about raising young.

"I know you are, Lihau. You know far more than I do about plants. You will be fine, I promise." Lowering his paw he stood up, gently nudging the youngster to his paws beside him. "Now.. we are going on a long journey, what do e need to take with us?" Didn't the leopard have that gourd type thing? And he must had dried plants that he had stored for his remades... It would be a waste to leave them behind.
 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Silabh's gentle nudge to get him on his paws made Liahu refocus on the 'now', and he shakily stood. Blowing his unruly bangs out of his eyes, he looked at the half packed herb bag and the gourd that lay beside it.

" I only have those two things, oh...and my healer stuff. Aaliyah gave it to me when she took me as her apprentice. I'd have gotten the cuff for my left paw in a year if things...." he paused, " if things had been different.

Moving to the bag, he stuck his head in it, and came back out with a folded head piece, woven beads, and a tail cuff. He turned to look at the large lion over his shoulder, setting the items down in front of him.

" Would you help me put them on? I can't ever manage to the tail piece."

 

[Tanakako]

Sliabh felt sympathy for the youngster, he was clearly not really cut out for either rogue life, or dealing with death. The question about death worried Sliabh, his own pride was full of it, a daily truth in their live, and he just didn't see this youngster being able to cope... there was no cures back home, only a brief easing of the endless agony and sickness. But, they had along way to go, maybe they would come a cross somewhere that would suit this young healer on the way.

Blinking as the glittering items were lain out, Sliabh arched a brow slightly. "Sure... " What were they? After a moment he pushed the thought from his mind and set about putting the various things on the youth, with some wiggling and poking and a little rearrangement, he finally 'dressed' he leopard.

"There you go."
 

[Lorne_Sionn]

Liahu had stood paiently as Silahb helped him get the beads and feathers, and arranged flowers on. He liked how they looked, put it was the earth metal he liked the best.

Aaliyah had told him when she had officially taken him as an apprentice before the whole Pride, that the earth metals came from a upright, hairless ape who had been a messenger of the Forefathers. He'd taught the first Shamans to heal and create, and how to walk the Dream Paths with a Guardian at their side. She'd hoped someday Liahu would learn to do so, and find a Guardian of his own to be his protector, friend and maybe lover.

The little leopard sighed, and shoulder his bag and gourd, pale eyes lifting up to meet the lions. It was time to let go of the past, it was gone, forever, but there was still a future, " I'm ready Siliabh."

 

[Tanakako]

Sliabh knew the youth was hurting, but there was nothing he could do about it. There was no physical wound to tend and he didn't know enough about the leopard to touch an emotional one. In stead, once the blue cat was ready, he nodded and licked the top of the youth's head just like he did to his own cubs.

"Come on then, I want to cover some distance before we hunt. The prey here is all gone." Turning away from the river the large lion set off, keeping his pace slower than normal in order for Lihau to keep up with him.