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 Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:37 pm
 It was surprising to find the lake so empty at that time of day. There were some lions gathered around to one side, but the cubs were in lessons, the new pride members-- returning remnants, survivors of the plague --were being settled in, and the royal family was busy with their various duties. Nannies were looking after children not in lessons or with parents, priests were tending to the temple relics and prayers, hunters and guardians were hunting and guarding, and most of the artisans were practicing their skills.
So really, it wasn't so much surprising as it was rare. Dafina had a moment to relax, her front paw in the waters swaying slowly as she stared at her rippling reflection. Her head rested atop her other paw, thoughts drifting in various directions. The water felt good compared to the heat, but just one paw in was more than enough with the shade of the palm trees and wild ferns and flowers all around, filling the air with a fresh aroma.
That talk that Caspian had with Kornelius, it sounded like he'd decided to return home eventually... How long before they'd be parting ways? Or would he accept her help if she wanted to accompany them on their quest? She'd never thought of fighting beyond necessity before, but for what greater cause was there? Kornelius was recovering quicker than he could have ever expected. Under the watchful eye of his former prince and the pride's healers he had all the food he could need, all the attention to his injuries, and all the cure they knew how to provide. He still had a terrible limp when he walked and he highly doubted he would ever heal out of it. His body wasn't as forgiving as it had been and he had taken quite a beating. However, at his age he couldn't complain. Most elders would have been left to die after taking such injuries. He was of no use hunting or fighting anymore.
Caspian walked quietly at his side, eyes distant as they made their way to the watering hole. They had a few more discussions in the privacy of his cave, mostly regarding the old stories of the days when mortals and gods lived in peace alongside one another. The mortals fed the gods with their praise and in turn, the gods blessed and protected the mortals.
The elder was the first to spot Dafina, looking thoughtful and almost sad, stroking the water of the oasis. "And a very good day to you."
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:40 pm
You could say anything you wanted about Dafina, but not that she would try to garner pity intentionally-- unless it was for play. She used to do that in her travels to the Dawnwalkers when she was flirting, after all, but not often. She perked up when Kornelius spoke, though, lifting and turning her head forward to see them approach. "Kornelius, Caspian..." She smiled. "To you as well, sun's greetings. I'm glad to see you're out and about."
Though the limp was a shame, but he didn't seem to mind. She only hoped it didn't hurt as bad as it seemed like it might.
Her paw came out of the water with a gentle shake to jostle the water from her fur.
"Sun's greetings." He answered back with a dip of his head. He came to stand beside the female as Kornelius settled down beside the water and dipped his injured paw into the waters, sighing his relief.
"Thank you, again, for all your help.""Yes, I am in your debt. The both of us are actually." The elder relaxed against the warm ground and slowly sprawled out. He was exhausted, just walking there had taken a lot of energy.
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:41 pm
"You're welcome, of course." Dafina replied, looking up at Caspian as he sat next to her. She didn't miss the fact that her heart began to beat just a bit fastter, but played it off as well as she could. "Is your paw still giving you great trouble, Kornelius...?"
"Oh my paw is feeling better, there's no pain but the stiffness is still there. It's a little difficult to walk. I fear I may never walk normally again...but we all hit that point." He shrugged. "You look...troubled. What's on your mind?"
"Me? I'm fine." She absolutely could not tell them what it was that was bothering her right then. Dafina shook her head a bit. "I was just a bit lost in thought."
Though after a moment she did wonder how, or if she even should ask what Caspian would do from here. Would he stay? Would he go?
"Easy enough to do." Caspian looked out across the oasis, his eyes growing distant. It was the largest body of water he'd seen since he'd left his homeland. A small part of him missed the salty air of the sea, the endless water, and the cries of the gulls up above... here the sands were endless and the water was limited. A perfect contrast to his homeland.
"Anything that you care to share?" Kornelius offered, raising a thin brow. "Sometimes good company can settle troubling thoughts."
Dafina saw Caspian's look and finally had to admit to herself the truth.
She was becoming depressed. She couldn't keep insisting she was fine when he insisted on her talking about it.
Her heart did an anxious little flip, sinking down into the pit of her stomach afterwards. She felt miserable. Suddenly she really hoped she hadn't put any males in that particular position with her elusive behavior. She stayed silent, wrestling with the words to say.
Dafina was completely out of her element.
He should return home without feeling guilty, and sure, she was a hell of a catch, and even commoners had become royalty on more than one occasion, but marrying a prince, the rightful heir to such a powerful pride, by the sound of it? She never thought the day would come when she, no, not just emptily SAID the words but actually FELT out of her league.
"Ah... I..."
Kornelius watched the emotions play over Dafina's face. Caspian, sadly wasn't the most observant of individuals when it came to matters of the heart, but Kornelius had spent many long years simply watching. Observing, caluclating, coming to his own conclusions. She was tormented by something...
"Come now, spit it out. You aren't helping anyone you know. Caspian here has been without decent company. Just an old lion spitting dust in his ear."
"....It's true." Caspian smirked and looked over his shoulder. "He's been going on and on for hours on end. If...something is troubling you, please let us know. We are both indebted to you."
By the gods.
Her head dropped back down slowly to her paws, one of which she brought around in front of her muzzle so that it almost didn't look as if she were speaking at all. Her eyes betrayed everything, though.
"I was thinking about someone that I care about, very deeply. It seems like I'm noticed by every male in the pride except for the one I want the most to see me, the way I see him."
It had hit her that morning while she'd been trying to reherse. Her heart wasn't in it if the one she wanted to notice didn't. He was the only one she wanted to perform for, maybe ever again.
"But I know it's selfish." Which had never been a problem before, maybe because she'd never felt she found the right one. It was so strange to be the one doing the chasing, but had she really at all? "And I don't really have the right to complain, I don't know if I can even say I've tried that hard."
But the idea of rejection was completely unthinkable! Before she'd have said that and meant it exactly as confidently as it sounded-- who would reject her after all? Now she realized that the reason she felt that way was because she genuinely feared not being good enough for the one she felt was "good enough".
Kornelius stifled a scoff for the girl's benefit. "Someone" indeed. He held Dafina's eyes, his expression calm as ever.
"Love... is a complicated matter, young one. It's as wonderful as it is painful, as much give as it is take. But the one thing it cannot be.... if it is to be discovered, is a secret."
He held her eyes for a few moments longer then faked a yawn. "Well... ah.... I think I should get back to napping and healing. Seems you two have a few things to catch up on."
Caspian looked... conflicted.
Was she.... no. She must have meant Gaddith. He was quite a catch himself. A muscular beast with a silver tongue and a way with the females... He swallowed his envy and looked back out across the oasis.
"....honesty...is the best policy. Even if you find yourself wounded afterwards."
Her heart gave pause for a beat or two at Kornelius' words. She knew it, he'd done it on purpose, and he knew.
AND HE WAS LEAVING! What-- why do you do this?!
Dafina looked at Caspian a moment too late to catch the look of conflict on his face, but his words struck the last chord needed before she couldn't hold the truth any longer.
She rose to her paws, looking in his direction even though he wasn't looking at her. "Well then... the truth of the matter is that it's you, Caspian. I love you." She said, tone almost quiet enough to have been a whisper or a soft murmur. She didn't dare look away this time, nervously waiting to find out if she would indeed end up wounded after her admission.
Caspian turned to her, bracing himself for the truth. However, the truth hit much harder than he had anticipated. She.......what? HIM!?
His mouth fell open and his eyes went wide, frantically searching her face for any sign of a lie... of a joke? None. Really? Him?
He cracked a smile, then began chuckling. After a few moments he turned back to her, eyes sparkling with laughter. "Me? But... I've been little better than a thorn in your side!"
She was neither so conceited any longer as to assume he would respond with the same feelings, nor so lacking in confidence to assume that his laughter was meant to be mocking. She saw his surprise and smiled a bit sadly at first, until he spoke up again.
"I never once saw it that way. I only wanted to see you smile, happy. You..." She paused, searching for words as she stared at the sand and stone steps between them. "... You don't give yourself near enough credit. I guess it made me realize I've been thinking far too highly of myself all this time. You're warm, and patient, caring." And he had an amazing sense of justice, but since he had been in such turmoil lately she wasn't sure if then was the best time to say it. She saw it, though, she heard it. He was prepared to try to do whatever he thought was best for his people and hers (her home, the pride was, of course, actually the gods' and the royals'), the Dawnwalkers.
He leaned back as she stepped a little closer, insecurity flooding his features. Surely he wasn't all of that... patience had been painful to endure. Every day was another flood of conflict. Caring? Perhaps too much, to the point of foolishness. HIs uncle had accused him of it once before. Warm?
"It's... hard not to be warm in the desert?" He sputtered, trying desperately to sound clever, or charming. Neither was working...he was sounding stupid.
"I just... I thought you liked Gaddith. A lioness like you... can have any lion she wants."
Dafina just stared at his joke, she was trying her best not to laugh, but just ended up failing anyway, lowering her head and lifting a paw to cover her mouth as she laughed quietly. He had a point, but so modest!
"Hm.... I'm glad you think so highly of me then, but Gaddith certainly isn't my type. I think I'm too opinionated for him to handle me anyway, and vice versa. Vanity doesn't go very well with vanity." She joked, but it was truthful. Maybe in another world they'd have had something for a brief time, but it wouldn't have lasted past high school, as so few jock-cheerleader combos did. "The lion that I want has much more heart in the right place, enough to get me to stop and rethink things."
And maybe it had been in part the fact that she didn't think he noticed her that had caught her eye to start with? No, that started the very first day in that room, helping to take care of him. He'd helped her realize some things in her life that had been missing.
"But can I really? I know that even if it's not right now, you're probably going to move on to important, greater things. Even if you don't believe it yourself right now, I see it. I have for a long time now. Would you even want me at your side for that?"
Caspian brought a paw behind his head and looked off to the side. Such praise... he wasn't worthy of it. He certainly didn't feel like he was some upstanding individual. Perhaps she thought too highly of him... still, it took a lot of courage for her to say.
Caspian relaxed, his expression softening. "I... have been at war with myself...truely. My professor pointed it out, it took that for me to see that... perhaps I have not returned because some...one was making me wish to stay. If that someone were to go with me..."
He cleared his throat. "But I could not ask that of you."
She stared for a few moments, wondering if she really heard it-- did he really just say it? He did, didn't he, not that hard to believe so much as surprising.
"You wouldn't need to ask, Caspian. You've had my support from day one, regardless of what it's for, even if it means tough love later down the road." She smiled, moving closer but stopping in front of him so that she could look him in the eye. "We should just take things one at a time, though, right? So... this someone... you kind of like her?"
She grinned a bit, more because Dafina wasn't USUALLY the all out grinning type, but she could be when she felt playful enough.
Caspian shifted nerviously, his eyes darting from her face down to the sands and back again. Was she honestly that selfless? She would have gone with him the first day? It was hard to comprehend. A dirty, skinny rogue showing up in the fangs of one of their guards- a behemoth of a lion- blathering on about his homeland and his right to a throne- if he'd been on the other side of things, he'd have brushed the rogue off as a lunitic.
"One at a time." He nodded his agreement, then instantly flushed again.
"...I...yes I do."
The lioness made her move then, brushing her head under his chin and seating herself right in front of him quietly. It was a silent acknowledgement.
Good... I sort of like you too.
Caspain's eyes went wide, his breath catching. She....was..oh well. This wasn't so bad. After a few breaths a smile tugged at his maw and he relaxed into the gesture, slowly, hesitantly, curling a paw around her.
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