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 Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:18 pm
A solitary stone overlooking the valley that the troupe had claimed as their own. From this watch point, the sentry of the day would lay under the sunlight when all others rested in the shade of the seaside dens. Most often than not, the position was given in rotation so no single member was forced on the position time and again. However, Gremio was a frequent volunteer for the post. He trusted his fellow troupe members, and he trusted their judgment, but he only truly found peace of mind when it was his eyes keeping watch, when he could see for himself that the boarder was secure and no little balls of mischief had slipped out of their dens to find trouble.
It also allowed him to think in solitude, unlocking his guarded emotions in the privacy of the sunlight.
Safi had almost met her end just one night ago… had he been on patrol that day, she might not have suffered the paw injury she had. Had he been a little more observant, perhaps he would have been able to catch her on her way out of the lands. There were a million things that could have happened- for good or ill. He thanked the stars above that he had, at least, managed to stop her attacker before it was too late. Even still, her injury might have her crippled for the rest of her life. Safi, the beautiful dancer, may have been robbed of her passion for performing, her ability to hunt, and the ability to defend herself.
The lion’s claws scraped against the stone as his temper flared. A silent, seething ember he kept well under control most days. Most within the troupe knew him as the quiet, meek, anxious care taker. As a young lion, he’d been anything but.
A blonde whirlwind he’d been called. Reckless and stubborn, unable to hold still to save his own life. When his pride had been called to war, he was all too anxious to join the soldiers on the front lines. In his mind, battle was a beautiful, heroic thing. He’d hear stories from the veterans of his pride, his eyes wide in awe as the old warriors recalled the glory days of their youth. He had painted images of claws shining in the sunlight, fangs flashing, and evil falling under hammer blows from the paws of gallant warriors. He would provoke the other cubs into playing war with him, and of course, he would insist that he got to play the role of the victorious hero.
Everything had changed when he set foot on an actual battle.
The cubs he had wrestled with in fanciful games of good versus evil now stood by his side, ready to protect their boarders from a rival pride. Under the command of general Teo, the males ran out to meet the invaders from the lowlands. The romance of battle died on the first eve of battle. His playmates hadn’t survived the first onslaught. Torn to pieces under the claws of older, stronger, more experienced soldiers and left to feed the birds, their faces locked in the agony and horror of their final moments.
Gremio winced, reaching a paw up to gently touch the ‘x’ shaped scar across his face. He’d nearly joined them…
He had been outraged at the death of his friends. He’d held Frund in his dying moments, watching the life bleed from a wound in his throat as the young adolescent struggled to say his good-bye. Rage had blinded him and all sense had fled from his mind. In a terrible fit of stupidity and wrath, he’d charged into the front lines, clawing and biting at every enemy in sight. A foolish, terrible whirl wind. He’d earned his scar that day at the paws of his friend’s killer- and he’d been knocked to the ground like a newborn calf.
He remembered that moment… his blood had run cold as the world around him seemed to slow. The massive form of his attacker blocked out the sun, throwing him into shadow. His eyes blazed, his jaw ran red with the blood of his fallen foes. Gremio had felt every nerve in his body come alive, in the back of his mind he knew he was moments from death- and he was powerless to stop it…
General Teo had seen his plight and with a roar that broke over the battlefield- he had charged and engaged the enemy. Within a few blows, his attacker was down in a pool of his own blood. Unable to walk, Gremio was helped to his feet by the general and led away from the battlefield. That day, he had pledged his life to the general and his family thereafter.
He knew all too well how Safi had felt. Throwing caution to the wind for the sake of her ideals, her dreams…her future. For her- that future was a family of her own. For him, at least back then, it had been his ideals. Honor, glory, and stories to pass to his own family.
He never thought that he’d have a family of his own. The closest he’d ever had was Tir. He remembered the day he was born, a small almost pitiful bundle of fur. He remembered the pride and grief on Teo’s face that day. He’d sired a son… an heir to his already proud legacy. Unfortunately, that legacy had cost him the life of his mate.
A shiver ran down his spine. He remembered the look on the lioness’ face as she struggled for just a few more moments of life. She held her son in her paws, even as life drained from her beautiful form. She was happy in her final moments… almost peaceful. She made Teo swear that he would move on, that he would raise their son to be a fine lion. She had also asked Gremio to keep watch over him…
What if…Safi’s desire for a family became her own undoing? There was nothing he could do if that was the case. Teo had been powerless to save his mate. It had been devastating to the old lion, a proud general who had saved the lives of dozens through his strength and prowess, to stand before a foe he could not fight off. To watch a life fade that he could not save. Gremio had always wondered if Teo had distanced himself from his son, knowing that in being brought into the world, he had taken the life of his mother. It wasn’t until Teo’s final breaths that he had expressed pride in his son… perhaps because just as Tir had claimed the life of his mother, he had taken the life of his father.
Gremio shook his head. Whatever happened was outside of his control… Safi had been told that she was able to bring forth life- and nothing else. If bringing life brought to her untimely end, he could only hope that he’d see the same peace and pride in her face as he had Tir’s mother that day… and like Teo, this wasn’t something he could protect her from.
Word Count:1,195
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