Glozelle:Days... Weeks...?
How long had it been since the large general had been forced to flee his home, he wasn't sure. Most of the days had started to blend together for Glozelle, and while the claw wounds on his shoulders, under his cloak, and the bites on his back legs had crusted over with dried blood and sand, he had grown weak from the blood-loss. If the assassin Sopesian had sent had followed him, he might have found the former general easy pickings now.
But the fool hadn't. Unlike Gloz, his body would be rotting in the sun or being picked clean by other creatures.
Even though he had defeated the assassin, he couldn't go back. He was weak, the moment he stepped back into the royal court, he could be set upon by Sopesian's followers or even his uncle's. Neither of the males trusted Gloz, a lion who willingly aided in the death of his own father and the exile of his half-brother. He was just as much a threat to the other two as they were to one another. Perhaps when he was stronger he could go back, perhaps with an army of his own, but now he was barely alive.
He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten or had anything to drink. His paws were bloodied and sore from the battle and the trek, he wasn't even sure where he was going. They rhino helm and the fur that had once marked his status in the pride were beginning to become unbearable weights, but he couldn't part with them. They were a symbol of who he was, the last thing he had to cling to. Without them, he was nothing. And he vowed long ago that he wouldn't be nothing ever again.
He crested a dune and the sand slipped out from under him, sending him sliding and then rolling to the bottom. He landed with his head and part of his body in the shade of the hill and he found his body just couldn't take the strain of standing up again, not at the moment. A warrior never quit, never! But his limbs would hear none of it, so he just lay there, hoping after a short rest he would be allowed to continue.
Caspian:His duties were slowly becoming routene to him now. He had done fairly well in training, shadowed only by Gaddith as the black brute out-did himself time after time in front of his superiors. Caspian once again fell under the shadow of a stronger lion. It might have bothered him before, but he was willing to accept that he wasn't the strongest lion out there, nor was he the most agile. So long as he could serve a purpose once more and repay the kindness of the pride that had taken him in, he was able to find contentment at the end of the day. Dafina assured him that he stood under no shadow, and that was enough for him.
Caspian woke early that morning, gave Dafina a parting nudge, and checked in on Kornelius' recovery. The elder was slowly but surely finding his health once more. Unfortunately, the wounds he had taken from Miraz' soldiers would likely leave him crippled for the rest of his life.
Once his rounds were made, Caspian took to the outskirts on patrol. Gaddith would relieve him that afternoon and take up his post into the night. It allowed the exiled prince to clear his head. The duties had come as a sort of retriet after a while.
That is, until that morning.
He reconized the pelt almost instantly. The great, dark figure laying in the distant sands, the bone helm protecting his face. Had they really come out this far? This close?
Glozelle:
Move.
Dammit, move!
A single paw twitched and Gloz managed to move it just slightly, enough to swish some sand about, but far from moving to stand up. He was tired and his body had finally said enough. It wouldn't let him go on any further no matter how his mind yelled otherwise.
Gold eyes caught a form not far from him and for a moment he thought he'd lost his mind. Yes, that was it, he'd lost his mind and in its absence was the form of his half-brother, former heir to the throne, the one who had held their father's attention. Of course, Gloz wasn't aware that his mother had never told the king that she carried his cub, nor had her sister informed him that he was a father long before Caspian was born. His mother might have raised him better, but his aunt had hated his father, had poisoned his mind. And it was only after he had seen ruling under Miraz's paw that he saw his mistake.
Too late to fix anything, too tired to move, he merely stared at the lion that would have ruled, who lived only because a fool had let him escape.
Gloz wondered if he was still a fool.
"Caspian." The name was rasped out of a voice that hadn't been used, from a throat that was caked with sand, but it still held a formal neutrality. Gloz was a passionate general, misled by his own emotions and the influence of those he thought could give him what he wanted, but he held some formality when he knew it necessary.
Caspian:
Caspian swallowed hard, his throat dry as he stared down at the prone form of his half-brother. Beaten down by the desert heat, and by the marks in his pelt- by a few sets of claws. Whether those claws belonged to Mirez or rogues was anyone's guess. He still proudly wore his bone helm and the deep violet pelt around his shoulders.
Foolish pride... they would have weighed him down and would do him no favors in the desert sun.
He took a leery step back, his eyes narrowing. If their places were reversed...would he be left to die or would he be finished off?
"Glozelle.... come to finish the job?"
Glozelle:
Gloz watched his half-brother, managing to move one paw beneath his chin. It felt better, to get at least part of himself off of the sand. Though now he wasn't sure what hurt more, his chin or his paw in the sand.
"... only because my paws brought me here... Didn't know you were here." Some of the words were lost in a cough as he tried to clear his throat of sand.
His head shook a little and he bared his teeth, though he was looking away from Caspain. He did not want to be weak, not in front of anyone. No matter how hurt or tired he was, he had to go on. Would Caspain kill him if he stayed down too long? If Caspian had driven him out of his kingdom, had taken his crown from him, he might have. With a heave, he managed to sit himself up, returning his golden gaze on his half-brother though his nostrils flared with the effort of the simple change of position.
"Sopesian's out for the throne. My foolishness was a liability."
Caspian:
Caspian's eyes flooded with suspicion. His posture grew defensive. Rather than turn and flee, as he might have as a youth, the now fully maned male stood firm, his jaw set and his eyes narrowed.
He drew in a deep breath as Gloz pushed himself up from the ground and stared at him. Fur rose off his back as the male snarled. Not at him- but he wasn't certain how much strength Gloz had left in him after the long trudge through the desert.
"Your foolishness." He repeated, more of a demand for explanation than an inquiry.
Glozelle:
Gloz's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Siding against the king because I thought someone else would be better, then and now," he replied slowly. It had been a foolish mistake, one he would wear like any other scar on his pelt. He had let his anger at his father's neglect cloud his judgement, let Miraz control him. Sopesian had seen through his motives when he tried to turn against his uncle, had seen the doubt in the younger male, the doubt that Sopesian was no better than Miraz.
It was even possible that the other traitor had seen through his ruse what seemed like forever ago. He'd come back from the hunt, empty-pawed, had "failed" to capture or kill Prince Caspian. He had taken only one other with him, the only creature in this world he really trusted with his secrets. Together they had chased Caspian away, off of the lands, had dumbly veered away from his trail when they'd lost sight of him.
He'd been alone when he had been attacked, had forced the name out of his assassin, Sopesian. Had his confidant revealed the truth or had the lord decided to tie up a loose end before he even became one? Gloz didn't want to think about it.
"Or perhaps he finally figured out how you got away." His shrug made his shoulders ache and he regretted the gesture.
Caspian:
Caspian looked skeptical. To return boasting that he'd tracked down, and killed, the escaped prince might mean that whomever had driven Glozelle out would accept him back with open paws.
Still... he didn't look good. His strong frame had thinned out under a pelt covered in dust and tears. He could have been left for dead...
"...there is water." he nodded over his shoulder. "And many guards if you decide to be....dishonrable."
Glozelle:
Gloz blinked a couple times before he managed to return to a standing position. Perhaps it was the promise of water that finally had his body moving again, though nothing drove the sore ache away. He was certain at this point only rest would let that happen. He shouldn't do what he was about to do, everything in his being, in his upbringing, in his very soul fought against what he was going to do. But there was no other way.
He walked slowly to Caspian and then past him, in the direction he had gestured, putting his half-brother at his back. The younger male could come at him any time, he should stop should wait for Caspian to pass him, anything to put himself back into a safe position. But no. He had to make sure the other male understood he posed no threat, that for all intents and purposes, he was there to get a drink and move on.
"Don't think I'm stupid enough to go after anything. I know how to choose my battles," he grumbled slightly in retort, glancing back over his shoulder.
Caspian:
"This pride was kind to me... they took me in and nursed my wounds. Their goddess came to protect me from Miraz' men. It is the least I can do to repay their kindness." He retorted, a little sharply.
Nothing else was said aside from the occassional correction in Gloz' direction. It wouldn't take long for them to pass through the boarder and make their way towards the small oasis in the heart of the pride's land. They passed another guard, a behemoth of a lion with an ebony mane and piercing silver eyes, but he remained still as the shadows around him.
Glozelle:
Gloz clamped his mouth shut against an argument with Caspian. The younger lion was helping him and his body knew he couldn't do something that would take that away from him. He needed the water and the rest.
Miraz's troops, they'd found Caspian? He didn't know that... It must have been recent. Unless Miraz had been keeping secrets from him. Gloz wouldn't be surprised, really. Miraz trusted him as much as Sopesian did. Well, perhaps a bit more, but it didn't really matter. Gloz was a lion who would kill his own father, no one would trust him. It didn't matter that he hadn't known the king, that he had been raised to believe he was a cruel lion who hadn't wanted him. He was untrustworthy, by his superiors, by his colleagues, by his own brother.
When they finally got to the water it was all he could do to take slowly to the water. If he rushed at it, he would make himself sick and his position was already bad enough.
Caspian:
Caspian kept a leery distance from his half-brother, and when they came to the oasis he perched himself on a large boulder over-hanging the pool. Now and then, he'd throw a nervious look over his shoulder, insuring that there was at least one more guard near by.
"Seems...you bit the hand that fed you. Where will you go now?"
Glozelle:
Gloz sat at the water's edge, his front paws in the cool water. He just stared out at the water for a few moments as Caspian spoke. Bending his head slowly, he pushed his helm off his head with one paw now that he had a moment to rest in one place.
"You're welcome," he growled a bit and then actually let out a sigh. He was so tired, of everything. Once, he'd seen a family, a real family. He thought he might have wanted something like that, someday, once he didn't have to be a warrior anymore, a general. But that dream was dead. Now he just wanted to live.
"Go forward. I can't go back, not in this shape at least. Someone will have me killed as soon as I step a paw into the pridelands. Miraz, Sopesian, it doesn't matter."
Caspian:
HE was welcome?! Caspian sucked in a deep breath, boardering on a snarl as he swallowed his temper. He was welcome. Welcome for what? Almost losing his life, having his back clawed apart? Being left to the mercy of the desert?
Granted... it had turned out well enough, but it was no thanks to him.
"You'll have to rest." He grumbled, his tone tight. "The desert is endless."
Glozelle:
Gloz's golden gaze snapped to his brother. He had no idea. He hadn't been the one to harm the former prince, he'd just been the hunter. He'd chased his brother and let him get away. Caspian had been the only one he hadn't really wanted to hurt. His father... that was a different story, but he just wanted Caspian to go. There was no way Miraz would let Caspian live, so he had to drive the prince away.
He'd gotten Miraz's paw across his face when he had returned empty-pawed, there were small scars on the right side of his face to prove them.
But then, Caspian probably wouldn't believe him if he said so.
"I'll have to rest." It was a short confirmation as he looked back out over the water. His thoughts wandered back to the thought of his pride members here. If they had found Caspian, surely they would be back, unless they had been swallowed by the desert. He almost hoped for it.
