Freyjadour :
He couldn't remember how long he had walked. The days began blending together, the nights seemed nearly endless. The ache in his stomach had become the only constant. Even the wounds in his back and sides had closed up and began to heal. With careful attention to them, he'd managed to avoid infection and further bleeding. It was a small miracle that the wounded rogue hadn't attracted any unwanted shadows, longing to take advantage of his weakened state.

Freyjadour trudged over the endless golden flat of the grasslands. His once proud silvery mane now reduced to a shaggy, gantled weight along his back and neck, his once slender frame had become almost sickly, and his practiced gait had been worn down into a weary trudge.

The roars of pain and the smell of blood haunted him. What had become of his parents.... her grace the queen, his noble father- the captain of her guard and the other males that served as her knights? What had become of his faithful protector or her best friend...what had become of his sister?

Questions that may never see an answer...

The grass grew thin and the soil grew damp. To Frey's great relief, a small pond sparkled in the sunlight, occupied only by a cheetah who quickly picked up her feet and darted out of sight at his approach.

Thirsty and shameless, the lion swept down and began filling his eager gut, wettingh is parched throat.

Sanka :
Crouched in the grasses nearby was a brown lioness, blissfully unaware of any possibly dangerous male liones on the premises. All she was concerned with was a wart hog piglet that was about to become her lunch.

Alone and helpless, the tiny creature was lying in a patch of brown grass right in front of Sanka. Its mother was nowhere nearby, nor were any other wart hogs. Sad for the piglet; lucky for the lioness.

Eyes focused in a hypnotized stare, the female crept forward, inch by inch, until her instincts told her the time to strike was at hand. When she felt that pull of instinct, she lunged for the kill.

Dirt flying overhead at the force of her sprint, a sharp, high-pitched scream of a piglet shattered the silence of the savanna. Somersaulting from the power of her own tackle, the lioness landed on her back and dealt the finishing blow to the baby animal. Its hot blood filled her mouth and she guzzled it gladly, eagerly ripping into the soft flesh.

It was only then that Sanka realized something...

She was lying right beside a male lion.

Freyjadour :
Frey jumped back from the water, snorting his mouthfull halfway through swallowing. Unfortunately, this sent half of his water out his mouth and the other half shooting from his nose. Most undignified.

He wiped at his maw, snorting and choking on the water, his eyes glazed over and his throat aching terribly. The piglet's scream still had the hackles along his back and shoulders raised up, his heart pounding in his ears.

Turning, he faced a wide-eyed lioness just a few yards off. Gasping, he ducked his head. "I'm... heavens I'm so sorry. Is this your pond? I didn't mean...">

Sanka :
Staring with a bleeding piglet between her teeth, Sanka blinked at the male, ears swiveling as she listened to his words. Flipping over to her feet, the lioness dropped the piglet and swallowed, muscles tensing.

She was trying to get over her nervous tendencies, really she was. It just felt so different for her to be completely alone, away from the safety of a pride she had always known. It was especially difficult for her to see males without at least a smidge of...well, judgemental fear.

"N-no," Sanka stuttered, surprised by the unexpected politeness. "I was just hunting here..." Her own words caused her to glance down to the piglet at her feet, and her stomach promptly gurgled. Sanka's face grew hot and she found herself holding her breath in embarrassment again.

Freyjadour :
Frey's brow creased as the lioness looked, fearfully, his way. He wasn't exactly the picture of masculinity. For a lion, he was lean, lacking in a lot of the muscular definition of a true rogue male. His father had been a boulder of a lion with a squared jaw, broad shoulders, and a roar that could rattle the bones. His son, sadly, took after their mother. if not for his mane he'd be easily mistaken for a lioness.

"Please, don't let me disrupt you..."

His whiskers flushed as his own gut gargled. Avoiding the bloodied kill on the ground, Frey jerked his eyes back to the water. Maybe if he drank enough his body would be satisfied..

Sanka :
There was something about the male that was strangely calming, and Sanka's guard began to lower. His voice was polite and had an air of elegance to it. Something about him reminded her of home.

"Ah, well...I'll just..." Sanka began lowering her head to take a bite of the piglet, but stopped half-way at the sound of the male's stomach gurgling. Eyes widening, the lioness looked up and stared for a moment, completely unsure of what to do in a situation like that.

Should she share? No, that would mean...he'd get closer, and she didn't want that. Or did she? He didn't seem so bad...yeah, she was sure...no, she wasn't sure, but maybe if he shared the piglet, he wouldn't be as bad as he could be and she would--GAHHH.

"Would you like...some...?" Sanka struggled to ask, as though the words were unfamiliar to her tongue.

Freyjadour :
Frey's mouth watered horribly. He did want some, he'd likely eat it all if he'd made the kill himself. Days without food, clean water, or a good rest had taken its toll on him. He wasn't exactly incapable of hunting, but his striking pelt made it difficult to blend into his surroundings and his lean form made him hoof fodder to even smaller game.

"I couldn't possibly." He said, shaking his head. "You made the kill, thank you though."

He wiped at his face again, snorting slightly. He couldn't believe he'd snorted water... how disgraceful. "Maybe...you can tell me where I am? I'm turned around."

Eskimo (Captain Eski) is offline
"He was getting crazy-enhanced with the mermaid flavors." 1s ago Comment
IMs are delivered when the buddy signs in. SendSanka :(Captain Eski) a text message
Sanka :
Judging by the way the lion's mouth water and his stomach growled, Sanka figured the male was hungry. Why he refused her offer to share was beyond her. Was it out of politeness?

Huh...

Maybe...

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Sanka frowned and looked around.

"No..." she drawled regretfully. "I'm actually just kind of wandering around, myself, haha...ha," she laughed, mentally kicking herself in the rear for how fake it sounded.

Freyjadour :
He smiled gently and put another side-step between himself and the stranger. It was impolite to crowd her when she was trying to eat.

"I'm sorry to hear... it's difficult to be so far from all that's familar. Is there... a lot of game in the area?"

Sanka :
Still hesitating to eat, Sanka did her best to answer the male's questions as informatively as she could. She was knew to the area--she'd just gotten out of a foggy place to the south, and now she thought she was moving north. There were more open areas...as far as game, well...she was...not sure.

"Ummm...there's...some? I really just got here. I saw this piglet, and I..." Every time she opened her mouth to respond, she found her mind going blank. She didn't understand why. The only reason she could think to apply to the problem was that she kept focusing on the fact that she was actually talking to a rogue male.

Freyjadour :
"Then perhaps there is." He offered hopefully.

He took a deep breath and lifted his head, eyes scanning the endless flats. There were birds in the sky- but no vultures circling just yet. The lioness would be alright if she ate quickly.

"My name is Freyjadour- Sorry to have not made my introduction sooner. I should be pressing on." He looked over, offering another warm smile. "Safe travels."

Sanka :
"Ah, I'm Sanka," the lioness blurted out, wincing her eyes at her clumsy introduction.

She looked over her shoulder once, as if she was wondering what to do at that point. She was unused to farewells of that kind--well, the kind where...the other creature was a stranger, and a male to top it off.

"You, too, Freyjadour," Sanka offered, throwing in a twitchy nod of a good-bye. She bent down, took the piglet carcass into her jaws, and began to trot away. Her chest suddenly felt swollen with confidence and reassurance. She lifted her head a little higher as she walked.

She had more than her meal on her mind as she left.

Maybe...most males weren't as bad as she thought.