The sun was setting while Tifu walked away from where the others were. They were taking a break and she was using it to get some time on her own. Not even Shoshan was with her, having gone off to find something to eat. Suli had asked her once, why she let the bird stay around her, since she was prey after all. But Tifu didn't see her as prey, she saw Shan as a friend, one who helped her remember good times, to forget the bad. It was harder now, since Tifu had accidentally Seen part of the little bird's past, but she was doing her best not to dwell on that.What she was dwelling on, however, was the grumpy boulder of a lion that she traveled with. Maji was a wonderful male, compassionate and wise, he reminded her of the memories she had of her mother. But her affections seemed completely set on Suli. And he... well, she didn't think that he hated her, but even with Maji's reassurance, she didn't think the tough lion cared much for her. She was far too optimistic and idealistic. He was always reminding her that the world was hard and that all her wishes of butterflies and flowers were fairy-tales. Was there something wrong in hoping there was a place free from war and deception, where orphans always found a loving home and mothers were never taken away to be killed because of some stupid superstition? Where lions weren't driven out simply because another wanted what they had or families weren't torn apart by politics?
She sighed and shook her head. What was the point in wishing and hoping? She was starting to think that the only way she would be able to have that was if the three of them made a pride on their own, with her ideals as the driving force.
Tifu was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost ran into a strange male, sitting in the middle of her path, grooming himself."Oh, hello there. I'm sorry, I almost didn't see you there," she said with a small smile, curious over his appearance. He smelled strange, like a cheetah, but also like a leopard. And his coat looked strange to her. It took Tifu a moment to realize that the male in front of her was wearing the pelt of another creature, spotted so it was probably a leopard.
"It's okay, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here." His voice was chill as he watched her with bright, intelligent silver eyes. There was something cold, damaged about him, something that sent a chill up her spine. He stopped licking his paw and stood, trying to circle her. Tifu wasn't sure about this male, so she moved as well, keeping the front of her body angled towards him.
"What do you mean, that I'm here?" Tension was growing in the air. It didn't take a master at combat to feel that there was something wrong with this male, that she needed to be on her guard. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the way he was staring... and how he licked his jaws... His teeth were stained a dark pink.
"I know you, little priestess, I've Seen you, and your barbaric hero. He won't come save you, you know. He doesn't even know you're here," the crazed hybrid purred as they circled one another. Tifu knew he was right, she had no where to run that he couldn't chase her and Suli wasn't near. Even Shoshan was gone, she was completely on her own.
"What do you plan to do?" she asked with a small growl. The smile that broke on his features only built upon the fear inside of her.
"I haven't decided yet, but rest assured, your pelt will look beautiful on the floor of my den," he shot back and lunged.
He hadn't counted on the lioness being ready for it. All of the females he picked out were weak. They weren't fighters, they were healers or dancers or mothers. He didn't realize until it was too late that this one was different, that though he had Seen a broken female scared of touch of others and damnably optimistic, he hadn't seen her father, how he pushed her to becoming independent, how he had trained her as best he could to protect herself. When Baridi lunged, Tifu dodged away and rounded on him, claws out and teeth bared. She latched onto his shoulder and back, but the pelt there was thick the clever b*****d. She barely broke the skin.
Baridi growled in pain and twisted under her weight, slashing his paw out. His claws caught her across the breast, tearing furrows just deep enough to stain the white fur red, sending her back. She was in a crouch by the time he got up, circling her as she held her ground.
"Clever little b***h. Who taught you to fight?" he hissed, eyes narrowed behind his mask.
"My father did," she cried and instead of waiting for him to attack her again, she lunged at him. He wasn't expecting it, not from the meek creature he'd Seen, not without some sort of prompting. He barely got back in time, she caught his pelt once more. He dodged around her, trying to get at her side but every time he was just met with the snapping jaws of an enraged lioness. He was losing this fight and he knew it. It was just when he was whirling around, dodging away again when her teeth dug into his hip.
The mad seer howled in pain as Tifu tore a chunk from his hind leg. His paw whirled around and carved tracks in her face, causing her to rear back. Not wanting to risk any more injury, the hybrid fled, leaving the lioness behind.
Tifu watched him flee, not even considering giving chase. She'd been lucky up until that point. One vision, and she would have been dead. Fate had decided otherwise that day and though she hurt and she bled, she had come out the victor. She panted as she turned back towards their camp, eager to return to the safety of her- of Suli's protection. Would the males fuss over her? Was it girly to say that she hoped they would? She hoped Suli would be enraged, not at her but at any creature who would attack her. She hoped he showed something, anything that proved to her that she had any place in his heart, if even just a small one.
