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 Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 3:55 pm
All morning he'd been trying to find time to go and visit with them but he kept getting caught up in work. Now, finally, he was on his way to Laelia's den- the most obvious choice of starting points in the search for his little family, of course. He walked along with purpose, hoping nobody would intervene and ask him for a favor if he looked busy.
And then he spotted Yareha and he immediately hesitated. Yareha was one family member he'd been actively avoiding, like his own father, and a second after he started planning a change of course, he realized this was the closest he'd seen Yareha to Laelia and her den in ages. And suddenly he was too curious to move very quickly.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 4:04 pm
 Yareha was storming down the trail with blatant disregard for the struggling grass, the prints he was leaving and the noise he might be making. Not the way an experienced Hunter would normally go, but this was hardly an ordinary day. The white lion seethed inwardly. Laelia had rejected him - flat out told him to go away! So he'd go away, he'd have nothing to do with her ever again and damn straight his kids weren't to be tainted by her or hers. He had the sudden sense that someone was watching and looked up to see Mazin watching him. Of course it made sense for the grey lion to be here, his cousin was claiming the cubs were his issue. But the slave was too much of a goody goody to actually have - gasp - children out of wedlock. He was covering for someone, some other member of their family, that Yareha was sure of. Not that it made a difference. It was for this pathetic failure that Laelia had rejected him. "Going to see the b***h and her bastards?" he hissed at his cousin. Oh dear, now what was going on? Latitare felt a faint pang of sympathy for Yareha. He'd lost whatever microscopic chance he'd had with Laelia and now he ran into Mazin who was acting, for all intents and purposes, as the lioness' mate. This, was going to go poorly.
Unfortunately no bird, not even an eagle, stood a good chance of stopping an adult lion. And it was clear from the body language that the white lion had blood on his mind.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 4:18 pm
Mazin realized his mistake just too late. He felt confident he was witnessing the consequences of a discussion with Laelia as soon as he saw how angry his cousin was but by the time he saw the anger, it was too late to change paths and make a getaway. He was calm even as Yareha got closer with that furious look and finally hissed so offensively.
He took an instinctive step backward and though he opened his mouth to defend his family, no words came out. Mazin was a slave, he wasn't allowed to argue- did it matter that now it was personal? Even worse, Yareha looked dangerous and Mazin had never been confronted violently before, how could he defend himself?
And still, he remained silent in the face of Yareha's anger.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 4:29 pm
As Mazin retreated, Yareha advanced. His every muscle was tense with anger and intended violence. The fact that his cousin refused - or was too scared - to utter a single word just pissed him off even more.
"Decided that if you were going to claim the brats you were going to do it right, eh? Saw how pretty she was and decided to make yourself irresistible, right? Couldn't touch Selene, not with all the upper ranks against it, but what's a girl between family, huh?" The white lion knew, abstractly, how unhinged his mouth was getting, knew it was better to keep all of that behind his teeth but damnit he'd lost her, lost her to this pathetic excuse for a cousin who didn't even have the balls to stand up for the lioness he did love. And Mazin's very silence was egging him on.
Latitare was busy committing all of this to memory. He wasn't sure how much the King and Queen would actually need to know yet, but it was a sure thing they needed to know something.
It was also a fact that there was no way he was reporting in until he knew Yareha was in his den, sleeping. With this kind of the mood on the lion, anything could happen and happen quickly.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 5:30 pm
The more Yareha spoke, the more convinced Mazin was that silence was the best he could offer to this situation. Yareha seemed to finally be aware of how completely he had lost Laelia, though he seemed to be making more of Mazin's relationship with the lady while he was at it. He was trying to make Mazin hurt, too, and every possible response the slave could offer would only make things worse. Telling him to calm down, for example, was as good as starting a fight. And any excuse for his behavior wouldn't be good enough, so why say anything?
He visibly relaxed but he was alert.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 5:34 pm
Oh that was IT. Now Mazin didn't think he was a threat, did he? Well, that was just fine and dandy for his cousin, now wasn't it. A wordless snarl forced itself out of Yareha's throat and the white lion launched himself at the grey one.
Damnit damnit damnit!
Oh no, this was bad, this was very very bad. Latitare made a split second decision and launched himself upwards and away, looking for the nearest lion capable of pulling Yareha off of Mazin. And fast.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 5:45 pm
Mazin's eyes widened and he stumbled back in confusion as suddenly Yareha was flying at him. Too much was going through his mind as it happened, he didn't have a chance for defending himself. But once Yareha was on him, instinct took over because he knew refusing to fight back could have serious consequences outside of scolding or punishment for acting out of place.
He hit the ground with a grunt and immediately struggled to get his feet sorted out to try and push Yareha off of him. It wasn't easy when you were knocked off your feet so suddenly and his decision to keep his body moving wasn't making it any easier.
"Yareha, are you insane!" he growled.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 5:51 pm
Suddenly it seemed Mazin wasn't going to just stand there in silence after all. Well, good! This wouldn't be nearly as satisfying if the damned slave didn't even try! Yareha's claws were out and he was actively trying to disembowel his cousin. Mazin's own efforts at dodging and getting out from under him were making this a much more difficult prospect.
"Maybe I am," he snarled back. "Maybe this whole damned pride is insane! Big lion like you, what're you doing as a slave, huh? And b***h like her, what's she got, that makes her deserve to sit above us, huh?"
Latitare was flying much closer to the ground than normal and were this any other day he might be battling vertigo, seeing the earth so close to him and the eagle flying at his normal speeds. There had to be someone close enough to help, simply had to be!
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:12 pm
It didn't take very long to realize just how serious this situation was now, Yareha wasn't playing around and Mazin could feel his cousin's claws catching in his fur, removing any doubt he might have had. While Yareha was successful in drawing blood and causing pain, it was far from any vital part of Mazin's body and the slave was sure that was more chance than skill on either part now. Surely someone would notice he was being attacked, they weren't far from where the hunters had dispersed after their kill!
"Yareha! Stop!"
He knew his cousin's tendencies to be blasphemous but he knew it was dangerous to continue, if it wasn't bad enough he was attacking a slave shouting like that would make it worse. Mazin wasn't getting anywhere in his attempt to get his feet where he could throw Yareha off but with a painful twist, he managed to free his upper body and, despite Yareha still having the advantage, he was struggling to get to his feet. 
"Your family is so small," she murmured thoughtfully, on the topic of recent family weddings and arrivals. Uthuli's family really seemed like one that should be so much bigger than it was.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:19 pm
Mazin kept trying to get away from him. The cowardly b*****d wasn't even trying to fight back - pathetic! Just 'cause he'd been born under the new moon wasn't any reason to just step aside for anyone and everyone. That just made Yareha madder than ever. He might've held onto some respect for his cousin if the grey lion would simply step up and take it like a male!
"Stop? Why cousin, I'm just getting started!" Yareha taunted, reaching out with a pawful of claws to rake the grey lion's back as he tried to escape.
Ah, there! Where the hunting party had been! Latitare saw a pair of lions and nearly wept in relief. He wasn't so certain about Aysu, being Yareha's sister and all, but he was sure that she, with the other lion he hadn't had reason to know (and wasn't that a good thing?) would be able to stop Yareha.
"Hi-o! You! Aysu and friend! Please help!" The eagle landed on the ground, ignoring how undignified the lack of a perch made him look. "Yareha's attacking Mazin - please stop him!"
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:36 pm
Mazin snarled in surprise as Yareha caught him on the back as he struggled to get free but it was becoming very apparent he wasn't going to get away like this. He wasn't organized enough to follow through with a single plan, even now he was giving back what little he had taken in his attempt to free himself. He needed a new plan and a scrambling escape attempt wasn't working.
Gritting his teeth and sparing only a quick, passing thought to pray for forgiveness, he put all of his weight into turning himself completely around, regardless of any claws tearing at his fur, in hopes of throwing Yareha off balance- and even before he had a clear shot, his jaw unclenched and he snapped out for any part of Yareha he might hope to reach with the only weapon that might work, his teeth.
Uthuli noticed the bird just before it called out to them, mainly because it seemed so odd that it was flying so low- and looking so frantic. As soon as it landed, he turned to Aysu- mostly because the eagle seemed to know her- but he looked back when he heard him explain Yareha was attacking Mazin. He didn't know Yareha personally but he knew Mazin from growing up with slaves as parents. His eyes scanned the land around them.
Unlike Uthuli, Aysu didn't notice the eagle until she heard her name- and then when she saw the source, she registered that he was familiar looking but.. that didn't explain how it knew her name. Even in the face of his plea for help, she looked at him with confusion-- until he said Yareha was attacking Mazin and her eyes left the eagle.
"There!" he said when he spotted the pair. There was no mistaking what was happening, though from a distance it might have seemed only a game. With no time to spare, he immediately started off towards them.
Knowing more about the situation and still somehow stunned that it had come to this, Aysu was too panicked trying to find her brother and cousin. It wasn't until Uthuli spotted them and ran off that she knew saw it, and still she was too shocked to move immediately- but as soon as she leapt into action, she had no problem catching up to and actually passing Uthuli.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:43 pm
Yareha snarled as Mazin jerked out of his grip and turned to face him. He rocked backward, standing only on his hind legs for a few moments as the grey lion stretched out his neck and snapped sharp teeth onto a yellow paw. The white lion hissed in pain and used his lack of balance to swing himself forward and come down hard on his cousin with his free paw.
Latitare pushed off heavily from the ground to follow Aysu and the other hunter as they headed straight for the fight. He thought about reporting in now, but decided he should stay until everything was over, lest something important happen while he was away.
Thank the Great Lion those two had been so close!
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:55 pm
It was a surprise when he managed to catch Yareha's paw and he very nearly let go as soon as he had it but he knew better and his panic had him bite down even harder-- until Yareha's free paw came down on him and he gasped as felt the wind knocked out of him, releasing the other paw. It was hard enough to breath in a fight, how did anybody use their teeth?
Uthuli tried to pick up the pace when Aysu ran past him but he knew he was no match for her speed, especially not when this involved her family. Even as she crept farther and farther ahead, he managed to stay fairly close as they worked there way to an appropriate angle to intervene. There would be no use attacking from behind, not if they wanted to separate the two lions.
Wasting no time, Aysu didn't hesitate to take in what exactly was happening in the fight and she lunged for her brother with a growl. She didn't have size on her side but she was confident knowing he was occupied and that Uthuli was close behind her- they would probably need him to restrain Yareha once they got him away from Mazin.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 7:06 pm
The white lion was in the midst of taking advantage of Mazin's breathlessness with a lunge when the whole situation changed. A black blur came out of the corner of his eye and slammed into his side. Yareha hit the ground hard and groaned as his shoulder protested mightily. It didn't seem broken, but it was definitely badly bruised.
He shook his head trying to figure out what was going on. That was Aysu on him, and another lion he didn't know by name close by. Yareha growled at his sister and tried to move, though not to hurt her.
"Get off me, damnit!"
Good, it didn't look like too much damage had been done. Now all that was left was to get the two on their feet and away from each other. Latitare resumed circling above, around the height of a tall tree.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 7:18 pm
Mazin was stunned by the sudden intervention but he wasn't foolish enough to stay where he was. Despite the pain radiating through his whole body as he did, he twisted himself around and scrambled to his feet to put some distance between him and Yareha- still not quite getting a chance to breathe in the panic.
He had to blink a couple times before he really registered who had come to his rescue- it was Aysu and Uthuli. And Aysu did not look happy.
Uthuli had to stumble to a clumsy stop once it was apparent Aysu was successful in knocking Yareha off of Mazin and Mazin was already scrambling to put distance between them. Uthuli carefully put himself between the siblings and the slave, tense even when it was apparent Yareha had no intention of harming his sister.
Aysu looked almost dangerous as she rearranged herself to be standing over Yareha, keeping her front paws on him. Fighting his attempt to move, she shifted her weight to her front paws to show she wasn't going to make it easy on him if he insisted on getting up.
"Yareha!" she hissed, "What do you think you're doing?"
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