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She hadn't been in the pride long enough to know much about anyone other than the lioness she served, but Badoura could tell when someone was feeling sorry for themselves.

The thrall named Atheris seemed as if he was always feeling sorry for himself. Quite frankly, Badoura was growing weary of seeing him mope around. Life truly wasn't so bad as a thrall if you belonged to a good family - like she did - and while she'd heard that he'd recently been beaten by a Reaver... well. He probably deserved it.

Badoura's mission today was to give this Atheris a stern talking to, and so she sought him out. He wasn't hard to find.

"Atheris," she called out to him, "I require assistance in moving a large rock. My mistress said that there would be precious gems inside of it, and it is too large for me to move myself."

It was no lie. Dalla needed a certain color of stone for a piece she was crafting, and she'd indicated that such a gem would be found inside larger, heavier rocks.

Or something. She figured they could go push around some rocks, have a decent conversation, and then return home.

Atheris had already been moving a large group of rocks from one end of the inner pride to the other. It was demeaning, menial work, but it kept him strong physically and occupied his mind at the same time. His tooth, still sore from his not-so-distant interactions with Hinoko, was healing well enough. He could chew his own food, much to Timmy's delight - and his own.

He'd never felt more ridiculous.

When a female's voice called out to him, Atheris immediately turned and lifted his brows at the lioness. She was new to the pride, a fancy lady's thrall. Here she was, ordering him around like she owned him. Atheris snorted and set down the rock he held in his mouth.

His first instinct was to tell her to ******** off, but there was a look on her face that was almost pleading for him to agree. Atheris had to wonder if there was something else she had in mind.

His train of thought immediately went south, and with a bright white grin (albeit slightly chipped), Atheris dipped his head in acquiesce. A little hanky-panky sounded like it was just what he needed.

"Lead the way, then," he smiled.

Badoura did so, waiting until they were far enough from the bustling center of the pride before she spoke.

"I am Badoura," she introduced herself with haughty grace. She wasn't quite sure how to continue. It wasn't like she went around getting into the business of others, but there was something about this male - a sadness in his bright green eyes - that called to her.

"I am new to the pride, captured by the Reaver Gaved as a wedding gift to my mistress, his wife, the crafter Dalla."

Badoura cleared her throat politely as she waited for him to properly introduce himself.

Atheris gave the lioness a curious look.

"I am Atheris. A mere thrall - captured by Taraxa, but used by the pride as a whole." He shrugged. "My own stupid mistake, and one I regret each and every day, in truth. Too smitten by what I thought to be love - only to enter the pride to find the object of my affections to be a female with higher sights than a thrall. And so here I am - my brother and a cousin as Reaver, two other cousins Freeborn."

He snorted.

"Two sons that do not know me as their father, a nephew too."

Atheris shrugged. There was nothing else to say on the matter.

Badoura's expression softened slightly as they continued walking. A tragedy, truthfully - but one that she'd learned to be easily remedied.

"You sound as if you yearn for a change in your life, Atheris." She paused, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. He walked with his head down, eyes locked on the ground. Her mouth wrenched.

"Although, truthfully - this is not such a horrible pride. We are well-looked after, are we not? I have nothing to fear when I walk about the pride. I am fed, with a roof over my head and a kind mistress to watch after me."

Atheris burst into laughter, his voice rife with disbelief.

"You are one of the lucky few. Very lucky at that. Just the other day there was a lioness - a thrall - who was raped by the Breaker only because he could get away with it. A new half-breed, I do not remember her name, is passed around like trash simply because she is thought to be barren."

His voice was rough, his eyes bright as he stared her down.

"I am happy for you, that your mistress is so gentle and kind that she does not treat you badly. It is not that way for everyone."

Badoura stopped walking, her mouth falling open just slightly. She knew she was lucky to have such a kind and gentle mistress, but the thought that there were females of thrall rank being forced to submit to larger males for their own satisfaction... it made her stomach churn.

"I.. I did not know."

She felt foolish now.

"I.. I only thought to encourage you to break free of the rank of thrall if it displeased you so. I am.. it was not meant to sound as if.. I am sorry."

Badoura cleared her throat and trudged onward in silence.

Of course she did not know. He was glad that she did not know. There was something he admired about this lioness, something that he could not put a paw on. Despite the fact that she was obviously a well-kept thrall, she was not to be faulted for such a thing.

"You seem to show a keen, unusual interest in my well-being," he teased if only to lighten the mood. "Is there something you are not telling me, Badoura?"

There was a tired smile in his eyes and a gentle, teasing expression on his face. He watched her carefully, closely.

In that instant, Badoura's step faltered. She was briefly thankful that her pelt was dark - the undoubtedly hot flush that swept across her features would remain camouflaged.

"You are a buffoon," she grumbled softly under her breath.

A buffoon, yes, but she'd heard the stories as to how he'd gained his place in the pride. Freeborn ladies did love to chatter to their thralls when nobody was around to listen. There was something endearingly romantic about the way he'd given himself up to thralldom in hopes of winning the paw of a freeborn.

It was a pity it didn't have the intended outcome.

"I am that," Atheris replied, watching her closely for a few long moments. He fought against the urge to tease her again - instead Atheris continued walking forward until he was told to stop.

He moved rocks and broke rocks with bigger rocks until he was told to stop.

He walked back to the pride with Badoura when she'd found what she was looking for.

He parted ways with the lioness after walking her to her mistress' den.

That night, Atheris thought about Badoura as he drifted off to sleep. Such a curious lioness.

He wanted to get to know her better.