[Fin] Why me? (Azubuike/Runa)

[Painted Moose]

Painted Moose

Runa ventured closer to the Eastern borders where the river ran rampant in the mid-day sun. It wasn’t as if she was trying to avoid anyone, far from it, but she still found herself uncomfortable around the eyes of others. She had come to terms with her lot in a life a long time ago, and now she just needed to adjust to it.

She dipped her forepaws into the murky water, and made her way out into a shallow area so that she could wash away the sins of the day. Without her sister around to constantly keep her clean, she found herself worrying less and less about her personal appearance. What was the point, anyway? It wasn’t like she had to impress anyone.

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Azubuike wandered moodily through the pride, generally headed towards the Eastern borders. He'd had a message from That Damn Bird that had told him of sister's pregnancy the last time, and this time the news was no better. His sister had given birth to four healthy cubs - but since they were all girls, she wouldn't leave the pride! Wouldn't even think of it. Well, he'd just head down there and make her come back with him, this was just silly.

Not paying attention to where he was headed, he walked right into the river. He glanced down in surprise as the water tugged at his feet. What -? Momentum carried him forward, and a combination of the current and the slick rocks made him lose his balance and fall over. He scrambled back to the bank, sputtering and spitting.

Painted Moose

Runa hadn't been paying the slightest attention to Azubuike what so ever until his little mishap. Taking care not to fall, she padded down the current a good ways to check up on the fool. It wasn't like she didn't know who he was, so she couldn't just walk away from this, but that didn't mean she was entirely thrilled to see him again.

"I've seen cubs with better balance than you." She stated bluntly, arching her head into the sunlight. He didn't LOOK hurt, but that didn't mean that he wasn't. She mentally groaned. Was she actually starting to become concerned? Preposterous. "Can you stand?"

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At least there was no one around to see tha—oh gods. Azubuike scrambled to his feet at Runa’s approach. He remembered her well, one of the few lions he knew the name of. She was SO BIG. Just up and up and up. Not that he was intimidated. Not one bit. But it wasn’t right, lions shouldn’t be that size.

“I’m fine,” he said, hiding a wince. Nothing more than a few bruises, not that he’d admit even that much. Bad enough that he’d fallen like that!

“How have you been?” he asked, simultaneously trying to be polite and change the subject. “Well, I hope.”

Painted Moose

Shrimpy, childish, dweeb. Honestly, he couldn't seem to get his life together the last time they'd met, and it seemed like he hadn't gotten far since then. She shook her head, then lowered herself down beside him. "Just lean on me, okay? You can use me to get on your paws."

Great Lion above, he was attempting small talk. She truly was cursed. "Alive." She stated simply, then turned to him. "You?"

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Azubuike blushed furiously at her offer. It was awfully nice of her, but lean on a female? Never! “I’m fine,” he said, and made the mistake of taking a few steps to prove it. Okay, maybe he’d hurt his shoulder a bit with that fall. Or a lot. He started to totter and desperate not to fall again and aggravate his injury, he took up Runa on her offer. Even wet as he was. He’d just… lean there for a minute, catch his breath.

“Also alive,” he said, eyes twitching every which way. Wasn’t there anything else he could lean on? He was all to aware that he was touching – touching! – a lioness he barely knew. And he was getting her all wet, too.

Painted Moose

Ya, uh huh. This guy was a total mess. She felt for him, really she did, for the pain he must be feeling in his shoulder, even if it was a stupid injury. Runa shifted her paws on the slick stones, her firm body bracing him like a shield while all he managed to do was dampen her fur.

"Just barely, I'd say." She grinned, her chocolate eyes softening for a second. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

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Tense from pain and the shame of having to lean on a female, no matter how big that female might be, Azubuike kept a careful eye on where he put his feet. There’d been no river where he grew up, certainly none with such slick stones. Inexperience, that was all that was to blame. Nothing to be embarrassed about.

But he was embarrassed. He chanced a quick glance at Runa – so tall! – and caught her smile. “Thinking about my sister,” he admitted. He didn’t elaborate, his desire to share his burdens with another squashed by the fact that the lion he was talking to was, well, Runa. He didn’t want Runa to judge his sister, no matter what she had done.

Painted Moose

With slow, steady steps she started to lead Azubuike away from the water to the embankment. It was much murkier here than it had been upstream, and the grime was hard to step through. Having him leaning on her...it wasn't bad. Actually, it felt nice. It had been so long since she had been this close to someone else that it filled a little void. Ever since her twin had moved on to a separate den...she'd been cold, but now, she felt warmth.

"You too?" She chuckled, then caught herself. Almost as quickly as it had happened, her laughter died. "Sisters make you love them to the point where you wish you could yell at them, and embrace them at the same time."

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The muck clung to his feet and Azubuike was forced to concentrate on where he put each foot instead of the fact that he was leaning on the female. Not that he was ever unaware of Runa’s presence, oh no. The feeling of her warm body by his side was much too presently there. Deep down it felt… nice for he, too, had been away from his family and secretly missed the feeling of leaning against them. Touching them, being with them.

Azubuike looked up at Runa, stunned that she also had a sister. It made sense though – families were supposed to be big. And he supposed that in a large pride like the Mwezi’Johari, families stayed together. He squashed the home sickness that stirred in the back of his mind – leaving home had been the only proper thing to do, there was no reason to question that. They were not a pride, there was not enough food.

“That’s how I often feel,” he admitted at last. “I just… want to look after her. Make sure she’s all right.” Ignoring the fact that he’d just had such a hard tumble and barely knew his way around the pride, he felt that he could do exactly that. Do it well, even. Wasn’t that what brothers were for?

Painted Moose

"I understand that all too well." Runa shook her head. Since the beginning it had only been the two of them, fighting for survival until they came across this pride. At the time it had seemed like a miracle, but now...Now it was as if their home was the one thing driving them apart. Since Rona joined a different class things hadn't been the same, and it caused something to turn in Runa.

"....How long has it been since you've seen her?" He hadn't joined with a female, had he? And surely she would have noticed if there was one that looked like him already in their ranks.

Runa picked up her paws to slosh through the remaining mud until she was sure they were on solid ground. For the large lioness the activity had been simple enough, but for him....Jeez, had he always been that small?

 

[Painted Moose]

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“A few months,” he said, his misery over his sister mixed with relief at reaching dry land again. “She sent word… she wanted to see me…” He grimaced. “She won’t come though. She wants… to stay where she is. She thinks she’s safe there, that her cubs…” He stopped, not having wanted to mention the cubs. Stupid, stupid! No matter how understanding Runa might be, he didn’t want others to know that his sister had had fatherless cubs. That was between him, her, and the father.

“Does your sister live in the pride?” he asked, clumsily trying to change the subject. “Ah, I think I might rest here a moment, if that’s all right…” Limping slightly, he lay down on the ground, careful not to get the muck on his paws all over the rest of his fur. “I thank you for your help,” he said sincerely.

Painted Moose

"There?" Naturally, her curiosity was primed and ready to search. "Wherever "there" is, don't you think your sister knows what's best for her? I mean, is she in a different pride or something?" Maybe he was just bitter that she hadn't come with him to the Mwezi'Johari? Runa probably would have been, too, had Rona decided on a different pride, but if there were cubs involved....

"My sister?" Clever little thing. "Uh, ya, sure, whatever. Rest however long you want, I don't care." Runa turned her nose away from him, even if she was till watching him out of the corner of her eye. "My sister and I came here together when we were cubs. All we've had is each other from day one, and that isn't likely to ever change." After all, while Rona might be a desirable catch, neither lioness was likely to mate soon.

 

[moineau bavarde]

“The Antianeira," he said with a shiver. "They don't allow males and she was so frightened she'd have male cubs... but they're all female, and now she won't leave. She'd be safer here," he said stubbornly, "I could help her raise them. My... my nieces."

Azubuike was shocked by the news. Two cubs, alone in the rogue lands? He was outraged that any female would dare leave them, but wisely kept that to himself. "It's good you have each other then," he said carefully. "We all went different ways when we left home, me and my siblings. I only know what happened to Nkiru - and only by chance. She sent a bird after me..." he smiled at the memory, even if it was bittersweet. He'd been in a complete frenzy, thinking Nkiru was in danger, but it had been so good to see her again, know she was alive.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

"How do you know?" Runa pointed out. "Females are often better hunters than males, and while your lot is larger than ours, when a cub is threatened we become beasts." She'd seen it too many times not to know. Even when she and her sister had been brought in, orphaned and alone, they had been gravely protected. "I know you want to help her, as a good sibling should, but it's her choice. You can't force her to come here anymore than she could, t'were the situation reversed."

"Besides, it's not like I remember my family enough to miss them. Not like you." She shook her head, and started to pick the muck from her fur. "If you're still dead set on finding her, I won't stop you, but I can't let you go until you've healed." Or did she mean alone? Would she let him go out on his own? Runa growled at herself. Of course she could!....right?

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[moineau bavarde]

Azubuike thought over what Runa said. It made good sense... it was his elder sisters that had stayed to help his parents with the hunting and cub raising, not him or his brothers. And it was equally true that he could not bring Nkiru back against her will - not that he would attempt such a thing! It was simply that he had a safe place for her and her cubs, simply that he wished to protect her...

"She can be stubborn," he admitted grudgingly.

He bowed his head ever so slightly to Runa. "It would be folly to wander the rogue lands in this state. And I have much to learn here, of the pride." His mouth quirked in a small smile. "I suppose this is fate telling me that this is where I am to stay..." He did not say the last unhappily; this would be a good place to start his own family.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Runa nodded, looking at him with an odd mixture of uncomfortable grinning and comfort. She oddly enough didn't know what to say. Even though this pride was her home as much his, she couldn't tell him for sure this was where he belonged. All she knew was that it wouldn't have been the same without him.

"Come on, then, bumble butt. Let's get you back to safety before anymore rocks try to take a bite out of you." She teased. With nimble paws she led the way back, careful to keep an eye on him as she went.

It wasn't a perfect way to spend some free time, but so was life. Besides, she could have had worse company. Runa would definitely have to keep an eye on this one.

(Fin)
(WC: 2,24 cool