Auslief / Rime:It was a foolish thing to do. She knew better and yet...
Auslief huffed as she stayed as far in the underbrush as possible. She was such a slip of a thing even if she was a young lioness. Her parents were not small lions by any sense and yet she would probably end up smaller than her mother when she was finally full grown, a throwback to the great-grandmother she didn't know. Her father's father's mother was such a small lioness, most of her children towered over her. Auslief's size never bothered her, though. While she certainly wasn't the physical powerhouse her uncle Askook or Dou were or as tall and overbearing as her father was, she was much better at sneaking around than either were, even with her blindly white coat.
She had already earned her place in her father's crew, but still felt like she needed to prove herself to the rest of the crew. She was a female after all and there were few of those allowed on the crews as it was. Barth saw her value as a sneak and even in her ability to use her gender to her advantage and her father always looked at her accomplishments with pride, but... She was the daughter of a captain, his only true daughter and niece of his first mate. There was no denying that some might think she was only part of the crew because she had her father wrapped around her paw and that he made the others look out for her. She needed to make sure they understood that she was crew not because she could, but because she really did deserve it.
So here she was, by herself rather than with Barth and Dou or her father or her uncle, stalking quietly in search of someone to rob. If she brought treasures home on her own, maybe that would prove that she was just as good of a pirate as all of the boys. Her father would be extremely proud of her and that made her heart swell.
Kohaku:
After the immense battle, he went to go look for his mother's body that he had placed out of the line of fire before heading out. By the time it was all said and done and when he came back...
It was gone.
His whole world died within him. First before even going completely in to the war, his father had died and now his mother's body was GONE. The whole cringing heart break was more than enough that made him 'slip up' and literately went to a body on the floor.. A body that belonged to someone they were going to enslave from the vampires. That didn't happen now.. The vampire was sleeping and out of random.. Haku came in and.... massacred him. Entirely, every body part was torn apart until there was nothing left. Still he felt empty about it..
And left.
Days later he was found out in the long grass. What he thought was night but it was twilight, and went to sleep.. So many things had happened and the only thing he continued to carry with him was his mother's deaded necklace he found broken. Mending it and wrapping it around his paw to remind himself of her. His paws werent nimble enough to fix it himself. So he did what all he could do.. and it was now his most treasured possession.. and he slept with it close to his face.. Blood still stained his face and most portions of him.
Auslief / Rime:
The grass in front of her began to thin and she paused, seeing a form just ahead. A few more cautious, silent steps and-
By the gods, he was huge! Auslief's eyes widened to proportions that seemed far too large for her face as she stared at the great beast within leaping distance of her. He was brown with a mane as red as a sunset on the ocean. And even from here she could tell that he was sleeping. Not dead, despite the copious amounts of blood matting his fur, he was making the slightest of noises and he moved every few seconds with his deep breathing. He could crush her as easily as she could a leaf beneath her paw, she was sure of it. Her heartbeat skipped as the muscle began to pound in her chest. How could a giant like this exist? She thought Dou would be the largest lion in the world, because certainly he was a giant. While this lion wouldn't dwarf the sweet, loving pirate who helped Barth look out for her, he was certainly... visibly... larger. It was all at once terrifying and thrilling beyond belief.
But that changed nothing. She was Rime, the dragon's daughter and she could do this! He was sleeping after all. But the real question was, did he even have anything worth stealing?
Ah, that looked like something. It looked like it might be a necklace, but she couldn't really tell. It certainly wasn't around his neck. He had wrapped it around his paw... It would be difficult. But she was determined...
She was slow, careful as she all but slithered from her hiding spot, approaching him with all due caution. The closer she got, the bigger he seemed. She held her breath when she was close enough to touch the piece of jewelry.
Her paw reached for it... but something in her stopped. She studied the blood spatters on his coat. It wasn't his blood. Perhaps this lion was crazed. She should probably kill him. Ha! Auslief wanted to laugh at that. Kill him, she would probably be better off trying to kill a charging rhino. Or a shark. No, she needed to get her treasure and get out of there. And she needed to do it now.
Kohaku:
The memories of his bloodlust was probably unaccessable at the time. And with his growing dreams of what could have possibly have been, he was VERY active now in his sleep. Not 'fully' and 'reality' aware but aware enough to feel things around him. Any warrior would. He didn't sense he near, not enough til she was in arms reach..
And after giving his large huffs, and every now and again sounds- it all stopped when she closed in. Dead silence was made known not moments after.. Then, with the opposite paw, he flung it around her and rolled. When he finally finished the roll, his massive arm was over her body for the most part, along with chuncks of his mane and chest area. Enough for her to still breath, and yet the male now started to make the noises of his dreams. Muttering under his breath of the conversations he'd have with his commanders.
The odd position was still yet to be awkward .. yet. With a few moments of 'resting' he went to nuzzle his 'paw' of the necklace, and instead nuzzled her nose. It wasn't rough nor too kindly. It was what you would nose- an object. NOT a lion.Then a snore came about, which must have vibrated the dirt around them, and he went slightly silent once more.
Auslief / Rime:
It took every. Single. Ounce of control Auslief had not to shriek when she was suddenly grabbed and rolled. Terror filled her as she found herself on her side, trapped in the giant's embrace and, and good gods! Had he bathed in the last moon cycle?? She didn't know whether to scream from fear or start gagging. Her father would throw him into the sea if he was one of the crew.
And yet, somehow, he was still asleep. And he wasn't hurting her. And he was... muttering. What was he talking about? Her ears strained to hear it but caught only snippets. None of it made any sen-
His nose suddenly rubbed against hers in a nuzzle and she froze again.
And then he snored. In. Her. Face. And it was loud enough to wake the gods in the sky! Indignation welled up inside her and she wanted with all of her being to wiggle free. But that might wake him and... This was bad. Very bad.
Her eyes were drawn to her goal again and she carefully moved one paw, starting to carefully unwind it. Up close, she could see now how the ends were broken. An easy fix, she could do it herself. Her mother probably could, too and she knew if Mini wanted it, she would be able to fix it as well.
Kohaku:
The twilight over head was reflecting the closing arguments in the lion's dreams. It would not be long til he awoke and but his body didn't get the memo. It was still draggingly heavy. Rolling his maw around as if he would yawn again but didn't Looking like he would eskimo kiss her again, but didn't. He did something better, and once she reached for the necklace he snuggled in to her, until his paw was craddling her head, and with that- dangled the necklace right in front of her. With value? It was three precious stones.. That shined, but the large one had a piece torn off of it.
But it still gleamed and isn't that what all animals were attracted to? The shiny.
The borelines between sleep and awake were nearing in his senses but still sleep had the slight upper hand. What would happen if he saw her in his arms. Get bad? Get really psychocic? No one would know except maybe her. Slowly, it looked like he slitted his eyes- but still was unconcious for the whole ordeal.
"They got passed our boarders. Kill..Kill.."
Auslief / Rime:
Ohgods, ohgods. He was moving again and yawning and mutter more and dammit, why couldn't he hold still?? The necklace was almost off of his paw now, dangling in front of her face like bait. If she didn't know better, she would think he was doing it on purpose just to taunt her. Worse, he was cradling her even closer now. A heat spread over her. She remembered, when Barth took her out with him and Dou to rob travelers or to kidnap, and it had been too late or poor weathered to make it home, the golden male would hold her while he slept. She had been cocooned in his warmth and protected. But this hold was different. She wasn't a cub anymore and the lion that had situated himself into being yet another of her older brothers had never held her this closely. She was unnerved and needed to get a hold of herself.
Her paw moved to slip it one step closer to being free when she caught his whispered words.
The fear inside her rose even higher. This one was a warrior, or at least dreamed of being one. She was not comforted at all and his eyes were starting to open. No, no, she was certain he was still asleep. Oh gods! Why couldn't she get the necklace- Ah!
It finally slipped off of his paw, her breath catching in her throat as she carefully caught it, making sure the stones didn't clink against one another. She was quick to stash it against her hip in the pouch made of pelts and lined thickly with fur and stuffed with bits of cloth. It would muffle anything within... hopefully.
Now she just had to get out of his hold.
Auslief's movements were once again slow and calculated as she tried to slip free. She didn't dare breathe.
Kohaku:
Another yawn came out and the rolling of the maw. He wasn't exactly your 'friendly' lion upon waking. The body now was feeling weird, as if something was intruding in his 'zone' of senses that he was trained on. And when he awoke.... he saw a pair of eyes right there... "AHHH!!" He howled, not growled.. And quickly pushed her away as if she had a disease. But it wasn't that. He hadn't expected to see another pair of eyes. Trying to get up to his massive paws.
Even if he was so wronged so many times in the past few months. He couldn't even curled his mind around it something 'good' happening and even then it wasn't a good thing. Not now anyways. "Who are you!" He growled in response. Rubbing his eyes, and finally when he saw that shine..
"Hey!"
Auslief / Rime:
Well... dammit.
Auslief could do nothing but stare back at him when he finally, really opened his eyes and she realized she was in very, very big trouble. But he shoved her away, that was a godsend, wasn't it? Maybe she could get away. She probably wasn't faster than him, but there was plenty of places to hide. She could lose him in the grass and if she didn't she could most certainly do so in the forest. It wasn't far, she could make it... maybe.
"R..." Her name caught in her throat as she backed a pace away from him, her ears settled back. It was a submissive pose, one she had learned well. True, she needed gumption to be a crew member, the males would accept nothing else, but when it all came down to it, she knew it was her duty to do what they told her. Most of the time, anyways.
She had to remind herself who she was. She was Rime, the dragon's daughter, a proud pirate. And this was just a rogue. Whether he terrified her or not. Steel molded itself to her backbone and while her posture never changed, the tremor left her voice as she hurriedly spoke her pirate nickname in answer to his question.
"Rime. My name is Rime." She didn't know he'd seen the necklace, she thought she'd gotten it completely into her bag. Just a bit of it was poking out, really.
Kohaku:
"Rime? Rime is it." He straightened his back and towered over her. Not on purpose, but his normal height. Then took a huge step closer to close the gap. "And exactly did you wish to accomplish stealing from older lions." As if he twice her senior, but really he was young- for an adult. With that he acted as if he would bomb-rush her, to 'scare' her but stopped not inches away from her face as he stared in to her eyes. Then dived in as if he was about to kiss her, but didn't. Instead.
He tore off her bag from her body. Letting it hang from his maw. "Thanks." He muffled. Then proceeded to turn and walk away. - This was an odd occurance. Surely after all the killing he had done, his mind was coming back to sanity- and to kill her would only make his karma worsen. Instead he just stole back what was his- but anything could set him off. To early for another to mess with him to any degree- and anything could have triggered his insanity once more. For now, he seemed like a knightly lion- a rogue warrior when surely he could have done worse.
"Try not to steal from others- your honor what makes you."
Auslief / Rime:
How could a lion be so big?? A sudden thought occurred to her. No, no, she hadn't just stolen from a god. She would have known... wouldn't she?
Like she was going to answer that ridiculous question. A proper place among the crew, for one, but the necklace wasn't terribly bad in appearance. If Papa and the commodore let her keep it, she would wear it with pri-
Her heart stopped beating when he rushed her, her body jerking as if it wanted to move but her paws wouldn't listen to reason. He was suddenly there, his face lowered towards hers, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, what he was going to do until he'd done it. And that was namely jerking around her and tearing the bag from her side.
It hurt like the whip of a thin branch against her back, the sharp tug until the strap that held the bag in place snapping against her. She hissed from the pain and yelled at him.
"Hey! That's mine!" The indignation and fire in her voice was evident and the situation was laughable. Like a streak of white lightning, she was suddenly in his way, eyes narrowed and fur fluffed. Here she had been the one trying to steal from him and now she was angry because not only had he broken her bag, he was taking it from her.
"My honor's none o' your concern now give that back!" Oh, she would be in for it when she got back. She had set out to prove herself and now she was just going to be laughed at. Not only would she not have treasure, but the bag she had worked so hard to make was almost completely ruined. Yes, her father's crew would laugh at her for certain. Probably not when the captain or first mate were around, but... Heat burned across her face as the bright white and gray fur darkened against the heavy blush.
Kohaku:
He was just about to go on his merry way before she crossed him. For being so small, he didn't take her seriously, though always alert for the vampires did send out younglings.. He shook her off. Something about now aggrivating her was somewhat amusing, and it wasn't even her fault. Looking down at her and raising a brow.. "No." He muffled, then threw it up in the air to catch it on top of his head. "Mine, is whats in this bag, and it can get lost right?" Shrugging. "If you accept to steal from others you must understand that you too can get stolen from." Walking past her and pushing her aside. "I don't have time to waste, I have to get to the sands."
He had lost so much that his heart now lied withing the sands of the Dawnwalkers. There he would collect the one whom he had loved with all of his being, and he survived the battle for. To waste time with a thief? He would not. As he continued to pad forward with great posture and the heavy burdens upon his back. Battle scars decorated him like his mother now and he wore them proudly.. and some even shamefully but still he held his chin up. "Then you are only a fool." He huffed. "I don't have time for those neither." After a few yards, he stopped and looked around. Noting he almost had gotten lost and now had to regroup. Looking longingly two every side of them. Then he noticed the clouds.. The darkness of night was slowly creeping over now, and it would get pitch dark soon... and his mind was going afloat now to what ground he would need to make up.
Auslief / Rime:
Auslief liked to think she was her parents' daughter. Oh, how she liked to think that. Her mother and father had such cool tempers. So did her brother Jakk and her friends Barth and Dou. But when push came to shove, she wasn't a thing like them. Auslief was a slightly submissive female when it came to figures in authority, eager to please, but there was a fire inside of her. Any other time, the embers of that fire glowed a dim, pulsing red.
But now?
Her eyes flashed like blue fire as she rushed into his path again. She needed her bag. It had been a stupid thing to do, trying to steal from a male she knew could overpower her, she should have known better, but she didn't want anyone else to know! It would be easy, she could lie, she could tell them... Tell them what? Oh, that, um, it had already been torn and she hadn't noticed and as she was sneaking it got snagged and ripped off... That would be better than this, wouldn't it?
"I'm not a fool!" she snapped at him, her temper ignited. And with it came the frustration and desparation and she hated how she felt like crying. She was a pirate, dammit! Her papa never cried! Jakk and Barth and Dou never cried! She wouldn't lower herself to let a single tear leave her eye.
"I. Need. My. Bag! And what do you care about the necklace, it's broken and seems to me you aren't inclined to be fixin' it," she added, her tone clipped. Oh, she should be frightened. She was standing up to him pretty fiercely after all and he was so much bigger than she was, but she was mad and that overrode a lot of other emotions.
Kohaku:
"....... Broken?" His voice went deeper. Yes. It was broken, and why he kept it? It was. But the meaning wasn't. Whos it was. He bared his fangs, and something in him was growing.. The empty.
"ITS NOT BROKEN!" He roared.. and like his father before him. Rumbled the ground with his own.... He slid the bag down to his chest with his claws. "This is not only a necklace.." His eyes shot up- starring in to her very being. The laid back warrior was no more.
"Tell me... What does this bag mean to you." He got insanely serious... And the storm- as if he summoned it, the skies replied and roared as well.. But had not yet-YET broken the sky..
"Is it important to you..."
Auslief / Rime:
Finally her fear cut through her anger and Auslief shrank before his gaze, her eyes wide. It was telling, but she couldn't quell the reaction to his roar anymore than she could stop herself from stammering when next she spoke.
"It, it is... not beyond repair." Her voice was soft as she stared up at him, her ears and shoulders back.
And then he asked about her bag.
It meant everything to her. She had made it with her mother, to carry her treasure in when she was coming back with her father and the rest of the crew. It represented her place in the pride, without it she would not be able to bring in as much loot as the others, she could only bring in things she could put on herself at the time. Sure, she could make another one, but it was the principle of the matter. To have lost it was a representation of her failure. And she would be less useful until she made another. Her gender was more than enough to cripple her in the eyes of the males in her pride, her size only added to that. To have this happen...
It was a matter of pride, and seeing the torn straps cut deep into just that.
"It means nothing." They lie came out as easily as breathing. She would not allow a stranger, hell a mark at that, to know anything about her.
Kohaku:
She wouldn't fight so hard for it... He shook his head. "Its meaning is what is important.. Isn't it." Taking the bag in one paw, lifting it and with the other he rose it to his eye level. "Unlike you. Everything means something." Then pulled his claws out...Touching the bag with them delicately. "And when someone takes it- or breaks it- or harms it." Tearing the bag yet again, slowly as if he was torturing it.
"Its as if they are doing it to ME." Starring at the bag the whole time, then looked at her. "Did it hurt."
Auslief / Rime:
Auslief shivered at his malicious actions. This was surely a b*****d. He reminded her of Blackbeard and that chill clawed its way up her spine again. The dark male was the pirate king's son, a captain like her father, and Minuit's half-brother. There were times that she sometimes considered Minuit a friend, when she wasn't yelling at her for calling her Mini, but even that female scared her sometimes. Blackbeard... she didn't think it would matter to him that she was Nemeios' daughter and a crew member in her own right. If she crossed him, he would hurt her, and she wasn't even certain how he would do it, either. Yes, this male reminded her of the lion that could walk through the worst of her nightmares.
Her eyes narrowed on him as she tried to stay in control of herself.
"It means nothing," she repeated trying to keep conviction in her voice. She told herself she would make another, that by the time she got back to her father she would have some sort of explanation. And... and she would probably cry all over Dou since she knew he would never tell a soul about it. No, no, she would rake her claws over his face if he ever did and well he knew it.
And she would weather the laughter and the scorn. She knew she belonged where she was, she would never make a good corsair. Nothing anyone dared say to her or behind her back would ever change the fact that she was Rime, a pirate to her core.
She just needed to keep telling herself that.
Kohaku:
He was about to rack another clawful in to the bag, to shred it after she repeated she didn't care. But rain started to fall.. Thunder started to roar, and he starred at her with dedication.. His breath could be heard... and now it was pitch black around them.. Normally he would have ignored her and went on but he stayed there. Looking at her, examining how she reacted.. Then slowly did he put the bag upon her back.
"Don't think about going anywhere. If it means nothing to you- then fixing it would mean even less." Also, he needed it. "In the sands, they make that and more. I suggest you stay in toe. We have a long way to go." Getting on his legs and softly pushing her.
"You don't have to put on an act- if you care about something. Say it next time or I will shred it." With that he gotten to all fours and started to walk in the direction now, that he was certain towards the dawnwalkers.
Auslief / Rime:
The rain didn't bother her, more annoying than anything else, so for now she ignored it. Thunder and lightning sometimes did, but usually she wasn't alone for it, she could cuddle with her mother or father or Barth or Dou. She didn't have any of that now.
His words registered and she took on a defensive stance.
"I'm not going anywhere with you," she hissed, shaking water briefly from her coat. "Especially not to the vast sands."
She stared at the bag for a few heartbeats before she shook her head.
"Shred it then if it makes you happy. The damage has been done." Her words were growled, her frustration evident, and she turned away. She would have to go a round-about way back to camp, she wouldn't have him following her. If he did, then the crew would certainly know what really happened and... Oh, gods, her father might strip her of her rank. He wasn't a forgiving lion and wouldn't show her favor in this. Besides he would probably worry about her and insist she stay at home for her safety.
Kohaku:
"It wasn't a choice." He hissed at her. Then he toured over her, getting on his hinds then upwards towards a tree- broke off its branch and covered her. "You'll be no use of me sick. Come on, I know of a drier place beyond this- and we will make camp." Adopting her as his partner- without her wanting. Yes- she was filling the gap that Kowab had done in his heart. That b*****d. Hate for him still grabbed his heart but at the same time, he cuoldn't help but miss having a right hand.
This female would be it. She signed up for it the moment she took his necklace, and like Kowab- was his villian.. No older, morals changed. Views changed.. But the hearts will never forget...
"Don't lag behind or ill carry you there."
Auslief / Rime:
The small female shrank back when he pulled the tree branch down, but frowned when he held it over her. She was no good to him sick, she was no good to him at all! What in the gods' names did he want with her?
But she said nothing, reined in her temper. if she just stayed compliant and submissive, the big male would relax and she'd be able to escape. Yes, that was is. As soon as he went to sleep, she would get away and get back home and no one would be the wiser. Mother wouldn't worry and Father wouldn't rage and... and everything would be okay.
She was surprised that he threatened to carry her. Why was he so determined to keep her? So he wasn't completely like Blackbeard. She was certain the captain would kill anyone that didn't keep up.
Kohaku:
They kept walking, and he was leading her more further and further away. He didn't much care where she came from, how she got there but it was true that the big brother side was coming out. Something to protect.. When his siblings except one had not depended on him when they got older. He was suppose to take care of teh family line- but he deserpately wanted his own. In fact, after the war- a family. Luci was all he thought about.. All he wanted to hold on to since he couldn't bare to go back to his pride. Not yet anyways.. With all the deaths- and him going crazy. It'd likely the judgements would be too much for him to bare after what battle took place.
"The placement of the pain you went through- is what can not compare to what has happened to myself. What sums it all up is that necklace... and when you took it from me. Thats what it felt like." He looked down. "Understand." He muffled, but his words were still deepened and when they got to the hill that looked more like a cave, he nudged her in. Putting the branch down, casting he look away and around.. Search for predators. "It is the principle of repair- and the fact that if you learned even a small lesson then my job was done. Don't worry though, the bag like I said will be fixed. I am not all bad under all this fur." Then looked back at her, coming up to her and examing her. "Your still went. Here- get in the deeper of the hill." Nudging her further in.. Then he stayed up for a few.. Scanning the area..
Auslief / Rime:
"I told you I didn't care," Auslief grumbled about the bag, the fire in her back down to its embers leaving only bluster in its wake. She was tired of his jibes about the bag, she didn't want to hear about it anymore, dammit! She didn't care if the desert-dwellers could fix it, she was not going there. It was dangerous there, no matter what the treasure, and her father would skin someone when she didn't return in a timely manner.
With a sigh, she moved to the back of the tiny cave at his bidding, not in the mood to argue about it. Once there, she sat down and tipped the damaged bag. The necklace spilled out into her paw and she set it on the ground. It was black as a shark's eye in the cave, but she could still feel it, where it was damaged. It didn't seem so bad to her.
"It's not a hard fix," she said while he was looking out into the storm. "You're jus' too big to do it. I can fix it in the morning."
At least, she thought she could. And she would lose the treasure for it, but at least she would get to go home, wouldn't she? She wouldn't have to go into the hot sands.
Kohaku:
The thoughts swirling in the lion's mind was that of his mother's fall- but not too far before that his father's fall. He would take on the responsiblity of having their father's name. Live on in his footsteps, and taking care of a lioness theif wasn't in his plans. But the dawnwalkers were. Everything was leading up to that point where he would meet Luci, and that was all he saw. For the moment. Til he snapped out of it mid way through her grieping.. "We're going, no matter what." He corrected her, and he lifted his head to cast his gaze aside when he really wanted to look back, but had no real reason to.
"I have some unfinished business there. Til after- you will accompany me." A yawn escaped him. Then he heard the faintest of sound of claws against the gem, and he quickly got to his feet- his body now covering the hole of the curve entirely. "DONT!" He rumbled in his throat. "It is not your place to mend." He sneered.. His ears laying flat against his head. Luci would be the one to mend it, it will be something to initiate her adoption in to his family, by his side. "You are only allowed to carry it.. Then it will be forfeited in to the desert's hands- that is all." The voice had carried with it strength and strictness. As if his mind would never be overturned. This was how his father was, well- more like his mother.
Kohaku, the earth and sun's son. "You look like you could use some adventure." Then slowly he sat back down.. Still painted with blood of many others before her. His fur a mess. When coming to the next waterfall- he would surely find refuge in it. Til then, he would remain a visual mess. Again, like his mother. "You should find rest soon.. maybe it will stop your whining thoughts."
Auslief / Rime:
Auslief growled low in her throat, but said nothing. She did flinch when he yelled at her again, half-expecting him to strike her, but she didn't cower. Without another word, she put the necklace back into her bag and laid down, curling around it with her back to the cave wall. Her blue eyes narrowed on him.
She didn't need anything from him. She didn't need adventure or his stupid necklace. It wasn't worth this. Her mother would be so worried, her father would be beside himself. And her brothers? Barth?Dou? Gods, what would they do?
Damned to the depths whatever idiotic part of her had come up with her stupid plan.
She would get away in the morning. She just had to.
