Abrafo could have died. Another grand-child? And from Safi no less. He slid his paw down his face with a deep, heart felt groan. That boy was going to be the death of him.
It wasn't enough that he felt age creeping up on him stronger with every passing day, but to have more cubs to look after? Ugh. He'd become the token babysitter for his little herd, and he hated it. Once he had been a revered hunter, a warrior with an iron claw, but now? Grandpa.
Xandeleigh took extreme pleasure in her brother's distress. Even though they were the same age, his hard life had aged him in a way that she had yet to experience, and was thus free to rub it in his face. She danced circles around him in sparring matches, got first strike on the prey, and generally outclassed him. It would have been hilarious if she wasn't generally concerned for the old goat.
"What's the matter, Abrafo? Nia not putting out like she used to? Hmm?" She slipped up closer to him, ready to bolt at a moments notice.
"At least I had something to miss." He tossed back at her. His sister may have been flirtatious, but she wasn't exactly swimming in suitors. The larger lion pushed off from the ground, dead set on making his way back to his mate when Xandeleigh padded in front of him, blocking his path. "What's your problem?"
"Are you okay? You haven't seemed like yourself lately." She took a good look at the circles around his eyes, the slump of his shoulders, and the general disarray of his coat. Xandeleigh stepped closer, a frown marring her face. "You've been sleeping more, and you didn't try to steal Safi's food last night."
"I'm old, and I'm tired. What's new." He pushed away from her to continue his walk, only to be blocked again. Abrafo had to really try to calm himself instead of biting the bitches face off. "Get out of my way, sister, if you want to make it to tomorrow."
With a determined growl, she flopped her rump on the ground in front of him, making her position clear. "You listen, and you listen good. The two of us are at the edge of a war, a war with that b***h and whatever kind of army she's managed to create. If we don't take care of ourselves, how are we going to survive this? You have a family; I'm sure they'd like to have you stick around until that mane is fully grey."
Abrafo wanted nothing more than to bail out, but her words stopped him. Was she...was she actually concerned? For him? That couldn't have been right. Xandeleigh could have cared less for anyone that wasn't her. He opened his mouth, closed, opened, and huffed. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?
"Look, I've just been feeling under the weather, is all. I'm sure a little extra sleep will perk me right up. Now will you let me go?"
Xandeleigh didn't want to admit how much she cared, but she did. In her own messed up way, she loved her brother, and his family with a passion. She wanted to depend upon them like a real family should, but she just couldn't. They would shun her if they knew what she was planning to do, but it just had to happen. They would thank her in the end.
Abrafo just had to make it to the end.
"Alright. Go on." She stepped back, and gave him a sad smile. "I never thought that my brother was going to be so stubborn."
"If you had known, would you have still found me?" He didn't walk away until he was sure she would follow. As odd as it was, not being alone in this world felt good. Even having this psychotic freak by his side was a comfort of sorts. It took the pain out of living.
"Of course. After all, it has to be a family trait." She grinned and bumped up against his dark fur. "One day, we'll both be dead, and who knows? Maybe we'll be Gods. If that happens, I'd like to thank that I would be by your side." Looking up into his eyes, she was sure of it. He was so strong, so solid, but with a softer core. It was that that she wanted.
Over that hill, she saw them, his family, her family. It was the greatest feeling knowing that she had a group of felines to call her own, even if some weren't worthy of the name. And someday, when she was ruler of the land, she would own them all. Every single one.
"It sure does feel good to be home."
Abrafo turned his head to the masses and shook his head. “You were always home, you just didn’t know it.” Okay, that was definitely age affecting him. “Even if you didn’t know it.” In a different world, he may have never known her, but their common hatred of their mother had brought them together. That was enough for him to constitute a bond.
“Just stop picking on my children. Safi’s out for your blood, and you frighten Izin.” His sons could be a peculiar bunch, but her antics weren’t helping matters.
Xandeleigh laughed. “Oh Abrafo, of course I’ll stay with you forever! Why didn’t you just ask?” It was sweet, truly it was, but there was no way in hell she was going to stay around forever. It was nice to be wanted, but she had bigger plans. “Oh, those two? Safi doesn’t hate me; he hates Haracha, and Izin’s scared of his own shadow. Come on, let me walk you down to their den and I’ll show you.”
She padded out before him, waiting for the big lug to trail behind her.
Abrafo groaned. “Alright, alright. I’m coming.” What was she planning? Did he even want to know? He shook his head on a laugh. Gods above, how could he ever be old with a sister like that? She was going to keep him rocking to the grave! “ Wait up!”
(WC: 1031 )
