SeakiIt had been many days since Ajitabh had tried to return home, only to find nothing to greet him. His pride had gone on without him, so he was now alone. He wasn’t terribly sad about it. He was never close to any of his siblings, really. He was an adult now, and he wasn’t supposed to feel this kind of devastation.
Despite his hope that it would not be painful, it was. His heart ached in his chest as he wandered on. He figured he would not see the pride again, and began his journey anew. There was no need to feel sad, he told himself. This was apart of growing up, and he had to accept that.
So he kept a good pace, unsure of where he was going. He was aimless, just walking where his feet took him. He fought to keep a calm and optimistic disposition, though he missed his family greatly.
Velveteen Angel
Lari had been walking for a while now, unsure of where she was heading. Perhaps she would stumble upon one of her offspring - they would be adolescents now, surely. Her head hurt, as it had hurt the past few days, and the days before then. She didn't remember a time it didn't hurt. The scratches and bruises she had awoken with had healed, and she almost looked like her normal self again!
She really wished she knew how she got those injuries. Oh well. It was perhaps just another of the wild nights, where the dreams of her former mates death haunted her. Like it did most nights.
She missed the company of a man. She felt safer with one, and less...well, just less lonely. Lari sighed, and continued to trudge along.
Seaki
Ajitabh continued along, pausing when he heard footsteps off in the distance. They were carried by the wind, but he didn’t think they sounded too far of. Perhaps a little further. Curious, he pressed along, searching for any signs of life.
That’s when he saw the other lion - lioness! Aji thought she was quite beautiful from what he could see. He moved a little closer, tilting his head a little. She didn’t look terribly okay, but he was taught in his youth to always help a lady in need, not that he needed the lesson.
“Hello, Miss. Are you okay?” He called out, hoping not to startle the lioness.
Velveteen AngelThough he had hoped not to startle her, he did anyway. She jumped slightly at the sound of another voice -a male voice, none the less. Spotting him, dark in all the ways that Neculai had been once, except that her mate had been brown whereas this male was dark black. How striking, she thought, glancing at the strange markings that adorned him. He was a bird!
Knowing to be cautious of strangers, she smiled, a gentle caring smile that she hoped would show she meant no danger. "Hello kind sir. I am well! Fear not. Just not moving as well as I ought to be." Her joints and bones felt ancient compared to her mind. It was like she had aged years over night, and that simply couldn't be!
"What brings you to the middle of nowhere?" She asked him, almost dryly, for she wasn't entirely sure why she was in the middle of no where herself.
Seaki
Ajitabh gave a small nod, though he was uncertain if she was completely okay. She looked a little distressed before he had come to speak with her. He smiled at her, however, hoping to come off as friendly. He wasn’t a bad lion, if he judged by past comment by others.
“I see!” he told her. “You appeared distressed, I wanted to see if I could help somehow, though I apologize if I read too far into it!” he told her. He had been on his own for a while, honestly, but before he had assumed he would have a home to return to, and now he did not. “I am in the middle of nowhere because I have nowhere to return to.”
Velveteen Angel
She smiled a little brighter, hoping to disguise the pain and worry still lingering in her eyes. "Oh dear, did I? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to lead you astray, nothing is wrong - just caught up in my own thoughts I guess." She moved on quickly, not wanting to linger on her too long. How could she explain her endless sadness, or the feeling that everything was wrong and she could do nothing to fix it?
"You have no where to return to?" She asked, tilting her head towards him.
Seaki
Aji frowned a bit, but he quickly smiled again to hide the concern for her and hopefully to make the Lioness feel a bit better. “No need to apologise, Miss,” he told her with a small nod emphasize his point. He was still worried for her, and stepped a little closer. “Not that I have seen. No one I know lingers in the lands I once belonged to.” He started.
“What about yourself, Miss?” She was far too pretty to be wandering around on her own. Or at least, she was far too vulnerable looking out in this area. He felt the need to protect her, especially as the pain she tried to hide lingered a bit on her features.
Velveteen Angel
"That's quite sad!" She said, though to her prides are quite strange. Why would anyone want to stay in one place when there was so much to see? Though recently she had been walking slowly, since her head still throbbed and ached.
"Me?" She laughed lightly, a carefree noise and she waved her paw almost dismissively. "I was born in nowhere, so I suppose nowhere is where I shall stay!" It was quite annoying though, having to find bedding every night. She wished she felt comfortable lugging things around with her, that would make things significantly easier.
Seaki
He gave kind of a sad laugh. “I was actually traveling and when I returned, they had gone! But that is neither here nor there, I suppose…” Neither was his pride, in fact. He watched her closely, frowning once again at any pain she displayed.
“Nowhere, you say? I suppose that makes sense…” He was born in his pride, so he stayed there - at least for a time. “Are you sure you are alright?”
Velveteen Angel
Lari frowned gently at his story. "Well, I am sure they are alright, perhaps they - like you - felt the need to stretch their legs, or they may have discovered that staying in one place is quite silly, and branched out," she mused, liking the idea that the pride had realised they were fools to stay, and had all left for greener pastures out of sheer whimsy. It sounded nice...
"I'm f-" she went to say, but her head throbbed quite painfully. "I...I'm actually quite sore," she admitted. "My head has been hurting for days, and," she hesitated. "Do you know of a dark place to lie? This sun is hurting my eyes." She hated to be a burden, and she hated it more that she had to ask for help, but it would be foolish to struggle on alone when he seemed quite keen to help
Seaki
Aji knew the lioness was not fine, though he was not glad to know he was correct. “Yes, in fact, I passed a low hanging tree while I was passing this way. It is just over that hill, if you can manage it.” The location wasn’t too far, but he did not know how well she could move.
Especially now that she was asking for help. She seemed quite ready to deny all help until she collapsed. But the trees leaves were low hanging and thick, providing a dark, cool shade that could help. He started in the direction, watching the Lioness closely so he could be sure she made it with minimal trouble.
Velveteen Angel
Lari raised her head, though that hurt as well, and puffed out her chest determinedly. "Don't be silly, I can make it!" She started towards the direction, following him though her pace was slow and lumbering. "I am a bit sore, not old!" She said, laughing loudly, but stopping abruptly because the noise hurt her ears and her skull.
She hadn't been after a companion but she supposed he would do for now. He seemed quite useful, and not at all like he wanted to kill her and wear her pelt, so at least that was good. She blinked at the sunshine and determinedly placed one paw in front of the other.
Seaki
The winged lion walked slowly with the lioness, keeping an eye on her progress. They were more than halfway there - it really was not far from their location. He would not like to make it easier. He walked close to her - probably uncomfortably close.
“We are almost there,” he told her, glancing at the shady spot. He didn’t think she would trust him enough to lead her there with her eyes closed, so he remained silent for the rest of the short walk. If she had kept walking, she would have found this place on her own, so he could not take much credit, but right now the lioness’s pain was most important to deal with.
Velveteen Angel
Spotting the darkened spot, she fastened her pace slightly, hurrying towards it. Slipping into the shade, she felt an undeniably strong sense of relief as she laid down in the cool. She sighed loudly, and closed her eyes, her body curling up into as small a ball as possible.
"This is perfect," she whispered softly. "Thank you." She opened one eye, to stare back at him. "You...can stay too, if you want."
Seaki
Aji was relieved, sighing that the shade actually seemed to help. He walked into the shade himself - it was quite cool. He smiled at her. He figured he’d stay and watch over her for a while, at least until she was feeling a bit better.
“You can rest. I will watch over you.”
