Painted Moose
Zaid was up early with the sun and had been since much earlier, if he were to be honest, thanks to the numerous additions to his den. Not only had Kou spent a few nights with them since Zephyr had kicked him out, but his own mate had given him cubs. Cubs! He was proud beyond believe, but not so proud that he wouldn't praise his sister-in-law when she offered to watch them so the parents could get some much needed rest.
Winter storms had kept him home bound for far too long, and it was with a relieved stride that he perused the beach. Zephyr had been pushing him a lot more than usual lately to get out and talk to the new comers, but for what reason? He was social enough, so why did she have to be so insistent? He sighed and laid back on the sand, letting the water lap up onto his hind paws as he closed his eyes.
Sabra Knight
The ocean was beautiful. At first Ramiz had absolutely despised water since nearly drowning in the storm, but ever since Naiya had come into his life the lion was feeling differently. Something about the way the ocean waves crashed against the shoreline and sparkled in the sunlight constantly remind him of a pair of eyes...flushing the lion shook his head.
It was funny how one lioness could make him nearly forget his trauma.
Zaid...Ramiz sighed at the memory of his brother. Even with this nice new pride a part of him felt empty without his brother. Where had he gone after the UW? Without the pride his family was scattered into the winds. The thought made his heart heavy. Would he ever have someone to call family again?
Painted Moose
Zaid was vaguely aware of having fallen asleep in the morning sun. He had felt the water rise in around him, lifting first his tail and then his rump into the surf. It was an odd feeling, having ones rump swishing around while your head is still in the sand. Of course, that was before he was swept out entirely and was woken with a startled gargle thanks to the wave that had crested over him.
Panicking, the lion kicked out at the water, breaching here and there until his body was rolled back on shore some odd feet away. He was pushed up the beach, head first, into the sand so that he looked like a headless corpse. Though he could breath thanks to an air pocket, he had no desire to move. This is just my day. All he needed was one of his cubs, or Gods forbid, Talise to jump on his back.
Sabra Knight
As he walked Ramiz found himself studying the skies. How was it that the sky seemed so much brighter here? At least it's a beautiful day. Gah. If only he could get that sinking feeling out of his stomach. But it was true he would have to leave soon since his search wasn't over yet. A new knott formed in his gut...the idea of leaving Naiya really shattered Ramiz. It was like he had a hope at a family again...yet he couldn't get the image of his brother out of his mind.
Paws dragging Ramiz found himself tasting sand as he tumbled over a rather large rock. But as he shook the sand from his eyes the lion was surprised to find that the body beneath him wasn't a rock...it was a lion? Ramiz's eyes widened. Did someone get washed up from the shore? Oh!
"Hey - hey!" The lion rolled over and nudged the sandy form with his nose, ignorant of the familiar markings in his haste, "Please...please don't be dead..."
Painted Moose
There was a loud grunt from the prone lion as he felt the weight of another tumble over him. Lovely. While he'd been comfortable enough, he had been hoping that he wouldn't be found looking like such a complete and utter goof.
Bracing his paws on either side of his head, Zaid began to pull his head out of the sand. Thankfully he had closed his eyes so that the sand around him wouldn't have burned him. He coughed and shook out his damp, sandy mane, feeling water slosh around his ears. It brought a shiver to his spine. "I'm fine, I'm fine, don't-"
Holy s**t.
Zaid shrieked and back pedaled as far as he could, straight into the surf.
Sabra Knight
Thank the gods. The last thing Ramiz needed today was finding a dead body. How would the Bahari treat a stranger who had just arrived? Oh yeah...just found this dead body here, totally not a murderer. It was a relief to see the other lion was fine then. Though digging a head into the sand like that was a new way to sleep for him. How odd.
His thoughts immediately slowed down as the familiar form started to clear from the sand. Ramiz found himself taking several steps back in surprise. How? Could it really be him? "Zai-Zaid!" It had to be though! The pelt...that face...that scent...well minus the ocean saltiness...it really was his brother?
Without any hesitation the lion pounced his brother in time with a wave crashing lightly against the shore.
Painted Moose
Zaid couldn't stop himself from screaming again, both from the shock of the wave and from his brother's ghost. Ramiz was dead! God's above, he had been washed out to sea and drowned with his stupid, sweet, idiotic brother!
He was practically hyperventilating when he pulled Ramiz off of him. Zaid wriggled away, standing soaked in the coming tide. The lion couldn't get his lungs to work right and was wheezing, eyes bulging out of his head with every look at the familiar form.
"Get the hell away from me!" He snapped out of stress. Zaid could just see black spots from the corners of his vision and the world was starting to tilt. "Y-you died...you're dead! I'm not going with you!" In his panic he hadn't noticed that he was crying, or how heart broken his voice was. There had been a time where he would have followed his brother into death, but not now. He had a new family here. A lover, cubs; people he cared about that he had to live for!
Sabra Knight
Okay so this wasn't the happy reunion that Ramiz had imagined. Wincing from the stinging pain of being so brutally rejected the lion rolled in the sand, "Zaid!" Hissing softly the male shook salt water from his mane in frustration. What was wrong? Why did his brother suddenly hate him so much?
His anger instantly dissolved into the ocean waves as the sudden realization of Zaid's tears registered. With his own gaze stinging, not from the ocean water this time, Ramiz took a gentle step forward. A bit of humor though decorated his maw, "Really? Do you want me dead? I'm not a ghost...Zaid...stop it." The lion's gaze was firm, but gentle as he approached his brother again, "I never died."
A small laugh escaped, "If I did then that's news to me." Sitting on the sand Ramiz held out a paw, "Stop freakin' out like a supersticious cub and poke me if you don't believe. Would a ghost be solid? Or out in sunlight for that matter?" Ramiz grinned, "As endearing a story it would be for a brother to come from death to drag his brother into the underworld with him that's not going to happen...I'm alive and so are you." His gaze brimmed brightly, "I almost gave up hope and thought you were the dead one."
Painted Moose
Zaid held up his paw and wagged a toe at the spirit. “I saw you go down in that water.” There was no way his brother could have survived that. His eyes burned, and his throat had closed up. The lion moved further back into the surf, almost as if he and the ocean were a common force now against the enemy of death.
“Stay right where you are!” He snapped. Zaid’s fear made him bold, and the wariness made him aggressive. “I have no idea what the hell a ghost would do since you’re the first I’ve seen, but I know damn well I’m not going to be tricked by one.” Zaid didn’t want to go out this way, but as time wore on he was starting to believe that maybe…just maybe…”I saw you die.” He couldn’t breath properly because he had started crying so hard. “I…oh Gods, Ramiz, is it really you?”
Sabra Knight
A shudder went through Ramiz's body, "Don't remind me." The lion replied softly his gaze still reflecting the dark depths of the waters from that night. He thought he was a ghost too after that. How he survived was up in the god's will for he had no reason to understand the force that had allowed him to be washed up on shore rather than pulled beneath the river's claim.
The lion had taken another step forward before Zaid's cry pulled him back, "Zaid...I really can't change your mind can I?" Ramiz just laughed softly as he shook his head, "Eventually you'll have to believe me since I'm not leaving now. Since I've found you...I think I might not have to leave the Bahari after all." He could be with Naiya too...and if Zaid was here. The lion's heart swelled in his chest as the tears burned his eyes.
"Take some time to breath, brother." Ramiz's gaze shimmered as he stared at his brother, alive and well right in front of him!, "I'll be back here tomorrow with the dawn. You'll find that no ghost should be here with the sun and that it really is truly me." He had to find Naiya for now though since it really was true that Zaid was alive and well.
Thank the gods.
Painted Moose
His chest felt as if a great weight were being pressed down upon him. There was no words that could have described the feeling. If he was really alive...and their family believed him to be dead...What have I done? While not entirely sure he himself would be there tomorrow at dawn, he would have to think on it. And he would need to get a message out to his mother, somehow, someway and let her know that her son had not died. But for now Zaid couldn't move. His legs were prone, stifff and wooden, in the ebbing tide. He simply looked down at his paws while he cried.
