Zhaleh had returned to the den with scraps of food. She was greeted by a very upset Upala, who could barely get hushed words out before dashing out of the large den. Something about a petition, and to keep Isamu warm. The servant didn't mind at all, and left the food near Isamu before laying down near his feet.
"Isamu," she said quietly, her voice surprisingly soothing. "Isamu, its time to wake up." He resisted, so she gently tapped his tail with her own. "Come now, you need to eat of you'll never recover."
Isamu attempted to resist for a bit longer, but he finally opened his eyes. He instantly knew that Upala was gone, but Zhaleh was in her place. "Oh...Zhaleh, when did you get back?" He had sent her to get some supplies, hoping that it wouldn't be too much trouble for her to go get them on her own. Some of the colony members weren't kind to lions, even those who worked for the good of the colony.
"Just a bit ago. Upala babbled something to me and then ran off. I think she was waiting for me to return, with how she was just itching with energy." Zhaleh reached over towards the meat, placing it in her mouth to rip it into smaller pieces. "You need to eat, and I'm going to sit here and force you to. Master or no, I'll be in trouble if something happens to you, so you're going to have to listen to me at the moment." Zhaleh worked to make every size a bite-size, and started to feed bits of it to Isamu. He was slow to react, but he finally started to eat. Satisfied, Zhaleh watched him work on his little pile of food as she shifted her body to warm up his paws.
"Thank you, Zhaleh," Isamu replied between bites, chewing slowly as he picked through his pile. He still didn't have much of an appetite, but he didn't dare lose anymore weight. He would certainly freeze to death soon if he continued to burn through what was left of his fat. "I hope you didn't run into much trouble for this."
"No," the lioness said with a shrug. "Still, getting furs is nearly impossible. The price some of the others demand is too high." Moreso that they couldn't afford it, with what little they had left. The larder of extra dried meat was disappearing, and it wouldn't be too long before it was completely empty. Bartering was going to be much harder without anything to offer.
"Upala is very worried about that. I can't seem to get my paws on any," he sighed, realizing the irony of that statement. If he had just listened to her and wore more of their furs...and wrapped them around his feet....he wouldn't be in this predicament.
"She's right to be worried. I know you're working hard for all of us, but you need to be more careful. What would happen if your feet froze past the point of healing? You'd be useless," Zhaleh said with a frown. "Though my old lands didn't deal with the cold much, you learn a lot when lost in the unclaimed lands."
Isamu flinched. "Useless? I wouldn't...be able to walk?"
"No. Did....Upala didn't tell you that, did she." Isamu shook his head, and Zhaleh only sighed. "She's trying to keep you in good spirits. Frostbite is a dangerous thing. I think you're in the early stages of it. Not enough for permanent damage, but you're not really getting any better, either. We need to get you to a warmer area, and I believe the closest area is just off the mountain. The forest isn't safe, so we have to figure out where to take you. Upala is going to try to petition to the queen where to do so, and hope that she approves having me as some sort of guard, as well as your normal servant." She smiled softly at Isamu, who looked completely overwhelmed at everything she was saying. "You'll be ok. If I have to drag you out of here, I will. We will make you better."
Isamu shivered, and it wasn't only because of the cold. If he became an invalid...he wouldn't be the supporter of the family, but the dependent. Just having that thought cross his mind terrified him. "That's where she went right now?"
Zhaleh nodded. "I'm sure it is. You know she'll return here as soon as she can. In the mean time, make sure that you're doing everything you can to stay warm."
Isamu didn't reply, only tucked himself more into his furs. Zhaleh curled her tail around his back, and the two of them laid there in silence for a while. It was pleasant, as it gave Zhaleh a moment to feel at peace with where he life was. She had always been serving someone, but Isamu and Upala were such kind masters. Most of the time, it didn't even feel like servitude, only friendship and helping. The fact that they were able to shelter her and keep her safe meant more than Zhaleh could put into words. She would never have to worry about him again.
"Zhaleh?"
"Yes?"
"Are you...happy here? Is there...."
She laughed. "Don't worry, Isamu. There isn't anywhere else I would rather be. Just focus on being healthy. We can have a deeper heart to heart when you're feeling better, if that's what you're looking for."
Isamu didn't know how to reply to that, so he just nodded. She was such a strange lioness to him, as a leopard who spent his life serving his mother as well as the leader of his home pride. Zhaleh was so different from Salma, and yet it was like they shared similar traits, too. It made him homesick, and the homesickness sent him back into shivering fits. Zhaleh curled up closer to the blue leopard, humming him a soft song to get him to relax.
Isamu dozed off again, having eaten most of his meal. Zhaleh craftily polished it off for him, assuming that Upala would fetch him something once she returned with her news. Zhaleh was certain that they would get permission for something to help Isamu recover, and so she waited patiently to find out what the word would be.
(1,056 words)
