Faridah watched the cheetah closely, as if anxious that his temper would flare suddenly or that he would change his mind. Nothing in his body language turned for the worse, however, and when the lioness saw the male's ears flatten, she relaxed.
Morte. She had never heard a sound like that before. It wasn't a name that was common to the pride she came from. Some of the familiarity she felt towards the cheetah ebbed slightly.
"...Faridah..." the lioness replied, her voice quiet and hesitant. She had been avoiding the male's gaze up until now, but her attention on the dunes ahead wavered and she looked at the black coat, noting the stripes and the scars. That sense of ease washed over her ahead and she softened. She didn't understand why it happened. She didn't understand why she was like this....
As if to answer herself, the lioness gave a clumsy shrug and stared down at her paws.
AstoriaFallen
I'm so sorry about the wait.