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 Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:26 am
At the edge of Priderock sat a figure of palest cream with eyes like rubies. Around her neck hung a necklace of wooden beads and a sun, symbol of all that had become so much a definition of who she was. Sarabi, Queen of the Pridelands, sat waiting for her mate to return to her. Mother, Queen, Aunt... Here in the darkness, she was but a single lioness, no more, no less, and her heart beat with fear. The thought of what the night might hide hung heavy on her, despite the presence of the pale green lioness at her side. Somewhere out there was Mufasa. Was he hurt? Unable to return? Waiting for someone, anyone, to come to his aid?
A soft tremble slipped down the lanky form, all bones under the fur pelt. Once, she might have gone to seek him out, to find the truth for herself, but now her failing body kept her here to wait. Always waiting...
"Mufasa..." The word was soft, barely a breath of air into the cool of the night. Only the stars above might have known she said anything at all, and they weren't telling anytime soon. Where was he? Why had he left her alone in the den to go out under the stars? Why must she wait alone for him, knowing deep in her heart that part of her soul was soon to be cruely torn from her.
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Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 6:50 am
-His clarity had returned, the higher he was carried up the familar landmark, trying hard not to fidget as his eyes lifted in search of his mate.
The golden beast, so strong and resilant had been reduced to being carried along now. But the thought didn't ebb at his mind as it should have.. as the monster would have liked it to. No.. for now only a momentary joy sprang through his swimming thoughts as he realized that indeed he would make it back to his mate.
Already he could pick out the scent of hers that lingered on the familiar rocks. And it brought a long sway of a sigh from him.
When finally he was near enough, he shifted and sway, forcing the boy to stop. Minding Ta and Kami little more then a faint thankful word and a bow of his heavy head, as he begged them silently to leave, struggling once again to try and stand to his feet.
He hadn't been able to do it before... but he could do it now.. for her. Prey her heart not break so fiercily as it might to see him able to do nothing more then lay and writh.
It took multiple attempts, but finally he was up, trying hard not to put pressure on the lame back leg that dragged instead of helping him. Grimacing inwardly at the sting of the cut to his shoulder.
Red eyes searched for that soft salvation of creme, and mustering the energy he could he called out to her, voice breaking softly through the dawn light.- "Sarabi!"
"Dearest."
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Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 5:41 pm
Stilling as soon as he felt a shift, Ta'Ziyan's heart stopped a moemnt before turning his head to check if the king had fallen. Seeing the elder male wanting to get off, he lowered himself once last time before Mufasa slid off.
"Your highness..." he whispered softly, his legs shaking moreso without the weight as he faltered to a stand, "..." Silence fell to him as he backed away slowly, and watched one last second to make sure the King would not fall. Glancing to Kami, everything suddenly sunk in as the blood became apparent to his senses. Turning away quickly, he moved towards the princess to rub his shoulder soothingly against hers before his eyes told her everything. He would be in their den, and as he padded away, he hoped she wouldn't shy away once everything was through.
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Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 5:59 pm
As if called up by her fears and yearnings, there he was... His great bulk looming out of the darkness. His form was one great shadow, but she would have reconized it anywhere, or at least her heart would have.
Gathering up that decrepid body of hers, she trotted towards the solid warmth of her mate, love, and king. "Mufasa! Oh, love, I was worried for you." Her sleek head rubbed into his thick mane, burying her face in his side.
Perhaps it was a scent... or maybe a touch of something wet on her face... but the Queen jerked back, red eyes wide. "Mufasa..." She whispered, reaching out a paw to touch his side, sucking in a sharp breath as it came back dark with blood. "Oh, love, what have you done to yourself?"
Drawing back, the elderly lioness squinted to see in the half-light the extent of the damage. What little she saw wasn't encouraging, especially that dropping back leg. What could have hurt him, Mufasa, as mighty as he was?
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Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:29 am
-His heart pounded softly at the sound of his voice answering his, a contented sigh so deep and full that it seemed that every ounce of air must have pushed from his lungs at the soft sensation of her body against his. He'd made it home... and momentary bliss blinded his pain for the instant she stay pressed against him.
However as soon as she withdrew, the sickening fear of the night touched him once more. And silently he wished she'd say nothing.. simply come forward once again and share in his lie that he was alright. For it wasn't the fear of death that ebbed at the great king. It was this that was before him.. the pain.. the worry of his mate.
But he would try to keep the lie himself, even if she would not, and he took another wobbling step forward, bracing the distance she'd made with her jerk.- "I'm sorry that I worried you dearest..."
-Pulling a smile, soft and gentle upon his maw, he motioned towards the edge of the rocks, where the slowly rising sun could be seen best in the coming hours.- "Will you come lay with me? While I rest from the trip back?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:44 pm
Eyes red as the flames of the sun watched the lion with an unblinking stare, and though Sarabi knew something was horribly, terribly wrong with him, she nodded and rose to accompany him to the rocks. Her frail shoulder pressed to his large one as she walked at his side, feeling something soaking into her pale fur from the touch, and how suddenly frail that large body seemed. Worse then her own, in fact... for his was failing him, and hers would last for some time yet.
Her worst fear stared her in the face, and the elderly queen was suprised at how suddenly calm she was. Fate, the circle, pulsed around her, but she pushed it back, letting only his prescence surround her now.
Sarabi sank thankfully down to sit when they reached the rocks, her eyes taking in the sunrise though her attention was not on the glorious blaze of color. She let her silence speak for her, more demanding than any words she could have said. She wanted to know what had happened, that much was obvious.
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Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:32 pm
-The night, the trip back... it'd lasted so long at the adreniline had begun to wash the pain away from his body, numbing the dull aches that would have otherwise crimpled him. But it didn't stop the soft catches in breath in the short trip alongside his mate as any stinging new pain flashed against his side.
He was thankful when finally they reached the spot, settling his body less then gracefully along the cool stone, laying out as he silently begged his mate to move in closer. Unsure if he could actually drag up the strength to stand and more once more.
And to her silence he gave a single answer. Enough to satiate her hopefully.. without letting her mind draw to the scene he before had been a part of.- "We will have to warn everyone.. to keep a close eyes on the pridal cubs. Though the young one that was being taken tonight is safe... I don't know that the lion won't be back for more."
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:14 pm
Sarabi nodded as she scooted closer to her mate, pressing to his side as her eyes stayed locked on the sunrise. Her voice was low when she spoke, heavy with what she longed to ask him, yet knowing he'd have told her more if he'd wanted to.
"The cubs will be protected, my love. They have an entire pride, against a lone male... though they'll soon be short one, I fear." There, she'd put it out in the open now. Whether he ignored her comment or not, she'd made it. Even weak as she was in body, Sarabi had never been one to be coddled or protected. Before, she stood next to her king and fought at his side, and later, she helped shoulder the less physical burdens he carried. Why now would he feel the need to protect her from such knowledge? Better to face the truth now and their good-byes, than regret it when they were too late.
Her head dropped to shadow her face, turned from his gaze. It was so hard... so hard not to shake him and rail against what she could not change, screaming out her impotent fury as she beat him into changing his mind, into staying here with her. Her claws, thin and sharp, shot to scrape against the rock as her paws kneeded at it in her nervous tension.
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Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:23 am
"One old king is not as much a loss as a young cub with so much life ahead of it." -It was a somber thought, and he sighed heavily when he said it, shifting himself as close as he could manage, pressing his cheek against her creme pelt.-
"I only wish.." -Pausing for an uncomfortably long moment, he finally continued, trying hard to keep the warmth from his eyes at bay.- "That I would be the only one to bear this pain that's become of it."
"But I'm not foolish enough to believe that that could be possible."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:31 pm
"But you can't..."
The old queen leaned into his touch then pulled away, turning to sit with her back to the rising sun. Its light flowed past her, revealing his form in minute detail to her questing eyes. Oh, gods, the blood.... It streaked his form, leaving him more red than gold.
She cataloged his hurts one by one, the growing total leaching the feeling from her extremeties and making her shiver. Cuts in his cheek... various scrapes over his fur... the missing tail... and a deep wound in his belly. She couldn't even see the extent of that, but she knew its import.
"You weren't supposed to be first..." She whispered as tears welled up in her ruby eyes. She blinked hard to push them back, her voice thick and heavy in her throat. "I was supposed to be first... you were supposed to be here for our children!" Her voice broke at the end, despite all her struggle to prevent it.
She could sense it... the time slipping between her paws, running like water, like blood from a dripping wound... Sarabi desperatly wanted to clutch at it, keep it with her and never let it go.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:01 pm
-He shyed his eyes away from her as her eyes searched his body, unwilling to watch the reaction of her eyes. Only when her voice sounded did his sight lift forward once more, his eyes watering at the sight of the tears that glistened from her. And he opened his mouth quickly, speaking as if she didn't already know the words that'd be coming.-
"I wish it weren't this way... that this wasn't the last time. That this was a nightmare and in the morning I'd wake and see your beautiful form rested beside me."
"I wish it were I to take the heart break...."
-Straining to push himself upwards a little more, leaning in he spoke softly, a whisper to keep his voice from cracking with the emotion.- "But mothers are so much better at comforting the children then fathers dearest. Perhaps there is a reason... You.. and the girls.. you can take care of each other."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:12 pm
A tremble swept through her as she crumpled in on herself, curling her body around his and pressing her cheek against his haunch. Sarabi let her eyes close as took her comfort in his solidness. Her greatest fear was there, staring her in the face.
Their children would live on with out them. They were old enough, with children of their own. The pride would survive with Kami to lead them. And she'd long ago come to terms with her own eventual end... but she'd never entertained the thought that he might go before her. It was hard to accept.
"But... my love, you are going beyond my reach... If I was first, I wouldn't have to see the strength leaving you, knowing you went to take your place in the sky..." Her voice fell to a whisper, grating in her throat. "I wouldn't have to live with knowing I would never be able to sit at your side, ever again... I have ever feared it, hoping that in some way, I could avoid that knowledge." A soft sigh escaped from her, taking with it the tension from her frail body.
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:39 am
-Lifting a paw, he let it settle softly against her back, unsure of what to say to her words. He himself had been readying himself.. as horrible as it might seem. Bracing himself for the day that he'd have to watch his love fade, just as their two firstborns had. He was always sure she'd be gone first, and that he'd be the one carrying the pain.
But it seemed inappropriate to wish her death upon her first now.. Or to suggest the very notion that was now rattling through his shakey mind. Whether it would ease her pain or not, he couldn't possibly bring the suggestion to his lips.. That she leave now with him.
Brushing his muzzle against her back, he cast a soft and affectionate caress against her delicate frame, a heavy sigh rattling his body. He could feel it already.. the time ticking away.. the sluggish feel of his body.. and the fleeting clarity of his thoughts. But he'd hold on, until he could hold on no more. And softly words slipped from from the smile that rested upon his muzzle, making sure the words left his mouth before it was too late.- "I love you my dearest. More then the pride, or the very sun that shines down."
"I'm thankful that you choose to spend your life alongside mine."
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:29 pm
A shiver slid down her form as tears began to roll down her sunken cheeks, darkening the fur from cream to tan. A harsh little sound slipped from the aged muzzle, half laugh and half sob. "You are an old fool..." She whispered, curling her body into a sort of yin yang with his. "I am the one that should be thankful for you... all these years, you have ever been there for me, even in my weakness. There is nothing in this life for me, if you are not there to share it with me... nothing is worth the price of this broken body, save when it is for you. I would give anything, anything, for you..."
He was failing... she could feel it. The end was rushing ever closer, the jaws of death waiting to rip him from her and take him where she could not follow. "Do not... do not go, my love..." She gasped out, choking on her tears and despair. "I can not do this with out you."
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:31 pm
-He cringed softly, the faintest hint of a motion as her tears began to fall, emotion spilling from her like the pouring of rain, and softly his ears lifted to catch every word. Tears welled in his own eyes, and repeatous sighs shifted through his body with the matched emotion, though he couldn't dig the clarity of mind out to speak quite as she did.
So many thoughts.. so many memories.. so many dreams.. and so many words.. all flooding into his brain as if fighting for a place one last time. His body was numbing, but his mind was flooding, and he had to use every ounce of strength to weed through them, trying to comfort her softly.- "You can.. and you will. You've always been so strong.."
"And if your strength should fail you, then I will lend you mine. You know that I will watch you.. until you join me."
-Another wide huff of air left him, his breathing beginning to slow softly.. a slow pace that almost resembled slumber. Pressing his muzzle more firmly against her flank, he whispered.- "I will stay.. for as long as I can.."
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