|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 2:36 pm
Nuri watched her, curious as to why she would think this way. He chuckled. "Pastel, you're one of his lionesses, of course he would care about them. They are as much his cubs as Xia's are, and he would be equally proud of them when he finds out. Not telling him would be futile because as soon as they're born he will know." He shook his head. "But it does not matter. You should realize that after his fight earlier. He fought Shaitani for Kun Yi even though he did not like her at all. He would fight for you and your cubs as well, and I know for a fact that he does not dislike you." He looked pointedly at her swollen belly as he said the last, to prove the point.
He looked at her square in the eyes with a gentle, friendly expression. "Now... if you like... I will go with you to tell him. He has been through a lot lately but he deserves to know right away, don't you think? And... you cannot do this alone. You need the help of the other lionesses to guide you through your pregnancy. As a pride, we work together and support eachother through difficult times, right?" He smiled.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 3:54 pm
Pastel looked Nuri in the eyes and followed his pointed gaze to her abdomen. She shook her head and sighed. "You misunderstand the circumstances behind this, Nuri. Ling...our king...he was stressed, he...wanted to release that stress, I was the unlucky one that happened to be present. I don't know if I can tell him about this...I..." She shook her head and lowered her eyes once more.
As Nuri offered to take her to see the king, be with her when she told the king, her eyes became wide, with what emotion, even she was not certain. "The other females...I...I'm not comfortable with them...so many things in the past...and with different kings.
The female lion shook her head. "Do you blame me for not trusting this king, Nuri? After all I've been through."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 4:05 pm
Nuri was unable to keep the grimace from his face. "I am not one to pass judgement on anyone, Pastel. But my personal observation is that you can trust those in this pride. Ling set it up as a sanctuary for lions with a harsh past. He tries to be kind and fair, both gentle when he can and firm when he must be. I try to help him to rule that way when I can. If you can't trust him or anyone else, that is something you alone must decide." He sighed. "But do you really want to keep isolating yourself? Would it be fair to your cubs?"
Shifting his weight, he rose to his feet only to stretch before laying down again. "Again, I refuse to judge anyone. It is not my place and never has been. But I ask you to consider what is best not only for you but your cubs as well. Not to mention... your display of trust with the others could force them to trust you," he added with a smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:00 pm
The lioness took the male's words to heart, perhaps she could trust and be trusted here. Perhaps this pride really was the pride she had pictured so many times in her dreams. "You are a wise lion, Nuri, really. I thank you for your kind words and your assitance. I hope...that if nothing else, we can be friends." She reached out timidly and placed her pale paw over his, a smile coming to her normally tired and worn face.
"I will speak with the king. He needs to know, as you said, there is no point in hiding it from him." She nodded her head to reassure herself that this would not all end badly. "I can understand why our king keeps you as his council. You words really do help, and heal, Nuri."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:12 pm
"Well, I certainly try," Nuri chuckled. "But I only council the way I see things to be. I don't know everything. Such as... how this will turn out. Ling may react somewhat... negatively... at first. But that would only be out of surprise and perhaps fatigue. However, as offered, I would be happy to accompany you." He looked down at her dainty paw on his and smiled, then looked back up at her. "I would like to be your friend Pastel, I would like it very much." Then with a purr he leaned closer and rubbed his cheek against hers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 6:56 pm
Pastel's eyes lit up with happiness as the other consented to be her friend. Her first real friend in the pride. At that slight rubbing of his cheek against's hers she closed her eyes, adding just abit of pressure against his cheek as she lighlty nuzzled him back. "Thank you Nuri, you do not know how much this truly means to me."
The lioness thought about the male's words, could Ling really be angery with her? It was likely, she had hidden the truth from him so far, and that was never good with people in power. "Having you there with me, Nuri, will make things much easier...and...perhaps less stressful." She let her head rest down against her paws fighting off a slight bout of vertigo that had suddenly hit her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 7:04 pm
"I have an idea," he replied with a knowing smile. Ling had been far more generous to him when they first met than he needed to be, especially since Nuri was male. He could have killed him or left him to die, when instead he had led him to water and offered friendship and a place to stay. "I will try to make things easy on both of you. It is part of what I do." He cocked his head with a frown as Pastel lay her head down. Something in her expression was not right... "Are you all right Pastel?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:17 pm
Pastel forced back her dizziness and looked up at the male. "I'm fine. Just dizzy, that is all." She tried her best to stand, rolling her body till she could get her paws under her and push up. She couldn't believe how much harder this was with the only slightly extra weight.
Once she was able to stand she looked at Nuri. "Well, I suppose, getting it over and done with is less painful now...right?" She seemed unsure, her ears dropping, his shoulder haunched just slightly as she took afew timid steps toward her new found friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 8:33 pm
Nuri frowned with concern watching her rise. He just knew she had strained herself too much. Now they were as far from the safety of the caves and shade -and water!- as they could get. "I'm going to have to watch you carefully. You may have traveled too far today already. I'm serious about you not overstraining yourself. We'll take it slow... if it gets too difficult we'll wait until night when it's cooler."
He smiled at her kindly, offering a shoulder for her to lean on. "But, if you can manage... getting this taken care of would be less painful. Trust is important. Worry is harmful for you and the cubs."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 9:19 pm
With swift, powerful movements, Pandora moved passed the distintly marked border and into Ling's lands. After she considered it a moment, she paused and let a fierce roar out into the night sky to alert the pride members that she was here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 9:29 pm
Pastel moved forward slightly, greatful that he was by her side, ready for her to lean on should she need it. The sense of vertigo had died down, but she was still having a hard time walking. She leaned on the other male slightly, using him to keep her balence. She knew that this was not making things any easier on him, and she felt like a giant bother.
She tried to lessen the time she leaned on him as they both made their way back to the cave. She staggering in her feet, but otherwise making it allright.
"Nuri...?" She did not try to face him, afraid that she would lose her balence. "If I don't get to later...I...I really enjoyed talking to you..." Her eyes starred into his, there was a maturity there, a maturity bred in far too many bad times for one of her age.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:01 pm
Ling had been intending to reply to his mate and Adelle when he heard a non-familiar roar. His eyes narrowed and rose from the ground. He picked up his small son, carrying him to his mother with a deep growl before moving to the mouth of the cave and answering the intruder's roar with his own. He was not in the best of moods, dispite the fact that he had three new cubs ro raise. He took a step forward and roared again, letting the intruder know that there were newborns kittens in the pride and their father was less than happy to have unfamilar lions so near them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:12 pm
Pandora gave a scowl into the air at the lion's second roar. Already she was not favoring this pride as compared to others of her travels, having been given no welcome already. She replied sharply with a roar telling the other lion, who she assumed to be the king, that she'd be willing to meet him without the cubs around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:14 pm
Nuri took note of Pastel's difficulty walking and adjusted their pace so that she would labor a bit less in her movements. More important than getting back home right away was her safety. He could watch out for her overnight if he had to.
He smiled when she spoke. "I like talking with you anytime," he replied. Suddenly looking at her, he wondered how old she really was. She seemed weighted down by the world yet so intimidated and unsure. She could have been an adolescent or a mistreated middle aged lioness and he did not know how to ease her worry.
Suddenly he frowned and straightened, hearing the roar of an unfamiliar lioness. The answering call from the king was not all together happy. "Oh wonderful," he muttered. "We may have to wait to break the news to Ling," he grimaced.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 10:23 pm
Ling heared the response roar and sighed. He looked back over his shoulder at his mate. "Adelle, take care of her and the cubs, Leanna is detained, so you will be her second for now." With that he ran off from the mouth of the cave and in the direction of the roar. He stopped once and let out another loud roar od agreement with the last. He would meet tihs intruder far away from his pride's sanctuary.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
