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 Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 8:24 am
Ruka wanted to forget all of this. If she hadn't been carrying his cubs, she would have been long gone by now.
The pale lioness left the thrall dens, finding the area to be suffocating at times. There were so many subjugated, so many with their wills broken. Perhaps she had been better off with Ciro in his den, but she hardly wanted to acknowledge that thought. He had kept her safe from the wandering eyes of others, and then had completely negated the value in that by taking advantage of her in her weakness. How could she ever come to like a lion like that?
She moved through the pride with ease and was left relatively unbothered. Ruka did not want to give birth to her cubs here in all this crowded chaos, and so she spent most of her time looking for a more secluded spot where she could rest safely away from the pride. Nothing yet seemed to strike her as a good spot and she was running out of time. How disgraceful it was to have cubs in such a terrible place like this. The sooner she got them out of here, the better off they all would be. She could only hope there was not too many, otherwise how would she sneak them all out? That would be a problem she tackled when the time came.
"One step at a time," she whispered sadly.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 2:54 pm
 Memeha probably wasn't classified as a normal freeborn. She found herself secluded from others, watching waves beat against the cliffs, carving the sea border with each passing day. She had no will to go on Vikings, nor did she have any motivation to mingle with the pride. She was different, to say the least. She was born a much vibrant color, but over the years she found her pelt fading. She wouldn't be surprised if one day she was completely white. It caused others to not realize who she was sometimes. Meme did not recognize herself when she looked in the water's reflection when she first noticed the change. Meme also found herself staying away from her parents. She had vivid dreams, some that involved them, others characters she had not seen. She decided it was best if she stayed away from them, in case the dreams were to become a reality one day. One of the recent dreams she had involved a lot of feathers. She was just swimming in a pile of them before she would wake up. What that meant, the pale female didn't know. Not wanting to be a complete hermit today, Meme found herself wandering one of the quieter paths. Her dark eyes fell on a form that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the darkened path. Her eyes shifted to the other, noting the obviously rounded belly. The one thing that Meme had to stop her jaw from dropping open, was the feather like wing markings on the other's back. Was this what her dreams were telling her? "It's not wise for you to be out here in that condition." She called out to the lioness. Was she a freeborn, thrall? Likely not a reaver.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 3:37 pm
Ruka looked over her shoulder, surprised to see another pale lioness. Normally most of the Stormborn seemed to recognize her status as a thrall and leave her be, but either this one did not know, or she did not care. Curious now, her red eyes fixed on the other female. She was cautious, yes, but not unwelcoming. It was hard to remember that before Ciro, she was not an unpleasant lioness. Sure she could be a little distant, but that was something that normally treated her well within the rogue lands.
"I suppose not," Ruka agreed with a brief shrug of her shoulders. "But out here is a far more inviting place than within the heart of the pride." Ruka explained herself with the coldness that could only come from a lioness not born within the Stormborn. Ruka took no effort to conceal her station, but she also had little desire to speak outright of it. She did not need the reminder of Ciro's first betrayal. If only she had learned from that first action against her that Ciro was capable of doing such things again.
His intent was to free her now, but when he saw the cubs... would he truly be able to go through with it?
"I'm just looking for a quiet place to nest before my young ones come. I'd rather they be born in peace and quiet," than the Stormborn's usual and violent fares. "If you have any suggestions I would be eager to hear them."
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 4:59 pm
Memeha nodded as Ruka spoke. "I could not agree with you more. It is a wonder why I still find myself within these borders. One day I will go on a viking, and just never return." The female said with a small sigh. "You'll have to forgive me, but your markings," she took a moment to approach the female, though she stayed a healthy distance to not intrude the other's space. "Quite unusual." Of course she would come across something from her dreams. When she did, it just made her slightly uncomfortable. Sure the dream could be interpreted differently, but that wasn't the pale female's way. It was weird how life just sometimes worked like that. "Well. You are on the right track. The only ones that normally roam this path is myself, maybe a few who lose their way amongst the worn trails, but that is usually the younger lions who wouldn't even take a second thought to return." The lioness shrugged. "Though, not many places with nice shelter. And with the ever changing weather here it probably wouldn't be safe for newborn life without adequate cover." Memeha nodded, thinking. "It's a small trek, but there is a few dens that have been abandoned just beyond here. They are musty and need some work to be habitable," she eyed Ruka's belly before her orbs settled on Ruka's own. "I'm Memeha. Freeborn. By your words and actions I assume you are not of the same standing?"
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:11 pm
"That sounds lovely," Ruka admitted with a sad smile. Here was a female who could make her own choices regarding her life. On the other hand, Ruka had to allow someone else to do that for her. Once she made it past these borders, her life would be her own again. As soon as she felt her cubs could survive the journey, she would be gone. While she did not exactly trust Ciro, she did not expect him to go back on his word now. They only brought each other misery - there was no reason for him to keep her here.
"Ah, yes. I suppose they are." She tilted her head, curious as to why Memeha was interested in her pelt. But, she gave no attempt to pursue that subject further. She had seen plenty of lions with weird pelts, and her own surely wasn't the most striking of them all.
She listened to Memeha patiently, allowing the lioness to follow her train of thoughts to a possible solution to Ruka's dilemma. Eventually, Memeha stumbled upon a suggestion that could possibly work. It beat giving birth to her cubs in the thralls' dens. "I think those would do just fine for me. I only need them to be serviceable for a while." It would be risky, leaving the pride with cubs so young... but Ruka could not bear to be here any longer.
"I am Ruka'sabili. Ruka is fine enough to address me with, however. A pleasure to meet you, Memeha." She did not know the lioness well, but she wanted to be able to trust someone within the pride. Something about the pale lioness made her seem... good.
"I am not of the same status, but I hope in the future that will change," she answered vaguely.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:18 pm
Memeha nodded her head in the greeting, taking that as an okay to approach the female further. Instead of stopping by her, she continued forward. "It's this way." She said without looking back to see if the other was following. There was no need, it really wasn't Meme's loss if Ruka decided to turn away and run, although she was sure she hadn't given her a reason to do so. "So," The lioness began, trying for small talk while they wandered to the dens. "I figure the uh...pregnancy was not something you planned." The lioness stated her observation, giving her explanation after. "Most thralls would just birth the cubs in the main thrall den, or their owner's. You are too pretty to not have been claimed by someone, so what you on the run from him?" She didn't really care, it wasn't as if she would go running to whatever freeborn, reaver, captain or even war lord she might have served. Not hanging around others also meant the awkwardness of conversations Meme might have brought up. "You don't have to tell me." She stated after with a small shrug.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:35 pm
Ruka really did not want to talk about what had gone down between her and Ciro, but she felt like Memeha meant no harm in her inquiries. Having spoken with no one in any meaningful manner in so long, Ruka almost felt inclined to share it all with the stranger. "It... was certainly not," she responded after an almost poignant silence.
The pale winged lioness followed behind Memeha. There was no reason not to trust the other lioness yet, and well, right now she needed the help. She had turned it down from Ciro, but she was not against finding it elsewhere. It was him that she had a problem with - not the entire world.
"I am not on the run. We have come to an agreement that we are not good for one another," Ruka answered softly. Well, she had run from him to begin with. When he found her again, the decision to separate was clear. It wasn't as if there was a positive relationship between them. He had captured her, stolen her freedom... and had expected kindness from her. How he thought he'd ever receive it, Ruka would not understand. "I am on my own now, and that does not bother me so much."
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:51 pm
Meme paused, her ear flickering back towards a comment Ruka had made. "Be careful saying those words out in public." She was referring to the words 'I am on my own now.' "That would just give any male an opportunity to jump and try to claim you. I would suggest continuing to say you are still whoever lion's thrall you are until it is whatever you wish to do with your life commences." She continued forward until she hit a bend in the path. Instead of keeping to it, she headed off in the thick foliage. She felt small prickles from little hitchhikers cling to her fur, a sign no one had trekked this part of the pride in quite a while. It wasn't just a moment longer when the site of the small dens appeared. "There you go. Home sweet home for now?" She said with a question, walking up to an entrance to as she sniffed it. "Er...like I said. Needs some work."
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:59 pm
'I'd like to see them try', Ruka thought silently. The words of caution were wise. While she was pregnant now, it wouldn't stop every male from taking interest in her if they knew she was 'on the market'. At least none were around now who would do anything about it, but perhaps she was giving her trust away too easily to Memeha. "I'll be sure to," Ruka promised, more to herself than to the other lioness.
She followed in Memeha's wake, ignoring the small p***k of thorns. At least no one would willingly traverse through the dense foliage. Behind it lied the dens, dirty and hidden. They would suffice for a lioness who was desperate to have her cubs alone and in peace. "Thank you, Memeha," she told the lioness with a reserved smile.
Ruka stepped up to one of the dens, swiping away some of the overgrowth that hung over the entrance. "I'm not unused to hard work." But, she also didn't have that much time. Ruka needed to get to work to make these dens habitable for her cubs. She'd want to keep them hidden here for at least a little while to build up their strength for the journey ahead.
Grabbing some of the foliage, she wrapped it around a dead branch, making a temporary and highly unstable cleaning device. It would serve its purpose well enough, and she needed to get to cleaning straight away.
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 6:04 pm
Meme nodded. "I live that way," she pointed towards the woods, though the direction itself was vague. "If you ever need anything." The lioness turned away, leaving the other to her cleaning of her den. Later, she would check on Ruka. While she did not have cubs on her own she had seen enough lions in the pride to know how the birthing process could incapacitate you for a while. And being in this portion of the pride it would be hard for thralls or any others to come help her should she need it. Although, Ruka seemed like a lioness that was pretty capable of caring for herself. Heading off, Meme did not glance back again. Her mind still reeling over the meaning of the feathers and the feather marked female she had just met.
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