Sphinx - normal
Kasai - Bold


As soon as Yorshka left, Aldan found himself collapsing to the ground, reaching for the pelts that littered his floor. Like a security blanket, the winged male clutched the soft fur to his body, haphazardly throwing it over him, wincing at the stress to the shoulder injury. His eyes were bleary with tears, as he watched the entrance of his den. He hoped she would appear. But she didn't. Aldan found himself blinking away tears, as his heart shattered into many pieces.

---

He woke a few hours later. His mind replayed the scene from earlier. He sighed, looking around the den. He felt heavy, emotionally exhausted. What was he suppose to do with his life right now? How could he ever move on?

Ciro would know. Ciro was the one who told him he needed to let her go --- surely the Captain had another suggestion.

Aldan rose to his feet, feeling himself sway as a slight dizziness set in. His shoulder was throbbing. He made a mental note to get that officially looked at later in the day (or..evening? What time was it even?)

Slowly the male made his way out of the den, his pace slower as he moved towards his former Captain's den. He only hoped Ciro had the good words for him.

"My darling, you mustn't cry." Zimran did her best to comfort her distressed daughter, though in the moment all of her efforts felt empty and meaningless. It was obvious that Yorshka's pain could not be mended with simple words and affection. This pain her daughter felt was honest and pure, it was the type of pain that left a mark on the soul. A scar so deep it would bleed until the day Yorshka died. Zimrian understood this pain well, it was something she too carried with her... a reminder of what once was, what could have been - a life she would never be able to return to. "My darling child, please..." Her voice trailed off into silence as Yorshka sobbed, walking firmly in circles until her paws could hardly support her weight.

She was exhausted and emotionally broken, what was to become of her now? Not only was she refusing to let go and move on, but the pale female refused to leave, even now... after being freed by her so-called owner, she refused to move a muscle. "How could he do this to me? Why?" Her voice was raspy and full of regret as the lioness stormed circles in Ny's den, still fuming, still bleeding from the words Aldan spoke just hours before.

"This can't be happening." Nothing could fix this, nothing could change it, so how was she meant to live? What was the point? Yorshka knew she could never love again.

"My heart, please, settle down and talk to me..." The Goddess felt so helpless seeing her own child behave in such a way. "I am here-" before Zimran could finish her sentence Yorshka snapped, interrupting. "You did this, you and Airion. I hate you both." Her pale eyes pierced through her mother as she snarled with a beat-red face full of tears. "I understand that you are unhappy, but why did you have to come steal my happiness away?!"

Zimran found herself frowning at Yorshka's harsh words. "That isn't fair, I was so worried about you, I only came to see you with my own eyes, my love..."

"I hope you are happy with what you see, mother." The pale lioness snapped as she turned her back to the Goddess. Her cries felt never ending. Would... this ever stop?

It wasn't suprising when Aldan had finally got to Ciro's den, the Captain wasn't alone. But instead of waiting for the male to finish with whatever escapade he was getting on with, the male made a cough at the den's entrance, hearing the scrambling inside before he entered. He didn't have time to deal with that right now.

Ciro would understand.

Maybe.

The female looked unamused as she glared at the other reaver, before sighing. This was a man's pride now, she wouldn't dare get into an argument with reavers or captains to chance losing her rank. With a small glance at the Captain, the female left silently.

"You better have a good explanation for this." The male grunted, sitting down with a frown on his face.

"She's gone." Aldan found himself whispering, his voice cracking even at the low tone.

Ciro blinked. Gone? Oh... Ciro's ears pinned back. "...It's for the best..." He reasoned. This seemed to upset the male.

"Right. For the best. How would you know? You weren't there! Her heart was broken and all I did was...was tell her to go. To leave." Aldan growled, tail thrashing behind him. "You told me to let her go! Now she is gone."

Ciro tilted his head. He half expected the pale female to return, but he also expected her to completely leave. "She has the decision to make her own choice now." He stated. "It sucks, but...at least she is no longer feeling like she is owned."

"And what about me....? Hmm? What do I get out of it?"

"A free and clear conscience."

Aldan couldn't argue with that. He looked away from the Captain as the male continued to speak. "You owe a new lady to my den, by the way." Ciro rolled his eyes, standing. "You need to go home. You need to rest, and then you need to get that shoulder looked at."

"I don't want to go home..." he whispered. "...I don't want to be alone..."

"You would insult me with such a question?" Zimran's frown grew deeper as her blue eyes followed Yorshka's every step. "It's unfair of you to compare my unhappiness to your own, I made a choice and I now live with it." The Goddess was referencing Griffith of course. "I will regret losing him for as long as I am alive - and every time I am reborn, not a part of me will forget that and the choices I made in this lifetime." The Goddess sat still for a moment before speaking again, this time with tears of her own forming in at the edges of her eyes. "But you have a choice I never allowed myself to have."

The young seer turned her head to her mother as the Goddess spoke. "What are you talking about?"

"I do not regret having you or your siblings, but love comes swiftly and unannounced sometimes. I was lonely and your father... he helped me feel that love I craved when I was alone in the world." Zimran's voice broke. "But here I sit, regretting the loss of my own lost love, the one that allowed to leave me."

As her mother spoke Yorshka frowned. "So you didn't love my father...?"

"No, I loved him as well, but, like I am sure you now understand and know, sometimes you find someone that... is apart of you. Another soul that is connected to your own, a flame that can not ever be unkindled." As the Goddess spoke faint tears ran down her masked face. "So, my dear, tell me." Zimran paused.

"Tell you what? Mother, this is exhausting.." Yorshka felt extremely short tempered.

"Will you let your soul's mate leave without a fight?" Zimran's eyes settled on Yorshka's soft features as she smiled under her own sadness.

"...You want me to stay?" The question came followed by a blank stare. Why was her mother saying all of this? Why now, after all these years?

"I want you happy." Her mother answered with a nod.

"If this male makes you happy, Yorshka, I want you to hold on to that feeling and never let go. Do not allow yourself to let sorrow take you from something you can not be without."

"Mother, he doesn't want me." Yorshka found herself tearing up again as her eye settled back down to her paws.

"Now, I have never known you to be so thick, of course he does, he came to find me two times you know? Both times he failed, but he tried to make things right in his own way." Zimran paused. "I don't know many that would put themselves through such horrible pain and rejection for anything less than love."

"Mother..." Yorshka bit her lower lip as she glanced at the Goddess before her. "You would lose me, I would be here, this would be my home."

"No, I won't lose you, I know you are safe and happy and that is all I can ask for any of my children." As the Goddess spoke she nodded with a deep smile. "Gwen came home. I found you, I see you now with eyes unclouded by my own personal sorrow. Please, Yorshka, I want you happy. So go, go to him."

"Thank you, mother." The pale lioness felt herself smile beneath her tears. She would find him and fight for him.

She would fight for them.

"I'll walk you home." Ciro found himself murmuring. It was the least he could do, as the male was the one who told the other what he should do. Young love was tough. Ciro had experienced many heartaches, but he had learned from them, and grown from them. It was strange to see how much knowing he had cubs could change him (...to an extent).

"And perhaps get a healer your way. You're going to lose that leg." He said with a frown, eyeing the oozing wound trying to heal.

"I'll be fine." Aldan muttered, in regards to his shoulder wound. "Don't worry about sending someone. I don't think I could handle new company." Aldan said honestly, as he and Ciro began to head back to his den.

"First you want company, then you don't want company. You need to make up your mind." Ciro huffed, eyes rolling. "If you don't want company, I have other plans you (remember) so rudely interrupted."

"Your company is fine. Most of the healers are female, I don't want another female in my den." Not now. It was too painful.

"No females in your den? That is quite the boring life." The Captain couldn't avoid the sloppy thwack to his head.

As they neared the den, Aldan found himself pausing.

"Are you going to go in?"

"..." Maybe he should look for a new den...one he could make new memories, instead of watching the ghosts of the past?

Before Aldan could muster up the courage to enter the den he once shared with Yorshka the pale lioness emerged from the shadows, her masked face bright red and eyes narrowed mid frown. "Look." Her voice was firm. "You can't just send me away like I'm replaceable." She had come back to her home with her mother and waited for Aldan to return, unaware that Ciro would be with him. It didn't matter, she could confess her love to him in front of the whole pride if it meant Aldan would listen.

"You are mine. I am yours." Her words started again, this time as she spoke her body moved closer to the males. "You belong to me, with me." Being bold was hard... but Yorshka refused to let him go, not without a fight.

"So, you can stand here and deny me and send me away if you think that is going to save me somehow, but I will just keep coming back. I'll sleep outside in the cold rain until you start to understand my permanence here with you." Her eyes flashed as her chest ached with uncertainty. "I belong with you." Softly she whispered as her body stood still.

"--I refuse to leave you." Boy, was it ever a time to be defiant. Her pale eyes swelled with tears as she glared at him firmly. If he wanted her gone he was going to have to send her to the border himself.

Zimran sat quietly in the background, the Goddess found herself smiling softly as her daughter spoke. Yorshka had more courage in her pinky than Zimran did in her whole body. She envied the demi-gods conviction.

"Aldan...?" Ciro asked as the silence.

His ears perked when Yorshka emerged from the shadows. "Ah, Yorshka you...are here?" His head tilted as he glanced between the couple, clearly confused. It didn't take long to notice the goddess in the background. Why, hello there. Ciro's ears aimed in her direction as he slinked away from the mortal female, his eyes trained on the beautiful female behind her.

Not the time, Ciro. However, that never seemed to work.

"Yorshka...I..." he was silenced as her words. She would never be replaceable. She would always be his, even if it meant they were a part.

"But...your family?" His dark eyes wandered towards Zimran, and narrowed slightly when Ciro neared her. "Your family traveled all this way to get you home..." His eyes softened as she said she belonged with him. Not to him. With him. No matter what her rank was in this pride, he would never, could never see her as property.

"I never wanted to dismiss you....I just wanted you to be happy. I wanted a better future for you...one you didn't need to worry about..." In his mind, the Pridelands would be a land of no worry.

He found himself inching towards her, before his front paws wrapped around her, bringing whatever gap existed between the two closed. "I love you," he whispered, so only she could hear him. "I will never stop loving you." His body shook as he spoke. Happiness, sadness? A mix of both?

"If you stay here...I want you to be happy, always." He released her from his embrace, his dark eyes staring right into hers. "I don't want you to be a thrall. I...If you stay, I only ask one thing..." He let his word drift, letting his eyes read her own emotions.

It didn't really matter what Aldan said at this point, Yorshka was so set in her ways by the time she came back nothing he said would have been able to sway the lioness from her decision, not after everything the couple shared and had endured to be together. Her eyes closed tightly as Aldan brought her into his warm embrace. This was a moment the lioness longed to linger in for as long as time would allow, softly she signed into his red mane, muttering] to herself. "Idiot." His actions prior had not gone unforgiven, she would give him an ear full the second he allowed her to settled back, but something caught her off guard. His tone changed.

Everything felt different.

"I could never give you up." She replied with a soft voice, it was just small enough for him to hear.

"What?" Yorshka pulled back and searched his face. "What's going on?" He was starting to sound so serious and his body trembles made her quake in fear. Was he alright? "Aldan?" He was going on about her rank in the pride and Yorshka had no desire to talk about it, it wasn't like she could fix it or become someone else, but despite her status she would be with him... no matter what.

Her gaze shifted as she glanced over the wound on his shoulder. It looked awful, before she could comment he spoke again, this time pausing as he seemed to search for the right words.

What was going on here? Her ears pinned back as she looked him up and down. Yorshka was too busy to notice Ciro, who was in the middle of sneaking his way to her mother's side.

"Oh." Zimran blinked as the dark mortal slowly inched his way to her side. "I think he is going to ask her something important." The Goddess spoke under a soft smile, her masked face blushed with excitement. Was this really happening? Was Aldan about to ask her...?

Ciro froze as Zimran spoke. Oh, even her voice was nice. Wait, what was she saying? Ciro tilted his head as his golden eyes glanced back to the young reaver. "Hmm." Well, she was certainly distracted. Ciro wasn't sure if he would get anywhere with the goddess.

"I want you to always be here. To be with me. But I want it to be your choice. I don't want you to think that you are here because you are owned. I don't want you to think that...any..." his eyes shifted towards Zimran, as his voice lowered. He did not need Yorshka's mother to know he was sleeping with her, although it was probably obvious to a point. "..any of our children will grow up considered slaves." Another deep breath. "Yorshka...I want you to marry me. To be my wife, not my thrall. You will be considered one of the pride, and no one, no one will be able to lay a paw on you." There was insinuations on who Aldan referred to when he spoke of that.

"That is my only condition of you staying here." He was hopeful. If she said yes, she would not be a thrall, she would be his wife! Any children they would have would be freeborn. He could train her to fight. He could take her on expeditions.

He could show her the world.

Aldan didn't look away, even as silence lingered between them.

Of course the Zimran was distracted, flirting was never something the Goddess was very good at anyway, so any attempts to swoon her would have fallen on deaf ears, right now all she could focus on was this moment her daughter was sharing with the male she loved, this moment meant the world to her. Her smile only seemed to grow as Aldan spoke, every word kept her at the edge of her metaphorical seat. She allowed the darker male to sit beside her but her attention was indeed else where.

Yorshka stood still for a moment as Aldan's words sunk deep into her. "I-" the female paused as she looked over at her mother and Ciro. What, was this really happening? Was this moment a dream or had that question really crossed his lips? Pale eyes narrowed and glared back at him silently as the lioness struggled to find the right words to express her emotions properly. This, this was so much, this meant so much, this... was everything.

"Aldan..." Her voice trailed off as she smiled under heavy tears, tears of joy that outweighed any sadness she might have felt coming back here to confront him like this. The talk of children, freedom, and a rank change felt like an actual dream, an idea that she flirted with but could never obtain, not while she was a salve - but here he was, Aldan, the one soul she felt connected to... he was offering her everything she could have hoped for and more. It moved Yorshka in a way that she couldn't fully grasp.

"I would love that." The pale lioness was final able to muster up the courage to give him a proper answer, despite her flushed face and racing heart, she felt pretty confidant in her choice. Aldan was what she wanted, he was her home. Home would be where ever he was.

"I want nothing more than to be yours-" the lioness paused as she slowly moved to nuzzle her chin against his shoulder. In front of her mother and Ciro the proposal was made, and n this moment she truly had everything she could ever want or ask for. This day had turned into one Yorshka would never forget.

Slowly the lioness withdrew from her embrace as her eyes shifted to look her lover up and down. "Consider the condition agreed on. I am staying." She chuckled softly as her teary eyes searched over his expression.