Sabah hadn't been seen since the attack. The meek, little lioness hid out on the border and took as little chances as possible. Every day she slept with one eye out, leaving her utterly exhausted come night time. Shangyue, dead? Ha! She didn't believe it. Those were just rumors meant to scare her out of her hiding spot.
There was no way he didn't know she had run off after the failed attack on Uchanjaa. Huddled inside of her makeshift den, the small noble sobbed. How much further could she shame her family? Following a cruel king, running out on a mission and now...Hiding away like some whipped cub. Disgraceful.
In her wanderings Runa often came back to the Mwezi's border. It wasn't hard to find her way back through familiar trails, even down the paths her daughter had so carefully hidden away. Yue'shi thought she was beyond error at this point in her life, but Runa could have tracked her. Still could, actually.
But she didn't expect to see paw prints on these paths now, not so long after...Furrowing her brow, the indigo lioness crept along the hidden trail, coming across her daughter's hiding spot and hearing...crying? Quirking her brow she moved closer, just close enough to see who it was, and what she saw gave her pause.
"Lady Sabah?"
In an instant her voice became shrill as it rose into a shriek. Sabah hunkered down further, backing up as far as she could in the small space with her wide, indigo eyes looking over the older lioness. "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done it, and I didn't mean-" This was....This was Runa! The rebel leader's mate! What would she do, now that she'd found a 'loyalist'? Skin her? Behead her? Or worse?!
Her crying only intensified. She was shaking so hard that her bones had begun to ache. Or was that the lack of proper nutrition? Either way, Sabah was an absolute wreck.
This was not the reaction Runa had expected. She knew full well what this lioness had done, or rather, what she hadn't done. That was the only reason Runa wasn't outright attacking her at that moment. Besides, this poor female was obviously torturing herself far more than Runa ever could.
"Shh, shh, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." She sat down outside of the den, but was careful not to block it that way Sabah didn't feel pinned. "Why don't you come out, and we can get you back home? Your family has to be worried about you."
"NO! I can't go back! Shangyue will kill me." Sabah's sobs only grew in volume the longer she tried speaking. Only half of her words were actually decipherable, the other were just a mess. "He'll kill me because I didn't kill Uchanjaa and father - my father will be so mad. I-I-I'm just a w-wo-worthless traitor..." What good had she ever been to her King? When he'd needed her most she failed him. Even if she hadn't liked him, Sabah had thought her loyalty would carry her through but even that was logic was flawed. All she wanted to do was go home, curl up, and never wake up, but there was no way that would happen. She was never going to see home again!
Poor sod. What had she gone through to end up so frazzled? When Runa looked into those violet eyes all she saw was the torment this lioness had gone through. The belief that her family may not even care to have her home after everything she had already gone through was a hell even Runa couldn't imagine.
"You were never a traitor, Sabah; just a confused follower." She tried to sooth the other lionesses nerves, though to what degree even she didn't' know. "Trust me when I say that Shangyue is dead. He can't hurt you; no one will, not with me around." Slowly, she moved forward, only pausing when Sabah seemed to flinch. Runa knew she had to take her time with this one. "Uchanjaa will forgive you; he must have already if he let you leave. He knew you didn't want to attack him, but he also knew you had no choice." She knew that if he thought her a treat, the lion would have never allowed this little slip of a female to get away. Sabah was just someone who had been suckered in by the wrong crowd, and Runa felt growing pity for her.
"H-he-he has to hate me. They all hate me. I just wanted to make my father proud and instead I-" Sabah lost control of herself. She simply couldn't speak anymore, not with all her tears making it impossible to catch a breath. At this point she didn't even mind that Runa was inching closer and closer; if anything she had begun to draw strength from the larger lioness.
Even if Runa had been sent her to get rid of her at least she was trying to help. "A-All I want to do is go home. I-I-I j-just want to go hoooommeee."
Runa slipped her paw around the other lioness and pulled her close. There was no helping it; even if she wasn't a fan of physical contact, there was absolutely no way she could ignore the desperation for it pouring from Sabah. She needed to know that at least someone cared for her.
"I can take you home if you want. It wouldn't be hard to escort you, and I'm sure you're family would be happy to know that you're okay." Nothing she said was making Sabah's tears any lighter which left Runa at a loss. What was she supposed to do now?
Sabah shook her head fervently. "We can't. They'll never let me come home, not after all that I've done." If she wasn't so wishy washy, if she'd actually managed to pick a side and stay strong until the end then maybe her father would have accepted her. Now? Now she would be lucky if he didn't spit at her as she walked past...
She leaned against Runa and hiccuped. "Just leave me out here. It's what I deserve." Despite what she said Runa was still pressed close against the other lioness, drawing in as much warmth and comfort as she could.
Runa sighed and settled in. It seemed like nothing she said was going to get Sabah to move. She was too focused on her own misery, which left no room for any kind of advice. Runa would just stay with her for a while, then leave and see if she followed. If not she would come back to check on her or at least send someone else to check on the poor girl. After everything she'd been through it was the least Runa could do.
Maybe this experience would toughen the little noble up some. Either that or shatter her completely. She hoped for the first, but it seemed as if the latter were happening. A pity, really. She remembered the lioness in her youth; all bright eyed and happy.
Damn you, Shangyue. Even in death he was taking from the Mwezi, one poor soul at a time.