How to heal, it was a strange thing to think about but Hachi was learning a lot. Ever since Tara had gone out in to the rogue lands with the spelunking firekin he had been alone, or well, at first he had been alone. Adalie had sort of adopted him, the lioness was small and gentle voiced, she wasn’t like any other firekin or even like his own lady but she was his friend. She had taken him, rather forcibly under her wing. This amused him more than it probably should have, after all he could have over powered her, or at least he thought he could, yet her force of will kept him returning.His black and white friend had decided that today she would teach him how to patch himself up if he was lost in the desert and he, in his own way was definitely paying attention. It was hard to sit still for too long but being in the desert he had long learned that sitting still was a big part of surviving. Doing too much too quickly in the desert could defiantly bring on dehydration. He often wondered how so many lions had survived for so long in this driest of places. He always questioned himself for questioning it too, its inhabitants were tough, sturdy, they were stronger than any lions he had ever met. He was glad to be a part of the pride.
“Are you listening?” Adalie chuckled, she could see her yellow and black friend had gotten lost in his own thoughts, she wondered what he was thinking about, probably his missing mate, she often saw him staring off in to the distance. She perhaps mistook these looks as longings for his missing mate. Since she had decided to be his friend though she had learned a lot about the white maned male. He hated sitting still. It was one of the first things she had taught him about the desert. The sands could kill you if you didn’t learn how to just take your time. He was a racer though and she often saw him twitching when he stayed still for too long.
Her decision to teach him how to heal in the desert hadn’t been taken lightly and though she wasn’t a medic she knew enough to keep others alive long enough to get to water. She also knew what to carry in to the desert should one ever need to travel for more time than was generally expected. Her lesson did seem to be falling on deaf ears at this point though, she guessed that Hachi was getting bored of sitting still. He was like a cub in many ways, she had helped baby sit many youngsters and she knew they could do with a good distraction it usually settled them down enough to absorb important lessons that didn’t involve fighting. These lessons were taught to all cubs of the firekin, how to survive was very important when you lived in such an inhospitable place. Still running off some energy would probably be good.
“Let’s pause here for the day.” She smiled in a motherly manner. She guessed he would be pleased to hear this decision he looked like he was going to jump out of his own fur if he sat still for too much longer.
The yellow and black striped lion grinned foolishly, he looked at the smaller lioness apologetically. “Sorry.” He tilted his head in a goofy manner. He had learned early on that Adalie thought of him as a youngster, though he wasn’t really that young, he was a bit foolish, hyper and easily distracted. She knew his limits and she seemed to be okay when he just couldn’t sit still nay longer. “We can pick up tomorrow right?” He beamed, glad to be able to stand.
And stand he did shaking his fur out casting away the sand that had settled upon his fur. Taking a deep, long breath the black and yellow lion looked around owlishly, searching for something to do.
Adalie chuckled and shook her head. He really was like a little cub sometimes, she wondered hoe his Tera looked after him, she wondered if he looked after her as well as she thought she must look after him. She also wondered why the lioness had come and gone with the party that had gone to explore the rogue lands. Perhaps that was just who she was. One day she would meet the yellow and black lions mate and she would ask her all of these things. Probably to the great embarrassment of her friend. It made her laugh a little, he spoke so fondly of the red lioness after all, she wondered if Tera knew how he spoke about her when she wasn’t around.
She doubted it. A sweet smile rose on the black and white lionesses lips and she slowly stretched, gathering herself up and getting to her paws she follows the pale maned lions gaze. “What are you searching for?” She queried, a curious tilt to her head, he didn’t seem to be searching for anything in particular yet he was definitely searching.
Hachi grinned at the black and white female and flickered his tail “I don’t know, I was thinking a jaunt to the border might be in order, just in case.” By in case, he of course meant in case the explorers party was returning, in case his Tera was coming back. He looked to the lioness questioningly, a half smile, roguish smile on his maw.
Adalie shook her head and gave a chuckle slowly followed by a fake exasperated sigh. “Sounds as good a way to spend an afternoon as any.” She replies turning around ready to make the short journey to the border where the party had left many moons ago, she assumed they would all return where they had gone. They would come back soon she was sure but there was no harm in going to the border to check.
“Whoop!” the lanky yellow and black male exclaimed diving off towards the border, just in case Tera was coming back.
Adalie snickered quietly and followed, much more slowly behind the tall male.
((W/c 1038 ))