[PRP] Gone (Mstiri/Raia)

[KasaiLoki]

Mstiri flapped as hard as he could. He didn't actually think Tawi would have taken off in the middle of the night, but he was gone!

The green falcon quickly scanned the pride from the air, spotting the dark female. He had only met Raia a couple times, but he knew her well enough from Tawi's constant talk of her. Even if the blue male didn't want to voice his actual love to the female, Mstiri would catch the male talking in his sleep about her. You didn't just sleep talk about random ladies. Putting two and two together, the falcon kept the secret, knowing Tawi's attitude would show if he were to blab it.

However, this seemed like a time to do just that. Maybe he could get Raia to help him look for his companion! Maybe she would know a good place or two to start?

Regardless if she did help him or not, the first order was just letting her know he was gone. Maybe the two cared for each other more than they let it off to one another.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Raiatea had grown, and thus grown busy. The time spent wandering as a cub and even into adolescence was soon ended in place of becoming useless to the pride as a huntress. Of course that meant she saw a certain lion quite a bit less. So days between seeing him weren't unheard of and when she didn't see him the lioness was left unconcerned. The hunt had ended early this evening, prey just wasn't available, and so Raia was returning to the pride when she got an odd feeling of eyes on the back of her head.

Shake it off. A fleeting thought to help calm her only seemed to make matters worse. Her green eyes looked over her shoulder, ahead, and around - but in failing to look up she missed a clue.

Mstiri.

Having failed to spy the possible culprit she continued on her way, not realizing that her day may change in a short conversation.  

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

The green falcon narrowed his eyes as he hovered in the skies before making a dissent towards the female. She hadn't noticed him flying, but Mstiri couldn't blame her. It wasn't as if he was squawking and making a complete scene...yet at least.

Swooping low, the feathered companion's wing light grazed the top of Raia's head before he landed right in front of her, chest puffing from exertion.

"Raia. It's Raia, right? Of course it is! Branch. He's gone!" The bird quickly chirped out, frantic evident in his tone and look. "You have seen him...right? Like. He came to you first before disappearing? Please tell me Tawi did at least that?" It was the first time the avian had actually used the blue adult's name in conversation. He had grown so use to calling him by the nickname as a child it just stuck.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"What wa-.."

She began to speak out loud as feathers tickled the top of her head in a woosh that halted her step. Which was in good timing with a familiar bird dropping to the ground. His eyes hit her and she instantly saw the panic causing her heart to leap into her throat before he even began. Branch. Was one of the words she chose to take from the sentence that altered her day rapidly. The word had become a nickname, she knew the story and even opted to use it when teasing Tawi. He however.. -hated- it. Any other time and she would have grinned, but the use of his given name sent a chill down her spine.

"I haven't seen Tawi in.. a couple of nights actually." The lioness paused to think on it, but her mind drew a blank as panic settled in deeper. "What do you mean he's gone? Gone how? Aren't you with him nearly all day, every day?" Raia knew that to be a lie, but she wasn't thinking properl. Tawi snuck away from the avian whenever he could! Her questions made little sense.

"Did he say anything? Where he might have wanted to go?" She was firing off her own questions now as she mulled over what to do. What if he left? Her eyes grew moist at the thought that he would simply leave. Simply choose to be without two of the individuals that likely loved him most, aside from his blood relatives. She blinked back tears she wasn't ready to explain or face and tried to focus on a boiling rage instead. How dare he.

"What do you know Msitri?" There, she gained some focus.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Mstiri nodded quickly. "He was gone though when I woke up. So he must have left in the middle of the night when I was sleeping. I know he seemed a bit off lately, but I didn't think he would...he would just go." The bird was flustered. He puffed up, and a few soft feathers blew out from his skin. "Kid is making me lose feathers here." He grumbled, brown beady eyes glancing at Raia.

He frowned. She hadn't heard from him either. "We need to find him! He doesn't know life outside the pride, even if he has...guard skills." The green falcon thought for a moment.

"He's been more silent lately. I just accustomed it to another fight with your brother. Those seem to put him in a tizzy. But... He was muttering in his sleep. I didn't want to tell him I heard anything...but now I am guessing I should have. Oh this is my fault." The avian cried out, hiding his face in his wing.

Focus. He thought to himself.

Right. "But he was just saying something like...he needed to prove himself. And he couldn't do it here. I don't know what that means though." Mstiri sighed.

Another glance to Raia. "You know he really liked you...right?"  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Rage boiled beneath surface, boiling away any other emotion. She listened attentively as the bird expressed his stress and then explained things. "How could he just leave us?" She asked, her tone exasperated. But the avian hadn't finished what he was saying. Raia found herself growing very tired all of sudden, overwhelmed by what was going on and the possibility of what could happen out in the wild. They were protected here, safe, why would he give that up? What could possibly better for him out there.

She had gotten lost in her own anguish when Mstiri finished. "Prove himself, for what?" Her eyes narrowed at Mstiri, but not truthfully at him. She couldn't shoot the messenger if she tried. It wasn't his fault that Tawi had been so cruel.

"Wait.. he what?"

Tears formed in her eyes, ones she couldn't blink back. "He never.." She stepped back as though to protect herself from the sudden amounts of real pain. Anger failed her and fell away. "He never said anything." Of course he didn't. The thought rambled on right after her words, she knew her thought to be true. "I should have said something." Her rump dropped to the ground, her head hung, and tears fell free from her eyes. She blinked hard and found she couldn't face the avian.

"He was so dear to me, still is dear to me. What if he ran off because I wasn't enough?" Ramblings of youthful love. Raia knew she was enough, if she had to guess she would have said this was love. Something that hadn't been asked for, but she was fortunate enough to be graced with. "Why would he just go? You know he didn't have to prove anything to me, don't you?" Her fears began to bubble to the surface and through her tears she realized that Mstiri might blame her.

In the back of her mind she knew these tears would do nothing, they needed to leave - now.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Mstiri found himself shrugging. "I don't know. Maybe to his family? Maybe to the pride? Maybe to you?" He concluded.

Tawi's family fawned over their eldest daughter Astrea a lot. Nteo was quite proud his daughter had become a cleric's apprentice as such a young age, and now was a full-fledged one. Where did that leave Tawi in comparison? A mere guard? It was obvious that it took a lot out of him. He'd grown isolated more as an adult.

"I know he tried...At least...He told me he did. The day those large red lions came over. He was going to speak with you alone, but...then your brother showed up?" Having not been then, Mstiri didn't know the full story, only second hand knowledge from his companion.

The green bird shook his head. "I don't think that was why. But...I can't say for sure." He probably ran off because he though he wasn't enough for her.

"We need to find him to tell him that! I have seen the outside world on flights, even with his training it's not going to be something he will be used to. One wrong word to a wrong lion...." his tone drifted, fluffing up.

"Will you go with me? To find him? He might listen more to you than me."  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

"The pride and his family makes sense, but for such a smart lion.. he should have known he didn't have to prove himself to me." Her tone was passionate and suddenly exhausted. Somewhere deep down the rage still boiled her blood, but for the most part she felt sad and motivated. She knew some of what he might have gone through.. his sister was talked about often enough to leave one wondering how the rest of the litter might react, but she wasn't sure how deeply it effected Tawi.

"He tried?" Raia thought about it and he had seemed to want to talk. "My brother can be such an arse." She cursed quietly. "Tawi wouldn't have had to leave if he had had the chance to just say what was on his mind. We could have talked about this." Her brow furrowed deeply and she frowned.

"He probably told it right. Tawi doesn't leave out details, not usually."

Raia grew quiet as she considered things, but didn't have a chance to remain that way for long as Mstiri pointed out what she already feared. "His mouth does tend to get him into a lot of trouble.. just in here. I can't imagine what he has already gone through." A fresh batch of tears welled up as she worried her lost loved one. She pictured his expressions, both grumpy and light hearted, he was a terrific lion - though they had some rough patches.

"Of course I will!"

She surprised herself with how quickly she answered. Mstiri was asking a lot of her - to leave her home, the safety of her family, and to enter a place of unknown. Without the Great Lion's guidance it was possible neither of them would return to the pride they knew well. But she was willing to risk everything for him - Tawi was important to her.

"We can leave immediately." She didn't think about having preparations, nor a satchel to keep them in. No. She wanted to get started on the search right away and bring him home - now.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Mstiri was glad that she agreed to go. If he couldn't persuade his bond to stay in the lands, how was he going to tell him to return? Raiatea, she had a different affect on the male, even if the grumpy lion didn't want to ever admit it.

At least she knew though. He wasn't lying when he said Tawi liked her. He had prodded the blue male to say he needed to express his feelings to her. Yet, Tawi was Tawi. The lion was such an introvert it was hard for him to express himself.

With a firm nod, the avian nodded. "Let's head out then. I fear if we delay, others may try to stop us." He had never met the other's sibling, but by the stories Tawi told him, the other's that came to mind was Raia's brother.

"He probably headed towards the South border. He always mentions it's a bit quieter than the others." Knowing their luck, it would probably the one most guarded, but at least they had to try!  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Good. Neither of them would hesitate.

"My brother would definitely try to stop us. We don't know what we are getting ourselves into.. I can hear my parents reminding me of that now."

Raia could picture the stern paw of her mother pressing the ground in an effort to make her see that point of view. She shook her head, ridding herself of that thought. "That makes sense. We'll have a tough time, but if you scout ahead and let me know the unguarded paths we can do it." She imagined his thoughts mirrored hers - the guards.

Without further hesitation or allowing another thought to wrack her with guilt for leaving without notice she left, assuming Mstiri was on her heels. This could be a long or short journey - she wondered what her family might do if they discover her missing.