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 Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 7:51 pm
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One foot in front of the other.
He stumbled as he tried to make his way back home, his eyes strained with a terrified look. Dusk was settling, and it was trickier to see the twigs, roots, and rocks that were determined to drag him down into the dirt instead of back home. Home.
Where his mother...wouldn't be.
He had accidentally come across something that he never, even in nightmares, thought he would see. The colour of fur, the stickiness of semi-dried blood.
Something, or someone, had killed his mother.
There was no way to mistake it as anything but. A preybeast wouldn't injure a lion like that, and besides, she was a scout. She kept an eye on the borders but wasn't supposed to engage in any sort of fights.
He had been so torn on what to do, but he knew that it was better to leave her there and find someone to report to than drag her back. Maybe someone with better experience could figure out what happened...and what attacked her.
His stomach recoiled. He hadn't eaten in hours but the smell was impossible to remove from his memory. He slipped on a stone, and Mkate fell to the ground with a loud thump.
He was close to home, wasn't he? |
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 8:34 pm
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 8:40 pm
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 8:49 pm
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Mkate pulled himself up so he wasn't a mess on the floor. His legs were shaking, and he wasn't sure if he could even continue to walk. Having the benefit of telling someone else that she was dead was a bit like relief, even if it made the reality of the situation all the more pressing. She was gone, and there was nothing Mkate could really do about it.
"It wasn't natural," he said with a heavy tone, unsure as to how much he should tell her. "And yes, we....we should get a few someones. I didn't want to....move her, just in case."
He gasped a bit as he tried to recollect his thoughts, and fill his lungs again with air. Was living this hard? He was definitely in a haze and was having a hard time focusing on what he wanted to actually tell her.
"Someone that isn't in the family. I...don't want anyone else to see that. Oh, Hamamu..." He swayed again, but was able to prevent himself from falling over again.
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 9:23 pm
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"Steady!" she cried, stepping closer and turning to stand at his side so she could help support him, "I- I'm so sorry, Mkate. We'll get help, don't you worry."
It was a tall order, asking for someone who wasn't in the family. With Mdaawa and Miamba at the top of the tree, it was a big family.. but she quickly realized she was thinking too literally. Don't get her mother, don't get her aunts. No grandparents, or great-grandparents. She looked around, trying to summon Haramia with sheer willpower but getting no results. Her vision began to blur as she fought back tears.
"Let's get you home," she said, giving him a hopeful nudge forward, "I'll take care of it, but I won't leave you here. Haramia is supposed to meet me here, I'll send her for a healer."
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 10:08 pm
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Mkate tried to not lean on his cousin too much; he honestly felt like he would crush her physically as well as emotionally if he wasn't careful. He did use her body to help steady himself, feeling his limbs still shake in fear and grief.
"Yes...thank you." He was trying to think of someone more level-headed to ask when it dawned on him. "I know she's aged, but have her grab Ruffian too, if she's available. As a head scout she should know, and she can make sure that everyone who needs to know, knows." His stomach twisted again, in a sensation of never-ending knots that he felt like were now permanent.
Home was a conflicting word at this point, but he hoped that he could just be with his family...with his grandfather, and little siblings. Oh, what was he going to do....?
"I really mean it, thank you for somehow being here when I needed you, Hamamu."
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 10:18 pm
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 10:23 pm
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 10:37 pm
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Hamamu did her best to keep them moving at a steady pace while the continued to talk. The sooner he could sit down and rest, the better it would be for him.. but the more that was said privately, the better. Surely Mkate didn't want to be forced to share the details beyond the necessary. And his younger siblings ought to appreciate it.
"I see," she said, frowning at the realization it might be best to get more lions involved lest someone else wind up dead, "I'll make sure they're careful, I expect they'd know better anyway.."
It was getting darker and so Haramia would be harder to see, but she hoped the movement she saw in her peripheral vision meant the hare had found them. She would be smart enough not to interrupt when something was clearly very wrong. They were past their meeting point, and just about to Hamamu's own den. She hesitated at first but decided it was closer and would give him an opportunity to sort himself out before he had to deal with everybody else.
"It's not your home, but you're welcome to stay in mine," she said as they approached, "I'll get everything taken care of and come back. If any hares happen to wander by, you can tell them to scram.. or you can send one to let someone know where you are if you're ready before I get back."
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 10:45 pm
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Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 10:52 pm
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