[PRP] What Next? (Vesper & Nyeusi)

[mouselet]

Ever since the Hunters' Strike, Nyeusi had looked much less like the crazed prophet she'd been for the two years prior. Her black fur was groomed, her eyes weren't always wide open, and she'd stopped wearing her bone adornments.

Anyone who saw her now might be forgiven for thinking nothing had changed in the past moons. The lioness wore no bones, but her fur was matted and tangled and covered in blood. Especially her face and neck. Some of it, upon closer examination, was her own. But not all of it, not even most of it.

"Vesper!" she hissed, looking around for the white lion. Eyes wide and her whisper just a little too loud, Nyeusi sounded like the mad prophet once again.  

[mouselet]

Good news, she'd found him. Bad news, he wasn't alone. Worse news, she couldn't be certain of the loyalties of everyone in the patrol group, which meant she had to get Vesper alone. But she didn't have time to wait for him to finish.

"Vesper!" she hissed again, a bit louder this time. As she waited for him to paky attention, to lose the group, to come over to where she stood, Nyeusi was fidgeting, shredding the greenery beneath her claws.

She'd forgotten about the blood that adorned her, forgotten that she was bleeding, forgotten everything except for the body lying somewhere behind her and her desperate need to consult with Vesper about it.  

[mouselet]

Vesper was here. Vesper was here and he would stand between her and any problems, like he'd done for so long. The black lioness relaxed completely, breathing easily and calmly for the first time since she'd released the purple lioness' throat from her mouth.

"I killed Mari," she informed the male simply. The calmness of her words was now completely add odds with her disheveled appearance as well as the near-hysteria that had colored his name when she'd called it mere moments before.  

[mouselet]

"She attacked me again," Nyeusi said, paying no attention whatsoever to Vesper's examination. Her eyes were distant, playing over the events of earlier that night. "She waited until you were nowhere near and attacked. I told her that if it was the Great Lion's will to use me to dispose of threads, I wouldn't gainsay Him."

She stated it matter-of-factly, greatly relaxed in the male's presence. Yes, the Huntress was, as proven, perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But when Vesper was around, she didn't have to. Thank the Great Lion for Vesper.  

[mouselet]

"Vesper," she replied, some sanity and panic returning to her expression, "What do I do with Mari?" As if the purple lioness was lying asleep, and not dead. Nyeusi had no idea what to do with the body.

Surely Vesper would know. She couldn't think past finding Vesper and the safety and understanding he defined. Still couldn't think past it. Had absolutely no idea what tomorrow night would be like.  

[mouselet]

The black lioness frowned, blue eyes sensible once more as she pondered Vesper's words. Ota? A fellow Huntress in the same class, Nyeusi certainly knew who Ota was. The older lioness was the mother of Vesper's children, among other things. But she couldn't think of a reason why they would go to her about this.

"Why Ota?" she asked. "What about Kamia?" She vaguely knew that the other lioness seemed to have something to do with the rebellion. Umepatwa had been much more visible, but unfortunately he was dead too. The other option would probably be her father.  

[mouselet]

"Oh." The bloodstained black-furred lioness was quiet as she considered the answer she'd been given. That did make sense. It even explained how Umepatwa had been such a focal point. The wonder was that Shangyue hadn't seen it yet.

"Okay then. Let's go talk to Ota," she agreed, smiling up at Vesper.