Home. He was home. Dread filled Hraban's stomach as the familiar landscape of mountains, thin trees, the scent of prey beasts native to these mountains. He was the one that lead the caravan back from the Pridelands home to Tianxia. Not the captain.
The evening was only beginning, quiet murmuring turning into greetings. Hungry stomachs were ready for dinner, and friends and families were reunited. There were many wary eyes from some of the new potential members that followed the caravan from the Pridelands, and those same looks were given from North members. Strangers were welcome cautiously, but as the Captain had vouched for them before they had left the lush grasslands, there was a trust that would grow, and the North would return to its usual ways.
Hraban only hoped that he wouldn't have to meet those green eyes any time soon.
He was exhausted, anxious, and starving. Food was the first solution to fix one of his many problems. There was some food around left by the hunters; not fresh, but palpable. As he swallowed a few mouthfuls of cold meat, he realized that it would have to be him, and not the captain, to relay the reports of what had happened. A messenger here and there would prevent the news from being a complete surprise, but to report that a Captain was missing...Hraban's stomach twisted again, and he lost his appetite.
"Huo Wuya!"
The bright joy that pierced his name was a surprise, but the black lion knew just who that would be; Jing Xue.
"I've missed you!" the striped lioness sighed, thrilled to see her soldier again. Ok, maybe not her soldier yet, but she was going to finalize these feelings of hers and pin them down on him. He may be a little filthy and hungry, but it was clear that being away did not mean being away from training and duties. He was still as fit as ever. Or... "What's wrong, Huo Wuya? Is something wrong?"
s**t. s**t s**t s**t. "If you're here, then is Lingchen with you?" he breathed, his voice lowering with every word.
"Yes, she was right behind..." Nyneve glanced behind her, realizing that the brown lioness wasn't right behind her. Where had she gone? Both lions started to glance around; Hraban from fear, and Nyneve from worry. "Where did she go?"
Until they realized that she was approaching them from a completely different direction.
Rumi had been training when she had heard that the excursion was complete, and the Captain with his caravan had returned. It wasn't within a soldier's duties to quit in the middle of training, and so she had completed her exercises before letting her heart get to her. Finally, they had returned. She was still irritated that Tie Shi left without saying goodbye, but no one could turn down the Emperor when summoned to him.
As she made her way down to where the caravan gathered, she heard many whispers about the new members, and how tired they all looked. She didn't see Tie Shi immediately, but assumed that he was making his report to the Lord of the House, probably with intentions to repeat that same report to the Emperor in the morning. Still, she should be able to at least see him for a moment before then, right?
When she hadn't been able to find him, she decided to search out the soldier that had helped run the caravan; Huo Wuya.
As Rumi found him, amusingly enough with Nyneve next to him, she realized that they seemed odd. "...greetings, Huo Wuya. I hope I'm not interrupting?"
The striped lioness still didn't know what was going on, but realized that it wan't going to be good news. The friendly lioness beamed at her friend, hoping that her sweet nature would lessen whatever blow that was about to happen.
"No," the black lion replied. "I knew that you would be looking for me, however."
"You...knew? I assume that Captain Tie Shi is making his report to the Lord, so I was hoping to wait with you." Rumi's voice was quiet but even, realizing that something had happened.
Upon hearing his name, Hraban's claws flexed into the hard dirt. "The Captain....did not return with us." He wanted to look at anything other than those green eyes, but they held his attention and he could not tear away.
Rumi felt her body lurch, but she tried to keep her voice calm. "...duty?" she asked quietly, assuming as much.
"I am sorry, Lingchen. He went missing." Hraban's voice was firm, but his stomach was in knots. This would be a more difficult report than any he had to give his Lord or Emperor. He saw the brown lioness wavering, and knew that nothing he did would make it easier. The task had been fulfilled, and they had all returned...without their Captain. He was lost to them. "I know he wanted to return, to fulfill his promise."
Rumi's stomach lurched, and she felt her legs lose strength. She wavered, her mind a flood of emotions as she was swept away in them. Anger, sadness, hopelessness; all reflecting on her face as she was coming to terms with the words that Huo Wuya spoke to her.
"Rumi..." Nyneve said to her softly, using her outside name as a sign of comfort. The brown lioness recoiled against that, glaring at her friend in disgust. She couldn't take it anymore; Rumi turned and ran off into the growing darkness of night.
"Lingchen!" Nyneve tried again, but it was hollow. "Oh, Huo, I will see you later," the lioness said to the soldier, abandoning him to chase after her friend.
----
Rumi was not paying attention to where she was running. Branches of trees and brush scratched at her shoulders, tearing fur and bits of flesh. Her mind didn't recognize the pain, as her heart swelled in anxiety and fear as she ran away from her home. Why had she stayed? She could have gone after him when they had left; she hadn't been a soldier then. What would they have done? She could have petitioned to be with them as a hunter, helping to keep the band of soldiers fed as they made the journey to the Pridelands.
But she chose to stay here. To train on becoming a soldier, to surprise him with her change in rank when he returned. To finally have that spar with him. Regardless of the outcome, she would have pledged herself to the North, and would finally confront him on her feelings. He had nearly said as much in his messages sent back home, didn't he?
But he was gone. Missing.
As that word crossed her mind, she felt herself trip, and threw herself head-first into a tree. Darkness licked at the corners of her mind as she finally let herself cry. The pain of her injury was a whisper against the pain in her heart, but she realized that she had seriously injured herself with her foolish attempts to run away from her pain.
She curled up there for a moment, not realizing that there was a second set of pained breathing just above her head.
"Oh Rumi, Rumi, what did you do?" Nyneve had finally caught up to her friend, tears streaming down her white fur. She nuzzled around Rumi's head, neck, and shoulders, trying to see if she could asses the damage that had been done. It didn't seem serious, but the lioness was not going to be able to move for many hours.
"I'm such a fool, Ny," the brown lioness whispered between her tears, embarrassed to be caught in such a juvenile explosion of emotion. "I just..."
"Shhh." She hushed her injured friend, licking the fur around her face and head to soothe the brokenhearted soldier. "You know I would have done the same if something happened to Huo Wuya." Nyneve didn't dare say more, knowing that the fresh would on her heart would have to bleed before it could heal. She was only here to comfort and protect her friend, as they were surely going to spend the night out here away from the House. Huo Wuya would have his reports to conclude, and only then would she hope that he would come find them here.
"I'm so sorry," Rumi whispered, curling herself up tighter to cry. She never wanted to face this reality. She wouldn't force herself to until tomorrow.
(1,410 words)