[FIN] Hidden in the Mists (Kikimora & Meltem)

[Anderleit]

Kikimora's steps dragged on. She didn't know where she headed anymore. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't know where she going several days ago. She just went through the motions: eat, sleep, hunt. Repeat. Survive. The lioness' drive to go on continued, regardless of the fact that she had no active say in it.

Mora was almost nodding on her feet when she came upon the forest. She had to be: it took her entirely too long to realize that her dragging pawsteps had stopped to be otherwise. Plus, she didn't remember seeing the trees in the distance. They were just here, towering as far up as she dared to crane her weary head.

Somewhere in the back of her thoughts, it occurred to her that this was quite the imposing sight. The same inkling - the tinny voice of her aforementioned survival - warned her that such a thick wood could not possibly be empty. It might be wiser indeed to find a way around the mist-riven trees. But there was a reason that voice was so small. Of course she would have to act soon, but there was something...almost pretty about the forest. Pretty wasn't something she'd had the luxury of appreciating as of late. So Kikimora lingered at the treeline just a bit longer, content with watching.  

[magnadearel]

Anderleit

Her herbal supplies were running low which meant she got to take her little companion and go gather more, teaching the young serval all she knew. Meltem decided to forage at the edge of the forests today, for some of the herbs grew better with more access to sunlight. True she could find them in the forest, but places with enough sunlight were rare and hard to find. Plus they grew in eventually and then she had to wait until more trees fell.

While gathering she noted a shape coming slowly toward them. So slowly in fact that she had plenty of time to observe the creature before she needed to hide among the shadows and mist. It was a lioness and it looked as though her spirit had plumb run out. Meltem frowned slightly; she was sure some of her herbs could help.

That finally decided her. She slipped out of the forest, one moment not there, then there. “Hello. If you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t well.”


The young night marked serval had taken a little longer to notice the approaching lioness. She wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something bad. There was something certainly not right there. Mahina had only to glance at her lioness to know what was on her mind. She wanted to help of course, which meant Mahina would be involved too. With a soft sigh she pondered what herbs that they’d collected might be useful at this moment. She glanced fondly at the small basket strapped to her side, a gift from a friend.

When the ocean colored lioness made her appearance, Mahina bounded right out with her. She circled the weary lioness at a careful distance. “Do you think your herbs will really help with this?” With the bluntness that comes from one who had recently reached adulthood.
 

[Anderleit]

She would swear up and down that blue lion hadn't been there a moment before. Mora squinted, then blinked. She shook her head - but the female was still there. That soothing color was out of place when her exhaustion tinted the rest of the world grey.

Now she was speaking. That didn't automatically make her real, but it certainly skewed Mora's thoughts in that direction. Her little accomplice was easier to handle, night-dark with only a few bright streaks to its name... Even if he wasn't nearly so welcoming. Not the first time she'd seen a lion in the rogue-lands traveling with a lesser one, though it was a still a bit of a shock. Part of her wondered just how prevalent their use was out here.

Honey eyes flashed up and down the stranger's form, showing just a hint of Kikimora's old alertness. By the time she spoke, however, the spark had dulled again. "Healer?" She asked brusquely, voice gravelly from disuse. The basket on the lesser one; the immediate diagnosis in that certain tone. Yes, she certainly recognized that kind. "Though he could use a touch of manners, your little helper is correct. I don't think you have any herb that could cure what ails me." Even as she said it, though, Mora found herself second-guessing. It was harder than it should have been for her to keep an eye on the circling little one, and that was a bad sign. Maybe this stranger would have something to keep her going, just a little longer... Just until she made it into the forest, found a spot to curl up for the night...

magnadearl

 

[magnadearel]

Anderleit

*giggles* Mahina is a girl lol. We can chalk it up to her befuddlement. Mahina in all her glory.

Meltem gave a chiding click of her tongue to bring the young serval back to her and remind her of her manners. "Sometimes its more than just herb healing Mahina," she replied to the question, then turned her attention back to the needing lioness. "Apothecary actually, but I know my herbs." The lioness stifled her laugh into the fur of her shoulder lest the serval hear at the assigning of a wrong gender.

"Perhaps, but they may help. Along with a place to rest and perhaps a supporting shoulder?" Meltem meant if the lioness needed someone's shoulder to cry upon, hers was free for the use. "Why don't you come with me?" The lioness turned and headed back into the forest. There was a sheltered spot, as she well knew, that would be suitable for this lioness to rest at. Perhaps she'd be willing to talk about whatever had brought her to this point.


Mahina continued her slow circles, until summoned back to the ocean lioness' side. Her fur fluffed out though when she realized this stranger had called her a boy. "I'm a girl, Duh!" She gave a glare. "Meltem can certainly find a herb that will fix you," her tone was a bit scornful, implying she wasn't sure this stranger was worthy of fixing.

She was still learning a lot about herbs and to her they were almost magical. There was a herb for practically everything. Mahina hadn't yet learned that sometimes bedside manners and a friendly shoulder could help almost nearly as much. She gave one long look at the lioness, wondering if she'd follow into the dark forest. "Come along if you dare." The serval turned and bounded after Meltem.
 

[Anderleit]

Apothecary. That was a new one. What separated them from a simple healer, precisely? A greater inclination towards random kindness, perhaps, if this one was any indication. Though she wasn't sure she would accept that offer for a shoulder to cry on, Kikimora couldn't rightly turn down safe rest. Well, safe-ish. Depended on how much she trusted the ethics of this particular stranger.

"Perhaps," Mora replied, but the droop in her voice made it obvious that she couldn't refuse. "I could do with the rest. But I'll not impose upon your good nature for long." If worse came to worse, the tired female was distinctly darker than her bright counterpart. She could likely lose the pair in the forest, and be on her way.

The smaller feline earned herself a frosty look: those honeyed eyes once again flashing into life. "A girl, are you?" Mora shot back, a mother's scold in her tone. "I was obviously well-fooled. If you're going to be rude as a boy, you might expect some mistakes." In spite of the lesser cat's cutting words, Kikimora did follow the blue lioness into the trees. For the first time in quite a while, she held her head high. She didn't care how weary she was, she was not going to allow someone's pet to show her up!

magnadearel

Oops! So sorry, Mahina! My mistake. x3;

 

[magnadearel]

magnadearel

She headed down a familiar faint trail, and listened carefully behind her. The lighter faint patter of Mahina's paw steps, followed... there by some larger paw steps. So the other lioness had decided to follow her. Good. Meltem made an effort to remain visible, despite some feelings telling her she was being followed and shouldn't be. She didn't think the lioness was in much of a position to put up a good fight right now.

Eventually she reached a hollow and moved to settle down to make room for the others. She had noted the exchange between the pair, and knew she'd have to take Mahina in paw later privately. Ah the joys of youth. Meltem smiled at the lioness as she entered. "Help yourself to a spot. Do you mind if I ask where you come from?" A faint thought had been tickling around the inside of her mind.


Mahina grumbled to herself about ungrateful lions. Here Meltem was trying to help her, when by rights they should have been running them away. She didn't really understand the whole situation yet. But the lioness' scathing remarks had hit home. Was she truly being rude? A glance toward Meltem when she entered the grove warned her she was in a bit of trouble. The young serval sighed.

She moved by the ocean lioness and shrugged off her basket. A gentle paw pushed it fondly into a place out of the way. Now she turned to really look at the brown lioness objectively. Ok, Meltem wanted to help her. Meltem was the expert on herbs and would obviously take care of that aspect. What could she do to help? Mahina glanced out of the corner of her eye toward her lioness. "If your hungry I'll go catch you something to eat."
 

[Anderleit]

It felt like midday beneath the trees. Kikimora had never known anything like it - for as tall as the mountains were, they didn't loom above you like this. She also realized that she was wrong about the bright-pelted lioness: she clearly knew her way through this wood. If Mora tried to run from her through this... Ugh. Even with some proper sleep, it all looked like a maze of tree trunks to her. She wouldn't make it far. She wasn't thrilled to be putting her well-being in the paws of a stranger, but she was even less fond of wandering aimlessly through trees for Creation-knows-how-long.

Mora didn't realize that her guide had stopped until she nearly ran headfirst into the other lioness. Startled, she blinked and moved to the side. One could hope she'd done so before anyone noticed her mistake, but she didn't feel too lucky in that.

"Where I come from." Picking up conversation was an easy way to cover her embarrassment. "It was a mountain, once upon a time. The most beautiful valley you'd ever seen. Then the drought came, and..." Her voice broke. Angry with herself for the slip, Mora went silent, curling her tail around protectively around her body. Lowering to the ground, she rested her chin on her paws.

Only the little cat's question made her open her eyes again. They were glassy, and gentler than they had been in a very long time. "A bite to eat would be very nice. Thank you." She cleared her throat roughly, making sure she turned her head before the saucy little upstart could see tears begin to fall.

magnadearel

Did you know you quoted yourself? Hee. x3

 

[magnadearel]

Anderleit

So I did. And gaia didn't even give me a quote notice. XD

Meltem gave the lioness a reassuring smile as she nearly got walked into. It was lucky the lioness had found her instead of one of the other, sterner, guards. Some took the pride's privacy very seriously and would do their best to scare, frighten, or turn away any who didn't belong. The least she could do was proffer a little security for this lioness to get back onto her feet.

She listened quietly. A drought? She hadn't heard of one nearby, so she must have traveled far indeed. "I'm very sorry to hear about your home. Do you have any plans for yourself?" Perhaps the lioness was traveling toward family that she knew about. If not though, There was an offer she could perhaps make if the lioness was open to it. "I"m Meltem, and this is Mahina."


Mahina flicked her ears. A drought sounded bad. She felt a little more sympathy for the lioness. Had she lived with others? Did they leave when she did? Where were they? As much as she'd like to ask, it'd have to wait. Instead she nodded briskly at the polite acceptance for a meal. She had plenty of practice hunting now. It was her job to keep the small rodents out of Meltem's stores.

The serval padded away into the forest in her search. Mice and such wouldn't really do to feed a large lioness like that. After a moment's thought she decided on the prey she would go after. With luck, she'd make some quick catches.
 

[Anderleit]

...Did she have any plans for herself? Talk about a hard question to 'fess up to. She could probably get away with lying, and spare herself any more of the pity she could see in Meltem's eyes. But that didn't really seem to be in the spirit of all the apothecary had shared with her so far. Kikimora didn't have to think about it long to decide that she didn't want to be the one to kick off any dishonesty.

So the truth, then. "No, I don't." The admission sounded harsh, even to her. "Thank you for your help, Meltem - and Mahina as well. My name is Kikimora. To be honest, after I leave here, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself." A frown deepened the lioness' already strained features. After a moment or two, she sighed. "But there's no reason to be concerned. I'll survive well enough." She could be a little more resolute about that. No sense worrying about it any more than she had to. Doing, rather than thinking, had been working out for her thus far. And as long as she didn't think about her past...and all she had lost; or her future, existing as some feral, survival-driven automaton... Everything would be absolutely marvelous.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

Anderleit

The ocean lioness seemed to relax a tiny bit when the brown lioness admitted no particular place to go. She smiled. “It’s our pleasure.” While most of her time was devoted to her pride, as it should be, helping others never hurt. Meltem twitched her tail thoughtfully then asked, “do you? Want to leave, I mean?”

Dark blue eyes watched Kikimora. “I could offer you a place here if had a hankering to settle down.” The tentative offer had been made. She would tell her more if the lioness was interested, not otherwise. Just then Mahina returned. Meltem smiled at the serval’s good luck.


Mahina had put all her hard won skills to use to complete her hunt as quickly as possible. Still it had taken her awhile to hunt a couple of rabbits for the pair of lionesses. It was even more awkward trying to carry both at once. Somehow she managed it, but her jaw was aching!

She returned to the clearing just in time to catch the last part Meltem said. Oh she knew exactly where this was heading. Mahina didn’t say anything, she couldn’t without dropping her rabbits, as she padded to lay a rabbit at the feet of each lioness. “Not much, but their more than a bite.”
 

[Anderleit]

Mora steeled herself against a double-take, but she still ended up staring hard at the other lioness for a minute or so. Stay here? Like, with her? This little alcove was all well and fine, but wouldn't it become cramped with two of them, and the little one?

What was her alternative, though? Going feral was an option, but obviously not one she would ever look forward to. She could go looking for the others from the mountain, but... The very idea made Mora wince. Searching the roguelands aimlessly for friends who may not even still be alive...and certainly wouldn't welcome the sight of her if they were. She had effectively abandoned them, after all. Couldn't imagine anyone seeing it otherwise. Her mate. Her cubs.

She was tearing up again. "That might be a good idea, Meltem. Perhaps it could be nice to stay in one place for a while." The little cat returned - and lo and behold, she came with food! More than a bite, indeed. She nodded a thank you to the dark little hunter, privately impressed with her ability to bring back more than one, and pulled the rabbit closer.

magnadearel

Would you like to call this one finished?

 

[magnadearel]

Anderleit

Yup! Thank you! If Mora wants to meet any of my others, she's more than welcome to!

She'd judge the lioness correctly. The pride was still quite small and it could use every member it could get. Discretely of course. It wasn't their style to pounce on every stray rogue and drag them off. Only ones who would be comfortable with them was the offer made.

Meltem gave a wide, tooth-filled grin. "Good. Then I will tell you about us."


Mahina moved to the blue lioness' side and settled herself, gracefully tucking her tail around her paws. She narrowed her eyes and smirked as the lioness pulled the rabbit closer. And Meltem had done as she thought. Practically inviting the lioness to join. She knew what she was doing. There was always the chance the rogue would refuse, but Mahina privately didn't think so once everything had been explained.