[SRP] Insecurity {Arutemisu & Lunaria} ~ [Fin]

[Big Hobbit]

Aru walked swiftly back into the borders of the pride with several other males. They'd just returned from a successful hunt, dragging several large carcasses with them. Ever since the pride was attacked, there had been strict changes made to the way hunters did their job to limit the possibility of their home being discovered. Hunting groups were smaller in numbers and assigned different areas of the surrounding lands. They were to remain as silent as possible and do their job quickly to minimize their time beyond the borders.

Aru and the other males dropped their kills off to several sages that would prepare the meat to be dispersed to everyone. His responsibilities fulfilled for the time being, Aru made his way toward the center of the pride in search of his mate.
 

[Big Hobbit]

Lunaria had just returned from training with the other warriors that morning.

Her body was sore and tired, but she felt invigorated and alert from their session. She and the other warriors did whatever they thought of to quell any sense of despair lingering among them. The others were looking up to them, they decided, the warriors should be the ones to restore a sense of faith in the pride. The dark lioness kept these sentiments close to her heart, but she couldn't help but continue to feel the intense sadness and panic that had hit her when she believed that their home was doomed.

She'd been having countless flashbacks in the dead of night of the tragedy of her birth home. When she realized what was happening, she immediately became overwhelmed with past memories and had shamefully not been much help during the attack. At first, she fought, but the more surrounded they became the more her muscles seemed to freeze.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, she made herself move forward toward the village circle where she hoped to catch up with her mate from his hunting excursion.  

[Big Hobbit]

It was easy for him to spot his mate in a crowd. Everything about her was familiar and unique. Her deep black coat with a violet hue stood out to him from all others. She caught his eye easily whenever she was within his field of view and today was no exception. A flash of fur and he made his way toward her as quickly as he could.

"Hey Luna," he greeted her before rubbing his head against hers giving her a gently smile. "Come on, lets go to our den for a bit."

The white lion encouraged his distant mate to follow him as they walked slowly up to the large cave.
 

[Big Hobbit]

Lunaria returned Aru’s smile and did her best to present a positive attitude with her mate, but the heaviness in her chest keep her continually held in a place just hovering above despair. She kept up her pace at his side and tried not to lag behind him lest he be able to catch on to her low mood.

“How was your hunt today?,” she asked softly, tried to engage herself in conversation with him. The dark lioness didn’t want her mate to concern himself over her too much after all they’d been through together.

She could only imagine how much of a burden she’d been on him during the time when her mind had left her completely.  

[Big Hobbit]

The white lion knew that his mate was suffering internally but decided not to draw much attention to it just yet while they were walking together. He wanted to distract her as much as possible. His heart had crashed into his stomach when their new home had been attacked.

He too was reminded of the dreadful and violent downfall of their birth home and the lives of their loved ones that had been lost. If he were weaker he would readily allow himself to fall into depression over it. However, his beloved lioness Luna kept him strong, kept him grounded. Just as in the time when they were wandering in the rogue lands, he stayed focused on present and the future for her sake.

“It went surprisingly well, “ he answered her inquiry. “We were able to track down prey fairly quickly today, and no one was hurt during the hunt. How was training today?”  

[Big Hobbit]

“Productive,” she started, “we spent a lot of time meditating and going over basic forms. The masters are trying to keep everyone’s spirits up.”

Together, they walked up the low hill where the caves sat overlooking the village circle. Making their way into the left cave, they moved leisurely past other dens until they reached their own. Stepping into the warm, cozy space, Lunaria settled down against a far wall of smooth rock. It was where they typically slept.

Gazing up at Aru, she waited for him to come and lounge next to her.
 

[Big Hobbit]

Aru quickly came to lay next to Lunaria, making sure they were in close contact. He laved his tongue over the fur of her face and ears affectionately. He was hesitant to ask about her well-being, but did any way, wanting to dismantle some of her bravado to see how she was really doing.

“And how are your spirits Luna? I hate to mention it, but I can’t imagine that you weren’t reminded of the destruction of our old home. I know I was.”

He looked into her eyes with concern, “You can tell me anything you’re feeling, you know that.”  

[Big Hobbit]

Tears immediately sprung into the dark lioness’ eye at the gentle words of her mate. She took a few deep breaths to keep herself calm before answering him.

“Of course I was Aru, it was all I could think about while it was happening. I can still hear the screams sometimes you know. All I could think was, not again, and that I couldn’t deal with the same thing happening twice. I know we made it through, but I can’t help but feel shaken from the attack. When the invaders broke through the forest and found us, I feared the worst Aru. I’m trying to feel safe here again. I know we overpowered them and won, but there was still so much damage done.”

She buried her face into Aru’s thick mane as she spoke, trying to draw strength from him.  

[Big Hobbit]

“Yes Luna, we did win! You and the other warriors were so brave and did the best you could. I know you were scared, but we won! Try to focus on that. There is no place that is entirely foolproof, but this pride is strong. We have the ability to protect ourselves here from those who seek to destroy us. There will always be some enemy lurking around, but this pride can defeat them Luna.”

Aru nuzzled her while he spoke, doing his best to comfort her and bring her some sense of peace and security. In his opinion, the events that transpired showed him that their current home had the strength to survive any obstacle. They had chosen the right place to stay.  

[Big Hobbit]

The lioness was unable to stop the twin tears that rolled down either side of her face. She gave Arutemisu a small open but sad smile as she let his presence and words wash over her.

Lunaria didn’t know what she would do without her soulmate. He was her everything. He was the only one that really kept her on the ground when she felt like flying away. So preoccupied on thoughts of the possible downfall of the pride, she didn’t give much thought on the fact they had actually come out victorious in the end.

“Yeah we can,” she sniffed, “Thanks Aru.”