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 Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:50 pm
 Theluji stood with her back to cliffs on a relatively rocky beach. And before her, encompassing the entire horizon. The vast sea. Theluji had only ever heard stories of the ocean. Back in the Swamps, it had been so hard to imagine, this vast body of moving water, waves crashing again the shore, sand, rocky outcroppings, animals scurrying out and into the water.
Like that thing! Theluji tried to pounce on the small crawling thing, but it's claws pinched at her, startling her. Theluji back pedaled, splashing into the water. The cold water. Cold but new.
Once in the water, Theluji bounded from side to side, trying to catch the waves, laughing to herself. She even tried to drink the water, but it tasted bad, like salt on salt, so even that part of the stories about the sea were true. The ocean was filled with salt and thus undrinkable. And fishy. And not the good fishy taste or smell, but not the bad kind either. Fishy unpleasant, really. But not bad.
Theluji froze spotting something in the sea that she thought was moving. She thought was large. And then she remembered the tales of the other animals that lived in the ocean. Bigger things. Bigger than lions or elephants or giraffe or a rhino. With a lot more teeth. Panicked, Theluji rushed back to shore.
Or tried to. Tripping over something she couldn't see beneath the waters, Theluji fell and couldn't get her feet under her again. Soon she couldn't see the surface, the sky, the light as she was pulled under and out by yet another sea fact she'd forgotten until that moment. Undertow. Rip Currents. Surf, Rogue Waves. All of it. She remembered when she was already trying to push her way up, breaking the surface just to breathe. To catch her breath before being pulled under again.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 7:18 pm
He paused for a moment, could he call these wind swept cliffs, the swelling seas and the Pride that claimed them 'new' any more. He served steadfastly beside he captain and best friend Luc, giving his silent support, for Erlender rarely spoke. He found the language that Luc and the others confusing, and while he could puzzle it out quickly in his head, it seemed only Luc could understand him with as much ease.
Frowning at the problem that barrier could cause in battle at some point he turned his amber eyes toward the sea and saw a flash of white rise up, then get pulled under, then rise up again. Narrowing them, he caught the tumbled in of a tail, then a paw and realized it was another feline of some kind caught in the incoming tide's tow.
Without thought, he jumped into the water as a wave came up, letting it do the work of pulling him toward the struggling figure. Erlendr did not fight the current, he went with it, adjusting which undertow he let take him till he reached where he last saw the white flash.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:21 pm
Riptow, or whatever it was, she didn't even know anymore. She couldn't breathe, couldn't hold her breath any longer. She was going to have to open her mouth to breathe. Why hadn't she opened her mouth yet? She was floating, drifting, and the burn of holding her breathe was making her dizzy. She just needed to open her mouth to -
She opened her mouth and salt water rushed into the gap she'd created, flowing down her throat until she had to swallow, until the only pipe it could go down was the only it couldn't.
Water. Breathing water. Swallowing water. No air.
An image of the swamps, her brother and her sisters, her friends. Azure the blue lizard that had lead her to so many adventures. He wouldn't have lead her here, that was for sure. And her mother. Her mother.
Theluji kicked for the surface again, even though she was further down under the water than the first few times she'd been pulled under. But she didn't think about that. She kicked and pulled her self up. Just a breath and she'd be able to make it back to her mother, to her home. Just a breath.
Breaking the surface, Theluji sucked in as much air as she could, continued to kick and swim as much as she could, momentarly sinking back under the water, only rise again with a small growl.
Until her leg got stuck.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:43 pm
Erlendr had seen her break the surface that last time, now he knew where she was. Taking a deep breath, filing his own lungs, he dove under and grabbed her by the scruff.
Powerful kicks of his hind legs got them heading toward the surface, one front paw wrapped around her, holding her tucked against him, keeping the riptide from taking her from him. He felt the kelp, the sea weed, tangling around her legs and him, but he ignored it. When they got to the beach he'd pull it off them both.
He glided through the waves easily, he was an adult male in his prime, ihs back legs doing most of the work while he battled them out form the current, and moving them back into the tide's waves which would carry without so much effort back to the beach. All the while, he kept the much smaller female protected just under his ruff, where the ocean could not tear her from him.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:07 pm
Something, someone was keeping her head up above the water. But all she could do was cough up water. The coughing was keeping her from breathing and burned just as badly as the salt water in her lungs. There were no colors, no feelings, nothing outside of the burn, of the coughing, of the blackness seeping into her vision, growing.
Theluji focused on the golden yellow paw holding her to try and keep the darkness at bay. She grew so focused, fighting the invading black, she didn't notice the approach of the beach, or the change in the water. She didn't notice their exit of the ocean or the rocks under them as they made the beach. All she did was cough and focus.
Finally realizing she was on solid ground, Theluji turned to her side and spit up as much water as she could.
When there wasn't any left, she put her head down, and closed her eyes, panting for air. Breathing now burned as much as drowning did. It almost made her smile. Almost. If she didn't want the air so desperately, she would have. As it was she couldn't get enough to make her happy. She didn't open her eyes to see if the blackness was winning.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:39 pm
A paw came under her again, cupping chest, holding her a bit off the ground, while another thumped her back just under where her ribs met her spine in an upward motion, forcing the water from her lungs. It was not a gentle motion, it could not be to get the water out of her, but the paw under her chest was holding her carefully, with a promised strength.
Whoever her rescuer was, he must be fairly strong, because he was holding most of her weight, while sat back on his hunches, getting half the ocean out of her lungs. There also was nothing frantic about what he was doing. It was calm, controlled, as if he knew that there would be no more harm done to the pale lioness now that he had her.
" When ready you are, breath must you take," he told her in a warm timbered voice, the tone careful, as if he did not wish to frighten her after hauling her out of the water. " Slow it must be, or lungs you shall hurt."
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:56 pm
"What?" More coughing erruptted from Theluji, more than just water-logged lungs and body and mind. She coughed and coughed and coughed, losing what breath she was about to suck in. She couldn't seem to control it, couldn't calm down enough to stop.
And it hurt! Not being able to breath. She wanted to breath, really she did. She liked air, she promised.
Her head swam, and her body floated and slimy things tangled in her hind legs. But she didn't care, because she couldn't breath. And she couldn't open her eyes. Couldn't? Or was it shouldn't? Maybe it was wouldn't. Wouldn't open her eyes.
Theluji peeled her eyes open with sheer will, even as she continued to cough and hack. Wasn't there suppose to be blackness? Nope, no blackness, just the red border around her vision now. Red for pain. Pain was good? Theluji was starting to wish she'd sided with the black when it first started to invade.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:50 pm
Again came that patient voice from behind her, the one that must belong to the lion who owned the paw she rested on, " Speak said I not, breath said I do."
The thumping motion to her back became a careful rubbing motion in slow circles to try and calm her down, " Calm, the ocean no longer you holds. In my paws rest you now. "
The male seemed like a the rocks that formed the cliffs around them, steady and still. A bulwark against the raging crash of the waves of the chaotic sea. His own breathing was easy, he wasn't even panting. As if not moments ago he'd been battling tides and seaweed to pull the half grown lioness out of the clutches of the sea gods.
" With me match your breath," he spoke to her softly, still not wanting to frighten her, lifting her closer, so she once again was pressed to him, " Follow my own, yours to find."
He began to breathe slowly, yet strong. The pace holding a near rhythm to it, as if it had been designed for just this purpose, to calm and center a creature, ease panic and fear from them, restlessness and anger.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:18 am
It took her a long moment to orient herself to the being holding her up, and speaking. Longer than it should have. But he spoke backwards and sideways, and her brain was still waterlogged, even though all the water had been pounded out of her lungs. So she allowed herself that small leeway, after all she had almost drowned. Technically, she did drown, but she didn't die, because of the one holding her up and speaking backwards and sideways.
Theluji matched her breathing to his calm steady breathing, trying to follow his inhalations and exhalations. The rubbing on her back helped, focused her on something other than the backward and sideways speaking, on the drowning and almost dying, on the red fringed vision. As her breathing calmed and eased to follow, the red faded as did the burn in her lungs. Now she just felt cold.
"Thank you." Theluji said softly, exhausted and cold. She turned to look at her savior and panic hit her. If she had been stronger, less exhausted, Theluji may have gotten a few steps away. As it was, in her current state, she made it to her paws, but collapsed a second later, crumbling onto the rocky beach, more helpless than she had been a moment ago in the hungry sea, because here on the land, there was no where or way to escape; she was too weak.
She honestly didn't know who had saved her, and didn't expect anyone in particular. But a big fluffy male would have been last on her list. And none of her adventures so far would have eased her fears about the big fluffy males, the less fluffy males, yes, she'd gotten over her fear of them, but not the big fluffy ones. And even though he was drenched, he was most certainly bigger and fluffier.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:28 pm
" Welcome you are, but cold you will catch if warm we make you not." The larger golden male turned his serene amber gaze to her, noticing her weakened state and the panic in her eyes.
" No harm will I give, trust me you may." He lay down, so he was not so threatening to her, " shelter I have, only a way short must we go. Up onto my back, carry you I will."
He waited, patiently, for her to make the choice to either trust that he would not hurt her, and that he would provide the warmth and a place to rest he told her he had, or remain on the cold, wind swept beach with night approaching.
The strange male gave the air that he could wait all night if that was the time she needed to take to make her dissension, and perhaps he could.
Erlendr had always been able to sense when there was something within another that was an old pain, and old fear that needed to be handled carefully. He'd done it with Luc, with Brighde, with Jakaya, and now it would seem with this young lioness he had just fished out of the sea. He never questioned it anymore, he merely waited with his normal calm acceptance.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:31 pm
Why did males have to be so big and FLUFFY? That fluffy mane around their heads made them seem so much bigger and - and taking-up-so-much-space'er. They were already SO huge, what was with the fluffiness?
Theluji sat trying to think of something, a plan, an escape. Just trying to think, but the panic levels had risen too far. Males and their fluffy manes. They made her stop thinking with their fluffiness and their large bodies and extra presence. Theluji forced her self to calm down, just like calming her breath after her drowning, she focus. With difficulty.
Eventually, she was able to calm enough to notice her shivers were raking through her. Night was coming. Almost here. And she was going to catch her death out here after being saved.
Expelling a harsh breath, Theluji forced herself to pull herself onto the male's back, which wasn't as fluffy as his head, thankfully. It was slower than she would have liked, but there was still so much fluff.
Finally laying on his back, Theluji mentally assured herself, Males that speak backwards or sideways don't lie, can't lie.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:45 am
Elendr waited till she seemed like she was securely on, then turned to look at her over his shoulder, " Walk I will, still hold you must." With that he began to slowly pace away from the rocky beach head, his large paws spreading out to keep his balance on the slippery stones till they met the course sands of the beach.
Once there it was not far to a small cave that he had used before to heal up between his Challenges. He was pleased to see that what he had left wrapped up in a hide was still there. Erlendr spoke to her again in his soft calm voice as he lay back down, " Moment be it will."
When she was off his back, he proceeded to shake out three large, warm hides and place them far away from the entrance of the cave, where they wind would not hit them. Then he pulled out a much smaller one that seemed to be hare pelts stitched together.
" Here come, Fur dry we shall."
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:50 pm
Theluji shivered and her teeth chattered endlessly as she slide to the floor and watched the fluffy male move about the cave. She was too tired, weak, and cold to do anything else. She hadn't moved while he'd carried her to this supposedly safe place. Supposedly safe.
She looked around the cave when he was working on unrolling something, but it was just a cave. Granted it was a seaside cave and not in the middle of a swamp type cave, but still. A cave was a cave, so why did it feel, kind of almost homey? That was weird. Weirder than any of the males and boys she'd encountered yet. Weirder than the females that had squealed when a particular male paid them attention. Theluji had never understood it. But she understood this feeling of safety and hominess even less.
When the male called her over to the unrolled furs, Theluji felt the same anxiety as before and she wasn't sure if she could actually make it to the furs without embarrassing herself. Again. Shabnam would be so disappointed that she'd left herself so open. Mother would have been worried and upset. Well, more worried and upset than she was already that her children were on their quests. But that wasn't the point.
But Theluji had already committed herself to trust this big, fluffy, scary male, and she couldn't do this half way. Not if she wanted to get healthy, warm, and live through this. Theluji got up and made her way over to the fur, stumbling over her own paws and tail ever few seconds. Finally she made it to the hides and collapsed. Or at least that's how it seemed to her.
"Th-th-an-n-k yo-ou."
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:56 pm
Elendr watched her work her way over to him, still calm and non-threatening. The last thing he needed was for her to go running out into the night, wet and not being able to find her way across the beach, or worse yet, for as much as he respected his Pride, be caught and brought into the fold as a Thrall. He did not think so delicate a creature as this could survive such a life. The only Reaver he would tell would be his Captain, Luc, for there were no secrets between them.
When she reached him, he brought the hare stitched hide up and spoke to her in his particulate calm way, " Dry you off going to I am. Only so sleep you can, dry and uncomfortable not."
With that he flipped the fur over her head and back and began to rub it vigorously over her, working the wet out of her fur, till it was almost fully dry and she was not standing dripping water all over the cave floor and might be able to sleep under and on top of the furs that were piled on the bracken beside her and keep herself warm for the night.
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 6:32 pm
All Theluji wanted to do was burrow down into the hare hides and wrap them around herself. And that's exactly what she did. Completely tucking herself into the now dampish fur, Theluji tried to disappear from his sight. He had been nice, despite all the unnecessarily big fluffiness that took up way too much space and air, but she wasn't moving any more. Not unless it was too run. And it wasn't smart to run, not as a predator, not as weak and exhausted she was. Nope, not running and so not moving. She watched his paws waiting and watching.
But it did feel nice when he'd rubbed the fur over her head and spine. She wasn't moving. But it had been nice. Nooot moving, though.
Not knowing what to say, Theluji nodded and thanked him again, very softly and lowly.
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