It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was warm on the lioness back as she splashed through the shallow creek which curved through the grasslands. Other than a couple of lone clouds in the sky it was perfectly clear out. Completely different from the other night when the storm had hit. Diya frowned at the memory before shaking her head. There was no need to worry on that! She may have traveled a bit off path because of it, but at least she was still alive and not really injured. Save for a couple of bruises and maybe a scrap or two. Nothing major really.
Standing in the middle of the stream the lioness tilted her head back and stared at the sky. “What a place!” She called out to the one cloud hovering nearby. “It’s so beautiful here! I think I might just stay.” Laughing she slipped forward and splashed her way onto a rather big rock which leaned out over the water. Flopping down she closed her eyes for a brief second. Okay so maybe she wouldn’t live here, but it was a nice place to take a small rest.
It was a miserable day, Chimvi couldn't help but think to himself as he moved slowly towards the outskirts of the pride. Absolutely miserable. He was a healer! How could he heal when he trembled so violently? His paws shook as he walked, but he kept his posture tense, trying to hide them. The energy it took to keep himself upright on days like these was tremendous and, really, sometimes he wondered why he bothered.
As a cub, he had been sure he was immune. When his siblings had been getting sick, he had been tending to them with his mother, but it hit when he grew older. At adolescence, it had become apparent that he was ill. His dreams of being a healer had been shaken too, but he hadn't given up. There were days he was useless, like today, but he was still helpful in some way on the better days.
For now, he was hiding from the pride, from his mother and his siblings. He tried to hide his sickness from them, though he wondered if he was even succeeding. Reaching the river towards the edge of the pride, he longed to crash into the water, but the shakes made him cold and the water would do no good. He needed to rest.
He nearly collapsed at the bank, near a tree which hung over, providing shade, his head bowing as if in prayer, unaware of the stranger lurking nearby.
Diya had been resting until a sensation of another’s approached tickled the back of her mind. Was her mind just playing tricks on her now? Surely there wasn’t – oh. Blinking the lioness turned over and pushed herself up on the rock. There was someone here. And he did not look well. Concern flickered over her features and the lioness automatically found herself jumping from the rock and approaching the male.
“Hey. Are you alright?” Leaning down she peered closely at him. “What’s wrong?” She bit her bottom lip. She was no healer. Where was someone who would be able to help this male? Wounds she might be able to patch up, but she could see no visible injury on him. “Oh.” Clicking her tongue in frustration the lioness looked around for any possible help or answer.
Chimvi startled at the sound of her voice and his eyes glanced up, knowing they would appear slightly glassy as he tried to stiffle the shakes that he had been seconds away from giving in to. No, he wouldn't show his weakness, not around anyone. It was why he often refused herbs from the apocathary. He wouldn't admit his sickness.
His eyes took a moment to focus on her, and he blinked. She...was not from the pride. Oh, no. “You have to leave,” he forced out. The disease was not airborne, but if she scratched herself, or touched someone who was scratched...he tried to shift away from her, his voice rough and his movements slow.
His gaze. The sight of his eyes made her heart lurch in her chest. It almost reminded her of the look that her prey usually had right before the death blow finished the job. What was wrong with this male? But even more importantly could she help him in some way? Her gaze was warm with concern as she took a tentative step forward. But his next statement made her pause. What? She needed to leave?
What was this some sort of male pride where he didn’t want a female to see his pain? Or was there something more? She didn’t think she was in another pride’s territory, but then again with that storm… as it was she shook her head stubbornly. “I can’t!” She whispered blinking at him as if the thought of her leaving was ridiculous, “You’re hurting, can’t I help you?” She reached out to touch him with a gentle paw.
Chimvi wanted to yell at her, to scare her away but he was too tired. Instead, he blinked sluggishly at her, confused by the concern he read on her face. Why was she concerned over him? She wasn't part of the pride...wasn't part of the pride...she didn't understand what she was doing...
“There's nothing you can do,” he forced out, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut shortly after as a wave of dizziness flowed through him. Ugh. He shouldn't have done that. Moving too quickly was painful when this happened. “There's nothing anyone can do. Just go.” Even the herbs couldn't heal, only delay.
She was confused. Wasn’t there anything at all? “There must be something.” Diya replied softly as he pushed her away again. Any other lion probably would have taken his advice and left, but something inside of her refused to budge. As it was she moved forward. “If you have a fever and feel like shaking I’ve heard that heat can help you.” She commented to him, but to herself as well. That was what her mother used to do when she felt bad. Even if he was dying then he shouldn’t have to be left alone out here.
Decision made Diya stepped around the lion and without even a moment’s hesitation carefully draped her body lightly around his. “You’re sick so don’t fight.” She whispered. “Just think of me as a big ball of sunshine warming you up a bit. Kay?”
Chimvi felt like he was drifting in and out, like she was moving far from him and then running back in close, even though he knew she wasn't. It was a weird feeling, and made him feeling unsteady, even though he was still lying on the ground. He didn't realise what she was doing until she moved closer to him and draped across him.
He froze. No! No! She couldn't. He pulled the last piece of energy from somewhere inside him and launched himself to his feet, launching her off him and hoping she landed in the water. Saliva. Saliva transmitted the disease and he had cleaned himself. It was on his fur. It was everywhere on him. If it was transferred to her fur, and she cleaned herself later...it would be over.
“No. You can't...” he was swaying lightly on his feet, but he stood firmly, legs planted aside. It took almost all his strength just to sway there. “Wash your fur. You can't...can't touch me like this. You'll...get sick too...nothing cures it...wash your fur off.”
Diya had closed her eyes for a brief second before she realized that she was being tossed aside. With a note of surprise her rear splashed into the water. Ouch. Rubbing her forehead with her paw the lioness looked up at him with a small frown. That kinda hurt. And now her upper half was draped on the rocks while her butt was soaked. Her sharp comment was held back however as she watched him sway.
She would get sick as well?
Maybe she was a bit too confident, but the lioness was certain of her health. She never got sick from anything ever since that last fever during her cubhood. But admittedly she did slip further into the water for a second to make sure that her fur was completely soaked before pulling herself back onto the ground. “But you need someone to help you!” Shaking her head the lioness sprayed water and stared at him from beneath her dripping mane, “You can trust me when I say that I won’t get sick and if I do well then that’s my fault then isn’t it? Not that I will of course.”
Chimvi was glad when she landed in the water, so much so that he almost fell over, now that the source of his worry – and similarly, the source of his strength – had been momentarily abaited, but she just didn't seem to understand! She was going to get sick and it would be his fault and he refused to let another lion be dragged into this world. This pain.
“The sickness...the plague...is stronger than you think,” Chimvi growled, but it was a weak growl. “Leave...please.” He hated the word please, but she had to leave. She was too young, too prety, too innocent to be contaminated by the plague. He'd seen it drain the life out of too many people to wish it on her, even if she was irritatingly stubborn.
“Please,” he repeated, as he slipped back to the ground, the shivers he had been holding back finally shaking his entire body as he laid on the bank. He really wished he had thought to grab some herbs before he left, but he hadn't wanted to bother the apocatharies, as there were others far sicker than he was.
She was suddenly afraid. But not for herself. Rather the fear was growing from her concern over this stranger. Diya didn’t know why, but something about him drew her to him. Perhaps it was the faint memories of her own sickness from before? Here he was all alone with no one to help him, and he only wanted her to leave to protect her from the disease that he had. “I’ll be careful.” She whispered stepping closer to him.
AS he slipped to the ground and the shivers began the lioness moved forward, her gaze firm with determination. “Worry about yourself and not me.” She told him harshly. “And don’t waste your energy. I’m your flea now got it? You won’t get rid of me until this passes.” Remembering the pouch around her neck the lioness pulled out a few random leaves that she had been carrying for a friend. They smelled nice that was about all she knew. Crushing them she placed them around his head before cuddling up against him. “I’ll wash myself right after in the water again.” She added as she pressed close to him, sharing her warmth and support.
Chimvi wanted to yell at her – loudly and for a long time, ranting about all the things she was doing wrong, but he was tired and she was warm. He closed his eyes as she laid next to him, taking a deep breath and breathing in the crushed leaves. He hadn't smelt that before, but it was nice. It was lulling him towards sleep, which was what his body craved most at the moment.
“You're...as...annoying as a...flea,” he mumbled, trying to protest still, but a heavy sigh drifted out without his consent and he slumped against her. His head lulled, and rested against her furr. “Don't blame me if you die,” he mumbled, before he went completely limp, his body giving in to sleep even as his mind continued to grumble about stubborn, suicidal females.
