Halus was doing her best to keep her head down these days. It hadn't been too long since she'd awoken in this pride - apparently it was her pride? It was hard to say. but it claimed her, so it must be. That thought wasn't exactly appealing. She'd like to think she lived somewhere nicer once. Oh well. She hadn't been up and about too long; thralls weren't exactly coddled when they were weak or unwell. She had to keep on her feet, keep her head down, keep being dutiful lest more stinging slaps or harsh insults be hurled her way. Yesterday it was hauling pelts, today it was a quick trip to bring some lioness' husband a meal while he did border duty, fighting with incoming rogues who thought they had the mettle for this place.
It wasn't a task typically assigned to newer thralls, but perhaps her tormentors had seen how little light was left in the lioness' eyes. She was small, frail, and of course also had no memory of her life outside this place. Where could she possibly go to? Nowhere. She was a cringing, cowering weakling, and had shown no signs of even thinking about disobeying so far. To her benefit - it'd spared her from time to time when she still got lost on some errand for lack of recognition of the local landmarks.
She'd been told to follow this one specific path until it forked, then take the left branch to the large flat rock and wait there. If the husband was running late, she would wait. All day if she had to. Then once she dropped off the food (directly to the male, there'd be no leaving it laying unattended!) she would come straight back, no qualms, no dallying. Or else. She'd set off at as brisk a pace as would be allowed without looking suspicious and arrived rather shortly at a vastly empty rock. With nothing to do but wait to do her duty, the brown female clambered up atop the flat surface to keep an eye out and wait. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long... She'd taken to trying to do as much as she could in a day so that she would be too exhausted in the evenings to feel lonely or try to remember her life before here. It was too painful, literally, and always left her reeling. Better just to drop into silent dreamless sleep.
A while later the sound of something rustling in the bushes behind her - in the rogue land part of the area! - startled her. She leapt to her feet, cringing and hunkering back towards the way she'd come....but still she hadn't completed her task. She'd be beaten for sure if she returned with or without the meat. Either she'd be blamed for not following orders or they'd assume she'd eaten it herself. Oh, what to do? She was about to give in and turn to run when a large lion stepped forth from the grass, looking her over in a vague sort of interest.
What the female no longer remembered was that she'd met this lion before. A mere day and night before she'd been knocked out and dragged back here they'd shared a carcass on the savannah. She'd left with the intentions to bring her pride to it to take what they needed, and he'd parted before he'd ever introduced himself, a lone and rambling wanderer. Of course, they'd gone off in totally opposite directions, so the fact that he had bumped into her again at all, let alone just days after meeting before was of interest to the male. He remembered her vaguely, but well enough...though something had surely changed.
Before she had been a delicate, if happy thing, all smiles and warm greetings. Now she was clutching at the shank of meat in her claws as if it was a barrier between herself and certain death, and cringing from him like he was a monster. Was this a twin, perhaps? Some lioness that simply looked like the kind and sweet one he'd shared a meal with before? He didn't think so - they looked far too similar... Of course, he noted, aside from the dried blood from cuts here and there, and the sore way she seemed to cringe, as if he would attack her.
He took a step forward, more curious than anything, but halted when she whimpered and seemed torn between bolting and lingering. Her eyes were wild and darting all around, as if seeking some sort of protection. Poor thing. He backed up again, a low sort of shushing sound starting in his chest. "Shh, shh...I won't hurt you," He soothed. "I'll go now. I won't stay." He'd been going to ask if she was alright, but the blind fear in her eyes had unsettled him. Something bad had happened, and he had the distinct feeling that this was not whatever pride she'd come from before. He'd heard of prides taking slaves before...
At the same moment he stepped back into the brush she heard a gruff voice calling to her, demanding her come to them. At last! The reaver she'd been meant to take the food to. He'd protect her from whomever it was in the brush... And he might beat her again, but at least she knew to expect that. She had forgotten all she knew of the outside world - being beaten was better than dying. She took the meat into her maw and ran, not once looking back as she flew to finish her mission, and return to toil at the heart of the pride.
The male, as he made a quick retreat from the border, frowned deeper to himself. No, something wasn't right about that lioness at all. He didn't like the change in her disposition. He didn't like seeing her so disheartened and broken. There really wasn't anything her could do, aside from try to steal her away...but he didn't even really KNOW her. They'd met all of one time before, and that was hardly worth stealing what was probably a slave from a pride... wasn't it?
Maybe he would linger close, see if he spotted her again. If she looked better off...well he'd try not to think about it. He had no right, and she was a stranger. It wasn't worth getting tied up over, especially because he had no plans to settle down. Maybe he could instead find out what pride she HAD come from, and see if they would help...hmm...
[Words: 1094]
