[PRP] Righteous Indignation (Astar, Irit) - FIN

[Mogami]

Astar was known for being a somewhat meek lioness. She was shy around strangers and only after knowing someone for good while, would she start to open up and reveal her true nature. She lived to make others happy and due to her past she did her best to make sure she was never at any times, “a bother”. And so she’d grown strong in body but gentle in demeanor.

There were few things that could upset Astar. One was knowing someone, especially a cub, was hungry. Another she had found out the day before when Kuma had dragged himself limping and bleeding into her den, mumbled something about a dangerous lioness near the borders and promptly passed out into a tired sleep. Kuma was bound to her, soul-bound. He was hers like nothing else in world, he was part of her, he was the creature who knew her best. He was a friend and confident, one who nurtured but also drove her to push her limits. No one in the pride would ever injure or disrespect a totem and Kuma had never been injured before which was why Astar had never realized the potential for anger that lied beneath the surface of her usually composed appearance.

To say she was angry was an understatement. She was livid, possessed, filled with righteous indignation and revengeful thoughts. She made sure Kuma was taken care of before sneaking away to the borders, tracking his lingering scent before it vanished in the wind.  

[Dame NightFury]

Irit didn't know where she was getting the energy from. She'd only just been able to drag herself out of the den to feed the girls at dawn barely an hour ago. And she needed to catch at least two small prey beasts for herself after she fed them. Irit was thankful that she hadn't gone and checked the other traps the other day after the incident with the canine pride member. Now she didn't have to hunt much more than checking the traps, hopefully.

She carefully picked her way over the hunting grounds, just in case she was too near an un-sprung trap. She didn't want to get stuck in one of her own traps. And the girls were too small to get her out of one. And she didn't want the other rogues to find her like that. It seemed ... like they would get rid of her if she wasn't helpful or useful. But maybe Irit was just becoming paranoid, allowing the rage and hatred for the pride to spread out to her allies.

If that feeling was spreading to her allies against the pride, Irit would have to be diligent on one more front and ensure it never got close to her girls, that it wouldn't corrupt her feelings for her daughters.  

[Mogami]

It wasn't difficult the find the location of the trap that had injured Kuma. Astar frowned at the scent of blood that still lingered in the area as she watched the remains of the trap with a thoughtful expression. Kuma’s blood. Under the care of Ahava, Astar had become a very efficient huntress and she had no problem tracking down the scent of the other lion. The “crazy lioness”’s pawprints were cautious and not always easy to find but Astar slowly grew closer to her target. When she finally spotted the other lioness, Astar circled the area until the wind was in her favor and watched her target in silence.

Starting a fight was completely contrary to En Gedi policy but approaching an unstable lioness might do just do that and Astar felt mildly conflicted. She was certain that no one would approve of her current behavior and that weighed heavily on her mind. But she was angry and certainly not thinking straight – otherwise Astar would never risk causing a conflict with the rogue group. For now she simply watched, occasionally taking one silent step forward to get a better look of the other lioness.  

[Dame NightFury]

Moving carefully toward several snares, Irit didn't notice the other lioness following and watching her. It was either a testament of her exhaustion or of her lack of experience with watching her own back. And Hussan was only following her, rather put out by Irit's continued denial of joining him. Even he had noticed, it was doubtful that he would have notified Irit, both because he was inside her mind and heart and because he wanted Irit by his side immediately.

The snares were full. Quite a few wild hares had straggled themselves in the snares. A jackpot that Irit hadn't expected. And other predator hadn't started to pick at them. Maybe her luck was turning around. Maybe this was a sign that the fates were on her side. Maybe they would favor her and her family and allies rather than the invading pride.

Irit quickly gobbled up the smallest of the hares that were caught. The others she gathered up in her mouth happy to provide the rest for her daughters. This would give them with meals for the next few days as long as they weren't starved. Irit would go back out and hunt bigger prey as soon as she made sure the girls had eaten. Or at least seen the meal. She reset the snares before once again carefully making her way back to the den.  

[Mogami]

Dame NightFury

Astar hadn’t been feeling particularly hungry but she did become suddenly aware that she hadn’t eaten since Kuma had reached the pride in poor shape. She’d almost jumped out of hiding right there and then, the sight of the reset snares just a little too much for her at that moment. One of those things had hurt Kuma, after all. Irit’s odd behavior, however, being overly cautious and taking the hares with her, held Astar back. It wouldn’t be wise to provoke the lioness if she had a mate or relative nearby.

Astar froze when Irit reached the mouth of the den and a few shapes moved tentative towards the light. She was… a mother. The crazed lioness Astar had been demonizing for the past hours had a litter and by the fact that no other adult seemed to be guarding the den or hunting with her, it seemed clear that she was raising the little ones on her own. Astar breathed hard and deep, a great anxiety taking over her as the memories of her cubhood rushed through her mind. Being left in the den with her brother and sister, playing games to avoid thinking about the piercing hunger that constantly afflicted them, watching her parents return with little to no prey but looking tired and miserable, fearing for her life every time creatures came near her den and her brother had to fight them off, constantly wondering if her family wouldn’t better off if they had one less mouth to feed, if she didn’t exist…

Astar took one long deep breath to collect her thoughts. That wasn't her anymore. She had a home, friends, good hunting partners that always managed to find food for the whole pride. She was safe. Everything was fine.

“Hey.” She’d sat down in plain view, careful not to get too close to the den and the little ones that the other lioness would surely die to protect. She looked calm and she actually felt so at that point but she was also ready to jump should the other lioness try to attack her. She made no attempt an concealing the matching jewelry than she shared with Kuma.  

[Dame NightFury]

No. She was as unlucky as ever. Irit twirled, baring her jaws at the intruder that was far too close to her cubs. An intruder Irit didn't recognize, so either she was a rogue that couldn't be trusted or one of the hated pride members. Figures the day she left after the exhausting incident with the wild dog, Irit would have to get into a conflict with another one of those pride members. She just wished it had been closer to any of the traps and not where the girls could stumble out into harms way or watch whatever fight was going to take place. And Irit didn't doubt she was going to have to fight the other lioness. What else could she do to keep her daughters safe and healthy?

"You trespassing. You are not welcome here." Irit growled at the other as quietly as she could so as not to arouse the girls' curiosity or concern. That's all that she needed in front of this stranger. Karnia trying to help fight, or Malkia fainting into one of her waking nightmares during the fight, or Kayitz wandering too close to ask questions or sniff at the other lion, or Ahava trying and failing to round all her sisters up and out of the way and getting into trouble herself. Her sweet little girls, her anchors. The fear for them didn't allow the hate and rage for the pride into this equation. And it blocked out Hussan completely. Irit knew he'd be angry afterward, but the girls were more important. She needed to take care of this.

She quietly prowled further away from the den and closer to the lioness just sitting there. Glaring at the female, Irit addressed her again. "Leave. Now."  

[Mogami]

Dame NightFury

Astar’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the other lioness moved uncomfortably close to her location. It was difficult to ignore the feelings of anger and frustration that were bubbling just below the surface. She was the one who should be angry, not this stranger loitering in their borders! Kuma was hurt, the green-eyed lioness didn’t seem to have a scratch and Astar was seriously considering giving her a few.

The fact that Irit spoke quietly, a clear reminder that there were little ones nearby, was the only thing that allowed Astar to keep her usual composure. What was she thinking? This wasn’t her. This wasn’t the way she thought. She never gave in to emotions much less these sort of negative oppressing feelings that clasped her heart and tightened her entire body. Astar didn’t like this place or the way it seemed to affect her, fueling the worst side of her.

“I will go, yes. I just want to say something first.” Speaking in a way that wasn’t openly aggressive was harder than she’d expected, she had to constantly refrain from saying the wrong things – which seemed to be the only thing that came to mind at that moment – and try to remember what she would’ve said to a stranger who hadn’t injured her totem. “I’m Astar from the En Gedi pride. You and your group have talked to us before.” She was equally quiet, but there was an unmistakable tenseness in her posture.  

[Dame NightFury]

Irit was thankful to whatever gods were watching over her that the other lioness was staying as quiet as her. If only she could force her to back off and away from their den or lure her away. Neither was an option of course. Not right now with the girls so close. And of course because the girls and the den were so close, Irit had never intended for traps to be laid so anywhere near here. Hence the trouble Irit was in now.

The lioness had gotten close enough to be heard without shouting or speaking loudly in the first place. That was a sure sign of neglect on her part. She had not been paying close enough attention, if any at all, on her surroundings. And obviously, her belief that Hussan would watch over her as she was out and about, hunting or tending to the traps was a lie. Either he wasn't able to notice things that were right in front of Irit's face, or he didn't care. Had become more than impatient and sulky in her reluctance to join him in the next world. How was Irit going to remedy this situation?

The lioness was Trouble. Capital T. And even if this lionese was scared or chased away from the den, more of her thieving pridemates could find their way to the den and her cubs and that was not acceptable. She was going to have to move them. Now. As soon as the lioness was gone and the girls had finished eating. And then she would set up traps in the area just in case this lioness came back, or her scent brought others to the area. Better safe than sorry.

"I figured you were from that thieving pride. Speak, theif, and leave. Nothing you can say will make up for anything and everything you and your's have already taken from me and mine!" Irit hissed standing her ground in a stance ready to spring if the other lioness did. Or even showed a sign of aggression toward her girls.  

[Mogami]

Dame NightFury

So sorry it took so long to reply. I had a terribly busy week!

“We are no thieves.” Astar said quietly, standing her ground. She was certain that this lioness wasn’t entirely sane but it seemed she also didn’t want to get the cubs involved in a potentially dangerous mess - and that might be the only thing keeping the two lionesses from getting into a serious fight right there and then. “We were forced to migrate from our previous home and settled here. But we didn’t take anything from anyone.” She was offended in the face of such a terrible accusation especially considering what she'd been through during her youth.

“I was once a rogue like you. My parents were having trouble raising me and my siblings so when the En Gedi migrated to the lands where we lived, they accepted an invitation to join the pride.” While she could relate to the other female, Astar quickly realized she was straying from her initial objective. “We are a peaceful pride so attacking one of our Scouts is completely uncalled for.” Her eyes hardened for a moment, remembering Kuma’s injuries.
 

[Dame NightFury]

Mogami

And it's been a pretty busy month for me, so I am MORE sorry! So, she's most def not mentally stable ... partial hatred and patrial grief .... I don't know how Astar is going to befriend her, but I know Irit is going to need it ...

"Thieves and murderers the lot of you." Irit sneered at the lioness invading the territory so close to her daughters. "Do you think I care about your excuses? You all migrate to my family's land, end up getting my mate killed, and are all but pushing my cubs to migrate away from the only home they've ever known. I don't care what you call yourselves, I know the truth."

Irit couldn't help jumping to conclusions at the lioness' story. All she could see in her mind's eye was the villainous pride coming to take her cubs away, forcing them to be servants, slaves, or worse. She just barely swallowed a roar of outrage, all too conscious of the girls so close and all too willing to follow their curiosities. Instead her growling became more aggressive.

"You can't have my daughters! I'll never give them up!" The hatred and angry boiled her blood, so much so that Irit wouldn't have been surprised if she started seeing red. Well, if she had been paying any kind of attention to that kind of thing. Which she wasn't. The lioness threatening her cubs held all of it. "And the next scout you send to spy on me and my babies, I'll eat, grinding their bones to dust by my jaws and feeding their organs to my daughters."  

[Mogami]

Dame NightFury

I’m thinking that one day Irit will either be desperate enough - for food or a healer - to accept the invitation or she’ll join the pride with the other rogues under Hate’s influence in order to stir trouble.

Astar shook her head slowly, somewhat at loss for words. It seemed nothing she said got through to the unstable grieving lioness. While she was still angry and growing more frustrated by the second, Irit’s desperate protectiveness did hit a strong cord with her.

“We don’t want to take your daughters from you.” She told the other lioness in the same quiet and composed tone as before, taking one step back even though she showed no fear. If words didn’t work, maybe actions would. It wasn’t an entirely truthful statement, really. The more she saw and heard of the pale lioness, the more she was starting to believe that the little ones weren’t safe with her.

“If your family is ever hungry or in need of anything, you can approach my pride at any time. Just tell the Guards at the border that I sent you and ask for me. Ask for Astar.” She almost boiled over when she heard Irit’s cannibalistic threats but the huntress managed to keep her cool. “Most of our scouts are grown lions who can defend themselves quite well. Your children need you so it would be foolish to seek an injury.” Belated, she realized that even her rationalizations might be seen a threat by the paranoid lioness so she decided to leave it at that and take a few more steps back before turning to leave. Even though they both seemed interested in avoiding a fight, she was still cautious about putting some distance between them before showing Irit her back. “Remember, if you ever need anything… ask for Astar.”  

[Dame NightFury]

Mogami

Yep, probably a little bit of both. She will/did join the pride to stir up trouble, but will seek Astar out next time when one of the girls gets hurt, probably springing a trap.

Irit watched the pride lioness depart, miraculously avoiding a fight so close to the den and her precious daughters. Irit didn't know why the lioness, this Astar had made such a twisted offer. Threatening her family and offering to give aid in the next. Irit couldn't foresee the need ever arising, the need for that aid.

Whatever the sick and wicked reason for that lioness to come here and try and confuse her, it didn't matter now. When Astar disappeared, Irit turned and made her way back to the den.

She needed to find another den. The fourth since Hussan's death. And the pickings where scarce when it came to comfortable and save dens for the girls. What was she going to do?

~FIN~