The sun was at its peak in the sky and piercing heat pounded down onto the sand of the beach trapped under its harsh gaze. Just off the beach started the tropical forest that made up the lands of Maestros Del Mar. Under the thick foliage of the trees the sun’s harsh heat was unable to penetrate and the temperature was much more manageable. It was among these trees that a black and white lioness named Jasiri resided. She stood before a small little pool of water that had yet to evaporate from the last run of rains that came through the pride. In the pool she could see her reflection and the scars that covered her face. It was the scars she was gazing at with such an intensity that if it was possible could will away the scars and replace her beautiful face to the way it had been before.

Seeing the scars always brought back the memories of how they came to be on her face. She would never be able to forget the night she lost everything, her love, her cubs, and nearly her life. She sighed as she turned her head slowly from side to side so that the scars would disappear from view on one side of her face and then reappear as she turned her head back to look at them. She still regretted everything and it all still haunted her when she was alone. Since coming to the pride she had tried to keep herself busy in the caverns with the crew members and helping make the fermented fruits. She really preferred to try and keep herself busy with the males as they knew how to take her mind off things. She knew how to take their minds off their problems too so it usually worked out wonderful for both parties.

However the males weren’t always around and there were times when all the work in the caverns was caught up. It didn’t happen often but it was those times that Jasiri was left with nothing to do. She usually tried to search out her sister and spend time with her but today she was nowhere to be found. Jasiri had been all over the pride with no luck in finding her sister and now she was close to the prides border staring at her reflection while her past came screaming back at her from the dark recesses of her mind.

She remembered it all so well. She’d gotten in a fight with her mate once again. Their life had been in turmoil for several moons and now they had two cubs still young. It had been late at night and her mate had decided now to tell her that he was leaving with another lioness that was carrying more of his babies and he was taking their cubs with him. She had gone into hysterics when he had told her he was taking the cubs. He had tried to block her from them while the female he was going with moved their cubs out and away from her. She’d gone violent with her mate and attacked him. He was much stronger than her so after she struck him he struck back several times. She tried her hardest to defend herself but the strikes he was making to her body was going to the bone and leaving her in a lot of pain. Two blows to her shoulder had been what took her down and kept her from following them at that immediate moment. Her mate had gotten away with her cubs and as far as he cared left her there to die.

Jasiri was much stronger than her mate expected but he had taken her down long enough to get away. She had passed out from the pain she was in and that was all the time needed so when she awoke she was alone and it was pouring down rain. She’d struggled to find her cubs when she woke up but they were long gone and she was limping from her injuries.

Jasiri focused her gaze on her reflection in the pool before her. She’d gotten lost in her memories and hadn’t even realized it. She still hated herself for letting her ex-mate get away with her cubs. She had a feeling by now they were all grown up and probably thought the whore who had taken them was their mother. She doubted they would ever come looking for her and she had forced herself a long time ago to move on as best she could. It was still proving to be very difficult.

With a sad sigh Jasiri turned away from the pool and her reflection. She tried her hardest to forget the scars on her body and never actually look at them but like some days she couldn’t help but find them thrown back in her face. It was those days that she fiercely searched for a partner among the crew members.

She started her way back towards the caverns with a new determination now. She didn’t care who she found there when she got there. If there was a male occupying the caverns he would find himself with a new companion. She had a new vigor to achieve before she was overcome with the grief that was slowly sinking up on her. She couldn’t let her memories engulf her with the sadness that they were working towards.

It wasn’t long before she was running through the forest. She ran parallel with the beach only just able to see the sands through the trees. It was easier to run through the trees but in a way it still slowed her down. In the sand she had to work hard to run but in the forest she had to dodge trees. She was mostly trying to keep from wearing herself to exhaustion so when she reached the caverns she was ready to play. Within moments Jasiri stood before the caverns and to her pleasure a male was within them chewing on a fermented fruit. She had her targets set and this male was going to find himself a new companion for the evening that was on it’s way.

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