Ruzena wasn’t sure what to do with herself now the pride had dissolved. She had joined up with the idea of saving the captured females and overthrowing the males, but almost as soon as she had done so, the pride seemed to just, melt away. Leaving a bunch of confused lionesses separated from their males. Yes some had been ecstatic and seized the opportunity to escape, vanishing into the roguelands. But many had hung around, hunting and living in the very same area they had previously called home. But with no structure and no males, they had, one by one, faded away, Ruzena with them.
Soon enough she had found herself alone, with not even her friend near by, wandering the roguelands. Life wasn’t hard, having been a rogue previously and with no time to grew accustomed to pridal life, she simply went back to hunting but had been struggling to avoid running into the more unsavoury characters that inhabited the wild lands she found herself in. Hunting had been ok, though by avoiding other lions she had been reduced to mostly killing smaller prey, as the large herds were typically claimed by a pride or male brotherhood. Currently she was resting in the shade, the half-eaten body of a vole caught between her paws. She wasn’t really hungry, but it had practically walked into her as she napped and she knew better than to ignore a meal that easy.
A short time later the sound of pawsteps caught her wandering attention and she lifted her head, looking up over the dry brown grass to see a vivid bright red lioness padding along. She looked worn, her coat had once been bright in colour but dulled with dust and sweat. Yet despite clearly being a traveller she walked with a strong, powerful step, head held low in a determined manner and tail curled and still behind her. Clearly she was headed somewhere.
Ruzena was curious but it wasn’t as uncommon sight out here in the wild land. So she wasn’t going to call out but then the red lioness seemed to paused and stumble for a moment, before catching herself. Ears pricking Ru rose to her paws and called out. Something was clearly wrong despite the female’s tough demeanour. It took a couple of tries but eventually the red lioness paused, her head lifting and swinging in Ru’s direction. Taking that as an invitation she caught her vole up in her mouth and trotted out to meet the stranger.
As she drew closer she realised that the female was covered in half-healed wounds, one or two looked like they were not healing well and under all that dust she was actually rather thin. Obviously she had been in some kind of bad situation and was now travailing somewhere. Maybe she got kicked out of her pride? Or had fought off one of those bands of roaming brother-bands that Ru herself was always constantly trying to avoid. Rather intimidated by the obvious violence that clung to this female, Ruzena nevertheless smiled in a welcoming manner, the vole still caught up in her teeth. Setting it down so she could introduce herself she tried to look both friendly and non-threatening.
“Hello there.. I saw you walking by and wondered if you might like to take shelter with me. There isn’t anything else out here for some distance and its getting hot.” Her smile was inviting and inquisitive as the red female stared at her. But as there was no hostility in those jade green eyes, but rather a kind of blank, vacant look lie the one a lion gets when they have been pushed far beyond their breaking point and are functioning on auto. That probably explained her thin condition, as she was clearly muscular under the dusty fur and didn’t look so badly hurt that she couldn’t hunt.. When at last the lioness seemed to gather herself and nod, Ruzena turned round and slowly led the stranger back to her tree. It took some persuasion to get the female to lay down, even with her back to the tree’s dry bark. Making Ruzena wonder if she would be able to get back up once down. But for now she needed rest, sleep and food. Two of those she could provide now, and once she went out and hunted, she could provide a real meal. Though in the meantime… Setting the vole body down on the female’s paws she smiled. “It’s fresh today, try and eat while I go hunt. I won’t go far so you will be quiet safe.” There was no response from the lioness except that she eventually dropped her head, as if surprised there was something laying across her paws. Eventually she took a tentative bite, making Ruzena beam proudly. “There you go… eat and rest and I’ll be back soon.”
Once she was certain the stranger was going to stay in place, Ru slipped away. There were several good places for hunting smaller game near by and she visited several of them, collecting the small furry bodies with practiced speed and skill. Once she couldn’t carry any more she headed back, grinning around the fluff in her mouth when she saw the vole had vanished entirely and the red female was dozing, albeit fitfully. Carefully she set her furry collection of bodies down beside the red lioness before gently nudging her with her nose. A moment later the stranger roused and without even looking up, she dragged the furry pile nearer and started to methodically crunch through them. After the first few had vanished, and Ruzena had settled next to the female but with enough distance between them that the stranger wouldn’t feel threatened in her depleted state, the red lioness spoke for the first time. Her voice rough and broken but strangely melodic and carrying a heavy accent that Ru had never encountered before.
“Thank you… “ Licking her lips free of sweet red blood, Liang struggled to force the words from her parched throat. She was still weak, having been walking for weeks now and functioning by pure instinct alone, it was difficult to resume thinking again. But she made the effort, despite the need to sleep that was now threatening to overwhelm her with the hunger pangs temporarily suppressed. “I’m Liang Hongyu, once Archduchess of Yang.” Her tone was both proud and bitter as she said the last. For she was now Prideless, cast out from her home by a jealous Empress. She supposed she was now just another rogue, even though her title was hers through merit and not breeding. At least no one could take her pride, and it had been pride alone that had gotten her this far. She supposed she should explain herself, or at least make polite small talk, but her head was suddenly resting across her paws and the strange pale female was murmuring soft reassurances. Sleep… that sounded like a good idea… Before she could even thank the stranger for her aid and the meal, Liang passed out, sinking so deep into unconsciousness she never even felt the pale lioness move and resettle next to her. Nor did she hear the soft assurances of safety while she recovered. All she knew was blissful oblivion as she slept properly for the first time since her forced escape.
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