Sand. Desert, water. River, kings, lions.
The visions were strong and Terra rose to follow them early one morning, out of the empty temple into the light, eyes flickering about. There felt like nothing was there, but words and voices occasionally whipped around his hearing and eyes and the male froze in place to be sure, to avoid chasing a vision that could leave the weaker lioness behind him. Still, Terra puffed to twice his size, and the male looked around apprehensively, nose trying to pick up anything but sand and drness.
Zehoret rose early, but didn't move until Terra passed by almost in a trance, ears pinned at the male's state, and she followed him quietly through and out of the temple, looking around in concern until acknowledging intrnally he was seeing -- something.
Where many lions would assume heat-sickness, Zehoret recalled he claimed seerhood, and the female sat to watch, waiting.
The Tuait had once had seers - many seers in families and cubs whom were gifted with sight - particularly god cubs, those that were blessed by gods, or to share godblood, and she feared interrupting such an important role.
Still, the female worried, and when Terra went rigid, she assumed the worst, looking to her paws in worry until Terra twitched.
Terra looked uo, the male blinking and looking back to her calmly.
Zehoret was unharmed, much as she hadn't been in his vision, but knowing they weren't in a strange shadowed place, the seer relaxed, shaking himself and frowning.
"I... Saw something." Terra shook his head. Zehoret nodded, trying not to pry, but the male paced, frowining.
"Sand. Weather. It - sandstorms. Lions. A kingdom. You were therte, I think. I wasn't." Terra frowned, before looking to Zehoret, the female looking hopeful.
"Others...?" She asked timidly. Terra nodded, looking forward again. "Some. It felt like it might've been a kingdom. I can probably help you get there." Terra frowned. "But I doubt I'd be part of it."
Zehoret paused, thinking over his words carefully. On one paw, she appreciated his kindness, but on the other, she knew he was trying but not paryicularly skilled, nor did he entirely seem sure he wanted to help as much as he was, and the female decided it best to accept his visions. One did not turn away the blessing of a seer's visions, and the female nodded slowly.
"That's okay."
Terra froze, eying Zehoret a bit. Okay?
His ego was wounded by the phrasing and the male frowned, glaring sharply at her as he regarded his response. An arrogant lion did not take dismissal well, and he wanted to abandon her to the desert then and there and see if she found the way, but the look on her face was off for such an improper response and he studied her carefully.
Zehoret flinched at Terra's glance at first, and wondered what she'd done wrong before the male shook his head, sighing at her and looking away. She frowned.
"I'm not - I mean no ill will, you just... Seem like I'm a burden." Zehoret said quietly. Terra blinked, eying hjer over before frowning.
"Yes." He said coldly. Zehoret huddled before he continued. "You are, but that doesn't make you worthless nor mean you deserve to suffer."
The male snorted, moving over to paw her up.
"My mother's blind. My sister's blind." Terra scowled. "What you do is find other skills and strengths."
The male moved, trying to push Zehoret6 to her paws roughly.
"Find a skill or two you're good at instead of focusing on your weak areas. Expecting perfect cookie cutters or certain trtaits simply due to a home or pride is idiotic. There's always an exception. If you can't hunt, craft. Sing. Dance. Cubsit. Teach. Invent. Do something instead of being useless like a self-pitying lump on a log." The male grumbled.
Zehoret squealed, stumbling to her paws as Terra pushed, and she rose, beginning to follow the path her indicated, and she moved dutifully.
"Like seers and visions?" Zehoret offered. Terra made a face, grimacing at Zehoret in a pout.
"Not every seer is. Think like something you can control. Make something. Sing. Prepare a pelt. Cubsit. Something. You're not useless unless you want to pout all day."
Terra shrugged, moving along steadily.
"Just be someone."
Zehoret blinked, staring before looking at the sand, following carefully.
"I don't know how." She admitted.
"Learn from someone. Or develop a new way. Mother cannot see, but she can sing and tell stories. My sister cannot see, but she can help. Learn, find a way." Terra shrugged again, and Zehoret nodded.
The pair pad along slowly, trying to keep peace through silence as they moved, and Terra, for his part, looked ahead as Zehoret followed, more inclined to look around and about, trying to take the area in.
The desert seemed to give way to sparse grass after a point, and the pair glanced to see a large valley, blinking below.
Dust and sand whipped below and Zehoret trembled, glancing below as Terra watched.
He admitted he didn't expect it so near, but, he also admitted he was glad the female needn't travel far either. Poor health seemed to make long trips on the ill difficult, and he nodded carefully.
"So, here is where I leave." Terra admitted. Zehoret nodded, looking out over the sand quietly a moment before trying to read Terra's face.
While he didn't seem to regret a thing, the male also didn't seem content. As usual, he was impossible to read, and the female wondered if he was simply born difficult, and at that thought she smiled inwardly.
On a level she was afraid. She often lost home, and this was far from her birthplace, but this place was different seeming. Sunny, warm, and bright, and the female's ears pricked as she looked before before beginning to feel for her footing, paws finding a trail slowly, and she began todescent. Small peices of limestone littered the ground and occasional desert shrub gave cause for curiousity, the female looking about before looking up.
Terra watched Zehoret descend towards the sand impassively, but, he was glad the lioness in shiny baubles was glad to find somewhere others were, and he watched her carefully as she crept down, to ensure she didn't need help. Zehoret flashed Terra a grateful smile before moving again, descending into the sand as she closed her eyes, and while buffeted by the sand, she was in sand that was light and she could manage, the female moving to seek others.
Terra waited until he couldn't see nor smell Zehoret before turning to pad away.
While he couldn't precisely say a proper goodbye that way, it was better. Goodbyes were hurtful anyways.
