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It was as though the world around them was about to lose a dearly beloved because the skies had darkened, the air turned moist and had he believed in the gods a little more strongly he'd have though they were making the world cry with him. Throek`irid hadn't spent much time away from his mate, the only time he did get away was thrust upon him with the desperate words of a son or daughter - even the doctor himself had things to say about his dutiful behavior. Everytime he took a step away he feared he would return and his mate would have left this wretched world behind her. Faithfully she appeared to hang on, awaiting his return each time with a twitch and shallow breathing. Each time he returned he cried. After a couple of visits he was all cried out and the burly lion could do nothing more than sit there, ocassionally hold a paw, caress her side and whisper the largest lie he would likely ever tell.
"Everything will be alright." After he uttered the words his bottom lip quivered, yet he would say it again and many more times during his time with her. The words were to comfort her, but he seemed to find they comforted the surrounding individuals just as much. This particular day he had returned from touching base with Zjarri`fol that had taken it upon herself to do what she could with the resources she had available to her - the amount of help they'd been able to provide thus far was impressive and he had like to think that Rahisi was impressed as well though he did here her voice rattle on with words such as 'I could have done better'. He smiled warmly down at the creature that appeared to already be dead.
Memories were what kept him together, everytime he closed his eyes he spied his mate, the Mother of his cubs - she was the vision of life. Always dancing, chattering away and typically speakig her mind to a degree that likely made some agitated. How he wished that he'd be yelled at again, scolded and shunned to the otherside of the den. If it meant she lived he'd deal with that the rest of his life. Instead he opened his eyes and returned to staring at the corpse of his once vibrant partner.
"Everything will be alright. I promise that you're still beautiful, your family is here, you're loved and will never be anything less. You're the love of my life, a proud mother and possibly the best thing to have happened to me, ever." The tears, which he thought couldn't possibly fall anymore broke free like a water dam collapsing under pressure. "Rahisi, I love you." He whispered between sobs that turned silent. As they grew a little louder he raised a big paw to cover his face momentarily while he gathered his wits. When he finally had his wits with him he'd remove the paw and place it back upon the dusty surface of her temporary den.
Throek`irid then found himself just silently crying, tears dripping down his face almost in rhythm of her breathing, slow and unsteady. His eyes couldn't seem to focus on his target as he continued to try and imagine her in any other form besides this, all the while he hoped his children wouldn't only remember this memory. Through all of his pain he made a mental note to find the local artist and have her added to their cavern walls, an appropriate memorial for a lioness that was making a difference, even if she hadn't taken the appropriate paths. True, he'd ehard what others had been uttering behind his back, though very much to his face.
Dignity had been the least of his worries, but he'd heard that what had been discovered could be useful, it just needed to be studied properly - that was what the pride had lacked.. the ability to study something so new was just out of their range, but it seemed they had been gifted with a number of educated individuals.
Then the rest of the productive thoughts were lost to him. Rahisi, his darling mate, had shifted a small amount - he was surprised she had any range of motion at this point and found himself grow weak kneed at her movement. Tears welled up into the large orange lions eyes as he witness her nose wrinkle slightly as she cringed at possible pains or discomforts. It was in those moments that he realized she hadn't really been adjusted since being laid here - laid to rest so to speak. He sighed softly, but did nothing. Her discomfort would be there until the end and moving her at this point wouldn't improve the situation, in fact it was very likely to make things worse. "I'm so sorry Rahisi." He said in between a silent sob. "Everything will be alright, I promise." He raised a large paw and brought it to her head where he began to gentle stroke the tuft of hair that was laying flat, matted against her skull. Everything was incredibly lifeless on her and the lack of bounce was what made him sad.
"Do you remember when the cubs were born?" He asked his still mate. Of course she couldn't nod or respond and so he continued with what he was going to say. "The little rascals, as you called them, would be darting about this way and that. The very first time you left me alone with them I ended up losing one.. and try as I might I couldn't find the little bugger before you came back. When you arrived on the scene you took control and found him like it was second nature." He tried hard to keep it together, heck he even managed a small chuckle which seemed to make the situation worse. "You asked me then what I'd do without you?" He sniffed slightly. "At that point I joked and said I'd be fine, I'd have found him eventually or he'd have come home. But the truth is now that I'm faced with the reality of not having you forever, growing old with you or having you help with future grand-cubs.. I don't know what I'll do without you."
Timing worked in mysterious ways. The moment was still a little hazy, he wasn't sure if she had passed while he spoke, or was satisfied that she'd gotten the answer she wanted - Rahisi had always loved to hear that she was needed. But the next thing he knew her chest had stopped it's shallow movements, her eyes had fluttered shut and her ears seemed to relax. In that moment she simply looked rested, peaceful.. but the reality hit - she was gone.
"Rahisi, I'll love you forever."
He whispered before losing the battle against his sobs.
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