"Absolutely not."

Alkaid had never seen Rive this angry but she had never been the sort of lioness to back down from what she felt was right - nor was she the sort of lioness that cowered in the face of anger.

The male's bright blues were narrowed upon her and every inch of his muscled form had gone rigid with his assertion. A part of her felt it humurous, admittedly, and she was certain that he was just a breath away from stomping his foot like a spoiled cub. Somewhat of that emotion must have displayed itself across her face because he was sighing and turning away from her in the same breath.

"Stop mocking me, Alkaid."

It grinded Rive's gears every time she leveled that look on him and he had needed to turn and walk away from it to stop himself from yelling at her. Even so, he could still see the faint smile on her jowls in his thoughts, as if she knew something he didn't - or saw something he wasn't privy too. Although he knew very little of her past before she had decided to join him in his travels he very much doubted that such a young, vivacious lioness could hold so much wisdom as she seemed to think in the flat of her paw.

"I'm not mocking you," she exclaimed on a sigh that he didn't have to see to know was accompanied by a roll of the eyes. She was definitely mocking him. "I just think it's time that you faced your demons, don't you?"

By the time she finished her words she was leaping back into his view to block his path, almost dancing on her nimble, graceful paws in a way that he envied. He didn't pause to bask in her elegance though, only side-stepped around her body and continued his sulking stalk in any direction but the one that she wanted him to do go in.

"No, I absolutely do not."

Rive would have kept right on walking in silence if, suddenly, he hadn't felt a hard grip on his tail. The blue mane whipped in the air as he turned quickly to see her, teeth carefully sunk into the tuft of his fur and holding on just tight enough not to draw blood. The sight of it was so ridiculous that his stubborn mask broke and he laughed in spite of himself. Muses help him but she could be so absolutely and positively ridiculous when the mood struck her. As soon as his hearty chuckle left his maw, she dropped his tail, and settled her all-knowing amber eyes on him again. The mocking smile had at least disappeared from her face even if it had been replaced with that peculiar, mysterious one that he could never quite place.

"Why?"

"You know why, Alkaid, the muses don't-"

"No, that is absolutely not an excuse." Even he winced as she threw his words back at him. "The muses don't control you if they don't speak to you. Why don't you want to go home? We don't have to stay but please, Rive, help me understand why you don't even want to go?"

For a long moment he considered yelling at her, telling her that she ought to stop bringing these things up, that she had promised him that they would just find a new home together and not concern themselves with the lands of his forefathers and the failures of his youth but if he ever wanted her to consider actually spending her life with him then he supposed he at least owed her the truth of his heart.

"Because I don't think I could take it if I went home and the Ocean still would not speak to me, Alkaid. I know you have never heard the muses so you can't really care like someone of my ilk would. If I go home and they still disgrace me I just don't think.. I could take it."

Alkaid didn't say anything at first, merely stared at him so long taht he dropped his gaze to his ocean-marked paws. It was a hard thing to commiserate with but, she thought, she understood. There were times that the visions of her life before haunted her - the priestess that she both was and wasn't. The mother of strong, able lions that would die someday too soon. These were all things a Goddess remembered but things that wouldn't make any sense to him.

All that mattered though was the fact that she at least thought she understood.

With a deep, resigned sigh she shifted herself forward and bumped the top of her head affectionately under his chin, rubbing the side of her pale cheek into his thick, sky-blue mane. She waited until she felt his muscles unwind before she spoke up at last, offering him a smile he wouldn't see.

"Alright, alright. I think I understand, love. I do not want your heart to break."

Yet even as she said it she knew that there was no way that she wasn't going to break his heart. Beneath the guise of her mortal form she was a goddess. Her purpose was to mend the broken and guide the lost, she was the light of life. Everything that she had tried to be in her former life had become a reality and possibility for her now that she could glide on wings across the world. Eventually that purpose would draw her away from him. Once he was mended and once his heart no longer ached for something that he would never have she would move on to find another soul that needed a little guidance back to the light. It at once broke her own heart and made her hopeful - his time would come, everyone's time did.

She made herself smile as plainly as possible, filling her face with joy and gladness as she drew back at last to look up at his face. A weak, hesitant smile met her own but it was a smile at the very least.

"That's the last time I'll ask."

"Do you swear?" he mumbled gently, nudging her cheek with his nose as he did.

"I promise, love. If going home might break your heart then I shall find you a new home."

"Us a new home," he corrected absent mindedly, nuzzling his face into the side of her mane tuft.

"Yes, that's what I said," she answered, though her eyes had already turned up to the sky.

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