Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hewa was having an issue. A particular issue that she had been warned against, had been told about... and certainly, had doubted it would actually happen. Blue eyes stared warily, fur bristled, as she looked around for possible escapes. She was currently cornered, on a small bit of land against a cliff. And in front of her? A hippo. Fortunately, the bit of land was higher than the water. It kept her safe. But Hewa was damn sure the beast was expecting to starve her out. And, with her appetite, Hewa felt it would be a matter of hours.

Groaning, she sunk to her belly and crawled to the edge, peering over it at the innocent-seeming hippo. Except, she knew it wasn't innocent, when it had tried to drag her into the water by her tail hairs. Her tail flicked in annoyance. Obviously, this was getting her no where. "Mr. Hippo, will you please go away? Or let me by?" she pleaded with obvious exasperation. Her tail flicked again. "I don't wish to spend my entire night here and I am certain you wouldn't want to remain there playing sentry. Perhaps we can call this off and go our separate ways?" she tried to reason, waiting for a few moments for response. None. Growling, she flopped on her side. No reason to be uncomfortable while she tried to work a plan out to get to safety.

The large, burly male could have kept walking. By all means he should have - young foolish lions almost always deserved whatever situation they had gotten themselves into - but then he remembered the hard lessons he had been taught in his youth and a part of him couldn't justify the apathy. He paused where he stood across the shore, waffling over the best decision to make.

One hippo was still terrifyingly strong versus a lion and a foolish girl. If he was going to do this he would definitely have to rely on the hippo's own self preservation.

He burst from the tall grass, making certain to create as much of an uproar in the dry shoots as he could, and steeled himself a half step from the shoreline. The dark, purple mane tossed back as he raised his maw and let out a loud, fearsome bellow, roaring so cleanly that it echoed down the cliffside. As it faded, he narrowed his bright eyes on the murky beast.

"You should leave before my clan arrives, you great oaf."

Hewa nearly rolled right off the small cliff and into the water in her haste to get up. The roar had shocked the fur right off of her; not literally, of course. But it did stand up on end. "Oh, what now?" she moaned to herself, eyes searching for the source. There. A dark male.

Obviously, the hippo must have been spooked as well. It mustn't have been too old; it had no scars and was only slightly bigger than the adult. The fact that it was easily intimidated should have been sign enough. But Hewa noticed none of this. Her eyes were on the adult. More of his clans? She wanted to groan; if there were more that were half as scary as the stranger, she was in for a fright.

But, she was a safe distance away. And not quite ready to jump into hippo infested water. They were not as friendly as she was hoping. Eyeing the water once more, she looked at the stranger. And, out of no where, humiliation crept in. She had to be saved. Like... like... some damsel in distress! She heard the stories about valiant males saving weak females and she had sworn that she'd never need saving, especially from a man. But here she was, getting saved! "Go away!" she hissed, stepping close to the ledge and waving her paw to ward him off. "I don't need savin- AH!" The edge of the cliff had crumbled and she was bounding towards the water. She squeezed her eyes shut as the water surrounded her, before she paddled up desperately. It was all she could do to keep her head above water.

Akhi's eyes shifted from the shying hippo to the petulant adolescent that was screaming at him to leave. If looks could kill, she would have been slain on the spot, cut to pieces by the flurry of broken glass he hurled with one glaring stare. It was almost obnoxious enough on her part that he nearly did turn tail to leave - if she was so keen on fighting off a hippo on her own then so be-
s**t.

That glare widened to shock as she slipped over the edge of the crumbling ledge. There was no time to think if he wanted to save her and, honestly, he wasn't very keen on watching her drown. He'd seen enough death in his lifetime to wish no more of it. He dove as far out into the water as he could, catapulting himself from the edge of the shoreline with a graceful leap, until his strong, steady form butted up against hers in the chilly current.

Without bothering to warn her, he grabbed her about the flesh of her neck and pulled, dragging her up onto the shore like an aggravated mother toting her cub to safety. He was a large male, at least, and she was not quite full grown. The gaze he leveled on her had none of that underlying warmth a mother's would have, though. Not even close.

"Stop being such an idiot, girl. Why are you tempting fate?" As if she'd even have an answer to such a question.

Oh gods, she was going to die. Shrieking only allowed more water to rush in. She couldn't move in any direction, only concentrate on swimming up. She was going to die and in front of this stranger. She looked like a fool. Hysteria began to take over. Did it matter if she looked like a fool now? It wasn't like she'd be alive to carry on the shame.

The feeling of teeth on the scruff of her neck had her kick for a time or two longer before she went limp, panting and coughing. Oddly enough, the scary looking stranger had fished her out of the water. Once on land, she panted and sucked in breath. She should thank him. It was the right thing to do, granted that he saved her from the water. Hewa raised her head to thank him.

And decided she wouldn't thank him afterall. Not with the look he was giving her. Her back stiffened as he talked. He was rude. "With an attitude like that, you do not have my gratitude," she seethed out. Oh gods, she must look a right mess. Soaking wet, still sprawled on the floor, with who knows what mingled in her fur. Quickly, she got to her feet. Hadn't he mentioned his clan was to arrive? She could not imagine dealing with more like him. If they all glared like that... she may just wither away. However, there was a matter to deal with. A matter of her pride. "I am not an idiot," she seethed.

Akhilendra's pride was unperturbed by her assertions. His eyes rolled in the viscious mask that marked his face, exaggerated just to make sure that she noticed he was absolutely and completely annoyed with her existence.

"Only idiots let themselves get cornered by hippos, so I can't say I agree with your self assessment, girl." Then, as if to emphasize how ridiculous it was, his eyes shifted out to the watery beast that seemed to still be judging whether or not it would be able to take on the two of them. It wasn't quite as close as it had been before, thankfully, but if it had been a wiser, older creature it most certainly could have just drowned them both. It was damn foolish of him, too, to have jumped in after her. "If that thing were any smarter you most certainly would have been drowned by now and there wouldn't be anyone, with or without attitude, that could save you. Got it?"

He marked his words with a rough glare, settling it on the paler, sopping wet figure so she might understand just how absolutely and completely foolish she had been.

"Next time I'll just let you drown, hm? Then your gratitude won't mean a thing."

Girl?! She had a name! Well, she hadn't given it to him, but she certainly didn't want to be addressed in such a way. Her chin lifted stubbornly. He was frightening looking, that was for sure. The shivers she was now having wasn't just from the wetness. But... she was too stubborn and foolish to do more than glare at him. And be mouthy, of course.

"I wouldn't have drowned, boy," she hissed. This was a complete and utter lie, of course. She was still practicing on swimming. She seemed to get the hang of keeping afloat but propelling in any direction still seemed to allude her. She would have eventually gotten tired from just keeping her head above water.

"Are you in a particularly sour mood or are you always this obstinate to others?" she asked with a sniff. "You couldn't possibly have a clan; that would mean they would have to tolerate you." Okay, she was being mean now. And throwing uncalled for punches. But she was wet, cold, intimidated, and downright surly about having to be a damsel in distress.

And she was still nervous that he actually did have a clan to worry about. She should leave before they got there. And so she could get away from this dark male.

But oh, how she wanted to release her pent up frustration at someone and he was just the perfect candidate for the job.

The more she talked, the more his wicked face contorted into sheer and utter annoyance. The scowl imprinted into his fur wasn't the only one on his face and if he had been more like his father, he might have just shoved her right back into the water then and there. That would have shut her up.

"No, I don't have a clan anymore. That was a lie to stop you from being drowned by a creature more surly and impulsive than you are. Even one male isn't enough to stop a hippo when they're on their own turf. Do you really know nothing?"

His frown shifted into a disgusted scowl, as if he had finally decided that she had not been worth his time afterall. Mentally, he was kicking himself. The hippo probably wouldn't have killed her - maybe cornered her there for a very, very long time but it probably wouldn't have killed her.

"And since you asked, I'm always this sour, especially around ungrateful whelps like yourself. Run back to your mommy before you actually get yourself killed, would you? I don't need anymore blood on my conscience." Behind him, his tail whipped, striking at the air out of his own anger. This was what he got for not minding his own damned business, he supposed. "And stay the hell away from the water. There won't be any other obstinate rogues to save you from your foolish decisions next time."

Her back stiffened pridefully, chin lifting at the insult. Did she know nothing?! "I knew that!" she snapped, ears flattening. "My mother told me about the hippos," she added to prove that she did, in fact, know things about the hippos. However, the need to prove it soon annoyed her and she gave the other an accusing look, as though that too were his fault. "Your clan probably kicked you out," she muttered, eyes narrowing but relief relaxing her shoulders.

If there was no more clan, that meant she didn't have to worry about copies of the surly man coming her way. Perhaps it was best to still leave, regardless. But... she really did loathe the idea of him getting the last word, of turning her back on him. She felt that would be equal to tucking tail and running. Which she would die before doing.

"I'm old enough to be on my own," she snapped. Of course, she was only a recent adolescent. But he didn't need to know this. Her mind didn't even register the fact that he already had blood on his conscience. "Don't tell me what to do, fool," she growled. "I don't need saving." Perhaps she should leave. And so, she turned around, head held high, stalking off in attempt to have the last word. Oh, she could live happily for the rest of her life if she never ran into that foul man again!

It was enough that she was safe, that was what Akhi had to tell himself. Nevermind that she had a sharp tongue and a dull sense of self preservation, nevermind that she was clearly trying to rile him up, nevermind that someone should have really taught her a lesson about survival. She was alive. It was enough.

The dark male watched her turn away, the last words she spat dying on the air between them. A part of him felt that overwhelming need to combat them and fight for the right to have the last say in things - she hadn't even thanked him, after all - but more than anything, he really just wanted her to shut up. If letting her have the last word was the only way to be greeted with the sight of her walking away somewhere safer and far, far away from him then so be it.

With a scowl pulled across his mug, he shook out his fur with a spray of water droplets and turned to head along the bank in whatever direction she obviously wasn't going. If he was lucky he might find a warm rock to sun in for his troubles.

What an unbelievable welp she was.