"Go away," Na'resh's voice rung out, silky and smooth but weighed heavily down by sorrow. For the past few days he had noticed a presence following his travelling party. He had his suspicions about who it was - the scent carried a hint of familiarity that was hard to mistake. It was the only reason he had allowed himself and his daughter to be followed for so long. But now Amaryllis had gone on ahead with her feathered companion following to oversee her. For Na'resh, letting his daughter out of his sight was stressful enough... but this problem had to be dealt with now.

The lion stood, his jewel-toned pelt magnificent under the sun's light. He sniffed the air, confirming that his pursuer was nearby. If he had felt threatened, he would have sent his daughter far away. But, the presence that kept him company now was not that kind of threat. No, the form he saw in taking shape in the distance would never lift a paw to harm him or his child.

Amaryllis might have remembered the lioness approaching, but the only time Amaryllis had seen her was when she was nothing more than a cub. In his weakness, he had allowed Yhe to stay with him for a couple of weeks, help him adjust to life as a single father. Yes, Yhe, his sister. She had never wronged him, had never brought him pain or suffering. Yet, he could not stand to see her now. The ties of their blood was too strong. He saw in her a reflection of his father and mother, and both were lions he wanted to put in his past.

He loved her, sure, but he kept his distance from his family for a reason. Na'resh would not allow their presence to taint his precious daughter's light. She did not deserve to become embroiled in familial drama just because she was his only daughter. Amaryllis was all he had left, the only thing he loved that he dared to keep close. He clutched on to her tightly because he was so very afraid of letting go and watching the world claim her as it had claimed her mother.

"She's beautiful, you know." Yhe's voice was soft, gentle. She knew she was treading on thin ice with her brother, but she could not allow Na'resh to wander the world on his own and not check in on him every once in a while. Yhe was a pretty lioness, slender and elegant. Compared to her brother, she was a gem in the rough. Her coat was darker and more muted, though the markings that adorned it seemed to posess their own light. They were white and startling, a perfect mixture of her parents' backgrounds.

Many times Yhe had approached her brother over the years, pleading with him to return to see their mother again. Na'an had lost too much, had suffered so deeply. Yhe was deeply loyal to her, a true daughter in that the ties of their blood overrode everything for Yhe. Try as she might over the years, she had never swayed Na'resh to return home. Over time, she eventually stopped trying and had come to accept that her brother would not come back with her.

For a while, it had made sense. Na'resh had found himself a beautiful young mate, and she had witnessed the love he had for her. She had also witnessed that loss. Both Na'resh and his lover had been too young, too madly in love. The loss of her was nothing short of tragic, and it had changed Na'resh forever. As Yhe looked at him now, she could only see all that loss written on his face. He was a somber lion now.

Time passed by without either lion saying anything more, until finally Na'resh caved. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and glanced away from his sister. "I thought you had finally come to respect my privacy. I don't want her to see you, Yhe."

Yhe's smile was sympathetic. Amaryllis was distracted - she wasn't here, this was the only chance that Yhe would get in a long while to speak with her brother again. "I know. I just wanted to check up on you two... make sure all was well. You should rest more." She had always been a bit of a mother hen. She had a gentleness, a kindness to her that was uncanny considering their family tree.

"Please, Yhe. You need to let me go. This is what is best for Amaryllis. Maybe in time it will be fine for you to come around, but it's not now." He pleaded with her gently. Over the days he had grown tired of ignoring and running away from her. His sister needed to understand and respect his wishes, no matter how much it hurt. In the end, she wasn't the only one who would be caused pain by this.

"Na'resh, you can't just shut out the rest of your family. I know you want this for Amaryllis, but don't you think she'd be happy to meet some of us? It can't just always be the two of you. She's going to grow up and become independent. She's going to fall in love and have her heart broken, you know you can't protect her for everything." She realized too late that she had taken it a step too far with Na'resh. He could tolerate her presence, but he could not tolerate her imposing herself on him and his family. It seemed as if her brother could not be swayed by words or actions.

All hope was lost.

Yhe deflated, even before words left Na'resh's mouth. "Enough, Yhe. I am going to ask you one last time to leave us be."

Her ears pressed back to the flat of her head, and she rose back onto her feet. "Fine." She sounded like a petulant child, but she did not care. "Just... know I love you." Those were the final words she spoke to him before she turned around to disappear back into the horizon.

In her wake, Na'resh sighed.