Nyarai did not know if she was more annoyed or relieved to find her brother blissfully asleep in the den they shared. The cream lioness walked back outside without waking him from his slumber, a large pout plastered across her face. Khwezi was unaware of how scared she had been, how her heart had beaten violently in her chest, how breathing was difficult every second he was unaccounted for. He was her sun, her moon, the stars in her sky; her only living relative, the only one who had not passed on and left her alone. Nyarai had friends, she had friends she loved dearly but at the same time, they were not her blood and bone. Even with everyone's support if anything ever happened to him-Her trail of thought was cut off as she spotted Ink waiting outside as she approached the entrance of her home, her ears standing alert on top her head. “He is home, sleeping, the fleabag almost gave me a heart attack.” A tired and defeated chuckle left her lips, her tail flicking behind her. Annoyed; in that moment she was certainly more annoyed. Vivid eyes rolled in their sockets as she walked back outside and right past the lion who had so kindly accompanied her back home. It was the early hours, pitch darkness surrounded them and all was quiet. The lioness looked over her shoulder towards him and could almost feel the frustration melt away - replaced by the sheer embarrassment that lingered from the last time they were left alone together.
Thankfully the night was too black for her blush to be obvious. “Thank you for tonight Ink. The feast and well, this-.” For putting up with her panic, her fearfulness and not teasing her for it. So much had happened in one night, and so much sadness had lingered over the Pride after recent tragic events. Nyarai had never been good at handling such situations, not good at dealing with negative emotions and the suffering of others. She sighed, letting the last of her worry escape her body via her lungs and forcing a smile back on her face. She turned to face Ink then, tilting her head to the side.
“Can I stay with you tonight? I think I would suffocate Khwezi in his sleep if left alone with him.”