Sphinx - normal
Kasai - bold

To say the female was a little apprehensive at the prospect of living with her now "owner" Aldan, would have been a grave understatement. In truth the pale lioness was terror-stricken and sick to her stomach with uneasy nerves. For a while now they two had shared a very emotionally unstable friendship, mostly due to Aldan's lack of awareness and knowledge that lead her to be captured by his band of Vikings. The female knew it wasn't up to him now and apart of her knew it from the start, still, it didn't change fate or what lead them to this point.

Her white paws shifted under her weight as she walked behind the younger male, tracing his markings with a half-smile. Yorshka would follow him well into the evening... though she hardly allowed herself to speak, finding solace in the mist that turned to rain. Blue eyes would shift up from time to time as she searched the area with hungry eyes. Yorshka knew very little about this place, it seemed only natural to thirst for any information she could find. Still, her mind always found it's way back to Aldan.

He had been so ashamed of himself it was hard not to empathize, though the lioness knew she could do very little for him right now. The demon he faced was a creature of his own making, and eventually he would have to face it head-on. As they two came to a stop her heart sank--they were here. This was home. Blue eyes settled on his lean frame as she gave him a light nod, the earring he gave her danced along her cheek with every movement she made.

"Is... this it?" Yorshka questioned softly.

Aldan was, once again, cursing himself for getting in this situation. What would his family think? None had taken a thrall that he knew of, and more so none had…He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. Yet it kept appearing. Over and over in his mind. He was sure one of these days he would go crazy for the negative thoughts in his mind. However, he couldn’t, especially if he was in the presence of another.

So instead, he remained silent as they walked. His pace was slow, letting Yorshka take in the paths. It wasn’t as if he expected her to go out alone at this time, but he also wouldn’t stop her leaving the den if she so chose to. He just…couldn’t keep her promise to her if she did that.

It was something Aldan did not want to think about.

His thoughts were interrupted as he stopped at his den. It was a small entrance, and inside was cozy enough for a few full grown lions. On the ground, pelts were littered all over. Some were shredded. Perhaps that was from the last few days Aldan had spent sulking in his home. It was unclear.

The demigod nodded at her question though. “Yeah…this is it.” He said rather sullenly, entering the den. “It’s…not much…” He flashed a frown her way. “I’ll get things cleaned up…” He would have done it sooner, alas, he wasn’t expecting her arrival so soon.

Cerulean eyes lifted as Yorshka stepped in, her small frame passing his larger one as she stepped onto a near by pelt, the plush fur felt fantastic between her toes. The lioness wasn't use to this feeling of uneasiness, especially between her and Aldan. Once they were far closer and things were way less complicated, though now that felt like a distant dream. Though this awkward aura felt like it would never lift she did try, the lioness had to. Aldan wasn't her enemy, she needed him to know that. Slowly she found herself a place deer inside before sitting herself down on another pelt, this one darker in color.

"It's alright." She assured him as he spoke. It was hard to ignore his stress.

"Really, you don't have to worry so much, alright?" In truth the pale female had a hard time finding the words to help ease him, no matter how hard she seemed to search.

"Why don't you come over here and sit with me?..." Yorshka gulped as she tapped a place beside her, her paw lingering for a moment before she withdrew it. Her eyes shifted to the entrance of the den; something deep down made her feel sick. Was Kristanf aware of this arrangement? Would the diabolical beast show himself?

"Aldan..." Her voice echoed throughout the den. The look on her face was agonizing and hard to ignore.

"Kristanf isn't allowed here... right?" The silence that followed her question only made things feel increasingly more uncomfortable.

Aldan's ears swiveled a top his head. "I...just don't see how you can be so...relaxed." The young reaver found himself murmuring. "After everything that has happened to you, everything I've done to you." Another sigh, but he listened to her, walking further into the den.

He gazed at where her paws tapped the ground, pausing only a moment before he took her up on the offer to sit.

At her next question, his gaze hardened. He didn't want to hear that name in his den. "Of course not. This is my...our" he corrected, "home. My pride might enjoy the capture of an innocent creature, but they are to respect the personal space once in the lands." Well, it was assumed they would respect it. Aldan wouldn't hesitate to keep the male out of his den if he so chose to show his face here. He's probably get his mini army of siblings and half siblings to help if needed.

"I don't even think he knows my den location to be honest," Aldan admitted. "We are safe." There was a lingering tone, as if to include 'for now' on his comment.

The seer looked at Yorshka's lighter eyes. "...I'm still...very sorry...for everything." He found himself apologizing again for the umpteenth time. "Once....once I figure it out, I will find a way to get you back home."

"...." Her chest felt heavy with every word he spoke, filling in the silence with answers of her own. The lioness felt helpless when she glanced at him, but not for the reasons he would assume. Slowly Yorshka lifted her gaze to his own, wide eyes searching the young male's disheveled appearance for unspoken words.

"Aldan....," The female paused for a moment. "Stop it." Somethings needed to be buried. This thing, it needed to be put deep into the ground.

"I don't blame you--you..." She stammered, tripping over her own tongue.

"I forgive you." This grace was all she would ever be able to offer him, in this moment Yorshka felt no anger toward him. No part of her hated him, despite her natural instincts. Quietly the lioness lifted a paw before placing it softly beside his closest limb, her eyes shifting from him to the ground.

"You are victim too. You and I are both victims in this. I'm sorry you can't see that." While speaking the pale lioness moved her paw on top of his, trying to comfort him as best she could. Slowly her ears pinned back as she lifted her eyes back to his, speaking faintly- "My heart aches for you, too..."

Silence covered the pair for a long moment, leaving the space between them filled with lingering dread.

"So.. please... help me... help us... heal." This request was daunting and felt borderline impossible, the female was aware of what she was asking of him.

"I need you to forgive yourself--" A chill ran down her spine, though this conversation was strained she never lifted her paw. Yorshka had so much she wanted to say, so much that needed to be said, but this had to happen first. He needed to be in the right state of mind if they were going to have "this" talk.

"...Please." She plead.

In his mind, the arguing continued. He was trying to ignore them, but he found himself diving deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Stop it. The words, so short, seemed to cut through the blackness that was his current state. A light shining in the darkness. The winged male seemed to focus on those words, the conflict hiding behind his dark eyes not dissipating, but clearing if only somewhat.

"You...what?" How could she forgive him for the crime he had committed. Taking an innocence, albeit, with his own arm pinned behind his back, surely was an unforgivable act.

Her gaze shifted to the paw that now rested on his front page. There was a small jolt in his heart, almost as if butterflies were flying around.

"If I...was just...stronger...as you said before. If...only I had stood up to him...N-none of this would have happened." He would need to better himself. He would need to train to stand up to the now common enemy, so this wouldn't happen in the future.

"How do we get through this?" Aldan asked sullenly, his gaze shifting from her own, down to the ground.

"I was wrong to blame you for this, it wasn't your choice, you didn't hurt me." As he settled himself and drew his eyes to the ground she sighed and shifted her weight to the side. Things felt strained but hints of progress were being made.

"From now on I think it's best we stay far away from him. He's demented and cruel and I couldn't live with myself if he tried something like this again," Her words faded faintly.

"...I'd kill him...." The lioness had never once felt the need to say something so perpetual, so cold, yet Yorshka said this without batting an eye.

"I will sink my claws so deep into his eyes he will never see the light of day, not ever again." Her tone seemed to grow increasingly more aggressive as she spoke of sadistic fantasies, losing herself in hatred for a moment before pulling back to her place in front of him. The lioness felt no shame in her words, she meant every single one.

"Aldan, don't worry about promising me things you can not obtain or keep." The pale female paused and moved her paw back to the side. "This is our reality now. We have to work together if we are going to survive this. So, I can't answer you. I don't know how we will get through it--" Another pause, this time shorter. "I just know we have to do it together."

She could close her eyes and see his face from that night, like still-images in her head, the fear that plagued him was haunting. Yorshka never wanted him to feel that way ever again. She never wanted to feel that helpless ever again.

"...You didn't hurt me. You didn't take anything from me." With heavy eyes she glanced over his face once more, her ears still pinned back in embarrassment.

"...I'm glad it was you."

"Aya usually comes around during the day. I'll see if she can keep tabs on his whereabouts for the time being." The male ultimately decided. "He's her uncle, she can deal with him..." He shook his head. He hated his friend being stuck in the middle, but it was all he could offer for now.

"You'd have to get in line if you want him dead. I want first swipe." Aldan found himself growling as his ears pinned back. "Days like this I wish I acquired my mother's ability to fly, so I can pluck him straight from the earth and have him fall to his death."

Maybe it was a bit too morbid for the once innocent Aldan to say. He glanced over to Yorshka, frowning. "Er...sorry." He apologized again, this time for his words about the other. "I...don't usually express death on others." Kristanf was likely the only one.

He nodded in agreement. "Why don't I think this will be easy..." he found himself muttering.

At her next comment, he found his cheeks heating up. Surely a light pink hue now covered them. "I...I didn't?" He winced at the memory of that night. "I...er...never had done that before..." Now it was his turn to be embarrassed.

"But...I'm...glad it was you too. I mean..." Was that too awkward to return the comment? "I...imagined myself detouring to the Pridelands on my vikings just to...be with you..." Not necessarily in a sexual way, but who knew what could have happened if things played out differently.

The lioness nodded as he spoke, making room for all the emotions he felt. She would listen to him curse Kristanf, sharing resentment only helped bring the two back together. In some small way this was a blessing. They had a common enemy. Someone to loathe.

"Don't apologize. Never apologize for that. Sometimes wicked things deserve to die." Pinned eyes would glance over him once as she settled herself back, moving into a resting position against the ground. Her white paws lay sprawled out in front of her chest as her tail curled along her backside. The older female lay on the dark pelt neatly, compressing herself into a tight curved ball. She felt comfortable like this. She felt safe.

"Oh...." Well, this was a little awkward. Intimacy wasn't something the female was well versed in, truthfully she had never even fancied a male, not once before all of this happened. Still, hearing him admit something so personal made her feel secure. Somehow it made things feel...

"...I already admitted my own ignorance, but I'll say it again. That was my only time... with someone." As she spoke her eyes looked away, perhaps embarrassment was hard to face? Still, she did try to fumble through this conversation as gracefully as one could.

"You spared me from something vile and degrading, you'll never truly know how thankful I am for it... and you." Yorshka was well aware of what should have happened that night, and while Aldan was guilt struck and mourning for her, something inside the pale female was thankful- at least partially. Of course she would have preferred it to have been on her terms and on her time, sometimes things just didn't happen the way she imagined they would. Life was very different now.

"Maybe in another life." Her words flirted with his admission. Things could have been so different. Could have, but never would be. What they had now lay in this den, shared between the two.

Aldan watched as Yorshka lay on the ground, curling herself into a small ball. He took that as a sign to leave the female’s side. While they may had been conversing civilly, there was still something in Aldan’s mind that kept him from getting too close to the former Pridelander.

“Why…why don’t you get some rest.” He found himself murmuring quietly, as he walked away from her form to his own bed of pelts. Before he found himself lying down, he grabbed one of the softer pelts from the ground, and dragged it over to Yorshka.

“In case you get cold.” He said quietly, leaving the soft pelt on the ground before returning to his own choice.

He chose the shredded, tattered pelt over one that was perhaps more plusher or softer. He would stay here, a good distance from Yorshka to not only give her her space, but to also be the protective layer in case anyone was to intrude on the den. Aldan had become a light sleeper in the last few days, any minor sound would likely wake his slumber.

“Maybe…” He sighed, lowering his body to his bed, curling around himself. His winged back faced Yorshka, while his eyes focused on the den entrance, and the heavy storm that began to hit the land.