Kasai - bold
It was hard to see at first, between the head slam and bleeding side Yorshka found herself lost in a pool of agony, eyes fluttering to open and close as Kristanf was pushed off from on top of her. It was hard to make out who it was that had come to her rescue, at first the figure didn't seem familiar... not until her eyes settled on those winged markings.
"...Aldan?" Her voice was silenced as the lioness struggled to lift herself long enough to witness the the now fully grown demi-god unleashing his wrath upon a struggling Kristanf. Never before had Aldan acted this way. Normally he was on the receiving end of Kristanf's assault, but now... things had changed. He had changed. The female hardly had time to celebrate his arrival though, somewhere between Aldan's threat the lioness fainted, unable to move or speak.
* * *
"What...." A raspy voice called out as her blue eyes opened slowly. Yorshka was laying on top of her pelts, covered by a heavy fur. She winced in pain as the lioness ran a digit over her wound, it was packed with mud and dry grass. Had Aldan done all of this for her? How? He was so small.... wait.
"Aldan..." Yorshka's eyes narrowed as they settled on the white lion. He had changed so much in his time away from her. She was just happy to see him home. He was alive.
"I knew you weren't dead..." Her words tailed off into a whisper. Everything felt so heavy.
Aldan hadn't been watching Yorshka in the fight. He was more worried about keeping Kristanf at bay. The older reaver retreated after his warning, leaving the younger demigod to his first victory.
Yorshka's appearance though had caused him to fret. Had Kristanf hurt her badly? He was quick to bring her into their shared den, noting the cleanliness of it, and lay her on the pelts. He assisted with her wounds, cleaning and packing them to the best of his ability, before covering her with a warm pelt, and taking his own place near her.
He would watch her while she rested, uncaring of his own tiredness that seemed to creep in his mind. There were more important matters to attend to, and she was right in front of him.
"Easy," Aldan said softly, lifting himself up as Yorshka awoke. "You have a few wounds that will take some time to heal."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner," he purred, nuzzling into her cheek. "If he is smart, he will stay far from us from now on."
He was taken aback by her comment. "Dead?" His head tilted. "Nope, very much alive," he chuckled, again nuzzling the female. "You need more rest though," he said tenderly, with a tone of authority in his voice.
"He kept saying you died." Yorshka coughed as she spoke.
"I know it was just lies, but the idea of you never coming back..." It was hard to admit just how terrified it made her, and it wasn't just because of the lack of safety it would have left her stranded with, but... Aldan was apart of her now, just like she knew she was apart of him. How would she be able to live knowing he had died alone, someplace far away from her and his home? The lioness felt her eyes water in release. It was embarrassing, he was alive and in the flesh, so why did it still hurt so bad to think about?
"I'm just glad you're whole." Nothing about his outward appearance would suggest otherwise, so for now Yorshka allowed herself to rest her worried head.
"You look different." Finally she broke the silence again, teasing him with a soft smile. Her head was throbbing far worse than the wound on her side. Hopefully the pounding would settle soon. At his physical signs of affection her heart raced. He seemed so much more secure around her. Aldan was never one for physical contact, so when he showed her care like the lioness always respected it. Yorshka would return the warm hug with a nuzzle of her own before he moved back.
Aldan's ears pinned back as a small hiss escaped his maw. His eyes narrowed as her cough. Did she need some water? He nodded as she spoke about Kristanf lying. He only hoped his warning would suffice enough to keep the other male away, especially now that he knew where they lived.
Aldan would need to petition the War Lord soon to become a Captain, so he would not be pulled away as he was, leaving Yorshka by herself.
His eyes widened as tears started to flow again. "Almost whole," he joked. He had a few new scars on his body, probably the most noticeable one across the bridge of his nose from the Pridelander encounter.
"Different?" He frowned slightly. He looked over himself, humming. "Ah. Longer mane," he clucked his tongue, shaking his head. "Means you can braid it now, can't you?" He flashed a toothy smile.
"But he didn't...try anything while I was gone...right?"
It was hard not to notice his hushed hiss, still the lioness did her best to smile under the unfortunate circumstance the two found themselves in. Yorshka was just so happy to see him here, in the flesh. The lioness slowly brought a paw to his chest before speaking, leaving a claw to linger over the necklace she gave him. A reminder. A shield.
"It kept you safe." Being sentimental during a time like this seemed fair, it was hard for her to admit just how afraid she actually was when he was away. Though she ached now the female knew it wouldn't be for forever, this thought brought her comfort. How did he get here so quickly? The winged male had arrived just in time. It was eerie.
"...He hadn't really bothered me much, I spent a lot of time with Ciro... so I think that was enough to keep him away? I walked home last night... alone and he ambushed me. It was like he was waiting for me. It felt so depraved." The female's voice broke.
"He kept telling me you had died and that he was going to... claim me." Repeating these words felt so embarrassing, it became hard to mask the shame she carried. "I tried to stop him, I did." Yorshka needed Aldan to know that, no matter what else he might have thought about the situation, she needed him to know.
"--but you showed up, and like fire repelled him." Tears started to cloud her pale eyes. "Thank you." What else could she say? It was hard enough admitting this to herself, having to relive it here with Aldan felt so demoralizing. She never wanted him to think less of her. Not ever. Softly the lioness wept, laying herself back down as her paw left his chest.
As her paw reached for the pendant, Aldan found his own reaching for her limb, cupping it just as her claw touched the charm. “It was my reminder to return.” He said softly, his grip tightening slightly on her paw, before releasing it.
“I am glad he didn’t bother you much. I will have to thank Ciro for keeping you safe as well. I am sure his presence helped a lot.” He found himself murmuring. He shook his head as she continued. “Shh.” He felt himself whispering, his own paws wrapping around her in an embrace. “He won’t bother you again. I will make sure of it.” Even if it meant Aldan would have to forego going on Viking missions to keep Yorshka safe, then so be it.
A purr rumbled deep in his chest as she thanked him. He was silent, as he lingered in the embrace before she started to lay down. First instinct of Aldan’s was to join her, and he found himself pushing against her, snuggling close to her.
“I had a vision,” he murmured in her ear. “Of pure light. I had never had one like this before. I think it was you that caused it,” he found himself saying. “You somehow warned me you were in trouble.” Maybe it was the pendant that had aided the vision, maybe it was sheer coincidence. Aldan didn’t know.
Instead, he found himself lightly nipping at her ear and nuzzling into her neck. Absence had caused his affection to grow for the lioness.
"I will thank him, don't worry about that." The lioness nodded with a chuckle.
His affection had not gone unnoticed. Aldan seemed different in a lot of ways, when she first met the young seer he had a hard time dealing with physical contact, yet he lay beside her with no restraint now, even nuzzling into her freely. Everything felt fluid now, hesitation had been traded in for familiarity. Softly the lioness smiled, allowing the larger male to lay beside her as she settled back against the pelted ground.
When he spoke of visions Yorshka's ears perked. Her own visions had been so infrequent, so it was hard to know what triggered them or what the meant. When he spoke of a bright light she glanced at him, slightly perplexed. "I.. wonder what it could mean?" A mutter, though he could hear her words if he listened closely.
"Whatever it was--I am glad it brought you back." The female could only shutter at the thought of what would have happened if he hadn't arrived when he had. She wouldn't allow herself to go there, not now. When Aldan nipped at her ear she blushed, turning her head away in embarrassment. He was being so...
"That tickles." She mused before pulling her head away, speaking firmly as a paw ran over his muzzle. "What can we do to make sure this doesn't happen again? Or, can he just keep assaulting us because I am a thrall?" The pale lioness was still trying to understand what the ranks meant here.
"Is he allowed to bother any female he wants?" Where she came from relationships meant something. Maybe that didn't matter here, and it wasn't like she was in a relationship with Aldan.
What... what was she? What was this? The thought lingered for a moment.
Aldan found himself shrugging slightly. “I don’t know…It was…different.” He gazed at the charmed pendant her wore, before his blue eyes focused on her pale form. “I can only speculate, but…this may have had something to do with it?” He offered, twirling the pendant in his paw.
He chuckled softly as she pulled her head away, a small smirk on his maw at her paw was placed upon it. “I will stay home. I will petition to become a captain, so I can make my own schedule for outings and now have to abide by anyone else’s rule. Kristanf hasn’t become a Captain yet. Imagine the look on his face,” Aldan grinned, but it soon faltered.
“This pride works…differently than most. Most of the pride is respectful of others…” his voice shifted as he almost let out the word property. Yorshka wasn’t property, not in his eyes. But with her title…it wasn’t the same amongst others.
“Thralls…yes…he might look down on females in general? I don’t really know.” He hesitated in saying.
“But let’s not talk about him,” Aldan purred again, nudging the female. “I’ve missed you too much.” He whispered into her ear, his purr rumbling his form.
"Even so...It's hard to ignore his persistence... and afraid it won't stop anytime soon." Aldan was being incredibility sweet, but it was hard for Yorshka to pretend. The attack was fresh in her mind and on her body, the wounds burned. "I can't just forget it--" The female sighed, shifting as the male leaned back into her. Aldan was so keen on showing his physical affection, it felt like he was using it to overshadow her distress. Even if this wasn't intentional it was daunting in the face of fear. "Come one, I'm serious Aldan."
Her pale eyes narrowed. "Thrall." The word felt like a curse. "So, my title means I have to live in a constant state of fear?" Yes, he was going to try to become a captain and boost his own rank within the pride but in the end Yorshka would always be a slave. A slave that he kept. A broodmother to a litter of cubs that could be born from assault at any given moment. Would she even be allowed to pick her own mate? At one point the lioness considered Aldan...
Dreams. All of her hopes felt like dreams now. Places she would only ever be able to visit in her sleep. As he purred the lioness tilted her head, moving herself away from him slowly. "--and now you come home and want affection. Why now? What's changed?" Yorshka wanted to understand... but she was also carrying a pain in her she couldn't explain. He would never understand.
"I..umm." Aldan felt himself hesitate as she spoke her rank. He was taken aback by her comment about being serious? This was the first time he had seen the female in many weeks. He had been serious on his adventure outside the pride. Now he didn't want to be serious. He wanted to relax, to snuggle, anything but talking about this.
"Being a thrall doesn't mean you have to live in a state of fear. I'm here. I can fight for you." Aldan stated with a frown.
But Yorshka persisted. She moved away from him, causing him to frown. What changed? The distance and time away from the female had made him realize just how much he liked the lioness. Did she not reciprocate the feelings for him?
"Seeing you unconscious, bleeding on the ground, stirred up feelings for you. I think...I am falling for your Yorshka. You might be a thrall, but...but I don't see that in my eyes." Wasn't that all that mattered, anyways? Who cared what her rank was! She was Yorshka, that was it.
"...." Her eyes shifted back to his as she searched him over for sighs of trauma. Was he suffering from a head injury he was unaware of? What was he talking about? Protecting her? Falling for her...?
"Aldan, You can't always protect me, it is completely unrealistic to think you can. I have to be able to protect myself too." Her words felt like pleas as she glared at him intensely. "I have to be safe without you... because sooner or later you will leave again and I will be tied to this place without you. You can't do it all." Yorshka knew the male was trying to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, but it was a fantasy she couldn't buy into. No matter how beautiful it seemed.
"...." When he spoke of his honest feelings she couldn't help but pull away even further. The distance between the two felt palpable. The pale lioness winced as she shifted herself, the pain still pulsing down her side. It was raw. This felt so raw.
"...Falling for me?" Never before had this situation presented its self to her before, so when he spoke her heart sank someplace deep inside her chest. Hearing this should have brought her joy--but in the moment she only felt pain. Emotional pain that caused her eyes to swell with tears. Softly she spoke, her voice hushed and broken.
"You own me, Aldan. You can't love property." Why did it feel like she was self sabotaging and speaking out of impulse? It was something Yorshka honestly wanted to hear...but in this moment... it just didn't connect. It was lost in a sea of sorrows.
"A captain and his thrall." The female mused darkly, her tone bitter. "You deserve a proper female--not a thrall."
"But... if you want me... I can not stop you. I have no say in what my master does to me." Yorshka didn't mean a word she was saying... but the words came out anyway. Regret would haunt her for this.
"It is not unrealistic. Personal thralls are not always threatened in the pride, and if they are, the freeborns, reavers or Captains take care of it." It was probably the first time Aldan actually admitted Yorshka was a personal thrall.
"I may not be able to do it all, but I can certainly try." As she pulled away, Aldan found himself rising to his feet. He didn't follow though, although his heart willed him to give her an embrace.
"Reavers can love thralls." He found himself whispering, as he shook his head disagreeing with her comment. He had seen it happen before. Look at Ayanga's family. Her mother was born out of a love between a thrall and a reaver. Astrid would likely still be with her mate, if he had come back from a viking mission.
His eyes narrowed as she said he deserved a proper female. "I deserve who I please." He found himself lifting a lip in disdain as he spoke, his tone lingering on that of a growl. Her next words caused him to stop dead in his tracks. Did she think he would force himself on her? Make him do things against her will just for his satisfaction or pleasure? The thought made his heart drop to his stomach. All good feelings he had previously felt seemed to have disappeared with those words.
Aldan looked away, his eyes narrowed as he turned his back to the female, now facing the den entrance. If she wanted to be treated like a thrall, so be it.
"Get some rest." He stated, taking a step towards the entrance. He needed some air.
His eyes drifted towards his neck. Since he was back in the pride, he no longer needed its protection, whatever he thought it could be. He reached to take the charm from his neck, laying in on one of the pelts, before leaving the den completely.
He probably wouldn't go far, but enough for her to think otherwise.