[SRP] You've got some nerve.

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this is a private self-rp, please do not post unless invited.

 

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"I don't want to hear any further excuses."

Like always, Zaela's voice never rose above a calm, low tone. Just loud enough to be heard, but there was enough of a growl behind her words to send shivers down the spines of the peons and grunts she was addressing at the moment. The day had been normal, yes, but what hadn't been normal was finding these particular grunts and peons just outside the pride's borders.

Claiming they were just 'taking out the trash', their story fell pretty flat when one of the younger grunts had trotted up without knowing she was there with the carcass of a hyena pup. No one admitted to anything except for one grunt who decided to be cocky and brag that they killed a whole litter of them.

That grunt was already on his way back to the pride with a bruised and bloodied muzzle.

"All of you, get going. You." She snarled at the grunt that still had the pup between his paws.

"I want the truth, Stoneblood." she demanded.

[176]  

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If only...He had been a little faster.

If he had been, Raz'akul might have been able to explain what had really happened, rather than have a horrid story told by the other grunt who, rightfully, had been smacked just before he'd arrived. If he had been a little faster even before then, they may have been able to save the hyena pups, instead of doing what, in his mind, they had to.

But it is what it is, and, with the hyena pup's lifeless body still on the ground between his paws and his little friend circle dispersed, he had no choice but to face the fierce Blood Guard alone. With the carcass. On his own.

s**t.

"They were dying, Blood Guard." He dared not use her name. "They were starving. They...They were suckling from the carcass of their mother. She was..." He swallowed thickly, the memory of the stench now ingrained in his brain. "...She had been dead at least a week. I...We didn't see anything else. Just...three of these."

[171]  

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The reek of death was something that Zaela would never, ever get used to. As seasoned as she was, how many bodies her claws had carved open, she still would always feel a pang in her heart upon seeing any bodies lifeless. Even moreso, the bodies of those who didn't get to live long enough to experience any of the greatest parts of life yet. It was a fight to keep the bile down that continued to crawl up her throat each time she looked at the emaciated and slightly mangled carcass of the pup.

Instead, she looked Raz'akul in the eyes as he spoke. Long ago had she learned that those with something- anything- to hide would avert her gaze as much as possible, and it had helped figure out many a situation's true meaning. This time, though, Raz'akul had held her gaze as he explained. Well, explained himself, at least.

"Hrm..." she mused as she chanced a glance at the pup once more. Truly it was in a sorry state, and even if it had been left alone, it surely would have been suffering.

"This doesn't excuse Earthmaw's outburst." She finally sat down, her aggression toning down at last, since she now had no reason to wait to slap the shot out of Stoneblood.

[216]  

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"It doesn't." Ro'kuna's soft voice came from behind the Blood Guard.

It hadn't been a few moments that she was awake before she'd been told about the grunt running back, crying about a Blood Guard abusing him. Earthmaw had been known for crying wolf, as it were, but Ro'kuna had promised to look into the matter. It did take her a moment to blink awake, but after giving her mate a soft kiss as he still slept, she made her way out of the canyon that was the pride's home, towards the direction that Earthmaw had said the 'abusive' Blood Guard was 'screaming at' another grunt.

Her arrival took a lot less time than she though it would. She had expected them to be far, far outside the borders, but that was not the case. As a result, she had time to sit and listen to not only Stoneblood's explanation, but Bloodfury's retort. Although the lioness looked like she was the type to lash out, Ro'kuna knew that the Blood Guard was not someone to abuse grunts, for any reason. And this was exemplified by her tone and presence. Commanding and aggressive, but not violent.

Bloodfury had been chosen for a reason, after all.

"Did you kill the other pups, too?" She asked softly, padding up to sit beside the larger lioness.

[222]  

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Oh. ******** the appearance of the Farseer, Raz'akul found himself feeling like he was a cub again. He wanted to shrink away, hide in a hole, get away from the burning gaze of the Blood Guard, and even the soft gaze of the Farseer wanted to make him turn tail for having possibly disappointed her.

"...Yes...." He admitted, as there was no use in lying about the situation. "I mean...I...I dind't want to. I wanted to bring them back..." He looked down at the pup's body, sadly. "They were so small, Farseer! They weren't even crying, they were just laying there, breathing. Earthmaw, damn him, just wanted to kill them! I just, I wanted to see if we could help them! There is NO honor in ending the life of something so small when it could be saved!" He was getting riled, now, just thinking on the actions of his fellow grunt. "But He's...he's stronger than me. " He admitted. "And I couldn't stop him from killing the first five. I...I thought I could..."

Another glance down at the lifeless hyena pup.

"...I was trying to bring this one. It...It died in my jaws. I may as well have killed it..."

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Steady as ever, even with the Farseer's arrival, Zaela took a deep breath.

"It was honorable of you to try and save them, Stoneblood." She nodded. "But from the looks of it, they would have been...a challenge to bring back to health, even with all the shamans working hard. Still, honor is what we expect, and honor is what you have showed. I think you deserve to be given a commendation for that."

"As for Earthmaw and the others." She continued, then stopped, looking to the Farseer for her input.

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"He will be dealt with." Ro'kuna agreed, now standing.

"Lead us to the bodies, Stoneblood. Let us give them an honorable burial."  

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A deep breath later, and Raz'akul picked up the pup once more, turning to lead the two lionesses to where the rest of the bodies now lay.

He had done an honorable thing. If only he could have done...more.