The Search for a Home (Private or with Permission)

[Artemys]

Viserion still did not entirely believe what Walla said, but he didn't contradict her. But he was still largely uncertain as to what he could do to change anything. In fact, he wasn't even sure he was good at all. He served his family, Rhaegar and Kijani. And was it wrong that it didn't matter to him whether he was assisting homicide or bringing about world peace? Did his indifference make him bad? He felt a surge of conflicting emotions, pushing and pulling him in all directions. But seeing Walla look at him in such a way, made him wish that he did believe it.

"I-- " He started, his voice filled with uncertainty and he wasn't sure how he should reply. But perhaps she was right. Maybe he just needed to take a stand. He looked to Walla to give himself confidence and stood up, keeping his head high and his squaring up as Rhaegar did when he was about to roar. It sounded strange to other lions, but Viserion had never roared before, he had always been silent. So all he could do now was mimic what his elder brother did. He closed his eyes shut. This is ridiculous, you can't do this, you just can't! Some more logical part of him warned. Though for once in his life he ignored that and took a deep breath in before roaring.

Well... if you call it a roar. It sounded more like a strangled cry that a cub makes rather than a roar. And as soon as he heard the sound, Viserion stopped and felt the heat rush to his cheeks. He knew it was a stupid thing to do, he couldn't do it. He had tried and he had failed.

"I'm sorry, I can't Walla." He said, looking down at his paws.




Rhaegar looked at her as she spoke, she'd make sure of that? It was something he hadn't heard before from a lioness certainly and that he'd have to get used to he presumed. And whilst he could safely say that he did have feelings for Clary, there was still the undeniable culture gap that separated them. He repressed it now so she wouldn't know, but what would happen in the long term? Would she want to go back to his home, even if they treated lionesses very differently back there? Would he be able to control himself and push aside his instincts when he was with Clary? He found her bold nature appealing in many ways, but he wasn't certain that they would always work if things got serious.

Rhaegar wasn't generally much of a thinker, nor did he question matters very often. He generally saw the world as black or white. But nothing could disguise the clash between this new world he had wandered into and the old one he wanted to get back to.

"Hmmm... I suppose you'd have to be prepared to put up with me a lot longer if you wanted to double check." He grinned at the lioness, putting aside thoughts of the future and concentrating on the present.




Kijani cringed at the cry from away in the forest that echoed around the quiet place where she sat with Uruz. The skeletons and 'decorations' that Walla had decorated her home with only made the atmosphere more unsettling.

"What in the world is that?" She said to herself, having never heard that sound before from any animal and for a moment she feared it to be some strange and exotic from the Western plains. Though as silence settled in, she came to realise that it sounded a lot like a young cub trying to roar and at that stage she could guess it was Viserion. What was that lion doing?

All the same she shoved the thought aside and turned back to the injured lion "Your welcome" She smiled at him. "And the future can surprise you sometimes." She added optimistically. Not that it ever had for her family...

[Ruby_Fehu]

Clary grinned at the larger lion and flicked her tail approvingly, when she heard a cry from a distance away and glanced up. "What on Earth was that?" She asked in dismay, looking around and spotting Kijani and Uruz sharing a look as they too must have heard the sound. Kijani was noticeably cringing and she peered up at Rhaegar, "Was that Viserion?" She asked.


Uruz shot her another smile, trying to ignore the irritating sound that had just reverberated. "Who or what was that it sounded like someone was in pain." He said in surprise, dropping his head as a wave of exhaustion overcame the ill lion.

[Deleted]

Walla's eyes went wide. "Sorry?. Are you kidding? You did it!" she said, and leapt up and hugged him, pinning him to the earth below her big soft belly. "I didn't think you'd even try. But you did! You took the first step. With a bit of practice you'll be roaring like the kings of old." She licked his cheek, then suddenly realised what she was doing. "Oh... Sorry," she said, and giggled. "I suppose I should let you up, shouldn't i?"

[Artemys]

Viserion initial confusion from Walla's praise eventually turned into a stunned expression as he suddenly found himself underneath Walla, with her hugging him. He wanted to pull away as he was certainly not used to this type of attention, but that was made impossible by the awkward position he was squashed in. He smiled lightly, trying to mask any signs of inner awkwardness though as to how successful that actually was, Viserion doubted it would cover up his inner feelings very well.

As she moved off him, he quickly got up and resisted the urge of straightening his fur. He wasn't a particularly social lion, but he had some idea of what was rude to do around others. All he had to do was to do the opposite of Rhaegar. "Thanks" He muttered quietly as he looked towards her.

he though over what she had said, practice? He wasn't sure what she had heard but there was certainly no way that he would be doing that again after how awful he had sounded. "Uhhh-- You-- I mean, you honestly think so?" He asked, either she was a very good liar or he hadn't heard right.

---

Rhaegar sighed as Clary picked up on the sound, and commented on it. He had hoped she would ignore it, he didn't want any further reason to have his family name disgraced and embarrassed by Viserion. Honestly, all that lion had to do was keep quiet, keep his head down and do whatever he did best and the three of them would be perfectly fine. But clearly, it wasn't embarrassing enough for Viserion that he of all lions was born into a family of royalty.

"Yeah, that's pipsqueak alright." He rolled his eyes. Heavens above, what a way to ruin an evening.

---

"That would probably be my brother and I'd like to say I'd doubt he's in pain or we'd hear Walla. So my guess is that was his attempt at roaring..." She said, still wincing slightly as she thought of Viserion. Hopefully Rhaegar hadn't heard anything. Not that he'd usually get annoyed but if he did mistake for a cry of distress only to find Viserion with Walla, he wouldn't be a very happy lion.

"Viserion, is well-- he's a very quiet lion. He keeps to himself a lot and hasn't actually faced anything or anyone in battle so i don't suppose he's particularly good at his roar" She explained to Uruz.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Clary rolled her eyes slightly when Rhaegar called his brother 'pipsqueak', "Don't be so mean." She scolded. She glanced away from Rhaegar to Uruz and Kijani and noticed that the male seemed to be losing strength and quickly. She turned from Rhaegar and padded over to the two, looking up at Uruz. "Are you alright? There's a cave nearby if you need to rest." She said gently. There was something that seemed to draw her to this lion. He looked so familiar yet she couldn't quite figure out how; and in recognising him her protectiveness was incredibly powerful as she stood before him.


Uruz flinched a little and looked to the lioness, his lips curled up in a faint smile before he nodded once and jumped down from the low branch. He staggered a little knocking himself into Clary who huffed a little. "Come on it's this way." She said to him, starting to pad away carefully; Uruz following Clary closely.

[Deleted]

"Yes, of course," Walla said. She smiled sadly. Secretly, she had hoped he would like the physical contact. Males at home often commented how feeling the weight of a heavy lioness on top of onesself was attractive, but Viserion looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but there. Still, she was impressed by how calmly he took it. He might be small, but he had to be very strong. "Your throat is tight. That's all. Keep practicing in private and you'll get it eventually. One day you'll just surprise yourself.
"Now, we're leaving for the mountains tomorrow, yes? I suppose we should get some sleep. I'd appreciate it if you stayed not too far from me, Viserion. I'm sure I'd sleep better that way." She shuffled about, pointing herself in the direction of the camp before saying, "Walk me back?"

[Artemys]

"It's called honesty, Clary" Rhaegar rolled his eyes as she reprimanded him for calling Viserion-- well, for using the word pipsqueak to describe what he was. It would've been cruel to let Viserion go on pretending that he was anything but. Besides, he ought to be thankful that a lion like him had been accepted by a lion like Rhaegar. If their father had ever seen the lion that Viserion had become, he would've cast him out undoubtedly.

As Clary made her way to Uruz and Kijani, Rhaegar stubbornly stood fast. That stupid, weak, pathetic, diseased beast should just be put out of it's misery and the rest of them wouldn't have to go on trying to endure to his insolence and moping around. Eventually though, he gave up and came to sit in the small clearing but still kept his distance.

---

Kijani followed a bit behind Uruz and Clary, though seeing Rhaegar remain alone in the clearing, she went over to him instead. And sat herself near by her elder brother. He looked deep in concentration and his eyes were fixed on Clary and Uruz who had gone to find the cave.

"You don't like him?" She cut straight to the chase.

"He'll slow us down, we should just leave him be and the sooner we all forget about that stupid rogue the better." Rhaegar huffed, lowering his head so that it was resting on his paws.

"We could help him though--" Kijani began

"No. Have you forgotten why we're here, sister? We're here to get an army to go back home. We are NOT here to make some pathetic and useless pride made of the most ridiculous, slowest, fattest, sickest lions we can come across!" He growled at Kijani, who fell silent. She looked at him through worried eyes, hopefully he didn't mean that. Hopefully, he'd forget by the morning.

---

"I'll try--" Viserion said referring to the practising, though doubting that he would do so. He listened as she went on "Of course." He replied to Walla's requests and slowly headed back to where the others were. As he came into view of the clearing, he saw Rhaegar and Kijani though they didn't look particularly happy. So Viserion went around them and looked to Walla.

"Your choice," He said referring to where she would like to sleep.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Clary and Uruz padded along slowly, "Do you remember who I am yet?" Uruz asked Clary once he was out of earshot of the two siblings; he peered past Clary's shoulder at them and saw Rhaegar sat watching the pair, looking rather unimpressed. Clary raised her gaze to Uruz.

"What do you mean?"

"Clary, look at my eyes." He said.

THe lioness cocked her head on one side looking confused but did as she was told; beneath the silver there was a faint blue colour. Even the shape was familiar, suddenly her eyes widened, "That isn't possible." She whispered.

"Clarissa-" Uruz said softly.

"My brother." She gasped after a moments silence before starting to back away.

"Hey little sister." Uruz grinned.

"Father told me you were dead."

"Father, didn't know." Uruz replied bitterly. He felt his shoulders droop a little. "Now I really need to find a cave Clary." He said weakly.

"Of course." THe lioness replied leading her brother away again.

---

Clary returned after showing Uruz the cave and she padded back towards Rhaegar and Kijani looking rather dazed, before she slid onto her haunches near to them.

[Deleted]

"I sleep over there," Walla said, pointing to a pile of leaf litter, piled up in the hollow under a fallen tree's roots. She walked past Kijani, Viserion and Clary, pretending not to have heard them. "I trust you're comfortable," she said. "At sunrise we'll leave for the mountains. I know a fast way, so you needn't worry about me slowing you down." She winked, then waddled off.
The way into her hollow was lined with tree roots. Walla approached the widest gap, then turned to Viserion. "After you, good sir," she said with a smile.