Hunted (Private)

[Ruby_Fehu]

"I love you Wasana, but I really feel that now we're ready to settle with a family. These humans look to be staying here a while, there's even a pregnant one somewhere, they won't be going anywhere until she's had the kid and well again so we've got a little home here, it could even be our home after the humans all leave too. There's plenty of hunting ground and I'm sure I'll find water for us, this area is perfect to settle down until we have cubs and until they're old enough to walk." Ezekiel finished his little speech and lay beside Wasana, draping his paws over her stomach and licking her cheek softly.

[Deleted]

Wasana's heart was fit to burst with gladness. Cubs. He wanted cubs with her. "It does seem that way... But would I make a good mother? A lioness should be able to hunt. I'm slow and fat. What could we do if trouble comes, if the humans all leave? They've only been here since morning." She turned to look at him. "How can we make sure our cubs are safe?"

[Ruby_Fehu]

"Stop worrying, you would make a wonderful mother and I could hunt, I doubt the humans will leave. That child is sick, they'll guess I've gone to get medicinal herbs so will stay. Then when I'm back, I'll stay back." He promised.

[Deleted]

Wasana smiled. "You would make a wonderful father. So be it, then. Let's have cubs." She leaned up to lick him but missed, flopping back down on her side, sending her stomach wobbling like jelly. "Whoops," she said, and giggled.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel laughed and licked her in reply.

*I'll skip to the next day next post*

[Deleted]

(Sure:). I'll do so now).

After a wonderful night, it was time to say goodbye. Wasana gave Zeke a knapsack to carry the herbs in and a kiss for courage. "Remember the descriptions I gave you," she said, "And as best as you can, try to get the other herbs I mentioned too. They won't cure this boy, but it may save us a trip later." She stood back and sighed. "I love you."

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel nodded and smiled sadly, nuzzling Wasana longingly. "I'll be a few months, but I'll be careful. I promise. I'll just get as many herbs as possible." With that he turned and padded away from Wasana, starting off to the South.

[Deleted]

(I'll do a skip ahead).

Wasana turned around and waddled back to the cave.

The humans didn't go away in the next three months. In fact, more and more came. They didn't just bring their sick. They brought humans from far away lands with various skin colours. Some wore strange things over their skin that covered them up, and strange devices on their belts. Like spears, only all metal. The village grew. Human houses popped up everywhere.
Wasana continued to heal the humans too. In return they cared for her every need. She grew quite fond of her human friends. One, named Sini, stayed with her through the night. She was in charge of Wasana's grooming.
Wasana was already a big lioness, but the humans, ever thankful for Wasana's services as a healer, brought her much food. And she loved human food. Often times days would go by when all she did was eat - she hoped this was because of cubs. Her belly did grow larger but so did everything else. Her tail was as thick as a normal lion's foreleg. Her legs were as thick as a normal lion's chest. Her round face became larger, and the chubby rolls on her neck pushed on her ears, until they began to close forwards. It scared her, how big she had gotten. It got to be that she hoped the cubs would come soon. Perhaps then she could lose some weight. Though the humans dressed her in colourful leaves and feathers and catered to her every need, there was an instinct inside of her that yearned for independence.

Roughly three months after Zeke left, Wasana was having another ordinary day. With the rise of the sun she was groomed, and then carried outside to be worshipped by the humans. Then they would present their sick, whom she would heal. But always she kept an eye on the horizon, searching for her missing love...

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel padded through past the familiar area, he'd lost a lot of weight due to food being quite scarce. But he didn't care, he pushed onwards until he approached where he knew the cave to be. The lion recoiled in fear when he saw the many human huts and the amount of humans had almost tripled. One of the humans with an all metal item in his belt let out a strangled cry and begins pointing the item at Ezekiel who, instinctively growled loudly. A large mob of the humans gathered together until one of the children recognised him and uttered an excited cry and ran over to Ezekiel and threw his arms around the lion. Ezekiel, who would normally growl was so weary and weak that he was just caught off guard and eased his growling.

The human boy pulled away from Ezekiel excitedly and gestured repeatedly at him to follow which the lion did, a drag to his step. The boy led him around the huts and stopped at the cave where Wasana was. Ezekiel perked his ears up and staggered forward a few steps as the boy ran off towards the cave.

[Deleted]

Word spread throughout the camp quickly. Very soon the humans had formed an honour guard. The women danced and the men sang (those that were there when he left anyway). They threw down flowers and branches at his feet.

Wasana heard the commotion. She looked up in startlement as the boy ran in. Her cave was now lined with fresh grass and palm leaves, and Wasana herself lay spread out on her cushions on her carry platform - it took twelve men to carry her out each day. There were humans before her whom she was healing, but they left abruptly. "What's going on?" She said, raising her head. She didn't bother getting up. She was now shockingly large, bearing only a small resemblance to the lioness Zeke had left behind. Only her amber eyes remained the same, and her small dark nose.

[Ruby_Fehu]

THe boy clapped his hands. "He has returned! He has returned!" He chanted excitedly.

Ezekiel cowered a little at all the attention he received until the woman who was the mother of the child with the weak blood saw him and exhaled sharply, her fear forgotten she launched herself at Ezekiel knocking the lion over. "Good cat, good cat." She sang, stroking his mane. Ezekiel didn't really appreciate being treated like a common house pet but the touch relaxed him until a young girl appeared carrying a plate of meat. Ezekiel felt his mouth water and as the girl placed the plate down he dived at it and began eating it greedily, his tail flicking happily.

[Deleted]

Wasana wondered. Had Ezekiel returned? Her heart began to thump in her chest, and her breath came short. It wasn't this often the humans made this much of a commotion. She pulled her legs in, thinking she might stand and walk out, but being pampered all day for three months had made her very unfit: just trying made it feel like there was an elephant standing on her back. Plus it was hard to arrange such thick limbs into a position where they would do any good, and she was already feeling faint at the thought of seeing her mate. It was all too much for her. "What's going on?" she cried towards the cave entrance. "Zeke... are you here?"

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel heard his name on the lips of Wasana. The humans noticing the change in his mood and attention stood back, he grinned brightly and hurried into the cave where he saw Wasana laying there, he didn't care that she had gained weight, he didn't care that she looked different all he cared about was feeling her fur against his. Without a second thought he rushed straight up to her and began attacking her with licks, nuzzles and affectionate nips; but being careful of her belly. "Wasana." He whispered, closing his eyes as he huddled close to her, "I've missed you so much!"

[Deleted]

"I've missed you too," Wasana whispered. All the tension drained from her body. For the first time in three months, she felt herself relax completely. It was like heaven. "I'm so glad you're back," she said, nipping him when she could. With all the weight she'd put on it was hard to get into a position where she could show him affection, but she reached out a paw to touch him, to make sure he was real.
The humans wasted no time. Twelve of their strongest walked into the cave and lifted them on Wasana's platform, carrying them outside. The women were dancing and the men were singing. Someone had started the nightly bonfire early. Wasana looked at Zeke and laughed. "They appear happy to see you," she said, as they set them down. Men formed a long line to offer them gifts in the form of food. "Oh.. the herbs," Wasana said. "Did you find them??"

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel nodded and grinned, he leant forward and shook his mane until the knapsack fell from his neck. He then scanned the area with interest, "What have I missed? Why are there so many people? And houses? Are they living here or something. And how come we're being treated so well?" He asked, he turned his gaze to Wasana and smiled sleepily. "And is there always a fire?" He continued to ask.

[Deleted]

"There's always a fire at night," Wasana said. "They come here to heal me. I think the humans get paid in this yellow shiny stuff. They exchange it for all sorts of things." She giggled as someone put a hoop of grass around Zeke's neck. "You'd better eat something, dear. You'll offend them. Gosh, and you're so skinny!" She ran her hands along his ribs. "Your journey must have been so hard."

[Ruby_Fehu]

"Shiny stuff?" Ezekiel repeated. "That's weird." He then snorted in slight disgust as the grass was put around his neck; luckily though the humans didn't hear it. He then saw the meat and began eating it ravenously, acting as if he hadn't already had a plate. "There was little to no prey quite often, I think the longest I went without food was for a week." He explained to Wasana.

[Deleted]

Wasana was watching her husband eat with greedy eyes. It was just as well a servant came offering her food, and she took a mouthful. She didn't want to be rude before all these humans, so she waited until her mouth was empty again before she spoke. "But you did it. You're not only their hero but mine. I want you to know that." She leaned over to nip his ear, but came short with the thickness of her neck, and frowned. "By the way, I might be eating for two now," she said, and winked.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel perked up at her words, "Seriously?" He then did a goofy sort of grin and lowered himself in a lying position, "Best news I've heard in a long while." He grinned. "I have some good news too." He said slowly.

(I'm going to bring Lailah back, make Ezekiel have made a mistake of thinking she was dead)

[Deleted]

(sure:). Sounds interesting!)

"Seriously," Wasana said. "I can't be a hundred percent sure. We'll know in a week or so though." She grinned at him. Then, upon hearing about his interesting news, she said, "What's that?"

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ezekiel pointed to the outskirts of the human village where a tawny lioness was padding along slowly. She looked different though, her normally shiny and unmarked fur was tattered and there was a large scar along her cheek. When the lioness saw Ezekiel looking at her, the two nodded and Lailah padded through the crowd carefully, the humans; noticing how identical the lioness and lion looked didn't bother with her and instead continued with their dancing and singing.

[Deleted]

"Is that... no," Wasana said, sitting up on her rear legs to get a better view. Even that took her some time. "It can't be!" If she was half the lioness she was, she would have thrown herself over Lailah's shoulders. As it was, she simply watched, waiting to see if it were really true...

[Ruby_Fehu]

Lailah smile as she approached the couple, "Hello Wasana." She greeted, padding up and nudging the lioness in greeting. "How are you?"


Ezekiel grinned at his sister and mate before nuzzling into Wasana, "I found her. She tried to kill me though." He grinned, "Isn't that right little birdy?" Lailah laughed and nodded.

"It was a misunderstanding Zeke, anyway. He said that he was hunting for herbs so I helped him. He said you had humans visiting but nothing about living."

"I didn't even know they'd made a home here." Ezekiel retorted standing to run his nose along Wasana's flank in the way he knew she loved.

[Deleted]

"Lailah! Oh my gosh, you're alive!" she said, eyes wide with surprise. "We thought you were dead. What happened? Oh your poor face." She traced a paw along the scar. She leaned back as the humans gave her a grass hoop as well. "Heh... please excuse their hospitality. I am SO glad to see you."
She was distracted when Zeke started running his nose down her flank. It didn't feel quite as good as it used to, now that there was a lot more flank to explore, but it was still nice. "Ok. You two have a WHOLE lot of explaining to do. And eating, by the looks of it," she said, as now three humans kneeled before them carrying plates of food. "Their food is delicious, Lail. You should try some. You can take turns eating and explaining things to me. We thought you were dead!"

[Ruby_Fehu]

Lailah nods and begins eating the meat. Whilst Ezekiel took centre stage. "There's nothing much to tell, I though she was dead yet when I was gathering herbs she attacked me thinking I was an intruder, it was only when she recognized my scent that she stopped trying to kill me. She then just decided to help me gather herbs so I could get home quicker.


Once Ezekiel finished talking he started eating and Lailah began to explain, "When that hyena attacked me he did knock me off that cliff but we fell into the water and I managed to get to the surface whilst the hyena drowned. I was swept down river and tried to travel back to you but you'd gone. So I just started to roam the area, living life as a rogue." She replied without seeming bothered.

[Deleted]

Wasana had been eating as they spoke, but guilt spoiled her appetite. "We searched... But I knew we shouldn't have given up. I'm so sorry, Lail. Will you stay with us here? The humans seem to welcome you. There's plenty of food. It is kinda lonely though, just the two of us. I miss my girl friends." She smiled at her, then looked to Zeke, to make sure he wanted his sister to stay too.

[Ruby_Fehu]

"I can stick around for a while." She agreed with a small smile.

Ezekiel grinned and nuzzled his sibling.

[Deleted]

Wasana smiled. "That would be wonderful. Anyway, I should really get to brewing this potion for our sick human cub," she said. "But we have to eat all this first." She pointed at the humans lining up with all their food. There was about eight left, each with significant portions. "I don't want to offend them. Will you guys help me eat it?"

[Ruby_Fehu]

"I will." Lailah said brightly.


"Not yet, I just want to do something." Ezekiel said, standing up and jumping from the platform.

[Deleted]

The humans watched Zeke leave with gasps of surprise. Wasana sighed. "Tell me, Lail. Did he always used to spontaneously run away with no explanation?" The took the next bite.