Relationship wrote:This is my friend Esh-Ban
Esh-Ban and I are brothers. No blood relates us, but we know each other deeply as only siblings do. We met as children, as our mothers were partners in war. The young cub and I understood each other even though we couldn't yet speak. Our parents encouraged us to bond, and we spent many nights as cubs exploring our new world together. When he and I began to learn the language of adult lions, we practiced naming objects as we wandered the caves. He would tease me if I got one wrong, and I'd tackle him when he laughed. We'd both end up laughing by the end of teh day and settle into our beds side by side.
When training began, we often sparred against one another. It became obvious quickly that I landed on top more often than not, and he began to find ways to let me think I was winning before coming back in and flipping me to the ground. By the time we reached age 60, he and I could fight for ages without a winner.
We began our official training with other cubs soon after, entering the room with wide eyes and taking our training armor. His didn't quite fit him, as he was a tall and skinny, and mine was too tight around my shoulders. Our trainer introduced herself, but I wasn't listening. I still don't remember her name, even after all these years. Esh-Ban always knew but stopped trying to get me to remember after a long time. I remember she used to pair me and Esh-Ban as partners after too many practice battles she couldn't end. Him and I could find each other in complete darkness, or surrounded by sound. The first time she partnered us, he protested. He liked winning against me. He, of course, didn't say that, but I bumped my hip into him to tell him I knew what he was doing. He stuck his tongue out and pushed my face lovingly to the side. Our teacher took this the wrong way and glared at us. I flashed her a Big Beau Smile ad she went back to pairing the rest of the class. When she finally assigned another team to battle us, we began and ended with the upper hand. Pleased with herself, the teacher continued to encourage us to work off each other's strengths rather than exploit our weaknesses. We grew even closer, not even needing to use audio cues to fight together. We fell into clear roles throughout our training, and by the time we were ready to grow up, we were never apart.
One night, as he and I lay under the stars discussing the day's training, a patrol came back from the front lines. They looked defeated, grave. I remember how one of them was on the brink of collapse. They stumbled into the cave and towards the alpha's den. Esh-ban stood up and followed them, and without thinking, I did too. As we entered the cave and sat in the sidelines, out of immediate sight, we heard the lions speak.
"Reports on today's deaths", one of them began. He dropped a series of items on the floor. "My partners in battle are both fallen." The first thing my eyes settled on in the pile was a ring. Esh-Ban beside me was the first to notice, and had already sprung up and barreled toward the gathered lions. Frightened, I felt glued to my spot. I watched in slow motion as he threw himself into the closest lion, wriggled between her legs, and wrapped his whole body around the ring.
In the confusion, the lion who spoke bent down and pulled the cub into his forelegs. "Come on, Esh-Ban," he said. Esh screamed at him, and wouldn't allow him to move him until he had safely secured the ring between his forelegs. The lion picked up the small cub and began to carry him out of the cave.
In a daze, I followed. The ring, I knew, was Esh-ban's father's. I also knew the lion carrying him was the lion that was supposed to protect him, the tank in their team. It took me a bit longer to realize what Esh had connected so easily.
When the lion had set Esh down in my cave, softly grooming his fur as he clung, traumatized, to the last bit of his father he had left. I laid down beside him and put my head in his fur, trying my best to console him.
Esh's eyes looked up into the eyes of the lion that had brought him here. They ere filled with every flame that his element possessed as he growled. "You were supposed to protect them. They're DEAD because of YOU! My mother and father are DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" I carefully placed a paw over him and pulled him closer as the lion backed out of the cave, clearly in a similar state.
I hugged Esh closer as he cried.
The next day was taken off for him to grieve, but when he returned, he seemed off. He was more impulsive, but he fought harder and was more aware. As I had been trained, I placed myself between him and most of the danger. He seemed grateful.
He was grieving for about a month before he returned. I made sure to give him time when he needed it, and until he found a new caretaker, he stayed with me. He never let go of his ring. He would bring it to practice and drag it with him when we would play.
We became even closer in his time. Sometimes the ring he had pilfered was entrusted with me, and I protected it as he would. He would jokingly tell me he should just have me as the protector of it. I would laugh and dust it off as if polishing it.
As we neared the day we would grow up and gt our own armor, I confided to him that I was nervous we would get pride manes. He smiled and rolled his ring back and forth. He said, "I want to do this ring justice. Either way, I will show my parents the end of this war. Through peace or through bloodshed."
I had no idea what to say to that.
We hugged when we both saw our new warrior's manes. When we received our armor, we designed them together. We stepped onto our first battlefield together.
I immediately wanted to turn back, but Esh-Ban had a steely, determined gaze as he scanned the battlefield below. Although I never admitted it to him, my first sight of the war ended my want to be a part of it. It scared me to know the chaos below was what I was about to enter, but it seemed to fuel him. My hesitance was overshadowed by my need to protect him, so I pressed my head to his and started forward to make a path to victory.
He fought long and hard that day. I protected him as best I could, and when we went home for the day, he made sure to thank me. He went to bed early, clutching his ring to his chest.
We fight side by side. If anything ever happened to him, I would be sure to end this war in his favor.
