by zoocyte » Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:44 am
prompt D2 - - - lhan & markelle (currently NPC)
markelle rests under the roof of a rocky overhang, his body darkened by the shadows of the afternoon sun. the overhang is narrow, verging on crevice more than cave. it's a wonder how the old lion slides himself in with such ease. ease born of practice.
"sha markelle. good afternoon." lhan addresses him respectfully as he approaches. his neck awkwardly bends down to level with the laying elder. he feels a prickle of discomfort having to look down at a lion so clearly his senior. had they greeted in any other circumstance, a slight crouch in gesture of deference would have been appropriate.
shadowed eyes open in the darkness, nearly blending with the dim if not for a stray beam of sunlight offering a thoughtful glint to them.
a gravelly voice answers. "good afternoon, amun-sa-het. what brings you here?"
markelle does not move from his spot, but looks up to meet lhan's eyes. lhan blinks slowly, glances away, then returns the eye contact.
"i apologize for waking you from your nap. there’s been...a matter with ithca and sahved again. something happened on patrol, but they refuse to talk about it. there was a fight.”
the fresh scratch on his torso aches pointedly as he flashes back to the incident. sahved returning to the stones alone from the hunt, and ithca returning an hour later. both empty-mouthed, and both bristling at the sight of each other. he remembers the bared teeth, the clawed blows exchanged...and lhan right in the middle of it.
dust at the mouth of the overhang stirs as the older lion lets out a huff.
markelle eases himself out of the overhang, almost slithering. he shakes the dust off his pelt, his markings now painting him more vividly in the warm glaze of the sun. the sun gave light to his dark gaze, but it did not lend the black waters its warmth.
”are you leader of this pride, lhan?”
i founded it. that doesn't mean i am fit to lead it. lhan felt the guilt of a scolded cub coiling in him. ”yes, sha.”
”then assert your will as one. you cannot keep coming to me as your crutch when things get difficult.”
lhan lowers his eyes. markelle’s stare remains fixed.
"you will punish them, of course - even ithca. they must learn this kind of behavior coming from adults is not acceptable." markelle scowls. "spilling blood over petty squabbling, the nerve of these two! had it gone any further..."
suddenly, there is a faraway look on the old lion's face - rekindling some faded memory.
voice a tone softer, markelle says, ”i will go with you, but i will not speak for you. think of what you have to say and the matter will pass.”
lhan is relieved he will not face the ire of his pridemates alone, not today at least.
two lions are walking back to the singing stones, one young and unsure, another old and weary.
Last edited by
zoocyte on Sat Feb 15, 2020 5:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
