Sarabi

I woke up later than usual, scar was sill asleep so I checked his wounds. They were still deep, so I doubt heel be able to move today. I went out into the lions den and saw most others sleeping, so I decided I'd try some mourning. Las night had been exhausting, I needed to get my mind off scar and back to helping the pridelands.

The sun beat down on my fur as I trended thru the snow, a hare dangling from my mouth. I had decided to try the forest, maybe I could still find a deer. I walked thru the snow, my paws now numb and the hare frozen in my mouth. I searched the trees silently, with little prevail. I came to a iced over waterbank and saw a dash of movement on the other side. I started walking around it, my back lowered to the ground, it was big, whatever it was. I fought the smell of a moose, but that couldn't be right, moose didn't graze here. I silently crept behind a tree and caught a glimpse of my target. It was a pack of hyenas, two carrying the moose on their backs. Scar was right, I should warn the others.

"Going somewhere?"

I heard. I turned and saw a large male hyena behind me. I almost jumped, but he moved first, laying flat on top of me, pinning me to the ground. The others came over and saw me lying there defenseless. One snatched the hare out of my jaws and ate it sloppily, scattering blood everywhere. The one on top of me hissed into my ear, "well look what I found, a nice pretty lioness"

He traced his claw around my face and the others closed in. They grabbed my arms and legs in their mouths, flipping me upside down and exposing me to the cold. There were five, and one stood above me, menacingly, "now what to do what to do. Your a very pretty lioness. Would you like to join us at our humble abode?"

"Not on your life" I spit at him

"Aww come now, this is a very generous offer. Why don't you come back with us and we'll see how this plays out."

I looked up at him, pouring every ounce of hate into my eyes.

"No? Ok, we can do this the hard way" the others pulled my legs farther apart and he put his front feet on my chest, steadying himself as his cock unsheathed itself. "It's awful cold out here, know a place where I can warm it up?" He joked, hovering above me. I readied myself, knowing what would come. I felt it brush the lips, and closed my eyes, but then they all let go. I opened my eyes to see their leader dead on the ground and the others cowering and looking up toward a highrock.

I heard a voice bellow, "you leave now and don't come back"

They all ran away their normal laughs replaced by whimpering and howling.

I looked up and saw the sun shining down, a glare around a large figure on the rock. It jumped down and that oh so familiar black mane covered me, as scar grabbed the scruff of my neck, carrying me home. I closed my eyes, unable to think, unable to move.

I opened my eyes and was immediately covered in fear, the last I saw I was unconscious with scar dragging me away. I looked down and saw I was in my own bed with leaves covering the bruises from the earlier day. I looked up and saw scar at the other side of the room, sitting at attendance, just staring at me. I sat up, but fell back down, my leg limp.

He rushed over, catching me and let me down gently, "Sarabi, I'm so so sorry. I should have been there sooner, but..."

He stopped and for the first time I looked down, his wounds were all reopened with blood dripping."Your hurt" I said, looking up at his face

"That dosnt matter, I need to know your ok"

I stared at him in amazement, but finally shifted in my bed, checking my injuries. Everything seemed minor except my leg where a hyena had held me in his teeth. It hurt to touch and couldn't take pressure. "I'm ok, now you need to lay down" I said, my voice cracking from shock of my leg and of the events.

He looked down at me, relieved and then slowly walked back to his bed, laying down and giving one last look at me before falling back asleep.

I stared at him for what could have been minutes or days, time seemed to stop as I watched the rise and fall of his chest. I looked up at the moon thru the cracks and noticed how cold I was. I shivered and poked my head down into my fur, but knew that wouldn't help. I looked up at scar again and felt so unsure, he had been so kind, so caring. He'd changed so much. I knew I would never shake this cold, but got up, letting my bad foot cling to my chest. I started walking toward scar and his head moved silently up, his eyes watching my every move. I stopped next to his bed, scared of what would happen. I could never forgive what he had done, but maybe I could forget. He shifted, opening his bed and I slipped In, as he wrapped me in his body, his warmth covering me. One arm lay under me and the other, across my chest as mine lay on it, my bad leg lay in between his and the other on top. He pulled me closer and I felt his heartbeat against my back, his tail curling around mine as I laid there in his arms, sharing our warmth.