Forbidden Fruit [Vitani x Kopa]

[Vitani ♥]

Vitani was laying down inside the caves of her mothers mountain. Yes, her mothers mountain, she found it and made it their home so it was hers. Most people thought it was just because she was leader, no it was territory, and she was generous enough to share it with the others. Still the outlander princess was plainly bored, always stuck inside the cave, unless she was able to go hunt. The little perks of her life, she snorted angrily, running her paw along the floor. Her mother always said 'let the lions do the work' still why should she? She was better than any of those obnoxious buffalo brains. She always heard her mother mentioning Kopa, their Scout and yet she was forbidden to go near him for some reason. Not like she cared about his life anyway. Still why was it only him she was not allowed to see, or even worse, speak to. When she had asked that same question to her mother she said he was to low to talk to someone like her.

Someone like her? She was nothing, she was called a "princess" but she was nothing of the sort, she wasn't dignified and beautiful like princess's were supposed to be. Though Vitani never saw herself as pretty in any shape or form, in reality she was very pretty, more so than other lioness's in their band. She was the only one to even have a type of golden pelt, rather than the sooty colored pelts they all had. Rather odd looking they were, though she couldn't blame them. They had been banished to this barren wasteland that had little to no sunlight, they had no sunlight in their fur, and the fact that she did still puzzled her some. The dark rings around her eyes set her oddly colored violet eyes a light, like tiny amethysts that were found deeper into the mountain, if you were brave enough to look. Her tail curled around her frame at the thought, perhaps she could waste he day doing just that. It was tempting, yet she found it stupid all at the same time. Her rounded ears twitched as she heard flustered paw steps coming from the mouth of the mountain, her eyes squinted, slightly curious as to whom those paws belonged to.

Pushing herself to her paws the lioness made her way through the tunnel, the sides were cold to the touch as she weaved her way through, her paws light and silent. Rounding a corner she could she her mother pacing back and forth, a low snarl escaping her jaws. Vitani rolled her eyes, having that annoyed expression on her face. her mother was irritated, what else was new? padding towards her form, she stopped behind her. her head lifted almost solider like. "Mother, is anything wrong?"

she asked, her tone kind of dull as she saw her mothers gaze flick up to look at her. Her body went tense as she sauntered her way towards her, circling her slowly. Vitani's eyes narrowed, she was not some prey. "daughter, we are out of prey. those idiots ate the rest of the caribu, down to the bone."[/color] her mother said, Vitani's eyes lighted ever so slightly, she wet her lips.

This could be her chance to get out for awhile, maybe even two days if she headed to the forest and back. Her tail tip twitched eagerly as she spoke, "I would be honored to retrieve some."[/color] she spoke quietly, Zira froze, seeming to take the offer up for consideration. She growled and paced once again, seeming to really think some things over. After a moment she nodded and motioned with her head for her daughter to follow. Vitani followed her mother quickly, she could feel the excitement burning through her veins as they pushed out of the mountain to look over the other lions and lioness's. "KOPA!"[/color] she yowled, and Vitani could see the others flinch under her tone, but not her she was used to it. But why was she calling Kopa for? "I can do this on my own, mother."[/color] she growled lowering her head, Zira snarled. "My own blood will not disappear like some others!"[/color] Vitani opened her mouth in protest but soon clamped her jaws shut, lifting her eyed to a lion making his way forward. Zira nudged Vitani down and she barely caught herself on a ledge in time to push herself off and land on her paws before him. She took a step back, letting her eyes narrow slightly. "Kopa, you will assist Vitani in her hunt, and bring her back safetly, is you fail... well make sure you don't."[/color] with that Zira was gone leaving the others to themselves once again. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/sub][/color]

[җ K.opa]

Kopa

======

Laying on the floor of the base of the Outlander Mountain, the large brown maned male known as Kopa let himself have a moment of peace, curled up tightly to block away the chilly winds of the dusty savannah. He'd only returned from a recent scouting mission to the Pridelands perhaps an hour ago, but he knew that soon enough he'd be up and out again; Zira always seemed to have something for him. He really didn't mind, it got him out of this place, where hatred seemed to just fester and grow. Where was the happiness, where was the family like pride most lions had? He didn't like it, not one bit, in fact the only reason he kept coming back is because he had no other place to go... and he was somewhat afraid of Zira. As a cub, Zira had trained him to be the Scout he was today, trained him to listen to her word and only her word. To disobey was to be punished severely; eventually, he stopped asking questions and just did what he was told. However, that was long ago... he was older now, and the need to roam was growing ever stronger. One day, he would disappear from these lands and never return, go far away to a place where Zira would never find him... just like all other young lions did when their time came.

"KOPA!!"

But until then, he was slave to Zira's every word. As the lionesses flinched and froze in their tracks, Kopa merely sighed, having grown used to the way he and many others were treated around here. Rising to his paws, the powerful lion gave a second to stretch out a cramping muscle in his hind leg before making his way to the outcrop, where Zira stood. Making his way through the lionesses to stand before the leader of the Outsiders, Kopa noticed another lioness standing next to Zira, one who was golden brown in color but still held an ashy tone to her pelt. Vitani was her name, if he remembered her name right, Zira's only daughter; Zira never let him near her or allowed him to even say a word to her, or even her sons in fact, but he had seen them now and then and heard their names spoken. A brow ridge raised in confusion as to what this could be about; what did Zira want with him and why was Vitani by her? Dark brown orbs turned towards the young lioness for a second, his head tilting slightly as he still pondered in his head, but a moment later Zira answered his unasked questions for him... for once.

"Kopa, you will assist Vitani in her hunt, and bring her back safetly, is you fail... well make sure you don't."

Immediately he straightened, his eyes locking with his leader's as a dead serious aura came about him, and a stiff nod was given. Yes ma'am. it was only two words, but they were as serious as they came. He didn't ask why she was giving him the job of assisting and protecting her daughter for what might be a day or two, when she barely even let him look her way without a harsh remark or minor injury of some sort; Zira must've had her reasons. As Vitani came down to the red dusty earth beneath the mountain, Kopa dipped his head in respect and greeting to her before turning around to start walking towards the hunting grounds. Whatever the reasons, he had a job to do, and he knew he'd had better do it right. With no mistakes.

[/color]

[Vitani ♥]

Vitani stood, her body stiff and tense as he listened to her mother's every word. He was such a robot, though her mother had that affect on her... puppets. Still she glanced over her shoulder just as Zira disappeared into the base of the mountain. Her mother rarely showed any emotion towards her cubs, except maybe for Kovu. She didn't know why she was still surprised that Zira practically threw her down the mountain, it was a good thing she had better reflexes then most. Shaking her head she turned her head to be face to face with the lion called Kopa. He dipped his head and mumbled a hello or something and started walking. She scowled lightly, funny he was leading when he didn't know where she was deciding to hunt. Her violet colored eyes snapped to a few lioness's that watched her every move with Kopa, hoping to catch something. She growled lightly at them, they were snitches most of them, waiting for any source of news or betrayal it kept them going. That and they loved to see Zira dish out punishments, narrowing her gaze she started to trail along after the golden colored lion.

Her paws pressed into the damped earth beneath her, her head lowered as her shoulder blades rolled under her slender form. Despite her petite size Vitani was not a female to be messed with, she grew up with brothers, and fighting was her specialty. Just the thought made her claws slide out of their sheathes, but she quickly retracted them. Picking up her pace she started to push past Kopa, lifting her head from its slouched position her ears flicked forward. She knew he was heading towards the gorge, which was their usual hunting grounds, but she turned east towards the forest. There would be a lot more game there, ones that were more plump rather than dying of thirst like the ones there. She kept her mouth shut, not giving explanation for anything, just leading. It was her hunt after all, and her mother must have not wanted her to talk to him for a reason. other knows best, or so they say, still she wasn't so sure. The journey to the forest wasn't a long one, but the time spent in the forest and then finding your way out is what made it a longer one.

Not much time had passed when her paws were already on the dry and cracked lands of the desert. The oasis marked the mid way point for the two lions. She could feel the burn on her paws and lifted her pads licking at them each in turn, it was a trick she had figured out before. It helped to keep them moist enough so they wouldn't crack and bleed, at least for now. How long it lasted depended on how much time they wasted out here. Looking over her shoulder at Kopa, her face expressionless as she didn't know how to act around him. He seemed more lively than the others, not so distrusting. "Lick your paws, it helps them from cracking from the heat. If you havn't already guessed we are heading to the forest, so I hope you are ready for spending a few days out here. If not... well you can still go back."

she said snorting lightly with discontent as she started to walk out onto the cracked ground. The heat subsided from her paws just a bit and she quickened her pace into a brisk trot.

This would be the best pace to go without tiring them out as well as get them to the oasis, where they would spend the rest of the day. Mainly because it was already noon when they left the mountain, by the time they reached the oasis the sun would be starting to set. She knew better then to travel at night, many things roamed the open wasteland at night, she wasn't stupid to danger though she liked the feel of it. Her longer legs glided across the lands with relative ease, though Vitani had her attitude problems, she wasn't the worst traveling companion. She still kept her group up to par health wise, or so she tried. "How are you holding up?"[/color] she asked her voice had a normal, more relaxed tone. When she was away from the outlands she couldn't help but feel lighter, mood wise. Like a lot of pressure was lifted, partially because she didn't have to keep an mage up here, or her guard up for possible deceivers. Which were common in their ranks now a days, she could feel the burning starting to take effect on her paws, but she bit her lip and bared it. She was stronger than pain, she had to be, she was not weak, she wasn't some damsel that needed to be rescued. She didn't need a knight to save her, she never wanted one, maybe because she never knew what it felt like to what to be protected by someone, and to protect them in return. What an odd concept that was, the only life she knew was kill or be killed, it was all she could do. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/sub][/color]

[җ K.opa]

Kopa

======

As he started walking on towards the entrance, the golden pelted lion was aware of the other lionesses watching his every move, just waiting for a chance to tell Zira something he did that hopefully would grade her nerves and cause her to issue out a punishment. He really couldn't blame them, though, it was so boring around here that the only entertainment seemed to be the punishment of those who disrespect the leader or show signs of betrayal. His ears caught the sound of Vitani's growl towards them before it was replaced her footfalls coming after his, drawing ever closer to the entrance of the Mountain base. True, it was somewhat stupid for him to take the lead when he didn't know just exactly where they were to hunt, but it was also true that Zira was sending him to protect her daughter and that's what he was going to do. Chances were she would take the lead after they were out of sight and hearing range of the pride, and besides, the Outsiders' normally hunted in the Gorge anyway; what Outsider didn't know about or how to get to the Gorge? Even though normally he, the Scout, often hunted in the Pridelands - which was something only he could do without being caught - he'd had his fair share of hunting in the Gorge... although the game there wasn't exactly the best, mostly stringy and hardly anything worth eating, but beggers couldn't be choosers after all.

As they began to move into the desert terrain, Vitani did exactly what he thought she'd do; pushed past him and began to lead the way, but strangely instead of heading towards the Gorge, she turned east and started walking towards the Forests, a place that was free for all lions but a place where the chances of meeting a Pridelander were higher. However, the game there was more savory than in the Gorge, so perhaps that was what she was thinking? Kopa didn't hesitate in following her lead, but now he was more alert. The chance of meeting a Pridelander or even a rogue lion in the Forests was very real, and meeting either normally meant a fight. He was sure that Vitani was capable of handling herself in a fight, but he'd be damned if he returned back to the Mountain and Vitani had even a scratch on her from a battle. Zira would most likely have his head for it... As they continued to walk, Vitani leading and Kopa following, silence reigned around them. Apparently they both were still following Zira's orders: even though they were the presence of each other, they were refusing to speak with each other... but Zira wasn't here now, they were alone, and it was starting to get boring really fast.

When they hit the desert, the robotic form of Kopa melted away as he took a moment to stretch out his muscles, the tenseness he'd held from standing below Zira not long before starting to take its toll on his body. A loud sigh escaped the large lion as he shook his mane out, his brown eyes starting to lighten up and a small smile crossing his maw. The sun, despite it's harsh light, felt good on his golden pelt. However, it didn't feel that good on his paws; the cracked heated earth below burnt his pads, causing a small hiss to escape him as he lifted up one of his front paws to relieve it from the heat. The desert was a place he'd never been to before, most often he'd wandered around in the Pridelands' grassy plains or the moist earth of the Mountains. A second later, he placed that paw down and continued on, quickly catching back up with Vitani, who by now had stopped herself. Coming to a hault beside her, he watched as she lifted one of her paws to her muzzle, running her tongue over her pads in an attempt to cool it down. A moment later she turned to look at him, her face emotionless as her violet eyes locked on him. His brown hues locked back on hers in curiosity, what was she thinking now?

"Lick your paws, it helps them from cracking from the heat. If you havn't already guessed we are heading to the forest, so I hope you are ready for spending a few days out here. If not... well you can still go back."

It was the first words she'd spoken to him in all the time they'd been in the Outsiders, and even though it was not in the most friendliest of tones, it was still an event to Kopa. His smile widened slightly as he nodded and did what she told him do, running his tongue over his paw pads quickly. It worked, but he knew as soon as he placed it back onto the desert soil, he was going to feel it burn again... great, well, at least the Forests weren't that far away anymore... right? Thanks for the tip. his tone indicated gratitude, and he really meant it. Moving after her, he too quickened his pace in an attempt to keep up with her, smiling as he felt the wind from the momentum flow through his mane. Go back? And face Zira's wrath for leaveing you alone? Ha! I'd rather be caught by Pridelanders than that! he laughed, his mood already improving as they moved further and further away from the Outlands. No longer the robot than Vitani had seen before, Kopa shed his shell, showing exactly what he was really like. His limbs, although not the lithe sprinting machines Vitani's were, easily kept up with Vitani's pace, though there was more strength to each push and pull of his muscles. Silently, he wondered how much longer they would be on this dusty terra - his paws were beginning to burn again.

"How are you holding up?"

Gazing towards the lioness, the lion shrugged, his small smile still on his muzzle as he faced the land in front of him. I'm fine. The heat's not that bad, I've suffered worse. he replied, although he tried to make it sound like a light hearted sentence, it was true. Hot or cold, rain or shine, Zira never let him into the Mountain at night. Instead, he was posted outside the entrance, or at times he had to sleep in the Pridelands while he was on a mission. He really had been through worse. Glancing back towards the lioness, he saw her bite her lip, and knew what it meant. What about you? How're you holding up? he asked, making his voice sound curious and hiding the concern. He had a feeling this tawny lioness wouldn't enjoy him feeling concerned over her, but he asked the question anyway, following with another. How much further do we have to go? The sun's starting to set, and I've never been in the desert. I don't know where much is. he confessed, although he had a feeling it really didn't matter if he did or not. Zira had told him to accompany Vitani for protection, not as a guide.

[/color]

[Vitani ♥]

The ashy golden lioness quickly moved along the wastelands. The saliva she had put upon her pads would wear off soon enough if they wasted even a speck of more time. That was why she kept up such a brisk pace, though for her she would much rather take her time then hurry back home. Even she debated upon that logic, a home was a place of happiness of love, not of power and greed it really destroyed a lion. She had seen it happen countless of times to those her mother "took" under her guidance they were once gentle and now ruthless and conniving monsters, it made her sick just thinking about it. Breaking her thoughts was the sound of Kopas heavy paws behind her, obviously deciding to follow her on this endeavor. She could feel a small smirk appear on her maw as she took a quick glance back at the lion. Whom still, despite the heat, had a smile on his face. Shaking her head she continued to look forward, keeping her quickened pace, which Kopa decided to match evenly. Go back? And face Zira's wrath for leaveing you alone? Ha! I'd rather be caught by Pridelanders than that!

she could hear his laughter ring in her ears.

She snorted lightly, did he think she liked being escorted? Maybe for once she would like to be accompanied with someone who actually wanted her around, not because of force. Still she faked a small smile and nodded lightly. Not even feeling like gracing that comment with one of her own, still she could see he was obviously not the same lion she had seen before. He was gliding rather then looking like he had some cactus stuck in his paw. So she let her body relax as well her muscles rolled with each paw step, well what muscle she had being slender and all. I'm fine. The heat's not that bad, I've suffered worse.[/color] Vitani simply nodded, "I can imagine."[/color] she replied, keeping her gaze forward, and alert her eyes knowing exactly where to look for landmarks. The dead carcass of an animal, most likely a gazelle from the thinner bone structure laid just a ways off from the two, that was a mark that the oasis couldn't be that far off. Thinking about it made her throat feel dry, and the oasis would have cool water to drink.

Thinking about what Kopa had said earlier, about being in worse situations. She remembered a night when a thunderstorm had rolled in and her mother sent him off to the pridelands, the rain was strong just like the wind that night, it was so bad that mother actually let the other lions sleep inside the mountain. Could that have been a worse situation? Probably, she wouldn't know she was so guarded it wasn't even funny. While her brothers were able to do as they pleased, her mother had said it was because the other lions would force themselves on her, but she knew that she could handle a few out of line lions. "they all want a title, to say they sired an heir in the outlands" her mother had told her, in exact words, her eyes rolled at the thought. What about you? How're you holding up?[/color] the liones felt her body go tense in an instant, and couldn't help but look up into his face. Searching his eyes for any sort of irritation or anger, that she would have found in most others. She was surprised to see that he had none, only curiosity and a bit of something deeper.

"I...I'm fine. Thanks."[/color] she answered, her voice laced with surprise, and the slightest hint of confusion but she had pressed on. Trying to ignore that gesture of kindness completely, it would only make her soft hearted. How much further do we have to go? The sun's starting to set, and I've never been in the desert. I don't know where much is."[/color] she heard him confession, and a sense of superiority overcame her, it made her feel proud to know about something that he did not. Vitani took a look around, squinting her eyes for something particular. I was then in the distance she could see the outline of the oasis's leaves from the tree. A look of triumph came over her features and she turned to Kopa. "Not to far now, well to the oasis I mean. That is where we will camp for the night. In the morning we go the rest of the way to the forest."[/color] she explained again putting forth more effort to reach the oasis quickly.

"An oasis is a small island found in the middle of the wastelands and the forest. It has a large tree for shade and a pond filled with cool water, if were lucky we can catch some lost prey near there as well."[/color] she informed him seeming relatively pleased with herself for being knowledgeable about something. Soon enough the tree was into view and Vitani broke into a run seeing the tree become bigger and bigger with each long stride, and before she knew it she was standing beside the tree, face to face with the pool beneath it, her paws pressed against the small area of grass that surrounded the oasis, a large enough patch for three lions to lay on, lucky they only had themselves. Leaning forward the lioness began to lap at some of the water, feeling its cool waters run down her throat. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/sub][/color]

[җ K.opa]

Kopa

======

Although the lioness trotting beside him couldn't know it, they both were thinking along the same lines. The brunette maned lion didn't mind spending a long while away from the Outlands either, and would prefer to take his time, as while the Scout was often away for a long time, he always had to return to the same place again and again far too soon. Well, at least this time he'd have something else to do besides just watch other lions. He himself could've been one of those monsters had he not kept smiling, not kept telling himself that one day it would all be over. Now it somewhat was... give or take a few points. At least the constant trainings were over. However, while he wouldn't mind staying away for a long period of time... he was pretty sure he could go without the heat of the desert! True, he had been in worse situations, worse weather conditions, but really, this was bad too. Still, as he had done many times before, he pushed through it, ignored it, and bore through it. It hurt yes, it wasn't fun, and if it kept up any more it would wear him out quicker than normal, but it wasn't a threat to his health, and having taken the tip from Vitani before, it wasn't as bad... for now. He could already feel the little 'remedy' starting to fade, and the heat of the earth was starting to take over again... great. The smile faded as he gritted his teeth together, seething for a moment; he'd stepped on a paticularly small but hot rock, and for a second he stumbled, but corrected himself almost immediately and continued onward as if it didn't happen. His paw stung with each step he took, but he knew there wasn't any time to deal with it right now. He'd check it over later.

"I can imagine."

Vitani's tones reached to his ears, hidden beneath his thick mane from being forced back by the momentum of their traveling speed. His body threatened to tense up for a moment, but he refused to let it. What was the reason? Everyone already knew he lived in a place that treated him as if he were a mangy hyena, so surely he wasn't offended. Perhaps it was just being reminded by what his living conditions were that upset him, or maybe it was the much softer tone Vitani used when she spoke to him as compared with that of her mother's or her mother's followers'... or perhaps it was just his paw again. Yeah, that was probably it right there. The sight of a bony carcass, from a member of the gazalle groupings he was mostly certain, took his mind away from those thoughts instantly, and for a moment he just stared at it, uncertain if he should be worried or alert. From this heat, the animal could've just as easily died from heat stroke or thirst, but what if another predator had been its demise? What exactly lived out here in the desert anyway? Well, from the look of it, he figured it had been a long while since it had died, so he figured that being alert wasn't the action needed at this moment... although it did remind him that he hadn't had a drink in quite a while. No way to fix that now. Returning his gaze to his front, the young lion continued to run beside his companion, although he was quickly finding the silence too heavy for him. Since day one, Kopa had always been a lion who hated the silence; it always reminded him of death for some reason, and even though the sounds of their footfalls were in the air, he still wouldn't mind a few more words or sentences to hang around. He got his wish a second later after he asked his questions.

"I...I'm fine. Thanks."

It was only a few words to respond to a question asked only a moment ago, but there was a sense of surprise in it that he found unfamiliar. Gazing back to Vitani, he cocked a brow ridge in confusion, his brown orbs questioning about her reaction. It was as if... she wasn't expecting him to ask about her condition. Not for the first time, he wondered just exactly how much Zira put into caring for her children; sure, they'd made it to adulthood, but all you needed was protection, training, food and water and shelter to make it that far. For the rest, kindness and love were needed, the bond between mother and cub... Zira didn't seem to have that with any of her children from what he'd seen before. Kovu was an exception; a half-deaf lion could know Zira treated him with all the care and concern in the world... but what about Vitani? What about her eldest son, Nuka? Didn't they receive any kindness from their mother too? He had to look away for a moment to regather his thoughts. It wasn't his place to ask those questions, and to do such would probably mean his death... a brutal and violent one at that.

"Not to far now, well to the oasis I mean. That is where we will camp for the night. In the morning we go the rest of the way to the forest."

Oasis? Kopa had heard that word before, but it had never been explained to him. Glancing up at his companion again, he watched as she squinted her eyes to look further ahead of herself; she must've seen what she wanted to see, because now he was having to work a little harder than before to keep up with her. If his paw hadn't been injured by the scorched stone, he probably would've had no trouble at all. A grunt escaped him as he stumbled again, this time from stepping into a crack in the earth a wrong way, but again he recovered quickly, this time not injured like before. Pushing himself a little further, he quickly fell into step alongside the tawny lioness again. Any other lion would probably feel embarrassed at this moment for a stumble, but Kopa found no reason. It was new terrain, he'd never stepped foot on desert soil before as he'd confessed: what was there to be embarrassed about? As he again evened his gait out with Vitani's, he felt to ask about what an oasis was... but Vitani beat him to it with her explaintion.

"An oasis is a small island found in the middle of the wastelands and the forest. It has a large tree for shade and a pond filled with cool water, if were lucky we can catch some lost prey near there as well."

He gave a quick nod of gratitude to her explaining, his eyes starting to twinkle as he pictured it in his mind. It sounds beautiful... and it sounds like a relief. I can't wait to have a drink of water. he stated as he gazed out towards the west, where the sun was just beginning to fall behind the horzion. When he looked back, he caught sight of a tree in the distance, but he barely had a chance to register it before Vitani took off, gliding over the desert soil at a great speed. Kopa followed behind quickly, racing over the cracked soil in an attempt to close the distance between himself and the Outsider Princess, all the while the tree's image kept growing bigger and bigger in his sight. At last, he caught up to Vitani as she came to a stop beside the tree, and the moment his paws hit the cool grass he couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped him. Finally! I never thought I'd miss grass so much! he gasped, enjoying the feeling the blades had against his burnt paw. Taking the last few steps to the water hole, he forced himself not to limp and to stand on his injured paw, leaning down to lap up the cool liquid quickly and soothe his heated figure. Once that was done, he moved over a little ways to sit down on the grassy plain, lifting his injured paw to check over the extent of the burn and give it a few soothing licks. It wouldn't do either of them any good if he couldn't move the rest of the way to the forests, now would it?

[/color]

[Vitani ♥]

Vitani never knew how good water would feel, though she had taken this same trip many times already. Still, each time felt like a new experience, maybe because she waited some time before setting out on this journey yet again like she would in the future. The forest felt safe to her, though many feared what it held within in a way it was like her it looked threatening but there was much to discover. Like the waterfall how pretty it looked at sunset, she had only seen it once but even then it was enough. She was alone then, and at the time she did not mind it. There was even a time when she had almost convinced herself to say in the forest forever, but she knew her mother would come looking for her. If she found her or not would have been for the fates to decide. Even now she didn't know if she regretted it or not, but being here again made her contemplate it once again. What would it be like to have a life without worry, to fend for yourself and only you. To be your own leader, and not lead by anyone else... must be nice.

Finally! I never thought I'd miss grass so much!

Vitani flinched a bit, being torn out of her thoughts. Her attention lifted to Kopa who had been beside her the whole time, she let a smirk appear on her face. Seems like heaven huh?"[/color] she gave a soft laugh before turning her head back on her reflection, when she looked at herself she felt ugly for thats how she had always seen herself. Vitani wasn't a lioness to get self absorbed or anything, but she rarely even saw her reflection, and every time she was disappointed. why even look? she thought to herself, tilting her head at the lioness in the pool. A pair of violet colored eyes stared back up at her. Suddenly her reflection became rippled and she snapped her head up, turning to see Kopa was drinking beside her, his body already more relaxed she noticed. don't get used to it, it only makes things harder going back she thought she had felt the same thing the first time, it made leaving that much harder. Still something seemed off about him, he wasn't so "prideful" this time.

She lifted an eyebrow at him, as he semi limped over to a spot and layed down. She eyed him curiously as he lifted his paw to his view. She chuckled, "Got a pebble in your paw?"[/color] she teased, never having one herself she walked over to him. Violet eyes blinking calmly at the lion, she suspected it had happened earlier and some point when she hadn't been looking or maybe she just wasn't paying attention to him in general. She shrugged to herself and went to sit down beside him, "Alright chief, better have me take a look. During my lone travels you pick up a few tricks."[/color] she used her paw to lift it to her eyesight, examining the dust that was surrounding the wound, yup it had been before and he didn't say anything.

She nodded to herself once and got to her paws without a word to Kopa, and started heading back towards the small watering hole. She circled the tree once to find a leaf from the tree above, leaning down she clamped it in her jaws and walked to the front of the pool, dipping the leaf in she carried the water back over to Kopa. Setting the leaf down she turned back once again, she had heard that the unbloomed flower could be used, when smashed, as an ointment for cleaning a wound, and helping it heal. So she carefully searched for one, most trees bore fruit so she hoped this one did. Luckily a bud of a flower was hidden behind a root, she hoped it would still work for it was a bit mangled, carefully picking it up she trotted back over to the lion. Placing the bud beside her she took his injured paws in her own. "I learned this from an old monkey in the forest once."[/color] she started to explain dipping his paw into the water, letting it wash away the dirt that was caked to his paw. She dumped the muddy water out and with one paw she rolled the bud onto the moist leaf and began smashing it into a sort of paste. "If you smash an unblossomed flower, or plant of any kind and get it a little wet it can be used to clean out infection and help a wound to heal."[/color]

She then released his paw and with both of her paws, wrapped it around his injured paw, making sure to tear some of the sides before doing so, and used her jaws to tighten the strands. When she was done, it looked almost like a cast, and she nodded to herself. "There that should do it."[/blockquote][/blockquote][/sub][/color]

[җ K.opa]

Kopa

======

As he sat down on the grassy terra, he curled his tail around himself, his body still relaxed but ever alert. This place really was beautiful, and it was a source of water, any kind of creature could appear. Even though he had a scorched paw, he still had a job to do, and if he had to fight he would. His smile widened slightly when he caught sound of Vitani's chuckle, and he nodded in response, chuckling quietly to himself. Yes, it did seem like heaven now that he'd felt something beneath his paws that wasn't what he was used to. A soft groan escaped him as he settled his gaze onto his paw, looking over the injury on his paw to see how bad the damage was. Only then did he realize that not only was his paw burnt, but the pebble he'd stepped on was lodged between two of his pads. With a low sigh, he nudged the once hot rock out of his paw with his nose, suppressing a groan as his burn was further aggravated by the stone's removal. It wasn't a deblitating injury, but it was still an annoying one that brought him discomfort. He could still move around, still fight if need be, but an injury was a weakness, one that could be exploited in battle or in a hunt if the prey was lucky enough to notice. Mentally, he cursed himself for allowing such a thing to happen; Zira and the other lionesses would no doubt see his limp when he returned if the injury didn't heal quick enough, and then he knew he'd be in for it. The very thought made him have to suppress a shiver that threatened to run down his spine. Well, no way to fix that now, all he could hope for was that it would heal fast and heal well. Then, a surprise...

"Got a pebble in your paw?"

Brown eyes snapped up to meet the violet hues of Vitani, her teasing tone and soft chuckle having taken him off guard for a moment. He wasn't sure why it had, but he pretty sure it was because he was used to having injuries he'd received sneered at by Zira or another one of her lionesses, or it could just be that he wasn't expecting her to notice. Regaining his composure instantly, he gave off a weak, nervous chuckle, nodding his head in response as he gave a sheepish smile. Yeah, it got lodged in not long after we started across the desert. he stated, gazing back at his paw and seeing the dust that surrounded the injury. Yeah, it had happened that far back, and he'd not said a thing; to complain about an injury was to call attention to yourself, and besides, what could've been done then, in the middle of desert's scorching heat? He was about to lick the dust away, clean the burn and just bare with it, not bothering the fact that a small injury like this could still turn into a life-threatening infection out here, but again Vitani surprised him. He'd not been paying much attention to her, mostly because he figured she'd just leave him be to tend to the injury himself, but instead the Outsider Princess had come to sit beside him, her violet orbs settled upon his burnt paw.

"Alright chief, better have me take a look. During my lone travels you pick up a few tricks."

Using one of her more slender paws, she lifted his paw up to where she could examine the wound more clearly, her eyes locking upon the burn that was seered into his flesh. He was too surprised to do anything but let her examine it, not used to having anyone even show any kind of concern or interest in one of his wounds. Then, after another moment, she released his paw and got up without a single word. Still holding his paw up from the ground, he watched her as he circled the single palm tree, looking for something, but he didn't know what as of yet. He was answered when she pulled a leaf down from the tree, then took it too the pool and filled it with water before coming to set it down beside him. Okay, now I'm confused... what is she doing exactly? he wondered to himself, keeping questions out of the picture and just watching, although his eyes still held a curious gleam. Again, she returned to the tree, this time searching around the roots. It took a little longer than it did to find the leaf, but eventually she picked up an unblossomed bud from the tree's roots and returned to his side, placing it down next to the leaf. Once again, she took his paw with her own, and guided it into the water the leaf held. He seethed softly, the stinging sensation of his injury hitting the water bombarding his senses for a moment before it disappeared, leaving a soothing tingle behind. The dust and debris was gone, the injury was clean, but something told him she wasn't finished yet.

"I learned this from an old monkey in the forest once. If you smash an unblossomed flower, or plant of any kind and get it a little wet it can be used to clean out infection and help a wound to heal."

As she explained, she lifted his paw out of the water and then dumped it out before rolling the bud onto the leaf and smashing it. As he digested the information, he tilted his head slightly, feeling some heat rise to his face at the prospect of this lovely female tending to him. There was no question in his mind that Vitani was the most beautiful lioness he'd seen in the Outsiders; most of the Outsiders had dark tan or brown pelts, with even darker markings that marked their faces and heads, while Vitani had no such markings to marr her tawny golden pelt. Dark circles colored around her eyes, which were a shade darker from blue and a shade lighter from violet with an electric shock to the color. Like most lionesses in the Outlands, she was slender, mostly lean muscle and no fat. All in all, a very beautiful lioness; he was surprised she didn't have suitors crawling to her on their stomachs begging for her attention. His attention snapped back to her paws wrapping around his and placing it in the paste of the bud then wrapping the leaf around it, tearing at the ends and twisting them around one another to keep them together.

"There, that should do it."

When she lifted her head and spoke, he realized she was done, and he took a moment to examine her work. It did indeed resemble a cast, and for the first time since entering the desert, his injury didn't sting. A wide smile crossed his maw as he raised his eyes to hers, gratitude swirling in his chocolate depths. Thank you. he stated, placing his paw back on the ground. She didn't have to do that, so why did she? No one else ever cared enough to pay me any attention before... he wondered quietly to himself, uncertain as to what the reason behind her actions was. Perhaps she did really care about what happened to her traveling companion... from this one action, he knew she was most certainly one of the more kinder lions in the Outsiders. Were her brothers like this too, or was it just her? Maybe he'd ask... maybe later tonight or tomorrow...

[/color]

[Vitani ♥]

The ashy golden lioness still took some time to admire her work, listening in and out to him speak about the pebble, and how it had gotten there. To that she just nodded every now and then to show she had heard him, but her main focus was doing it right. It took a lot of practice to make a suitable cast without it falling apart on you, still she was pretty pleased with the turn out, besides she couldn't allow her only traveling companion become injured could we? She wasn't that heartless to just let the wound fester and boil until it became infected, maybe even to the point of capitulation of the paw in a whole ,and that would not do them any good. She had heard infection spreads fast if not cleaned and treated, and she didn't know why but she just couldn't let it happen to him. For anyone else she may have not taken much precaution, or notice but with Kopa it just felt like something she should do. Breaking away from her swarming thoughts on the lion in front of her, she let her gaze rest on his face.

He didn't hide emotion very well, as she could see the multiple layers of gratitude that practically suffocated the tawny female. Blowing up her bangs so they were out of her face, she returned her gaze to see something else behind his eyes. Something she had never seen before, or maybe she just didn't look for it. Still his eyes seemed to look into her, and by the slight movements of his features he seemed embarrassed by something, her head tilted slightly trying to decipher this reaction but could not find an answer. Still the look in his eyes when he stared into her face made her a bit nervous, and she could feel heat rising to her face. Was she.. blushing? It couldn't be, they couldn't be, nothing could be. Shaking her head and dissolving that intense moment between the two, she attempted to clear her throat a bit. When he said thank you, again a look of pure confusion came over her features, she couldn't help it this whole thing was new to her. "It was nothing, really."

she replied her voice smooth, part of her just wanted to revert back to her serious and blunt persona, but she found it to exhausting.

She would have enough of that when she got back home, and had to put up her guard once again. Looking back up at the sky, she noticed that the sun was almost gone and the last bit of light would soon disappear. Her eyes narrowed in thought before she turned to look back at the rather, handsome lion. There she had admitted it, though only to herself, she put a serious expression on her face. "The desert may be hot during the day, but at night the temperatures drop greatly. So your best bet at a comfortible nights sleep is either sleep tightly curled up to where you almost cant breathe, or share body heat with someone."[/color] she stated, not even getting the hint that the only other lion here was her. Turning she quickly trotted to the borderline of the grass and cracked earth, her paws touched it lightly to find that it was still hot. Taking out a nail she used it to break of a pice of the earth and used her paw to roll it towards Kopa.

"This will emit heat for a little while. Soon enough it will burn out."[/color] she explained and pushed it a bit closer, even she could see the light steam that sizzled from the earth piece. Sliding down upon her stomach she tucked her paws under her frame. She was near Kopa but not touching, though even now she had not thought about sharing body heat with the lion, it never crossed her mind. Still it would be the more warm and more comfortable way of sleeping, rather than in a tight ball. Well when they reached the forest, things would be better, they had a hot pools of water that they could sleep next to that would provide heat all night, but until then they had to make due with what they had out here. Vitani let the heat of the earth warm her face, for she should savor the warmth now until it was gone, other wise it would be a long night. Especially for those who were not used to such changes in weather temperatures. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/sub][/color]

[җ K.opa]

Kopa

======

When his brown hues met her electric violet, Kopa truly felt as if his breath had been taken away. Truthfully, he really didn't understand what was happening; one moment, she was staring down at his cast, examining it herself and admiring her good work, then the next she had gazed up at him and everything save for those ocean orbs seemed to fall away from reality. For the first few moments, everything was alright, then when she shook her bangs from her vision, that's when things changed. His gaze dove deep into those colorful orbs, seeking and seeing whatever they had to offer, and he could sense she was doing the same thing to his own gaze. However, while she seemed to focus on one thing, he found himself falling further and further into the oceans she saw him with, finding that they were completely endless in depth and there was just no end. The sparks of emotion and feelings he could glimpse here and there went by so fast he couldn't decipher them, like stars in the night sky. That was what really took his breath away, when he realized this lioness was more than just beautiful; no, that word couldn't do her justice. How could a lioness with the sun in her pelt and the stars in her eyes be anything other than enchanting? Again, he wondered why exactly not one lion hadn't come crawling to her begging to be her mate. Couldn't they see what he was seeing? Didn't they understand that a goddess of the sky walked among them on earth, with the glow of the sun on her body and all the beauty of the night in gaze?

Too late he realized that he was heading into dangerous territory. As unbelievably exquisted as Vitani was, he knew he wasn't the one worthy of seeing her like he was. There was no excuse for it, and he understood he had to back up and go back into the safer grounds, the grounds that weren't forbidden and out of reach even in dreams, yet he found it impossible to look away from her eyes. That was why it was with a sense of relief and deep regret that he was thankful when she was the one who broke the moment, shaking her head and clearing her throat, allowing him to turn away and settle down into a spot on the grass himself. As he thanked her once again, he saw a flash of confusion flash in her eyes, and he couldn't help but compare it to a falling star streaking across the nightly sky. Mentally he scolded himself: if he kept thinking like that, he'd be back in that forbidden place again.

"It was nothing, really."

Her voice was smoother now, not hard and blunt like it had been before. Judging from the way she was holding herself, he could easily see that she was much more relaxed than before, if not a bit weary. Well, that was nothing a good sleep couldn't fix, and as he turned his gaze towards the sky as she had done, he knew rest would soon be coming to both of them. But just as that thought crossed his mind, a chilly rough breeze blew through his mane and clawed as his exposed bodice, causing goosebumps to appear beneath his golden pelt. Instinctively, he pushed himself into a tight ball, wrapping his tail around him in an attempt to conserve warmth as a shiver ran delicate icy fingers down his spine, setting the fur of his pelt on edge and forcing him to close his eyes in an fruitless attempt to surpress it. It took a moment, but soon enough he recovered from the shock of the sudden temperature change, relaxing enough to reopen his eyes. In confusion, he turned his brown maned head to Vitani, about to ask her what had just happened, but his lioness companion had seemingly seen his question before he asked it.

"The desert may be hot during the day, but at night the temperatures drop greatly. So your best bet at a comfortible nights sleep is either sleep tightly curled up to where you almost can't breathe, or share body heat with someone."

As she spoke, she set her voice in a serious tone, her face giving the expression of deep thought. It took a moment of steeling his emotions and will power not to stare at her eyes, to see what kind of 'stars' entered them now, but he didn't have to as she spoke her last few words. His ears perked up in shock and silent realization as the lioness turned around to face the cracked and baked earth of the desert. Again, that dreaded heat that had washed away from before returned with avengence as he took in the fact that they - Vitani and himself - were the only two lions here, with not another either in sight, hearing, or scent range for who knew how many miles. This was quickly turning into a very awkward situation; although, looking back at the lioness, he wasn't sure if Vitani knew the own meaning of her words, because she didn't seem effected in the least by what she'd just told him. Great, I'm the only other lion here that she can share heat with, and she's the only other lion here that I can share heat with... how can this NOT go wrong? he thought to himself, knowing that there was probably no way this couldn't be awkward, at least not for him, not after that moment somewhat eariler. He would've continued to brood on this little thought, but the sight of a piece of earth rolling towards him drew him out of his mind and back to reality quick enough.

"This will emit heat for a little while. Soon enough it will burn out."

Hearing the tawny female speak snapped his gaze up to her as she pushed the piece of ground closer, just enough so he could feel the heat steming from it. Placing his eyes downward onto the hot earth, he simply stared at it for a moment before he glanced back at Vitani, who had already settled herself next to the piece of earth and was ready for the night's sleep. And when the heat goes out, what then? he wanted to ask, but found that he couldn't for some reason, the words just couldn't form on his tongue. As the Outsider Princess began to get comfortable, the sun disappeared into the horzion, signalling the start of the night. Cold air took the place of the baking heat as millions of stars entered the night sky, along with a rising moon to take the place of the fallen sun. In favor of star-gazing rather than keeping very warm, Kopa stretched out and gazed upon the sky above, taking the chilly air with stride as he tried in vain to count the stars in the night sky, like he'd done so many nights before this one. Each time, he'd lose count, but it didn't matter, he already knew the stars were uncountable... didn't stop him from trying though.

Eventually, the cold air became non-existant almost, his body having grown used to it... although it still was pretty dang cold. He mostly ignored it, having grown used to being out in harsh weather before thanks to a combination of Zira's treatment and his scouting missions. Brown hues twinkled as they reflected the stars' light, his mind still trying to count the millions upon millions of starlights in the inky blackness. However, has time wore on, and the chill began to get worse, he found that he no longer found the stars as beautiful as he once did - before he met the one who held the beauty of night captive in her eyes. Lowering his gaze from the sky, he glanced over at his companion, although he wasn't sure if she was sleeping, he figured she should be about now. Eyes moved towards the heated earth, curious as to if it was still pouring out heat, and he cautiously touched a paw to it. It crumbled slightly, causing him to remove his paw, but it was just as cold as the night air, if not more. Another harsh wind blew past, again brushing the chilling fingers down his spine, and the full force of what was wrong hit him. There was no more heat from the earth piece, no more heat to warm the lioness nearby... he, with his mane, was somewhat protected, but what about her?

Without thinking, he rose to his paws, closing the distance between himself and his companion. He still wasn't sure if she was asleep, but at this point it didn't matter. Turning so that his side was to her side, the lion settled down beside the lioness, forcing away all feelings of awkwardness and whatnot. There was nothing awkward about sharing heat with his traveling companion, it was simply for survival and comfort, nothing more nothing less. Laying his head down a little ways away from hers, he made sure his body touched hers enough to share his warmth, hoping beyond hope it would be enough. Curling his tail around his hindlegs, he stretched out a little before curling back into a loose ball, laying his head on his paws and closing his brown hues in an attempt to sleep. He'd be awake a little longer, listening to the wind's song and feeling the chill, but soon he was lulled by the soft sounds of Vitani's breathing, falling into a deep, restful slumber...

...So what if he had a crush on her? There, he admitted it, he did have a crush on the lioness now next to him, but it wasn't anything more. There was a big difference in a crush, lust and love; a crush was a simple attraction that would probably fade away later on... what was there to be worried about? If only he knew...

[/color]