19th of Spring, 516AV
When she woke, much earlier than both Rufio and Iollu. The moon was just reaching high peak. She felt a soreness in the fur above her shoulder, and realized the source. Iollu had twisted a fist into the remains of her winter coat. The lioness flicked her tail in discomfort, carefully adjusting so she did not dump the child in her sleep. Propping her weight onto her front paws, the massive cat was able to dislodge the child, who merely rolled over, her snores becoming more apparent.
Only then did she see Rufio, eyes dancing in dreams under her lids, and she hoped they were pleasant. She was very used to seeking answers to her sister's emotions from the bond their shared, and enjoyed it so much more when she was not hit with a shot of agony from her last severed bond. Rufio had filled the gap in her life, and while it was still a new sensation, she trusted the Drykas completely with everything. It did not cross the cat's mind that that was exactly how she had felt with Jodoc, as Rufio was now her one and only bondmate.
She knew the pelts and rugs in their tent would hide the noise of her paws, but she still had to be careful as she stood, pushing back into her hips to stretch out her back. She did so slowly, but was unable to stiffle the yawn which brushed her whiskers and reminded her how dry her mouth was. Without thinking, she licked Rufio's hair line twice in affection before carefully balancing her weight to tread off the bed.
Although the kelvic would have preferred to give every ounce of attention to Rufio, forever, she had to force herself to quiet the euphoria of the new bond, and give her attention to Iollu. She was not going to bed anytime soon, but instead of hunting, the cat set her head on her paws and glanced at the moon through the entrance of the tent, as if she could watch its descent from the sky.
They had found Iollu's family. The Pavilion was scattered and poor from the raids, but like the Drykas spirit, had not given up on their family. The city was alit with words on the displaced children, so she was not surprised how quickly Iollu heard word of her family and got excited. The child had stayed with them for one more night. Although she wanted to be with her family right away, the Pavilion could not afford it. Seven people crammed into a four person tent with not much more than a few hunks of cheese between them.
The firstsongs were and old Pavilion and Ixzo respected them, but all were aware that Ixzo could give Iollu one more night in comfort before she returned to help her family rebuild. The Myrian-raised Kelvic couldn't help but wonder if Iollu's responsibility in that was to be married off. A concept that the wild woman still had trouble wrapping her mind around.
Giving up on worrying over something she had no control over, Ixzo tried to clear her mind. It was not easy, but she used a trick which her father had taught her, meditation. He had told her to put a thought on a boat and sent it into the setting sun, in her mind. One by one, she would clear her mind and reach peace. Only the Myrian-raised lioness' view of a boat was a rickety raft used to gather hunted crocodiles from the shores of the basin. Instead she imagined each thought as a gazelle which she had no interest in hunting. It was quicker to let them depart quickly. Only each time she let a thought go, another appeared.
It was a few hours before Ixzo realized she had drifted into a nap rather than actually meditated. Her ears flicked at the sound of someone stirring, and the huntress realized the two deep breathing of sleepers had lightened. She stood, stretching again and giving a quick lick to her chest to prepare herself, and strode back over to the bed. She made no effort to displace her weight now, settling beside Rufio so that she could feel the Drykas' breathe on her fur, and waited for her to fully awake.
