Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

The last few hours had been somber for Jewel - and especially for the young leopard. She had ended their trip by carrying the girl, careful of her jaws so she didn't hurt the precious babe dangling from her jaws. The lioness crossed into the Coves territory without pausing, and made her way towards the small pond of water so she could place the youth by the edge. First, to get her settled - but for now.. they were close enough to the food stores that she could feed her, though she doubted she would be hungry. Perhaps not even thirsty.. but this watering hole was much smaller - barely wide enough for a lion to get a decent bath..

Not that they bathed in their drinking water - that was done in the ocean roaring just down the beach. Jewel shifted, gently lowering her cargo and moving so she could settle down in the sands beside her, to curl up around the spotted babe and give her some warmth and physical comfort. "Remi?" Her voice was a gentle purr, gaze searching the childs face for any sign of what she was thinking.

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I had a dream I was seven Climbing my way in a tree I saw a piece of heaven Waiting impatient for me

Remi did not know how much time had passed since the lion had picked her up and started carrying her. She may have fallen asleep for parts of the journey, or perhaps they had teleported--regardless, the child felt as if it had been both an eternity and only mere moments since they had started the journey back to her "pride". She sniffed sleepily as she dangled there in the air, forced to come back to reality when she felt herself being lowered down to the earth. She pushed her limbs against the sands of the ground and positioned herself into a curled sitting position, unable to fight against the physical touch of the lion or truly gather what had just happened.

"Hmm?" She questioned as she registered that Jewel had spoken to her. She dragged her olive gaze to try and meet the face of the one who had carried her, wondering if she had missed a question while she was caught up in her own mind and body, neither of which truly feeling like they belonged to her in that moment.

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Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

Jewel shifted, gently scooping a paw out and tugging the girl closer to her chest so she could work on passing her tongue over her head and across her shoulders. "It's allright, sweetling." The day had been a stressful one for a girl so young, she was sure. Jewel hoped to keep @Remi calm and to try to get her to feel a little better.. if that was even possible after such a day. The lioness did her best to move with almost exaggerated slowness so as not to startle the girl.. but also to give her the comfort she would need.

"Are you tired?" Jewels tone was gentle, her ears tipping towards the small babe, shifting just slightly so she could curl a little more into herself - to give the leopard the extra warmth from her hide. Though, she knew the sands of the Cove would be able to do that just fine after a short while... but still -it was the physical contact she was after.

Code by Corvus.. Image (C)jean wimmerlin @Unsplash. Manip by Tabs

I had a dream I was seven Climbing my way in a tree I saw a piece of heaven Waiting impatient for me

She could feel her eyes and sinuses begin to sting as Jewel pulled her in closer with one paw, the instinct to cry washing over the child though it felt as if she must have cried out all of her tears by then. Remi sniffed once more as she gazed up at her face, a stranger to her before that day, registering her attempts at comfort and yet forlorn at how wrong it all felt. This was how her mother spoke to her, how she looked at her when she was upset, and Remi struggled to believe that she would truly never see the leopardess or her sister again.

"I'm not tired," she lied in hollow tones. It was apparent on her face that she was struggling to keep her eyes open from sheer exhaustion. "I don't wake up... like them..." she trailed off as she finally choked on the lump caught in her throat, collapsing into the lion's side and sobbing softly.

code by corvus

Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

The tears of the young girl pulled at every ounce of motherly instinct she had in her and Jewel shifted so that she could hug the cub closer to her with both paws. "It will be okay.." The females tone kept the soft, crooning tamber as she would do her best to make sure that she washed the girl in both her love and tongue - hoping that by washing some of the scent of her travels she would sleep a little better. Not that she wanted her to forget where she had come from - or forget her mother and sister.. but scent memory had a lot to do with how well one slept and JEwel wanted her to sleep as dreamless as she could.

By stars, the girl needed it. "You're welcome to stay here with me as long as you want to, little sweetling." Jewel knew that she could never replace the leopardess.. not really, but she was more than willing to step into that role and help the child find her footing in this world. "You'll be safe here.. Lots of places to hide, to play.. Food and water to eat.. Even other children your age to play with..." She chuckled gently, her lips spreading into a grin. "If you can handle their rough and tumble ways.. most of them are stinky boys." She was trying to do her best to help the tiniest of leopards to relax enough that she wouldn't fear sleep so much.

Code by Corvus.. Image (C)jean wimmerlin @Unsplash. Manip by Tabs

I had a dream I was seven Climbing my way in a tree I saw a piece of heaven Waiting impatient for me

Remi cried weakly as she leaned into the lioness, her whole frame shaking with the weight of her situation. It had been too terrible for her to accept, but as the hours passed, reality was settling on her like crushing stones.

"Okay," she agreed, her voice still a mere echo of the excited tones she had emitted upon their first meeting. Whatever the lioness said, she thought an adult must know what she was saying and she had no reason to question. She started to describe what it might be like if she stayed, but the subject of others and other places caused her heart to lurch.

"Don't leave me," Remi begged. Would she turn her over to the hiding places and the children, and leave her to find her own way? While unfamiliar to her, Jewel was now the only other living soul Remi knew and the thought of losing her was just about enough to make her snap.

code by corvus

Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

The plaintive begging not to leave broke her heart and Jewel made something of a strangled sound herself. "No, sweetling. I have no intentions of leaving you.. You're here to stay with me - as long as you want to stay here with me.. I was just telling you so you knew you would have others your age to play with... when you're ready." The ebon sovereign had no intentions of letting the little leopard out of her sight for a while. Not until she was sure she would be comfortable with her new life..

Or.. the new life so long as she wanted it. Jewel wouldn't force the decision on her - not after what she had dealt with today. She knew that such large changes often didn't happen overnight. They might take a while to really sink in and be something to be able to digest at a later date. "I promise.. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me to shove off..."

Code by Corvus.. Image (C)jean wimmerlin @Unsplash. Manip by Tabs

I had a dream I was seven Climbing my way in a tree I saw a piece of heaven Waiting impatient for me

She raised and lowered her skull in absent-minded acceptance of the explanation Jewel offered her, relieved to be told that she would not be left again. While everything felt so unknown to her, the thought of maintaining one constant was all of the comfort that Remi could cling to.

"I stay with you," she mirrored the sentiment, relaxing her neck so that she could press her cheek into the side of the lioness' pelt. It felt different than her mother's, though she was certainly not in the position to be turning anyone away based on preference.

Remi blinked in slow and sleepy motions, her paws and her heart both aching with exhaustion as she tried to fight off inevitable unconsciousness. She could not be certain that Jewel would still be there when she awoke.

code by corvus

Overrun, you're under the gun

Sound the drum, the Great War has come

A smile touched the lips of the dark pelted woman at the easy acceptance of the young cub. "Let's get you to bed.. mm?" She would shift, gently nuzzling the girl to see how she was fairing before she decided to pick her up or not, knowing that she was near to falling over as it was. Jewel would take the girl to her den, to introduce her later to the other children that were liable to filter in and out as they slept and woke. To Vysemala as she to came and went as the day and night passed. And through it all, she would remain - refusing to leave until Remi woke and realized she wasn't alone. Even if there might be a few other...bodies in the fur and brush nest in her den.

Jewel would broach the topic of verbally adopting the girl when she was stronger.. when she thought she wouldn't worry about 'replacing' her mama. Though, in the heart of the inky sovereign, she had already adopted the girl.. and had the moment they had found the lifeless form of the leopardess near the water. It was as simple as that - but only needed the young cub to realize she had a family.. if she wanted it. But she wouldn't force it on her.

Code by Corvus.. Image (C)jean wimmerlin @Unsplash. Manip by Tabs

I had a dream I was seven Climbing my way in a tree I saw a piece of heaven Waiting impatient for me

"Okay," she accepted sleepily. It was easy to revert to acceptance when being guided by the confident voice of an adult, especially when she was so uncertain of how to proceed. Remi leaned closed and rumbled a purr deep in her chest, a distinguishing feature between the different species. She rumbled deeply in her throat in an attempt to comfort herself with the same way that her mama would purr.

Her limbs felt numb as she was starting to give into unconsciousness involuntarily. Whether she liked it or not, Remi had used just about all of the effort that she had in the last couple of days and she was just about spent. While it was bound to be fitful and potentially even frightening, she had to give into sleep.

[exit]

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