It felt likes weeks that they traveled. He paws bled, but she did not feel them. It was cooler now, which Sabine appreciated, but her lust for water is the only thing that kept her moving, kept her following the cat that stalked before her. They traversed in silence; only the sound of Sabine heavily panting and wheezing filled her ears. That and the overwhelming thud of her heart, which drowned out the rest of the world. In truth, Sabine isn't completely sure the other woman walked without a word, but if she had spoke during their time together, she hadn't heard.

What moved her forward now was the scent of water on the breeze and the closer she got, the more her body wanted to collapse into dust and fade away into nothing. It wasn't until she actually spotted the massive lake that she felt a warranted rush of pure adrenaline. She broke out into a sprint, shoving passed the dark lion desperately. Her legs didn't stop, even once she reached the water's edge, and her form plunged into the lake, disappearing for a moment. When she emerged, she gulped mouthfuls of water before collapsing onto the bank, soaked and gasping for air.

Running probably wasn't the best idea, but the water soothed her whole body. It washed away the sand and blood, the hours and hours of seemingly endless travel, and cooled her to the bone. Sabine continued to lap, already feeling an immense amount better; though, the numbness would eventually fade and the torture she put on her body would be catching up to her very soon.

@Rivia

code by fear

rivia

Just as she liked it, the girls made their trek in silence. Though, she couldn’t exactly say it was silence. Simply that neither of them spoke. Her company still made plenty of noise to remind her that she was fading fast. It wouldn’t long until they reached their destination.

When the horizon line broke with the sight of the lake, the small lion took off full speed towards the water. Rivia stopped walking a moment to witness the desperation in which this cat presented herself. Water spout into the air as she plunged beneath the surface and came back up to drink. The woman opened her mouth—also dry—to speak, but resigned. She closed the gap between her on the shoreline with a brisk glide and drank her fill.

She drew a deep breath, raising her head from the water to let the hydration sink in. Rivia waded herself into the water enough to envelope her legs to soothe them from being forcibly baked in her imprisoned state. She lifted a front paw out and swiped some water over her head to the let the water run over her face.

@Sabine

With a full belly of water, Sabine shifted and rolled her weight onto her side, facing away from the water, her back paws dipped in to keep cool. Turning, she realized she wasn't alone. The darker female had reached the water and was drinking her fill. Sabine waited for her to finish, unmoving in her position aside from closing her eyes, simply exhausted. After another bout of silence between the two, the lynx opened her gaze and finally spoke. "Thanks" she said, almost sarcastically, attempting to give the same dry courtesy as she received after saving the woman.

Sabine rose to her paws and gave her fur a much needed shake, sending an array of water droplets into the air. She stretched her limbs, beginning to feel more like herself, along with the aches and pains she hadn't been able to feel. "I feel better," Sabine breathed out with a slight chuckle, "And you?" She didn't actually care... or maybe she did. Truthfully, she was still so weak and hungry that feeling bitter and anger toward this cat had grown difficult. Now, she more just felt nothing.

@Rivia

code by fear

rivia

Rivia slipped her head under the water, letting it muffle the sound of the surface world for just a moment. She loved the feeling of being under the water. And after worrying she'd never see it again it was a thankful reunion. Breaking the surface again, she blinked quickly to deter the water from trickling into her eyes. Looking to the other she nodded at her thanks and exited the water. "Don't mention it."

Once back on shore she really allowed herself to stretch, specifically her back legs. She imagined she'd probably fester a grudge against the desert for a long time after this. Speaking of.

"I'll live," She dismissed, looking off into the distance before circling back around to that. "I suppose I'd be dead if you hadn't found me. So, thank you." Rivia attempted some more decent manners, but moved on quickly. What happened now? Were they living in the same place then? Would she move on and go back to her home? A home they both abandoned for different reasons, but perhaps not so different after all.

@Sabine

Sabine nodded, smiling almost. "As would I," she admitted. She would have died in that desert, without question. She had no idea where to go and no energy left to really find out. The promise of water and having a direction to walk in is really what got her to this lake. Sabine looked the woman up and down quietly, pondering. She had many curiosities about this cat, but none she wanted to voice. Instead, she turned away, looking out over the landscape before her. It was busy with life, even as the day neared its end.

She had to know one thing though. One question she just had to get answered. "How..." Sabine paused, shifting her stare back onto the lioness, "How exactly did you end up here? I mean.." She shook her head with mild frustration over the fact she couldn't decipher this mystery on her own. "After you left me to die, I didn't give a single other thought about you. I never would have guessed I'd see you again. It absolutely never crossed my mind. You were there, then you were gone, and that was it. So for you to be here now, for us both to be here now..." Sabine trailed off, her multicolored eyes drifting over her shoulder to look out over the lake.

This was all so coincidental, so seemingly impossible that they ended up in the same place, let alone to run into each other. It did leave Sabine with a heavy question though, one which she didn't really have the strength to think on at the moment— What now?

@Rivia

code by fear

rivia

The thought of how she got here was a foggy one. The fateful night happened so fast and no one was prepared. The thought of their lack of preparedness was something stewed in her gut. As far as answering the woman’s question? Rivia sighed and knit her brows. “All I remember was my feet kept me moving,” she thought back on her travels. The fog was thick, the sand was cold and the grains were daggers on her feet. She had followed the coast and that eventually lead her across the bridge between the mainland and this peninsula.

“I followed the sea and the sea lead me here.” she stated, “I found one of my crew, but everyone else is gone.” Rivia clenched her jaw, taking a silent breath through her nose. As far as them being here together, she wasn’t a being of fate and wasn’t as fascinated by the fact that they had come to be in the same lands. Truth be told, she also hasn’t given this woman a second thought and assumed one of her people would’ve found her eventually.

@Sabine

Sabine understood the fog that cloaked the other cat's mind because it did the same to her. Without much to go off of, it seemed the two had a similar story, except Sabine wasn't necessarily lead by the sea, but was more... shoved. It was what she said last though that sent a ping of pain into her gut and a shiver down her spine. She remembered the slaughter of her own pride and she knows that is exactly what the Blackwater Clan would have done to this stranger's too. Sabine knitted her brows, twitching a lip as she turned away. She closed her eyes, trying now to erase the flashes of memories that fluttered through her mind. The murder scene of her entire family across the beach she grew up, their blood spilled upon the sands of her youth.

After a moment, she shook her head, as if chasing the memories away. The question still stood though. Now what? The day was coming to a close, she had absolutely no idea where she was, and truthfully, she still needed a bit of help. Sabine needed food and she wasn't completely sure she would be able to catch anything on her own. Perhaps she could find some, but that would be a bit too lucky. It was frustrating feeling so lost. She had a life, a good life, and then this last year it was chaos and torture, but even that she grew to know. Now? Now she was alone and lost. "What now?" she said emotionlessly.

Sabine looked to the woman now, her expression dull and tired. She just wanted a break. Really, she wanted to go back to her family, to how things were before, so knowing now that she can only go forward into the unknown, well... it scared her.

@Rivia

code by fear

rivia

What now?

Fair question on her part. She would be asking the same thing if she didn't already have somewhere to be. And while a fair question in it's rights, Rivia wasn't sure why she was asking her in the first place. Was she going to be responsible for making sure this small lion doesn't keep almost dying?

Her sharp shoulders rolled back in a shrug, turning to the side to grab another sip from the watering hole. She raised a paw to wipe her chin and stepped away from the shoreline. "What now? There is no 'what now'." she barked, a little confused. "I'm going back to what I was doing before I got trapped," she disclosed, blinking at her.

Rivia turned herself in the direction she gathered was the way she needed to go to get back to Roarke. "I'm sure you'll figure something out, freckles." she called back to her as she began to amble.

/ attempted exit

@Sabine

Sabine twitched her nose at the nickname, sitting frozen for a moment before lurching to her paws abruptly. Actually, there was a what now and Sabine needed this woman's help to achieve it. She needed food, rest, and to fully recover from her endeavors, so no, this cat would not be leaving her, at least not yet. "Wait wait wait," she hissed, trotting briskly to cut off the lioness before she got too far, "You just wait."

Her nostrils flared with frustration and she eyed to woman, half with anger, half with desperation. "I am a survivor, okay. That's what I do. I endure and survive.. and you're going to help me survive," she commanded. Sabine glanced around before shifting her attention back to the nameless female before her. "I don't know where the hell I am, I am starving, I am weak, and I am not about to let you just abandon me," Sabine paused, her jaw clenching, "Again."

"I just dragged your ass out of some sand pit of doom, now you're going to help me get some damned food and a little rest before you run off to your life," she snorted, "It's the least you could do. This water was more for both of us, I'd say you still owe me a favor. A life debt, if you will."

@Rivia

code by fear

rivia

Rivia halted in her steps with an abrupt shift in facial expression and body posture as she was intercepted. A horrible wild look took over her eyes and read a mixture of confusion and rage. Who did this vagrant think she was to have the gall to be so pushy? Especially when she was clearly fostering a sour mood. She reeled her head back and scoffed at the girl. Frozen before the smaller lioness, she growled quietly as she pleaded her case.

No- demanded it.

Her tail lashed behind her and her unsheathed claws desperately chewed into the soil. The temptation to smack her down and call it a day was ripping at her chest. Her heart pounded in her ears and her throat burned. Her glaring violet eyes aimed to bore holes into her. Rivia cursed and furiously swiped the dirt she collected under the curled toes of her left paw to the side.

She didn’t respond to what she had to say. For if she did, the words would flow like fire in high winds. The rage would boil over and she would be blinded by red. Rivia grit her teeth and stalked off away from the watering hole to the east. She didn’t like owing anybody anything. Especially a fucking life debt.

“Keep up,” she barked. Her only verbal agreement to this deal as she began to figure out how to get her out of her fur as quick as possible.

exit rivia.