(Set during/around this thread- https://www.amaryllis-lions.com/thread-21567.html)

There was a dullness in the lioness now, her emerald green eyes were shaded, blurried by tears, it hadn't been too long since Ryker had announced his plans and made for the Rainforest, but in that short of time Levana had seemingly become lost, weakened by heartbreak. She had begged and pleaded, screamed and beat on Ryker with his fists, not trying to hurt him but she'd hit his chest and screamed about how he couldn't just leave her/ All they've done together, after everything they've been through, their children needed him, she needed him. She had hurled unsavory names at him, shoved him from her and pulled him back against her, unable to decide what she wanted.

She'd done this until she was apprehended by one of her older children, held back while they looked at their father, her vision was so blurry that she couldn't tell who was holding her back, she felt the gentle touch of her husbands muzzle one last time, it rested against her skull as she sobbed, she could barely speak now, her throat felt raw and bloody. ""Remélem találkozunk egy másik életben..."" I hope that we meet in another life. She quietly whispered, her paws reaching for Ryker, grasping his, once more meeting his eyes with her's trying to beg him silently not to leave her, but she was left watching as he walked away from her, tears streaming down her cheeks, her body feeling weak. He was leaving and she could do nothing about it.


She had waited until all the cubs were asleep, till her mother slept soundly, and then she had stood up, her gaze sweeping over each loved one, her heart ached, part of her hated Ryker for leaving them, part of her understood. She was probably a widow by now, not in her right mind, and that was how she was on the path to Firnen, not very far from the Badlands yet, her head held low, it was like the life had dulled from her, without her mate, everything felt so sorely empty.

"I thought I might find you here." Came the murmer from the dark pelted woman as she approached @Levana. Ryker had left little in the way of guestimation as to his plans, but she could infer enough...and as soon as the ebon lion had left her borders..she had taken to her own trip. From the jungle did the druid walk, her gaze sweeping the ground as she went. She suspected given what she had been told that Levana and the cubs would be around here somewhere. But where exactly she couldn't tell. It had been the pale butt in the light that gave the lioness away and Kireena would pick up the pace so as to draw abreast of the Dantanian. "Come on, Lev...". Her tone was soft, almost gentle as if an elder sibling talking to a younger. And perhaps she was.

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In her own heartbroken state of mind, the lioness did not even notice her friend coming up to flank her, she barely flicked an ear at her arrival, her paws and eyes were determined. He should not have to die alone, he should not have to die at all, she could feel nothing but ice cold dread and broken heartstrings snapping with each walk. A shell of who she had been just hours before, finally happy with her family, both family from before coming to Amaryllis and the family she'd gained here, she had been so content, she'd had it all if only for a couple of weeks.

Distantly she heard her name, or part of it, her dull emerald eyes looked next to her and found Kireena, the lioness paused for a second, taking a better look, making sure it wasn't a hallucination. ""Kireena...what are you doing here?"" Of course she could figure it out, her husband wasn't an idiot, she should have figured he would have sent someone to watch her every move. Fucking asshole.

A half smirk touched the lips of the red woman as she arched a brow at @Levana's question. "I got a visit earlier today.." Actually this evening - but who was counting? She would shift slightly so that she might attempt to knock her skull into Levana's shoulder with a soft sound. "A friend asked me to look after someone very important to him.. so I figured I'd best come hunting at night so I could pop up and scare you come dawn." This really was no joking matter, but the dead look in the eyes of the once queen had her wanting to spark SOMETHING. Even if that something was to draw her ire by making a joke or to. "I suppose "Boo" Is a bit late now though." If nothing else - it might distract the lioness from her current path and have her focusing on an entirely new target.

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She could tell Kireena was trying her best to draw forth some kind of feeling inside her, but she couldn't feel a thing, numbness had spread through her body, ice had made its way into her veins but she would humor Kireena. A fake, soft smile lifted up one side of her lips, she couldn't force anything else, after a moment of listening to Kireenas response, she felt a tear slide down her cheek, stinging where so many had fallen before it.

""He sent you to make sure I didn't follow his own stupid path didn't he?"" She asked with a deathly stillness, her paws finally beginning to move again, heading back on their track that she'd been on, ""I don't care what he said Kireena. You can't stop me. And neither can he."" She sounded so dead, to her, she wondered if she already felt so dead inside, why could she not make it so, the heartbroken lioness was not even thinking of anything logical right now, she was thinking with the hurt inside her, the rage, memories flashes through her head, her and Ryker's first time meeting each other, the sandstorm, their den in Wolfbron, him making her his queen, their first cubs being born, the battles they'd fought for each other, each memory had her heart clenching, and then finally another sob escapes, her voice was so hoarse it almost sounded like a choked cough.

"He might have." She walked with @Levana as the two-toned female made to go the distance towards Firnen. There was still plenty of distance to cover, so she saw no harm in letting the other walk off some steam.. some emotions. Still - Kireena had few doubts that it might come to a physical altercation. After all - hadn't that been what Ryker had asked her specifically for? Knowing she would do whatever she had to to prevent the other from orphaning their cubs? "Who said anything about stopping? I only promised to look after you." Which wasn't entirely untrue. Still, Kireena would do whatever she deemed necessary when it came to 'looking after' the Dantanian widow. Even if that meant cracking her upside the head and dragging her back cave-man style. zug zug

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The former queen flicked an ear as her friend spoke, she flicked her tail and shook her head gently, trying to shake the tears from her fur, she continued her walking, eyes staring blankly at the ground, she wondered if she was walking exactly where her husband had. Were she just mimicking his death march?

""I don't want you hurt Kireena, I would rather just ask you to let my family know I love them, but i cannot live with out my heart. So please just let me be... I appreciate your company, your friendship, but you won't stop me."" She did not fully trust the larger lionesses words, she knew Ryker wouldn't have went to her to just have a friendly chat, no, Levanas plans would be stopped sooner than later.

The echoing words of the other had her heart constricting - she knew what she would be like had Sybil lost her life. The same - empty.. perhaps less despondent and more on the war path, but that was perhaps coming. Still - she kept pace with the other female, humming thoughtfully at the words offered forth. "So.. what of your cubs? What would you like me to tell them?" Her tone was curious - carefully controlled. If Levana was going to insist on doing this, then Kireena would do what she could to bring her to her senses without violence.. if at all possible. Though - she was doubtful even this would work. Heaven nor hell would stop her from avenging her own red pelted mate.. so she more or less understood where the other was coming from.

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"TW For: Foul Language"

The mention of her cubs causes the lioness to stall for a second, inhaling sharply, she pictures it now, three small cubs, just barely old enough to come out of their den, toddling about, mewling for their mother, and only finding their grandmother as she weeps for her daughter, their big tear filled eyes staring up as Kireena explains to Camellia what has happened to their mother. Them not understanding what it means, and just repeating in child like voices, asking where she was, with all the innocence of a child, about to be ripped away because of her selfishness.

""I fucking hate him."" She snarled and struck out at a dead, dried up bush, snarling as she obliterated it into a pile of sticks and tiny branches that flew everywhere. Another frustrated growl rose from her throat, as painful as it was, she screamed in anger as s paw slammed into the sand beneath her and threw the red dirt in the air. Only to be made angrier by the fact that it was not anything that could bleed. ""I fucking hate him! Fucking moron! Fucking asshole!""

The red giant would watch as Levana seemed to click over into maternal overdrive and let her gaze land upon the dual colored female. "Hate him if you wish but he is protecting you and your children.". She would move in such a way as to plant herself in front of the females path to Firnen. "Better hate him than If you go storming in there. you WILL die and your babies will grow up alone.". Kireena felt her talons bite the dirt beneath their feet, wondering if @Levana would need to blow off some steam soon. Perhaps it would be the best tactic in fact : get anger, grief and everything else out where she could shout to the heavens and then return to her family with a little clearer mind. Grief wouldn't t vanish, but Kireena hoped that by digging at the maternal need, the anger..poking the bear she could at least redirect it for long enough that she could talk sometbing akin to sense into the woman.

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