Evening has fallen by the time he returns, but Seneca does return. He had promised, after all, and despite his misgivings, he keeps his word. It's why he rarely makes promises, for he is loathe to break them. Time, at least, has considerably slowed the bleeding of his wounds, but he can hardly deny the exhaustion that hangs heavily over his shoulders. When @Aarani is done with her desire to tend to his wounds, he is liable to sleep for days in recuperation. For now, however, he trudges his limping self to the edge of the Oasis yet again, his call this time a quiet one -- a soft chuff meant only for Aarani to answer. He doesn't bother to force himself to stand tall at her borders, for she has already beaten him like a dog. Seneca, instead, slumps tiredly outside of the edge of the territory, waiting for her arrival in silence.

image by k'sariya, code by koi

Aarani felt sore. How could she not with half her nape shredded to hell and back? It wasn't an ideal place to be wounded (if there was an ideal place, anyway) but she was grateful for Dior and Vine being able to help her out. Truly, she would be lost without them.

But now she had other matters to tend to only several hours after the battle had commenced. She was already dreading the politics and the bullshit that came with her new position, but it was what she had brought upon herself and she would grin and bear it with all the grace she could muster.

Rani spotted him from afar and called out to him, carrying in her mouth a bundle of herbs to tend his wounds. "Thank you for coming," she said, her eyes immediately dropping to the wounds on his leg. Wounds she had given him. Aarani chewed the inside of her cheek, uncomfortable by the sight of her own handiwork. "May I?" she asked softly, wondering if he might yeet her ass into the sands for even asking.

table by ferus, artwork by grav3wolf

It doesn't take long for his call to be answered. @Aarani had been expecting him, after all, and he watches her approach with an overwhelmingly neutral expression. Seneca is not angry -- not at her, anyway. She had fought with an impressive fire, driven by personal motives that had emblazoned her with a fury. Now, however, there is quiet between them, and a sort of peace. She draws nearer with her herb bundle, a more meek version of the woman that he had fought earlier. He quirks a brow at her question, and how she asks permission now to aid him, when earlier she had been so willing to inflict damage for the sake of her family. "Yes," he consents, an unmoving figure upon the sand. He has no further desire to harm Aarani -- he is not the sort to take a battle personally when it's merely a matter of politics. He cannot help but notice the look upon her face as she assesses his injuries, further prompting his curiosity. "You look guilty," he mentions, the unspoken question an obvious one -- why?

image by k'sariya, code by koi

Aarani was grateful for his willingness, though she couldn't help but wonder what had stopped him from seeking hell elsewhere. It has been a solid few hours since their battle, she couldn't imagine he was comfortable the entire time. At the very least, he looked cleaned up. Perhaps that woman with him? "Was that your wife?" she asked curiously, noting her absence with a brief glance around.

Rani scooted closer, eyeing up his leg with a frown. "If you want pain relief, you'll have to choke this down," she said, setting the leafy greens before him. "Otherwise, hold still, this will sting quite a bit." The poultice was easy to make; she had done it thousands of times before. Aarani moved to gingerly apply it to his wounds, doing her best to pretend it didn't gross her out to know she had been responsible for them.

"I feel guilty." The lioness shrugged, pausing in her work to look up at him. "I'm a medic, not a fighter. I heal wounds, I don't cause them. Strange to be on this side of things now." It was the honest truth. She had no reason to lie. "You're from Wolfbron, too. Tell me about yourself? Why is it you want a pride?"

table by ferus, artwork by grav3wolf

"Yes, she is," he answers when she questions about Genya. Truthfully, they had been doing nothing together that involved healing his wounds, but that's neither here nor there. There is little else that a man like Seneca desires after battle than time spent with a woman. And truthfully, he would have been content enough to let his wounds heal without intervention, but @Aarani had insisted on helping him -- literally. Part of Seneca's nature is his tolerance for pain, his acceptance of it; he does not shy or balk away from it -- it serves as a reminder of his mistakes. So he doesn't move towards the leaves she offers to relieve it, though he is obedient enough at her command to be still. His muscles tense as she directly begins to work on his leg, her promise ringing true, but he is otherwise resolute and doesn't budge, allowing the woman to work. Her admittance surprises him somewhat, as though she hadn't ever wanted to be in such a battle -- but he had hardly forced her into it. "Why did you fight me, then?" he presses, furrowing his brows as his gaze lingers upon her face. There must be something that feeds her fire, something that had driven her to what seems to be extreme behavior in her case. She asks for him to tell her about himself, prompting a slight tilt of the Miroslav's skull. Truthfully, he isn't used to others not feeling some kind of resentment towards him after a fight; he is hardly nice on the field of battle, and her wounds are proof of that. The difference is, he doesn't look upon them with guilt. "My name is Seneca Miroslav," he offers, realizing upon considering her question that they don't even know the most basic thing about one another. "I made a promise. To my father, that our name would not go forgotten. And to Genya, that we would have a place of our own to raise our family." And then there was the whole conquering the world bit, but he leaves that part out. Genya's ambitious desires are a pipe dream, but it certainly amuses him to feed it.

image by k'sariya, code by koi

Aarani laughed softly, shaking her head as he revealed the woman had, indeed, been his wife. It wasn't the fact he was married that was humorous, just that: "You looked just as unhappy to see her in the end as I was to see my husband and wife." The woman straightened up as she felt his muscles tensing beneath her touch. She could only imagine how painful it was for him to walk; her wounds weren't nearly as bad on her legs and she struggled to toddle around herself. "I didn't speak with either of them beforehand, I was worried they'd be upset." Perhaps Seneca felt much the same about Genya.

"I fought you because my entire life has been decided on others. If a king fell, if a lover wanted out -- I went along with it, found a new place to live. But the Oasis," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "I lived here once before and it felt like home. When the king vanished, it disbanded. I won't allow that to happen for as long as possible. I deserve some stability in my life, as do my children and my spouses. I'm tired of depending on everyone else for a home." Aarani shrugged lightly.

She listened to his explanation and nodded. "Is your father in this world or the next?" Either way, did proving something to him mean that much? Her ears drew forward at the mention of cubs. "Is Genya expecting?" Aarani adored children, obviously. "You can still make this place your home, Seneca, if you seek a safe place to have a family. I'd like you and Genya to stay." She nodded with some finality, confident in her decision.

table by ferus, artwork by grav3wolf

His avoidance of Genya is not quite the same as Aarani's, but he supposes he can understand her viewpoint regardless. She had gone against her very nature, but Seneca -- Seneca had merely been following his, and it had come as no surprise to his wife. She had, in fact, encouraged it -- demanded it. "I didn't want her to see me fail," he mutters, not really certain why he is bothering to admit his truths to @Aarani. He finds her easy enough to talk to, he supposes, though he hasn't even been so revealing in nature towards his own wife, let alone anyone else. His ears lilt forward as he considers her explanation, and he finds it a fair enough assessment, though he cannot help but wonder if she worries for the ability of Zoticus and Circe to maintain their position in Wolfbron. "Fair enough," he acquiesces, finding that he has nothing else to say. Her motives are her own, and they aren't for him to judge. "I don't know," he answers her following question with something of a shrug. "He lived when I last saw him, but he lives a quiet life now." With Seneca's mother, and with his other wives. He has long since retired to live out his years in quiet, and such a thing is hardly possible in a land so chaotic as Amaryllis. It is not the sort of place once goes to retire. She questions again about Genya, and his lips twitch as though to hint at a smile, though they don't fully break into the expression. "With any luck," he responds, the tip of his tail flicking slightly. She offers him a home here, and he finds himself once again surprised by the nature of Aarani. She hardly knows him, or his morality system, and her extension of the olive branch has him quirking a brow. "I would have to speak to her, but I know she has been unhappy in the Lagoon," he muses, not giving a full acceptance quite yet, but his intrigue is noticeable. He has nothing against Zoticus or the lions of Wolfbron, but they are admittedly a tight-knit crew, and Seneca does not entirely fit in, outsider that he is.

image by k'sariya, code by koi

Aarani couldn't help but frown as he explained Genya would be disappointed in him. She tilted her head to look up at him, blonde tresses spilling to the side of her head as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. "Disappointment is part of life, but our spouses are supposed to support us regardless. I would hope your wife is proud of you regardless of the outcome," she offered quietly, knowing it was not her place in the least to judge. The lioness shook her head, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, it's not my place to say anything. My husband barely smiles, I can never tell if he's happy about something or miserable. It can be frustrating at times to feel as though you aren't quite enough, despite what they say," Rani murmured, poking and prodding away at his leg in the most doctor of ways. As they do.

"You will need to keep off this leg for quite a while, I'm afraid." Although Aarani had done what she could, there was only so much a few poultices and leaf wraps could do. The body simply needed to mend itself over time, and she hoped he would take her caution to heart.

Ah, yes, it made sense that he would need to speak with his wife. Her ears twitched at the mention of the lagoon -- how curious she would find herself there. "I know Scilla is an enemy of Wolfbron, it wouldn't surprise me if Zoticus himself would jump at the opportunity to fight for her freedom. You currently cannot, by the way," she added on, glancing at him with a squint. "But I will also do what I can to secure her release if you wish it. If anything, Wolfbron is safer than the lagoon. She needn't stay there longer than she has to." Not in Rani's mind, anyway.

The priestess settled onto her haunches, studying her handiwork for signs of mistakes. "I think you're as good as you're going to get tonight, Seneca Miroslav." Aarani didn't send him on his way immediately, though. She wanted to see if he had anything else to say, thoughts on joining and the like. It was easy to settle in and smile pleasantly up at him, her teeth glimmering in the moonlight.

table by ferus, artwork by grav3wolf

"She is," he answers somewhat quietly -- there is no reason that Aarani should have to believe that Genya is a worse woman than she is. She supports him in every endeavor, despite the fact that Seneca has been less than kind to her at times. The only real judgement bestowed upon his shoulders is that which he places there himself, and that admittance does not come easily to the Miroslav man. Perhaps it is his exhaustion, or perhaps it is Aarani's kindness -- or a combination of the two, that makes him more willing to display his honesty. He wrinkles his nose somewhat about her proclamation about resting his leg, but Seneca recognizes that she's right. The damage is considerable, and despite her assistance, it will take time for him to recuperate from their battle. A slight smirk twitches his lips with her willingness to aid Genya -- and no doubt she is correct about Zoticus as well. "I appreciate the sentiment, but she is quite capable of fighting for herself," he rumbles, "though I doubt she will be held against her will regardless." Aarani finally seems satisfied enough with her handiwork, leaning back from him and fracturing their close proximity. "Thank you for your time," he responds, heaving himself somewhat awkwardly from his position in the sand, given his leg's inability to support more than an iota of his weight. He shakes the sandy grains from his pelt, his preparations to leave obvious, though he cannot help but to move much more stiffly than he had before this morning.

image by k'sariya, code by koi

Whether it be foolishness or sincerity that plagues her, Aarani cannot help the shifting tide of emotions that ebbs and flows within her. He moves to stand after offering only the tiniest grain of knowledge, clearly as much of a talker as her husband. For what reason she hasn't simply sworn off men altogether is unknown; it is the women in her life that give her the most when it comes to openness. Regardless, as he moves to leave she contemplates for only the briefest of moments before offering up, almost sheepishly: "You would be my heir should you choose to stay." Was it bait? Perhaps, but she feels another member of Wolfbron at her side can only be beneficial.

table by ferus, artwork by grav3wolf