(Private for TheWhistlerify)

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Nura left the zebra carcass were it was and rushed over to Dakari again. She examined the wound and frowned. She wanted to be positive but it was rather deep, and it looked very painful. "I won't lie to you Dakari, it does look pretty bad". She wanted to help him with it, but they had just met. She saw him moving his jaw, so she was thankful it wasn't going to prevent him from eating. "I don't know whether it'll scar or not".

---

Mjuvi didn't feel too awkward, but it was just a weird situation to be in. He really did hope that Dakari and Nura managed to kill something, and he hoped Dakari wouldn't be mad with him bringing Marini back with him. She is staying for the night whether Dakari liked it or not, he thought; frowning momentarily before smiling for the sake of the lioness. "No, it's not too far" he replied, turning a corner and beckoning towards the group of tree's the den was behind. "It's just over there".

[TheWhistlerify]

Dakari sat perfectly still as Nura came over to him once again in order to examine the cut on his cheek. Despite what she was saying, he managed to chuckle. "Eh, I had a feeling..." he said with a small smile. "It really hurts. And it itches really badly..." He's always been able to see the bright side of everything, and this situation was no exception because it could have turned out far worse than it had. "But it could have been worse." he said, wincing as he once again wiped some blood off his cheek, unintentionally scratching the area around the cut a little.

"I mean, a scar isn't really bad when you think about it... Especially because I could have broken my jaw back there." He chuckled once more, standing up. The fact that they'd managed to catch something this big was more than enough to lighten up his mood and get him to stop thinking about his injury, even if it felt like it was going to continue to hurt for more than just a few minutes. "And hey, look at this catch!"

Still smiling, he made his way over to the zebra before looking at Nura ever so modestly as he rubbed his cheek with his paw once more. "You did most of the work, but the important thing is that we have food for tonight. And that my bones are still intact." He chuckled once again at his own joke, turning his attention back to the zebra. It was going to be difficult to bring it back to the den, but he didn't really care. After scratching his cheek again and placing one end of the zebra on his back, he realized that it was actually heavier than it looked, but he was still going to carry it with him (or at least drag it along, seeing how the majority of the zebra was still on the ground). "Let's head back, it's starting to get dark."

~-~

Marini managed to smile a little when Mjuvi told her that the den wasn't too far. True, it was a lot easier for her to walk with the male's help, but it still wasn't all that pleasant because of her leg. As they neared the trees he'd diverted her attention to, she could suddenly hear the uncontrollable laughter of Siri and Akina (who were still playing inside), although the den was still concealed from her sight. "W-wait..." Becoming weary, she came to a stop. "What is that?" she asked, looking up at him with a concerned expression on her face.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Nura admired his positivity. If it had been her, she'd probably be frantic about the cut. She didn't have a high pain threshold so she couldn't imagine how much it hurt. "Well, whatever you do, don't scratch it" she warned him with a smile. Her attentions went back to the zebra and she shook her head.

"I wouldn't have been able to do anything if you didn't get that bite on it's leg" she confessed. Upon seeing him start to try and carry the zebra, she walked behind him and lifted the zebra from where she was to ease some of the weight on his back. "Come on then" she said with another smile.

---

Mjuvi stopped as she did, his ears twitching at the sound of laughter. He slowly smiled, but couldn't understand why she was concerned. "Oh, it's just my little sister and her new friend" he said, struggling to remember Akina's name. He rolled his eyes after a few moments. "I don't understand how they became friends so quickly. Must be a lioness thing" he chuckled and then looked back down at Marini, awaiting her to start moving again.

[TheWhistlerify]

Dakari couldn't help but get the urge to roll his eyes as Nura told him not to scratch the cut on his cheek. True, he knew that it was for his own good, but that didn't change the fact that it itched badly. 'Sometimes I really am an overgrown cub...' he thought to himself. Not scratching his cheek was going to make him go nuts, he could already tell. Getting it cleaned somehow was going to help, but he couldn't think of a way to do that at the moment since the cut was on his cheek and not on a more reachable area for him like his paw. Perhaps he could use the waterhole for that later.

The lion silently and gratefully accepted Nura's compliment about his contribution to their hunt as well as her assistance in helping him carry the zebra. With her lifting it as well, it wasn't nearly as heavy and getting it back to the den was going to be a much easier and quicker task. "Thanks..." he said with a smile as the two of them began to make their way back. It was easy to not scratch his cheek because his legs were pretty occupied. If it weren't for the zebra on his back, he wouldn't have worried about trying to stand on only three legs while scratching it.

~-~

Despite having definitely heard the words 'little sister' Marini continued to stand where she was. The laughter definitely sounded like it belonged to cubs, but she was reluctant to keep moving nonetheless. She could also remember Mjuvi stating that he had an older brother... At some point the adolescent male gently nudged her forward, letting her know that there was nothing to worry about. Still hesitating, she slowly continued to walk alongside him.

Meanwhile inside the den, Laini was quite fascinated with how Siri and Akina were still running about without even looking like they were starting to get tired. Even Dakari, who Laini would sometime tease for being an overgrown cub, was no match for Siri's energy. But it seemed like, now that Akina was around, that Siri has finally met her match. Since she was occasionally looking out of the den in search of any sign that either Mjuvi or Dakari and Nura were coming back, Laini noticed her adolescent brother and Marini as soon as they emerged from within the trees.

For a moment she simply stared at the two, confused. Yes, she could tell that it was a lioness around her and Mjuvi's age who was leaning against him, but she had no idea as to where the newcomer had come from. "Mjuvi?" she asked, walking outside and approaching the two. Marini noticed her and immediately froze, shrinking a little. Mjuvi hasn't mentioned anything about another adolescent being in the den; he'd only informed her of the current presence of two cubs. Laini seemed to become even more confused by how scared Marini looked. "Who's this?" she asked.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Siri and Akina had just got into a play fight. While neither of them had really experienced it before, it was clear Akina was coming out on top despite her size. There were a set of rules in play fighting. No claws, no hard bites. They were never spoken, but they seemed embedded in their cub minds. Akina had just pinned Siri as Mjuvi came into view.

Mjuvi himself frowned when his sister started approaching. He had neglected to tell Marini about her and he could tell that the lioness was frightened about this. The two cubs were already standing behind Laini, unsure whether to approach. "Laini, this is Marini" he started. He gave her another affection nudge and tried his best to smile reassuringly before looking back at his sister.

"She was attacked by hyenas" he said, glancing at Siri momentarily who winced at the mention of the cruel animals. "So, she will be staying here with us to eat and rest up her leg until she feels good enough to walk on her own". He didn't leave much room for doubt. He realised he was almost demanding for her to stay, "Unless you, Dakari or Nura have any objections. I doubt you will" he added in a more serious tone.

Siri had finally plucked up the courage to approach. She grinned widely with Akina right behind her. She was naively unaware of the lionesses fear of strangers, despite seeing that she looked on edge. "Hi! I'm Siri, and this is my best friend-" before she could continue, Mjuvi let out a quiet growl to interrupt. "Not now Siri, go back in the den". The adolescent wanted Marini to feel comfortable, and Siri wasn't helping. The cub's face dropped as she moved away, Akina in tow, and Mjuvi realised he had hurt her feelings. His face softened for a moment before turning serious again, but he'd make up to his little sister later.

[TheWhistlerify]

Laini quietly listened as Mjuvi explained the situation to her. Looking at Marini a little more carefully, she was able to tell that the lioness really was hurt. Although, she was a little confused because of her brother's serious tone. "Mjuvi, of course she can stay." It felt rather obvious, and she did not understand why Mjuvi was having any doubts as to whether she and the others would agree. "I'm sure Dakari and Nura won't mind either. She clearly can't hunt on her own..." She still didn't know why this lioness was so scared of her, but she did seem comfortable enough next to Mjuvi...

Marini meanwhile remained right next to Mjuvi, not moving a single inch. His nudge and reassuring smile did calm her down a little, but she was still a little tense. It was also a relief to see Laini come to a stop, but that was when the two cubs came over. Even though she knew they were too small to do anything to her, she did feel a little better when Mjuvi ordered the two to go inside. Laini looked like she was about to say something else, but that was when another sound caught Marini's attention as Dakari and Nura emerged from the tall grass with the dead zebra they'd caught.

Seeing the grown lion and lioness pretty much undid all of Mjuvi's reassurance from a few moments ago, and she soon found herself moving so that the adolescent male was standing between her and the two, almost hiding behind him. At first they seemed to have not noticed her because of the zebra on their backs, but they set it down before she could take comfort in that fact.

The first one Dakari laid his eyes on was Laini, and he was just about to greet her when he saw Mjuvi and Marini in the corner of his eye. He looked at the young lioness with a confused expression as his sister walked over to him, quietly saying something to him. "Hyenas? They're still around?" he didn't seem very thrilled to hear that, but he soon looked at Marini again. "Well, you'll be safe here for the time being." he said, smiling at her. She remained where she was and didn't move an inch, confusing him even further.

"Uh..." he looked at Nura for a brief moment. It was impossible to tell what was going through her mind, but he doubted she'd have a problem with letting Marini stay. After all he'd welcomed her and Akina for pretty much the exact same reason. The young adult smiled again, looking at the adolescent lioness once more. "You can stay for as long as you like. We just brought back some food." He then looked in the direction of the den and called Siri and Akina over before tearing off some of the zebra's skin so that the two cubs would be able to start eating if they wanted to.

It was true that now they had another mouth to feed, which made it possible that the zebra they'd caught just might not be enough for all of them. So he decided to wait for everybody else to start eating and then see how much meat would be left. Siri and Akina were cubs, Laini, Mjuvi and Marini were younger than he was and Nura... Well, she and him were pretty much the same in that regard, seeing how Akina was probably no longer feeding on milk, but he still intended to let her eat before he did.

The young adult went ahead and moved away from the kill a little, lying down there in order to give the others some room. He smiled warmly as Siri and Akina ran over to the zebra, immediately digging in. He couldn't tell why Marini wasn't starting to eat, but he had a feeling that asking would only make her even more uncomfortable. So, instead, he decided to not give in to his curiosity and maybe ask Mjuvi later. Perhaps he would know. His cheek still hurt quite a lot and he still had a huge urge to scratch it but he did his best not to, remembering Nura's advice.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Mjuvi's harshness towards Siri did not undo her appetite, and the two cubs were easily consuming their own body weight in meat. Akina was going a little slower than Siri, for she was just getting used to this type of food. The two glanced up when Mjuvi left Marini's side and approached the kill.

The adolescent was relieved that no one objected to the fact Marini would be staying with them. He felt a sort of need to look after her, seeing as he found her and that she was most comfortable beside him. "Is it ok if I take two of the legs?" he asked. Nura, who had been sitting quietly waiting for her turn, gave a nod. "Fine by me".

The lioness glanced at Dakari's injury. The cubs hadn't noticed it yet but she knew Dakari's little sister would want the story behind it. The deep cut still hadn't been cleaned, and Nura knew Dakari wouldn't be able to do it himself. With that in mind, she made a mental note to help him with it after he had eaten.

The young male didn't wait for Dakari's opinion, assuming he'd be alright with it. He tore the two hind legs off the zebra with ease; for a male so young he did have quite a bit of jaw strength. He dragged them both over to where Marini sat and placed one in front of her. "Here you are" he said with another small smile. Mjuvi wouldn't be dining beside his family tonight. Mjuvi lay and placed his zebra leg between his paws and began to eat.

[TheWhistlerify]

Laini decided to wait for the two cubs to finish eating despite there being plenty of room for her and everybody else to eat from the zebra at the same time. She continued studying Marini in the corner of her eye, becoming confused as the young lioness seemed to tense up when Mjuvi left her side and calm back down upon his return. Dakari seemed to have noticed it as well, but Laini doubted he knew the reason for Marini's behavior. After realizing that simply staring wouldn't get her any answers, she figured she might as well go ahead and start eating as well. There seemed to be plenty of meat that would suffice for all of them.

Dakari was also patiently waiting. As time went on and even Nura began to eat he was starting to come to terms with the fact that the zebra they'd caught was actually large enough to feed all of them, and with that in mind he slowly made his way over to the zebra and dug in as well. The cut on his cheek made it a little uncomfortable to eat, and the more he chewed the harder it was to keep his paws from making their way over to where they shouldn't be. But at least he didn't have an actual problem eating.

Marini, while still not very comfortable with the amount of lions around her, did seem a little relieved to hear no objection when Mjuvi told them that she would be staying with them. She suddenly felt unsafe as Mjuvi left her side in order to walk over to the zebra and she lowered her head a little, as if to make herself less noticeable. It was only when she took the first bite that she realized just how hungry she really was, and she was soon too focused on eating in order to be worried because of everybody else.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

The cubs lay down together, a little bit away from the kill and talked amongst there selves about who had one the games they had played. Again, they came to a conclusion that it was a draw, but both secretly thought the other had won. Akina rested her head against Siri; she was more tired than the older cub was for now. Nura had stopped eating; she wasn't as hungry as she thought she'd be. The effort that it took to bring down the zebra made her loose her appetite. She glanced back up at Dakari and sighed.

"Hey, Dakari" she called, not really wanting to interrupt him from eating, but she found it necessary. "Would you like me to clean your cut after you've finished? Only, I don't think you'll manage it by yourself". Mjuvi listened quietly. He stared at his brother and noticed the deep gash on his cheek. He frowned, hoping the flesh wound was the only problem. He finished eating his leg, but he didn't move from Marini's side, wanting her to at least finish eating before he got up and made sure his siblings were all alright.

[TheWhistlerify]

Laini meanwhile also finished eating and decided to lie down next to Siri and Akina. The two cubs looked absolutely adorable lying together like that. She too heard Nura ask Dakari whether he would like her to clean his cut after he finished eating and noticed the deep flesh wound on her brother's cheek. She didn't know much about that sort of thing, and came to the conclusion that he must have gotten it while hunting with Nura earlier. Since the older lioness had already suggested helping him clean it, she figured it would be best to let her do it if she wanted to.

Dakari, unlike Nura, had actually grown hungrier as a result of the effort that was required in order to hunt the zebra. He was enjoying his meal, although the urge to scratch the cut on his cheek made it less enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. Despite being rather caught up in eating, he didn't miss it when Nura offered to clean his cut. Not thinking much of it, he smiled at her for a brief moment and nodded his head. "That would be helpful. Thanks."

He finished eating after about a minute. Looking down at the zebra, he was surprised to see that there was still plenty of meat left on it. However he did remember Mjuvi's advice regarding the wildebeest Dakari and Laini had caught yesterday - it would be risky to leave the kill next to their den. He would have to carry it away before they went to sleep, but there was still some time. "I'll remove it from here later..." he said, looking at Nura. "If we get lucky it might remain untouched until tomorrow."

Marini finished her zebra leg at about the same time Mjuvi finished his. It was a huge relief not to feel completely hungry anymore. She looked up at Mjuvi, who was standing next to her, blushing a little as she did. "Um... Thank you..." If it weren't for him she'd probably still be wondering about in search for water and food, and she truly was grateful for his help.