The Pride Lands (Zeke, NM, kovu42, morri908)

[NightmareMoon]

"No. Let him sleep." She replied. She liked Bakari's motion on her back. "Your pretty good at this. When did you learn to calm a lioness?" She asked.

[kovu42]

"I've had a little bit of experience. One of the lionesses of my old pride had quite the fierce temper. The only way to get her to calm down was to give her back and shoulders a good message and seeing as how I somehow managed to tick her off quite readily... well you can get the picture." He mused as he drew his paw down Mila's back, trying to get her somewhat stiff muscles to relax. "You are really tense today," Bakari noted, and he brought in both paws to really work her muscles. It seems to be helping, he thought. Just keep doin this and maybe she'll be fine soon.

[NightmareMoon]

"Hmm.." Mila let Bakari do his work as she enjoyed it. "My muscles feel really sore. I can't move them much at all." she whined.

[kovu42]

"It'll be okay," Bakari tried his best to reassure her without provoking her anger again. She had a darkside that he really didn't want to see, he'd leave that discovery to Zeke.

[NightmareMoon]

"I don't want to bring up any bad memories for you, but how was life in your old pride? What happened? If you don't mind me asking." Mila asked suddenly. She enjoyed his message and waited for him to answer.

[kovu42]

"Well," Bakari started, "Life was about as good as it could have been for an old lion like me." he mused, focusing on giving Mila a good message. "We mostly stayed in one area, but it was large and filled to the brim with pray. It had about 19 or 20 lions. Most of us adults, two other males, my two brothers and we had just gotten our new litter of cubs and I was so proud of all my lionesses, but soon after Zilo and his hyena army came through and destroyed my pride. Just before they came there was a terrible disease, it killed almost all of the cubs and a good number of the lionesses. When Zilo came it wasn't a fight it was a slaughter." Old feelings were coming back and he had to stop himself before he accidentally clawed Mila's back. He focused again on messaging her.

[NightmareMoon]

"He had never told me about his plan until he was almost done. I would have stopped him if I knew." She replied. She felt bad for him.

[kovu42]

"It's OK, it's not your fault and even if you had known in time, i don't think there was much you could have done to stop him. Anyways, anything else you want to know?" he asked and he gently messaged the base of Mila's neck and upper back.

[NightmareMoon]

"Hm... that's the only thing that comes to mind right now." Mila responded. Her fatigue got the best of her, and she laid down. "So.. tired." She said, yawning.

[kovu42]

"I'll let you get some rest," Bakari said as he padded off towards the entrance of the den, still feeling rather tired himself. When is Zeke ever going to wake up, he thought. That lion could sleep a whole week away! He curled up near the entrance of the cave again, it was too cold and too early to worry about hunting yet, and Mila's drowsiness was making him yawn constantly.