Strange Companions

[Kamaria]

Ysega glanced at him once, wondering if he would give her an answer or not. She figured it to be the latter, for they were both stubborn beings who had no intention of following another's order--though Ysega seemed to take it better than the white lion--and she could take this knowledge and tell that he would not give her an answer when she asked for it, or, for that matter, told him to. She huffed once, in a sort of sarcastic amusement. They made such a terrible traveling pair, and yet they seemed to be found in the same places. For a moment, she thought of an old saying her mother used to tell her. "Great minds think alike." This might have been the case, but Ysega thought there was something else that had slipped into the mix. She just didn't know what.

"And why should I? I do not owe you anything." She looked toward the river, mulling the question over. She knew he really didn't owe her or her son anything. In fact, though she would never admit it to herself or him, she probably owed him. But there was something that told her it was not just his stubborn and superior nature that was keeping him from answering. There must have been something else. Did he really not know the answer? "Perhaps you don't owe me anything. But you and I both know that as long as you're not giving me an answer, you aren't giving yourself one either. And that would eat you alive, wouldn't it, Virgil?" She smirked, already aware of the answer. She picked up her pace finally, and trotted ahead of him, keeping her eyes on the river.

She parted her jaws, panting under the heat as she trotted along beside the river. She didn't want to get away from him, she just wanted to experiment with that brief moment of control she'd had. She had rather liked the feeling, for it was something she had so little of. She glanced back, not at Virgil, but toward the place she had left her son. Her mother's instinct worried about him, worrying that he would feel abandoned again, or that he would get into some sort of trouble. But she shook the thoughts away. He was capable of taking care of himself, as the month on his own had showed, what seemed so long ago. She turned her eyes ahead again, and searched the river. Still there were no low rises. She sighed. It was going to be a long walk to find a place to cross.

[Lassiel]

For a moment, Virgil entertained the thought that Ysega had wisely decided to drop the issue. Really though, he knew better than that and he was sure it was only a matter of time for her to gather her thoughts and reply. Ridiculous. Why did I even insist on talking to her that night on the mountain? She has been nothing but a thorn in my side. When she did finally give voice to her thoughts before walking away--again--a silent snarl twisted his regal face. That irritating, useless bitch. Did she truly want to make him angry? And what was worse, the infuriating hellcat was right--and she knew it.

Composing his features despite the anger twisting inside him, Virgil forced himself to turn away from her and not follow. Were he to do so, and were she to make another one of those...far too close for comfort comments, the chances of retaliating with more than words were exceptionally high. And it would not do to lose control over such a reason. He would have no such worries under normal circumstances, but at the moment he was more than cautious. He supposed the woman should feel honored that he was refraining from causing her harm. It was more than he'd do for most.

Leaving Ysega to her search, Virgil stalked back to where Bakar was resting, face dark and blood simmering in his veins. He knew, far more than she did, just how much it would bother him--eat him alive--if he could not discover his answer. But it was no concern of hers, and at the moment, he was much less inclined to tell her anything. Not that Virgil was the type to spill his guts, like so many others tended to be. Still, this day had found him saying more than usual, even if his words were filled with allusion others could not possibly catch without knowing his past.

His purposeful stride did not slow as he neared Bakar, only stopping when he stood in front of the young male. If you wish to learn, you will follow me." His words were chillingly cold, and warned against saying anything that could even remotely irritate the older male. "However--" Eyes narrowed darkly. "--I will not tolerate foolery or half-heartedness." Once again, Virgil could not quite be sure what was causing him to offer this to Bakar. Perhaps Ysega's words touched a deeper nerve than even he thought, but he was more inclined to think it had to do with his recent discovery .

[Kamaria]

Ysega answered her own question. Yes, it would eat him alive. And the fact that she knew this would only chew him faster. She frowned, almost pouting, when he turned and walked away. But her words had had the desired affect. It was only proof that he wouldn't hurt her, no matter how much she stepped on his nerves. She loped on, eyes on the river, watching for a low spot. She would be out here for quite a while, especially if she stopped to inspect a few places.

Bakar lay on his side, eyes closed, basking in the sunlight. It was only normal for lions to do this during the day, and the young man didn't plan to be any different. He flicked his tail as he took in the warmth, tanning his hide. He was growing more and more anxious about his mother and Virgil. What was taking them so long? He sighed, and pushed them from his thoughts. It didn't matter. Ysega could take care of herself.

"If you wish to learn, you will follow me." Bakar jumped out of his daze, lifting his upper body into an upright position, while he hind legs still lay sideways under him. He blinked once at Virgil, taking in the fact that he was alone. No Mother. The young lion frowned, wondering why. The increased coldness in the white lion's eyes and words told him that there had been some conflict, which meant that his mother had said something, and that she was probably still going the other way. He sighed, and got to his feet. He nodded once, turning his ears forward.

"However, I will not tolerate foolery or half-heartedness." Bakar nodded again, blinking. "Of course." He didn't say it with mockery or sourness. Well, maybe a little sour. He licked his lips once, and blinked again. He waited for Virgil to move. He wanted to learn, and he didn't want to ruin his chances.