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"Xeriah," the large lion began, "truth comes in all ways and shapes. Here is my truth to you..." he sighed and looked down at his granddaughter, his eyes filling with guilt. "The lioness you and the huntresses had seen on that day was your mother." he said. "She was exiled after your birth, she wouldn't care for you. I suppose it was due to you being the only survivor."
"Only survivor?" Xeriah looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"There were three of you. You had a brother and a sister- but they..." he closed his eyes as he felt them swell with sorrow.
"No.." Xeriah muttered. "No! They're alive! I have spent everyday with them since I was born!"
Her grandfather's eyes shot open and he glared at her with a powerful accusation, "Do not speak like that!"
"It's true! I have!" Xeriah jumped up and tried to prove it by calling out for her siblings, they were supposed to be hunting near by, but they never came. Not even the wind stirred. Why won't they come? she thought. Is this a joke? A prank? I'll tear them apart! she growled inwardly.
"Xeriah.. They didn't survive... you almost didn't survive." he told her. "You were born without a heartbeat. The medc tried tried to bring you to... she was about to say..." he choked out "but then you began to cry out... You were alive." He lowered his eyes, "However, you had..."
Xeriah gasped and held a paw to her chest, "Three heartbeats..." she muttered.
He looked at her in surprise, how did she know that? How could she know that?
"Is that why everyone looks at me weird? Why no one wants to be close to me?" She began to panic, "Is that why everyone calls me a freak? Why everyone looks at me like they smell a rotten gazelle?"
"Xeriah..." he began again. "You are very special.." he pressed his muzzle to her cheek. "They don't understand how lucky you were. How precious you are."
They sat in silence for a long moment as Xeriah tried to compose herself.
The stillness was broken by the echo of a twig cracking, the two looked around, Xeriah's grandfather stood in front of her for protection, "Come out." he ordered.
A lioness emerged from her cover she looked past the lion at Xeriah, she smiled, "I'm here to bring my daughter home." she said, sliding her gaze to the lion.
"Xeriah is not leaving with you." he said.
Xeriah pressed herself to ground, preparing to fight.
The lioness growled, "She is my daughter! She is coming with me."
The lion placed a paw in front of Xeriah, letting her know this was not her fight. "You are not taking her anywhere. Siliah."
The lioness pounced on him, digging her claws into his flanks and biting down on his back. He reared up and threw her off- she landed hard, losing her breath for a moment before getting back up and lunging at him again. She clawed at his flanks and legs. He shouldered her backward. She pressed on and threw herself at him, clawing at his face before leaping to his back and raking her claws upward on his face. He roared in pain and thrust himself forward- sending the lioness flying backward.
Xeriah crept in close for a blow, but the lioness lunged again at the lion- both of them tumbling down the cliffside into the Northern lands. They both landed hard.
Xeriah looked over the edge in time to see the lioness dashing off farther into the Northern lands. She pushed herself off and climbed down carefully. A pale lion strode down swiftly beside her. "Go get help! I'll stay with him." he ordered.
Xeriah stopped, "Who are-"
"Just go!" he growled as he reached the foot of the mound of stones.
Xeriah did as he said, turning on the stones and rushing back up into her own lands for help.
The lion stepped closer to the lion laying motionless on the ground. "Kumal." he whispered, seeing the lion was still breathing.
"You came..." Kumal choked out weakly.
"Of course, your majesty." the pale lion dipped his head.
Kumal smiled, his eyes open narrowly, "Late as... as always..." he gasped.
"Kumal, I'm s-"
"Take....take care of... Xer- Xeriah..." Kumal choked out as he coughed.
"Kumal..." the pale lion's eyes widened. "I don't know how to raise cubs."
Kumal smiled again, "Yes you do..." he whispered. "Just protect and ... guide her... in the right dire-" he coughed with the effort of his words.
"Kumal stop. You're exerting yourself." the pale lion said.
Kumal looked at him, his eyes speaking volumes in the evening light.
After a moment, the pale lion spoke, "As you wish, Kumal." he dipped his head once more to the old lion.

Xeriah returned to the cliff with her father and Binamu. She lead them down the sloping stones to where her grandfather's body lay. The pale lion was nowhere to be seen. Binamu and Xeriah's father picked up the elderly body and lugged him back to their pride with Xeriah in toe. Once home, she told them of the attack, the lioness, and fall. She avoided the mention of the lion.
"How do we know you didn't attack him?" Binamu growled. "You were sure giddy when he said you'd be taking over."
The pride looked at Xeriah,even her own father glanced at her. Their eyes accusing, and their stance telling a story of hate and rejection. Xeriah scanned the pride for any sign of understanding and sympathy, but only found hostility. Her eyes fell on Xan sitting near her Trainee den. He looked sorry, her brother and sister stood next to him. Xan rose to his paws, jerking his head for Dwala and Sciath to follow him, looking to Xeriah before leaving- beckoning her to follow as well with his eyes.

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Description
"Xeriah," the large lion began, "truth comes in all ways and shapes. Here is my truth to you..." he sighed and looked down at his granddaughter, his eyes filling with guilt. "The lioness you and the huntresses had seen on that day was your mother." he said. "She was exiled after your birth, she wouldn't care for you. I suppose it was due to you being the only survivor."
"Only survivor?" Xeriah looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"There were three of you. You had a brother and a sister- but they..." he closed his eyes as he felt them swell with sorrow.
"No.." Xeriah muttered. "No! They're alive! I have spent everyday with them since I was born!"
Her grandfather's eyes shot open and he glared at her with a powerful accusation, "Do not speak like that!"
"It's true! I have!" Xeriah jumped up and tried to prove it by calling out for her siblings, they were supposed to be hunting near by, but they never came. Not even the wind stirred. Why won't they come? she thought. Is this a joke? A prank? I'll tear them apart! she growled inwardly.
"Xeriah.. They didn't survive... you almost didn't survive." he told her. "You were born without a heartbeat. The medc tried tried to bring you to... she was about to say..." he choked out "but then you began to cry out... You were alive." He lowered his eyes, "However, you had..."
Xeriah gasped and held a paw to her chest, "Three heartbeats..." she muttered.
He looked at her in surprise, how did she know that? How could she know that?
"Is that why everyone looks at me weird? Why no one wants to be close to me?" She began to panic, "Is that why everyone calls me a freak? Why everyone looks at me like they smell a rotten gazelle?"
"Xeriah..." he began again. "You are very special.." he pressed his muzzle to her cheek. "They don't understand how lucky you were. How precious you are."
They sat in silence for a long moment as Xeriah tried to compose herself.
The stillness was broken by the echo of a twig cracking, the two looked around, Xeriah's grandfather stood in front of her for protection, "Come out." he ordered.
A lioness emerged from her cover she looked past the lion at Xeriah, she smiled, "I'm here to bring my daughter home." she said, sliding her gaze to the lion.
"Xeriah is not leaving with you." he said.
Xeriah pressed herself to ground, preparing to fight.
The lioness growled, "She is my daughter! She is coming with me."
The lion placed a paw in front of Xeriah, letting her know this was not her fight. "You are not taking her anywhere. Siliah."
The lioness pounced on him, digging her claws into his flanks and biting down on his back. He reared up and threw her off- she landed hard, losing her breath for a moment before getting back up and lunging at him again. She clawed at his flanks and legs. He shouldered her backward. She pressed on and threw herself at him, clawing at his face before leaping to his back and raking her claws upward on his face. He roared in pain and thrust himself forward- sending the lioness flying backward.
Xeriah crept in close for a blow, but the lioness lunged again at the lion- both of them tumbling down the cliffside into the Northern lands. They both landed hard.
Xeriah looked over the edge in time to see the lioness dashing off farther into the Northern lands. She pushed herself off and climbed down carefully. A pale lion strode down swiftly beside her. "Go get help! I'll stay with him." he ordered.
Xeriah stopped, "Who are-"
"Just go!" he growled as he reached the foot of the mound of stones.
Xeriah did as he said, turning on the stones and rushing back up into her own lands for help.
The lion stepped closer to the lion laying motionless on the ground. "Kumal." he whispered, seeing the lion was still breathing.
"You came..." Kumal choked out weakly.
"Of course, your majesty." the pale lion dipped his head.
Kumal smiled, his eyes open narrowly, "Late as... as always..." he gasped.
"Kumal, I'm s-"
"Take....take care of... Xer- Xeriah..." Kumal choked out as he coughed.
"Kumal..." the pale lion's eyes widened. "I don't know how to raise cubs."
Kumal smiled again, "Yes you do..." he whispered. "Just protect and ... guide her... in the right dire-" he coughed with the effort of his words.
"Kumal stop. You're exerting yourself." the pale lion said.
Kumal looked at him, his eyes speaking volumes in the evening light.
After a moment, the pale lion spoke, "As you wish, Kumal." he dipped his head once more to the old lion.

Xeriah returned to the cliff with her father and Binamu. She lead them down the sloping stones to where her grandfather's body lay. The pale lion was nowhere to be seen. Binamu and Xeriah's father picked up the elderly body and lugged him back to their pride with Xeriah in toe. Once home, she told them of the attack, the lioness, and fall. She avoided the mention of the lion.
"How do we know you didn't attack him?" Binamu growled. "You were sure giddy when he said you'd be taking over."
The pride looked at Xeriah,even her own father glanced at her. Their eyes accusing, and their stance telling a story of hate and rejection. Xeriah scanned the pride for any sign of understanding and sympathy, but only found hostility. Her eyes fell on Xan sitting near her Trainee den. He looked sorry, her brother and sister stood next to him. Xan rose to his paws, jerking his head for Dwala and Sciath to follow him, looking to Xeriah before leaving- beckoning her to follow as well with his eyes.

Bases by me
Characters belong to me