Farleap lifted a paw and licked it, trying to remove a small splinter, she paused and glared at Ares, almost offended "Hmm! No i do NOT have any bruises from ramming you over" She said flicking her head away. She eventually glanced back at him as he tslked again "Ugh well excuse me for being protective of my home!" She inquired sarcastically to hide her slowly-building anger. She took a deep breath and smiled "Well, Ares, That's not a totally useless na-" She quietened as he continued "Hey! No need to be so rude!" She growled, shaking her head and looking away, seeing Twilin drinking, she sighed at the lioness. Her ear flicked towards Ares as he asked why she turned back. Farleap stood and looked at him "Well for SOME unkown reason i felt utterly horrible for judging, I have to admit there hasn't been a lion like you who doesn't want to take over.. And so i thought you should at least get a sip of water. Now don't make me regret this exception" She grumbled shaking her fur

Ares flicked the tip of his tail, staying still, tense, as if ready for an attack. He could never be too careful. Then again, Farleap probably couldn't do too much damage. At her answer he smiled a litte, his fangs glinting. "Ah, good. I was worried there for a second." He answered before deciding to stop his mental attack- obviously she wasn't taking it well. He could see her getting a little infuriated. "You've been excused. Sort of." He blew out a breath, still not able to understand why it had to go about like this. At her comment about his name he snorted. Not totally useless. Pfft. "Not trying to be rude." He answered before tilting his head slightly as she answered. Ouch. For some unknown reason. Was he really not that important? +She's a pride lion. This is probably the best you'll ever get out of any of them+ he thought, sighing slightly. "There's no reason to *take over*. I have no want to do absolutely nothing and have everyone bring my food to me. However, it'd be nice if I wasn't chased away from everything that keeps me alive." He pointed out with a slightly sad smile. "But since you obviously do not want me here, I guess I won't see you again." Ares commented with a slightly gruffer voice.

All Farleap could really do was roll her eyes, look distracted, or mouth the words Ares was saying as a form of mockery In order to keep her snarky remarks to herself. She didn't realize how rude she actually was to lions/lioness's outside the pride she lived in, and she almost couldn't help it, she was raised thid way, loyal.

"Well well well, keep up the sarcasm and you will get a fight!" She said half amused. She nodded in a tilted way, not quite believing him "Uhuu..." She mumbled, she stayed pretty still and listened without being snarky or stand off-ish "Well, it's not that I don't want you here, i'm just a huntress, a pride Lioness. I follow orders, and keep my head down like any other lioness would. It's my mane that might not want to risk everything he fought for. So yeah" Farleap finished sounding rather smug, with a smirk to finish off

Ares fell silent under her mocking gestures. And this lioness claimed what? He wasn't even annoyed at this point. He was just sad. Sad that this was the upbringing they were getting. Being taught to be rude and cruel. As she spoke he stayed silent. "Not that you don't want me here? Funny." He was his turn to sound amused. He waited till she finished before shaking his head slightly. "I have been hated all my life, thrown out, mistreated, the list goes on and on. I'm strong and big enough to take revenge. I could've easily been mean and taken you out. I could've tried to take over your pride. However, I didn't. Where as you were raised in royalty like conditions. Given everything. Everyone loved you and cared for you. And look how you turned out. Rude and prideful, attacking with no reason. I'm sorry to sound rude myself, but it's the truth. Goodbye, Farleap- since you really don't want me here, I'm sure you hope you won't see me again." His voice wasn't threatening, or rude sounding, just.. slightly grieven. He stood and turned, walking away. He wasn't going to sit there and be ridiculed. It wasn't his fault he was male. He didn't male Farleap say any of those things. At this point, he was removing himself from the situation to protect the lioness. He had great self control, but it wasn't THAT great.

Farleap stood and scratched her ear, but kept listening as they went back and forth. She shook her head "You don't understand do you?, not all pride's are as nasty as you make yours sound! In thid pride? The pride i grew up in? Male cubs are accepted.. Well until they turn 2, than they are sent out on their own. Listen, i'm truly sorry for what you may have gone through, i get not all pride's are the same, but that doesn't make us monsters! If so then i should of been as good as dead!" Farleap said starting to follow from a short distance "You see, back when i was about a year old me and Twilin's father was challenged by a no-mane, me and Twilin were scared, because IF the no-mane won and killed Star-Mane, Then he would have the right to eliminate the old mane's cubs... And during that challenge? the stray won, which meant me and Twilin were next in line to die... But luckily, thankfully, a younger no-mane came out from seemingly nowhere. He striked the new leader from behind, killing him quick, no challenged battle, this new lion who took down our new leader was named Cyrus, and since he is so kind, he spared all of the cubs in the pride, hence allowing Twilin and me to grow into fine hunters! It's thanks to Cyrus-Mane that the other lion didn't kill me, that's why i do my very best and no less for him in whatever he asks from me, that's WHY i pledge my loyalty to defending him and this pride! It's why i-.. Err" Farleap went on with her back story, sounding almost noble in telling it, but trailed off "So uhh.. If you intend on hanging around, i suggest you talk to Cyrus. If he let the pride's cubs live and stay within the pride, then i'm sure he wouldn't be too hard on you" Farleap finished, turning and leaving the lion to himself

Ares' ears practically disappeared beneath his mane as he quickly turned back to look at Farleap. No. She didn't understand. SHE didn't understand. Not him. He stayed silent through the backstory, practically clenching his teeth together as to not speak. "I'm glad Cyrus helped you, but you don't know my backstory. I was in your Pride. The Sister Steps Pride, right? My father gave it that name. He was ancient when my mother had me. And you know what his act as Mane was? Throw me out. I was barely 10 weeks old. I got tossed out like garbage. Roughly 10 months later your father killed mine in a fight. A little later you were born, along with Twilin. Later than that even, the rogue Lion came in and beat your father, then Cyrus came in. You see? You don't know your Pride's history very well. I was the heir to the throne, if I dare put it that way. I would've been the Mane. The leader. I would've defeated my heartless father. But I was thrown out. Now I know more than you. I've watched your Pride for years. Cyrus seems kind, from what I can tell, but he's also a bit prideful- like all Mane's- and he is too quick to rush into battle. Twilin and you have always been friends. You two do the most work. The other lionesses are loyal, like you all seem to be, but they don't do as much. Maybe they don't feel the need to. My point is, I've watched, and I've seen. I know your loyal and I don't blame you for that. He helped you, I get it. I just wish I had a chance to have someone help me. Or that I had a chance to help someone! I do understand. I've understood for a while. No one listens long enough." He shook his head roughly. "But Farleap, the point is, you can't tell Cyrus about me. Or that I was here. I know Cyrus. I've watched him. He will try to fight me. I don't want to hurt him. So please, just stay quiet. I know you can. You're the first lioness to actually listen. Sort of." Ares looked at her. "Don't tell him." He repeated before leaving. He wasn't turning back this time. Ares quickly exited the territory and loped towards a small rocky den he called home.

Twilin lifted her head hearing about her father before tilting it trying to think then looking at them "why was i drug into this?" she asked with her normal glare before speaking "and like ive said before were not 100% shure he was my father i was as i was born prideless dont even know my mothers name" she said now directing her glare a furleap her moon shaped print somehow matching her glare

As Farleap walked away, she stopped and turned her head to listen as Ares responded, telling her his story. Her eyes widened slightly when the lion said he was originally in the same pride before her and a shiver went up her spine when she realized all this time her, Twilin and the rest of them had been monitored from afar. Now she felt worse for being so mean, she turned to say "Well since you were already in the pride, maybe if Cyrus knew than he might consider?". But didn't end up talking, she didn't know what to say when Ares told her not to tell Cyrus. After the lion disappeared Farleap trotted over to Twilin, she smiled "Oops sorry Twilin! I forgot, i mean it makes sense if you had a different dad, since I'm clearly better looking" Farleap teased jokingly as she tackled the big lioness

Ares stalked into the den, his head low. Why did LIFE have to be this hard!? He had struggled since day one and it never seemed to let up. Heck, he was half blind and had a slight limp. It was surprising he could even eat anymore. His gaze flicked down before he clawed at the rock with an angry growl.

-

Cyrus stretched. He had been laying down for far too long- he needed to walk. Hopping down, he strolled off into the brush, towards the watering hole. As he lapped up some water he noticed Farleap and Twilin. "Hey- have you two seen anything out here? I smell something strange." He asked as he walked up, his nose wrinkling slightly. "It smells like a rogue lion." Cyrus commented a little more darkly, looking a bit irritated, though not with them. He glanced around, his gaze hitting every part of the land.

Farleap had Twilin pinned and was tickling her with her muzzle, she hopped off and stood straight as Cyrus came into view "Hello Cyrus" She greeted respectfully. When Cyrus asked if they saw anything Farleap shook her head "Erm... No, we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Unless you count a zebra swimming in the crock infested water" She half joked. She tensed when Cyrus said he could smell a no-mane "A rogue? Ew! Where!?" Farleap glanced around with a low growl "I don't smell anything strange! Maybe I'm getting Ill?" She said quietly