-Diorae-
The deer notices the wolf in sheep clothing at the same time as the lioness. If she’d been able to she would’ve snarled angrily, but she cannot. Her nose tips a little in the air, smelling the air as her eyes lock on the intruder. The lioness is angry with him for disturbing her, for scaring away her prey, and her mind is set on making him pay.
The angry lioness can only see him as a horse and due to her anger Marigold is unable to push forward. She cannot make out the words that are shouted towards her, but it is enough of a challenge for her to accept the fight. Strong limbs push forward, clawing at the ground, as she breaks free from the bush she’d been hiding under.
Her lips are slightly parted, showing two sharp rows of teeth. Lacking endurance she is in disadvantage now she has lost the element of surprise, but she refuses to back down. The horse is close enough for her to not need to be at her top speed for long, plus he isn’t trying to run from her, and she attempts to jump him with all speed and strength she can gather. As the lioness jumps her claws reach out to sink into his flesh, attempting to drag him down to the ground with her.
Seconds later she slams into the ground, but like any cat the lioness is quickly up her feet again. Her eyes lock on the horse’s throat, instinct told her that was the easiest and quickest way to end her prey. However, before she’s able to jump him again, the control the lioness has over mind and body gets fought.
Where the lioness cannot, Marigold does recognise him. She had dully allowed the lioness to take control, to keep them safe, as long as Longclaw wasn’t around to do so. Her panic had triggered her first shift and she’d been stuck in it. Until now, she had been fine with it, but the combination of seeing Longclaw together with the panic and fear of the lioness killing him, is enough for Marigold to battle for control.
As they do, the lioness stumbles backwards, away from Longclaw. She’s unable to focus on him any longer and she shakes her head in an attempt to fight it. The lioness doesn’t want to give up control, she doesn’t trust Marigold to keep them safe, but like Marigold had killed the one she’d loved most to get back to Longclaw, she doesn’t hesitate to fight the lioness either. She is still just as desperate to get back to him.
The shift from lioness to horse is as ungraceful as a shift could be. It’s slow and everything but smooth, and instead of everything happening at the same time, it is more like the parts of her body take turns. But eventually, after what feels like hours, the lioness is gold, leaving behind a panting, sweaty and shocked Marigold.
Unable to express herself through words her eyes move to Longclaw. She’s afraid of what she might see, afraid that he wouldn’t want her anymore, after all, she’d just launched herself at him. Or not she, but the lioness, which she was. Yet, it is only through her gaze that she can show him how sorry she is. Not only that, it shows happiness to see him, relief to be back in control, a certain longing for him and shock because of what happened.
But what exactly had happened to her? Marigold longs for Longclaw to explain it to her, to tell her what she had done wrong and what she could do to stop it from happening again. But she longs for his touch too, his presence had always calmed her down. He made her whole, and she desperately needs him to make her whole again.
A beautiful face is a mute recommendation.
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