It was a busy day to be the Head Matron of the Kitwana’Antara. Which was to say that it was an average day. Yeye hadn’t known a slow day since before she had ascended to this very important, yet somewhat exhausting position. This was okay with her, though – busy days were perfectly fine when you were busy doing exactly what you loved, after all! Yes, Yeye Anaona’Moya was quite a busy lioness, but fortunately she had the energy to keep up with her job – one of the benefits of being one of the few of her kind to be immune to the disease that ran rampant throughout the pride.

She gave a soft yawn and looked up at the sky, trying to gauge what time it was – it looked like her personal duties were just about done; which meant that it was time for social calls! Oh, what fun. She truly did love her job. Ah, but who to visit first? That was always a difficult decision for Yeye to make. After all, there were so many pride members to visit, so many cubs to see, so many couples to check on!

The multicolored lioness set off through the pride, meandering along in no particular direction – rather, she was going to let her paws take her where they willed today. Perhaps they would lead her to someone whom she hadn’t spoken with often, or someone who needed her advice. They had never failed before now, and she didn’t expect them to this time.

Indeed, as she strolled through the pride, her gaze landed on a dark form stretched out upon a rock. To the inexperienced eye, the black and orange-brown lioness that rested there appeared to be taking a nap of some sort, but Yeye wasn’t the Head Matron of the pride for nothing. There was something bothering that female, and it was her duty (and, she admitted to herself, her naturally nosy nature) to find out what exactly it was.

Winding her way to the dark female’s location, she stopped and sat down at the base of the rock, peering up at the sad-looking lioness. She appeared to be fairly young – just barely out of adolescence. Yeye scoured her memory for named, and quickly hit upon the right one. This was Furaha, daughter of Jozo and Gerda.

Well, that certainly explained her morose demeanor. Yeye knew all too well the complications that surrounded the offspring of that particular union – if it was gossiped about, she knew of it.

“Hello,” she called softly, not wanting to startle the darker lioness but wanting to catch her attention all the same.

Furaha sighed as she stretched out across her large sunning rock. She had chosen this spot because it was good for thinking and for sunbathing, plus it provided a certain amount of privacy, in that she usually could spot unwanted company approaching before he arrived and escape without having to speak to the one lion she wanted to avoid more than any other. Or it did when she was paying attention, anyway.

Unfortunately, today her mind was on other things – on the fact that it seemed like she, too, was immune as her father was, on the fact that she would eventually have to take a mate to try and bolster the pride’s population, on the absolute certainty that there was no male in the entirety of the world that she would ever trust to be a loyal mate, and on the sad fact that she would doubtlessly be alone for the entirety of her likely to be long life.

So it went without saying that she was taken completely by surprise at being addressed. She hadn’t heard anyone approaching, nor had she seen them, but she took comfort in the fact that the voice was feminine, meaning that whoever had disturbed her slumber was not Jozo. Getting to her paws and jumping down from the rock, Furaha found herself nose-to-nose with a cheerfully-colored lioness; she had seen her around the pride but never interacted with her personally that much. This was... oh.

”Hello, Head Matron,” she said, trying to be polite. Privately she wished she were with anyone else. She did not want to be talking to a matchmaker right now! Not when a mate was the last thing that she wanted, and that was all those gossips ever seemed to talk about!

Yeye wasn’t head matron for nothing, and she could tell that Furaha was not precisely pleased with her presence. She had a good idea of the cause, as well, if just because the pride’s matchmakers seemed to have a varying reputation among the other pride members. She wouldn’t let the darker female’s veiled hostility get to her, however, so instead she smiled and wrapped her tail around her legs, inclining her head a little in greeting.

“No need to be so formal. You can call me Yeye. You’re Furaha, aren’t you? Jozo and Gerda’s daughter?”

She already knew the answer to that, of course, but it was only polite to allow the other lioness to confirm it. While Yeye could be considered nosy and a gossip, – all matchmakers dealt with that stigma from time to time - she felt that there was no excuse for rudeness, especially with her job.

Furaha scowled and backed away a few pawsteps, her ears folding back against her head. ”Gerda is my mother, yes,” she said, refusing to acknowledge that thing as her father. He was no father to her and he never would be. She wanted nothing to do with such a pathetic creature, and she didn’t care who knew it.

”Is there something you needed?” She asked, wondering why the head matron had bothered to approach her, anyway. It had better not be about finding a male. She didn’t know that she would be able to hold her temper if that was the case.

Yeye didn’t let Furaha’s anger faze her – she knew the barely-adult lioness had many problems to deal with, and not just in the area of mates. This female had deep emotional scarring... it would take time for her to heal. Fortunately, as she didn’t seem to be ill, she might have the time that she needed. Instead of allowing the younger lioness to rattle her, Yeye merely ducked her head in acknowledgement.

“I’m merely saying hello. I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said quietly. “You looked a bit troubled, so I thought that I would see if I could offer any assistance.” Yeye wasn’t quite sure how Furaha would take that offer, but it went against every bit of her personality not to make it.

Furaha bristled and hissed. She knew it! The matchmakers were out to – to stick her with a male who would get her with cubs, then ditch her for someone else he liked better! Well, she wasn’t going to let that happen. Not today. With a scowl, sh ducked her head and started moving away.

“I just remembered, I have hunting to do,” she said, and picked up her pace to a jog, and then a run, never looking back until she was well away from the head matron and from the body of the pride itself.

Yeye sighed and shook her had as the dark lioness ran off, but she didn’t try to stop her. That was one young female who would have a very sad and lonely life if she didn’t start to try and deal with some of her problems. It was a sad thought, but head matron or not, Yeye was only one lioness. She couldn’t help everyone, especially when they didn’t want help.

With a sigh, Yeye stood up and trotted away from the rock, determined to find someone to interact with who wouldn’t lose their temper; someone who was less guarded and rude than Furaha. Still, she wished the younger female all the best, and already her mind was leaping over potential candidates who might settle the temperamental female down. If she couldn’t find someone, perhaps the queen would call on that poor thing to venture to the rogue lands – that might be the easiest thing for her, if not what she truly needed.

Ah, but she had visits to make, she couldn’t waste time plotting things for a young lioness who would likely reject and fight any and all suggestions thrown her way. Furaha would have to take care of herself for a bit longer.

Word count: 1413