Persikka lay atop one of the flat rocks that overlooked a clearing where families watched their cubs. He had found no interest in any other ranks thus far, so he had accompanied Zimran once more to the area where she watched cubs. He had done so before, but now he wanted to really figure out if this was his place in the pride. It was not a bad one though. He found he enjoyed caring for and playing with the young ones, though he would admit that he couldn’t quite up with these little bundles of energy. It was nice though, certainly much better than hunting had been.
Mkali was returning from a hunt when she spotted the familiar male lying with a bunch of lionesses. She knew this place to be where a lot of the young in the pride played. It was easy to watch them here. Mkali quickly excused herself and made her way towards Persikka. “What are you doing up here?” She asked, glancing down at the little cubs playing,
At the familiar voice Persikka sat up and looked back to find Mkali making her way towards him. “Hello there! I’m helping a friend look after some cubs.” He replied, smiling lightly. “I’ve been looking for my place in the pride and I think I may have found it here.”
Mkali sat beside the male, an amused expression on her face. “Caring for cubs? You’re going to be a nanny?” She couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Who knows, maybe you’ll be better at catching loose cubs than catching zebras.”
Persikka nodded. “I have been looking on to what other ranks I could do, but none seem to quite fit. I know far too little to think of myself as a Historian, and can’t see myself as a guard or scout.” He looked back down at the cubs. “It has been surprisingly enjoyable. I lay here, make sure they don’t wander off. Maybe even play with them on occasion.” He lay back down on the rock, stretching his front legs. “Haven’t had any problems so far at least.”
Mkali chuckled again. “Well good for you then. At least you have found something to do here. I couldn’t see myself just lying around watching cubs play.” She said, glancing around at the other nannies and mothers around. “I prefer to get out on a hunt. The rush of charging at the prey, sinking my claws into it to bring it down.” She lay down beside him as she spoke, a somewhat distant look in her eyes. “One day though I may go out on a hunt and never come back.”
“Where would you go then?” Persikka asked curiously, glancing at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the cubs. He certainly didn’t want to keep his attention elsewhere for too long. He had had no problems yet, and wanted to keep it that way. If he lost a cub he couldn’t imagine the possibly fury a mother might rain down on him. “Anywhere particular in mind?” He continued, trying to shift his thoughts back to the conversation.
“I don’t know. Anywhere. Everywhere, maybe.” Mkali said longingly. “I have always wanted to leave and see the world outside the pride, to see what is out there. I love my family, and I don’t like the idea of leaving them, but..” Mkali paused, sighing lightly. “I just feel like maybe my path doesn’t stop here, that it continues on out of these lands to somewhere I have not yet found.” She fell silent, staring off into the sky.
“Maybe it does” Persikka said, turning to look at her. “You will never know unless you go and seek this path though. What has kept you from leaving till now? Family?” He asked. He understood not wanting to leave one’s family, he had not wanted to. Like Mkali though he felt his place wa elsewhere. Even when he was young, hearing stories of the Pridelands, he knew he wanted to come here one day, that this was where he belonged. Had he not left would he have still been happily? Sure, he would have, but there would have been that part of him that would still long to find this place. Plus, now that he was here he realised that had he never left he would have never met Zimran. That thought alone was enough to make him believe that the choice had been right. His family would miss him, and he would miss them all, but he did not regret leaving.
Mkali closed her eyes for a moment, letting silence fall between them for a few moments. Finally she opened her eyes and looked over at Persikka. “I don’t know, actually. I don’t know why I haven’t left yet.” She sat up, looking over the flat rocks and past the trees, out to the horizons. “Hesitation, perhaps. Fear maybe? I am not sure. I don’t think it is my family though. I know that if I leave them they will be fine here in the Pridelands, that harm will likely not befall them.”
Persikka sat up, turning his gaze out to the horizons as well. “Well if you stay you will never know what could be out there for you. You may even regret not trying to find out. I won’t tell you it is what you should do though. What you do in the end is completely up to you.” He lightly nudged the female, smiling softly. “I left my family, and though I miss them I do not regret doing so. I found my own happiness here.”
Mkali looked over at Persikka as he nudged her. She nodded and stood, looking back into the distance. “Thank you.” She said, looking back at him and returning his smile. “I’m going to go now, give it more thought. If I do leave though I’ll be sure to say goodbye.” She nudged him back, a little harder than he had, before quickly bounding off the rocks and off towards Pride Rock.
Persikka nodded back. “Of course.” He watched her leave before turnign his attention back to the little ones playing, though for the time being his mind was only half there. He wondered quietly to himself on what she would decide to do, but whether she stayed or left the decision would be her own.
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