Imara was angry, sitting by herself. Being angry at the world. Her father was who knew where, her children well passed grown, having children of their own. She had no soldiers to train, nothing to do but wait for the next chapter of her life to begin. But when was that exactly? When would that happen and give her an idea? She knew what she wanted, life for the pride, new life to raise, or train, but she did not want to seek out the dark colored male. No, not again. She needed new ideas.
Walking by herself, Keiri was alone, ears back, thinking of her family. How she loved them, how her family members had grown, moved, moved on, and still she sat solitary. While moving through the tall grass she didn't notice the tan colored lioness ahead. She was just thinking of her own ideals, her own ideals, and what she might do to improve her life, improve the pride even, but what could she do? She was a lone lioness.
Her ears flicked and she rose her gaze to see a light colored lioness come her way. This one seemed fit enough, strong enough to have ones of her own, but she seemed ill, almost, perhaps depressed? Sad? Imara was just at a loss, but she made a motion and looked to the lioness whose eyes met hers and Imara patted the ground beside her, inviting the younger female to join her within the grasses. Perhaps both could think of something, or at least come to a conclusion of what Imara should pursue.
"Alone as well?" Keiri asked and the tan lioness nodded. She fit in well with those of the royal line in the pridelands, and wondered if she had any importance among the ranks. "I'm Keiri." She heard something muttered, Imara, and took that as the lioness' name. She sat beside her, looked to the sky, watched as one cloud split of into one cloud with several smaller ones around it. "I wish I had a family of my own to care for."
"It is possible, you don't need love for a family," she stated bluntly, in case this girl was foolish and only believed with love came family. "You just need a male, and a strong male at that, and then he can provide. Provide a family, cubs for you to raise, to train, even, if you do that sort of thing, to make strong for the pridelands, for the world if they leave," her voice trailed off, thinking of those that had left. "It is what I have been thinking about. You? Are you waiting for love, Keiri?"
"I thought I should but, it has bee so long," he words were doubtful. When Imara spoke of that she only needed a male, her ears perked forward. She knew of cubs, how they were born, but didn't know males were..giving, in that manner. "You think other males, would provide family? Just like that?"
"Perhaps, but only time would tell, and the male of course," she said simply, rolling her shoulders in a shrug. "If you want it, you must go for it. For too long I have waited for someone to come for me, for something great and wondrous to happen. For an adventure to come like no other. For a time of warrior and batles to be at my paws. To be seen in the eyes of the strongest, to be viewed as the strongest. But, as time has gone on, those dreams have faded. Now I look into the future, what new life could bring, what future life dreams could be. That is where my focus lives, with them. But, I must try, find a way, do something. I am tired of waiting, and so you should be as well."
"I have waited as well. I have always believed that a male might prove himself, come to me in a dream, as silly as it sound, and meet when young. But none close has happened. I have waited day in and day out, and as the sun sets and then rises my doubt grows with every day wondering if I am going to find what I truly desire. But now, here, I wonder if finding love first is true priority. I can love children, love cubs, before finding love. And if a male truly accepts me, he will not care the previous fathering of children but care for all in entirety, would he not?"
"He should, and if he cannot, then he is weak. A lesser lion would walk away. You need a strong male to step up to you, take on what challenges may ever arise, to prove his love, devotion and strength, protect and prove. That is what you should want, that is what you should strive for," Imara said with a definitive nod.
Keiri smiled, chest puffing out a little. "Then a plan has been forged. I will wait not for love to fall into my lap first, but grant upon myself what my mother had been so fond of, family. I can raise cubs, see them grow, teach and learn at once. It will be a marvelous thing."
"It shall be, and who knows, perhaps, if time allows it, and the gods agree, children, if I and you are to bring them into this world, into the grasses of the pridelands, perhaps they can learn together. Play together. I have always raised my young on my own. Fathers sometimes do not stick around, but together, if you are able to find similar wants and desires, you can raise them..as friends." As trainees, Imara thought, as future battlemasters. Though this female was quite small, she would have to train her a little herself.
Keiri nodded, hopped forward once into the grasses looking up to the sky, seeing the clouds, thinking of the future, thinking that could be her. "Yes, two are better than one, yes? And as friends you can raise them together. They will be stronger, will have more siblings, and will have an even larger family to rely on." She liked hte idea, she liked it a lot.
"Well then," Imara said with a smile, standing, and raising a paw as if saying 'after you' to Keiri, "walk with me, friend, we must speak and learn much about one another. We will need to know strengths, weaknesses, family ties, anything and everything you can think of."
"Yes," Keiri said, dipping her head, saying a silent 'thank you' to Imara's raised paw. "I think we should start at the beginning," Keiri began as they walked next to one another, down towards the watering hole, "first, tell me of these adventures...warriors? And the males, I need to know it all."
It was hte start of a beautiful friendship.
((1142))
