Dongo stared out at the horizon, watching everybody going by. The adults were on the move again, including his mother. While she wandered, as did the leopard she spent time with, Dongo often found himself left with his grandmother, aunt, and uncles. He sighed, going to lay down. He was bored, he wanted to see the world!
Somehow, being around Mioyo made Ishara more... Lucid. Or perhaps it was Kabichi. Whatever it was, she found herself together in the mind, not as fractured as it had been. It made her smile, watching the cubs of the forming pride bumble around. And speaking of bumbles... There sat Dongo, looking sad and forlorn. Slowly limping over, she sat down next to him. "What is on your mind, child?"
Blue eyes looked up, blinking. When had she come up? He was so occupied, he hadn't heard the dark lioness approach. "Oh... Nothing..." He looked back out at the savannah, watching as the sun prepared to make its descent. He sighed again, ears drooping back. When would this day be over? And when would he be old enough to wander far and wide?
She regarded the juvenile, smiling. "I think you lie." She leaned down to his level, looking out. Ah, there they were, blobs in the distance moving to and fro. "And I think I see... You... Do not wish to be left behind." She looked at Dongo, a bit of a goofy smile on her face. "Am I right?"
"Yeah..." Glancing at her, the golden juvenile frowned. "I wanna go out there and see the world! I don't wanna be stuck here forever!" He stood up, ears up as his tail curled upward. "I want... I want..." He stopped. What DID he want, besides to wander? That wasn't a lot, was it?
Laying down and stretching out, Ishara watched the juvenile. "You want to prove yourself." At his surprised look, she let out a little laugh. "It's a yearning of any young lion, Dongo. One day you will. You ARE still quite young. There's an endless world out there, waiting... And it will still be there when you grow up."
"But it's so long to wait! I want to go now!" He went over and climbed on the lioness, laying across her abdomen. He frowned, looking out again. "I hear about lions of the past... I want to be remembered." He grunted, brow furrowing. "I wish I was an adult already! Then I don't have to worry about being safe with someone, or... Or..."
Reaching up, Ishara lightly placed a paw on his maw. "Ah, not so fast. You need to cherish your cubhood, Dongo." Her tail curled around, paw lowering back to the ground. "You need to be careful what you wish for, too. Why, if you grow up NOW, your mother would never recognise her little bumblebee!" She offered a smile, ears flicking.
Dongo could only grunt, glaring half-heartedly at nothing. A few minutes passed before he crawled off, stretching. "I think I'll go bug Miira... She's kinda fun to antagonize." It was no secret, he had bit of fun making his sister spit out prophesies of doom and gloom. As he went trotting off, the sun sank behind the horizon.
Watching the last rays of sunlight die, the lioness smiled. Such a silly cub... He had big wants for someone so young, and yet... They were simple. Slowly, she stood up. As her joints popped, she let out a small growl. How she wished to have Dongo's enthusiasm and energy. Just as well, her time on the earth would end soon. She let out a soft sigh, turning and limping back for the pride. Tonight was going to be cold, she could tell.
