Since her adventures with the goddess of souls and the strange brown lioness, Kiongozi had settled herself into a nest. Something she hadn't really expected to do, considering she had had a clutch shortly after she was released from service of the goddess and had left when in other nests.. but she was very proud of the feather she had earned from the goddess and the only way to keep it safe was to put it somewhere. Building it into a nest seemed like a logical step. Besides, she hadn't ever been able to find Kunda and so she relied on other honey badgers for food. She had teamed up with a small nearby family, staying where they stayed was important. And the more she stuck around one spot by herself, the more she was finding she enjoyed it.
Sitting out at the end of a branch in the same tree she now inhabited, she was preening in the sunshine cheerily.
The girls were off hunting and so Msingi had been left to her own devices for the afternoon, which she was more than happy to do. Sometimes it was nice to just fly around. Plus they traveled so much, so it was always interesting to get a look around where they were at the moment. She was aware she might trespass into some other avian's territory but she didn't intend to stay or steal, so she figured she would be all right. Unless she found something particularly tasty to eat. Calm but quite cheerful, she couldn't help but sing at a moderate volume as she fluttered along.
Had Msingi kept quiet, Kiongozi would never have realized that anybody was around. Pulling her head out from beneath her wing, a small pale feather coming with her, she looked around for whoever was around. It wasn't a threatening song, it was rather cheerful sounding. Still, she ought to acknowledge that she was here. Taking a breath, she sang back- a neutral song, an indication that whoever it was was near her territory (her tree) and that she was here. Not many small birds really passed near here, and while her song wasn't exactly an invitation, Kion was open to the idea of a visitor. She could tell it wasn't another honeyguide but she knew it was a small bird.
Msingi started when she heard a call back to her song, soaring in a small circling before chirping back and heading toward the tree the sound came from. It didn't sound friendly but it didn't sound angry, it was almost a gentle warning or a reminder. She waited for another indication, hopefully a welcoming one, before landing near the top of the tree. She could explain herself- perhaps make a friend. Living with lions, you didn't get a chance to talk to other birds.
"Hello in there," she called.
Shaking her head and ruffling her feathers, getting comfortable against after grooming, she listened to the sound coming closer. She called out once more and heard the rustling in the leaves above her head. She hopped and turned around, looking way up as a small golden head peeked down. Definitely not a honeyguide.
"Hello," she responded, hopping along the branch so the distance between them decreased despite the other bird being higher up, "Are you looking for anything in particular, I heard your singing."
"No, not at all," Msingi answered cheerfully, hopping down a couple branches to be at a more conversational distance, "I guess I was hoping to run into somebody to chat with, though! I spend so much time with lions, I don't see many other birds." She ruffled up her feathers, smiling and hopping down another branch.
"My name is Msingi," she introduced herself.
"Kiongozi," she responded with a little less enthusiasm, though she didn't intend to send the other bird away, "I know how you feel, I deal mostly with badgers. They're useful but not particularly good company." It was the truth and she saw no reason to hide it, she was in no danger from a bird about her size. It wasn't a prey bird, and she'd have good luck trying to steal away her nest or drop egg off.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kiongozi," Msingi said cheerfully, finally hopping her way down on to the branch the other avian occupied, "Carina and Thea are out hunting, they aren't too bad of company. If I didn't like them, I wouldn't stay with them. They're a funny pair, actually. I suppose you need your badger friends?" Msingi looked Kiongozi from beak to toe, something about the way she looked- and the sound of her voice (and song) -- she was a guide bird. Likely.
Impressed at being picked out so easily, Kion nodded.
"They break into the bee's nests that I lead them to, it's easier than most hunting," she said with a slight shrug and flutter, hopping over to perch on the edge of her nest absentmindedly, "I've dealt with lions before, far more interesting but certainly not so trustworthy as far as I could tell. I once trailed a lioness who had a bone to pick with a goddess, she was quite crazy, I do believe." She shook her head, recalling her adventure in helping search out Amadet.
Msingi stayed where she was this time, watching Kiongozi go over to the nest as she described a lion she had known. She was only nodding sympathetically until she realized what Kiongozi was talking about, then she was suddenly quite interested. Idothea was obsessed with gods and things associated with gods, it seemed like there would be a good story in whatever Kiongozi would tell her. It would certainly make Thea happy.
"A lioness with a bone to pick with a goddess?" she repeated, her interest showing very clearly, "I'd be very interested in hearing that story!"
"Oh?"
Kiongozi puffed up importantly, pleased to have caught someone's attention. Who didn't like attention, after all?
"Quite some time ago, I found a goddess who was looking for some help finding a lioness," she started, thinking back to how it had all started, "Coincidentally, I had seen that very lioness she was looking for so I led her right to her. It turns out the lioness had tricked the goddess' son, they had cubs and she was trying to use them to taunt the goddess-- she didn't make much sense but she seemed very sure of herself. The goddess went looking for more information after the lioness ran off, asking me to follow her and keep an eye on her."
Listening intently, Msingi hopped closer, her silver eyes watching Kiongozi carefully, searching for any sign that she was fibbing. She knew Thea would be skeptical of any story she was told, Msingi wanted to make sure she could be confident in reporting such a story to her friend. It seemed genuine- and unusual but interesting. She nodded along, waiting for the story to continue.
"I followed her and it wasn't until much later when the goddess had found the cubs that she returned for the lioness," she continued, "The lioness tried to attack her but it was a desperate and poorly planned move, she lost and was taken to a pride that worships the goddess so she could be kept away from causing more trouble." Kiongozi finished her story with a nod. It lacked some detail but that was the gist of it.
"I spent quite some time tailing that lioness, she got what she deserved in the end," she said.
Msingi sighed, finding the story to be most unsatisfying- though it brought up some interesting points. A goddess that had mortal offspring, living mortal offspring- probably somewhere around here, in fact. And this was an avian that had much direct contact with a deity, that was of interest as well.
"Do you have any proof?" she asked carefully, hoping not to insult Kiongozi, "Were you offered no reward for your help?"
Unhappy at the demand for proof, but understanding- and proud- she was all too happy to produce what she did have to show for it. She turned around and began picking at her nest, pulling at little white barbs that stuck out from the twigs that had been shaped into her nest. It would make the nest less stable to pick at it but it would be more obvious if she could see it better. Satisfied, she hopped across to the other side and nodded for the avian to take a look.
"This feather is from the goddess," she said, reaching down and pulling at a barb proudly, "She did not offer me any more magical a reward than her help if I needed it, that is what the feather is for."
Curiously, Msingi hopped forward and then onto the nest, looking down in to spy a very large feather in rather poor condition. It certainly was too big to be from Kiongozi, or most other birds, and the colors were definitely not from the honeyguide. It was an interesting piece of evidence but Msingi decided it was worth taking seriously. Benefit of the doubt, and besides, it was quite a fantastic lie if it was one. One that would be hard to disprove- even if it was hard to prove. Though it was disappointing there was no magical reward, just an offer to return a favor.
"What goddess is it from?" she asked, "It is very impressive!"
"The goddess of souls, Mtima'safi," Kiongozi responded quickly, "A simple token of appreciation but there's no good reason to argue with a deity. I am glad for what I have." She nodded, explaining the thought she expected to be going through the other avian's mind. The goddess offered her no blessing or special powers or whatever someone might imagine a god's reward being. She never got the impression there was much magic that the goddess held. She chirped and nodded finally. Then there came a scratching sound at the bottom of the tree and she remembered she had a job to do this afternoon, looking down to the ground and spotting a familiar face.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said carefully, looking at the golden bird expectantly.
Msingi nodded, committing the name to memory for when she relayed her interesting encounter back to Carina and Idothea later. She was staring at the feather when she heard the scratching sound, jumping instinctively and looking down. But there was nothing really to worry about, so she sighed. She looked back up to Kiongozi, blinking. She understood exactly what the avian wanted- she wanted Msingi to leave first, to make sure she actually stayed away and probably to make sure she didn't try to untangle the feather from the nest.
"Thank you for the story," Msingi said gratefully, then hopped from the branch and flew back off to look for Carina and Thea.
Fin.
