A quiet filled the swamp, as the night animals went to sleep, but before the daytime animals came to life. Nenetl stepped out, inhaling the cool morning air with a smile. It was a time when she wouldn't sing, even if awake. Slowly she walked through the trees, silent as the early morning hour.
She knew the moment that the lioness had rissen. Ying-tai sat up, peeking over Mle's sleeping form, before carefully crawlning over him. Small paws moving fast, she went after Nenetl, soon catching up to her and walking under her belly. "Where you goin'?" Her ears went back at a sudden shush. What was THAT for...?
The gray-brown lioness smiled down at the cub, then looked up at the sky, voice a whisper, "This is a silent time, Ying-tai... The world of the day is not yet awake, and the world of the night goes to sleep. This is a time in between, a time of twilight..." As she exhaled, she saw the tinge of mist. Winter was coming... The mornings would soon be misty with fog. Oh but how she loved that time of year.
Ears flicking, she listened to the lioness, before looking around. Shadows danced in the trees, long before the sun began its march into the sky. Somewhere, a bird began to sing. The sound was breathtaking to her, and brown eyes looked around for the source. She found no bird, though, only trees and shadows. The sky, when she looked up, was starting to lighten. "I've never seen this part of the day before..."
"Not many seem to..." She lapsed back into silence, not a characteristic of hers. Somewhere in the distance another bird began the thrumming song of morning, until many began to sing. Above, the sun seemed to be fighting the dark of night back. The sky, already beginning to lighten, became lit by glorious reds and golds as the great glowing orb crept ever higher. "Remember this moment, Ying-tai... Remember it forever. You can see thousands of sunsets in your life... But few sunrises..."
She watched the adult for a bit, then looked at the sky. It soon lit up with the sun peeking over distant trees, the sky paling to blue-white, before the sun had fully risen. Her tail curled before she sat down, letting out a light sigh. When the fiery orb had taken its place in the sky, she looked around at all the sound, then to Nenetl. "Now what?"
Smiling at the smaller lion, Nenetl gently shoved her into the water. "Now we can make noise! The world is awake!" She then jumped in, paddling around in the water. It was deeper than what she'd shoved Ying-tai into - There was no need to accidentally drown someone!
Blinking in the shallow water, it took Ying a moment to realize what had happened. By the time she did, Nenetl was in the water. The white juvenile stood up, shaking off, before she crouched down. Water flew around her paws, as the body of water seemed to float under her, before she splashed into the water. She'd fallen short of her goal, paws flailing in the water a moment. Like a fish, though, she soon found her water legs, swimming up to Nenetl and climbing onto her back. "Give me a ride around the water!"
Laughing, the lioness swam around, not seeming to mind the cargo. "All aboard the Nenetl express!" She wasn't sure where she'd heard such a phrase, but it felt appropriate. Eventually, though, she got tired, climbing back onto the shore and rolling over to dislodge Ying-tai. "Come on, off of me, you're not so small now!" She smiled, though, despite the comment. Ying-tai was not as small as when Mle had brought her home. She was growing, getting bigger, and soon she'd be leaving for her name quest. It made the lioness beam with pride.
Letting out a squeal, Ying-tai rolled off of Nenetl's back, face lit up as she laughed. She wasn't mad, not in the least. After all, Nenetl hadn't tried to shed her in the water! The white lion got up, jumping on the dusty-brown lioness. "You're so mean, Nenetl!" She was, of course, joking. She could tell from the adult's laughter that she knew it, too. "I never wanna leave here, it's fun and wonderful!"
"Oh, you'll have to leave EVENTUALLY.." The look of sad confusion took Nenetl by surprise. "Every adolescent Jini must go out on their name quest!" She poked a paw on Ying-tai's nose. "You're no different, Ying-tai! You'll come home a new lion, and you won't be Ying-tai anymore! You'll be... Um... Well, I don't know who, but you'll be someone new!" Eventually, she'd have her own new name. There was just no telling when.
The juvenile listened, draping on the lioness. A name quest... It made her smile. She'd be considered an adult in the pride's eyes, wouldn't she? A full adult, anyway. She settled, smiling and listening to the birds sing through the day. "You know... Now that you mention it, I can't wait..." It was a second thought - She looked forward to her name quest, when she'd find out who she really was. Above them, the sun continued its steady march across the sky.
