(w/c: 1, 294)

By all accounts, this was ridiculous. Their situation was better suited for two lovers with warring families than two cousins whose mothers had inherited allied prides. That would be a romantic, story book romance. It wouldn't be some piss poor excuse for a family reunion.

Winza hated having to lie about where he was going. He was clumsy and not the best candidate for sneaking off, as much as he wished he could steal that title from Lakisa's most gentlemanly little minion - ahem, son. Maybe she wouldn't have fawned over him so much had she known he regularly tip-toed away to flirt with the Nchi girls. Not that he had any intentions of ratting on him. Doing so would be foolish when he knew damn well it was only a matter of time before he was caught. The question was... caught doing what? Visiting family? What was so wrong about that?

Really, he didn't need to ask. He knew exactly what was wrong with it: nothing. Just as he knew why he still felt guilty: his mother. She'd been a wreck since Talis had taken off, and he was in no position to complain about Lakisa when she'd done everything in her power to console the distraught lioness. So had Hasana, Amira, many others both young and old. The only one who could do anything was the one presence the pride mournfully lacked. She hadn't appointed an heir and not everyone agreed with the idea of waiting around.

"She really just left?" Araiya asked.

"Yeah," Winza replied. "Didn't tell me or anyone else."

"Maybe she did and they're just not telling you."

Winza stared at his cousin suspiciously.

"Not me! I was just saying it's possible. But it doesn't matter if they're not going to talk."

"Yeah, you're right..."

They had arranged to meet along the mountain side facing the Mtaishi this time. If they were to get in real trouble for anything, it would be that. The area was unstable and forbidden, but the youth of the world was often an unwise one and the loneliness of it is exactly why it had been chosen. Anyone up here with them wasn't supposed to be, and so if they were discovered, perhaps they could strike a mutual deal where no one would tell on anyone else.

"Hey..."

"What?" Winza looked away from the cloud he'd been staring at and down at Araiya when he spoke. It was strange how they went through all this effort to spend time together and often would waste it away. Saying nothing. Doing nothing.

"How is your mother doing? I know she's got to be upset your sister is gone, but..."

"Shouldn't I be worried about that, not you?" Winza asked.

"I don't think so," Araiya concluded without much thought. "I still don't know why they're so snippy with each other. I know your mom was mad that she couldn't take over the Nchi, but she got the Mtaishi instead. So what's the problem?"

"I have no idea. Maybe she still likes the Nchi more."

"Maybe..."

"What about your sister?" Winza brought the subject up suddenly, but it wasn't out of nowhere. Talis and Nanny (as he preferred to call her) weren't much unlike himself and Araiya; they got along fine even though their mother's didn't, as far as he knew. At the very least he could say with certainty Talis had no grudge against her only female cousin.

"She's okay, I guess, but I don't see a lot of her these days," Araiya admitted. "I'm mostly with Dad, and he kind of just leaves the girls to do their own thing. He says it's--Hey, are you okay?"

Winza quickly masked his crestfallen expression with a smile. "Yeah, sorry."

Araiya gave him such a look that suggested he didn't believe it. Probably because he didn't. He wracked his brain trying to think of what could be bothering Winza and felt stupid when he figured it out. It hadn't taken him long. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "I didn't think about the--"

"It's okay." Once he'd cut him off, Winza assured him, "I don't mind. Just because your Dad stuck around to be awesome doesn't mean you should feel guilty about it. You wouldn't want me to hold back bragging about mine if you were me and I was you, right?"

The only thing Araiya did more carefully than considering his answer was choosing the words to verbalize it. He was not as blunt as certain other family members, but he and Winza were so close that honesty was expected of their relationship to a greater degree. He would still avoid hurting him, but there was no entirely kind way to answer him.

"Right?" Winza repeated.

"To be honest, I don't know, because I can't imagine what it's like to be you." Araiya sighed and his eyes became somewhat distant. "You guys... You and your brother and your sister, and even your mom... I really don't know how you do it. If Dad left us, I don't know what would happen. I think even Mom would cry. I guess I worry about yours so much because it's just hard to imagine someone taking that situation so well."

"She doesn't take it all that well," Winza pointed out. A stab in his heart was well-deserved even if he did ignore it. After all she'd done for him he put his mother on the chopping block.

"She doesn't handle it perfectly, but who would? Maybe she... I mean, she could have loved your dad, you know? There's a lot of males that take off these days. We both know that since we'll probably never know who our grandfather is either, right? And you won't even know your grandparents-"

"I get it, Araiya."

"Oh, sorry."

Everything around them seemed to still except for time itself, which waited for no one. The stars greeted them with their comforting, bright lights decorating the sky. They had both stretched out on their backs, side-by-side, the spitting image of friends that were born to be united. They'd never just be cousins, just as their mothers would never just be sisters. They were friends as their creator's were enemies.

Araiya watched the twinkling lights and had counted into the hundreds before Winza broke the silence.

"I think I'm going to look for him one day."

"Huh?"

Winza elaborated with only two words: "My father."

"Oh... When?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"I don't think so."

Something about the way he shifted awkwardly must have given Araiya away.

"What is it?" Winza prodded.

"I was just thinking about how upset your mother is going to be if all of you leave."

"Are you saying I shouldn't go?"

"No! No... Just, I..."

"You what?" Winza was staring at him now.

"I heard somebody say they weren't talking anymore because your mom is afraid to talk to Mom since your sister left."

"Probably," Winza agreed. "She probably feels like a failure. You've got your dad and all your siblings still with you."

"Yeah... But I think I'll leave one day, too. Just to see the world. Find the rhythm of my own drum, you know?"

Winza paused for a long, long time.

"Your mother is kicking you out, isn't she?" he asked.

Araiya laughed and said, "Pretty much."