The once Ksenia moved on the path that would eventually lead to her parents den. She had returned from her adventure many months after the initial quest was given to her. Sometimes she thought she had taken too long, but when the words of the gray male replayed in her mind, she was sure she didn’t. After all, nothing really seemed to come to her; at least, nothing that would stick for a name. She would have to go out sometime and look for that gray male to one, find out what his name was, and two, to ask him about his quest, and three, to tell him about her quest if he wanted to listen. She padded softly across the ground, it wouldn’t be too hard to find an all white lion in the dark swamp foliage; in fact, she thought that it would quite easy.
The light scent of the small white/purple flowers caught her nose before the actually site of them. It was just faint, but still after growing up around them she could never forget about them. She was getting close. Radi saw the flowers the lie right near the den, managing to pick a few of them for her mother before nearing the entrance. She stopped just a few feet before and inhaled deeply. Here goes nothing…
“Mom? Dad?” Silence. They hadn’t moved, had they? Even though she had been gone for a while, she didn’t think that they would find a different den in the mean time. What if they had found a different pride? No, someone would’ve told me if they had! she began fretting. Where would they be? She didn’t remember seeing them at the ceremony when she had returned, but with so many lions in a pride, it was probably easy enough to miss them. Still, wouldn’t they have come to see her up when the crowd dissipated?
She remembered back when she was just older than a cub the small waterhole that would be her dad and her’s “secret place” (which was not so secret, but a young Ksenia thought otherwise). Maybe he was there? With the flowers in tow, she loped to the waterhole.
“I always thought this place was further,” she murmured to herself, slowing as she could hear a small splash of the water. Her ears perked forward, slowing her speed as she peeked from behind a bush. There was no dark lioness in view, but sure enough there was a very familiar chestnut pelt lion wading just at the shore. “Daddy,” she whispered, moving from behind the foliage to where one could more easily see her.
“Daddy…” she said, a little louder this time. Her ears were perked forward, watching and listening to his every move, “I’m home..”
The male stiffened at the voice. No longer was it young or cubbish, but an serene: the voice of an adult. His cornflower blue eyes turned to meet equally blue eyes on the pelt the same as his mate. “Ksenia…” He whispered back. Sure, he had been at the ceremony, but having been so lost in thought during it he hadn’t realized it was for one of his daughters. “You’re back.” He said louder, moving out of the water, dripping just a bit from his knees down.
“Yes, I am, did you not got to the ceremony?” Her ears lowered at this.
“No, I did. But to be honest I was a little wrapped up in my own head. Please forgive me,” he stated sadly. What an awful father for not even paying attention! “Did your adventure fair well.” She returned, which was a good sign. He hadn’t seen his son or other daughters since the day before each were sent on their naming quests.
Her lovely smile had replaced the sad look that once marred her face. “Don’t worry about it dad, just knowing you were there is great! How’s mom? Has anyone else returned?” She paused for a moment, before nodding to his statement. “Indeed. I did not think it would take as long as it did, but sure enough, I am no longer little Ksenia, daddy. I am now known as Radi’Kilima. And no, father, I did not bring home any boys,” she smirked jokingly to her father.
Talahm listened. No longer Ksenia, but Radi’Kilima. How wonderful that sounded! “What a lovely name, little Radi.” A laughter erupted afterwards about the comment on the boys. “You are a grown lioness now, I can no longer stop you from bringing home boys,” a grin, before a genuine smile. “Your mother is doing well. We should go see her soon. As for your siblings, I believe only one of your sisters has returned. The rest are still out on their quests. Did you not encounter them?” He asked. All of his children had disappeared around the same time. Ksenia---being the first, and his son being the last.
Radi nodded. “I got these flowers for her! I remember that she always loved them. She still does, doesn’t she?” She asked. “I wish I could have brought some with me. You wouldn’t believe what I encountered out there! And some lions didn’t believe that something this pretty could grow in the swamplands. I wanted to prove them wrong, but I couldn’t!” she hmphed.
“Yes, yes. She still adores the flowers. She decorates the den with them, especially during the springtime. I can only imagine what you encountered on your journey. Do not forget, I once lived out there my whole childhood before I came here.”
“Did you ever see a storm with so much lightning when you were out on your own?”
“Hmm? No…I can’t say that I have.”
“Oh…well I saw the biggest lightning storm EVER. And guess what! It hit the shelter I had found! And once the storm was gone, I looked where it struck and sure enough the boulder was all charred and black…it was so cool, but so scary! I don’t think I want to be around a storm like that ever again!” Radi explained a little part of her adventure to her father.
“Really? How intriguing! Come, let us go visit your mother. You can tell us more about your adventure on the way, and maybe sure you don’t leave out any details.”
“Yes, I won’t. But let’s wait until we see mom. I don’t want her to miss anything either!”
[[FIN - Word count 1071]]
