The sun was beginning to fade into the night sky. The stars twinkled in the darkened blue air. Two bonds were nestled closely to their lion counterparts. The little genet, curled into a ball in between Kipofu’Bakhti’s front legs, while the dark blue avian was tucked away just at Katika’peponi’s side.
“They’re cute when they are sleeping.”
The blind male smirked. “I figured as much is to what they were doing. It’s awfully queit.”
Kati chuckled. “Embrace it. Who knows how long this will last.”
Kip nodded, staring blankly into the sunset. He could feel the last bit of rays on his white pelt, and he enjoyed soaking up the remainder of the heat that the day had to offer. He finally turned towards where he believed the female was (he could faintly here her soft breathing), and spoke softly. “What’s your story?”
“My story?”
“Yeah.” The lion nodded. “What brought you here.”
“You sure you want to hear it? It’s…almost as depressing as yours.”
“Try me.” He mimicked her words that she had spoken a few days before.
“Okay…Well…It all started like this.
“I was born in the Southlands to a lone mother. We grew up together until I was a little older than an adolescent. We parted ways, she falling for another lion, and I wanting life of my own. I was there I met him.”
“Is him good…or bad?”
“Good.” Kati stated. “He…well…we both fell in love with each other. He was probably just a hair younger than I was, but that didn’t matter. But there was something about him, that that scared him.” Kati paused, remembering what Juu had told her when they first met.
~~
”Katika…I’m dying.”
“Psh. No you are not. You are just saying that! Why do you say that?”
“No, really. You…you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes really.”
“Try me.”
~~
Those famous words, ‘Try Me’ rang in her mind, over and over again. Sometimes she wished she would use a different statement to try to get others to reveal things for them. But in this case, she didn’t. Call it a force of habit, but the female still would use these two words to this day.
“So then what?” Kipofu asked, ears flipping forward with interest. At least her story didn’t start with tragedy and despair, like his own.
“Well…one day he was acting real funny. He was almost insisted upon how he was cursed.”
“Was he cursed?”
“I don’t know. The world works in mysterious ways. He…may have been? I couldn’t tell.”
“What was this curse exactly?”
“I had a feeling you would ask me that.” Kati sighed. “He said that the males of his bloodlines were cursed to die at a young age. Just as their full mane set in. He had mentioned his grandfather died young, and so had his father. He had no heirs to continue his family’s legacy, so…”
“You two had kids?” Kipofu wasn’t saddened by this fact. For those who lived in the rogue lands it was quite common to have youth at a young age. And, if she loved him the way she said she had, then so be it.
Katika nodded, answered at the same time. “Yes. But…he never met them…”
Silence filled the air, but the blind lion was the first to break it. “So it was true then…?”
“I…don’t know. I have never believed in curses before, until now. I don’t even know if this was a curse that runs in his blood lines or not. He died though, the next morning.”
“…Wow…”
Kati nodded again, leaving the blind male oblivious to the action.
“We had…two little boys together…”
“And you think they are cursed?”
“I can’t say. It’s such a funny sort of coincidences, you know? My children are near adulthood now, where ever they may be. I never spoke to them of how their father passed away. I figured, if anything, Juu could have just hyped himself up so much that in the end it took him. If there is a curse, I do not want my children worrying about how their life will end as soon as their manes grow.”
Kip nodded, understanding. “Where are your children now?”
“That’s the question. I honestly don’t know. They wandered away when they were big enough. I couldn’t go after them, their tracks were hidden by the mask of a rain storm that hit. I wish I could know exactly where they are.”
“I’m sure one day you will find them. Is that how you ended up here?”
Katika shook her head. “Almost.”
“Upon traveling, I met Kala. She injured her wing in a way she didn’t want to tell me, but I didn’t pester her.” The voice of the two lions was still quiet. Their bonds still slept soundly next to them. “I cared for her until she got better, she never left my side since. She is the one who spoke to me of this pride. She told stories of flights from overhead, observing the differences of the clans, and yet a unity that was instilled between them.”
“So that’s how you ended up here.”
“Exactly. We, both Kala and I, figured it was for the best. We could use each other’s skills to help each other, and then if we lived in a pride, then we would have the extra sense of protection that could not be offered in the roguelands.”
“It’s weird how things work out sometimes.”
“You’re right. As you mentioned before, I wouldn’t change things any other way.” With a smile, Kati rose to her feet, slightly disturbing her avian bond. “Come on, Kip. Let’s get these two kids back to the dens.” She gave a little rub against the blind male, as she picked up the avian with the gums of her mouth. Usually Kalani would make a fuss over it, but she appeared to tired to do so.
Kipofu too, stood carefully, sniffing for his bond has he picked her up carefully by her scruff. He followed the light shuffles on the ground, until the four of them made it back to the community dens.
[[[END - 1028 words]]]
