It was an average day, the leopardess supposed pleasantly. The weather was average, mildly cloudy and mildly cool, and really mildly pleasant enough. The season's turn was rolling slow and the leaves were sharply tipped with the pale smooth green of fresh spring. Grass was underfoot, soft and warm, the mountain snow had melted to join the clear cold streams here and there. Birds sang and spoke in the trees, insects were beginning to hum and buzz as flowers poked their heads up in soft brushes of rainbow blooms.
It was among these flowers, here past the in the foothills of the mountains where wild dogs dwelled high above the cloudline, that Kir’ella lounged. Flowers surrounded the striped pink leopardess, and with each breath she inhaled their sweet fragrances. She could name some of them, and name the uses for others, but right now they were mostly just pretty, pretty things. It was warm, it was springtime in the foothills, and this was a lovely place to pause in her travels. Things seemed to be changing, now was certainly the time for it. The young leopardess was no longer a cub, indeed, she was a young adult instead. As were her once upon a time friends. She was an adult, the meadow was beautiful, and she was free to enjoy the soft sunshine…
It was just so hard sometimes. Hard to be alone. Hard to wonder what had happened to them. Kavan’s poor brother taken ill, her father unable to cure him, the displeasure of the lion elitists who’d expected a miracle… Now it had been a long while since that hard time. But sometimes, in the quiet, no matter how peaceful and pleasant, she could remember. And things felt hard again. Lonely. Wondering. Hoping for the best, and not quite being able to believe it was what had come to pass. Maybe someday she’d have the courage to go back and see. Maybe someday… but that was far, far away right now. Far, far away… Yawning, Kir’ella let her eyes slide closed. Lost in her thoughts, beginning to doze, she didn’t hear the approaching paw steps.
Paws that had long ago lost the clumsy uncertainty of a child moved softly over the earth as Sayan sought one thing she hoped she would never outgrow, through time or anything else. Flowers, soft and sweet, little gifts to bring her family. No matter that she was nearly an adult herself, and some presents might be a bit childish to bring to her mother. She would always be mama’s baby, mother had said so herself, so she could bring flowers all the time. They were pretty, they smelled beautifully, and they were easy to find out here.
But it seemed she was not the only one who’d found them. Another was here, laid out dozing among the vibrant blooms. Sayan froze, wobbling slightly before finding her balance properly and replacing her paw on the ground. Goodness gracious, but she had nearly tripped over the other feline! A leopard, if she was guessing right. Such soft pink fur she had too! “Oh, hello, please do excuse me,” she apologized sweetly as the other opened her golden eyes slowly, blinking in the warm light of the afternoon.
“It’s quite alright,” the striped leopardess assured her, stretching slightly though she didn’t quite get up. It was nice here was all. Too nice to move just yet. Not just yet. “I was just resting, you’re not troubling me at all… ah, what was your name?” Kir’ella asked after a moment’s thought. It was only polite after all, and while she may play around her father had raised a lady after all.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the cheetahess apologized again, her creamy little paws skittering closer together and her striped tail flicking to curl nervously around her paws. “My name’s Sayan, it is ever so lovely to meet you... ah, I don’t know your name,” the young feline chuckled nervously. She really was bungling this introductions thing wasn’t she?
“Kir’ella,” the leopardess replied smoothly, shifting to sit up on her haunches. It was an undignified posture, as her toes remained in the air whilst her heels sat on the ground, but it was comfortable enough for a temporary fix. “You’re welcome to shorten it if you like though, Kir is fine.”
“Kir it is then,” Sayan giggled, though her paws still trod on each other betraying a hint of nerves. “It’s lovely to meet you, Kir. What brings you all the way out here?” the young cheetahess added curiously. Surely a conversation wasn’t a crime?
“Me? Oh, I travel a great deal,” the leopardess explained, shifting her weight again so that she might be sitting properly now. The other way was fine for a time, but couldn’t possibly be good for her back or hips and she didn’t want to waste time treating a silly self inflicted injury. “I’m not trespassing am I?”
“Oh no,” Sayan shook her head vigorously, hesitating a moment before settling down to sit herself before the leopardess. Kir’ella. Nice name, it had a fun up-down sound to it. “My family and I are nearby, but no one has claim to these lands, or at least, not as far as I know.”
“That’s good,” Kir’ella laughed, “I would hate to intrude, that’d be altogether rude, not to mention, some people don’t like uninvited guests. And I’d have to be more worried about stealing than picking pretty flowers…” she added playfully, batting lightly at one of the blooms. “Do you know how to make flower crowns? I dear sweet friend of mine taught me a bit, I would be glad to show you if you’d like?”
Sayan blinked at the stranger, well, not such a stranger anymore. A traveler named Kir’ella, who liked flowers just as much as she did. “Flower crowns? Sure, I’d love to!” Anything someone could do with flowers, anything new someone could do with flowers, was sure to be such fun. Flowers never got dull, no never, not ever. New things would make them even more interesting though, oh yes. And mama might enjoy flower crowns more than regular flowers. Regular flowers could be tucked behind the ear, but flower crowns could definitely be worn elsewhere. Maybe a mini crown could be a bracelet, or anklet, or even a tail-ring?
Seeing the young cheetah’s eagerness, Kir’ella had to grin again. It was always nice to meet people who shared her interests, any of them. And it was so much less lonesome to teach someone how to weave flowers than it was to lay in a field and wonder if her friends were dead. A new friend might be just what she needed really, and Sayan seemed so sweet… “Here, I’ll show you. First you need some flowers with longer stems…”
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