The rust coloured adolescent moved purposefully towards the dens at the base of Pride Rock, the dry grass brushing about her legs. She had become powerful, but not strong, and had seemingly found her calling in hunting. Machwa knew that her grandmother had once been a good huntress too, and was eager to talk to her.
“Grandmother?...” She called out gently as she approached the den. “Are you here?” The adolescent had had a quick look for her across the Pridelands as she made her way over, but hadn't seen her yet.
Maawio appeared slowly, moving creakily but surprisingly with all the grace of a youthful lion. “Machwa.” Their voices were rather similar in truth. Both gentle, calm and tinted with a kind of delicate kindness and sympathy. Mbari had been the last of her cubs to bear a litter, and it was a long, long time coming, especially as he was the oldest. Maawio didn't have favourites, but she had to admit that she had taken to Machwa so fiercely with love, and it was undoubtedly something to do with her pelt. In a litter of brilliantly golden and black cubs, Machwa was a deep rusty orange. It was a colour that wasn't present in her mother or father, but in fact came from her grandfather, Maawios late mate, Amari.
She was in fact, the exact same as Maawio, same markings in every way, but in Amari's colouring, and when Maawio had first seen her she had startled her happily.
“How are you?” Machwa wasted no time in giving her grandmother a soft embrace, amber eyes glancing round the den to make sure she was comfortable. Maawio made old age look easy, but she didn't doubt that sometimes it could get hard. Thankfully, she wasn't suffering too much with any physical ailments.
“I am well, thank you.” She looked at her grand-daughters paws, which had started to dance gently in the dust and furrowed a brow at her. “What has you all excited?”
“Well, I've finally figured out what I'm good at!” She said finally, but she was still young and in fact lucky to have discovered a talent. Alizeti was perfectly happy with her talent being in happiness, but Machwa had known since she was little, she loved hunting.
“I want to be a head huntress!”
Maawio smiled at her widely. “Oh how wonderful.” She patted the ground further into the den where she had once again reclined, to invite Machwa to sit next to her. “That's a f-fabulous idea.”
“And I've come to talk to you about it, because I heard you were one of the best huntresses!” Machwa gasped excitedly. “Is it true?” She had not seen her grandmother hunt in truth, but heard rumours that occasionally she would give it a good go.
Maawio gave her a bashful smile and suddenly looked like a cub. “Well, I used to do it a lot... s-so I suppose I did get quite good...”
“So it's true!” The rust coloured female moved forward, eyes sparkling. “How did you get so good, or was it just talent?” Her usually quiet voice had grown unintentionally louder.
Maawio thought back for a moment, it was such a long time ago. She remembered being a cub, and going to practice her hunting to escape from her mother. Though she kept a watchful eye, Wingu couldn't be everywhere, and was generally satisfied that if Maawio was practising her hunting, she wasn't up to any trouble. Her mothers face lingered but had faded over time, and it saddened her. In truth, Maawio was so fearful back then that she hardly would have rebelled anyway, no, that came when she met Amari. Suppressing a giggle, she shrugged gently towards her grand-daughter. “Perhaps a bit of both.” She said modestly.
“Your great-grandmother has been long gone now, she died of the plague that took the pride many many seasons ago. She was a good mother, but she was also a hard one. As much as I l-loved her, it was difficult for me.” She admitted.
As the generations went by, she supposed less and less creatures knew of the plague, of Wingu, and maybe even of Mufasa's real story. Her family were vaguely aware of her relationship with her mother, but to what extent?
“She was hard... in what way?” Machwa pressed ever so gently. Her good relationship with her grandmother meant that they spoke about most things, but she was still aware that some things could be painful, or unpleasant.
“Hard to please, I suppose. S-she had a plan for me. She wanted me to marry the prince, and t-there was a lot of pressure. I was very very nervous back then. I always have been, I suppose, and I think a lot of it came from there. I think I accidentally passed some aspects of it down to your father.”
Machwa looked at her with sympathy and suddenly felt very relieved to have supportive parents. It was now beginning to make sense that her father was a little paranoid. She'd heard the tales of his father, and though he painted him in a positive light, it wasn't all plain sailing. Maawio had spoke of Amari in a similar vein before, too.
“But I just wanted to hunt. The more I d-did it, the more it took my mind of things, the more I-i enjoyed it, and the better I got. Eventually, my mother drove me away, and I left with Amari...”
Maawio's bright blue eyes looked to the ground for a moment.
“I would not change my l-life with Amari for a second, but sometimes I think maybe we could have stayed. Maybe I would have been able to say goodbye to my mother, maybe I would have been able to make the position.”
Machwa didn't know what to say, but moved towards Maawio carefully.
“Grief, cubs, and years later I still don't know exactly what happened. I kept hunting, of course, and that was enough for me. I didn't feel the need to go for the position, and it would be difficult in my situation. I had all the happiness I wanted, it would have seemed unnecessary to go for something else too. Spending time with my cubs meant everything to me. Maybe if I went back, I would do it, but if you want to do it, you should go for it. Life is too short to ponder these things.” She chuckled gently. It was clear she didn't let these things get to her, not as they might once have done. “You have all my support in the world.”
Machwa felt even more determined to exceed now, hearing of Maawio and what could have been, she felt spurred on to do her best. She knew her grandmother had been happy, but in her mind, Maawio should be a head huntress at least in part, and she would try her best to make it happen.
