Juastirika, while usually possessed of the happy temperament shared by most of her family, had lately been anything but happy. What she had been was lonely, and worried, and lost. Her mate, Ishara, had disappeared months ago; though not completely surprising, it was no less distressing for it. She was quite certain no ill had befallen him, but had simply wandered off - maybe to return, but probably not. The black and purple leopard was...well, a bit touched in the head, one might say. Completely harmless, but very odd. Still, strange or not, she missed him.
And then there was her grandmother. Shomoro was positively ancient, and though she was in relative good health considering her age, no one could live forever. Rika worried about her, and had taken to denning with her since Ishara's disappearance. She had no children to den with anymore, after all - her hybrid children were all grown, with lives of their own...still near, but no longer in a great big pile. They'd quite outgrown that.
So now what was she to do? It was a very good, very hard question. The lioness sighed and rested her head on her paws.
