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Childish laughter hung in the air, echoing from the small white cub as she pounced after the bug that had captured her attention. She had escaped the watchful eyes of her father, sneaking away from her siblings, drawn by curiosity to explore on her own.

Small paws bounced through the grass, mimicking the hopping insect. Her tail flicked, determination in her gaze, but each time she pounced, the small creature escaped her grasp.

"Hey, come back!"

What a weird little bug. She was certain it could not see her, or at least she hadn't seen it look at her, but somehow it always knew when she was about to pounce and hopped away from the grasp of her paws. Why wouldn't it hold still, was it playing a game too? But she wanted to catch it, she wanted to know what it was, how could she do that when it wouldn't stay still.

The little one coiled for the pounce, crouching low in the grass, tail flicking over her back with determination. She would have that bug this time, she was sure of it, it would be--

--aww, it got away. She lay in the grass empty pawed, tail flicking, eyes searching. Now where did that bug go? Wait a minute, she didn't remember that shadow. Uh-oh, busted.

Putting on the best innocent face she could, Mhisani looked up to see the lioness, at least somewhat relieved to see that it wasn't her father. Not that he really would have been -mad- at her, but he might have cut her fun short. No, more likely he would have wanted to play too, then wasn't this all just a game anyways? Hey, that was a good idea.

"We're playing a game, hide and seek."

She nodded, yep, hide and seek, that was it. It wasn't really a lie, she was hiding and he was seeking after all.

The cub shrugged, green eyes searching the grass for the bug she had lost.

"I guess, but sitting still is boring, and I wanted to see what kind of bug this was."

That's right, Mhisani was no dummy, she knew how to hold her cover. Her father might have said she'd picked it up from her older brothers, if anyone were to teach her the art of mischief it would have been then. But she would have liked to think she'd learned on her own, that she had a natural talent for it, how else was she going to live up to and outdo all the tales she'd been told about her oldest brother?

"Koho?"

She titled her head curiously, she'd never heard that name before. But then, she'd never met this lioness before so she guessed it was fair.

"My name is Mhisani, and I ain't no 'deer'."

Deer, pffft, did she look like she had hooves? Silly lioness.

She looked at the lioness, head titled, a quizzical look in her eyes. What on earth was shes rambling about, and what was so funny? It was the lioness that called her a deer, if anyone should be laughing it was -her-.

"Grown-ups are weird."

She shook her head, tail giving a small flick, eyes wandering back to the grassy earth. It seemed she wasn't the only one 'playing' hide and seek, the bug she had been chasing had eluded her as easily as she had eluded her father.

"Do you have any kids? I have lots of brothers and sisters."

She didn't look up as she spoke, eyes intent on finding that bug, ears twitching to catch the answer of possible playmates, playmates that were not her siblings. It wasn't that she didn't like them, but there were so many (which was perhaps why she had managed to escape so easily), and she wanted to do things on her own, to have her own friends and play her own games.
















Far larger paws stepped through the prideland grass, pale eyes searching as he walked. Now where had that energetic little ball of fluff run off to? Juhudi was a devoted father, protective and kind. Upon realizing that one of his six youngest children had wandered off, he left the other five in the care of his older children (maybe more eyes could handle them) before going off to look for her.

It was not that he begrudged them their adventures through the lands, the pridelands were for the most part safe for young explorers. But with recent events still fresh in his mind, and the day growing late, he had told his young cubs to stay near the den, specifically telling them not to wander off.

He should have known that such an instruction would only encourage at least one particular cub to do the opposite. Sigh, not that he should have been surprised, Shin had been much the same, as had Kivuli and Jahina. Such spirited children he had, and he loved them all dearly, cherishing each moment, each game and adventure they forced him to embark.

But it was time for this particular game to come to an end, and time for his daughter to return home, she had hungry siblings back at the den who could not eat until she returned.

"Mhisani, it's time to come home!"

The little one paused in her pursuit, turning to look up at the lioness, a look of genuine amazement in her eyes.

"Wow, you're older than my dad."

That was amazing, Mhisani had no idea there were lions so old, didn't know it was even possible. Had she know what they were, she would have certainly asked if Koho had seen dinosaurs when -she- was a cub. It must have been a very long long time ago. Her own father had lots of children, and even a few grandchildren, but no great-grandchildren, and especially no great-great grandchildren. Woooow...

She paused, snapped out of her thoughts by the question. Hmmm, she thought for a moment, counting out the numbers on her paws. The counting stopped several times, a puzzled look in her eyes before she counted again. It was as if she kept losing count, or maybe she just couldn't count that high. Finally she settled on an answer.

"A lot."

An ear twitched at the familiar voice, instantly ducking into the grass that she could only hope was tall enough to hide her white pelt. Uh-oh, busted...














Oh the things children say. Had he been close enough to ear, Juhudi surely would have rushed to silence his daughter. Not that he minded being referred to as old himself, he was after all, but he wasn't so sure others would appreciate his daughter's bluntness as he did.

A sigh of relief, his eyes had spotted the small white form he knew so well. As beautiful a place as the pridelands was, and though he had raised two litters before his youngest children, he only ever felt at true peace when he knew where each child, and grandchild, was.

"I am, I hope she has not given you too much trouble."

He spoke with a smile, a gentle fatherly tone in his voice, his children meant more to him than he could have ever expressed. A smirk on his maw, his head lowered, speaking to the ball of fluff who thought she was hidden.

"It's no use hiding, 'ani, I can see you there."

Standing to her paws, Mhisani glared at her father with the best sulk she could, tail flicking to emphasize the gaze. Hmph! How did he find her so fast? Why did he have to ruin her fun, she was old enough, she didn't need to be watched all the time. Besides, hadn't her oldest brother been allowed to explore alone at her age? Well, she wasn't playing hide and seek with her father ever again, well, maybe.

"I don't need you to watch me."

She stuck her tongue out at both of them before quickly looking away in a huff. She didn't want to go home, she wanted to play. Well, she guessed she was kind of hungry, and maybe a little tired. But now they couldn't go home because the adults were going to talk, adults always talked, though she guessed her dad was a lot more fun than other adults, he liked to play games and tickle them and let her pounce him. Come to think of it, he -was- the best hide and seeker ever. Hey, maybe she could sneak off while they were distracted, or maybe not, dad was watching. Hmph!


















"Yes, she does."

From time to time was putting it mildly. Mhisani was a clever, energetic little cub, an expert at escaping, and perhaps somewhat of a loner. But more than that, she was blunt, lacking the inhibitions that might have told an older lion to think before speaking. Fortunately for her, and her father, that was a trait that came with age.

But mischievous though she was (had Shin ever been so much trouble?), Juhudi adored his daughter, as he did all his children, more than life itself. He found a charm and endearment in each trait she showed, cherishing the days of childish energy he knew were all to brief. And though he shot a stern gaze at his daughter when she spoke, he could not help but feel bad for cutting her fun. She was a cub after all, and he could not begrudge her her games or the childish sense of adventure that called her to explore the pridelands. Yet he was her father, her protector, and he could not allow her to simply run off when he had told her not to, especially not so late in the day.

"I am Juhudi, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Koho, he was sure he had not met her until now despite the years he had lived in the pridelands, the three litters he had raised. Yet, there was perhaps something familiar about her, he just couldn't put his paw on it.

"Well, I have plenty of those to look after."

A warm smile, a small chuckle, pale eyes turned to his young daughter.

"Ani, it's time to go home now, your brothers and sisters are waiting for you."

The little cub huffed inwardly, batting at a blade of grass with a paw, she knew that tone in her father's words. It meant that the game truly was over, that there would be no sneaking off again, no making him come find her, it was time to go home and that was that.

Not that going home was a bad thing. Home meant a good meal, the comfort of warm bodies, a peaceful sleep with the family who cherished her. But it also meant the end of the day, that she would have to leave whatever had captured her attention and wait through and entire night until the next day to play her games again. For such an energetic young cub, a night was an eternity to wait.

May as well say goodbye while she still had the chance, though something told her she'd be seeing the lioness named Koho again. She'd have to be on the look out next time, then again, she wondered if she was as good at hide and seek as her father.

"Bye."




















"Thank you, I will keep that in mind."

It was a tempting offer, one he would most likely take her up on in the future, much to the appreciation of his older children who had recently been stuck with the task of baby sitter since his oldest son had at last left the den with his own children. Oh how quickly they grew, it did not seem so long ago that Shin and Kani where children, getting into trouble and tormenting each other.

A warm smile on his maw, his own mane tinted with gray, Juhudi did not see the lioness' age, the thought had simply not crossed his mind. He was old himself, though certainly not the oldest in the pride, but to him it did not matter, every lion was a living creature and he was not one to see limits in anyone.

"Thank you for watching Mhisani, may the rest of your evening be peaceful."

A smile, a nod of farewell, Juhudi lowered his head to scoop up his daughter, carrying her home in a gentle maw where her siblings waited eagerly for dinner and a nighttime story.