Posca walked along the row of trees slowly, glancing up at them with a slight frown. It would be time for them to die soon. They were already starting to turn darker, and the leaves on them had grown thinner and thinner over the years. Her presence didn't help things much, for the leaves turned browner as she walked past them. There was nothing to be done though, she was only quickening the process.
She sighs softly and shakes her head, turning away from the trees to walk out over a patch of flat land. She watched as a couple of hares perked their heads up towards her, only to flee away into their burrows. She was used to people running from her, especially smaller creatures. She paid them no mind, and merely continued on through the grass, heading towards a stream that was up ahead.
She had been chasing hares- in jest, of course, as she didn't have to eat- when suddenly the lot of them had up and run away. Pausing in her attempts, Mneme was distraught and confused- had she messed up again?- when she was the figure approaching quickly. Frightened out of her wits, she had taken the most logical course of action... and hid. There was a close enough bush, by the stream, that she had been able to flit over and dive in with enough time to avoid the other. She had heeded her father's advice well- it was best not to get in trouble when it could be avoided. Poking her head out from the bush just enough to see, Mneme watched as the other lion- who appeared to be a goddess- quietly approached.
...And was extremely saddened when the goddess seemed to be unhappy. She was a bit intimidating, yes, but... Mneme could understand that. Her father sort of had the same effect on anyone who didn't know him! So... maybe she wasn't a bad goddess, either? Who knew! Maybe if she stuck around and watched for long enough, Mneme would be able to figure it out. Yes, yes, that sounded good! That was exactly what she would do.
She had forgotten, however, an extremely important aspect of hiding; staying hidden. At this point, the good majority of her head was out in the open, brow knitted as she watched the older goddess, deep in concentration. To any passer-by, who didn't know Mneme, the little goddess would simply seem to be sitting in a bush for no good reason.
But no, no. This was important! She had to find out who this goddess was.
At first the older goddess didn't notice the cub. Her attention was turned towards the plants around her, watching them darken and curl up. She sighed softly and leaned down, her wings shifting and fluttering open as she bent her body. The water was cool and crisp to her lips, but it turned to tar in her mouth, sticky black liquid dripping down over her chin. Still, she drank, seeming to hold onto some hope that she'd be able to drink at least one drop...
But still, nothing. And now the water around her was starting to become stagnant and tainted, mold and rot swirling into the water. It was carried away by the current though, fresh water replacing it along her paws.
As Mneme continued to watch, Posca finally did notice her, her yellow fur sticking out of the bush like some mutated flower. She blinked, her head still turned down towards the water. With her black eyes, it was hard to tell where she was looking, most of the time.
She watched her watching, blinking slowly, curiously... And finally she stood, her head turning towards her questioningly.
"Are you quite alright?"
Mneme had been watching in interest as the older goddess seemed to... for lack of a better word, kill the water and the life around her. Her mouth had fixed into a slight frown without her knowing, a slight sense of fear pooling in her stomach. Well. So much for the idea of friendly. Twitching her nose in thought, Mneme tried to figure out any possible way this goddess could be nice. She killed things! But... normal lions killed things too, didn't they? It was just... less drastic, and immidiate, she supposed. Or something like this. Involved deeply in her thinking, Mneme didn't realize the older goddess had turned to look at her.. and jumped with a horrified squeal when she finally realized. Darting back into the bush, Mneme remained as still and silent as possible for a moment, praying that maybe she wouldn't be killed.
...And if that didn't work, she always had her backup plan. Trembling horribly, Mneme poked her head out of the bush once more, trying to look intimidating as possible. (This was quite difficult, however, as the good majority of her fur had bristled, and leaves were randomly stuck through her fur.)
"I... I'm warning you!" She squeaked angrilly, stomping a tiny paw on the ground before her. "M..my daddy is a big, scary god, a...and I'm not afraid of you! I.. he's bigger than I am, and probably you too! And he's scary!" Mneme chirped, then ducked into the bush once more.
"S..so please don't hurt me?"
Posca blinked a few times, bewildered. It was almost amusing, how the cub trembled in her presence. The goddess would not hurt a fly! Though... Mneme did not know that. The large lioness smiled sadly and stepped closer to her, her legs coiling slightly so she was closer to the ground. Trying to seem smaller in some way, and less intimidating.
"Dear one..." She finally spoke, her voice soft and concerned, a very generic voice that a grandmother might have. The sickeningly sweet smell of decay drifted onto the wind from her breath. "I do not intend to hurt you, child. Why would you ever thing such a thing? Here, come out of there before you hurt yourself..."
When the older goddess spoke to her, something in Mneme instantly calmed; she was still trembling and frightened, yes, but considerably less so. Managing to peek out of the brush once more, Mneme gave the goddess another once-over, trying to re-evaluate her earlier judgement. Had she missed something, then? How could someone so positively frightening looking be so... kind? Contemplating this, the little goddess didn't realize she'd fallen out of the bush with a light FLOP! and was now laying flat on the ground.
A moment later, when this wonderful realization had kicked in, Mneme once more snapped up and stared up to the older goddess. Oh. Well, so much for that plan. Still remaining absolutely silent, Mneme was still in doubt- and still just as absolutely puffy and 'intimidating' as ever. Scowling slightly, Mneme fluttered her wings.
"Why should I believe that?" She asked suspiciously, still unsure of this goddesses' intentions. "I... strangers try to lie to you! And be mean! I know that much."
A brow perked slightly as she watched the child's movements, looking slightly amused again. "Well, I... I suppose you are correct. It is not good to listen to strangers, especially our kind..." She folded out her wings to their full length, bleached white bones sticking out from the ruffled feathers.
"I will take my leave from you then, if you prefer. I do not wish to frighten you any longer. Please, take my best wishes and give them to your family. I did not mean to impose on your home."
