”You sure you don’t want to come?” The nearly grown lioness was looking down at a hare that was crouched outside a small den that was near a larger cave that Akko was sleeping in. ”I’m sure, Timka’s going to wake up soon and I don’t want to leave him alone, but you go on without me.” Kipendo smiled up at her larger friend who smiled back, her tail drifting back and forth lazily. ”Alright Kip, I’ll be back later.” She butted Kip gently with her head and then turned and padded off into the grasses of the Savannah, her ears perked and aware of all the sounds around her.
She didn’t mind leaving Kip at home for once, as much as she loved her little friend she had to have chances to make new friends. Feeling an air of excitement grow around her she grinned and took off through the grass, running just for the sake of running. She wasn’t really going anywhere, just burning off excess energy and enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping through her fur. She also wasn’t looking where she was going- which was how she ran into the tree. Thud! The lioness sat back slightly stunned. ”Owww…” That wasn’t at all pleasant. Once she regained her senses she glanced about, hoping no one saw her smack into the acacia tree.
Leboya had been spending the morning watching a certain purple-and-white child burnining off energy and romping through the grass as though he didn't have a care in the world. It was adorable, really. But she hadn't commented, in order to leave her grandson's blooming 'manly pride' in tact.
But it wasn't long before the child was spirited away by her daughter, causing Leboya to sigh wistfully at the bonding of her lineage with itself, before she'd risen to leave Lesedi to tend to 'her' children as well as her companion. Certainly not a thing she'd feel guilty for now that the girl was slowly gaining her own independance - and in such a wonderful way.
But it seemed that her daughter wasn't the only one bonding with things that they weren't intended to, as she'd only just gotten away from the family in time to settle in and watch a young lioness in her own running and romping ways, smiling slyly up until-
OW! That was probably something that would be felt every morning for the next week!
But Leboya was kind enough to keep from laughing at the incident and instead rose to her paws to make her way over to check on the poor lioness. "That was quite a crash, are you alright, dear?"
Akko could already feel the soreness radiating from her skull and down her spine and she had the feeling she’d be feeling it for a while. It was just lucky for her she didn’t completely knock herself out. Not seeing anyone around her she sighed thinking she was safe from humiliation. The not-quite-adult lioness was just about to push herself to her paws when she heard a voice coming from behind her. Drat, she had forgotten to check if anyone saw her from that direction.
Feeling sheepish she slowly turned around and smiled at the older stranger. She was immediately struck by her pretty colours, purples and blues and pinks! It took her a moment to snap out of it and then she smiled. ”Oh, I’m okay…I’m kind of used to running in to things.” She laughed a little embarrassedly, shifting her weight from paw to paw unable to keep still- that’s just how she was. In the back of her mind she wondered what the older lioness was doing around her. She hadn’t been around these parts too long (only a couple days as she and Kip were traveling) but in those few days she hadn’t seen any other lions. Maybe this one was traveling too.
Well, she certainly could still string together some sentances, so that meant all was well, at least in terms of brain-function. Nothing looked like it was suffering mobility-wise, so the insistance from the little-lioness that she was 'OK' was easily accepted by the older lioness.
That and her own motherhood experience reminding her how resiliant the young were. A good thing for them indeed. They needed to be big and strong as to keep themselves from breaking, after all.
"Well, even I am used to running into things. However, I'm not quite to used to doing it so literally. You're fortunate that you're young and can keep on your feet and have a strong body." Oh goodness she sounded old and then some. Then again, considering this young lioness was younger than her oldest grandchild would possibly be a factor in such.
Alas.
"Perhaps you should take care to not run so quickly in an area with trees to close by next time?" she offered as a suggestion.
Akko tilted her head when the colourful lioness admitted she had ran into things, she didn’t seem like the type to not be aware of where she was going. Even though she didn’t know the older lioness very long she reminded the brown lioness of her own mother who she had long ago left to go adventuring. Of course, that hadn’t worked out as well as she had hoped. Luckily she had Kip so she wasn’t off on her own but still without any other lions adventuring could get boring. Not to mention she hadn’t had a clue as to where she was adventuring off to. After a while she had heard rumours via Kip of different places to go and see and so they went. Usually the places they ended up weren’t as amazing as the rumours made them out to be. She especially disliked the desert, she only saw it’s great expanse of sand and knew she didn’t want to try and traverse it. Their latest destination was different though, Kip had caught wind that a vast amount of water existed, as far as you could see. The description intrigued the lioness and so they were headed in what they hoped was the right direction because honestly she wasn’t sure where the great expanse of water was.
The lioness’s second statement snapped Akko out of her reverie and she laughed quietly nodding. ”I probably should, but I just love to run! The wind through my fur, the earth under my paws, it’s exciting.” She grinned and her tail began to flick through the air as a shiver of excitement ran through her. It was then she seemed to realize something. ”Oh! I’m Akkomiakattar, but everyone calls me Akko.” She smiled, golden eyes twinkling and full of life.
Leboya chuckled at the young lioness's words about enjoying to feel the wind through her fur and all of those young things that she too used to enjoy when her body had been much fitter to run freely instead of only when she needed it to.
Oh the unfortunate things that came with growing older and wiser with experience. Such as being old and sometimes tired. But her body held up well, and would do so in order to watch over her grandchildren, possibly more than just their generation at that.
Quite a thing, really.
"Hmm, I do love the ocean air when it blows through my own fur, though certainly the feeling of sand under-paw is much more pleasant than the feeling of the grass and the earth beneath it. But it has been some time since I last felt either." she admitted with a smile.
Goodness, it had been far too long since she'd seen the ocean... or her eldest children at that. Which earned a light sigh that was almost... sad from the lioness. Time and distance from those you loved did have a way of burdening the heart, afterall.
"Have you ever been to the ocean, child, or do I speak of things you do not possess a standard of comparison on?" Leboya asked after her moment of nostalgia and happy memories (She almost missed her old friend there as it was now), "It's quite the sight to see. Sand underpaw and water out as far as the eye can see...."
Ocean? She wondered what an ocean was, she had never heard the term before and of course she didn’t realize it was the exact thing she was searching for. At the mention of sand she tilted her head, she had seen sand in the desert and she didn’t like it much, it was very loose unlike dirt, and got everywhere but she had to be curious if this ocean air was nicer than Savannah air.
She caught the sad sigh and frowned a bit, ”Well, maybe you could go back! And do it all again.” She smiled, it seemed like a good idea at least to her. She was about to suggest something else when the other lioness words stopped her.
Akko was about to say she didn’t even know what the ocean was but she was shocked into silence when the other mentioned water as far as you could see. That’s what she was looking for! She was practically bouncing with excitement now. ”No, I’ve never been, but me and Kip, that’s what we’re searching for! We heard of a great expanse of water and wanted to see it for ourselves, we just….haven’t been able to find it.” She frowned a bit but then perked up, maybe this lioness could tell her where to go!
Ha ha! Seemed as though the not-quite-adult was in luck with having met Leboya...
...
To an extent. It wasn't as though the lioness was a godsend of any sort afterall. No, she was just Lebby. Which, on that note, she'd just realized she'd never introduced HERSELF. AUUGH! Where were her manners!!?
"Oh goodness! I didn't even tell you my name, child! Where are my manners? I'm Leboya..." And there, now that she'd gotten that horrible horrible mistake of a slip-of-mind corrected, she could be more entertained by the lovely cooincidence she'd just watched run into a tree. So this young lioness was also trying to find the ocean, was she? Not a bad aspiration to have. Since it was quite the lovely place.
However, Leboya could one-up just giving the girl some directions.
"Mmm? So you wish to head to the ocean yourself? Well, I happen to be going just there with my daughter and grandchildren to settle back into the home I left so many moons ago... would you like to accompany us?
It's much more convenient than just giving directions, really..."
Akko was so excited about finding someone who knew where the great expanse of water (well now she knew it was called the ocean) was that she hadn’t even remembered that the other lioness hadn’t introduced herself. When she did she smiled. ”It’s nice to meet you!” Luckily she remembered that she had already introduced herself so she didn’t foolishly repeat the process. The pink striped lioness was quiet for a moment trying to figure out how to inquire about directions to the ocean. There was no reason she and Kip should be just wandering around aimlessly when they could get directions.
She stopped mulling it over when she heard Leboya speak. Her eyes lit up and she grinned. ”Really? That would be wonderful! We’ve just been wandering around hoping to find it, traveling with a group would be so much easier.” The lioness was ecstatic, she couldn’t wait to tell Kip!
Which, of course, just left for the one thing left to be covered between them: Her companion. Naturally, Leboya took a seat under the tree, sighing with a sort of contentment that only one who truly enjoyed being surrounded by other's would have found in the situation (or one who was just happy to be un-lost).
"I just warn you that there will be five young cubs and one not-so-young cub accompanying the group, so be careful in that they may walk under-paw."
Ha ha, she spoke knowingly of how often it was that a child would simply walk where they wished and never stop to realize they may be stepped on if they planted themself in such a place.
But no matter.
"Shall I wait here while you go and inform the rest of your party of the plan?" she inquired, knowing better than to expect anybody to be able to find her quickly (despite her bright coat) once they ran off just on description alone.
Akko was still standing under the tree, still shifting her weight from paw to paw. It’s just how she was, naturally unable to sit still. She watched Leboya with golden eyes waiting for her next move. She was the one who offered for them to tag along after all.
Hearing her words she chuckled and then smiled. ”Have no worries there, I’ve been traveling with a hare and more recently her young kit, I’ve become used to watching where I step.” It was easy when it was just Kip, but when Timka came along Akko learned to be very careful where she put her paws. The little hare didn’t realize the bigger lioness could hurt him.
Tilting her head she thought about it for a moment then nodded. ”That sounds like a plan, it shouldn’t take me too long.” She turned to go run home and tell Kip but then paused. ”Thank you, Leboya, for inviting us along.” She grinned and then turned and ran towards the cave, watching where she was going this time.
Leboya smiled a bit, watching as the younger lioness ran off before sighing and settling into her spot underneath the tree for a patient little wait. Surely Akko wouldn't take too long to return, but Leboya knew better than to think that a short time for her would be the same short as her companion-to-be.
Experience made a 'short' amount of time seem...
... Different, in perspective.
Either way, however, Leboya willingly hunkered down underneath the tree like the patient lioness she was. Now all there was to do was wait for Akko to return with her companion and said companion's child.
And if she knew children at all, that would possibly be longer than intended. But patience was, had always been, and would always be Leboya's virtue.
