The night was clear and calm, and Ekun couldn't help but feel a bit...nervous. In the morning, she and her siblings and Usiku would leave to find their missing family members. Ekun and her siblings would be in search of their father, Usiku for his sister. The dark adolescent smiled up at the full moon, uncertain. Would they find him? Would he want to come back with them? What if...what if they didn't find him? So much was uncertain....
Except who she would travel with. Dakarai...strong, reliable Dakarai. And Shai, her secretive, humorous sister. And Usiku. Usiku....the one who'd stuck by her, the one who mad her heart soar and her songs carry farther. For his sake, Ekun prayed they would find his sister...
Slowly, raising his head, tilting it just so to get a deep whiff of the night air, Usiku came out of the doze that he'd been at for a good hour or so. He'd gone on a long run today, and so had felt the need to catch a few extra winks. However, he noted that he was not the only one who seemed awake around here. With a yawn, he rose slowly, his still half-asleep frame seeming to protest with each movement of joints. Oh for the love of...he wasn't old yet! Rumbling softly, he padded over to stand beside Ekundayo, smiling faintly. He knew she was nervous, heck, so was he...this was a big step, the one he'd left his parents for...and now, he was to take this journey with new friends...new friends, and with Ekun. That last kindled a glowing warmth in his chest, and he wondered...if this was something like Mor'faerion felt when he looked at Usiku's mother. Usiku didn't know if that was what they had, but...there was something there, that much was for sure.
If anyone else had approached her while she was lost in her rather active thoughts, Ekun would have startled. Or at least tensed. But Usiku...she just smiled and slipped from her thoughts, giving him a warm look. Nothing seemed quite so scary or large when he was near. "Hey. Couldn't sleep anymore?" She just hadn't been able to sleep. But...she didn't mind. She'd sleep soon enough, and until then her body would keep up with her. "It's a nice night...a perfect night. Hopefully the morning will be as perfect." She prayed there would be no storm clouds in the horizon, for either direction. Such clouds were bad luck for a Seeking.
"Well...I could, maybe, but if someone else was awake..." Someone meaning Ekun, of course, and only Ekun, "...then I thought maybe I should keep them company." A grin at that, reaching over to nudge her gently with his nose, more of a nuzzle really. "And it is a nice night...I think it will hold...what's on your mind?" Not that they didn't have a lot to think about....this was to be a momentous journey, with more than one goal in sight.
Ekun laughed softly and nuzzled him back. "Hmm...perhaps I stayed up in case you needed company~" Her laugh became a giggle. "It'd be good if it held. A perfect start to our journey!" She held a paw out to the sky in a dramatic gesture. "I..." Her face fell a bit at his question. "A lot. Like...what if we don't find them? Or...or what if we do? What should we expect?" She sighed. "Heavy thoughts..."
"Well..." He thought about that for a moment, bright eyes glancing out into the stars, "If we don't find them...then...we will have still found one another, right? We have friends...family, people who love us. I think even if we don't complete our search, we're a pair of very lucky lions." He made a low, rumbling sound, becoming more serious still, "And even if we do find them...we don't know...precisely what we'll find, if you understand. Have you ever thought, really...about what your father is like? What he might look like? I've...laid awake nights fearing for what might have become of my sister..." Usiku had never thought of himself as weak, and did not like to portray himself that way...but to Ekun, he could relate his innermost thoughts, good or bad.
Ekun leaned against her friend, trying to share her own inner strength with him. Though she was smaller...she had something about her that just kept going, no matter what. "Mama said he's a good lion...very loving. But...he didn't know he'd fathered my siblings and I." She closed her red eyes, taking solace in his larger form next to hers. "And...I know Mama wouldn't lie. But I'm scared he might not accept us." She chuckled. "BUt you're right....we are lucky. We've gained so much since we were small..." She opened her eyes and looked to him. "I'm sure she's still alive, Usiku. All we can do right now...is have faith, right?" She sighed. "Sometimes I wish I had wings, like Mister Rio...He could fly anywhere he wanted..."
"Well..." he considered this for a moment, wrinkling his nose in thought, "If he's the sort of lion that your mama says he is...then I don't see him turning you away. Hey, he'll probably be very proud of what you've become. If he's any sort of...decent individual, at least. Don't fret over that..." Sighing heavily, he shook his head, "I don't doubt she's alive...but what's become of her, what's she like now? What if she doesn't want to see me?" He swallowed hard, "Yeah...I...I know what you mean, about having wings...I wouldn't mind a pair myself...I would guess there's such freedom in them."
Ekun couldn't help but really smile...a bright expression that lit up her eyes. "Yeah...and he's gotta be decent if Mama still cares for him!" Her Mama was a very smart lioness...almost as smart and wise as Kamaria! She purred and nuzzled Usiku again. "I'm sure she'll want to see you again. She's your sister...family calls to family." The dark lioness chuckled. "The greatest freedom in having wings...would be having a home to go back to."
Usiku watched her for a moment, a thousand thoughts passing through his mind, memories...emotions...home...this, somehow this was home for him. Here...with Ekun. A rumbling purr came from his chest, and he stuck his nose in her ear, "You know what...? We don't need wings to have freedom, now do we? We have a home indeed...and I've decided that..." Ah gods, butterflies in his stomach... "I'm most at home at your side."
Ekun blinked, looking to meet her closest friend's eyes with her own wide red ones. Had he...had he said what she thought he'd said. When she saw no trace of anything to show he'd said something else, her grin melted into a content smile. "Then I will always be home as well...for I'm most home by your side as well." So that little spark she'd thought was between them was more than the spark of friendship. That suited her just fine...in fact, her insides were doing the jig she couldn't bear to do, lest she ruin the moment.
He smiled widely, happier than he could remember being, hearing those words from her mouth....and he chuckled softly, leaning over to nuzzle at her again, pressing his large, warm body against hers. "I'm glad...I think, perhaps...I'd like to keep it that way forever..." If she'd have him...if she too had kindled those sparks of childhood friendship and warmth between them. Somehow, he rather thought she had.
Ekun nodded, practically snuggling into the warmth and security that came with having Usiku so close to her. "I wouldn't mind if we were side-by-side forever..." She chuckled and smiled broadly, her face showing nothing but contentment and happiness. "Guess our little sparks grew into a fire, hm?" That's how she pictured it. Two souls becoming something more...still two separates, but yet something not separate at the same time. "I'm glad you spooked me that first time we met." If he hadn't....well, Ekun probably wouldn't have noticed him, and he would have just gone on his way.
Usiku rather decided that he liked that analogy, bobbing his head in agreement. "I rather think so...and...I am too, I was such an awkward little cub at that age." A deep, rolling laugh, "But such a fortunate meeting...I think that both of our mothers would be pleased by this, don't you think?" Gods, right now, he didn't need wings...he felt as though he already had them.
Ekun nodded and giggled. "We should get our mothers together at some point. I have a feeling they'd get along wonderfully." She turned her head to grin up at him. "Though I bet they'd tell each other all sorts of embarrassing stories about us. Like how adorable we were toddling about as ickle cubbins." The last few words were said with a 'cute voice' that was obviously in jest.
"Aww, Ekun...don't you know? My mom knows your mom..." He laughed softly, "At least...they did a long time ago, that's what she told me when I told her about Phye'li...a wonderful miss, your mama is...and Layil was glad to hear she was doing all right. Our families have always been connected, we just didn't know it...and get this...my mom met your dad when your dad was about the age we were when we first met. Weird, huh?" But somehow, it made all the puzzle pieces fit perfectly.
Ekun blinked. "Really? That's...." She laughed brightly. "That's wonderful!" And she and Usiku...they would be the final ties! Ekun was certain there would be some who would fight against such a thing...but not her. It was like the tide, steady and comforting. Besides...she and Usiku were happy, and from the sounds of it, so were the rest of their family. "You know...I think the right words for this...are 'I love you'." It even felt right saying them...like some great weight lifted off her chest and took her soaring.
He thought that for a moment, his heart had ceased to beat entirely, and with a grin that might almost have split his face, he tilted his shaggy head and gave an affectionate lick to her muzzle. "I love you too..." And that, also, was right, he could almost hear that last puzzle piece clicking into place. Well then...even if he didn't find his sister, or she her father...then somehow things would be all right, and he'd be happy regardless...this floating on air feeling something irreplaceable by anything on this earth.
