Bombei had always wondered what the stars were. Some said they were the spirits of kings, others that they were the eyes of the gods looking down at the mortals of the world as they went about their lives. Somehow he found he'd always been inclined to believe the first idea, rather than the second, if he'd had to choose. He chuckled quietly to himself, so not to disturb the pair sleeping just a ways off. "I suppose now that I've seen a god I know for sure."
His tail swished through the grass and he shifted a bit. Posca didn't have eyes like the stars...Unconsciously he found himself looking over to where the pair lay. Funny, he'd never planned to become the friend of a god. Was that what he was? He'd like to think so. Seeing they were settled, he took a moment to peek into the den behind him. Two young felines were curled inside, sleeping peacefully. He bent to nose at Zari before heading back out, feeling a warmth flooding his body.
If he'd had a pride, would it have felt like this? The strange feeling of contentment and peace over the area was disturbed only slightly by the wilting plants, but even they held a strange sense of beauty. A flower, browned slightly, rustled in the breeze and he bent to smell it, the queer mix of perfume and decay making his nose twitch.
Posca had drifted off while cradling Giza against her, her wings gently caressing the cub's side. It seemed like her daughter was getting bigger and bigger... She didn't seem quite as tiny against her. They'd visited Bombei and his family many times by now, and she had grown comfortable enough not to apologize to Bombei every time she asked him for assistance. He seemed happy enough to do it, and she was thankful. Of course the goddess still worried... She always worried. But the fact that he was always gentle and giving made her more at ease.
Her dreams became clouded over, flickers of deep blue breaking the visions as she blinked her eyes open groggily. With a small yawn she lifted her head and glanced around, unconsciously searching for a light blue form in the darkness. Giza was still asleep, and had shifted enough that she could move away without waking her. Something she was thankful for. It'd taken her long enough to get the poor child to sleep...
"Bombei?" She called out softly, slowly pushing herself to her paws.
Bombei glanced up from where he'd returned to laying when Posca called his name. He smiled. She'd become more calm of late. Probably because Giza was as strong and spritely as ever. He'd known she would be fine, but it had taken time for the goddess to see that.
"Over here Posca," He called back, keeping his voice low and quiet. He'd hate to disturb Giza, especially after it'd taken her so long to get to sleep. The one thing that seemed to make the little cub unhappy was bedtime. From what she'd told him she had strange dreams, and sometimes they were scary. He could understand that. As a cub he'd imagined he'd had nightmares too. Everyone did now and then. She'd been especially troubled tonight, but her mother had finally calmed her.
"She's alright then?" He asked of the goddess.
Her eyes drift over towards him, her paws following afterwards. She smiles, stopping to stand beside him. Her wings were tightly folded against her sides, but the tips still dragged the ground behind her.
"Oh yes." She says softly, looking back over towards the sleeping cub. The night was warm, so she should be fine by herself for a while. "She's quite alright now... Thank you for helping me with her today.. as always." She smiles at him gently.
Bombei returned to looking up to the sky while the goddess moved to join him. His tail lashed to the side, thumping against her legs. "You know I'm glad to do it." He paused a moment, shifting to be more relaxed. "To be honest I could almost think of her as my own. Just her charming nature I suppose. Zari loves her too, you know. She's happy having someone to play with that near her own age." He chuckled. "I'm sure you know that though." Over the weeks Posca had developed into a fine parent, Bombei had seen. She still was nervous, he wished he could find some words of encouragement.
"I don't mind visiting with you either." He sighed, rubbing at one ear with his wrist. "I'm starting to think maybe I should find myself a pride. If only for Zari's sake. I don't want her to be lonely once Kisa leaves. Though she seems happy as things are. Sometimes she is sad when you leave. I think she likes your wings, aside from that you bring Giza."
