It hadn't been long since her parents let her wander a bit farther from their den. During that time of exploration she had befriended another cub of their clan. They were inseparable most of the time. Always together and doing stuff, it made her very happy that she had someone she could rely on.

The sun was getting high in the sky as she wandered through the pridal area, searching for her friend but she hasn't found him yet. Perhaps he is spending time with his family? she mused silently to herself.



Kizuka'jura hadn't been in the Ela lands for very long, nor had she really felt truly at home there. Until now, at least. As she gazed up at the sparse clouds overhead, eyes shining, Kizuka felt at home. She'd been a rogue all her life and hadn't though much of it, but deep down she had always been searching for a place...well, maybe a place where...she had a family? She never really had a family before. She was a loner by circumstance and by nature, so she was still having a bit of difficulty befriending others. She wasn't the most approachable lioness in the world, even though she really did want to make friends. It was just the type look she gave off that made other lions in the Wolf clan a little bit curious--but curious from a distance.

Sighing, eyes half-lidded, the brown lioness stood up and glanced around her. It was going to be a long, boring day if she continued to keep to herself and wait for someone to approach her. Maybe it was time she went looking for others? So that's just what she did. And as she walked, she spotted something green in the distance...



A unfamiliar scent caught her attention as it piqued her curiosity. A new one she could meet! And that made Elo'hi Waya very excited! She searched the area around her for the source of the scent, but didn't see anything. So she walked in the direction of where the scent was coming from and no sooner has she taken a few steps did a figure come into view.

She bound over that way towards the lioness with a bright smile on her features as she called out in all her cubbish excitement, "Hi!"



Kizuka's eyes squinted to see into the distance a bit better, but she didn't have to squint for long, because a small green lion was suddenly bounding straight for her. Kizuka's eyes bulged and she stumbled backwards, not used to seeing others run towards her, especially so enthusiastically. The greeting and smiling face were welcome gestures, but still unfamiliar to Kizuka. She cleared her throat softly and there was a bit of an awkward pause.

"Hey..." she said strangely. Ugh, what was that? Be a little more open for crying out loud, she thought to herself. Here was an actual born-in Ela girl, and already Kizuka was making herself seem like an outsider. Her motivating thoughts didn't do much on the outside, however, because Kizuka still stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face, not saying anything else.



As she came closer to the lioness her eyes widen in awe. The other lioness had such pretty markings on her, very unlike any she had ever seen before. She stood before the lioness, but was still small in stature but that didn't deter her at all.

And not catching any of the awkwardness of the other lioness she introduced herself. "I'm Elo'hi Waya, but you may call me Elo'hi! Are you new here? You have very pretty markings on you!"



...Wait, WHAT? Did that little girl just say she was...pretty...?

No one had ever...called her pretty before. She wasn't really lady-like or anything...no one had ever complimented her like that.

Eyes blinking and ears folded back, Kizuka tried to regain her composure so that she seemed like a more confidant adult in front of the young lioness. But unused to being social as it was, the older female had no idea if she was failing or succeeding.

"Hey..." she said. ...Wait, wait, no. "It's...nice to meet you, Elo'hi. I'm Kizuka'jura. And yeah, I'm, uh...I'm new. And thanks. And you're...I like your...feather." she said, streams of words and pauses making her feel like a moron. Why was this so hard?



As she listened to the other lioness introduce herself, she nodded, "It's nice to meet you, Kizuka'jura!" Her tail flicked slightly as she took in the compliment about her feather. "Thank you. My mom picked out my feather. Perhaps you'll get your own soon!"

And then she was curious to learn more about the older lioness and cubs know no bounds, "How long have you been here? Do you like it here? Do you have a family here?"



Nice to meet her? Well, that was a first. But it made Kizuka feel a little more confident--a little better about where she was, and how she was a part of something now. There were so many other lions in the Ela'wadiyi, and all of them, though in separate clans, were sort of...one. All accepting one another. It was kind of...nice. This little girl barely knew her, and already she had accepted Kizuka.

Oh, her mom. That was kind of sweet. "Yeah, maybe I will." Kizuka said, a smile tugging at her maw. It would be nice to start adorning herself in various Ela-ish things. But maybe it was too soon? Maybe she was still too new...or maybe she was just holding herself back when she shouldn't have been?

Shrugging off her own inner confusion, the lioness mulled over the questions being thrown at her and tried to think up answers ahead of time so that she didn't come off as a moron again.

"I've only been here a little while," she said, thinking. Maybe a week at most. "Yeah, I really like it here. I don't really...no, I don't have a family."



Aw, no family here...she was by herself? She couldn't imagine not having a family since she had such a large one to begin with. So then, she smiled warmly to the lioness, "Then you can be apart of my family! We're all family here, afterall." Her tail flicked slightly, not at all reserved about any of her thoughts or actions. Cubs were innocent, afterall.

"It's really nice here, I love my home!" She replied happily before an idea came to her, "We can find you a feather then! I am sure we'll find the perfect one that is meant for you."



Kizuka knew the little girl was very innocent, and thus very simple-minded. Kizuka wasn't like that. And she knew the little girl would always say what was in her heart, possibly not realizing what it really meant to someone else. So when she told Kizuka she could be a part of her family, the older lioness was profoundly touched. She was stiff and lax at the same time, blue eyes wide and lips parted. She had no idea that the first friend she'd make in her new home would be a small, young girl with a green pelt and a feather in her hair. It was funny how life never gave you what you wanted or expected, but what you needed. And maybe Kizuka needed to see the innocent side of life for a change.

Kizuka felt another hesitant smile pull at her maw. "Yeah, that'd be nice." she said. Her tail flicked and she cast her gaze to the right, then back down at Elo'hi. "You wanna go...look for one, then?" she ventured hesitantly.



As she saw the other lioness smile, she knew she was doing something right to make the other one happy. As she reasoned that Kizuka must be sad to be all alone here. But not anymore, she was part of her family and everyone took care of everyone else! "Yay! I have a big family that keeps on growing!"

And then as the older lioness asked her about the feather she nodded eagerly, "Oh yes! We can go and find a feather that fits you! I know just the place where there are a bunch of feathers for us to look for. The birds seem to drop feathers in this one area for us to use." She motioned in the direction where they would head.



Ears flicking, Kizuka'jura made a move to follow her new friend--or...little sister? What? Well, whatever...she was...

It didn't matter if the place was far away or nearby, the lioness thought. She was going someplace new. She was exploring her new home and getting to know it better, like a friend. Maybe one day she would be able to say she knew the lands like the back of her paw--and maybe she could say the same about the clan members, too... At least, she hoped...

That would be nice.

So she followed the small, green lioness, head full of nothing but feathers, and heart opening up to new things.

And she let herself smile.