The cubs were all accounted for in their lessons, the hunters had set out for the day, her parents were seeing to their duties, as was Tesni. Her other sisters, well, Acenath was probably with that male friend of hers, and Jani she wasn't sure of. As for the thirteen others, they too still had some lessons to see to. Though there was no short supply of people that Soa COULD seek out for company she ended up deciding to explore some of the quieter halls instead while Ukilia caught a nap.
She had trained and learned in every area that she could, including their history of course, but still, the markings lining the walls caught her attention and held her curiosity captive. What stories did they tell? What must the pride have been like in it's past glory days (Because surely as well as it prospered now she wouldn't dare call this anything less than the glory days anew.)?
As she padded quietly down the corridors her eyes took in the writings curiously, scanning them over and over with her slow, steady pace. It was a rare moment to find the princess alone in the daylight hours with absolutely no one else but her own thoughts.
*
It was probably quite a surprise for outsiders to learn that the Dawnwalker goddess took the form of a cow, and that she was considered the mistress of beauty and love. But Hethert was indeed and the image of her that Peribsen was looking at was bovine. It was lightly in relief and with most of the coloured paint long eroded from the wall was of just sand coloured stone, but it was a lovely scene nonetheless, flanked by rows of writing and reed motif. On one of those shaped logs humans used – a boat, had they known the word – in a mass of flowering papyrus floated Hethert. Hethert in Her glory; a slender cow, somehow elegant, with large painted eyes and the sun between her horns. A human stood on the shore held up offerings of lotus flowers, a lion companion at her side.
He was here because there’d be an unfortunate accident involving cubs playing with offal and bones left over from a hunt. This scene was just outside the inner shrine of Hethert, where they should not have be playing anyway, and the blood that’d been splashed a little on the scene and trailed on the floor just wouldn’t do. It’d taken Peribsen and Takasika a while to clean up, but now Peribsen remained alone, loitering and praying to the goddess.
Somewhere in the temple, a pair of cubs were getting a talking to from the high priest. But here, everything was calm and still and warm.
*
She had been unaware of the incident itself, or she might have gotten sidetracked. As it was her wandering paws brought her right to Peribsen. At least she could say she had come there on purpose. She was familiar with the scene, and sometimes would seek it out just to ponder over it. Her eyes traveled away from the walls when she scented another lion in the halls, not surprised that it was familiar. If nothing else then she made sure she was aware of all the pride members, even if they didn't speak personally much. Since things had settled down lately she wasn't quite as outgoing as she had once been, and had mellowed out of her more bubbly social phase.
That didn't mean she couldn't greet a pride member though. Peribsen... and he seemed to be praying, so she didn't want to interrupt, so instead she prayed as well, in silence, figuring that he would maybe be finished a bit before her.
*
Bright eyes flicked from the goddess’ image to the lioness who’d stopped to pray beside him. He needn’t have glanced. He knew her scent well enough. Perhaps she’d come to let him know that her group of cubs she watched over were going to visit? So long as they were respectful – unlike the offal draggers – he loved having cubs come visit the more temple-y parts of the temple. This was their heritage after all, their cultural religion. Plus with his enthusiastic nature, he usually got to be the priest to show them around, and it was fun.
Nice break for the nannies too.
As he’d finished his prayer, he took a step back and waited for Soa to finish too. Since this was an informal prayer, not in the shrine, he didn’t end with any show of respect or back away from the image has he would have the statue of Hethert that was still in her inner sanctum. Just stepped back and sat down.
*
When her prayer was done Soa opened her eyes and looked to Sen sitting a bit behind her shoulders and to her side.
"Good day, Peribsen." She smiled, friendly enough, just romantically DENSE. "I didn't want to interrupt. I should have realized I wouldn't be the only one roaming the temple halls."
She'd been thinking and rethinking over the event from the other day a little, but after an hour here and there she finally let it go, finding that it didn't come to mind again after that. She could do nothing about what had already transpired, she knew, so she moved on. It passed her mind briefly now but was dismissed again just as quickly. Today was a fresh start.
*
“Good day Soa.” He grinned briefly before it became a more usual smile, unable to help himself. Hethert would hardly blame him, he thought, given what she was the goddess of. It was just it was good to see her. Not that he didn’t see Soa, the pride was big but it wasn’t /that/ big, but something about her made him want happy (and nervous and - ) whenever he was around her. He hoped one day to bring her joy too.
“It’s no trouble at all. How are you? Where you here to arrange a visit for the cubs?”
*
"I'm well." She smiled, nodding. "Actually, I was just exploring for the sake of exploring, but I wanted to see this scene of Hethert again. It's the most curious one of them all, to me." The princess confessed, letting her eyes move back to the drawings once more. She was well versed in all the areas that they had been taught as possible heirs, but there was always more she could learn.
*
“Really?” Peribsen came to stand by her, as if seeing it more from her literal point of view would help him understand her mental point of view. He wanted to know more about Soa – never let it be said that Peribsen only went for a pretty face – and this was a perfect opportunity. Even he couldn’t screw this up surely. She was curious about the scene before them, he was curious about her.
“Why is it curious to you?”
*
"Yes, well..." She couldn't stop her ears from twitching back, but she did stop them from moving back all the way in her embarrassment.
"It's silly, really... but I've just... always wondered, why the form of a prey beast?" She looked from the scene to Peribsen, really noticing properly for the first time (How could she not? He was right there.) that his coat colors were similar to hers, just a bit less saturated. His eyes were a lovely shade, too, she was reminded of Meilin's description of the pools in the jungle where they'd temporarily made home once and barely caught herself from staring. Was it odd for her to ponder this right now? Not at all, but she did let it go so she could focus on his response, which might very well be to laugh for all she knew.
*
“I’m not much of a hunter. They made me hunt when I was a slave, but it’s not what I’m good at. But anyway, I’ve watched the prey beasts and they’re not so different than us in so many ways.” He looked up at the goddess again, with a fond look on his face. Peribsen could be excitable, he could be over eager, but he had a huge heart. He turned the fond look on Soa. It was the kind of look you gave a dear dear friend, a family member or someone you loved….or at least fancied a hell of a lot and wanted to fall for.
“What do you think are feminine traits?” He asked, lightly.
*
"I suppose... beauty, patience, wisdom maybe, gentleness." She answered, peeking back at him again with a tiny turn of her head. Where was this coming from? Not the question, her reactions. Why was she acting like this? Why did those stupid "W" words seem to keep coming up whenever he was around: What and why, WHY?
"I suppose... beauty, patience, wisdom maybe, gentleness." She answered, peeking back at him again with a tiny turn of her head. Where was this coming from? Not the question, her reactions. Why was she acting like this? Why did those stupid "W" words seem to keep coming up whenever he was around: What and why, WHY?
*
“Well, lets focus on the gentleness. Their husbands, the bulls, are strong and some of the most dangerous prey we usually hunt. The cows though are quite peaceable creatures. They’re gentle and are known to be excellent mothers – which probably requires a lot of patience. Calves like cubs are probably quite the pawful.” He tried to explain, trying not to sound quite so much like a teacher. He grinned, trying to keep it light hearted. He was trying to share his opinion, not lecture her.
“Hoof-ful anyway.”
*
She felt mirth bubble up as enlightenment came at last, it seemed so obvious now that he pointed it out, but she'd never considered it from that perspective before. Yes, the female bovine probably best embodied gentleness didn't she?
"Well, when you put it that way it certainly makes more sense." She couldn't help grinning a little, eyes back on the scene before them for a moment. "Hmm, I don't suppose you'd mind explaining a few of the others for me? I don't want to keep you if you've things to tend to." She looked at him though, a bit hopeful.
*
It took him a moment to reply. She’d grinned at him. He’d made her smile. And if Soa kept asking herself why, he had a question of his own – why did her happiness make his heart soar so? When had this started and why had it happened? Had it been that one minute, she’d just been one of the princesses, some one he knew and saw because of their work and because they were both in the pride – and the next it’d been like this? It was crazy, this weakness he had, and it made no sense. But her grin, her smile…her hopeful look his way…
He swallowed before he replied and ended up running on a little in his eagerness to answer and offer his services.
“It’s just one reason but I’m glad to have sated your curiosity somewhat. But then it seems maybe I’ve whetted it instead. I’d be happy to share my thoughts on anything you want to know. I’m not a teacher, really, but I’d be happy to…”
*
Soa really had no clue that her reaction could make him so happy, she didn't even stop to think she could have that effect on anyone honestly. She did appreciate his agreement to indulge her request, though, grinning a bit wider and ears perking a bit.
"Really? Thank you! I don't mind being curious, it's exciting learning new things... or coming up with one's own possible answers." She reasoned, finding that this random venture was indeed releiving her of her restless boredom. Somehow she was just really, really looking forward to it. She'd never really had time to study their religion in depth because of other chosen responsibilities. It was okay to be a little selfish today though, right? Plus she could pass on what she learned, so it wasn't really being selfish if others would benefit from it too later.
"So then, what are the other reasons for this form?" She returned to the previous topic, physically not really moving to show it, but it was visible in her eyes, right now he had her full attention, she was about as eager as a cub that had just been told they'd get their first hunting lesson.
*
“Well, through being the goddess of females, she naturally became equated with beauty and with her connections with brining joy, with love. Also, you know that Hethert is the lady of the heavens?” Peribsen continued on.
“In the night sky, you know the band of white stars? They say it’s a trail of spilled milk.” It was true. It wasn’t only in English, ironically, that it was called the Milky Way.
*
Soa was genuinely fascinated, as she stood staring at the wall she began to picture it, deciding that she'd have to study them more closely the next time she was star gazing. However, it was something he said before that struck an unknown chord. Why that word in particular seemed to stand out she didn't know, but the dark colored female blinked slowly as she felt a slow tightness in her chest. Did love really equate to happiness? Not just family love, romantic love, intimate love? He was stirring questions in her, so many questions, not all of them seeming to be related (Later, in retrospect, she'd realize just how connected they really were.
"Beauty, joy, and love, you say?" She asked quietly, eyes drifting from the bovine in the hollowed log back to Peribsen.
*
“Along with the arts, dance and music, those are hers to give to us.” He nodded. Peribsen turned to smile again. Simply adding -
“But love is her greatest gift.”
