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 Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:12 pm
Star was getting more confident in herself, as she grew under the watchful and supportive gaze of her multiple parents and with her new baby sibblings to play with. This new found confidence meant that she could walk off on her own, without worry and without the desire to run back to her mothers after every little thing that startled her.
This meant that she took more and more days away from them, and more and more out wandering. Of course, her PapaMama Dysi often encouraged this desire, since he himself was a wanderer, which made Star curious of that life.
It didn't suit her though, she thought walking along, unable to enjoy the simple motion of the walking. The air was humid and warm, uncomfortable for walking. She was more the type that liked having a place to stay, and she wanted that one place to stay to be somewhere nice, she didn't want to have to spend forever walking to find it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:26 pm
The grass was long and soft underfoot here, but not as soft as the mossy muddy earth of the swamplands. This was homesickness, Imbali supposed. Not for the people exactly, just for the place. She was tired of hot bright days, looking for the cool murky atmosphere of the swamps.
Another pale coat caught her eye, and she stared for a moment, wondering if perhaps it was a spirit. But, no, it was a lioness like herself, perhaps a bit younger. Maybe on her quest as well?
"Hello," Imbali called, tired of walking alone in this weather. Might as well do something else for a while.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:33 pm
There was a time when someone calling out to her would have startled Star, her paranoia of people still fresh when she was younger, however now she simply raised her head from where she had been watching her feet curiously.
Spotting another pale coat, her eyes widened lightly. For a moment, she thought it was Dysi but she realised it was female and not even a leopard. Calling herslef silly, she sent a smile towards the other lion, which she recognised now as she drew closer.
"Hi," she greeted, her voice fairly juvenile still, showing she had only recently grown. She had perked up, thankful for a reason to stop walking, as she drew to a stop not far fromt he female. Please let her stop and talk, Star thought inwardly, please don't make me walk again for a while! "Horrid day isn't it?" Star asked, with a faint smile and a tiny roll of her eyes.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:58 pm
Interesting. Someone who agreed that the warm dry weather was uncomfortable. Imbali eyed the younger lioness with interest. Not many had the same white pelt she had, this couldn't be a relative she'd forgotten, could it? No, those markings on her paws were quite different from Imbali's tan toes.
"Yes," she agreed flatly. "I wish it would rain." Rain would be nice. Much cooler, and it would wash all the sticky heat out from her fur. She missed mud and water more than she ever thought she would.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:05 pm
Star still felt a little awkward around strangers, which was why she shifted somewhat anxiously on her feet when she saw the female eye her. She dind't seem agressive though, which was the onyl reason why Star hadn't backed away already. This was sort of a test for her, to show that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and not being scared away from things easily. After all, she was getting older and couldn't hide behind her parents forever.
"Rain?" She tilted her head ot the side and then glanced up, staring curiously at the sky. "But then it would be cloudy and I won't get to see the stars tonight." She looked concerned by this. Having a family on the ground didn't stop her from dreaming of her family in the stars.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:03 pm
The stars? Imbali glanced up at the sky, puzzled. Why did it matter about the stars? Were they what this lioness used to guide her pawsteps?
"I suppose it would," she concluded eventually. "But...perhaps it could rain a bit now...and then blow away by tonight so that you could still see your stars?" That seemed like a suitable compromise to her.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:11 pm
Star looked pleased at that thought and smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up at the thought of both of them being happy with the compromise. "That sounds wonderful!" She announced, and glanced back up at the sky, frowning. "Now we simply must convince the sky that it needs to rain now and not later!"
She was a little on the odd side, she knew, having been told by many people just how odd she was but she didn't mind. She was who she was and that was all that mattered.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:22 pm
Imbali nodded. "Yes, that would be very nice," she agreed, looking up at the sky as the other did. But how did one go about convincing the sky to do anything? It simply did as it wished as far as she knew. After staring at it for several minutes, with no luck whatsoever in convincing it to rain, she turned her gaze back to the little lioness.
"Perhaps we should find a stream instead?" she suggested, "It would help us cool down with a great deal less convincing than the sky." Once they found it. But she'd passed something that sounded like running water a while back, it shouldn't be too hard to find.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:28 pm
Star was pleased when the female didn't tell her she was odd, but seemed to take her words and believe them. IT was nice, instead of being made fun of. "I suppose that might be easier," she mused when the lioness mentioned a stream. "The sky can be awefully stubborn sometimes." She sighed but smiled anyway.
"Do you know where a stream is? I'm not very good at directions yet. I get lost fairly easily, but my parents usually come and find me if I get too badly lost," she laughed a little, able to make fun of her own lack of directional skils.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:35 pm
Once the mention of parents would have had the lioness screwing up her face against tears before running off bawling for her brother. But now it barely made an ear twitch. See? See how much simpler life was when she didn't care? No pain...not anymore.
"I passed one by, I believe we might find it in this direction," Imbali replied, turning to lead the way back in the direction she'd come from. Water would be nice, spirits knew her name might as well be anywhere at all.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:48 pm
Star was eager to follow the elder lioness. She knew that not all strangers were nice, but she seemed to be, so she wasn't worried about it. "That sounds lovely," she responded lightly, wiggling a little as she walked.
A small moment of silence followed, by the youth was not good at being quiet for very long, at least not yet. "What is your name?" She asked, unaware of the lioness' naming quest, she was simply curious.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:03 pm
The lioness led the way, her ears pricked for the faint sound of water. She loved water, and mud, and nice cool shade...but a shallow pebbly stream was all she seemed to be finding today. Still, it was much better than no water at all, and was deep enough, at least, to get her paws wet. A bit more enthusiastically, she started down the small incline towards the little creek.
"I have not yet found my name," she replied, glancing over her shoulder, "But my mother called me Imbali. You may use that if you'd like."
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:14 pm
Star was surprised that they had found the creek, but a pleased smile was on her face as she walked down the incline towards it with the lionesss. "Found a name?" She asked, sounding curious but nodded. "I had trouble with names too. My mothers call me Star. Imbali is a nice name."
Reaching the creek, she didn't waste time and stumbled into the water, smiling as her paws were soaked. "So nice!" She announced brightly. The cooling water was so nice on a warm day.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:36 pm
"Names are tricky things," Imbali agreed. Mothers, had she said? Had this one lost her parents too? Perhaps they were more alike than just in pale coloring. "Yes, it is nice," the lioness agreed, hesitating only for a moment before splashing playfully at the other. Names were hard, and troubling. But she felt less troubled knowing that, even if this Star was younger than she, the little lioness had found a name for herself.
Perhaps the spirit were still around to guide people to names after all. Maybe there could be hope for her yet. Maybe...
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