Mle lounged in the shade of a wide-branched tree. It seemed like the waters of the swamp were lower today, though it could have been anything creating the effect. With his eyes closed, he almost looked as if he were sleeping. He wasn't, of course, but simply resting. Now and then, his tail flicked, almost as if dancing. It was a rare moment away from his small pride of cubs.
It didn't take the white lioness long to find the male, equally as white as she. Well, more white, since she was splattered in stone-gray markings. She was home, though, which she was happiest about. Her long trip into the world beyond the swamp had been... Eventful. She'd traveled far to the east and seen great expanses of sand, and high mountains. It felt like a lifetime away from the home she'd known. Now... She found the lion she saw as a father, relaxing in the shade. He looked so relaxed, she didn't have the heart to wake him up. So when she reached him, she just stood there, watching and waiting.
As he flicked his tail, sending just a bit of water flying, Mle swiveled his hears forward. Opening one orange eye, the male smiled. "Welcome home there, Ying-tai! How was your name quest?" He had to admit, even though she was adopted, she was his first cub to go out on a name quest. It made him smile, knowing she'd done so. She didn't look harmed for her experience, which meant that it had gone well. He motioned with a paw to a spot near him, "Come over here close to me to tell me!"
Ying-tai let out a sound of glee, bounding over. Settling next to the adult male, she stretched her paws out. "I went across the eastern mountains!" She saw the look of recognition on his face, of a place far away. "I found my way to the desert, too! Or... The edge of it, anyway." She wiggled, excited about it. "I met a lioness, her name was... Um..." What WAS that lioness's name? Her ears folded back in thought, trying to recall it. When nothing came to mind, she shrugged. "Well, anyway, she said she was Bodaway's daughter!"
White ears lifted in surprise amid the gray mane. "Bodaway...? How is he?" How was his old friend? His brother in spirit... He'd only spent a small time with the great red lion, but he missed him greatly. They were both far younger then, and Mle so much less bold. He remembered the initial fright at such a huge lion the color of blood, and then the comfort born from his presence. Thinking along the lines of 'firekin' had certainly helped Mle. Plus the swamps were so... Comforting.
She shook her head. "I didn't see him, myself. Not personally. Like I said... It was his daughter. But she said he's getting on in age, and reaching the end... Maybe he'll come visit you before he... Um... Says hello to his Goddess for good." It was weird to think on the lines of 'he'll die soon', but she didn't want to sugar coat it. Suddenly her ears pricked and eyes widened. "Oh! Oh! I met SO many lions out on my journey! I even brought one home!"
"You brought..." She'd brought a lion home. Mle shook his head in amusement. "You went out and made a lot of friends, didn't you?" He chuckled, licking her forehead and ear. "You'll have to introduce me to your new friend, then! But first... Tell me about where all you went." He wanted to know the sorts of experiences that his daughter-by-adoption had had, and what it had all been like. Was her experience in the big wide world better than his?
Ying-tai giggled. "Well... I went east, toward the rising sun." She motioned with a paw. "I crossed the HUGE mountains, and saw white powdery stuff on top of some. I found out from a bird that it was called snow." She wasn't so sure she liked it. The lioness made a face. "It was so cold and wet... I'm glad to be out of it, and only had to go through it twice."
The male laughed, amused at how she didn't like it. "See why we're in the swamplands, not the mountains! I imagine there may be lions up there who like it, at any rate." He preferred being surrounded by water. Lots and lots of water. It was his favorite element, and he enjoyed floating in the water or swimming around. He wasn't one to brag, but... He was pretty sure he was the best lion at fishing. Or one of the best. The oily little creatures made for their own special meals.
She shook her head, ears flopping a bit. "I don't know why, it's too cold there!" She then let out a bit of a huff. "The other side of the mountains is too dry, too... There was lots of waving gold grasses... And then a desert. A big desert. I didn't go in. On the other side was a giant lake... A bird there said it was an ocean, but I'm not even sure what that means. Then I turned back for home."
Mle nodded, listening intently. "You should like you had a good time of it, though, with all that walking..." She certainly looked happy, that was for sure! "Where exactly in this did you meet your friend you brought home, though? Where did they originally come from?" That was an important thing to worry about. With the troubles the pride had had before, Mle was wary to trust anybody new. It didn't mean he didn't trust new lions at ALL. After all, he'd trusted Nenetl... Well, not Nenetl anymore, but Xochiyotl. It had a wonderful ring to it, if complex to get off the tongue.
She shifted, placing one paw over the other. "Well... See, when I passed back by the desert... That's when I met Bodaway's daughter, and we chatted, and then I was on my way. After I'd left, I was climbing the east side of the mountains, when I spotted this lion trying to climb. He's only an adolescent right now, but he's HUGE..." She almost couldn't wait for her father figure to meet him. "He said he came from a pride that was picky about coat colors..."
A male? A HUGE male... "Ying-tai, I think you should bring him to meet me... I think I want to hear from him his history." He was worried, of course. Ying-tai was umbrella'd in with his children. He loved her like a daughter. Of course he was afraid for her.
"Okay, daddy, I'll go get him!" Getting up, the white and gray lioness went bounding off. As she vanished into the swamp growth, there was the odd splash as she charged her way through pools, streams, and puddles.
Mle let out a sigh, closing his eyes. Gods help him, he hoped this lion wasn't dangerous.
