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Elpis hunkered low in the bushes, keeping out of sight, keeping silent. She was breathing hard, her eyes wide and wild. There, through a gap in the brush she could see it, her den. Safety, darkness, a place to hide. Solitude from the world and all in it that made her so weary. If she could just sneak up to it...or maybe make a run? Break cover and bolt? She could make it if she ran. Probably. Maybe. She twitched forward, one paw raised and ready to take the first step that would lead to her dash for cover...
"THERE YOU ARE!" The red lion fell upon her like a sack of...well, a sack of something furry and roughly lion shaped. Elpis collapsed to the ground with an OOF, all the air going out of her. She tugged herself free and growled at the other lioness. "Here I am? Why can't you leave me alone, Amefungwa?! I...I just want to go to bed!"
This had been the pattern for the last few days. After her job was done, and the tired white lioness was dragging herself home, she'd be intercepted by her 'friend', the red lioness Amefungwa. From there she'd be dragged about over the pride's lands having 'adventures' or whatever Ame insisted they were. The lack of sleep was making her cranky, and she just wanted to sleep. Alas, it didn't look like Ame wanted to hear it.
"Nonsense! You know you look forward to seeing me! I AM your only friend after all, aren't I?" It was true, Elpis had to admit. She wasn't a terribly social lion, and she had surprisingly little patience for the pride's more loopy lion residents. Ame, hyper though she was, seemed relatively together. "And come on! We're going to go fishing!"
"Isn't that the hunters' job? Let them do it." Elpis sighed, trying to shake off her 'friend'. "I don't want to play, I don't want to go explore. It isn't that I don't like you...you ARE my only friend. But I need to SLEEP. I worked all night. It's time for me to go to bed."
The red lioness looked confused. "But everyone's up at night, aren't they?" Elpis raised a brow, and a smile answered her. "You know, everyone! Me, and my muse, and the stars, and those things! They're all up! Just like you! C'mooon, you don't need to sleep yet, do you?"
"I do! I'm tired, Ame! It is so exhausting, taking care of others all night. The dying, they always hurt, are always scared. From the moment I wake until the moment I sleep, all I do is tend to them. I could go romp now, but then I'd be just that much more tired tomorrow, and I'd never get caught up!"
"Oh...well I never thought of it that way...sleep's really important, huh? But, my muse said to stick with you and be your friend. If you sleep I can't do that. I dunno if I'm allowed to let you sleep!"
"Of course you can! Your muse can't tell me not to sleep! If we had the same muse, maybe, but we don't! Yours is grasshoppers. You are a BUG. As in, you BUG ME. And mine is leopards! We're nothing alike, and though I sure appreciate what you've tried to do, it just won't work. You should go back to practicing your fortune telling. Though the gods know you can talk enough to do it."
Almost immediately Elpis regretted what she'd said. The look of sadness on Ame's face was heart wrenching. It was like she'd scolded a kid or something! Ugh she should just bolt to the den and hide. Surely Ame would get over it, right? She started to jog off, then sighed and slowed.
Fine. She'd say sorry at least.
"Ame?" She poked her head through the bushes. The red liones was still there, hunched over with her back to her. She looked like she was shaking. Crying maybe? Oh wow she felt really bad now. She crept closer, nudging her head against Ame's side. She felt the liones tense, and turn to face her. She looked up...
...Ame was smiling?
"Oh my gosh, you have to see this! Look what I found! A shiny rock! Ooooh look, it shines like this!" The apparently overjoyed lioness made her whole body shake. Apparently that was how shiny the rock was. "My muse hopped on it and told me about it! When I looked up you were gone! But now you're back! Come see!"
"What...you mean...you're not crying?"
"Ha ha no! Why would I be crying? I found a shiny rock! I think it's a sign from my muse! Here, look!" She held up a pebble, and indeed it was quite shiny. Glimmering green and blue, like the sea. "Isn't it nice? I wish I had a place to keep it. Maybe I can get something. Do you have any ideas?"
Elpis was still flabbergasted that apparently her words and departure had had no effect. She was glad, for sure, but it was odd. "Uhm. That is a nice rock, Ame. Maybe you could get someone to make it into a necklace for you. Or get you a place to hide it. It kind of looks like the ocean." An idea struck her. "Maybe your muse wants you to go to the ocean?"
"Oh! You think? I bet you're right, Elpis! It must be a sign from my muse!" The red lioness butted her head against Elpis', clearly excited. "I'm gonna go down to the beach alone, okay? If my muse wants to talk to me it might be special and secret. You understand right? I'll come play with you later to make up for it! Bye!" And she dashed off.
Elpis smiled after her friend and then turned to walk calmly back to her den. It seemed like being nice in the end and trying to at least go along with the lion had worked out better than telling her off or running. She'd have to try that again the next time she needed some down time.
