“Hybrids?” Nkiru blinked in surprise, trying to sort things out. A leopard for a mother, a lion for a father… was such a thing even possible? Nkiru had never heard of such a thing, much less seen it!
“Leopons,” Kiongozi cut in, looking up from the demolished hunk of bees wax she was still nibbling on. “Liony things, manes and things, no tuft on their tails. Don’t look too different from you lot.”
“Thank you Kio,” Nkiru said gratefully, knowing from previous commentary that the little bird thought all felines looked alike. Big liony things with claws and no manners, as she put it. “I wish the best for your siblings,” Nkiru said. “But as long as they have family, they should be happy. Family is important.” Oh dear. That last part had slipped out without her even thinking about it, but Scheherazade was a young adult, recently left home just like her. She hoped she hadn’t offended her.
Scheherazade looked up at the avian before turning to the lioness and nodded her agreement. “They could almost pass for lions, if it wasn’t for those differences. It truly is a mystery as to how they were designed….” She trailed off, rolling her eyes to the sky in typical fashion. It was the first time in a long time that she had actually drifted off.The young leopardess stilled, her mouth slightly open, and when she lowered her head, her almost cheerful mood was gone. “I agree. Family is important, and theirs will make sure to let them know that fact.” Especially now that she had left.
“Ay, a right mystery.” Nkiru paused as the leopard drifted off, unsure how to react. Was she having some kind of fit? Should she try to get help? “Scheherazade?” She leaned forward slightly, but the leopard was soon back. Oh crap, she’d gone and done it now. Made the poor thing all sad and lonely. Mentally kicking herself, Nkiru did her best to offer a warm smile. “Sometimes… sometimes you just have to go and find your own place. My own parents kicked me and my sibs out as soon as my brother’s manes were grown, all but my two oldest sisters who got to stay and help with the hunting. But it’s better this way, really. I get to… to see things I guess. Meet new people. Never saw a leopard until after I left home, still haven’t seen any cheetahs. And all the colors! I saw a green leopard, can you imagine? What a strange color…” And then it was Nkiru’s turn to drift off, unsure what to add.
“Family is useless,” Kiongozi offered. “Never had any siblings, and my parents were dull and weak.” She frowned, trying to remember her childhood. Had there been siblings? She didn’t remember. Maybe her parents mentioned something about her siblings dying in the shell, something like that. Weaklings.
Scheherazade didn’t bother returning Nkiru’s warm smile with anything other than a blank stare. She could tell that the lioness was trying hard to break her out of her funk, but it was useless. So long as she thought of her family back home she would remain sad. She just needed to move away from it. Find a new place to live, a new calling. “I’ve never met a cheetah, either.” She answered honestly. “And what’s strange about green leopards? My mother and brothers are green.” She wasn’t angered, mostly just curious. “What constitutes as normal pelt color in your eyes?”Then she turned to Kiongozi, and shook her head. “As dull as they were, they are your parents. When you were helpless, they were there, and you should respect that.”
“Is it common then?” Nkiru asked, surprised. “My family… ho. My family was all like me, I suppose. Red. Black. White. Some orange. When I was little I used to think those were the only colors in the entire world. Mother and father never said anything about other colors… but then they never told us very much about the world outside at all. Life was the way it was and that was all there was too it. I suppose I might have stayed, if it wasn’t for my parent’s second litter arriving. Not enough food for us all, you know.”
Kiongozi flapped her wings and gave the leopard a venomous glare. “I was born strong! I was never helpless, always the best.”
“It is. Pelts come in many different markings and colors. From freakish to beautiful, I suppose. The longer you are out here, the more you’ll see.” Already Scheherazade had seen strange males that hid in sand dunes, and groups of females with no male in sight. It was strange, but wonderful, at the same time. “I can sympathize.” She wasn’t ready to expose her family to the scrutiny of strangers yet, but she could sympathize. Her life had revolved around the decisions laid down by tradition and a lion she had never met, but was to call Sultan. It hadn’t been a bad life, just not the one she had imagined for herself. “The best at what? What specifically makes you the best?” She questioned Kiongozi. “Is that all that defines you?”
“I’m glad I left then,” Nkiru said a tad shyly. It didn’t bother her that she was baring her heart to a stranger – she knew no other way to be. It was the honesty of simple innocence; she’d never learned how to protect her secrets or be anything other than welcome and loving. She’d grown up sheltered, but thought herself worldly. She knew how to spar and thought it was enough to protect her in this big wide world.
“I am strong,” Kiongozi huffed, “I survive. Strong and clever,” she added with a malicious glint in her eye. Oh yes, clever. How else could she have conned a lion into fetching beeswax for her? Also she had to do in turn was fly around, find some meat.
Perhaps Kiongozi was a simpler bird than she cared to admit; her entire world revolved around finding bees nest and conning other animals into breaking them open for her.
“And that’s all you need, I suppose.” Scheherazade commented to the bird. She wouldn’t start a fight by her a fool, but then, she wouldn’t support her ego by responding positively. It took more than strength and a quick mind to truly live. Her father taught he much about the world, and that had been one of his lessons. “I should be going. It was nice meeting with the two of you, and I wish you only the best in your ventures.”
Kiongozi puffed up her chest and dug her little claws into the wax. She suspected she might be being mocked, but she couldn’t figure out how. Ah well, she’d just take it as praise then!
“Ay, and you too!” Nkiru called. “I hope you find a happy place and whatever it is you’re looking for.” She waited patiently for the leopard to go on her way before returning to the meat at her feet. Mmm, dead gazelle!
Scheherazade smiled at the pair and took off into the landscape. She only paused once to look over her shoulder, debating on asking if she could stay for the night, but reason won out. She didn’t know them, and as nice as they seemed, it could have been a trick. Rather she would keep those good memories then have them tainted by something later on. And with that last thought, she went off in search of her own meal.
Fin.
Word Count: 1261
