The two lionesses moved quickly through the forest, both looking for the same thing: a small ibex named Isidomu. It hadn’t been that long ago that one of the lionesses, Seze, had first heard the name, yet she was still looking for the small creature with all her hope and heart. This small thing meant a lot to the female she had recently befriended, so why shouldn’t she want to look for it too? And there was no point in only putting in minimal effort in the search, either. If she was going to do something, damnit, she was going to do it to the full of her capabilities. Nquma, the lioness who had lost the ibex, wouldn’t be able to say they hadn’t tried their hardest to find the small, helpless creature. She could only hope they weren’t already too late.A small animal alone in these lands was dangerous- a snack on a giant plate.
They checked the trees and brush, hoping to catch sight of a small bundle of brown fur. Playing with a bug, or perhaps sleeping without being any the wiser that he was being looked for in the first place. Unfortunately, as the hours passed, it was becoming increasingly likely that the small creature was not as nearby as either would have liked. They were already nearing the rim of the forest, and still they had not seen the slightest indication that Isidomu was in the area. The only small consolation that could be taken from their lack of discovery was that they were seeing as little evidence of something bad having happened as something good. There were no signs of a fight, or any traces of blood to suggest he had already been picked off. Still, it didn’t amount to much if the killer happened to be a very skillful one. It was possible the ibex had simply been grabbed and hauled off, to be killed in another location. If they had happened to see the large lioness with the ibex at any time, it was likely they would be the better option for them to get their meal and eat it, too.
Seze was worried.
Nquma was frantic.
“Don’t worry, my sister,” Seze said softly, “we’ll fine him, I know we will. We just have to make sure we check everywhere and keep our heads about us, alright? I know it might seem like a good idea to panic, but it won’t solve anything, if you aren’t thinking clearly.” She could see the panic in the other’s eyes, and it was all she could do in an attempt to ease that terror. To some small degree, it seemed to work, Nquma looking back at her and offering a soft, if not sad smile.
“I know.. I know you’re right. I just want to find him before something else does… I know it’s possible he was already killed.”
“Now, don’t talk like that! We don’t know he’s dead. We should… keep looking, okay?” Of course, she was starting to lose hope as well. How would they ever find him? She couldn’t help but think it was terribly sad that this clearly lonely lioness might end up losing the one creature she had kept close.
They just had to find him- for both their sakes.
They moved out into the more open portion of the land, a vast, treeless wasteland looming before them, completely opposite of the lush, thriving forest they had just left in their wake. If nothing else, at least it might be easier to spot the creature out in the open like that. Seze turned to look back at Nquma, who was chewing on her lower lip as though she had something on her mind, but wasn’t feeling completely confident in speaking it openly.
“Yes?” prodded Seze, “do you have an idea?”
“I was just thinking… it’s possible we didn’t look through the forest well enough, you know? I mean… not that you’re terrible at looking or anything like that… but… maybe he went in the other direction? He likes to hide and play games with me… maybe that’s what he is doing now… back in the forest… I hope that’s what he’d doing…” She trailed her words, eyes dropping to the ground. As her ears flattened against her skull, Seze moved closer to offer some more comfort.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” she said soothingly, “how about you go back into the forest and continue your search there? If you’re the one he’s playing a game with, you’ll be the one he responds to. I’m not sure he’ll come out of hiding if he hears a stranger calling for him. I’ll be able to spot him out here, so it makes sense we do it this way, am I right, sister?”
“Yes… that would be a good idea,” Nquma replied. “May the Gods be on our side, and we find him before anything else can. Let’s meet back here by nightfall, whether or not we find him, okay?” If they did happen to find him, she would want to know. It would make her heart ache if they parted ways and she didn’t even have a conclusion. Hopefully, it would be a happy ending, even if her mind was telling her such a wish was foolish and shouldn’t be thought at all.
Nquma, meanwhile, grunted at her remark, which made Seze curious. Did she have a problem with the Gods? Did she not believe in them? Eh, she was probably just so concerned about her friend that she wasn’t really thinking about her reactions. Seze wouldn’t be in much mood to play nice, if it was one of her dear friends who had gotten lost.
“We’ll meet back here,” the larger lioness agreed, “good luck… and thank you again for helping me out. I didn’t know there were such kind lionesses.”
“Anytime, my sister. Speed be with you” She moved off at that, leaving Nquma to head back into the forest. The blue female looked at the trees before her, frowning.
If only being a Goddess really did mean finding him alive.
WC: 1022
