The last night to look on the swamps and the pride's land. The last day she could honestly say she was Theluji. Her younger brother and sisters had already set out on their naming quest, but Theluji hadn't been sent out yet. Until now. For some reason Mama Asali and the spirits sort to give her a bit of time with Mommy and to make new friends. To ease their fears a bit. But now it was time.
Dawn was quickly approving, the sky brightening. With out last look at her home, Theluji turned away and started out toward the lands every pilgrim traversed, the land she'd never really dreamed of or thought of outside of the stories told to inform and entertain. Now she'd travel through it, into it, finding her name, finding her life, so she could return to the pride, to the swamp and to her family. To her mother.
Blue flashed onto the path she was walking. Mr. Azure. The blue lizard that had lead her on so many swamp adventures. Smiling Theluji stopped and stared at the bright blue lizard. She had never wanted to eat him, her adventurer and explorer. Her own guide into the interesting and odd swamp secrets. She certainly didn't want to eat him now.
As she stood waiting for the blue lizard to go on its way, Mr. Azure only stared at her, waiting himself.
When she moved to walk passed the lizard, the lizard moved down the path as if to lead her down yet another path, another adventure. Theluji laughed and started down the path, shaking her head at the little lizard. It figured and it fit, following the blue lizard before starting this quest. She had done it for so many others, and this was going to be the biggest venture in her life. The one where she became an adult.
The azure lizard followed the path for a few hours, constantly looking back to make sure she was still following. The path, a trail really, one so faint that it was barely used for traveling to find water by the animals that were prey and not for some time, at that, curved out of sight. The lizard refused to continue down the path, starting to make its way into the swamp foliage. Theluji smiled and sat down at the bend in the trail. “Goodbye, Azure.” Theluji watched as the creature made its way back into the swamp, never quite disappearing into the surroundings considering his bright color even in the first hour of day with its waxing light. Then she turned back to her path that lead out of the swamplands to, somewhere she didn’t know.
Going barely a few feet down the path, the little lizard reappeared, chirping at her angrily. Insistently. Hissing. Its tail whipping back and forth. “I have to leave, Azure. I can’t follow further into the swamps. I must hunt my name down. And I cannot do that here.” Theluji tried to explain, sighing at the lizard’s doggedness.
Theluji sat down and Azure rushed her, hissing and spitting. “Hey!” Theluji jumped back, startled. The lizard had never done that to her before. As soon as she was standing, the lizard stopped spitting, but continued to chirp and hiss at her. “Look! I need my name, and I can’t find it here!” She tried to explain to him, annoyance and frustration dripping from her tone. Theluji took a calming breath, gritted her teeth and looked back at the little lizard, who was now standing on its tail. He was tall when standing on his tail, still small because he was a lizard, but tall for a lizard. Maybe as tall as two paws from the ground. Or there abouts.
And thinner. He took up barely a sliver of the path now. And Theluji could pass him by without any trouble. Or so she thought. She took a step forward and Azure spit at her paw. Theluji snagged her paw away in time for the spittle to land on the path rather than her fur. Glowering at the lizard, Theluji tried again and again, faking to the left and then dodging to the right, but always Azure stopped her with his spit. His acidic spit as she learned when it landed on a leave that steamed from the contact.
Growling in frustration, Theluji was close to roaring for the first time in her life. He wouldn’t let her go find her name! She needed to be on her way. Now.
And then Azure got smart. He started spitting at her paws when she wasn’t even trying to move forward on the path, forcing to back up until they were at the bend again and then she was in the foliage. And he continued to spit at her until the path disappeared and they were surrounded by the swamp.
Theluji snarled. Normally quiet, calm and friendly, the little lizard was trying her patience and quickly getting on her nerves.
When they were far enough away from the trail, Azure started to lead her through the swamp, but Theluji didn’t move. She stared at the outrageous lizard. When he realized Theluji wasn’t following, he turned around, stood on his tail and waited. He waited as if she was being difficult and throwing a fit.
Glaring at him, Theluji started forward. Obviously he wanted something, to show her something, to bring her somewhere and he wasn’t going to leave her alone to start her Naming Quest until she cooperated with him. And she seemed to have to. Didn’t mean she had to be graceful about it, though.
She stomped behind the leading lizard, trudging through the swamps until they weren’t swamps anymore, but marshlands. Riddled with trees and plains and rocks and things not found in the swamps. The little lizard lead her to the edge of the swamp and beyond, right to a view so incredible, Theluji gaped at the image. Morning fully arrived, herds of animals, mountains and plains and trees. And in the distance, the glimmer of something she’d never seen. Falling water.
Azure chirped and disappeared back where they had come from and Theluji stared. He’d lead her to the rogue lands and it had taken less time than that path. Instead of traveling for twenty hours without rest or hunting, it had taken her nearer to nine. And now, now she could hunt and rest and continue on.
“Thank you, Azure, my friend.”
Theluji heard a chirp, but she didn’t know if it was Azure, another lizard, a bird, or a spirit. Unless Azure was a spirit. Theluji didn’t want to think about it, so she didn’t. She stalked her prey and planned a hunt instead.