Mazai'mirties - -_Wish of the Goddess_-
Abendhimmel -Redbud-Tree
Mazai'mirties was finding herself in odder, and odder situations. First an outsider, who had been foolishly interested in her, and now....just her wanderings that had seemed to bring her to....quite the odd place. Sighing heavily, Mazai's green eyes were showing the first emotion they had in days, exhaustion. Her ears were flat as she patrolled around the sparring fields. looking for something.....anything to do.
Abendhimmel wasn't supposed to be out by herself. She knew this and knew it well, but some days she wanted to get away from her brothers. If for no other reason than because they were brothers, and she couldn't stand getting her fur muddy - something that meant that they often went out of the way to get her all messy. Hmph. She had better things to be doing! Like scouting for - for strangers! Yes! She was doing Very Important Things out here. Satisfied with that internal explanation, she took a seat in the grasses and started grooming her paws - one could never be too clean, after all.
This was when she scented said cub, and those green eyes glanced up as she trotted towards the smell. It was illogical, a cub being out on her own like this, "....Why is a cub out? There is a 40% chance that you would find yourself cubnapped, were you to stay out here too long." Her percentages were coldly calculated, and her eyes were back to ice. No use showing her emotion to anyone. It was a foolish endeavor, which would end in her own downfall.
"Well a 40% chance isn't a guarantee, is it?" Abendhimmel countered - before she thought better of her words and looked away. Oops. Talking to strangers was probably a bad idea, and being snippy at them even moreso. "Sorry," she added, though somewhat reluctantly. She wasn't sure how or if apologizing would help, but it was probably better to be nice... right?
The femme's eyes seemed to brighten slightly, "Not a guarantee, but a high chance, cub. Especially if you are of a certain blood. In these tough times...one never knows." The apology brought a chuckle from the femme, and for once, it was even, and somewhat real, "......No apology necessary. A cub who questions, is a cub with a good mind. One that will be good for the pride."
"Maybe," she said, looking around the area before letting bright gold eyes fall on the older lioness. "But if I hid away all of the time I'd only learn how to be afraid, and that's hardly good for the pride or for me." Nevermind that it left her vulnerable to pranks from her littermates. Ugh, males.
"Hiding is only effective 25% of the time, cub. There are other things one can do to ensure that she is safe from the rest of the Pride and outside lions. I think, dear cub, it would be in your interest to fight. I learned at about your age." This all said in a statistical voice, her pretty green eyes watching the cub, "My name is Mazai'mirties Makkusuweru."
"Twenty-five percent?" Abendhimmel echoed, wrinkling her nose. "That's not very much, is it?" Even without much emotion to go on, she liked the way this older lioness acted. She seemd sophisticated and - and smart! "Do you suppose that I could learn to fight well enough to stand my ground when needed?" She asked, tilting her head - fighting seemed rather messy, but if it was safer for her than hiding all of the time... "Oh! My name is Abendhimmel Khushrenada."
She shrugged slightly. "....You likely could, cub." And when the child's name was stated, the female's ear flicked. The cub was definitely not to know what colony she hailed from....".....That is a long name, Abendhimmel. I will call you Mel. In order to shorten the phrasing between us. You may call me Mazai. With your stature, it will be easy to teach you to fight enough to.....hold your ground well."
Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, Abendhimmel was just young enough to still be naive about the hazards of giving out one's name. And most definitely young enough to be unsure when to be cautious or polite. Because of this naivety, the cub didn't notice the ear flick that... Mazai made. In fact, the only thing she noticed was the nickname she had just been given. "Mel...?" She echoed, and then smiled. It was so short, but a nice kind of short! And what was this stuff about stature? There was a lot to learn here, wasn't there? "Will it be?" She paused, then, tilting her head a little, curiosity overtaking her. Even vain little cubs will be cubs from time to time. "Would you please teach me... Mazai?"
"......It will. There is much you need to learn, starting with your center of balance." Obviously, the answer was yes. "The way you sit right now makes it obscenely easy for me to knock you over. I could use one paw." Mazai sat, her hind legs slightly wider, her front paws firmly planted before her, claws digging into the ground, "Brace yourself, without being too tense. Holding tense around your joints is a bad idea."
You could sit in a way that was dengerous to you? Abendhimmel - Mel, she liked this new, short version of her name! - didn't know that was possible. She didn't know a lot of things, it looked like. And that just wouldn't do for a cub in her position! Nope, she needed to fix this, and fix it she would - by trying to do everything that Mazai told her. The cub adjusted the way she was sitting, trying to mimic her new teacher as best she could - it was much more difficult than it looked, but she would get it right.
From there, she taught her things like grace, stealth, how to use her claws, and balance while standing. Each thing was taught, and Mazai tested her new student. So when the cub proved....VERY handy at it, this brought a true smile to the female's face, "I suppose there is some chance for a cub like you.....59%." Instead of derogatory, though, this was....almost affectionate. Her pretty green eyes were softer, "This will be all for today, Mel. I must be getting back to my family."
This was probably the hardest day of her short life, but it had also been a lot more... nto fun, exactly, but maybe - satisfying? Yes, that was the right word - than the cub had thought that it would be. And so she smiled at the older lioness, her bright eyes lit up. "I should probably get back, too." Back to her littermates. Ew. "Thank you very much for teaching me, Mazai!"
"Of course, Mel. You take care of yourself." She leaned down and nosed her slightly,, "And maybe I'll see you again soon."
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