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Something strange had been happening lately, Fireheart had come to realize. She usually wasn't one to daydream and get lost in thought, but that's what was happening. Usually she woke up, did her morning walk on the beach, and then set about looking for breakfast. After that, she'd head out to the borders of the pride to watch the rouge lands for a time, before retreating to the jungle to practice her hunting skills on butterflies and other bugs that offered difficult patterns to follows. In the evening she'd return to the beach and run, trying to get a little further every time before she needed to collapse and breathe for a while.

She was a bit of an oddball as far as the pride went. Most members spent their time perfecting their trade or telling stories. She had an unquenchable desire to be the best huntress she could be, the strongest warrior her body would allow, in case the day ever came that she needed to protect those she loved. But, as she had noticed, lately when she'd walk on the beach she'd end up going much further than planned, or when she was watching the rouge lands she'd find herself staring at nothing in particular while thinking about something else.

For a while she was sure she was ill. She still wasn't completely sure that was not the case. In any event, it was worrying her too much to ignore any longer. She needed help, and the perfect lioness for the job was her mother. She could always confide in her when she was younger, and that shouldn't change even now that she was nearly an adult.

It took a while to find the queen, but eventually Fireheart happened upon her when she checked her cave. She bowed her head out of respect - both because she was technically her ruler, but mostly because she was her mother - before speaking.

"Good afternoon, mother," she said softly as she lifted her head. "Have you been very busy today?"

The little bump to her head made Fireheart smile a bit. It reminded her of when she was much younger and she'd clamber over her mother - she had seemed so much bigger then! - with her siblings in play. Now, though, she was very nearly the same size as the red lioness, what with nearly being a full grown adult. She followed her mother outside, not minding that their chat would happen out in the open.

"Ah yes...I've never been bored at one," she offered, hoping that might ease her mother's mind a bit. She knew she wasn't one for serious thinking for terribly long. Thankfully the day was fairly young still, so she hadn't been at it for too long. "You always plan the best celebrations."

She fell silent after that, trying to sort out how to best describe her symptoms. "I think I'm becoming ill," she finally said after a few minutes pause. "I'm not sure with what, but I haven't been acting myself lately. It's concerning, but I don't think it's detrimental to my health in any way. It's more...getting lost in thought or...not keeping up with my schedule. And sometimes my stomach feels oddly when I'm taking lessons from Vodnitvar. Have you met him yet? He's fairly new...I recruited him a while ago from the rouge lands. Did you know he used to be a general in his old pride?"

As she continued to speak, a little smile stole over her face and her eyes focused on nothing in particular. Oh yes, she could go on for hours about him...but that wouldn't really help to figure out what's wrong with her. Right?

Fireheart stuck close to her mother as she focused on reality again. Amefungwa had been around for quite some time and had seen many, many things, so she trusted her judgement. There were healers she could have gone to, of course, but her gut had told her to come to her mother for this particular ailment.

As the older lioness spoke, her chest grew tight with worry. Whatever it was, it sounded rather serious. Serious, but not fatal. That much was a relief, at least. She relaxed just a bit and wondered what virus could cause such a thing. Surely there was a cure for it if it was so common. Adolescents and adults alike suffered from it? And while pain didn't scare her, she certainly wouldn't want to put herself through any unneeded discomfort.

"Is there a cure?" she asked, pressing closer to the red lioness. "It sounds like you've seen this before." There was just a hint of anxiousness in her eyes, but it wasn't because she was afraid of pain. She was more concerned about this silly illness putting her training on hold. What would she tell Vodnitvar if she had to put off her lessons for a few weeks? That wouldn't be good. She had to stay fresh and alert, not lay around in a cave waiting for it to pass.

The two walked for a long time after that, in which Fireheart discovered something she never thought she'd come to know. She wasn't sick after all...at least, not in the way that she expected.