Dusk had settled into night by the time Dimu snapped out of her dreamy daze and began to look around. When she had begun what was suppose to be just a leisurely walk, she had been in the Tuait'tekem lands. And now she was far into the Roguelands, far from where she had been before. Her deep pink orbs lifted to the sky as she watched stars twinkling over head, with a quick moment to think and calculate, she recalled where -her- star was she saw it near the horizon. Guiding her steps further from the sand she had called home for so long.
Had she wandered off on purpose? No, surely not. She had expected to go for a walk, maybe catch some dinner then go home, but she supposed her mind wandered off and her feet followed the horizon. Now that she was out here though, there was no point in turning back. She had been so miserable there by herself. So alone. And sure, the other lions were friendly, but a lot of them had begun creating little families and while she loved seeing cubs running around, it made her miss her now fully grown sons.
"I guess it is time to follow my star again and find a new home. Perhaps I will even see one of my sons again, or maybe be blessed with new children..." She wondered to herself out loud as her feet began to feel firmness under them the sand almost a distant memory now as tough grasses began to poke at the pads of her paws.
Time passed slowly, almost in a whimsical manner as Dimu continued her trek, her paws and limbs should have felt sore, but Dimu was oblivious as she seemed to stare out beyond everything, as if into another world, or even the past. Slow, powerful strides propelled the lioness forward, never faltering in her sure steps and never tripping, always careful to step over any fallen branches or raised roots.
Images of past friends and others she met blurred in her vision as she relived certain past events in her head.
Her first meeting with her former lover, the cheetah Uri; the casual conversations and friendly banter. The way they complimented each other and how she constantly reminded him that he was indeed beautiful despite his 'unusual' coloring. And then again and again how she'd visit him... Then finally when they created their cubs and she left... She wondered if he even knew about the cubs, she had told them who he was and where he was, but had any of them gone looking for him?
A faint smile crossed her lips while her eyes remained somewhere else, far away and back in time. Her waking dream was broken when her surefootedness slipped and she found herself stopped with a sharp pain between her front left toes. She blinked the bluriness from her eyes and lifted the paw to look, between two toes a small slender branch had stabbed her. A wince and a yank and the twig was in her teeth then spat out on the ground.
Slowly she became aware of her surroundings again, looking around and taking in the new environment. A watering hole? Yes, that was it, just up ahead with a large tree spreading its boughs over the water and shading it for all who sought a moment of rest.
With a tired sigh Dimu padded her way over, realizing now how sore she was from walking all day and well into the night. As she reached the pool she dipped her front paws in the cool water and lounged under the shade, staring off into the horizon, wondering just how late it was and how long until dawn broke and filled the skyline with light colors of orange and pink that faded into purple then black like the sky above her head.
"I wonder what my boys are up to right now…" She questioned to no one in particular. Her words driftly almost deafly in the air, no ears around to pick them up save her own. Her four boys crossed her mind a lot lately. Taabu had been the last to leave, and he had had such a soft spot in her heart, the memory of his departure still struck her in such a way she did hope she met him again to tell him so many things.
So many things left unsaid with him.
Would he be happy by now? Had he found his new home and was there someone special in his life? She knew he would never have cubs, he was infertile and seemed to be extremely angry towards females. It was sad, but in a way, Dimu understood. He was her cub. He had been her little boy for so long, she had almost missed him growing up.
A soft chuckle came from her throat as the memory of him out playing in the desert near an oasis and he had had a run in with some little creature, a lizzard or snake, an dit had bit him. He came home crying and asking her to fix it, no, demanding she fix it. She had chuckled then, too. It had been so funny, she knew he had probably deserved it. Always making trouble. That is why she named him taabu Chafu, trouble maker. And he had lived up to the namesake. Always getting into fights or causing trouble, he was a wild one. Even as an adult he had been rebellious. After a female he had fancied shot him down without the blink of an eye he had pranked her so badly her parents had come to Dimu to ask her to repremand him, and she had, tellign him, though gently, that it was not good to treat others badly and if they hurt your feelings, it was better to forgive and move on.
”Dwelling on the past is never a good thing, Taabu, it only makes it hurt longer.”
What would she say to him now if he crossed her path? Would she tell him she loved him? Give him advice he would likely just ignore anyway? And what kind of cheeton had he grown up to be? Was he fast or strong, quick or tough? She chuckled thinking about it, likely he was fast and quick-witted. He always lost fights he picked with other lion boys growing up, so she had to doubt he would be much stronger now. No, he took after his father much more in the physical regard. So small compared to her.
Perhaps on this journey she would look for him. If she found him, she hoped she could tell him she was proud of him and that she was happy, if he had found a home and was indeed happy himself.
Now though, it was time to rest until the rising sun woke her to continue her trek...
