They had found a nice place to rest before Kaimu asked for his next little favor from Kisi, the two lions settled under the shade of a nice tree. He smiled at her, though he looked a little guilty. “I don’t know if I should be asking you something else. We only just met, and I feel like I’m taking too much from you without offering anything in return…” He frowned and looked down at the ground, feeling a little like he was using her. But he didn’t mean to- he liked being around her, and he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable around him.
She, however, offered him a smile. “I’m happy to help if I can,” she assured him, “if it’s something my knowledge might be able to help with, then let me know and I’ll do my best! If we’re… friends… then we’re supposed to help each other, right?”
“You want to be friends with someone like me?” Kaimu asked, surprised but pleased. Kisi laughed in return.
“I thought the same! Do you want to be friends with someone like me?”
“Of course I do! You’re amazing! Smart and cool… and so good at hunting! I thought you wouldn’t want to be friends with me, who can’t really do anything on his own… I’m kind of pathetic, and you’re not. You could have much better friends than me. Though I guess friends aren’t really measured on what they can and can’t do, right?” He chuckled lightly, and smiled once more, Kisi smiling back at him. Was that right? What were they measured on, then? Kisi really needed to learn more about this friendship thing- it seemed very perplexing, and she was very intrigued.
She was happy to have something new to learn about- something she had been missing out on, it seemed, for a very long time.
“So what do you want to know, friend?” Kisi asked with a light chuckle, “I really want to help now that we have that settled!”
“Well, I heard my father is living in a place called the pride lands. I don’t want to live there or anything, but I thought… maybe I could visit and see how he’s doing, you know? It might be nice to know how he’s getting on now that his litter has grown up and moved out on their own. I kind of miss him.” He smiled sheepishly, Kisi tilting her head and smiling back. He was nervous about asking, but she didn’t see anything that he needed to be worried about. It was cute.
“Well, I know where the pride lands are,” she said, “I know where a lot of prides are- I like to make note of them so I don’t step into the wrong area. Plus, it’s something fun to learn about. If you want, I can tell you how to get there.”
“R-really?! That would be amazing!” Kaimu cheered, bouncing around Kisi in his delight, making her laugh at his antics. “I would never be able to repay you- but I’d be happy to tell you all about it once I get back! Will you tell me where you’re going to be, too?” He stopped his bouncing and looked at her, smiling fondly. They had only just met, but he could tell they were going to be good friends from that moment on. Two who were different, but both kind. Both with their own histories and stories to share. He could tell that she had a lot he could learn about, and he wanted to know more about her. She was kind and a little strange, probably not that used to talking to lions. He, meanwhile, loved making friends and talking to others. Maybe that was for the best. They could learn a heck of a lot off of one another.
Once he got back from the pride lands.
“You want to know where I’ll be? I guess… here,” she said with a light chuckle, “this is my favorite place, so I’m always in this area. I really do hope you’ll come back and tell me about it!”
“You could even come with me, if you want,” Kaimu said lightly, “I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem if we visited together, you know? Maybe you could learn more about the pride lands that way!”
Kisi smiled. The offer was a tempting one, but she knew she had better not take him up on the offer. “I think you should handle family matters on your own- I wouldn’t want to get in the way of something personal, you know? But I’m more than thrilled with the idea of you coming back and letting me know how things go. I don’t think I could be happier with that kind of a gift.” This would be very interesting- she didn’t know much about prides from an inside perspective. As much as she wanted to go, though, she knew he would have to do his personal stuff on his own. It would only be selfish to go along with him.
“Are you sure?” Kaimu asked, frowning, “I’m sure it wouldn’t be that big a deal…”
“I’m sure! Don’t worry- it’s fine. I want you to go and have fun with your father, but you had better come back to tell me about the pride!” she laughed. Kaimu smiled and nodded, agreeing to the terms and conditions. Yes, she would get to know about the pride- he would make sure about that.
She spent the next half an hour or so telling him how to get to the pride from their position. It was only about a day’s journey, from what she had told him, and he was happy to hear it. It meant he wasn’t too far from being able to see where his father had made roost. Kaimu was really excited.
“well, I’m sure we’re going to meet again soon,” Kaimu hummed, “it’s really nice to have met you, Kisi! I’m sure we’re going to stay good friends. I hope you agree.”
“You know, I think I do,” Kisi replied lightly.
