“So.” Laka declared, dropping down next to Eeva. “Did I interrupt something earlier?”
Eeva pointedly avoided looking her little sister in the eye. She could already picture the expression she would find there. Mischievous and amused, with a wide grin and a twinkle in her eye. It didn’t help that she could feel her ears burning, either. She’d not blushed so much in years! Not since Wingu Waya and that certainly seemed a long time ago now, back when she was fresh to her teenage years.
“Are you mad at me?” The smaller sister asked.
Eeva sighed. “I could never be mad at you little mouse. Here, do you want to help with this?” She indicated the pile of leaves she had collected for Kalanu’s wreath.
“You trust me with that sort of delicate work?” Laka asked, sounding surprised. “Where is Poa? Shouldn’t he be helping with this?”
“He was fussing too much.” Eeva excused him. “I sent him off to find some flowers to add to the decoration. Hopefully that’ll keep him occupied until I have the base work done. I imagine it’ll be relatively time consuming to find some decent flowers with so many stomping paws around.”
The two fell into companionable silence for a time, Eeva working on lacing the leaves by piercing the stems and threading and winding them together. She had done this many times before – mostly for herself and occasionally for a sibling or friend. The leaf-fashioned headdress was symbolic to her, a link to the day she had risen as Shadow Clan leader. Her parents had placed a similar ‘crown’ upon her head and, when the leaves had turned brown, she had weaved another, and another. She didn’t always wear it – especially whilst on hunts or doing other strenuous duties. But, at times of festivals and relaxing, she’d often weave a new one to sit upon her head. And one day she would pass the leaf-woven crown down to her eldest daughter. Well, maybe. She had to have a daughter first and for that to happen she’d need to wed.
At that thought, Udadalvsvli popped back into her head and flustered her.
“So, did I interrupt something?” Laka pressed a moment later, not about to give up the thread of conversation. The question, despite being a repeat, still took Eeva by surprise, her claws ripping one of the fragile leaves she held. With another sigh she discarded it and tried to pick out another similar one from the pile.
“No. Of course not. If you hadn’t arrived, the conversation would have likely continued but the festival isn’t over just yet.” She hoped she kept her voice steady. “I can see him later.”
“He must be a good friend.” Laka pressed. “Since you invited him to come to the Galvlati hunt before.”
“Am I not allowed friends?” Eeva put on a face of mock-sadness to cover her growing embarrassment.
Laka draped a paw briefly across her sister’s shoulders. “Of course you are. Is that what he is, then? A friend?”
Eeva set down the half-finished headdress and turned to look at the grey female sitting next to her. “What else would he be?”
“I don’t know.” Laka shrugged, the blue tattoos faint against the silver-grey of her fur. Her unique markings displayed an array of flowers and vines – some she had seen when out in rogue lands. Eeva had never seen their like before. “I was thinking that he might have been like…your boyfriend, maybe?”
Eeva’s heart hammered. “W-what would give you that idea?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You smile at him a lot and he smiles at you. It’s all very sweet.”
“This coming from the most smiley lioness in all of the Ela’wadiyi?” Eeva blurted, her heart pounding against her rib cage. “Laka, that’s just silly. He’s not.” She swallowed, finding the words hard to say. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“But you’d like him to be, right?”
Eeva hurriedly tried to hush her sister, waving a paw at her. Her blue eyes were wide with disbelief. Had her sister really said that: “Shh, Laka!” Someone might be listening in, and then what? Gossip might spread. Udadalvsvli might overhear and she’d never be able to face him again.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” And the silver female was up on her paws, skipping a merry circle around Eeva Subiani whilst chanting something that sounded a lot like, ‘I’m right, I’m right, I am the smartest’. She only stopped when Eeva had reached out and pinned her tail beneath a paw.
“Don’t be so loud.”
“Okay, okay.” Laka pulled her tail free and dropped back down onto her hindquarters, opposite her sister now, with the pile of leaves between them. “Sorry. But this is exciting news, isn’t it?”
“Is it?” Eeva replied, looking down at the half-finished project with a frown. “I’m not sure it is.”
“Why would you say that, sis? Love is always a magical thing. Just look at how happy our brother is now? Poa the grump-face! Never would have thought that he’d ever get himself a mate and now he’s getting married and leaving us for his new family. And he’s happy – stressed but happy. So what’s stopping you?”
“It’s complicated.” Eeva replied.
“How so? It seems pretty simple to me.”
“He’s a friend. A good friend. What if he doesn’t like me like that? What if it ruins our friendship? I don’t know whether it’s worth the risk.”
“Of course it’s worth the risk.” Laka blurted, flourishing a paw in enthusiasm. “Don’t miss your chance, Eeva. Who knows when you might see him again? It could be a year from now, even. And a year is a long time to wait.” Her eyes had become serious now. “You should talk to him about it after the Sky Ceremony. That’s what I’d suggest. Otherwise, if you let him go, he might—well—move on or something and you’d have only regret.”
Eeva was startled to discover that her little sister might have been speaking from experience. That rogue male she had adventured with, perhaps? He had never returned as far as Eeva was aware. Could there have been something more between them that her ‘little mouse’ had kept quiet?
“Laka—“
But her sister shook her head dismissively. “Talk to him.” And then, getting back to her paws she circled around to lay by her sister’s side, giving the wreath a nudge. Eeva, with a small nod, returned to her work. If Poa came back and saw it in the state that it was, panic would rise up again. The boy was clearly nervous.
“So how long have you felt this way?”
“Not long.” Eeva answered honestly, giving up the pretence. “I liked him the moment we first met but today, today something happened. I don’t know what. Maybe our conversation or something he said but…” She trailed, shaking her head. “What if this isn’t…you know…love?”
“You’re worried he’s going to be another Wingu.” Laka replied without missing a beat. The pair of sisters had always been close although it seemed they both had their secrets despite that.
“I thought I cared for Wingu as more than just a friend but that never worked out.” It was an old ache now and one that didn’t bother her as much as it had when she had been young and naive. Wingu had been a crush, she knew that. But what if Udada was just a crush, too? What if it led to more heartache?
“Sometimes love doesn’t work out, but you have to give it a chance. If you don’t you’ll never find it. I’m not telling you to declare your undying love and marry him tomorrow, sis. Just talk to him, do some courting and see where it takes you.”
“You’re supposed to be my little sister.” Eeva replied. “When did you get so smart?”
“It’s a gift.”
“Okay, okay, look, I’ll talk to him once the Sky Ceremony is done. I’ll figure something out.” But the nerves were already twisting in her belly and it took her longer to weave the crown than it normally would have. So many things could go wrong. He could say no. Their friendship could be ruined. He might laugh or…or—no—that didn’t sound like Udada. He wouldn’t laugh. Perhaps he might be flattered? A little embarrassed? He’d be polite if nothing else. “I wish this hadn’t gotten so complicated. I wish I knew what he was thinking!”
“No you don’t.” Laka threw back teasingly. “If everything was that easy then life would be boring. It’ll be alright. And remember, if it doesn’t work out then you still have your family. We’ll be here for you always and forever.”
Eeva smiled across at her. “Thank you. I mean that.” And then: “And if you’re staying I really would appreciate the help. Poa will be back any minute and this still needs a lot of work.”
Laka grinned. “Sure thing, sis.”
/fin
