The sudden downpour that had broken the drought and left the sands of the pride a soggy, wonderful mess (if only for a short time) felt like a breath of life into Saharan's bones. The endless dryness and lack of water for anything aside from a few gulps now and then had left her feeling like a prune, or a dead lizard dried and shriveled in the hot sun. Despite her determination, she had felt herself becoming weaker, slower, less eager to greet each day. The rain had come at just the right moment, and from the first sounds of her pridemates crying out in joy, she had bloomed again.
She had come bursting out from her den to dance about in the rain like a child, calling and crying to the sky in relief. There were many other worries facing her and the pride, but this right now? This was perfect. This was all she needed. This cool, wonderful, quenching deluge of rain.
Of course she had helped in digging the pits to collect the water, and realizing that now at last she could drink as she pleased, she went running for the nearest one. She stopped just in time, on the bare edge of the sandy hole, and squatted without preamble to dunk her head into the slightly muddy-tasting liquid. She didn't care. If asked, she'd say it was the best tasting water she'd ever had.
Saoiraed had been returning from one of the edges of the pride when the rain hit. For a brief moment he thought he'd surely either fallen to heat and dehydration and was imagining this, or he'd died already and gone to a paradise that looked and felt and smelled just like home, but had rain. A whoop escaped him and he broke into a sprint, cape flapping in the wind as he passed. He was ready to be home! Ready to see his family, ready to slake his thirst!
...Of course the pride would have dug pits to collect the falling water. He knew that--he had done it before on other times it looked like the drought would end. But in his eager excitement he'd plum forgotten. And without warning he stumbled, splashing bodily into one such hole, and scaring the daylights out of a poor female who'd been drinking there.
Saharan yelped and barely pulled her head back in time to keep it from being crushed as a huge pale lion (native, the back of her mind still insisted on whispering, even after so many years in the pride) tumbled into the growing pool. Her first instinct was to scold, but from the look of surprise on his soggy and dripping face, he hadn't planned to go for a swim.
"You alright, Saoiraed?" After the shock had passed she'd recognized the fellow. He was one of the new watchers, and had likely been absent when the pits were dug. That made sense. "If you wanted a bath you could have used a pit no one was drinking from, you know," She teased, winking despite the severe face she managed to make for him.
Saoiraed snorted water from his nose and tried to face the lioness (was that Saharan? He recognized her voice, he thought) but couldn't find her through a curtain of wet red fur. A flick of his mane splatted the red female (she shrieked again, indignant despite already being wet) and plastered the wet fur to the side of his head with a wet thwacking sound. He grinned cheekily and stuck his tongue out at her.
"Well maybe you should join me, huh? Then you'd be wet through...more than you already are, thanks to this downpour, and have nothing to whine about! Goodness knows you look like you're thirsty enough to drink it through your skin." High spirits brought on from the long-awaited storm made him splash the water towards her. Perhaps it was a waste, sitting in it and splashing it instead of drinking it...but this was no two-minute shower. This was a real storm! And the pit was already mostly full again. Why not use it while they had it?
It only took a moment for Saharan to decide.Normally she was more restrained than this, had better judgement, or didn't want to seem foolish...but it was a miracle to get the rain, and worth celebrating and letting loose a bit, right? She felt more alive than she had in months, and Saoiraed was a nice enough fellow. He wouldn't go around talking about her being silly and swimming in one of the water pits like it was anything to be ashamed of. If ever there was a moment to go wild, this was it.
And so without a moment more of thought, she flung herself at the white and red lion, into the water with a tremendous splash. There was barely room for them both to stand flank to flank, but who cared! She gave the male a shove, determined to submerge herself in the water as best she could, and their laughter was covered by the sound of the rain and the pride cheering and celebrating.
Saoiraed couldn't help but grin and splash back at the lioness. This was a lovely welcome home gift, a rain gift, a miracle indeed. He was finally beginning to think that maybe things would be okay. The pride would grow stronger with water now, and chase out the Nergui. They would secure their borders and of course they would stand tall and fast against any enemy.
His heart seemed to be pounding in his chest as he swiped a paw through the water to send a wave at Saharan. She looked better than he'd ever seen her as well. It must be the rain. Against the dark gray sky, with water in his fur and his ears and his eyes, it occurred to him that she was really a lovely lioness. Older than him, but not by much. Still greatly energetic, if more contained and peaceful than most Firekin. Strict when teaching, but full of smiles when someone correctly responded to her history lectures.
He liked that about her. Lately too many of his pridemates had been frowning or glaring. It really was nice just to see a smile again.
(Words: 1054)