WC: 1,117
There were good days and there were bad days. On the bad days, Amira was quick to detect her mother's forlorn mood and suffuse it with optimism. She hunted for her, escorted her to the watering holes, and stayed by her side on sleepless nights to hear stories she'd been told before. "The rivers gave him to me, then they took him away," mother would recite like a prayer.
Many suns had come and gone since the loss of her father. To hear her mother speak made it sound as though it were yesterday. Amira didn't know whether to be proud to have parents so wholly dedicated to one another... or to forsake her father and guide her mother down the path of new love. It seemed even the most empathetic among them were growing impatient with Alake's boundless grief, but not Amira.
No, never Amira.
Amira didn't mind her mother had never truly acknowledged her offspring had lost their father too. She didn't mind her mother only halfheartedly gave thanks for their good deeds, if she provided any at all. That she refused to leave the den yesterday to walk with Konja? No reason to get upset. That Amira needed her? That she didn't care? It was fine. It didn't matter.
I wish you would find us, Tabia. The plea was damned to forever be accompanied by guilt. Her sister was an adept huntress and never knew a stranger. Without a doubt, wherever she was, she was thriving. Amira felt too old to daydream, but she indulged it when time allowed, imagining her sister leading a band of heroes or reigning as queen in a far away land — until the pounding of hooves against the dirt jolted her back to the here and now. Here, in the Roguelands. Now, when she was supposed to be hunting.
The antelope were too far ahead to pursue with any gain. Her efforts were commendable, but ultimately futile. At least there was enough failure to go around: the lion to her right had gotten a taste of it and the dirt after his attempt at pouncing had gone awry.
He didn't look hurt, but... One look at him and she could tell he was too thin.
Minding her manners, Amira tried not to stare at the ribs protruding from his sides. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, thanks."
She closed the distance between them while he was preoccupied pawing the dirt from his eyes. Every few minutes, the earth was being riled and thrown at them by the passing breeze. She almost suggested they pray to the God or Goddess of Wind, but let the words stew in the back of her throat. Not everyone revered them as she did. Not everyone believed, and she didn't feel it her place to guide him to the deities within the lands. "It's better to hunt at night."
The male stared at her the way Tabia had when they were cubs and she'd spouted off her true love nonsense. "Have you heard of following your own advice?" he asked.
"I was just..." Amira felt her ears pin. Her paw shuffled across the ground.
The stranger shook his head and spoke through a sigh, "Sorry."
"It's all right..." Amira figured she'd be a bit tetchy too if she were in such sorry shape, though she dared not voice these unsightly observations aloud. She could only hope what seeped into her tone was more sympathy than pity. "I was just looking for something to do." On the horizon, the sun was dipping lower. "It should be darker soon enough. Why don't we hunt together? What's your name?"
"I appreciate it, but —"
"No, no. Come on. Don't be like that. What's your name?" He couldn't afford to be shy or he'd be nothing but skin and bones soon. Besides, she was starved in her own way.
Which was to say, starved for company.
"It's Dastell," he offered reluctantly. Strange how someone could be so direct one minute and so hesitant the next. She'd seen this type before, all rugged and afraid of any socializing that didn't consist purely of making sure it would be the first and last time they were ever spoken to.
"I'm Amira," she chirped. "Are you joining the Pridelands?"
"The Pridelands?" The lion's — ahem, Dastell's eyes — veered to the side to stare behind her at the vast stretch of green. "Oh."
Very articulate, this one. Still, Amira had managed to bait him into the makings of a conversation and she wasn't about to surrender the possibility of having one. Not to mention this was a good excuse to keep from heading home for just a wee bit longer.
Didn't mean she was avoiding Mom. Amira loved her mother...
"Have you been there?" If he had, she didn't give ample time to answer. The enthusiasm could stand to be toned down, but try as she might, the words fell out of her mouth. "Most everyone is nice. There's water and food," she added, not near as nonchalant as intended. Despite how obvious her tactics, the promise of meals had piqued his interest if the way he lifted his head higher was any proof.
She was willing to take it as such. Desperation had a way of helping convince you of things like that.
"This is the Pridelands?"
Why so dumbfounded? "Of course," Amira replied patiently. Maybe he was hard of hearing? "See? All the lions and leopons and — What's wrong?" If he sighed much more, she was going to start confusing it as how he breathed.
"I'm trying to find the Bahari," Dastell explained. "I think I — I think that I've gone in a circle."
"The Bahari?" Amira wracked her brain. The name sounded vaguely familiar. Kind of. "Sorry, I don't know where that is — Oh! But I can help you if you're willing to wait until my friend arrives. She'll know. She knows where everything is."
Amira would have company and Mwokoti could guide him to his destination when she found the time. Win-win situation! Added bonus of convincing him Goddesses were real, should he happen to be a skeptic. Until then, she'd leave that part out.
Dastell didn't appear convinced of her stellar plan.
"Come on. Visitors are welcomed here. Frankly, there's so many around, I don't think they'd notice even if they weren't." Amira wouldn't have known a rogue from a Pridelander if they stepped on her paw walking by. So many came and went, how could anyone hope to keep up? That little prince had a lot of work ahead of him.
"Guess it couldn't hurt," Dastell mumbled.
"That's the spirit. Come over here. I'll show you around."
