"Well, now you're just being silly."
"You have a lot of nerve, calling me silly, Goddess."
"Oh, shush."
Dvija laughed softly, taking a moment to bump his shoulder into Keshi's. They'd been traveling together for quite some time, and he wasn't sure if his lightheartedness was thanks to the Goddess or simply her childish nature and the ease with which she made fun of herself. He'd been shocked when she'd revealed her true form; the wings that she boasted were beautiful, floating just above her back like proud crystalline flags. He looked upon her like he might one of the daughters he'd never been able to father. She was as old as time, Dvija was certain, but she had such an innocence about her that made it difficult to tell her true age.
Keshi looked to Dvija much like a doting daughter would her father. He was staid and predictable around her; being in her presence had lightened his temper, at the very least, and for that the Goddess was thankful. Even Ping liked the lion, and Ping took to very few creatures that were not Keshi. All in all, they seemed an almost normal family unit to any outsider. Keshi kept her true form hidden much of the time, wings shrouded in invisibility.
They did not have a destination in mind. They only went where their whims took them, a father missing his family and a Goddess who had never had a family before. Yes, she was old, but she'd never tasted the nurturing side of motherhood or had any siblings she could call her own. Her domain gave her a few relatives, but none she'd ever talked with or gotten close to.
Dvija was the nearest thing she had to family, and with each day that passed Keshi was thankful that she'd happened upon him.
The sun's light kissed the horizon, and the sky behind them was rapidly growing darker. Shades of purple melded with blue-black, the last fading lights of the setting sun blazing gold and pink before them. Keshi paused so that she could take it all in; there was so much beauty around them, and there was something positive no matter where one looked: the twinkle of the stars sprinkling across the vast night sky; the sounds of animals settling down for rest, or perhaps those who were just rising to live their nocturnal lives; the way the sun tucked herself into bed just beyond the horizon, dipping further and further into her earthen blankets.
"It is a nice night," Keshi whispered softly, slowly coming to a halt.
"It is," Dvija agreed, his voice a mere whisper. For the longest time the only beauty in his life had been that of his Tempest; now, he'd been given a second chance. A chance to see things through the eyes of the childlike Goddess next to him. A chance to reinvigorate himself, to feel excitement and happiness with his surroundings, and more importantly with himself.
Life was good.
"I can't stay forever, you know."
Dvija didn't answer for a long time. His attention was rapt upon the stars that glimmer and gleamed high above them. When he finally spoke, he sounded utterly content.
"I know. But you can stay long enough, can't you?"
Keshi made a soft sound, a happy sound. Yes, she could stay long enough. Long enough to save a lion lost, long enough to show him that happiness and humor were both things that could be enjoyed - that they were both things that he deserved. She didn't respond to his question; it needed no response. They both knew.
"That star. That one, there. Do you see it?"
Dvija pointed skyward with a large paw, leaning in to Keshi so that she could follow the line of the gesture.
"The blue one?"
"Yes. That one is ours. What will we name it?"
It was Keshi's turn for silence, and she took quite some time to answer. Names were important, after all.
"Nyumbani. Home."
Dvija gave a low hum of approval.
"Nyumbani. It's pretty perfect, don't you think? When we are apart, and you look to that star, you will think of me. You will think of the times we have shared, the laughs we have had. The change you have made in this miserable old lion's life."
Keshi tut-tutted, leaning against Dvija's shoulder as they gazed at their Nyumbani. Their star.
"I am glad I found you, Dvija," Keshi's voice was low and sweet, and she tilted her head so that she could peer up at him. "I do not like to think what might have come of you. You are stronger now. You have seen that brightness in you that I have seen."
She smiled, the flash of her teeth almost imperceptible in the rapidly growing darkness.
"I am glad you have found me, as well, little Keshi," Dvija replied fondly without moving. Part of him knew that when he woke the next morning, she would be gone. Part of him realized that she'd done all that she could for him; she'd found him when he'd needed her the most, and now that he no longer needed her, she would leave. He only hoped that it would not be the last time he saw her.
"Our star." Keshi sounded incredibly satisfied by those little words. She had never had something like this with a mortal; it was unique and interesting and so very special to her.
"Our star," Dvija rumbled quietly, finally glancing down at the lioness that butted up against him. Were his daughters much like this one? He couldn't help but wonder. He liked to think they were. He liked to think they were all kind and sweet and gracious and full of laughter. He liked to think they were all as Keshi was.
"You should sleep."
"I am not yet tired."
"You should sleep, Dvija."
"I know."
He didn't. Not yet.
When he woke the next morning, he was alone; he did not remember falling asleep, but he knew that Keshi had waited until he'd fallen into restful slumber before taking her leave. A small white feather graced the spot where she'd last stood, and Dvija tucked it into his mane. A small thing to remember her by.
Life was good.
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