The Kalyani's were alright for the moment. The family was still at a loss of what to do after Hati had left during his adolescence, but somehow O'ros knew the family would make it. They were a tough bunch, led by a tough lioness. Still, in the early morning air, O'ros could not help but feel as though something was amiss.
She had left her. Oh dear Hestia, she had left her. Yve'noile had left her bonded, only temporarily but it was still longer than she ever would have under normal circumstances. It was only because of Altana's begging for her to go and find her children that the spotted falcon had left the Aka'mleli lands and had been travelling, searching, looking for any lion that looked like the descriptions the aging seer had given her. Soaring overhead, she spotting something beneath her, the sunrise illuminating a purple coat against the mixture of gold and green.
She sat, perched upon a small flat rock as she looked out over the herds grazing. She was a huntress, she should have been hunting, but her gut did not agree with her that morn. There would be no hunting that morning. O'ros glanced over her shoulder. In the distance to her right was the tree. The one Skoll and Hati had used cubs as a landmark. A heavy sigh left her mouth. It was at least an easily spotted landmark despite the ill memories it stirred now.
Dipping her wings, Yve'noile descended upon the Ela'wadiyi lands. She had already lands a multitude of times in her search for two very specific lions and of course Altana had given her no specifics on where she would be able to find them. That would be too easy. Instead she only had two descriptions: a lioness with a pelt of dark purple and stars glittered along her backside and then a lion with a purple body, stars and a sunrise on his paws. The lion's mane was also supposedly white, but that detail was hazy at best. She wasn't exactly known for her short term memory. Oh no, she was much better in remembering the small, useless information that many forgot, which was why it was so important for her to remember: because no one else did.
The sound of wings flapping caused O'ros to raise her head in curiousity. Birds were becoming more frequent now that Bird clan was breeding them. Apparently they had been known for it at one time or another, something O'ros hadn't known when she had first joined. Oh the pride continued to surprise her every day. A grey form was just visible in the morning light as it was descending from the sky...right towards her. Pale eyes narrowed as she rose to her paws.
"Bird, what news have you?" She called out, thinking it was a messenger from one of the other clans or a bonded avian to one of the Kalyani's.
As the earth got closer the lioness became clearer and soon enough it was even clear to Yve'noile that she had found one of the two lions she had been looking for. Now to relay Altana's words. She came in for a landing on the ground near the lioness' paws, dipping her head politely. It was still odd to do that to anyone but Altana, but this was her daughter at least. "Your mother Altana sent me. I'm Yve'noile, her bonded."
"Bonded?"
"Yes, we birds a boon to the members of the Aka'mleli, a companion for life for the pride's members." Yve'noile replied to the question, her chest puffing slightly while explaining her purpose. There was pride in what she did on a day to day basis. But that pride quickly vanished as the feathered body shifted into a more serious stance; back straight, eyes looking right at O'ros. "She's fallen ill and with her age, she fears she will not recover. Your mother hopes you will be able to visit her before her passing."
Those words hit O'ros like a rhino had just charged her. She stood there stunned for a moment before finally sitting down to try and let the words sink in. Mother was...ill? The image she had originally had in her mind of her mother as a strong lioness who had raised her basically all on her own while also raised her grandson, O'ros' nephew by her half brother, had suddenly changed to that of a frail lioness, grey and fading who needed help just getting around.
"I..." O'ros felt her throat clench as she tried to force words to come out but nothing did. "I don't know where she lives anymore...." Each word had been progressively harder to speak then the last and quieter as well.
"I can help you with that. I'm to guide you there, but I'm sure you have things to take care of here before heading to the Aka'mleli." The gray bird replied quickly, bobbing her head as she did. Her wing twitched and her beak quickly vanished underneath to remove a feather from it. Yve'noile laid the feather before the daugher of her bonded. "For you."
"What's this for?" Came the question, just as quiet, hardly a whisper as O'ros leaned forward to retrieve the feather. It was simple, just a nice silver color with a little bit of darker spotting here and there on it.
"It will let me identify you easier and while you're in the Aka'mleli, it might help you fit in easier. They'll know who you're with at least." The patterning on the feather was fairly unique to Yve'noile, so it shouldn't be a problem for a guard to recognize it. The pride was small enough that everyone basically knew everyone else, at least she hoped they did. "My feathers also reflect light fairly well, so when I come back, if it's at night, I should be able to find you."
Ah, so that was the reason. This bird was going to leave her and then come back for her later. O'ros' mind began to wander, tuning out the chatty bird. What if she was too late when she got there? How far was this pride from the Ela'wadiyi? Would the pride even allow her to return if she left to see her mother? That was something she would have to ask the wanidatsi about before she left. This was her home now. They had taken her in, accepted her and taught her how to belong. She couldn't just leave them, not permanently. For a moment, maybe, but never forever. O'ros' ears went back as her gaze lowered to stare at the blades of grass swaying in the wind before her.
It was a good thing this bird was giving her time: she needed it to settle matters in-pride first, especially since she didn't know where Bird clan was currently located or even if she would be able to speak to the wanidatsi. Regardless, her mind was made up: she was going to see her mother in this...strange pride. Maybe someone knew more about it so she wouldn't be in the dark when she got there as to customs.
"Excuse me?" Yve'noile asked quietly as she hopped forward, craning her neck to look up into the face of Altana's daughter. "Should I return in a moon's time or not?" It was a simple question and a harsh one, but she needed to know. She still had to find Altana's other child as well, her wayward son.
O'ros nodded silently. She couldn't get words to leave her throat and all she felt like doing was crying at this point. It was a harsh reality she was facing and at that moment she wished she had been a seer like her mother, like her brother, like her nephew. A seer so she could escape into a vision, be somewhere else at some other time. Anywhere but here and anytime but now.
"Good." Came the falcon's reply as she turned and took to the air. Circling the lioness, she called down to her, "Remember, I'll be back in one moon's time! I hope you'll be ready by then!" As the last word left her beak, she circled one last time and began her flight back towards the Aka'mleli. Oh dear, what would the other birds think if they learned she had left her bonded, even fore a short time and for such a good reason? She banished the thought and settled into a steady flight, the wind in her favor.
O'ros sat and watched her mother's bird leave, becoming smaller and smaller until it was just a dot that vanished in the distance. It took that long for all the emotions to finally come flooding in, breaking down any barrier that the starry lioness had built. Her body crumpled to the ground and among the insects and dirt, she wept.
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