Nafsi, if she was honest with herself, felt extremely lost. The mountains were a lot different than her home, and she found she missed her tree. What she did not miss, however, was the waiting. She was forever waiting for something to happen, searching constantly.
The only thing that had remained was loneliness. She was surrounded by a pride now, one that she was just getting her footing in. It would take some time, she assumed, the get used to being surrounded by so many families and groups of friends.
In fact, it made her feel empty inside. Emptier than anything. She longed to be a mother again. All her kids have long grown and Mauja had left, never allowing her to raise any more of his kids. She was almost bitter with it - the sweet promises that he whispered to her, the life he had given her - it was all made up of heartbreak, and she could still feel the broken pieces in her chest.
The small, scarred lioness sighed, walking along the rocky terrain. It was so different here - definitely not as many trees as she liked, but it would do. She was silent in her musings as she walked.
The air was crisp and wonderful, and the morning was a nice one, after all. It wasn’t long before she stumbled upon others enjoying the cool, morning air. “Good Morning,” one of the lions greeted her. She couldn’t help herself but to smile back.
“Hello, Good morning,” she greeted in turn. She felt a little shy and uncertain in the new area, but if everyone was as kind as this male, then she would have no problem gaining herself again.
“Would you like to walk with me?” The brown and white lion asked. It took Nafsi a moment to respond, but in the end, she nodded. The larger male began walking, and she followed.
The pair had a slow, comfortable gait. "I'm Kule, by the way," he told her kindly. "Are you new here?" Nafsi gave a small nod. She had only been in the pride a few weeks - she was still learning their customs and ways, but she was certain that she could fit in completely soon enough.
“I’ve only been here a little while. As I understand it, I’ll need to have a new name soon?” She asked, curiously. She didn’t really know if she could answer to another name at her age. It was a strange custom, but one she quite liked. There was nothing like transitioning to a new stage of life by changing herself completely.
“Oh? Yes, it’s more of a true name. Your parents name you, and then you have to find your own name,” Kule nodded, turning a bit to avoid a drop of unstable rocks ahead of them. He watche carefully for any dangers. The Mountains came with a whole different set than the Swamplands, but he was getting used to it.
Nafsi bobbed a nod - that was understandable, at least. She could embrace it, if she needed to, and as it appeared, she would have to.
“It’s an interesting tradition,” The scarred up lioness agreed. “It’ll take a little getting used to being called another name, I suppose, but I think a new name would be nice…” She sighed, pondering a name. Nothing came to her, of course, but she was sure it would come in time.
“So, what was it like, where you came from?” Kule asked, curiously. He nearly brushed against the light tan female more than once while they were trying to avoid the sharper rocks the mountains provided and his heart fluttered a little when she smiled at him.
“It was nothing like this, that’s for sure,” She gave a small laugh. “I needed a change - a large one! And I guess I found it.” She was tired and old, and the empty feeling consumed even her vibrant personality. “It was a flat, grassy plain with a few large, climbable trees. It was nice…” She trailed off, her heart feeling like it was being torn in two.
The next question, of course, would be, “Why did you leave there?” And Kule had asked it without missing a beat. Nafsi nearly stumbled with the heartache, but she kept strong. She was a strong lioness, and she needed to remain so!
“It was a constant reminder of a life I didn’t have anymore,” She said instead, but she was sure her voice wavered dangerously. Kule looked sharply over to her, frowning.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, Miss,” Kule apologized, worried over the question’s reaction. She gave a small laugh, however bitter it was, and shook her head. She sped up, quickening her pace to find herself ahead of him.
“It’s okay, you didn’t know!” Her voice slid back into a cheerful tone, and it didn’t quite sound real, but Kule let it slide. “So, were you born here?” She asked - it was her turn, though she didn’t quite think the other was. His gait seemed to hesitant in the area - unsure, despite seeing him walk it at least once before.
“Oh, no, this pride used to be located within the Swamplands, but there was a fire…” Kule shrugged a bit. They had taken a turn onto a path with a nice view of the setting sun, and he paused for a moment. “We took refuge with another pride before settling in these lands.”
Nafsi flinched, the thought of being forcefully displaced from her home, it made her shudder. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, but Kule shook his head.
“It’s alright. Home is where the heart is, after all!” Kule said cheerfully, though he still missed his old home. Part of his heart was still in the Swamps, and he feared it would never leave. The pair lapsed into a comfortable silence, simply walking and enjoying the company of one another, even in their sadness and dejection of homes long since gone.
Perhaps one day both their hearts would move on and find a home elsewhere.
