1,132 words

The sun was slowly rising over the pride lands, casting the grays and blacks of the stones in a warm orange light. The hardy plants that grew among them seemed to stretch out their leaves to catch the visible rays before clouds could block the sunlight. No doubt there would be clouds later - the lions were Stormborn, not Sunborn - but for the moment, there was light and peace across the land.

Eldahildr breathed deeply and exhaled slowly. Her fur seemed to match her surroundings, as her dark pelt mimicked the rocks, and her belly mimicked the sun's fire. She found herself in a spot that seemed to be all but deserted so far, which suited her mood just fine. Her desire for much company had been... limited, lately.

She positioned herself onto a lion-sized rock and looked into the distance, beyond the pride border to lands that didn't belong to anyone. Yes, it was almost time to go out on another reaving. She kneaded her paws in delight. The breytast vindar had marked the end of the lady warlord's reign... and replaced her with another. Eldahildr was relieved she wouldn't be under the paw of some traditionalist male again, and life could go on.

The lioness sat there for a while, her thoughts travelling far away, until she started to doze in the warmth. It was nice... oh, but she wouldn't be alone for long. A shape had appeared on the horizon and was coming nearer. The first member of a band returning after a reaving, perhaps? No, the figure was alone.

She watched warily until the form started to take a familiar look. Was that her niece, Sunniva? But what was she doing way out there? She didn't seem to have any urgency to her steps, so she must have traveled out there on purpose, but why? Eldahildr stretched and leapt from the rock, meaning to meet Sunniva halfway there.

Sunniva appeared distracted up close. She absentmindedly looked around and jumped when she realized Eldahildr was almost upon her, and was staring at her. She smiled apologetically and bashfully brushed her paw along the ground. "Oh, hello auntie. I wasn't paying attention."

Eldahildr couldn't help but smile. Sunniva had been a little brat when she was a cub. She had grown up to be an almost as bratty lioness, but she was much more confident than Eldahildr herself, and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. It was often a delight to see her, though Eldahildr wasn't the type for warm fuzzy expressions of affection. Her smile revealed more than anything else.

"So... what's got your mind wandering today, Sunniva?"

Sunniva laughed a bit nervously. "Oh, a number of things... I was just wondering how you and Vilhelmas were doing?"

Eldahildr snorted. "I haven't seen Vilhelmas much since the breytast vindar. If I wanted to, I would have every right to put my paw down on that thrall... but I can't bring myself to do it, honestly," she admitted, trusting Sunniva with information she barely trusted herself with, at times. Even though she had had cubs with the thrall, she would deny her affection for him as much as he would deny his. It was something they had always done, and didn't really know how to change. Eventually, something was going to break, but Eldahildr pushed the thought aside before it could darken her mood.

Sunniva sighed. Those two... she didn't understand them at all, sometimes! They made things more complicated than they needed to be. It wasn't really her place to stick her nose in, though. To them, she was still too young to understand the complexities of relationships. "Well, I haven't seen him either, so I am no help there."

The walked silently back into the pride lands, comfortable in each other's presence without constant conversation. The sun was higher in the sky now, and just as Eldahildr expected, clouds had become to appear from the direction of the ocean.

"Rain today, again?" Sunniva asked the sky, looking up at them. "Always rain, rain, rain... at least it keeps the grass green and the herds satisfied."

Eldahildr made a disinterested grunt in reply, then stopped walking. "Sunniva, what were you doing out on the rogue lands alone, anyway? A secret reaving, or something more suspicious?" She asked bluntly, narrowing her yellow eyes and staring into her niece's reds. "You didn't answer me before, and don't think I didn't notice."

"Fine, fine, but don't look like I tried poisoning the water, sheesh auntie!" If she could have, Sunniva would have thrown her paws up in dismay. "I was... looking for someone. A male I met the other day."

"A male?" This was the first Eldahildr heard Sunniva speak of the opposite sex. The lioness always seemed more interested in exploring and reaving than attracting a mate. It struck Eldahildr that her niece didn't tell her everything that she did, nor should she. She was a grown lioness, after all, even if Eldahildr tended to forgot.

"Yes, he was... impressive. Charming, with a deep, dark coat and a... way about him you don't see from most males," Sunniva said, then shook her head. "I went out to the roguelands to see if he was still around, even though he's probably long gone by now." She laughed once, harshly, at herself. "It was a silly idea."

"So you were charmed by this rogue, and he disappeared. Pity," Eldahildr said, wondering what kind of male would have been interesting enough to get Sunniva's attention.

"Yes. Auntie, I'm... expecting his cubs. I wanted to tell him, but when I couldn't find him, I just came back here..." Sunniva admitted, looking ashamed and wide-eyed at Eldahildr. "That's why I was so distracted when you found me."

Eldahildr's mouth opened, and when no words came out, she closed it again. Cubs! Sunniva's cubs! She had no idea what to say, but the way Sunniva looked at her... she had to say something and fast!

"Er, I... well, many of us ladies experience motherhood, Sunniva. Just do what you think is right with these cubs, and you won't need the father at all. Hell, most Stormborn lionesses have to deal with them all by themselves even if the father is around, slackers." The words came out kind of blunt and stiff, and Eldahildr stared at Sunniva while holding her breath, wondering if she said the right thing.

Sunniva just seemed relieved she wasn't getting a lecture. "Oh, of course! And you'll cubsit for me, right auntie?" A mischievous look crossed her face and she laughed, a weight lifted off of her shoulders.

"I guess... Let's get you some food and rest after your wandering. You must be tired." And Eldahildr had some things to think about.