Bidii tipped her wings a bit to turn as she soared over the land below her. She had taken interest in finding new prides and packs of mortals to inspect just to see what they were up to and word had come to her of a pride of small, happy, fat lions that lived near the mountains. She was interested to see what made them tick and if there would be anyone to play with. Happy lions weren't usually very exciting, but there could be an exception to every rule. She spotted the pride as she flew over the mountains that made their western border and began to circle the central part, looking for someone that was around to talk to.

Arkani had just emerged from his den for the day, eager to get a start. As the Thain he had to oversee the pride as a whole, ensure everyone was happy and healthy, and help solve any problems that might arise. It was a job he had been born into but it suited him well and he wore the title with pride. It was his duty to ensure the Suzat continued to thrive, and thus far he hadn't hit any major snags in his attempts. As he made his way out, though, a burst of wind startled him enough to send him sprawling.

"Gah!" He tumbled backwards as the backdraft from huge wings rushed over him which caused Bidii to laugh heartily. Oh my, these lions were hilarious already!

"Sorry, friend," she said with a wide grin as she approached, folding her wings against her back. "Didn't mean to startle you like that."

Arkani looked up from his spot on the ground at the absolutely gigantic lioness that stood over him. He stared up dumbfounded for a bit, taking in the sight. Wings, a horn growing from her forehead, impossibly long fur that looked a bit like a mane...and rather fantastic jewelry decorating her here and there. Wow!

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice a bit meek in the presence of someone obviously so...magical was the only word for it. Was he dreaming? He couldn't be, right?

Bidii laughed again, her tail swaying back and forth along the ground as she did so. "I am Bidii! The goddess of zeal," she said with a little wink which drew a surprised gasp from Arkani. She loved impressing mortals with her title, their reactions were golden at times. "I got wind of your pride and came to check it out!"

A goddess, Arkani thought to himself as he slowly got to his feet. That would explain a lot. He had never met a god or goddess before but he was glad he could check that off his bucket list! He was also very glad her domain wasn't something horrible like pain or suffering or hate. Zeal was fairly neutral he felt and any worry he had melted away.

"Oh, that's wonderful. Welcome! We are the Suzat, although many rogues and other prides simply refer to us as the hobbits," he said with a kind smile. "I'd be more than happy to show you around or answer questions you may have."

Bidii nodded at the offer, glancing around what she could see. This seemed to be the living area of the pride with dens a-plenty and safely guarded by the mountains she had flown over to the west. From where she stood she couldn't see much to the east thanks to the rolling hills, but she was sure this lion would be helpful in her quest for knowledge.

"Of course. But first I'd like to know your name, little hobbit," she said with another grin, making Arkani chuckle softly.

"Oh, how silly of me! I'm Arkani. It's wonderful to meet you, Bidii."

"And the same," the goddess replied with an over-exaggerated bow, her wings sweeping low to emphasize the motion. Arkani snorted softly before glancing behind him and motioning with a paw.

"We're currently in West Farthing which is where the dens are. There's four Farthings all together, one for each cardinal direction. East Farthing holds our farmland and is bordered by a river, South Farthing is the marshland, and North Farthing is where the herds congregate and is the easiest way to come and go. If you don't have wings," he amended with a little laugh. "There's lions that work in all four Farthings, and then some that are more jack of all trades," he said, finishing with a nod.

Bidii listened, soaking up the knowledge for potential later use. She nodded where appropriate and as Arkani finished, she ruffled her wings with delight. "Sounds like a wonderful place. Very safe," she added. Surrounded on three sides by natural barriers, leaving one open for coming and going...whoever had chosen this land certainly had protection in mind.

"Oh yes...we're a very friendly group, you see, but not very adept at defending ourselves. We rely on the land a lot for that. We do have some fighters that work up in the North, but for the most part we're very peaceful," Arkani said to which Bidii gave a little snort. Peaceful prides, at least in her experience, never stayed peaceful forever. Someone always turned rogue within the pride and became power hungry or outside forces would take advantage of the meeker creatures.

"Well, would you care to show me around, Arkani?" the goddess asked, glancing off to the east. "I'd love to see some of the things you spoke of."

"Oh! Of course! I was going to head to East Farthing anyway to check up on the farmers and the crops for the season," Arkani said with smile and a nod. "This way. I'll talk more about our Brew and iboga along the way.

"....Brew and iboga?" Bidii echoed, curious to learn more. "Please do. I know of iboga but not of Brew."

"Oh, I'm sure you don't know about our iboga," Arkani said with pride as he turned to lead the way. Bidii walked along after him slowly, making sure to keep her paces long but spaced out so as not to out-walk her guide. The two set off for the east, cutting a rather hilarious figure as they did so. It wasn't every day a goddess came to visit!

FIN
WC: 1050