Welcome to Gaia! ::

The day had started out much like any other for Khanya. She had awoken early, just in time to witness the rising of the sun and the splendid colors the dawn painted onto the clouds. It was believed throughout the pride that they were closest to their ancestors and the loved ones who left them behind during the dawn hours, and as empress Khanya liked to give those spirits company during their journey across the sky. She would often find herself musing over how her own mother, the late empress Ilanga, would tell her to watch for any bright patches of purple in the clouds after her passing, as that was her favorite color and likely where she would be spending her afterlife watching over her. The thought always brought a warm smile to Khanya's maw, knowing that even in death, her mother was still so close. The pridelands may have believed in the great kings living on as stars, but in the dawnlands, mothers were remembered in the beautiful paintings of early morning clouds.

Khanya was just finishing up her morning vigil of the painted sky when her ears twisted backward to catch the approach of hurried paws in her direction. It was one of those rare moments where Shujaa had gone off to scout the territory on his own, leaving Khanya by herself in quiet reflection, and she was curious as to who might be bold enough to approach the empress of the dawnlands by her lonesome. Of course, as soon as she craned her fluffy neck around to glance over her shoulder, she was greeted with a familiar face that brought a genuine smile to her maw.

"Good morning, Chui! That's quite the fine catch you've brought in," Khanya responded, her blue eyes sparkling with the whispered conversation of gossip. "Yes, let's go find somewhere shady," she whispered back as she rose to her paws and shook out the little fluff on her neck. The empress did not hesitate to bump her forehead into Chui's shoulder affectionately, a light purr rumbling in her throat at the thought of a good meal and juicy gossip to boot.

A slight hint of mischief touched her eyes as she wondered how Shujaa would react to not finding her where he'd left her for his quick lap around the territory. But to be fair, she would be with Chui, a trusted member of her entourage, so she was in no real danger. Perhaps it would teach him to put more faith in her? Then again, it might just make him worry more. Oops. Oh well, she did enjoy making him worry every once in a while. It was quite cute for such a large, powerful lion.

Speaking of cute. Khanya dipped her head close to Chui's and lowered her voice back down to a whisper. She didn't want Shujaa or anyone else sneaking up on them and overhearing their conversation. "I know the perfect shade tree for our little rendezvous, follow me," she said with a small grin as stepped forward to lead them to one of her favorite shady spots. The dawnlands didn't have as many trees as it did rock outcroppings, but Khanya knew where to find them all.

Khanya was practically prancing next to Chui, offering her entourage a pleasant grin when they happened to bump into each other as they moved forward together. The morning air was chill and crisp, and the empress was in high spirits with the prospect of gossip, a good meal, and great company awaiting her. She didn't pay much mind to those they passed, perhaps offering them the occasional 'good morning' or polite smile, but her mind was otherwise preoccupied. Her pawsteps were light and springy in nature, as was the energy and demeanor she was radiating outward. Truly, she was looking forward to a little time away from 'empress duties', though she knew it would only be for a little while. All the more reason to treasure the moment!

Her ears perked forward as she caught sight of the tree she had been leading Chui towards, and she bounded forward a few paces, her tail held high in a confident gesture. A-ha! She knew she remembered where to find it! "There it is! This is where we'll have our little picnic," she smiled at Chui, her blue eyes glimmering with pride at the little spot she had picked out for the both of them.

The tree so to speak wasn't terrible large, but it had wide branches that spanned out from its trunk, offering a rather generous amount of shade that stretched onto to the surface of several flat rocks. Perfect for laying out and basking on top of the flat rock surfaces. A few paces away was a small stream, hardly the width of a single lion, perfect for a drink without much fear of crocodiles; unless it was the rainy season and the stream's banks were nearly three times the size it was now. Luckily, it had been somewhat dry recently, and the stream was nothing more than a gentle flow of water.

Khanya was all too eager to hop up onto one of the stones, circling a few times before finally laying down and patting the space next to her with her paw for Chui to join her. "Not a bad spot, I think. We shouldn't be bothered here, at least until Shujaa realizes he's misplaced me," she chuckled, her eyes shining with mischief. "But do tell me, what sort of gossip has reached your ears my dear Chui?" The empress did quite enjoy the good bit of gossip, especially since everyone was always so formal around her. It made keeping up with the harems somewhat difficult at times, until that drama happened to spill over into her lap and a decision needed to be made one way or another.

Khanya was quite relaxed on her stone perch, the shade of the tree offering a cool respite from the warm sun, and the secluded spot granting her peace of mind at least for the morning. She accepted her role as empress of the dawnlands, enjoyed it even, but she was constantly busy running the pride and ensuring everyone stayed connected in some way. Culturally, the different harems were somewhat nomadic, following separate herds and hunting trails, or the whims of their matriarch, while all occupying the same boundaries of their vast territory. And it was that particular reason why the pride had chosen to ally themselves with avians. It made staying in touch with and sending important messages to the different harems much easier. Her blue eyes briefly scanned the sky, as she expected their own bird, an eagle by the name of Damu and Shujaa's constant patrol partner, to pop into view at any given moment. Eventually, they would be found.

But until then! Khanya's gaze settled lovingly on Chui as she accepted a neatly sliced piece of antelope. Her ears swiveled forward to catch every word that Chui offered, her brows rising in surprise and suspense as the listened to the fascinating tale of their newest matron and her harem. "Oh my! she gasped. "I had my suspicions when I didn't recognize any of the huntresses in her harem, but that's quite the feat to bring in so many rogues at once! Though her warrior is one of Lola's sons..." she trailed off, a slightly bemused smile gracing her maw as she let that statement hang in the air for a moment. The huntress Lola was well known around the pride, even to the empress herself, and Khanya wondered if the boy had inherited his mother's lack of work ethic. "I have not heard much of Nakala, I wonder how he is fairing in such a large group of lionesses. Rogues no less!" Hmm, perhaps it was worth checking in on her newest matron more often. At the very least, to see how she was settling in.

Then the topic of the cub piqued her interest. Adoption wasn't completely strange or unheard of, but the means of adoption? Khanya gasped as she yet again accepted the offered meat, gingerly plucking it from Chui's claw and thoughtfully chewing as she gathered her thoughts. "I vaguely remember my mother mentioning a strange lioness by the name of Khalima, but I also recall her warning to stay far away from that jungle and it's, well, oddness. Shujaa may know more of her, as he has traveled more of the realm than I have," she replied thoughtfully, a slight look of concern crossing her features before she sighed and regained her composure.

"It may all just be rumor, of course," she said with a small laugh and a slight smile. "Nomvula certainly seems like a matron to keep an eye on with such an interesting story floating around!" And internally, Khanya made the note to speak with Shujaa on the matter, to see what he may know of the strange jungle lioness. She dipped her muzzle to bump her forehead against Chui's, thankful for the gossip and also the insight into one of the pride's newest harems.