Noelani prowled the rogue lands. Her head was spinning. The visions were too overwhelming today and even quiet meditation was not enough to silence the constant torrent of images in her brain. She could barely stand the company of another and had snapped at poor Vesari. The ratel was understanding by now of how crazy Noelani could get sometimes and though the the ratel had snapped at her and nipped at her paws to snap her out of her angry haze, she had forgiven her. That was what had prompted Noelani to drop out of the pride territory and wander. It had been a while since she had hunted. Really hunted. Perhaps Maybe if she found something physical to do it would help with the visions...Or at least simplify them. Maybe she could relax. Sleep with a tired body.
Or maybe she could just take her frustration out on whatever she found...
The lioness stalked through the rogue lands, then, carrying herself low to the ground, eyes peeled wide for any signs of life but so far everything was proving particularly lonely. The lioness' only company was a cloud of dust that was swirling recklessly around, careless of what it happened to pick up or how far it carried it.
Noelani found a cool patch of shade and slowly laid down, moving her paws here and then there. She was unable to get comfortable and she shifted on her feet. Her tail swished back and forth in annoyance, riling up a cloud of dust that she would have choked on had she not jumped up to her feet, prowling forward in annoyance. Here ears pressed back, her lips were pulled tight in annoyance and she could not help but growl just a little bit. She was being a terrible huntress.
Here she was making so much noise, growling, raising a dust cloud with her infernal tail swishing.
Why could she not be normal?
The question had often plagued the lioness on days like today where she could find no peace, no rest, and no quiet.
Even now in her head the images flickered in and out of existence, the images tranposing themselves over the world she was truly seeing in front of her until she could not tell mirage from reality and she slammed her eyes shut, hoping that perhaps this would bring her a moment of relief but in fact, it just made the images of her visions solidify and the lioness sighed.
Maybe, just maybe if she gave into the visions she would be able to get over them and relax once again. Noelani sunk down onto the ground, eyes still shut tight. She curled into the smallest ball she could, which, considering her fire kin heritage, was still fairly large but the warmth of her body provided her comfort.
The sun beat down on the lioness and it began to help her relax as she let her mind take over.
Suddenly she was back to that day not too long ago. She had been keeping watch for her mother's return to the pride after she had been gone for a while. Noelani, quiet but still caring, had decided to keep watch from her secret perch. She always hoped her mother could not see that high up. She was smaller than her so hopefully the rock would hide Noelani from her vision as she quietly waited for her mother to return. Sure, she was an adult and she had loved in the rogue lands all by herself for such a long time. Noelani had been living in the pride so she could not quite understand what it was like to live out there but the grey lioness was sure that she did not truly understand what it was like out there.
It was this lack of knowledge that kept her worrying about her mother and that had prompted her to perch up on her rock and wait patiently. The visiions had been particularly bad that day too so she had wanted to escape the busy life of the Sikukuu and all of the hustle and bustle as they prepared for the latest attraction.
That was when the wave had hit her and Noelani had known someone was coming. The lioness had merely assumed it was the lion she spotted following her mother but now as she recalled the vision as it flitted through her mind once again, as if to inform her that she had been wrong, she realized someone...something else had come into the pride that day.
What could it possibly have been?
The vision ceased for a moment. Sometimes it felt like her mental muse was patronizing her but she had gotten used to that part of her visions. It was the distinct lack of details that fully drove her crazy. It was as if she was supposed to work out the missing pieces. It was like a mystery.
Noelani sighed as the vision returned to her but only a brief flash. A smile on her mother's face. A male lion she had never seen before. They were very close.
The vision finally faded, and Noelani blissfully opened her eyes at the mental peace that was finally hers. Finally, her mind was quiet and she could not help but rejoice in the warmth around her for a moment. Maybe she would even take a nap her.e Maybe she would just sleep the rest of the day away. She did not care who came across her. All that mattered was that her mind was quiet and...
Wait a minute...
That smile that had been on her mother's face...
Noelani jumped to her feet, her eyes wide with amazement.
No...she could not be...could she?
If what was coming was not the skittish male lion, and no one else had ever come to the pride...and her mother definitely was not the point of it...
And her mother had been alone...with that male...
Oh gods above and below, her mother was pregnant!
WC 1002
