Mawu had been lounging about lately; especially since her children had seemingly grown up so quickly and taken on their individual roles. Her daughters; one a Shaman and the other another important rank... these things brought her honor. She still felt the twinges of hatred towards her dark color; from her last pride. Here, she was a slave; which meant she was used to being below others... but here it was a bit better than that... she was treated normally. She had a mate; though they had started off not like that. A mistake pregnancy caused him to fall in rank and be her mate; but now they were in love.
She couldn't be happier really.
Kim'acha had heard of the pride her mother had went to. She couldn't go with her father... He had a new mate, kids of his own, and she honestly didn't think the swamps were going to be a good place for her. Mud and the blind really didn't get along very well. Sighing softly, she waited on the edge of a pride. She prayed it was the one with her mother. She missed her family so much; she hadn't seen any since she was a little girl and her sister, Gin, had literally ran her out of the pride for being the only higher ranked female from that litter. Her brows knit at the memories of Gin. It was the one sister she would never forgive, the one sister she absolutely hated. She knew it was wrong to hate family, but she couldn't help it.
She 'looked' around as well as she could and bit down on her lip. Should she go into the pride? She would never figure it out otherwise. So, getting up, she wandered just past the boarder and called out for her mother. "Mawu?" She knew her mother's name. Calling out 'mom' wouldn't do her any good, honestly.
Mawu normally wasn't near the borders but some of her children were guards and she had gone out to visit them. She padded along; her dark fur gleaming in the sun and a smile on her face. The past; the pain of it; was now just that... her past. She had figured that what children she had with her; Onalim.... her son pyke... they were the only things from her past that would return to her. She startled suddenly; as if she heard something. She turned, looking around...
She stopped and listened. Was onalim calling for her? She felt oddly strange; like a cold breeze blew through her chest. In reality; the sound of her daughter gave her a chill.
When Kim'acha got no answer, her brows knitted and she sighed softly. She didn't want to call out too loudly.. That would alarm the guards and the yellow lioness didn't know if she wanted to deal with that. The energy just wasn't her to deal with it. She stopped, and listened. There were no foot steps, no talks or whispers on the wind... It was very strange. Her brows knit again before she called out once more, her voice picking up in volume slightly. "Mawu?" Maybe her mom wasn't here. She would give it a few more minutes before she turned around and set off once more.
Right now, she really hated her father for his eye sight, or lack there of. She couldn't see anything, honestly. It was all a blur of color and no shapes.
Mawu heard it. She lifted her head and began to walk in the direction she thought it came from; which was the correct area in which her daughter was. She walked a bit slow; looking nervous. Was it the spirits of the past here to haunt her for her past crimes? She trembled as she walked, not really knowing what to expect... until she began to crest a hill and could see the stranger.
She paused, looking at the yellow lioness for a long moment before her voice seemed to fly from her mouth. "Kim'acha?!" She cried!
There, her mother's voice. Tears sprang to the lioness' eyes as she listeed to it and looked in that direction. She was tired of wandering hopelessly and aimlessly. It was nearly too good to believe that she had finally found her mother. Still, the girl didn't move. How could she? She didn't know where she was going. Kim'acha's mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out but a small sob and a whispered 'mother'.
Mawu began to run to her child; her lovely yellow child with tears beginning to brim over her eyes. Kim'acha! She practically tackled her daughter, sending them both into the dirt while she coddled and cried. "Kimmy! Oh Kimmy is it really you? I thought I'd never see you again... I thought that once I left I'd never see anyone again..." She cried, her paws wrapped around her child as she wailed. "But I found Pyke here... my brother... and... Oh Kimmy!"
She pressed herself against her daughter so tightly it was probably hard to breath. "Kimmy... Oh my darling.. my baby."
She was tackled, but she didn't care. Kim'acha stayed as close to her mother as she possibly could and let her tears fall. She wrapped her paws around her mother's neck and licked her cheeks, laughing and crying at the same time. Until it got hard to breath, that is. She got up and coughed a little before leaning down and pressing her forehead against her mother's and gave a coughing laugh.
"Mom... I didn't find anyone... I didn't think I'd find you again.. I'm sorry I left! I'm so sorry.."
Mawu felt emotions of her past welling inside her. Onalim had been the only child she had contact with from her past with Vestip. The feeling she had once felt for him were still lingering; but her love was now for her life here and her mate. "It's fine child. I left too... I had too... I couldn't stand the pain anymore. I found this place; this pride where I can have a family and no one looks down on me. I am a slave; but I am not treated poorly."
"Your sister Onalim is a lady here... a high rank. All of my children here are high ranked.. I have brought honor to my bloodline; even with dark colored fur. Here... they are free from our past.. from the Kunanda." She sniffled. "I thought i'd never see another from outside my life here again."
Kim laughed a little and sniffled, swallowing. She was still a low rank? Her ears flattened at that. She didn't want to be a higher rank than her mother.. Maybe she could ask to be a slave. That would not be so bad. They didn't get treated bad, apparently... Was it her mother's curse to be a low rank forever? Because of her? Her brows knit as she listened and nodded softly.
"Gin... Gin beat me up.. for being a Gahst and... I just ran. I couldn't stay anymore.." She said, whispering softly. "...I had cubs.. ...One of them was kidnapped... my only daughter wandered off and I left my last boy with a pride.. He'll be better there... I was... I was forced.. to bare cubs with the one that stole my son from me..." She whimpered, brows knitting as she started to remember everything that happened. "Then... I became.. a slave to a mean male... He had grin on him..." She didn't remember his name. Honestly, Kim'acha tried to block al of that out.
Mawu held her daughter close and listened to her talk and felt the sadness and the grief from her daughter. She waited until her child stopped speaking and sighed. "Things outside here I forgot; because it was easier. Here... you can start new. I have a new mate now; one who loves me and loves our children and he will love you too... His name is Ulivuma... he is wonderful." She pressed herself against Kim'acha. "You can start a new... You will need to speak to the shaman to see what rank you can take; depending on the moon." She smiled.
Kim'acha nodded and sniffled a little, trying to dry her tears. She shouldn't cry over the past, but she couldn't help it. She'd been through so much pain... All she wanted was to curl up with her mother and be her little girl again, something that couldn't happen. She had grown. Grown away too much, honestly. She had matured to fast in her life time. "... I've been looking for you.. It's... It's really alright for me to stay here?"
Mawu nodded. "I don't see why not. We will go talk to the leaders too... but you are my child... they will understand." she smiled. "And your new father... he will be so surprised by more children. Hehe Poor thing..." She chuckled. "And wait until you see Onalim... She is practically a princess these days..."
Kim'acha nodded and rubbed her face against her mother's neck, just relishing in the touch and feel of her. She'd dreamt of this day, reuniting with her mother.. Now it was real and she'd get to see one of her sisters. Her heart was flooded with joy as she listened to that. Her sister a princess? That made her even happier. "I'll be sure to visit her after we see... Ah.. the leaders, I suppose? Can you lead me there? I ... my vision is doing badly.."
Mawu frowned and nodded. Her daughters vision was from Vestip... no doubt. She stood and kept her tail on her daughters shoulder. "She sits around all day pretty much looking pretty... which suits her... I wish she'd find herself a male to make her own... but she'd have to find someone who can give her a lot of attention..."
She began to lead her into the pride. "Your sister Stellaluna is the shaman. She will also be happy to see a sibling from the outside world... She is a lovely thing... very timid... though she is doing better."
No way she would be that lucky to belike her sister. She would most likely hold no position of power because of her vision problem. Still, it didn't hinder her hunting. At least, as long as she was hunting during the day. She had to in order to keep living. She had no one to hunt for her.
"Stellaluna?" She didn't remember that name from when she was growing up. So she figured it musted have been one of her half sisters. That was fine with her, the more family she had around the better. She wouldn't be lonely anymore that way. "I don't think I'll have a mate.. I don't trust males..."
Mawu shook her head quickly and turned to look at Kim while they walked. "It is not like our old home... the males here are different. Equal... Like liza and koi were... here it's love.... it may take a while but... I think you may change your mind eventually"
She began to crest a hill that over looked the entire pride. "This is the mwenzi'johari.. welcome home."
