[PRP] Clouds (Yin and Vesta)

[Kimaria]

She was lying in the entrance of the den, sprawled on her side, legs stretched out. The world was still very new to her and at this moment in time she was looking up at the sky. At the clouds. For that was what she had been told they were called.

Clouds.

They were pretty, magical, but...what was the point of them? Why did they scurry across the blue sky as if they had somewhere to be? Were they alive? Were they creatures flying up so high that none could ever hope to reach them.

"What are clouds?" She asked alloud, not really expecting anyone to answer her.  

[Tahja Estes]

((TT___TT Lost... original... post... Please forgive the shortness of this one.))

"Rare visitors, but welcomed ones, little one." Came her mother's voice from just outside the temporary den's entrance. For a short while now Yin-li had been sunning just out of sight, keeping a diligent watch as any new mother would, fiercely listening and scenting for any signs of danger to their cubs. While Azarax was away her senses were not allowed a single moment's inattention. Even away from the other pride members there were still vultures, snakes, even the rare chance that a cub may wander too far off and fall to the harsh lands themselves. That would not happen on their watch, however, both parents were determined to safe guard and raise their children properly.

Black eyes turned to look at the young one, such a perfect blend of her three female relatives-- her aunt, her mother, and her grandmother --and yet so far she seemed to take after Yin-li more than any other cub in the litter did. The young mother smiled, hoping that Vesta would not need to struggle to find her inner fire as much as she herself had, during that time... It hadn't lasted long, but it had been unnerving. Of course, the difference between Azarax and herself had always been that Azarax, though slave in title in the traditionalists' eyes, was actually of Firekin blood and had been raised hearing their tales. Her parents... had not ever been fond of or trusting of any Firekin, never. They had hated this place for what it had done to their family and drilled into she and her siblings that they were not slaves, not inferior, but for the sake of survival had to act like they were. It had been confusing, and for a longer time than she would have expected those feelings of being torn had stayed with her lurking under the surface. Vesta would not have to worry about such an identity crisis, which was good to know, but what Yin-li wasn't sure of was how her lack of will to fight would affect her.

"Come here, Vesta, let me show you a game that my mother taught me when I was little."  

[Kimaria]

She turned her head and those bright eyes widened. "Mummy!" She squeaked, finding her paws and bouncing over to where the white and black lioness stood. She may not have had any red in her pelt, but to Vesta, her mother was the most beautiful lioness in the whole wide world, just as Daddy was the biggest and the strongest!

She purred and, upon reaching the bigger lioness, made to wind between her forepaws, her little purr sounding constantly.

"A game, Mummy? What sort of game!" She was eager to learn it just as she was eager to learn everything at such a young and innocent age.  

[Tahja Estes]

Yin-li smiled warmly at her child, leaning down with a purr of her own to bump her head gently against Vesta's tiny form as she came between her legs. Taking her up in her jaws for a moment Yin-li resettled herself in front of the mouth of the den and plopped Vesta gently down between her front paws, giving her shade and a good viewing seat. Her gaze traveled towards the sky where there was just enough cloud coverage that one wouldn't hurt their eyes looking at the sun, but certainly not enough to block the sky or to produce rain.

"Did you know that lions originally learned storytelling from the clouds...?"

Not really, she was sure now as an adult, but this game was all about stories, and was one in and of itself, a fable. Since the pride no longer worshipped gods, also, why not tell this version?

"They tell their own stories in various forms. Sometimes they're angry... in other lands they clash together and cause a horrid racket, but most of the time they're happy or sad, or sometimes so happy that they may seem sad. Water falls from them in some places, just like tears fall from our eyes. Sometimes happy, sometimes not. We looked to them and the first storyteller saw stories written in their shapes. Can you read what the clouds are saying?"  

[Kimaria]

Whee! Pick-up time! Vesta's most favourite thing in the world! But the carrying was brief and just as she was about to squeal with the joy of being high up, she was back on the sand again. The feeling of disappointment didn't last long, however, as her mother started talking, distracting her from such things.

"Storytelling from...clouds?" She lifted her head and blinked up at them again. "Happy....sad..." She echoed, twitching her ears at every spoken word and trying desperately to see what her mother was telling her.

"Read clouds?" She whispered, turning her attention back to her mother. "Nope. Clouds don't say anything to me, Mummy."