Farrah had awoken only recently, having noticed that she was no longer encompassed in the warm fur of her oldest brother, and after stretching and waking herself up properly, Farrah wandered to the edge of the den as she had done earlier, sitting so that she was still inside the den, but could see out into the free lands beyond. Her tail flicked to and fro idly, as she watched intently. Like she knew something was coming, but she didn't. It was merely the consequence of some Very Serious Thoughts from the young cub.
She'd slipped up and mentioned Kwea to Ilyas, and she was concerned. Would he tell Faiz? Would Faiz be angry? She didn't believe she did anything wrong, but... But maybe she just hadn't learned that talking to strangers was bad, even if they were pride members. She slid down so she could lay with her stomach flat on the ground, huffing a little to get a bit of fur out of her eyes. Her thoughts meandered from the Kwea Incident to the outburst of her brother. Poor Ilyas. It wasn't fair, he was right; he was older, and the Oldest Son should've gotten more priviledge then the Younger. She couldn't fathom the reason behind her Uncle the Sultan favoring Zeki over Ilyas. Had he merely given the cub because Zeki was there and Ily was not? No, that wouldn't be fair to the cubs, to either of them.
Screwing her face up in concentration, Farrah covered her face with her paws, letting out a frustrated keen. The world seemed so complicated, and she didn't understand anything. She knew how to say pretty things and make people feel better and she liked it, but she didn't understand why certain things happened, or why they were bad, or anything. It was frustrating. And being cooped up in the den wasn't helping at all.
She didn't want to do this. She really, really didn't want to do this. To admit she was wrong? To apologise to one of those little br...ah, youngsters was unthinkable! Faiz hadn't even asked her to, so she didn't know why she was even contemplating the idea...but he'd be so proud. So proud and happy with her. And after all the anger and upset she'd caused him so far, she really wanted him to be happy. Even if it made her want to tear her fur out in the process. And so, the lionness found herself making her way back towards the den, having retired from hunting for the day after all she'd found was a ratel and a hare. Meagre prey that wouldn't even fill one of them - there was no point.
Coming to a halt in the shade of the trees surrounding the entrance, the bright lionness spotted the glowing cub at the entrance. She was pushing the borders of the punishment, she was. Sitting just inside the den she was forbidden to leave - but only just. Having reminded herself of the child's name, playing out what she planned to say time and time again, Mzuka finally stepped forwards into the light, approaching the smaller female with a fairly relaxed form - or at least, she hoped so.
"Afternoon, Farrah."
Farrah jumped when Mzuka spoke. She hadn't seen her (what with her eyes covered and all) nor had she smelled her, but she hadn't been paying much attention. Moving her paws down her nose slowly, she peered up at Mzuka, and smiled beneath the paw that still rested on her maw. "Good afternoon, Mzuka." She greeted, trying to be pleasant. She didn't want more days for being disrespectful, after all. She was already dying of boredom! "How are you?" She asked, pulling herself up and watching her idly.
She wondered what was wrong with Mzuka. The lion didn't seem so tense or angry, but she did seem... preoccupied. Had Father spoken to her? Or one of her other Mothers? Perhaps Uncle Aali... Whomever it was, if it was in fact a 'who' and not just a 'what', she couldn't help being curious. Much as she disliked Mzuka, she was the interesting one. Defiant even knowing the consequences, a Beybanu who was stubborn and hateful; what had her father been thinking? Why wasn't Faeqa the Beybanu, or her mother, Tuliua? Hmph. It was all so confusing.
The small cub jumped, and Mzuka felt a small wave of amusement flow through her. She tried to still it, feeling guilty - she was supposed to be bonding with the cub, making a good impression! Being a good mother. That was what Faiz had said. ...Was a good mother allowed to find her children funny, when they were scared? She didn't think so. Ack, this was turning out to be a lot more difficult that she'd originally though. Forcing a smile onot her face, although it gradually softened to one of a more sincere nature, she inclined her head to the cub. Only lightly, of course - she didn't want her getting any ideas - but a polite gesture all the same. "I'm good thank you. And yourself?"
It was a stupid question, eally. Of course she was going to be bored out of her mind, being stuck in the den. She was quick to rephrase her question, "Or, as I meant to say...have you learnt your lesson? It's...it's dangerous, for a female cub to be out by themselves, especially after hours." There was slight concern in her voice - she did have to admit, the idea of losing a cub was rather terrifying.
"I'm okay." She said, lifting her shoulder quietly and dropping it in a shrug. She was, really. Sure, she was bored, but she wasn't always alone. Ily had visited, and she got to play with her sisters when they came in early with one of her Mothers. She frowned a little, ears flattening, and nodded. "I have, Mzuka." She promised, looking down sheepishly. "I mean, I knew before, but... I understand better now." It was dangerous. She wasn't close to the borders, but it was still dangerous. There were males in the pride who made Farrah cringe. She knew not everyone was nice, she would be stupid not to, and she didn't want to run into one of those bad ones by herself in the dark.
"Ilyas came in earlier, we took a nap." She smiled a little. "It was nice." She mumbled, looking down at her paws thoughtfully. She lifted her head, opened her mouth as if to ask something... But closed it again and looked down. "Were you hunting?" She asked finally, glancing up at her curiously. Farrah hadn't much of a mind for hunting. Striking down bugs was as far as she could get, she wasn't big enough to go hunting hares or anything like that. And hunting bugs, believe it or not, got boring pretty dang quick. Maybe she just wasn't meant for hunting. At least, not hunting bugs.
A shrug? Did that mean she was lying, and that she wasn't really alright? Mzuka found herself hoping she hadn't been too hard - when she was younger, four days in the den was nothing. But times were different now, weren't they? The old days were gone, replaced with new times that had new rules and new guidelines. Perhaps four days was a little bit too harsh, especially for such a young cub. ...And it had been her first offence. And now she was showing remorse, looking down to the ground and admitting her mistake. That took courage - admitting a mistake wasn't something Mzu did readily, and here was a cub doing the same.
She sighed. Was this what Faiz meant, by thinking things through?
"Oh? Your...brother?" she asked, deciding to show interest in the child's conversation, even if it was only a mild one. She'd heard the name Ilyas tossed around - he was the eldest, she believed. She glanced to the side, missing the child's attempts to say something, looking back down only when she was addressed with a question. "Hunting? Oh, I was, but the game is poor today. I'd have to have ventured further afield, and it's getting late."
She smiled a little, watching Farrah. She was quite...sweet, really. She hoped her cubs had the same sweet expression.
She nodded to her question. "The eldest, yes." She said, smiling a little. But at the mention if Ilyas, she frowned again. "Mzuka, may I ask you a question? It... It might sound wrong, I don't..." She fumed a little at herself. "I just don't understand it." She looked up at her a little helplessly. Not understanding was going to drive her mad; Farrah was a creature of simple comforts. Give her comfort, let her know what was going on and explain it in a way so she would understand, and she could survive solely on that. But not understanding would drive her insane.
"It is." She nodded, making a face. "All the good prey would probably be finding somewhere to rest for the night, right?" Both an ideal time to strike and a silly one. Rousing a herd into a panic might have dire consequences. Farrah paled beneath her fur; Death By Prey. Not her first choice of an untimely demise... Her ears perked a little. "Is it fun?" She asked idly, looking up at Mzuka.
The oddness that was their not-very-awkward conversation hadn't dawned on Farrah before, but as she sat there, speaking of family and hunting like they were friends, she realized it was... Very unlike Mzuka. Why waste her time with Liua's cubs? Had her father put Mzuka up to this? Whatever the reason, perhaps she could get a few answers out of Mzuka and be less confused about everything. She wanted to talk to her father, she did, but he was a busy lion and she didn't want to bother him with what were very likely to be silly questions.
Ah, she had got it right. Mzu felt a small bit of pride in herself for remembering which Ilyas was, but found herself looking down at the small glowing female at her request. It seemed an odd one - surely she just ask the question? But Mzu nodded nonetheless, offering a small, slightly reassuring smile to try and comfort her. She seemed quite worried about the whole thing. "You may. What troubles you?"
Fun? Was what fun? Mzuka took a few moments to realize that farrah was referring to hunting, blinking a few times before glancing behind her, sitting herself down and looking down at the cub with an odd expression. Was she actually interested? Sighing, but not in an irritated fashion as one might expect, Mzu pondered on the subject for a few moments before finally offering an answer. "Hunting...well, I wouldn't call it fun. It's very satisfying, though. To track your prey for the whole day and finally catch it feels good - really good. And just when you're about to strike. When you've got it around the neck and you're about to sink your teeth in...you feel really powerful. It's...well, yes. Satisfying."
Mzu shrugged herself this time, an idea coming to her head. One that would make Faiz so so so so so proud. But Mzu herself wasn't sure if she could bear it. But...well, it would tie in with her original purpose of this meeting, and mean she could still keep an eye on the small cub. "If...If you liked, I could take you out hunting with me? ...Tomorrow?"
"A lot." She said bluntly, snorting a little and shaking her head. "A lot of... confusing things." She sighed. "I feel like I'm trying to learn so much but I just don't understand." She looked up, frowning. "Shouldn't the oldest son get the gift of a banu before the younger?" Wasn't fairness something all lions went by? She reached up, rubbing her paw across her nose. "Ilyas is... He feels... Unimportant, I think." She struggled for the words, snorting a little. "Because Zeki is always on patrols, or watching us, and Ilyas.. isn't." She had made him feel better then, with her sweet words, but sweet words only sugarcoated things, they didn't just suddenly make them better. She wasn't naive; she knew that.
She nodded a little when Mzuka explained the difference between hunting being fun and satisfied. It wasn't a game, not really. As much as the cubs might play-hunt with bugs or smaller animals or even each other, it was to practice for the day they'd need to hunt for themselves or for others. But it sounded like a sort of... release. Like a stress relief guide, or something. One couldn't concentrate on their troubles while hunting, right? She inclined her head, pondering Mzuka's explanation. So deep in thought, in fact, she had almost missed Mzu's question entirely.
Her whole head lifted, and she blinked slowly. "... Really?" Her whole face lit up, but after a minute, she winced. "But I'm still in trouble." She frowned. "I still have two days left of my punishment." Perhaps Mzuka had just forgotten it had been four days, not two. That was more likely then her being let out early...
A lot? Mzu frowned - why was a young cub so troubled by so many things? That...wasn't right. The beybanu listened closely, her eyes suddenly flashing as she realized the problem. Yes...she had heard of the small female cub brought back from the raids - Faiz had mentioned her once or twice, and how he'd given her to a son. Mzuka herself had assumed the eldest son - but apparently that wasn't the case. She sighed a little, shuffling a little closer to the cub so she didn't have to speak as loudly on so delicate a subject. "Well...yes, I'd assume the eldest son would get priority. But this isn't always the case, for numerous reasons."
She paused, wrinkling her nose a little as she thought about what she was saying. Upsetting Faiz was one thing - upsetting the cub was another. "If you'd like, I can talk to Faiz? I'll ask him, or I can get him to come and talk to you, or even Ilyas?" She wasn't sure which was the best option, so decided that if she let Farrah choose, it would make things easier. She smiled, to help lighten the situation. And that smile only grew wider at the cub's bright expression, happy at the prospect of going hunting. That was...that was quite nice.
"Really. You're right, you do still have two days - well done for your honesty. But you'll be under my supervision, and whilst your siblings will have the day free you'll instead be hunting with me. I find that...suitable." she spoke, a small smile on her face. She hoped that having the opportunity to hunt wouldn't be seen as a punishment - or at least a lesser one than being confined to the den. "And if you do well, I may allow your last day to be...ah, forgotten."
She nodded a little, frowning as Mzuka shuffled closer. "Why?" She asked rather bluntly. It was the only way to articulate, really... "I mean, unless there was a major emergency, would it not've been proper to just... Find Ilyas instead? Zeki isn't as responsible." She snorted. In her eyes, Ilyas was much more responsible. He cared about his sisters a great deal; it spoke of how he'd care for his banu when he was old enough to have his own harem. It was troubling, the prospect that not everything in life would be fair. Ah, to be young and unknowledgeable.
Her ears flattened when she mentioned it, and winced, shaking her head. "I... don't know." She said honestly, making a face. "I didn't really... I wasn't sure if I should say anything. It wouldn't make much of a different, I suppose." She frowned. "Perhaps if I could talk to Father... Ilyas might be angry or upset if he's confronted all of a sudden for confiding in me." And she didn't want Ilyas to know she'd been concerned over it as much as she was. She just didn't like seeing her brother upset, either of them. But taking the cub from Zeki and giving it to Ilyas wouldn't be fair, either. She huffed. There weren't enough cubs to go around, it seemed.
"Ohhh." A loop-hole! Ah, Mzuka, you've introduced Farrah to the idea of Loop Holes. She grinned, nodding happily at the idea of the fourth day merely being forgotten. "I would like that, a lot." She said, beaming. Hunting with Mzuka would either be a fun experience or a horrible one, but hunting in exchange for being stuck in the den two more days? Please, it wasn't really much of a choice! At least she'd be free to roam and wander a bit on their hunt. Who knows, maybe she'd even bring something huge back. Like... like an elephant!
Why? Ugh, Mzuka hated those types of questions. You could ask why for just about any question in the universe. And there wasn't always an answer. This, Mzu feared, was one of those questions. "I'm...I'm not sure, Farrah. I can't speak for your uncle, or what he was thinking when he gave her to Zeki. He may have had a perfectly logical reason, or he may have not. I just...I can't speak for him. You understand me?"
She didn't want to upset the cub by not giving an answer, but at the same time she didn't really have one to give. She nodded at the cub's decision, though, smiling once more. "When I see Faiz I will ask him to come speak to you on the matter. He may even be able to fit it in tomorrow, before our hunt." And it seemed the cub was quite excited about the hunt, too! Or was it about the fourth day being dropped? Whichever, Farrah's smile was infectious, Mzu soon catching on as she beamed back, nodding. "Excellent. Then I'll come fetch you tomorrow?"
She nodded quietly, sighing. "I understand." She did. Mzuka wasn't the Sultan. She wasn't even male, perhaps males just... thought differently. Or they didn't care if it was fair or not. A male acting on whim alone seemed very logical to her. "It's just frustrating, that's all." She grumbled. Stupid illogical crap made her testy. She liked having her world ordered in a sort of catalog. Logical vs. Illogical. Smart vs. Stupid. Why were things so hard to catalog?!
"Thank you, Mzuka." She said, nodding to her first statement. Whenever her father decided to speak to her was fine; she wasn't an impatient girl. Perhaps, being a male, he could understand her Uncle's weird logic. She blinked when Mzuka smiled back, faltering for a minute, and then nodded quickly. "Alright." She smiled, watching her. Seeing Mzuka smile was an... odd thing. It wasn't something she'd seen very often. Wait until she told Ilyas about it. He wouldn't believe it!
Mzu's expression softened as she nodded, feeling she should reach out...pat her on the head in a comforting manner. But she restrained herself, feeling that was going just a little too far. She was still new to this whole 'be nice' thing, after all. The spoken gratitude caught her by surprise, however, Mzuka blinking once, twice before allowing herself a genuine smile, nodding her head a little in a way of thanks. "It was my pleasure, Farrah."
She'd have to remember to mention the whole problem to Faiz - she made a mental note, hoping she'd remember it. She was soon smiling again, though, as she stood, "I think it's best if you retired to sleep for the night, Farrah. Tomorrow will be a busy day."
She nodded in agreement, rising and shaking the dust that'd settled from the den on her coat. "I will." She smiled at her, turning and heading to the back of the den. "Good night, Mzuka!" She called over her shoulder, going back to the spot she deemed hers, where her Tuliua and her siblings usually slept.
