She stepped around the other couple of lionesses that were sleeping amongst the roots of an old wind-bent tree. She didn’t need to take much care not to step on a tail here or nudge a paw there. She was quite used to stalking amongst resting lions. Back in the Pridelands there was this big old cave up in the rock…Asali smiled to herself. Then she came across the new one in her group. Brown with black and white paint markings, well built, and sent to her little group here by her own son no less.
“Kiamba? Wake up and come with me.”
*
Kiamba had been well accustomed to sleeping in groups before moving on from home. It was strange to have bodies around her again, but she'd slept well enough. She was doing so soundly when Asali approached, but jolted lightly as she was called, lifting up her head.
"Asali...?" Her voice sounded sleepy still, but she yawned, getting up, ready to follow the other lioness without further question. "What is it?" She asked groggily, barely managing to avoid stepping on any tails or limbs herself in her state.
*
Once they’d cleared the others by a few lengths or so, Asali turned her head as they walked to give Kiamba a once over. She couldn’t blame the other female for being sleepy. Asali had got her up rather early, in the dusky grey-pink of early morning.
“You look like you could use a drink to get you going.” The older female said and headed them in the direction of the nearest watering hole. It was a small one but the water was clean enough.
*
Kiamba looked towards the sky with disinterest, except of course to note that it was far too early to be awake. She sniffed, following their group leader and speaking around a failed attempt to stifle another yawn.
"I could use another hour of sleep." Kiamba joked, but gratefully, if not tiredly, ambled over to the water, taking a few laps first. After having her fill she leaned in closer to shove her face into the shallow pool, just enough to coat her face, drawing back with a soft gasp after. She was certainly feeling a bit more awake now.
Using a fore paw to scrub the extra water from her eyes, she gave her head a shake or two before finally feeling aware enough to look at Asali.
"Ugh, so... why are we up so early?"
She was out of practice with early rising, pity.
*
“Because none of the others are up. I wanted to talk to you alone, so we can speak freely, and before we’re all busy with the hunt today.” She explained with a confident smile and Asali didn’t expect to hear any complaints about it either. Her Brave group might be made up entirely of newcomer busisa, she might be pretty new to the pride and to being an umama herself, but she still expected to be followed. Getting up a little early was not a cruel thing to ask. She took a moment to lap up a few swallows of water herself before they left.
“You’re been with us three days now. How’d you feel you’re settling in, Kiamba?” She asked as they continued on their little walk. Asali’s tone was light as she looked over at the younger female.
*
"Mm, fair enough." Kiamba replied, curiosity satisfied. "Good... I get on pretty well with Shumbi, Kouga's fun to hang around, reminds me of my old pride mates. Set up seems fair."
She straightened as her senses became much more sharp, looking back at Asali as they went, her eyes widening little by little with awareness.
*
“That’s good. I’m glad you’re getting on with the others.” A nod.
“No complaints you want to make or worries at all? Since you’re hanging out with us Brave girls, I am supposed to look after you as well as boss you around.” The grin that comment was accompanied with was playful. Really, Asali wasn’t so bad. As the old saying went, a leader was only as good as their followers. So long as the girls didn’t act up, she’d be a pleasant enough lioness.
“Though you are free to seek the Light and Dark omama if you wish.”
*
This was exactly why she loved this place already. The lions here were relaxed. That wasn't to say her birth pride had been uncomfortable, it actually WAS home to her, after all, but she loved the freedom and ease of access to associate with others besides just her designated rank. She just couldn't get past that aspect. Her birth mother and birth father had been cast to different lots, and though Chacha never voiced a single complaint she'd seen that she had missed Kiraku's companionship at times.
The only thing Kiamba had to concern herself with here was sharing the males with other females and the possibility of them being run off, but with five of them it seemed highly unlikely.
"No, nothing like that." Kiamba said with the fading notes of her chuckles. "I rather like our group, but I'm still getting to know the others."
*
Asali was clearly pleased with the response from Kiamba.
“I’ve been happy with you myself. You’re an excellent hunter, pull your weight and you seem to enjoy stories.” Her assessment – praise? – was brief and to the point but heartfelt. Asali was happy to have Kiamba with them and enjoyed her company perhaps the most so far. Their attitudes and personalities complimented, she liked to think, but were not so alike as to be boring.
“I have reason to think we might have cubs on the way, perhaps…are you any good with little ones?” Now that came out of the blue.
*
"Glad to hear I'm living up to expectations so far. The company here is definitely better than what I've had in a good while, so I'll gladly stay as long as the pride and the group will have me." She answered honestly and without hesitation.
"Not had any personal experience with cubs, besides being one and playing with my playmates and siblings when we were young. They kept all the ranks separate in my birth pride, the nannies had their own neck of the territory, warriors near the entrance, hunters near the hunting grounds, leaders in the middle. It was a whole bloody day's walk just to get to one clan, so I'm afraid I can't say if I'm actually any good at it in terms of experience."
There was a very brief pause, and Kiamba looked over at the other adult with a small grin.
"I can, however, say that I like the idea of having them around. Cubs keep you on your paws, I like their energy, if they'll be anything like we were as kids, mostly bluntly honest and love a good story. They keep even the oldest lions young sometimes, is what my birth mother always told me."
She was looking forward to it, surprisingly perhaps.
"Who do you think is expecting? Any specific guesses or just a hunch?"
*
"There's an old proverb, 'children are the reward of life'. But I think you're right, that children reward a new lease of life to their elders." She mused. It had been a long time since she'd been around little ones that she was involved with. Why, Tufah's cubs must be into their adolescence back in the Pridelands. Who knew if they even remembered her now? And her sons she'd had with Jing were all well grown up into lions of course. Sorin was the proof of that.
"I don't know if she is yet but by the odds alone Shumbi will have cubs in time. Two umholi, double the chance of cubs. No matter which is the father it'll be a good thing for us all." It wasn't really gossip. It was planning ahead.
