[FIN] Let me tell you a story... (Haruma'moyo & Tarafa)

[Talencia]

Haruma had begun to move away when the comment about playing like cubs fell on her ears. She paused, and then at the comment about thinking serious things, she turned to look back at the lioness. She opened her mouth to reply, eyes dark and accusing. But no words emerged, and the cub clearly rethought her intention to speak. Whatever she might have said remained within her mind only, and she turned away, her back rigid with tension.

Inwardly she seethed at the well-meaning words. She did play, but more often she dealt with the realities of their lives. Abandonment, danger, wariness, and now sickness and death. She had little room in her soft-heart for self-indulgent play. Often her play was to cheer up her siblings or to solidify their family bond. Grooming often did this as well. But to have a stranger, pride member or no, tell her she should be more playful and less serious... it made her bristle a bit.

Her tail and fur twitched erratically as she paced away from the older lioness, but by the time she reached her brother, the fur had smoothed, her tail swung more gently, and she had let her irritation go. She gave her brother an affectionate lick to the cheek before glancing back one last time at Tarafa. Perhaps she owed the lioness more kindness in return for her gentle words of admonishment, but in the wake of her shocked dismay at hearing of the pride's plight, she simply wasn't ready to offer the friendship the older lioness deserved. Perhaps another time, when Haruma was in less turmoil.  

[mouselet]

Tarafa watched as the cub thought about making an angry retort before going over to her siblings. Such a serious child. Perhaps she'd done wrong by suggesting the girl play, but hopefully once Haruma had a chance to absorb all she'd learned this day, she'd figure out that it was the best advice the older lioness could possibly offer.

Still, it was best to let their conversation sink in and absorbed before they spoke again. Tarafa turned and continued on her round of story-searching. Perhaps she might also discover which lioness had adopted the cubs and the tale of their birth mother.

And she would hope with all her might that she would not be the Bard to relate that story at a funeral feast.