[PRP] I Think It's Time To Go...

[Reeshie Hack]

Huruma sat on a hill, watching the sun come up over the lands she had grown up in. This was home, her family was here, and things were familiar. Too familiar, though. She needed adventure, exploration. The looks of new places, the smells of different creatures, the sounds an unexplored world.
It didn't matter anyways. Her mind was made-up. All she had to do was wait for Akin to show up and then tell her mother.
Was she scared to tell her father? Afraid he wouldn't let her go? Perhaps. She would cross that river when she came to it.

Amani lay beneath a tree, dozing in the blooming morning light. Harabu was off with Ihlo and the new cubs. Goodness, she was a grandmother... kind of. It'd be nice when her daughters had cubs. But that she knew of, none of them had met a male they liked as much as she liked Harabu in the beginning. Of course, Huruma had mentioned something before of the little playmate she had found, but Amani had not heard much about him since. It wasn't uncommon for children to meet and then not see each other again for a long while.
So she had no idea of how often Huruma really HAD seen little Akin, nor of the pair's plans.  

[Shariea]

Akin had grown swiftly as time had passed. His ebony coat accsented by the tawny colors of his parents was growing in nicely. Yet even as his body grew and with every passing day he got closer to adulthood, he had never forgotten his childhood friend or his promise to her. Time was swiftly approching for that fancy to become reality.

His tail flicked softly from side to side as he stared down into the churning waters of the stream. The stream that had marked their secret spot for meetings and play time. The spot that they shared their plans and delusions of what it was like outside of their homelands.

Sucking up his breath he turned and left that spot, if all went well he wouldnt be coming back there for quite some time. He knew he had to tell their parents but part of him didnt want to, part of him just wanted to run off into the sunset and never look back. Well, not until he had seen the world. Yet he knew their family would worry and he didnt want to place any burden on them. No they had to be told of their plans.

Akin approched Huruma where she sat on the hill. "Hey." he said as he sat down beside her and let out a sigh. "you ready to do this?"



Ayo had known for awhile how often Akin snuck off to go and play by himself, it had always bothered her a little that he would rather go do that then play with his siblings. Yet something inside of her knew that he wash is fathers son, with a dash of her own adventurous spirit as well. She couldnt keep the boys soul from wandering and it had made him happy. So why should she worry about it. Little did she know what was coming.  

[Reeshie Hack]

Huruma looked over her shoulder at Akin when he approached and tapped her paw to his nose when he sat down beside her, a small grin on her maw. The thrill of their upcoming adventure sparkled in her eyes, but so did the worry of how her parents would react to their decision.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I told my mother to meet me here after the sun had risen. Will we be waiting for yours, or going to see her?" she asked, her ears tilting back to listen for any sounds of her mother's approach as the sun climbed higher.

Amani stood and stretched when the sun had finally risen over the hills. Huruma had asked her to meet her by the Dya'Comi after the sun had risen. She didn't know why her second eldest wanted to meet her there, but she accepted it and made her way there.

When she caught sight of her daughter, there was a male sitting slightly taller beside her, his dark coat not as black as Harabu's and his light mane just beginning to fill in, making him to be about the same age. Who was this?
"Good morning, Huruma," Amani greeted as she walked up and looked to the young male. "Who's this, then?"

"My friend, Akin. Akin, this is my mother, Amani."  

[Shariea]

Akin laughed and went cross eyed as her paw rested against his nose for a moment. It was welcome greeting and a great way to break the tension he felt building in the air around them. His tail flicked softly to the side and he let out a small sigh. "My mother will be coming as well. I thought it best we only have to explain it once." he said, glancing over at her with a crooked smile.

The sun started to make its way across the sky, bathing the land in its warm rays. Today would be a nice day, but hot. He shook his mane to the side and peered out into the distance to where the older lioness approched. Her mother had already arrived. He studied her for a long moment, having never met her before. "Pleasure to meet you." he said, nodding his head forward in a formal fashion.


Ayo yawned a little as she glanced up and into the blue sky. Akin had said he wanted to meet with her as soon as the sun graced the sky. My he had seemed so serious and important. She sighed a little and stiffled a yawn as she approched the little hill where he had said to meet. Her golden eyes landed on the two strangers with her son, an older lioness and one about his age. Is this what Akin wanted to say? Had he fallen in love already? She blinked and shook her head, faining a smile. "Hello there." she said.  

[Reeshie Hack]

Huruma nodded over his first comment and watched as another lioness approached. She must be Akin's mother, though he probably took more after his father. Unlike herself. Huruma was an almost perfect blend of her parents with her coat color, marking placement, and socks from her mother and eyes, face-mark, and marking color from her father.
"You must be Akin's mother," she said and bowed her head to the older lioness. "I'm Huruma, and this is my mother Amani."
She paused for a moment and turned to her dear friend.
"Should I tell them, or do you want to?"


Amani smiled a bit at the young male's politeness and inwardly frowned in confusion. What was all this about? Another grown lioness approached them and looked a bit like hr daughter's friend. She nodded to the huntress when Huruma introduced herself and her. Amani then blinked when Huruma addressed Akin.
"Tell us what, Huruma?" she asked, though her tone was mild. Was her daughter expecting cubs as well? What would Harabu think, being a grandfather twice over? Wait, that would make her a grandmother... Amani's head began to swirl with possibilities as to why Huruma and Akin had asked their mothers to come to this spot this morning.

Meanwhile...

On the non-Kusini bank of the 'Comi, Chepe'dongo paced a bit, waiting for Huruma and Akin. How had they managed to talk him into this?? Sure, there was protection from most predators, but THEY themselves were still lions. They could decide one evening to eat him while he slept. But then, Hururma said they needed a guide and that they were friends and that she'd try for them to not eat any waterbucks ever again. So maybe it wouldn't be so bad traveling with the two young lions.
The not-so-young waterbuck hung his head and shook it a bit.
"Those two had better hurry up..."  

[Shariea]

Akin bit his lip a little bit and furrowed his brow as his mother sat before them. Confronted with telling them what they had planned for so long. He swallowed and managed an awkward smile to both of the mothers in turn. "Well.. I have known Huruma since I was a cub. We played together very often, and we always had a plan to leave when we are able. We are going to go and see the world."

It all left him in a rush and now that he had spoken of their plan he waited with baited breath as they mulled over what he had just said.

Ayo blinked at her son and smirked a little bit. "Is that what you where so serious about? And here I thought..." she glanced at the other lioness and her daughter. "well never mind what I thought. Son I have always told you, you are a wandering soul. Your father and I both took off on a jouney before we came back here."  

[Reeshie Hack]

"You're... leaving?" Amani asked, looking to her daughter. Receiving a nod, she sighed and looked down for a moment, thinking over it. Then she looked up, smiling a bit. She turned to her daughter and nuzzled her.
"You know I love you, Huruma. And I want you to be safe," she said and leaned back, smiling softly at her Huruma.
"But I also want you the be happy. If this makes you happy, then I'll support you. Your father and I traveled a lot when we were younger as well. Just promise me," here she paused and looked from her daughter to Akin then back again before continuing, her eyes filling with tears. "Be safe. Protect each other. And remember that we will always be here, waiting for you should you ever need us."


Huruma smiled back at her mother, filling her throat start to hurt a bit as well. She realized that this would probably be the last time she would see her mother in a while.
"I know, Mother," she said and smiled at Akin. "We'll be careful, and avoid dangerous places, won't we?"
 

[Shariea]

Akin smiled softly and stood up, looking to both his mother and Huruma's mother in turn. "Dont worry, We will be fine. I will protect Huruma with my very life if need be, but I am sure it wont come to that. We both have been taught to be wise to the dangers of the world from your wonderful teachings. Its now time to put those into practice." For him it didnt matter that Huruma had been older than him, she was a dear friend and he would protect her no matter what and he wanted her mother to be sure in that knowlage.

Ayo looked at her son and lightly nodded her head. "I am sure you will return home someday, even if it is for a visit. For just because this is the place where I have raised you doesnt nessisariily mean this is where you belong. Be safe my son, and may your paws guide you."  

[Reeshie Hack]

Huruma nodded and glanced at Akin. Something in what he said, or was it the way he said it, struck a chord in her and she smiled over it. The younger lion had always had the ability to make her smile, even when they were little. Thinking about it, there wasn't another creature she had met that she would rather be venturing out with. She reached over and tapped his nose with her paw, a gesture that had been a greeting and farewell gesture when they were younger, but then changed to a more friendly, even affectionate, action, at least on her part.
"We'll come back again, I promise," she assure the lionesses and nuzzled her mother. She felt her mother's tears in her fur and she nuzzled her mother even more before pulling back and turning to Akin.
"Dongo will be waiting. Shall we be going?"


Amani nodded in agreement, smiled as her daughter touched the young male's nose and nuzzled Huruma back, her tears falling into her little girl's fur.
"I love you, Huruma," she whispered and felt her daughter nod as she pulled back, a small smile on both their maws.
 

[Shariea]

Akin chuckled softly as he felt the warm paw of his friend bonk his nose lightly. It was a gesture that had come to mean many things to him over the corse of their friendship and it was one her valued. He smiled at her and nodded softly, the busy beginings of his blonde mane shaking as he did so. "We shouldnt keep him waiting any longer than we have. He will be cross enough with us as it is."

He leaned into her paw for amoment and smirked before looking over at his mother. She had taught him well and had been the shining star in his life. She had always been by his side, it was almost as if she was his very shadow. It was hard for him to leave her but he knew great wonders where out there and he wanted to see them before he could be happy and content with staying in one place and settling. His mother had been a wandering soul and to some extent so had his father. He knew she would understand deep down but he hadnt known how much leaving would tear at him personally. He approached his mother and nuzzled against her warm sandy fur. "I will Mother, I will return one day. I promise."

He stepped away and looked at his mother again before his eyed swept to the purple lioness. "We both will return one day." He turned towards Huruma. "Lets go."  

[Reeshie Hack]

Huruma nodded and padded to Akin's side, giving him a quick nuzzle before starting off towards the Kusini boarders, and their guide/wet-blanket.

Amani watched them leave for a moment, before nodding once, then again to Ayo, then turned and walked back towards where she and her mate spent their nights, to tell him of their daughter's departure.