The night was young, and the moon hung high in the sky, clouds barely passing through it's mighty stare, as the song that came with darkness had started up once again - crickets and night bearing creatures making their voices sing high. Meandering through the moonlit blessed lands, Nyota was on the nightly trail he had mapped out along the boundaries of the pride he called him.
Crossing through the area, the dark brute's ears caught the sound of tiny footfalls skittering across the ground close to him. Coming to a quick hault, his dark eyes were already scanning the area for any intruders. "Come out, or I'll drive you out myself!" He roared out, his voice bellowing across the small clearing.
After a few moments, a little white and gold furball tumbled from a small ridge, bright soft eyes glancing wildly at whatever made such a loud commotion. Cocking his head, Nyota watched as realization dawned on the cub, and he skittered towards the adult, smiling a little nervously. "Forgive me! I thought I saw something over there, so I ventured a little bit further to find out what it was! Just a bug, sadly." The cub answered, his eyes full of wonderment. Someone had actually found him!
"Dear child, what brings you out so late in the eve? Are those who pad around on tiny paws sound asleep with their parents, by now?" The guardian queried to the cub, his body posing a rare streak of curiousity. Youth was something that the seemingly ageless brute could not fathom to recall, but it never ceased to spark interest within him when he came across it.
"I want to see what morning brings!" The pale cub exclaimed, as his bright eyes stared up at the star pelted lion in front of him, puffing his own fluff up to show he was serious. Having heard of it once or twice during his lessons with his parents, it became almost a mystifying idea for the little cub.
"Everyone keeps talking about it, so I want to know what happens when the Moon braves the horizon." He proclaimed, finishing his thought process. Hearing a rumbling chortle from the elder lion, he cantered his head and swiveled his tipped ears backwards, as the brute smiled, wondering what would spark such a reaction.
Giving a deep breath, "That is an interesting concept - very romantic of you, dear cub." he stated, with a wide smile, his deep voice without conviction. The pale cub, however gave him a hurt face, before turning his bright eyes back to the skies. "It's not a concept, and it's not really romantic - ick. I have a name, also, you know." He stated, trying to cover up with delicacy. Lifting his head high, he finished the statement, "I am Kivuli'Mwezi, the proud son of the Lord in this pride. I know you too, you're the Head Guard, are you not . . . and anyways, weren't you once a day-traveling lion?"
The cub didn't leave much breathing room with his questions and statements, and it was starting to overwhelm the great brute. Too much information was passing through the idle conversation, and he took a moment's reprise to recollect his thoughts so he could answer to the best of his abilities. "Romantic doesn't just mean feelings of love, dear cub. I'm sure you'll learn more flourished words as you grow." He started, giving an amused grin at the end, to show that he was at least enjoying the antics of his acquainted one, this fine evening.
"Well, Kivuli'Mwezi, son of Mwezi'mtoto, I too know who you are - I just think young one is more suiting - easier to say, and, yes. At one time I walked along this great land when the sun burned in the skies and warmed the planet. It was many years prior though, and something I, myself, would rather leave behind me." One cub asking so many questions was enough, he couldn't imagine a barrage of questions from a whole large litter of little voices at one's paws.
"Well?" Was the only response he was returned, and cocking his head to regard the cub, he was welcomed with those inquiring glances again. Leaning his body back a little and lifting his head, he cocked an eyebrow and replied "Well, what?" This onliy made the questions flow even more. "Well, what was it like? How long do you think it will take until we see the evening break into anew? Do lions really burst in to flames on days that are too hot, and the sun is too high?" Giving a face of pure confusion, the lion lifted his dark gaze back to the evening sky, mid-eve stars flickering down at him, as if trying to convey a hidden timeless message to the star-pelted guardian.
"Ah, Hm." He started, trying to think of how he was to answer these new questions, and also, how to continue this learning lesson at a different time - as the night was not young now, and he still had much of the territory to check over. "I would say a few more hours at best, would be when the stars in the sky bow out for another morning . . ." He trailed off, looking around the sky. It was so much more peaceful looking than the ground, at this time. If he did not leave soon, he would not have enough evening to finish his rounds. One more question, he mused internally.
"I think I could handle that, but you really didn't answer my question. Do you remember what it was like to walk along the sunlight?" Kivuli asked, while gazing at the sky himself, having found the actions of the brute infectious prior to his question. Hearing an unfamiliar sound, his gaze snapped back to the ground, where he watched Nyota lift his large body up and shake off, his body language stating that this was an exit, stage right.
"Hey! Hey, where are you going?" He piped up immediately, attempting to tie the brute down in conversation. He wanted to know! With a loud chuckle, though, the dark lion turned his gaze to the white cub once more. "I think I've answered enough questions for one night. As Head Guardian, I must keep my nightly rounds, so that you and your kin are safe during the evenings. If you keep asking questions, I'll never get to my other work, so we'll continue this later." He stated, as a matter of factly, and turned tail towards his well worn trail. After a few steps, he heard the now all too familiar voice pipe up once again from behind him, "But, You never answered my question!"
Turning his head to the side, he let out a short "That's for me to know, and for you to find out, Young Cub," before roaring in short laughter and taking off towards the evening sky, leaving Jivuli to only believe that he had been bested by a cunning and intelligent foe.
"Oh, I'll find out. Just you wait!"
