Anika was padding her way through the pride lands. She had had an eventful few days and now she was looking for best friend Umeko. She had a lot that she wanted to tell the plum colored lioness. She wasn’t sure how her friend would take all that she had to tell her but none the less Anika had to tell someone and there was no one better than Umeko.
She was in the center of the pride knowing that it was unlikely that Umeko would be out at the border she was just a freeborn and therefore she had no real reason to be out at the outskirts, other than healing the wounded.
Umeko was in fact in the middle of the pride. There had been no injured today so she was having a quiet day. Most days were pretty quiet for the freeborn in the pride. Other then the women who had households to keep so to speak.
Umeko found herself lounging under her favorite tree. Looking at the little ones running around acting all tough, toughness was a desirable trait and encouraged from a very young age. Unfortunately toughness was also a trait that Umeko didn’t really have.
Anika was scoping the lands she was sure that Umeko would be here, and the plum lioness should stick out on the rocky terrain. As she walked she spotted her lounging under a tree, Anika shook her head. She wished that Umeko would be more active but that was a fight for another day.
Anika turned and walked towards her friend. “Hey there lazy bones” Anika called out as she approached Umeko. It was normal for the lioness to call her friend out like that. It was no secret how Anika felt about Freeborns.
Umeko looked up and smiled as her friend approached. She yawned and stretched a little as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. It was difficult to have a conversation while laying down. “Well hi stranger.” Umeko greeted her friend. It had been awhile since Umeko had seen the dark lioness that stood before her. She had gone looking for her a few time and hadn’t found her. She had found a God, which was something Umeko wanted to tell Anika all about.
“Where have you been, you’ll never guess what happened to me the other day.” She said excitedly. She had been thinking about the meeting with the God she had had and now she was considering making a big change in her life.
Anika smiled back, it wasn’t often that she showed her softer side but she did have a fondness for the plum lioness that she had called a friend since they were just cubs. “Well where I was is actually what I was coming to tell you about.” She told Umeko with a smile.
She settled herself beside her friend the smile on her face growing. “You will never guess what’s happened.” She considered building up the suspense but she was too excited and instead decided to blurt it all out. “I met a god and he has agreed to sire a litter for me. I am going to give birth to superior cubs.” She said with a brisk nod. Of course Anika had no idea if the cubs had actually taken it would be awhile before she knew, but she kept her thoughts positive.
To say Umeko was shocked would be an understatement. She sat with her jaw hanging open as her friend told her all her news. Obviously they had met the same God, anything else would be far too much of a coincidence. She wasn’t sure what to say, to say the least Anika was never exactly a motherly type and the fact that she had actually wanted cubs was shocking. Having to raise a litter would take away time that she would usually give to the pride.
“Wow.” Umeko said it was the most she could say as she digested her thoughts. “I met the same God I think.” She said as she was sorting through all the information. “Are you with cub already?” she asked eyeing the lioness over.
Anika smiled, she was sure that she had shocked her friend. Something that made her happy. However she was shocked right back when Umeko said that she too had met Kifunguo though Umeko hadn’t said his name so she was pretty sure he hadn’t told it to her. Anika wasn’t about to give away his name either. She knew the God was still in the lands waiting to see if he had done his job or not.
“No, well maybe I don’t know if I am, it will be awhile before I can tell I think.” She said, she was trying to pay attention to her body but nothing would be noticeable it had only been a couple of days. “I didn’t know that the God had spoken to anyone else here, tell me what did you two discuss?” She was confident that he wouldn’t have sired more than her litter, and Umeko certainly wouldn’t have asked for it so Anika wondered what the two had had to talk about.
Umeko hoped that her friend was with cub, it would be fun to have the little ones to play with and Umeko would be happy to care for the little ones when Anika was on duty, she would have to take some time off but Umeko knew better than to think that Anika would give up her position just because she had a litter of cubs.
“He told me that my father has sired many litters.” She said. She smiled a little excited to tell he friend the next part. “And it got me thinking, and I think that I may go on a Viking and become a Reaver. I am hoping to find some of my half siblings so I can learn more about my family and where I come from.” She was sure this would shock Anika, as Umeko had never wanted to be a Reaver before despite Anika’s constant pestering.
Anika’s jaw almost hit the ground. It wasn’t really surprising that Umeko’s father had sired many litter, she was pretty sure many Gods did. It was very surprising that Umeko wanted to go and find them. Anika knew that her friend was haunted by not knowing who her father was but it was still shocking she would take it this far.
“I wish your motives were because you wanted to defend your pride but I will take what I can get.” Anika said. “If you need any help let me know, anything I can do I will. But in the meantime I have to get going I’m on duty tonight.” Anika told the plum lioness as she rose her feet.
“I’ll let you know about the cubs as soon as I know.” She said calling over her shoulder.
Umeko shook her head of course Anika could find a downside to things. “Thank you I may take you up on that.” Umeko responded to the offer of help. When Anika rose to her feet to leave Umeko wasn’t surprised but she worried that the activity out on the border of the pride wouldn’t be good for a potentially expecting mother. “Take it easy out there please!” she called after her friend, even though she knew it was futile, Anika would do whatever she wanted.
With a smile at the thought of cubs, Umeko settled back down under her tree to watch the activity of the pride bustling around her.
