Ban'ma sat with her back to the setting sun, her forepaws submerged in lake water. The coolness of it calmed her after the long hunt she'd spent hours trying to make right. She had her head tilted to the sky, perfectly poised with her eyes closed and the swap of mane flopped over her left eye.
She was taking a break before trying again. She'd work all night if she had to just so she wouldn't come back a failure. Even with the older cubs leaving the den, there were still so many mouths to feed and her instincts were in overdrive. ..... But maybe a little rest wouldn't hurt.
Achal spotted Ban'ma lying partically submerged in the lake and the sight amused him. He'd been looking for her for some time and he hadn't expected to find her at the lake for he had already checked there once before. He approached the lioness quietly, coming up and lying down right beside her. “Ban'ma,” he said softly, “my dear where have you been I've beening looking for you for quite a while.”
She jumped up in shock, splashing water up in a great wave as her eyes snapped open. When she saw Achal, she placed a paw on her chest and sighed in relief. "Don't do that. You act like a stalker." Still, even berating him, she snuggled up to his side. Ever not-so-subtly she rolled her eyes back up at the sky, clearly avoiding the truth. "A little here, a little there."
“I do not. I really was not trying to startle you. I think maybe I have been to accustomed to stepping over and around sleeping cubs.”
Achal laughed lightly knowing it was entirely true and snuggled against his banu. When she said she pretty much had been around, he shrugged thinking he probably just missed her in his searchings.
“Ban'ma,” he started softly to gain her attention, “are you happy? You seem a bit anxious lately.”
She laughed as well. They had all learned the skills to maneuvering around a den full of cubs, in all shapes and sizes. The thought helped her to loosen up.
"Hm?" Slowly, she turned her head down to face him. Ban'ma swallowed, biting her upper lip before turning her face down. "I'm happy, it's just...hard to explain." She huffed at herself. "I see all the other Banu's and Beybanu's during the day, and I know I'm not doing a shred of what their doing."
Achal looked concerned for a moment at the lost jovialness they'd just shared. He frowned when he voiced his concerns. “I do not see how they possibly do more than you. You help hunt, yes? As well as helping to rear a den full of cubs that do not share your blood. Ban'ma my dear as far as I am concerned you do plenty. Is there something esle that you think you should be doing?”
"Heh." She snickered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't hunt. Literally. " Ban'ma held her paws up and flexed her claws, only to have nothing pop out, but scarred flesh. "See? I can't hunt, and cub rearing comes naturally to me, so thats not a problem. It's a stress reliever, actually." And a stress giver. She had more fears and worries, but felt selfish enough already.
Achal felt really bad when he saw that his banu hadn't any claws because for one he ha not noticed and it also meant the hunting was mostly being done by in the beginning before he'd adolescent daughter to help. Tsu limped and Ban'ma had no claws, he truly hoped Maua who now had very young cubs was coping well.
“Ban'ma love you really should have told me sooner. I am sorry I didnt not notice. You still should not worry about such things. Those things are for me to worry about. Is there something you'd like that might help you take you mind off of the subject.”
She could have cried. Instead, Ban'ma shook her head solemnly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I should have said something. I just didn't know how." How did one explain the things that had seemed right in her youth, that were monstrous now? She subconsciously clenched her paws to her chest. So far only Tsubame and Achal knew, and she planned to keep it that way.
"Sleep?" She asked with a nervous laugh, desperate to change the subject. "I want to look nice to see the boys off." “Its fine Ban'ma love, don't think about it. Sometimes things like that happen, but your here with me and you'll always be taken care off so you should be at ease.”
When she spoke of sleep Achal nodded and smiled, but when she spoke of the boys leaving he remembered exactly why he had been looking for his third banu in the first place.
“Do you think maybe sleep could wait a few more minutes. There is something esle I wished to talk to you about.”
Ban'ma had already shifted around to lean her head up against him when she perked up curiously. She shuffled back around to a sitting position, fighting the inevitable yawn that threatened to escape.
"Of course. What's on your mind?"
Achal smiled gently, happy to finally be getting around to this particular subject with Ban'ma who was so perfectly suited for it.
“I was thinking that now that the boys are leaving and with Thuraya going to take her place in a harem that the den will begin to feel a bit empty with all the new found space.”
Ever so slowly her curious expression shifted into a flirtacious grin. Ban'ma couldn't have been happier to be talking about it than if she was already pregnant. Coyly, she leaned in, placing her paw on his shoulder. "Then it just wouldn't be right, would it?"
She tsked. "And look at. It's already dark. We might as well stay here."
“No it wouldn't,” he said softly almost whispering. He was happy he did not have to explain what he'd meant and that Ban'ma seemed happy to oblige. He looked up to the night sky hearing her words for turning attentions back to Ban'ma. He gave a an affectionate nuzzle, “yes, lets,” he said grinning.
