Mvua had been acting oddly optimistic lately. It had been a long time since she was last able to smile, but even in the midst of the demons she found herself wandering pleasantly, doing her slave duties as always, but with a slight spring in her step. She'd met a stranger recently, who had given her a delicate white flower to match her fur, which she kept behind her ear when she was alone or hidden in the back of her den when she did her duties. It was a reminder of something else out there other than demons. A reminder of the kindness of strangers.
There was no very obvious change in her demeanor, but she found herself wandering the border more often - and this time not just to get away from the demons. Now, she awaited the chance to meet the polite green-maned lion again, this new friend of hers from the Matembezi. She had few friends in the pride, mostly having to keep her distance out of respect for the slave-demon master relationship. Her only real friend had broken her heart long ago, but those were repressed memories. She hadn't seen him much since, though his cubs filled the pride, constantly reminding her of his presence. It was painful....but Tamana was so pleasant. So, it was another day, out wandering the border, waiting to see what Luck might offer.
Tamana hadn't been able to get the pretty white and pale blue lioness out of his head. He had duties to attend to...but his thoughts often wandered to her. She was such a pretty girl, both outside and in, and it made him sad to know she was a slave within a pride. But...that and the fact she could not leave had him all the more determined to see her again, so that she'd have something happy in her life. After all, not even the night was completely dark, with the stars and moon hanging in the blackness. It was that determination that had him at the borders of the Aikanaro'hini again the moment he had free time from his duties, careful to avoid any unfamiliar scents. No sense in getting caught by one of the guards! He couldn't help cheer Mvua up if he got himself caught and skinned! (Not to mention the ration he'd get from Emil, Uncle Duo, and his grandmother...yeesh!) He'd been about to give up for the night when he caught her scent and saw the white. He paused a moment, just to make sure it was white fur and not white markings, and then trotted towards her. "Mvua!" He grinned, glad to see her again.
Mvua's eyes lit up as she heard her name being called - and not by her master. It had that familiar twang characteristic of only one lion she knew: "Tamana!" she smiled, bounding down to meet him halfway as she recognized the black pelt and flowing green mane. She bowed before him briefly, keeping to her slave habits, but she couldn't repress the smile. "I've been waiting for you, sir," she said, meeting his eyes, secretly hoping that he'd done the same. Though why anyone would want to wait for her was beyond Mvua; she was just a slave.
She had the flower behind her ear today, and though it was beginning to wilt, she still liked it. Mvua would be surprised if he had another for her, and the thought didn't even cross her mind. Sure, there were jungles and savannahs in the pridelands, but there were still few flowers this far out. She hadn't seen many, anyway. This one would have to do.
Tama was glad to see she seemed as happy to see him as he was her. He looked a bit embarrassed by the bow and 'sir' (he was just a simple Navigator, after all!), but he was infinitely glad to see her. "I've been waitin' for my chance t' come see ya 'gain." His grin turned into a calmer smile. "'S good t' see ya 'gain, Mvua. Are ya well?" He hoped so...He wasn't sure if he wouldn't steal her away despite consequences if she wasn't! Seeing the wilting flower, he chuckled. "Looks like I'll need t' bring ya a new one next time I visit. As pretty as it still looks on ya, a fresh flower'll suit ya better."
The white lioness pinned her ears back with embarrassment, her heart racing at the thought of someone else so eager to see her. She couldn't remember a time when she was thought of that way - maybe Nyota, but she could never be sure. "I am better," she nodded with a soft smile. "Now that you are here again. Even if you have the pelt of a demon, you have lit up my day." It was amazing how free he made her feel. Simply because he had his own freedom - in these moments, he could share that with her. Moments that there would certainly be more of - her smile widened at his promise to return again, but she did not reply. She knew how dangerous it would be for him to get caught so close to the border, and it almost scared her to think of the consequences of simply getting caught with his flower...though it probably wasn't that big of a deal. "How is the world on the outside, Tamana?" she changed the subject, using his full name to keep her indoctrinated formality.
Tamana felt embarrassment of an almost childish quality creep up inside him at the fact him being there made her feel better. "I'm glad I could make yer life a li'l brighter, Mvua." He really was, especially since that had been (mostly) his intent. To be honest, she made his life a little brighter too. And he hadn't realized it until he'd seen her again. "Life is as well as it c'n be, I s'pose. Nothin' really bad has happened in my fam'ly in some time, 'n' I'm doin' a job I really like doin'. One o' my brothers even has a mate!" He rolled his eyes. "F'gures th' stick in th' mud would get one first."
Mvua listened intently to his peculiar dialect, her mind wandering briefly to wonder where exactly he might have come from to get this voice. But it didn't really matter where he was from. Certainly, Mvua herself didn't even know where she was from. She had been stolen from her mother and brother while still just a young cub, brought into the Aikanaro'hini as Hakuna's plaything. "There's nothing particularly exciting going on here either, I suppose," she shrugged, finally letting some of her formal tension down. "Master Hakuna has borne more cubs, and we have a new king, but I am left alone." Mvua figured she ought to cover the basic information, but she was careful not to invite him in. She couldn't let her new friend find a demon, or find himself among the others. Besides, he had his own pride. His own family. Mvua had...whatever it was that a slave can have in relationship to her master's family. "You are so fortunate, Tamana," she sighed, her eyes looking past him and into the expanse of the savannah.
A new king? He wondered if the Matembezi's allies, the Mwako'bi'Giza knew that. Likely, all things considered...He didn't really talk much with anyone from there. He was much too busy with his own job, and he was no Diplomat! "I...I s'pose I am fortunate..." Compared to the life she had, despite apparently being left mostly alone...he did have it very wonderfully. Even with the death of his mother in his youth. At least she'd died of old age and a tired body. "One day, I'm certain good fortune'll find ya, Mvua. 'N' then it'll pay ya back for all th' times it missed ya!"
Mvua smiled graciously at Tama's promise - she took it as a promise - and met his eyes again. She remembered being infinitely optimistic when she was younger, always hoping that there would be a way out of the pain and fear. But always only got worse. Only rather recently had the events faded into a simple existence, going through life day by day. "Maybe so, Tama - may I call you Tama?" she caught herself awkwardly. The formalities were rapidly decreasing between the two of them. All this talk of good fortune, families - maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed. This new friendship was certainly a step in that direction. Oh, how she wished she could cross that border and get out of this place - but they would hunt her down. They might even kill her. No, she couldn't leave. Things would just have to get better right where she was.
Tamana nodded. "Tama's good." He much preferred it to his full name. For some reason, the extra syllable just seemed...formal. Unneeded. "So...yer okay wit' me callin' ya Mvua?" Even though her full name was pretty...Mvua just...well, it made him feel closer to her. And in all truth, he liked that. He'd never met a girl quite like her. Even his own mother, who'd been through things her mind wouldn't even let her remember, didn't have quite the same effect on him.
"You may call me Mvua," she laughed softly. "Mvua'wingu means 'rain cloud,'" she explained. "You know what happens when there's rain with no clouds?" she challenged him eagerly. There were colors. So many colors. Colors that seemed so rare in these dark lands. It seemed like this Tama was clearing her clouds. Or at least, he was showing her the silver lining.
Tamana chuckled. "My name jus' means 'cabbage'. 'Cause o' my green mane 'n' tail tuft. Yers...is much prettier." He tilted his head at her question and grinned. "A rainbow comes out!" He rather liked rainbows...any color that showed up in his family, you could see in a rainbow! It was awesome!
She was flattered by his compliments. Tama had such a way of making her feel better, for no reason at all. "Yes, a rainbow!" she laughed, her entire face lighting up with the happiness she'd rather suddenly grown to feel in his presence. Rainbows were so colorful, so bright. So starkly contrasted to the darkness of these demon-filled lands. Tama was proving to be her rainbow.
Unable to resist the urge, even with her slave conditioning, she placed one paw across the border to come close to him, pressing her scarred cheek against his. She was smiling, and could feel him smile too. It was such a new sensation, this closeness in the presence of a much-needed friend.
And she was happy.
