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Some days Klona didn't worry about things. Some days she just picked flowers, or poked holes in leaves with her claws, or threw pebbles into the undergrowth in the forest, or trailed after her brother Sko, or pestered her father. Some days she stayed up too late, slept in for too long, ate far too much, or built rather elaborate forts out of branches and broad leaves.

Some days, things didn't bother Klona.

Other days, anxiety was a constant passenger.

This day found Klona realizing how long it had been since she'd seen Burzum. She hadn't seen him yesterday, because yesterday she'd found an anthill and very meticulously excavated it - and she'd only been bitten three hundred ninety seven times. She hadn't seen Burzum the day before that, either, because she'd found a small frog and had spent the day chasing after it. It dawned on Klona that she really hadn't seen Burzum in a very, very long time. Maybe... a month.

No, it had to have been longer than that.

She wasn't sure why she sought out her uncle Odd. It really didn't matter to Klona. Those kinds of things rarely did. All she could think about was the heart-seizing panic that clutched at her chest, her lungs, made it hard to breathe. All she could think about was where was Burzum and also probably a little bit why hadn't Sko caught her a bird yet, but mostly where was Burzum.

If anyone had asked her how she'd found Odd's den, she wouldn't have been able to answer that particular question.

"Uncle!"

Her shriek was unholy, shrill and ear-shattering. It sounded fun. She shrieked again, for no reason other than because she liked how it sounded.

Klona didn't hear Odd approach, but she had opened her mouth once more so that she could shriek. Odd speaking her name was the only thing that nipped that in the bud, so to speak, and Klona turned to face her uncle.

"Uncle."

He was a pretty man. He reminded Klona of her papa, and her papa was the most handsomest lion that ever lived. Odd's mane was lighter, but Klona didn't hold it against him. It wasn't his fault that her papa was far more handsome with his thick, dark mane.

She was silent quite a long time, lost in her thoughts and comparisons of Odd's handsomeness versus her father's handsomeness. There was a little bit of thinking of birds mixed in there, but only a little. Skogund still hadn't brought her one, and neither had Orvar, and Klona was very peeved with the both of them, and Odd's mane was just so very pretty in the way it had the different colors in it, and not just one color like her papa's, so maybe it was safe to say that Odd's mane was more handsome than her papa's.

Oh. Oh.

Oh. Right.

"BURZUM, KLONA HAS NOT SEEN HIM."

Klona's voice was loud, but not a shriek. It was almost as if she'd been abruptly shaken free from her thoughts, which was exactly what had happened. She sounded startled, but it soon changed into something almost accusatory once she'd gotten her tone under control.

"Where is Burzum, uncle. Klona needs him."

She didn't really know why she needed him, but she did.

"It has been a long time since Klona has seen Burzum, and so that is why Klona is here, because perhaps uncle Odd knows where Burzum is."

Klona paused and watched her uncle, taking great care to focus on thoughts of Burzum so as not to be distracted by her uncle's pretty mane. It really was lovely, almost like sunlight, and Klona wondered briefly if it was warm to the touch. Her thoughts then moved towards the sun itself, and how hot it must be, and what was the sun made of - was it made of hot hair?

No. Focus.

"So. Burzum. Where is he."

"No! Klona is not a bad sister. Klona has been busy, and so there has not been time to spend time with Burzum. But now Klona is no longer busy, and so where is Burzum!"

She leveled a heated look at Odd, her eyes bright. It was obvious she was getting frustrated by the lack of Burzum, and the fact that nobody seemed to know where he was was quite frustrating to the white lioness. She was not a bad sister. She just got distracted sometimes, and it was easy to lose herself in her thoughts, especially when she was left alone.

"Help Klona find Burzum. Where shall we look first, uncle?"

It did not really strike Klona that Burzum might not be in the forest. Perhaps he was simply very good at hiding - but that didn't make sense, because he was so pale, like her - and she was not very good at hiding. Besides, her papa had told them not to visit the pride, and Klona always listened to papa and assumed that everyone else did, too.

"No."

Klona sniffed softly to herself. No, nobody had said that she was a bad sister. In fact, she was fairly certain that they'd never really said anything bad about her. It was just as well, because she truly was feeling like the worst sister that had ever lived simply because she'd lost track of her brother Burz.

Any sign of displeasure that lingered on her face was immediately dashed away at the topic of birds. Klona did not realize Odd's distraction tactic for what it was. Even on a good day it was oftentimes difficult to stay focused, and when Odd brought up a topic very near and dear to her heart, Burzum was almost instantly forgotten.

"No. He has not! Skogund promises Klona, and Orvar promises Klona, and even papa promises Klona, but not one of them has brought Klona a bird. It isn't fair, Uncle. Klona knows Finna to have a bird, and Klona had every intention of bringing Aunt Kazul's daughters all birds, but that would not be fair because Klona hasn't even gotten a bird yet."

Klona grunted.

"Burzum will catch a bird for Klona." She sent Odd a sly glance. "Or maybe Uncle Odd will catch a bird for Klona, eh?"

Klona let out a low, keening cry that rose alarmingly in volume, ending it abruptly. Perhaps she only needed to flatter her uncle. Yes, that would assuredly work.

It had been a long time since she'd had any sort of interaction with anyone who lived outside of the forest, but there had been a time long ago where Klona had witnessed a Freeborn lady ply a male for something using only her eyes. It seemed a good way to go about convincing her uncle about that bird.

Klona batted her lashes in such a fashion that made it appear that she had something irritating her eyes. "Oh, Uncle," Klona began, still fluttering her lashes, "Old? Klona does not think so. Klona thinks Uncle Odd is almost as handsome as her papa."

She bared her teeth in what she hoped was her most becoming smile, but probably looked as if she were grimacing painfully.

"Please, a bird, uncle."

"The best uncle," Klona said wistfully, gazing up into the trees. He really would catch a bird for her if only he could. Really, out of all of the promises she'd been made, it should be Skogund to capture the bird for her. He did spend so much time in the trees, after all.

On the topic of her father, Klona fidgeted. "Yes," she replied immediately, following it up with a shameful, "...no."

Her papa didn't know where she was. In fact, she couldn't really remember why she'd come here to see her uncle in the first place. Her brow furrowed as she tried to think, one ear flicking idly as she lost herself in thought. It wasn't birds, because they'd already discussed that. It wasn't Odd's pretty mane, either, because Klona had touched on that, as well.

She squinted as she stared at her uncle. She squinted and grimaced and tried so very valiantly to remember why she'd come. Was it pebbles? Leaves? Food?

Birds.

No. No, it wasn't birds. But oh, how she yearned for a bird!

Without another word, Klona spun on her heel and tread back the way she'd come. She really didn't know how to get home, but she had little doubt that if she found herself lost, a cousin or a brother would find her and take her back to her papa. Maybe if she was lucky, they'd get a bird for her, as well.