Neska was silent as she watched Myka dig small furrows into the ground. It was always more than a little interesting to see the other lioness work. Myka always took such serious interest in her duties. Her plants were more than just plants to her - they were a labor of love, a life's passion.
Neska couldn't help but feel just a little sad about it all. So invested was Myka in her plants and her garden that she couldn't realize when a lion took a particular interest in her. Not just any lion, either, but a lion who took his own duties quite seriously.
"Myka."
"Yes, Neska?"
Myka didn't lift her eyes from the furrow she was tending to. There would be seeds planted therein, and it would take much attention to make sure that they were planted at precisely the correct depth. If they were not, they would not thrive and grow, and then all of Myka's time and effort would have been wasted.
When Neska didn't answer, Myka raised her eyes to meet Neska's.
Only then did Neska speak.
"I only bring up this topic because we are close. You are my best friend, Myka, and I am yours. Even though I am your thrall, we've grown beyond that, I think. Am I wrong?"
Myka laughed, a soft and tinkling sound. The fawn-colored lioness shook her head.
"Of course you're not wrong. Speak your thoughts, Neska. What is on your mind?"
Neska cleared her throat.
"I think Karta fancies you."
Silence. Neska watched Myka carefully. She didn't move, merely blinked very slowly before clearing her throat just as Neska had moments before.
"Karta?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I think you're just being silly, Neska. Surely he isn't interested in me. What is there to be interested in?"
That caused Neska to laugh, a loud and robust sound. It seemed to startle Myka, who glanced up with something that looked suspiciously like shock.
Neska couldn't believe that Myka had asked such a thing. It was absurd, honestly, that Myka was so clueless about her own desirable attributes.
"You are serious, Myka? What is there to be interested in? Shall I start at the beginning, then? Let's see."
Neska cleared her throat and lifted a paw.
"You're sweet. Pretty. You're kind. You love plants, and you don't mind getting dirty. You're old blood. You don't care that Karta visits you looking like he stepped out of a heap of mud. Do you want me to continue? I will if you really think I need to."
Myka hastily turned her attention back to the soft piles of dirt that she'd dug from the earth beneath her feet. Karta was a good lion. He was sweet, and he was kind. He didn't seem to mind that she took far too much interest in the health and welfare of her garden. He didn't seem to mind that she was very misunderstood by many in the pride. Some thought her strange or weird.
"He is nice, isn't he?"
Myka's voice was soft. Neska chuckled.
"Very nice. He's very, very nice, and I am quite certain that if you showed any interest in him at all he'd undoubtedly reciprocate." Neska wasn't really some sort of matchmaker, but she did believe that Myka deserved to be happy with someone who could understand her, and Neska knew that Karta understood her very well. He had his own passions when it came to his craft, and they shared a dedication to their chosen professions that was unrivaled by many in the pride.
"How do you know, Neska?"
"How do I know what?"
"How do you know that he might like me?"
"Well, I--"
"What if you're wrong and he doesn't?"
Neska grunted and turned her attention to the small pouch of seeds that they were going to be planting.
"What have you got to lose, Myka? I know your garden keeps you happy, but don't you ever want to teach your skill to the next generation? Don't you ever think of having daughters of your own that will thrive under your guidance and learn to love the plants that you do?"
Myka grunted, and the sound was suspiciously similar to the grunt that had escaped Neska only moments past.
"Are we playing matchmaker for one another, Neska? Have you been bothering Halvmane, too?"
There was no malice in Myka's voice, just a soft humor that was emphasized by the warm glow in her eyes. Neska was her dearest friend despite being her thrall, and she knew she was incredibly lucky to have someone looking out for her the way that Neska did.
"No, Halvmane doesn't need looking after. Not that I'm looking after you. I'm looking out for you. There's a difference. You're my friend. I want you to be happy, Myka, that's all. And I think Karta would be a fine match for you. You're both old blood, and you're both dedicated to your craft. Think about it, honestly. A large den, with a giant pit of mud to one side, a huge garden to the other, and a passel of cubs playing between them."
Myka laughed softly before shaking her head, turning her attention back to the furrows she'd been tending to.
"I think perhaps you need a family, too, Neska. I suppose it is the time of year where females get all a-twitter over the finer points of males in the pride."
Neska laughed, the sound a little loud.
"I have not met anyone I'm quite fond of yet," Neska mumbled, shaking her head. "But I would like a family someday, I think. It would not be such a terrible thing - but if it never happens, I still have you. Hopefully someday I will have your cubs to look after, and I will be happy as I always am."
Myka shook her head.
"Think about it, Myka. Think about Karta. Think about all the nice things he's done for you, and think about his reasonings behind it. He likes you. It's simple as that."
Myka merely groaned and gestured for Neska to bring the seeds closer.
"I'll think about it."
"Good."
WC: 1026
