The sound of giggling echoed around the forest floor, catching Kianga’s attention rather quickly. The older female was lazing on the branches fairly high in the tree tops, not too close to the pride centre. She liked the hustle and bustle of the colony, but still it was quite nice to have some quiet time. The sound that echoed was a familiar one, and a look of fond exasperation came across her face.
Ah, the girls were out and about.
Sure enough, the pair soon came into view, travelling along the bottoms of the forest. Ardhira’I had taken after her mother – a rogue – in that her tree climbing skills weren’t exactly fantastic, and that often meant she didn’t use the trees as her method of transport.
It was quickly apparent why the pair were on the ground though, as both were adorned with a rather pretty, petite, though rather messy, flower crown perched upon their heads. They had been to the flower fields nearby, and had clearly been enjoying themselves.
Slithering behind them as a rather lazy pace was Eyad, Hu’s familiar. Eyad had a fondness for the pale female and was often seen keeping an eye on the flighty, innocent female, though he rarely did so when Ardhira’I was around, simply because the girls were…well, they were young girls. Kianga laughed a little as she spotted a flower chain wrapped around the serpents tail – a sign that he had been with the girls at the field.
Eyad glanced up at the sound, the only one who noticed the foreign laughter over the female’s giggles.
“Miss Kiiianga,” he called out in greeting, his words slow and deliberate. There was a distinct hiss that followed his words, belying his heritage but he had always taken a great deal of care to enunciate properly, not of that dreadful ‘sss’ing at the end of his words.
Ardhira’I and Ua stopped their giggles abruptly and glanced up at the old female – a look of nervous energy on their face. “Uhm, hi Kianga,” Ua greeted, bouncing on her paws. “Uhm, how long have you been there?”
“A while,” Kianga replied, nodding to them in greeting. Pausing, she added, suspicious, “why?”
“No reason!” Ardhira’I rushed to assure. “Just curious!” The two girls looked like they had gotten their paws caught in a bee hive and the swarm was soon to be returning. Kianga eyed them curiously, before making her way down the tree, to stand on equal footing with them.
“What have you two girls been up to?” She asked, faintly exasperated. Ua had never had a mother, and as such, it had fallen to Kianga once or twice to be the ‘maternal’ influence on the girl. Not that she would ever tell Hu that, as Hu would be heartbroken to know he was not enough for his daughter. Still, there was a time in every girls life that she really just needed another girl to talk to.
The looks of nervousness got worse, and Eyad heaved a heavy sigh. The girls wouldn’t say it, so he would.
“They have been gossiping about boys, Miss Kianga,” he confessed. Both the girls gasped his name, shocked that he would rat them out like that! He rolled his eyes. “It is not the end of the world, ladies. Kianga could give you some advice.”
Kianga giggled lightly at the look of embaressment on the faces of the girls before her, shaking her head in wonderment. Gosh, to be young again. “I wouldn’t say I am the best person around to be giving advice,” Kianga warned and glanced at the blushing Ua. “Oh, don’t tell me you have a crush, Ua!”
“No!” Ua denied.
“Yes!” Ardhira’I roared with giggles. Ua gasped and swatted at her.
“I don’t, Kianga! I don’t! Oh, please don’t tell Papa Hu!” She begged.
Kianga laughed, and even Eyad had a chuckle. “Oh dear, your father won’t care,” Kianga assured her gently, but Ua did not look convinced. “I mean, it’s not like it’s Arcus,” she threw out as a joke, and saw Eyad smirk. Ua paled as Ardhira’I giggled furiously. “Oh no,” Kianga gasped, eyes wide. “It’s Arcus?”
“Please don’t tell him!” Ua begged. “He’d kill me!”
“No, no,” Eyad chuckled. “He would kill him.”
“I don’t want Papa to kill anyone,” Ua protested. “It’s just a little crush. It’s nothing major! I’ll get over it!”
“You probably should,” Kianga felt bad about advising. “Your father and Arcus have a…tenious relationship as it is. Your father is not a violent sort, but I doubt he would approve all that much.”
“I know,” Ua sighed, with a pout. It was clear that she had thought this crush through, or perhaps she had talked it through with Eyad and Ardhira’i. “It’s just…why can’t I have a crush on him? It’s not like I’m going to do anything about it. It’s just…I don’t know, I never spent much time around our kind, you know, and now I found a boy that doesn’t want to hurt us and that Papa hasn’t chased away…isn’t it OK to kinda like him?”
“Of course it is,” Ardhira’I rushed to assure her friend, nuzzling her affectionately.
“Indeed it is,” Kianga murmured. “It’s perfectly normal in fact, but…I simply think your father would consider there far better matches out there for you than Arcus.”
Ua huffed. “What if I don’t want a better match? I’m not saying he’s the one or anything, but aren’t I allowed to make a stupid decision every once in a while? I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna get pregnant or anything. I just wouldn’t mind…I don’ t know, spending some time with him.” She was beginning to look a bit frustrated. “I love Papa but…no boys will talk to me.” She pouted.
Kianga giggled a little. Oh, she remembered the days when boys were the most important thing in the world. “Spend some time with ARcus,” She encouraged, and knew Hu would kill her if he ever found out what she was encouraging. “Talk to him. See if it’s anything special,” she smiled at the young pale girl. “Or see if he’s boring like most boys are.” Eyad hissed in disapproval, causing her to add, “well, other than Eyad of course.”
The snake looked smug, but nodded.
“I mean, Eyad could distract Hu!” Ardhira’I threw out the offer and Eyad look momentarily panicked.
“No, no! Do not drag me into this nonsense,” Eyad warned, but a wide-eyed look from all three girls soon had him caving. “Fine, but I will only distract him once. Hopefully that’ll be enough time for you to realise there is very little depth lingering behind all those bulky muscles.” He was sulking, but none of the girls cared.
Ardhira’I and Ua had devolved into fits of giggles and Kianga smiled, watching the girls have fun, and watch Ua, for the first time in a long while, act like a typical leopardess only just coming into her own as an adult.
It was a beautiful sight.
(1173)
