Nurrin had been traveling for a long time. She hadn’t been at home since she was a baby. The events surrounding her leaving the pride were still a little fuzzy in her memory. She remembered being there and she vaguely remembered her mom and dad, and a sister. Then one day it was all gone, she was on her own. She vaguely remember that at first there had been someone else there with her a male she believed but after awhile he left, and it was just her, barely older than a cub.
Now she was trekking back towards the home that she could only just remember. She was pretty sure that she was heading the right way, though she found that as she got closer to where she thought her home to be was covered in snow. She was pretty sure there hadn’t been snow here before. It had been green and lush, there had been snow in the mountains above them but not on the grounds where they lived. She began to worry that something had happened and that her home might be no more. Despite her fears she kept going, even if there was no one in the pride lands it would still be nice to be home.
It was Jugnu’s turn to stay in the pride lands while Joto went out and looked for their missing members she stayed in the pride lands just incase someone wondered their way in. So far they had gotten lucky; Wayra, Safura, Hoaka, Sabia, Tiigi, and Rook had all wondered themselves back home. They hadn’t had much luck going out and finding any members as of yet, it was as if everyone had an internal tell in their hearts that brought them back home now that she and Joto were there making it a better home again, a place where they could all live.
Nurrin crossed into the pride lands her eyes peeled for signs of life. Her heart sank a little when she saw that everything was snow covered. She was hopeful though when she noticed that there were paw prints everywhere. She couldn’t see anyone living at the moment but they had been here recently and may still be in the area. She was wasn’t sure if this was still an active pride or if perhaps there was just some travelling rogues in the area. She sighed maybe she had travelled all the way to find her home was no more.
Jugnu’s head whipped around she was pretty sure that she had heard someone getting closer. She was a little uneasy, having Joto out of the area it made her feel a little vulnerable, of course Hoaka was still close by and would defend the lands if it came to it. Jugnu was hoping it was just another lost pride member making there way home. Jugnu kept her eyes peeled she was looking for who was in the area. Maybe it was just Tigi and Rook playing in the snow again.
Suddenly Jugnu saw her, she was still far away but she knew that lioness. She was a lioness that Jugnu though to be gone forever, assumed dead, but there she was standing just at the edge of the pride lands. Jugnu started moving towards her a look of utter shock on her face, how could it be possible that her sister was back after all this time.
Nurrin saw her sister at about the same time that her sister saw her, immediately the lioness’s steps quickened she wanted to get to her sister faster. Seeing her sister still here gave her hope that the pride was still here, still active still thriving. She closed the distance between herself and her sister in record time. “Jugnu” she said she paused for a moment and then moved in and gave her a nuzzle. She couldn’t believe that after all this time she recognized her sister.
“Nur… Nurrin.” Jugnu stuttered she was in shock she couldn’t believe that her sister was here standing before her, “Its been so long, you’re back you’re really here…” she was amazed. When her sister had disappeared they had all been heart broken, but they had had to learn to accept the fact that she was gone.
“Are you alright?” she asked she was looking over her sister, she couldn’t see any visible scarring or injuries, but that didn’t mean that she was completely uninjured.
“I am alright, I am alright and I am home.” Nurrin answered looking around at the home before her. It was so different than what she remembered. All this snow, it was everywhere, it didn’t use to be like this. “Its so different here.” Nurrin said, still in shock.
“There was an avalanche.” Jugnu explained, “We are only just rebuilding now. But we are getting there soon we will be fully functioning pride again.”They still had a good deal of work to do but with their numbers were growing steadily. Jugnu knew that they didn’t look like much right now but it would only be a matter of time before there were a thriving pride again. She was sure that Hoaka and Sabia would soon have a litter of cubs, and she hoped that herself and Joto wouldn’t be far behind.
“It must look so different to you.” Jugnu admit still looking around the grounds. She could see all the progress they had made as a pride, but to someone who hadn’t seen it right after the avalanche it must still look a mess.
“Come on now, why don’t I show you around a little.” Jugnu was so excited that her sister was here and she couldn’t wait to introduce her to Joto. She knew that Joto would be so shocked, Jugnu had never talked about her sister to him, she had assumed her sister to be dead and felt no need to dredge up the bad memories and feelings.
Nurrin smiled and turned to follow her sister, she was excited to see what the pride looked like now. It sure had changed a lot but she was still home, and that felt good.
