Star wasn’t sure how she felt about this all. It was odd; being essentially mateless again. She had had a mate since she was an adolescent; he had been her everything. Her saviour. Her protector. Her owner…he had not been her love though. That honour had fallen to his brother, but even that had faded away. She sighed and stared at her paws; pale and stark against the grey rock she rested upon.
She wished well for them though. To both of them. She had seen Obadias fleeing the wreck of the pride; his two females with him and his cubs following closely behind. She wasn’t sure where her cubs were at the moment. Not even one of them. It made her feel horrible, like a terrible mother.
She missed being a mother. She missed feeling needed.
“Hello?” A voice called out to her, startling her from her thoughts. She glanced up, surprised to see a brightly coloured green lioness; her pelt startling in the environment and adorned with beautiful trinkets which hung around her neck and legs. Gemstones of all different colours reflected back at her, catching her eye.
“Hello ma’am,” Star responded politely, offering a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, did you need something?”
Viper, the brightly coloured lioness, grinned. “Nah, I just saw you sitting on your lonesome and thought I might join you; if that’s alright? It’s been a few days without company, I’m going a bit stircrazy with my own company.” Viper had seen the pale, slender lioness from a distance and had decided to approach. At least she knew if the lioness turned out to be crazy, she could easily take her own.
Star smiled. “Of course! Feel free to join me. I own no claims to these lands.”
“Yeah but if you didn’t want company, I’d move on none-the-less!” Viper assured and settled herself on another of the nearby rocks. “You don’t live here?” She asked, picking up on the lack of claim to the land.
“I don’t really live anywhere,” Star admitted with a shrug.
Viper nodded. “I have a pride. I don’t spend much time there though. I seem to be in the rogue lands mostly,” she chuckled. “I suppose my work requires that.” She waved her paw, sending her gemstones tinkling gently against each other. Once again, they caught Star’s eyes.
“You are a merchant?” She asked assuming from the jewellery that adorned the lioness.
Viper grinned. “Indeed I am!” She bowed her head to Star. “By the way, I’m Viper; or Ukukwi if you want to be formal.”
“I’m Star,” she returned the favour. “Just…Star.”
“Star? I like that. You would fit in well with us Gypsies; we live in the Kizingo’zaa! By the waters edge. You know, if you ever wanted to join,” she encouraged cheerfully. “Despite being gypsies, we’re not really that bad.”
Star tilted her head in contemplation. “I’m not sure if I’m looking for another pride…” she admitted quietly.
“Another?” Viper prompted but Star hesitated to confess her past history with prides.
Thankfully, there was a distraction as a herd of antelopes galloped passed, looking annoyed but not really frightened. Star and Viper both glanced towards it as they spotted a fair sized lioness chasing after them.
“Oh no! Come back! Please!” Tandotti, the black and purple lioness, cried out but slowed her pace to a stop with a curse and a huff. “I was so close this time…” she mused and glanced around her. She spotted the duo watching her and flushed with embarrassment.
“Having trouble hunting?” Viper called out cheerfully, with no trace of judgement in her voice. “Herds can be tricky! Too many ears listening out for any little mistake,” she sympathised. Star only offered a quiet smile.
The stranger seemed taken in by Vipers words and made her way towards them with a sheepish, still embarrassed smile. “I’m usually a lot better but recently I just seem to trigger the herd before I get close enough to pounce,” Tandotti complained. “It’s really frustrating.”
“Sometimes single beasts are easier to track,” Star offered quietly. She never tried to take on herds; they would always end badly for her because she had no one to help chase them into position if they started to stampede. She could only race after them and she was not the fastest lioness around, she would often lose them and that would be over.
“Yeah but it’s hard to find them on their own,” Tandotti pouted and sighed. “Sorry to disturb you girls!” She excused.
“That’s alright, we were just chatting,” Viper said happily. “Did you want a hand? I could lend a paw if you would let me take the pelt home!”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Tandotti squealed. “I am only really hunting for the meat – my friends back at home could use something tasty and we have more than enough pelts floating around. Thank you very much!” She grinned with excitement. Maybe she wouldn’t be gouged to death today!
“Great!” Viper bounced on her paws and wiggled off of the rock. “Did you want to come with?” She asked Star, glancing back. “We could split the pelt if you wanted.”
“I’m nto really hungry, nor do I really need a pelt,” Star admitted but she rose to her paws anyway. “But I could use the practice. I haven’t hunted for a while, my father usually takes care of that for me.” She was a bit ashamed of saying that but really, Dysi insisted upon it.
“Aww, you girls are so sweet!” Tandotti announced cheerfully. “My name is Tandotti by the way. I’m part of the Koti Kaikille pride!”
“I’m Viper, or Ukukwi, I’m part of the Kizingo’zaa pride,” Viper introduced with response.
“My name is Star,” Star added. “I don’t have a pride. Just wandering at the moment.”
“I’m not permenant in the pride,” Tandotti explained as the trio began to walk off. “I’m only staying until I swell with cubs and then I’ll take off.”
“What?” Star looked stunned. “You’re only staying to have cubs?”
“Well yeah. My friends are infertile; they’re adorable though and they want a family. So I told them I would bear them some cubs and they could raise them.” Tandotti smiled. “I haven’t found a partner yet, and I was raised by my two daddies; so I am sure they would do fantastic to raise cubs.” She shrugged. To Tandotti, it was not a big issue.
“You’re odd,” Viper announced but chuckled. “Let’s get food, then we can chat more.” Star had to agree about how odd she was; but she was curious about the reasoning behind it.
Viper grinned as she spotted a lingering herd nearby.
“Time to hunt, ladies!”
- fin-
