[PRP] Light of Stars (Ndogo & Eshkohl)

[mouselet]

It was remarkable, how stress and caution could become normal. The Guard had been as surprised as anyone when it became known that not only had Kamia borne Shangyue's cubs, but that the King had gone and retrieved them from the group of, well, rebels that not everyone had suspected to live on the pride's borders.

A girl and two boys. But despite all that, Eshkohl wondered at Kamia's apparent acceptance of the situation.

And how she did still vanish in the general direction of the rebels from time to time. Well, whatever deep game the other lioness was playing, Eshkohl was prefectly willing to turn a blind eye. Gods all knew that her mate had less love for Shangyue than most, though he hadn't been quite as outspoken as some. Eshkohl herself didn't hold with kinslayers, but didn't want to raise any more of a fuss than Nyota.

The green lioness sighed as she looked up at the stars. At least it was a lovely night.  

[Bronze Coffee]

Ndogo didn't know really what he was doing away from his sister and brother tonight, only that he needed to get out of the den that somehow always managed to feel too small, too overcrowded. It put him on edge most of the time and honestly? He just wanted to relax for once.

He couldn't ignore the goings on in the pride, the upset, unrest, tension that was so thick it could strangle a lion like heat on a summer night. What could he really do about it? Nothing. Ndogo was borne into such tension and his arrival, and his siblings' only made things worse for certain individuals. the facts didn't go unnoticed by him. Still, the high born male wasn't sure what to make of everything, wasn't sure how to improve anything.

Heir wasn't Ndogo's title. Honestly he shouldn't be trying to become proactive when it really wasn't his role but here he was, wandering the pride at night and letting these thoughts float through his head.  

[mouselet]

Well, speak of them and they would come. For Eshkohl recognized the adolescent coming towards her as one of Kamia's children, one of the boys. It was worth noting that around the time these three had shown up as cubs was when Shangyue had quietly, though formally, taken Parisa to be his Queen. Even so, there was no sign of any legitimate heir in the offing.

All in all, it contributed to the overall tension in the pride. The lioness didn't like to think of what would happen when the Mwezi reached a breaking point...and what the pride would look like in the aftermath. It had been bloodshed that brought them to this point, and there would be even more blood spilled before they were done. Of that, she was certain.

But there was no need to bring unnecessary worry to the boy before her. he was too young to have to worry about such things.

"And where are you off to?" Eshkohl asked, coming closer.  

[Bronze Coffee]

A voice snapped the blond male out of his own thoughts and he looked up, blinking owlishly before he tilted his head. This was... Eschkohl? His blue eyes narrowed back into something more normal and less startled, though he still was. Of course Ndogo should have expected someone to be out now. The whole pride was out at night.

"Just walking," he replied with a roll of his shoulders. He was in that awkward phase of his life where his mane was coming in, just a lot more scruffy. He was somewhere between cub and adult. Females always got the better end of this phase, in his opinion. "Thinking. Trying to relax before I go back to the den." Why would he not be honest? He had nothing to hide, really, so there was no point in lying. Besides, what would he lie about?  

[mouselet]

"I see," the lioness replied. The conversation, such as it was, seemed to die for a moment.

"It's so strange, don't you think, how old you and your siblings are already?" Eshkohl offered. "To think that someone my age could be a grandmother by now..." the green female trailed off. She was a bit disappointed in herself for her inability to provide Nyota with children thus far. She didn't think she was infertile...but Nyota did have a daughter already, so there was clearly no problem on his end.

And yet, if she'd conceived as soon as she arrived here, she could very well be a grandmother now.  

[Bronze Coffee]

Okay, well then. He blinked as she trailed off and got confused, his head tilting to one side.

"Uh. I don't know?" He didn't know how old she was, so her train of thought was really confused. His head canted the other way and his shoulders just shrugged lightly before grinning wide. "Mm. So. ...What are you doing?" Did he call her grandma? Family was so confusing. "....What.. do I call you?"