Ishara hated it when her visions came in flashes. They made her nauseated. It was frustrating and despite all her control and breathing exercises, sometimes they were just out of her control. Sometimes, like tonight, they hurt. Not always the way the visions came to her, but sometimes the visions themselves hurt. Flashes of her mother. Sukanya, the black and blue leopardess, was attempting to sleep. It was night in the vision. It was rare that her solitary mother slept during the night. She was struggling to breathe. Her lungs, damaged from when Ishara’s older brother Makosa was young, were troubling her. Her avian had gone to Makosa, so Sukanya was alone.
All alone and struggling to breathe.
Ishara squeezed her eyes shut but that didn’t stop the vision. The flashes still came to her, but she felt more in control. She tried to focus on her body, pull herself out of the vision. It didn’t work, but she felt safer being able to feel her paws on the ground beneath her, even as the visions swirled before her.
Sukanya was coughing, rolling on to her side and trying to push herself up. Her legs seemed weaker than normal, and she coughed. This time the cough brought up blood, staining the floor beneath her.
Ishara cried out and the vision was broken. She breathed heavily, her eyes wide. Her mother was seriously hurt. Not just normal lung issues, but hurt. What was she going to do? She would have to go after her. She was the leader of the pride though…she couldn’t just leave.
She needed to find someone willing to seek her mother out. Bring her back here.
Forgetting that it was actually dark in the real world too, Ishara stormed out of the den, her head throbbing in pain. Who was she going to ask? She froze just metres from her den, realising that she…had no one she could ask. She knew none of the guardians well enough to demand they find her mother, and the few people she knew and/or cared for would only be put in danger by seeking out a stranger in the rogue lands.
Damn it, what was she going to do?
“Ishara?” A voice called out from the darkness, a bright figure appearing in the darkness. It was actually physically impossible for Mirae to hide in the darkness, her figure was pure white and purely blinding in the moonlight. “What are you doing up?” She sounded cheerful, probably grateful to find a companion. Mirae loved stargazing thanks to one of the early influences in her life – oddly enough it was Ishara’s aunt who was the influence.
“I had a vision,” she said, through gritted teeth. She was trying to keep her dinner down, her fear churning her stomach like nothing else had. Was that a vision of the future, the past or the present? Was her mother dying now or would she be in danger later? Could she get to her? What could she do?
“Woah, you look freaked out, Ishara!” Mirae noted with wide eyes, finally coming close enough to see the black and blue leopon’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“I saw my mother,” Ishara admitted. “She was very sick. I have to go to her.”
“You can’t leave! The pride is just starting to grow – you said it yourself, we are still very small,” Mirae protested, her eyes sympathetic. “Can you send someone else?”
“Who can I send?” Ishara protested angrily. “I can’t just command someone to scour the rogue lands for my mother. I may be the Monarch but I won’t throw my weight around. I’ll name someone else Monarch in my absence and I’ll be back as quickly as I can!”
“No one will listen to anyone else,” Mirae pointed out. “Let me go and find her.”
“No, I won’t put you in danger by making you go into the rogue lands,” Ishara said firmly.
“You’re not ‘making’ me do anything, Ishara,” Mirae laughed. “I want to do this. I want to help you like you helped me. You gave me a home, it’s the least I can do to bring your mother back to you.” She smiled warmly. “Let me do this. I’ll take someone else with me, I promise. I’ll be safe. Maybe I’ll even find Uncle Dysi and bring him for a visit! I haven’t seen him in weeks and I know he’d love to see the pride growing.”
“You have to take someone who is strong,” Ishara insisted. “Someone who can defend you, and you cannot take more than one mon cycle or I will send everyone out to find you. I mean it.”
Mirae rolled her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Ishara. I was taught by the best,” she replied cheerfully. The pale lioness placed her paw on Ishara’s paw, and patted it reassuringly. “Your mother will be fine. I’ll find her and I’ll bring her home to you. I promise.”
Ishara sighed, feeling some of the tension leave her body. “Thank you Mirae. You are a true friend.”
Mirae winked. “Maybe you’ll make me a Noble for this,” she mused dreamily. “Imagine that, not having to study or work. Just lazing around all dayyyy, not doing anything, just being all noble. Ah, it’d just be like being a Monarch!”
Ishara snorted and pawed at her, pushing her over. “You wish. You are a student, Mirae and that’s where you’ll stay until you figure out your visions.”
Mirae stayed flopped on the ground, pouting. “Ugh but they give me such migraines afterwards. I think they’ll always hurt.”
“Maybe, but you might be able to lessen the pain in time,” Ishara encouraged, although her visions almost always hurt afterwards. She wondered if that was all that there was to them, but there had to be more.
“I hope so,” Mirae sighed. She rose to her paws, stretching. “Do you have a preference on who I take with me?” She asked, curious.
“Not Ndoto,” Ishara said immediately. “She may poison you…out of love, I’m sure, or simple curiousity.” The little apothecary was worrying at best.
“Well yeah, she wasn’t going to be my first choice,” Mirae admitted with a crinkled nose. “She is a bit…concerning at the best of times. I think she needs supervision.” She giggled. “Maybe I’ll take that new cheetah guy. He’s handsome,” she said with a wink.
“Ugh, this is not a matchmaking journey, Mirae, this is about my mother. Stay focused,” Ishara grumped.
“I know, I know, but it doesn’t mean I can’t have something pretty to look at while we’re travelling,” Mirae said with a pout. “Fine, not him either. I’ll figure someone out. There has to be someone in the pride I can take with me who has muscles.”
“Just be careful. Please.”
“When am I not?” Mirae scoffed as she started to retreat back to her hill to star gaze. The sun was just starting to peak out of the horizon, so her time would soon be up and she wanted to stare at the stars a little longer. As if to contradict her statement, she tripped on a small exposed rock, causing Ishara to laugh.
“Yeah, you’re the picture of grace,” Ishara said laughing. She ignored the tongue that Mirae stuck out at her and began to walk towards the centre of the pride. It was late enough in the morning that there was no point going back to sleep. May as well get started on the day.
It’s ok Mother. Someone’s coming to find you. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late.
WC: 1260