"Pardon me." A voice as soft as silk called out in the darkness, it's stillness unmatched by even the stars above. The figure of a dark lioness soon came into view, and within seconds of speaking could be fully seen against the pale moonlight. She was a dark brown that looked almost golden when the light hit her just right, painted with muted orange ascents. The lioness looked older, well lived and slightly tired, but she smiled all the same.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting." She spoke again, only this time with a soft smile.

"I was just looking for a place to wait out this chaos." The dark beauty was referring to the sky above, the Pridelands seemed to be caught up in a war they couldn't win and it broke her heart. Still, she would have faith that everything would be okay in the end, It's all she could do after all. Sometimes being powerless was exhausting though, maybe trying to remove herself from it for a while would mend her distress.

"Oh, please, come in!" The pale lioness spoke out to the newcomer with a smile, her pale eyes dancing along the other female's figure as she stepped into her den. The pale lioness had been spending more and more time with her mother lately, so being hidden away from the world like this felt like a normal thing, at least... it felt normal in the moment. She hoped this wouldn't last forever. Yorshka could only do so much to heal her mother, the rest would be up to her.

"I'm Yorshka, this is my place away from everything else, feel free to stay for as long as you need. My mother isn't here right now, but she normally would be with me on a day like this." The lioness smiled again before moving to stand, greeting the lioness with a soft bow of the head.

"Yorshka. That's a lovely name." The darker lioness spoke with a smile of her now, nodding her head at the other female's welcoming words.

"My name is Koy." Introductions always felt so forced and awkward, still, she was thankful for the kindness of this stranger.

"You have any children?" Koy questioned as she moved closer to the pale female, her eyes narrowed as she relaxed herself against the cool stone. It felt like a harmless question, this den felt big enough for a few cubs.

"Oh, me? No. Nooo." Yorshka laughed loudly before sitting down to face her new company, her tail sawing from side to side with every laugh that escaped her. She had never once thought of having cubs, not of her own at least. Still, the question made her curious.

"What about you?"

"Oh yes, but my children are all grown with children of their own now." The darker lioness also laughed, nodding her head before speaking again.

"I miss them a lot, but I am sure they are happy wherever they are."

"Oh, so you aren't close with them?" The younger female asked with a soft head-tilt. She personally had a very close relationship with her mother, Zimrain, but she also knew relationships weren't always so easy to understand. Maybe Koy's lifestyle was just different from her own. She wouldn't judge, though, Koy seemed far older and wiser after all.

"Not anymore, no. But I think about them all the time. It can be hard not seeing my children, but I have to believe that they are happy and well, wherever they are now." The idea of never seeing them again made her frown a bit, would it always be this hard? The past could burn, so for now the darker lioness changed subjects.

"You say your mother is normally around? It must be nice being so close to her?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, she has been a little... needy lately, so I am doing my best to be here for her, you know? I don't like seeing her so upset." The pale female spoke with a firm nod and sad eyes. She wasn't being dishonest, Zimran had seemed very different lately. She could only hope that her company was helping her mother through whatever emotional struggle she was dealing with. It was just... harder than she liked to admit.

"I see. Well, she is lucky to have a daughter like you." The darker lioness spoke with another smile, her words laced with a wisdom the younger female lacked. Koy felt a little better speaking to a new face like this, it was a good distraction from the world around her. Her body shifted as she sat herself down beside the pale female, her eyes bright and warm.

"Sometimes we can only do so much to help the ones we love. You just have to keep being that solid ground for her, you know? I am sure she appreciates your effort, even if she doesn't say it outright." Koy's smiled slowly melted back into a soft pout.

"Being weak can be hard. It can be even harder when you have to rely on your own child for comfort."

"I know, and I do try." She nodded with a half-smile, her blue eyes shifting from Koy to the darkness outside. The breeze air felt wonderful against her face.

"I just worry, but I trust she will come to me if she needs me. It's all I can do, really."

"Mmhmm. Just be strong, it'll all work out in the end, I'm sure." The darker female nodded as she spoke, smiling at Yorshka once more. Being a mother was hard, someday the younger female would figure that out for herself. Still, she couldn't help but think of her own offspring in this moment. The feelings that came with them felt overwhelming. She hoped to see them again someday.

"Anyway, sorry for the random questions. I was just trying to get to know you better." Koy spoke again with a small laugh, sitting close to her new friend. Her eyes shifted, settling on a necklace the younger female wore. Maybe this would be a story for another day.

"I don't mind at all! I enjoy small talk." When she spoke the pale lioness nodded with slight excitement, making a new friend never felt like a chore. Maybe they could keep each other company on nights like this? The new face was a welcomed change.

"You are more than welcome here, if you ever find yourself needing a place to stay." Yorshka glanced at Koy once before sighing deeply. Being able to talk about her own issues like this felt cathartic, it wasn't like she could just talk to Zimran about it, not when it had to do with her mental state and worries.

"Rest here, it's late. Maybe tomorrow we can go on a hunt?"

"I'd like that very much." The darker female spoke softly. She was thankful for the company and glad to have made a new friend in Yorshka.


~ end with 1159 words