Thankful Talks

The talk with her daughter left Heshima conflicted, had she really been as bad of a mother as she had claimed? While it was true that she hadn't been there to save Ari, she hadn't been there to save Giza, that was all that matter in the russet female's mind. Heshima thought the reunion between mother and daughter would have been a happy one, but instead it left the pale female hurt and confused. Giza was only eight months when she had vanished, however almost two years had passed since the russet princess's disappearance and Heshima now figured out that she didn't have a say in how Giza lived her life anymore. She would be a horrible mother if she outright demanded her daughter to stay with her and Kifu in the Ashlands, but hadn't she already been a horrible mother in her eyes? When she was at the top of the pass she turned around and saw her daughter padding away from her and deeper into the ashen territory, most likely looking for her only full-blooded brother. The pale female smiled as she watched her daughter again, happy to just know that she was alive. Something that Giza had said though stuck within Heshima's mind, if Scar came looking it seemed like none of them would be safe. However, there was Nako who was twice the size of the sire of her litter along with the Lowlanders who, if this alliance deal worked out the way she planned, would be able to come to their need as well.

Making her way down the pass was easier than the last time she had made the trek up and over. It seemed as more and more paws climbed the pass and made the journey that it seemed to start to smooth out. Heshima was happy for this, she didn't want the Ashlands to seem like a horrible place just because a refugee couldn't get into the territory. That is what the Ashlands seemed to be nowadays, a refugee camp for all who had lost their way in the Great Circle of Life. But maybe it was destined to be this way, maybe it was written in the stars that poor lonely Heshima would one day become queen of her own land? The female thought about the poor barren lands that she had chosen to rule, they weren't much and most would look past them. Even Giza showed distaste in the lands during their talk. However it seemed as if the lands had just recently been plagued by fire, soon enough new life would spring from the ash and replenish the lands. But that life would be short lived, for it was assumed that fires would once again spark and burn all the growing plant life yet again. It would be something to get used to, having to watch your entire kingdom burn to the ground in one night -or many nights depending on how much fuel the fire had- but Heshima was ready. And now, the Ashland Queen had taken the last step off the pass and made her way into the jungle where her daughter had been in refuge for the past two years.

It was at that instant that Heshima noticed her pelt wasn't as pale as it normally was, for a layer of ash had seemed to stick onto her coat. This wasn't how a queen should look even if it was a part of her territory. Finding a small watering hole, the female cleaned herself of all the ash, smiling now at her reflection. Her lanky figure had started to fill with all the extra food in the lands and it felt odd to actually be full. Kifu had been growing as well, his mane now sprouting and becoming thicker. The female wandered through the Lowland kingdom, looking for any sign of the lion pride that lay here. She traveled a long distance and looked around every corner, but all she found were old paw prints and many other animals. Finally Heshima stumbled upon a large range which reminded her of the lands of her youth. Not the Pridelands of now, but the Pridelands when Simba and Mufasa were still alive. What would they have to say if they knew what she had done? Would they shun her? Or would Simba love to have as many cousins as he now did? Heshima imagined Simba looking just like Mufasa, however having a large and magnificent brown mane inherited from his mother. As thoughts of her old life started to flow back into her head, Heshima finally took a seat underneath a tree, hoping that the scent of her and the ash would attract the Lowland queens. Heshima had much to discuss with them, but most importantly, thanks were to be given.

Nyota had managed to convince Duara a while ago to lay off patrolling so much. She'd been lacking sleep, and her eyes had always been bloodshot. Duara had refused to lower her guard at all whilst she'd been guarding the borders. She'd even started to look thin, and her coat wasn't as full and lush. At the worried question regarding her health from little Nyima, Duara had finally taken her better half's advice and allowed Umiza, herself and Nyota to share the duties of taking the border. Umiza seemed to be able to handle guarding better than Duara did, but then she was their warrior and she presumed that Umiza was skilled with dealing with small amounts of sleep. Duara had opted to guard the border while Umiza caught up on some sleep for the day, and she was now just lazing about on her back as the sun warmed her fur. She normally never let her guard down, btu the day was lovely and Duara felt so at peace with the world.

They'd heard nothing of Scar recently, which did worry her slightly but also comfort her that he seemed to be lying low. She worried that the silence was because he was building up forces to take their kingdom. She knew why, on one of her very rare venturings away from their lands, she had seen the state that the Pridelands were in. Compared to the Lowlands, it was absolutely hideous. The Lowlands were lush, peaceful, and her Pride was very lucky to live there. However, the Pridelands were barren, dry, disgusting. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the thought, drawing herself back up onto her paws and continuing to pace the border. She sat down and sighed. She never wanted her Nyota to see the bloodshed of war again. She would never wish harm upon her Pride, but mostly, she never wanted the young ones to see war like she and Nyota had seen. She shut her eyes at the thought of Nyima being completely alone in the world. It made her angry, it made her furious to think of someone harming Nyima. Though the adolescent lioness may not have been Duara's biological daughter, that did not mean that Duara thought of her as any less than her own daughter.

Thoughts of Nyima made her smile, for the lioness was aging well. Much like her mother, she was beautiful and had a strong build. However, Nyima often disappeared and had begun to develop a bit of an attitude. Duara knew it would happen eventually, but she sighed nonetheless for Nyima had been such a sweet-hearted little cub. She worried that her daughter would wander off into the savannah again, like she had when she was a cub. She grit her teeth just at the thought of that boy who had lured her into danger. How dare he! Sabotage, she knew it must've been. She shook her head and tried not to think about it to much as she felt her anger bubble to the surface. A protective lioness, she did not like the thought of anyone going near Nyima with ill intentions. The wind blew against her and faintly, it brought the scent of ash. She tilted her head, were one of the Ashlanders wandering to far? She did not think of them as a threat to the Lowlanders, though their King was something to worry about - him being the largest lion she had ever seen. She pushed herself through the under-growth at a steady trot until she caught a glimpse of the lioness through the tree's. She walked into the clearing and smiled in a non-threatening way.

The key to staying youthful, her mother had once told Nyota, was to remain active. Even in times of peace, it was important to stay on one’s toes, to stay sharp and keep fit. The serenity of the jungle remained, however delicate, and the queen had nothing much to do but her territory diligently. No intruders would arrive without being detected by either of the restless queens. She knew every inch of the valley they called home. Seldom did they see Nyima unless it was dusk or dawn. Nyota’s daughter regretfully remained the only progeny of the royal pair, for nature was against them when it came to procreation for the obvious reasons. The princess had grown more rebellious, prone to wandering, which left the queens in a state. They tried not to hover, not to seem over-protective, but they cared too much for their daughter’s safety. It was beyond their control, and now so was Nyima. Only the ancestors knew where the young lioness disappeared to during the day.

On their respective travels during the day, the two queens often found themselves in the same place at the same time, simply by chance. Today would be no different, though Nyota had been scouting through the foothills of the Kiburi Range, where she did not often roam. She was surprised then to catch Duara’s scent on the breeze, and even further surprised to realize that she was not alone. Another feminine scent, that of another lioness, lingered in the air, instantly piquing Nyota’s curiosity. To her knowledge, there were no Lowlanders nearby. Who else could Duara be conversing with? She found the two only moments after Duara’s discovery of the foreign lioness in their lands. Her memory had always been sharp, and she recalled Heshima’s visage and her name immediately. She hurried down to meet the others.

Duara had not yet introduced herself when Nyota spoke up first. ”Heshima,” she acknowledged the other in greeting with the faintest nod of her head, regarding Duara. ”Have you met my queen?” The chocolate brown queen of the Lowlands had not yet learned that the pale lioness had swiftly promoted herself within the newly founded Ashlands from newcomer to queen, nor did she know the name the ashy kingdom had been given. Nyota quickly noted that Heshima seemed to carry herself with a dignified certainty now, which in a male might have been threatening to the kingless monarch. In a lioness, however, these attributes were admirable, and Nyota felt at ease. Nyota was not one to beat around the bush, so immediately she set out to discover the reason for her visit to the jungle. ”I anticipate all is well beyond the Pass?”

Grass, it was something that was almost foreign to the lioness as of late, having lost the privilege to lounge in it just after her cub years had been lived. Being able to feel the plant life from underneath her paws almost made her long for the gravel and dead lands of the Pridelands; almost. While true that she did miss her old life before Scar -even if her children stayed with her in that life- she loved the new leash that she had given herself. Now she was queen of a new land, running the kingdom alongside a lion who she felt she had grown up with her entire life. Nako was the first friend she had in a long time, especially the first male friend at that. Chumvi, Tojo, even Malka had disappeared after Simba and Mufasa's death. The female had no idea if it was Scar that drove them away, or if it was their mothers and family that did the deed. Even though she had only just met Nako, his presence felt welcoming to the female and she loved every second of it. Kifu had been growing up under both of their influences quite nicely and he was surely next in line to be the best king there could be. Even though both of his mentors -being Heshima and Nako- knew very little about running a kingdom, all three seemed to be picking it up rather smoothly and quickly. And now with the thoughts of her friend and son in her head, Heshima wanted nothing more than to return back home and lounge about the ashen lands with them.

It was while she was entranced in her thoughts that a lioness who was oddly colored -well from what Heshima was used to- surfaced from the foliage in front of her and greeted her with a smile. Returning the smile, Heshima stood and nodded about to speak when another figure emerged from the trees. This was Queen Nyota and the pale lioness was glad when her name was remembered. "Ah, Queen Nyota, what a pleasure and honor to see you again," Then the queen introduced her to the lioness who had greeted her moments before as her queen. Bowing her head slightly, Heshima smiled, "Queen Duara, a pleasure to meet you," Heshima listened as Nyota asked her about everything beyond the pass and the female replied with a smile upon her face. "I bring good tidings from beyond the pass. I have met a friend there, Nako, and he is helping me run the kingdom as the king until my son is ready to take his place. We have decided to call the territory the Ashlands and our little pride has gained two members since our arrival," A chuckle was given and her eyes softened, "Before I get on with talks like a monarch should do, I must thank both of you," Heshima was unaware that Nyota knew this information so it was likely that Duara knew it as well. Either or, Heshima needed to thank the Lowland monarchs. For if it wasn't for them and a special little cub, her daughter would have been dead.

A sigh was given before Heshima started again, "As you know Queen Nyota, I told you of my daughter having gone missing who had looked like my son. I believe I never told you of my daughter's name, and that her name is Giza," Their conversation played through her head once more and the female shook it off, "Giza found me earlier this morning and right now she is talking with her brother. I never thought I would see my little girl again, and for that I must thank you. You saved her and kept her safe from the outside world. For that, me and my family are forever grateful," Seeing the bright shock of russet that Heshima knew only as Giza was the best thing that had happened to her this morning and quite possibly in her whole life. She wouldn't reveal the content of their conversation nor the conflicts that arose, but at least she was able to reveal that contact between mother and daughter had been established, "I feel as if Giza wishes to stay in the Lowlands, and I won't deny her of that. All I wish is that me and my son are able to come and visit her whenever we would like. She's matured so much already, and I think both me and Kifu need to make up for lost time in the future," The pale female smiled and waited for the two lionesses to speak, finally her motherly instincts about Giza relaxed knowing that she was alive. But deep inside her body, instincts about someone else were growing, and those instincts were about Tasa.

Naturally, Duara was aware of who this lioness was. Nyota had informed her of the pale lion soon after the two's talk. The description Nyota had given fit this lioness, and therefore Duara was nothing but polite. Not that she would've been rude had this lioness been a stranger, but rather she was not hesitant nor wary as Nyota had never stated that Heshima posed any threat towards their homelands. She knew that it wouldn't be long before Nyota arrived to the scene, as the Queen's had become restless during this period of peace. Though Duara did long for something to do, she would never wish war upon her homeland and would prefer the boredom of constant patrolling then the bloodshed of war. Memories flashed behind her eyelids and she had to steady her breathing to keep them from over-taking her. Now was not the time to collapse in a grieving heap. She had grieved for many years, she refused to fall back into such a traumatising and sad period of her life once more.

Duara felt the breeze ruffle her fur and send it off in the direction that she hoped Nyota was in. Her sharp ears quickly picked up the sound of Nyota moving through the jungle. Though Nyota was fairly silent, living in the jungle for the entirety of her life had given Duara a certain advantage over others who had not. For example, she could easily pick out the sounds of something moving through the jungle and separate them from the sound of a leaf rustling in the breeze. She could tell the difference between footfalls on the earth, tell whether it was lion or another animal. She could only pick out Nyota's footfalls due to this practice, otherwise the sounds would easily go un-noticed in the constant, soft sounds of movements that came from within the jungle. She was about to break the silence that had befallen both herself and Heshima, when Nyota emerged. She turned her head and smiled in greeting at her mate, and allowed Nyota to speak first as she was familiar with Heshima.

Duara nodded her head at Heshima. "The pleasure is all mine, Heshima." She responded to the lioness. Duara was interested to here that beyond the pass, there were actually other lions living there. Duara tilted her head as Heshima expressed that she must thank both of them. She listened intently as Heshima continued, wondering what she was here to talk to them about. Her eyes widened in surprise when Heshima mentioned that Giza was in fact her daughter. Now that she thought about it, she could pick out several similarities between the lionesses, though they weren't exactly glaringly obvious. Especially since Giza was a bright russet, whereas Heshima was a more pale, sandy colour. "I believe that an arrangement could be made. You are more than welcome here, if I do say so myself, to see your daughter whenever you wish. My congratulations on the reunion of your family." She smiled.

Nyota stood quietly, eyes never leaving Heshima as she explained about the Ashlands before continuing about her long lost daughter. The name Giza came as a complete surprise to Nyota, who had always believed the young russet female was orphaned at a young age. The queen of the jungle quickly put two and two together: if Heshima was the mother of Giza, and her son the offspring of the dreaded King Scar.. Nyota suppressed an expression that would relay her astonishment. Giza was the daughter of an enemy. Nyota had never personally laid eyes on the devilish lion, but she guessed now that she had a pretty good idea of what he must look like. Russet fur. Bright eyes. She glanced to Duara from the corner of her eye to see if her love had come to the same realization, but the expression on the other’s face did not suggest knowledge on the subject. It would be discussed later, then. The ancestors help them if the other lionesses in the pride got wind of this new, though. Nyota knew they were prone to gossip when bored.

”I must admit I am surprised to learn of this, but very pleased. We would never turn a lost cub away. It is Upendo you should thank however, if you have the opportunity to meet him. He is close in age to your children, and a close confidante of your daughter. It was he who found and rescued Giza. I suspect you will meet him, sooner or later,” she said coyly, a twinkle in her eyes as she recalled her conversation with Upendo. Perhaps the boy was too naïve to see his future, but Nyota was not. Giza would be allowed to stay, if she so desired, but Nyota had always expected the lone cub to leave the Lowlands once she was old enough. Secretly, she was certain that Upendo was the main reason that she stayed. When she would discover the young pair missing the very next day, she would know that Giza and Upendo had left together, and she had faith that they would return safely together. Upendo was beloved by all, while Giza had been tolerated, at least at the beginning. Knowing now the truth about her sire was both a shock and a relief. Now it all made sense, why the lost cub had said she had no family when this was not true at all. Giza simply hadn’t wished to be returned to the Pridelands. Nyota felt a sadness for the cub, understanding now why she behaved the way she did, and felt a keen sense of guilt for having misjudged the poor girl.

But it was the earlier mention of a lion called Nako that was more concerning to Nyota, who gently steered the conversation back in his direction. ”Please tell us more about this king you have discovered along with your kingdom, dear. I believe you know and understand that we in the Lowlands have no king to speak of.” She fell silent, hoping that her insinuations about Nako would be clear: should the Lowlanders, the Amazons of the African plain, be concerned about the nearby presence of a male? And one who fancied himself a king, no less. Nyota’s expression remained stoic, waiting for Heshima to (hopefully) calm her fears about the brute. Who was this lion that gave himself such a high title? Did the queens of the Lowlands know Heshima enough to trust her judgement on this fellow? Nyota watched Heshima's amethyst eyes carefully for the honest truth.

A sense of pride washed over Heshima as she heard the queens congratulate her on the reunion of her family, but still there was a sense of sadness in this all. Ari could not of been there with them, however even though Tasa might return to their family again she wasn't Ari. Ari must have had the purest heart in all the savannah, and alas it was all taken away from her by the selfishness of her father. This fact tugged at Heshima's heart strings and finally she pushed the thought of her eldest daughter from her mind. She then focused on what Queen Nyota had said about Giza, how the Lowlands would never turn away a lost cub. She mentioned a name, Upendo, and the fact that he was a male. She smiled and nodded, "I will have to thank him then. But it couldn't of been just him correct? I'm sure his mother had something to do with this as well. I'll have to thank her also once I get some time to myself to journey back here," Unknown to the ashen queen, Upendo was mothered by none other than Shani, the lioness who had been killed by a rogue not too long ago. Heshima had heard of her death and was heartbroken by it, but she knew that wherever she was now, she was watching her child grow into a respectable adult. Hopefully that is. She would feel horrible seconds afterwords once she found out who this Upendo's mother was, but she would quickly know that her daughter had been in good hands either way. With Shani being alive and even after her death.

And then Nyota questioned about Nako, who he was and reminding her that the Lowlands had no king. Heshima nodded, "Do not fear my friends, Nako means no harm. We both come from troubled pasts, both finding refuge in the Ashlands. To us, King and Queen are not a title of power, but a title of protection. We are ruling the kingdom as friends, nothing more. He is one of the most trusting lions I have ever met, there is no deception in his eyes. He has started to train my son Kifu to be the next ruler of the lands for he has no cubs of his own." Heshima thought back to the king of the ashen lands, how he was bigger than the rest of the pride and most probably the Lowlands as well. However he was of no threat, he almost seemed kind enough to not hurt a fly if it were to cross his path. She smiled to herself thinking about it, but quickly snapped out of it. Wandering in her own thoughts was something that she seemed to do often, but this was important matters. Referring back to the ashen king, Heshima nodded slightly, "You have my word Queen Nyota, Queen Duara, Nako will not cause you any harm upon your kingdom. He is not like many other lions who roam the savannah like Shani's murderer," Or Scar for that matter. But Heshima didn't wish to think about that demon anymore. His name would be scorned in the Ashlands, never to be used as a nickname for anyone. Even if they were named it, Heshima wished that they would not be called it.

Now Heshima straightened herself up and smiled once more, "Now, the real reason I came here today is to offer an alliance between our two kingdoms. Many reasons befall this decision, the main one being the obvious fact that the pass is wearing down on both sides. It was smoother this time than my first trek up with my son. It would be easily accessible for any lion on either side if they were to sneak in. The Ashlanders would be there to help the Lowlanders during any time of crisis that would arise as well. We would offer shelter to your pride if something were to happen and you were in need of refuge," She didn't dwell on the other reasons, those mainly being the fact that she would want to see her daughter whenever she had the time to. However the female's smile on her almost pure white muzzle didn't falter. She awaited the Lowland Queens' decision on the offer, knowing that there was a good chance they would agree to it. That idea brought a warm feeling in her heart, knowing that now she was actually acting like a queen, not just holding the title. She knew that she was most likely doing Ari proud, and that her daughter was looking down upon her mother with a big smile, just as she always had. Her patience was remarkable for having lived life in the Pridelands the way she did, and it was being shown brightly here. And now Heshima waited in silence, for a verdict that would hopefully help both kingdoms out in the long run.

Duara had to constantly resist the urge not to share a glance of worry with Nyota over the mention of a lion in the Ashlands kingdom. She did not want Heshima to think that the Lowlands perceived the Ashlands as any sort of threat to them, because that would be an easy sign of weakness. For them to be fully confident and act as if they were not even mildly worried about the Ashlanders would show they were confident in their abilities and therefore deter any idea's - hopefully - that the Ashlander's may have over taking over the Lowlands. It was something most would not consider so soon after meeting a Queen, but after the bloodshed and war that Nyota and herself had already witnessed it was easy to understand why they were hesitant to accept strangers so willingly into their land. The only rogue they really allowed to be in the Lowlands was the one that Duara had chosen as her suitor, and that was because both Queen's could easily over-power him if he ever tried to take over. Duara's expression darkened as Heshima mentioned Upendo's mother, the sweet young lioness, Shani. She had been manipulated by a lion who had never really been welcomed in the Lowlands, and in her agony over losing Shinikizo, the lioness had wandered into danger and had been too weak to defend herself. She looked away from Heshima, and instead to Nyota, a sad look on her face before she turned her attention back to the un-knowing lioness.

"Though i'm sure Upendo will be grateful for your thanks, I must inform you that if you wish to thank his mother, look to the sky and thank her now. Unfortunately, his mother Shani recently passed on from this life." Duara looked upwards to the sky, where she was sure Shani watched over her young every day and protected them where she could. It was truly unfortunate that all of the young would lose both of their parents at such a young age, and she remembered the searing agony in her chest as Upendo panicked over his mother's dead body. She shook her head and looked back once more, an expression of sadness on her face before they returned to the formal situation that this was. Though Heshima assured them that Nako was no fear, that was no reason to believe her. She looked to Nyota for a moment, before back at Heshima but she showed no suspicion or skepticism in her expression. Quite the contrary, she smiled softly at the Queen to show her gratefulness for Heshima's reassurances, though she wasn't completely believing of them. "Thank you for informing us of that, though I might ask that you forgive us if we are still a little wary of him. A lion near the Lowlands is something that does not make us comfortable." She said in all politeness to Heshima, sitting back and looking to Nyota to see what her fellow Queen had to say on the matter.

Duara listened to Heshima's proposition with interest and considered it carefully. An alliance would offer reassurance and protection to the Lowlanders if they ever needed it. If Scar or some other lion arrived to take over the Lowlands, they would have somewhere to hide Nyima and the others, to protect them whilst the Ashlanders helped them fight the others off. It was a proposition that Duara was inclined to accept, but she knew she could not do that without Nyota's permission. She was not the born Queen after all, and therefore felt that it should really be Nyota's decision. She looked to her mate and smiled, a slight inclination of her head showing that she wanted to agree to the alliance. "Though I think the offer is nice, as I am not the born Queen of these lands, I think I will leave it up to Nyota to make the final decision on the matter." She smiled at Heshima, her eyes moving back to Nyota to see what her own decision would be.

Nyota felt her companion's eyes slide to meet hers when Heshima spoke unknowningly of Upendo's mother, but her attention remained focused on Heshima. Her face did not betray any obvious emotion at the mention of Shani's passing, as she simply wasn't the emotional type. Shani had been gone for years now, besides. Her voice lowered an octave when she spoke again however, out of reverence for the dead. "As Duara says, Upendo's mother has been dead for some time. Duara and I have cared for many of the cubs here, but there is no need for expressed gratitude. What lioness would deny a hungry cub without a family to feed it? We could not turn Giza away, even if we were uncertain where she had come from." It was her duty not only as a queen but as a mother to defend those who were defenseless. She hadn't been able to save Shani but she was determined not to let history repeat itself, and to protect the cubs she had left behind.

Uncertainty remained about the lion who had been lurking in the former Highlands territories. Was he a former enemy seeking revenge? Or a dangerous rogue who had settled down and become too comfortable? But she nodded as Heshima promised the best from him. "I have never met the lion but we will take your word that he is worthy of our trust." Heshima descended from Lowlander blood, so that undoubtedly helped to convince the queen to have some faith in her intentions. Inside, Heshima was made of the same stuff as the rest of the jungle pride. But her ancestors had not been kings and queens. Royal blood was not something one could simply invent for themselves, in an invented kingdom; a kingdom that was hardly a territory at all, more like undesirable real estate. But Nyota bit her tongue. The light colored lioness that stood before her was unlike the one she had first encountered, already she seemed more happy, stronger; full of life. Nyota didn't have to heart to crush her dreams of an independent land and pride. There was room enough for their collection of misfits and refugees in the high country of the jungle.

If Nako and Kifu's close proximity made her nervous, any anxiety was outweighed by the notion that having two males close by really could be useful for the kingless jungle pride, and she listened with interest as Heshima made her proposition. She would have to give Heshima the benefit of the doubt once again, along with this newly discovered king and the son of the lioness. It could be benefitial to have strong males nearby in case of outside attack. A firm nod followed Duara's words, but still, the queen's eyes never left the pale lioness before her. "I accept this arrangement. In return, you and yours may cross the Pass if an emergency should occur, or if you wish to visit your daughter. We see the smoke rising from your hills nearly every year." Now her expression turned from serious to grave. "It is not a matter of if the fires return, but when, you see. You must instruct your son and the others what to do. The most dangerous place to be is within a canyon. You must travel to higher ground immediately. The fire never seems to reach Malkia Pass." The mountain pass seemed aptly suited for the meeting of queens- its name translated to Queens Pass. It was fair warning for disasters they were likely to experience, and Nyota hoped Heshima would heed her words. If she wanted to be a queen, it was her job to protect, first and foremost.