The Space Between

The sun had descended below the horizon several hours earlier, and now a crescent moon was rising slowly, illuminating the darkness. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, and all around the night’s bright sentinel, countless twinkling stars sparkled like tiny diamonds, keeping watch over the jungle in silent repose. The young russet lioness noticed the stars as if she was seeing them for the first time. Had there always been so many? Or had she never really paid much attention before? All of her senses were especially keen that night. The shrill chirps of the insects seemed almost deafening to Giza as she traveled, and her ebony rimmed ears fell flat against her skull. There was so much on her mind; the nighttime symphony of the insects provided the tense soundtrack for her climb down from Malkia Pass, back into the Lowlands. She had been away for only a few hours, but she couldn’t seem to return fast enough. The Ashlands had been lacking aesthetically, and the familiar scents of the jungle greeted her – but not for long.

For now she knew the truth: Ari was dead. Giza would never see her sweetest sister again, would never hear her bell-like voice or child-like giggles. The thought caused the russet lioness to slow for a minute, once again overcome with emotion. But there was no use breaking down, it wouldn’t change what had happened and it wouldn’t help. Giza hadn’t been able to save one sister, but there was still a chance she could save the other. She had seen both her mother and her only full-blooded brother in the Ashlands, and though she had mixed feelings at the time about their respective reunions, Giza now found herself anxious for the next visit. First things first, though. It was up to her to find her errant sibling, wherever she may be.

But before Giza could set out in search of Tasa, she had to face Upendo. This was even more daunting than combing every inch of the grasslands for her pale sister. The two friends had never quarreled before, and now Giza felt sheepish about the argument that had ultimately, finally convinced her to seek out her mother across the charred border. Upendo had been right, and stubborn little Giza had never known how to say ‘sorry’ when it was warranted. She wanted to hide away for the night and sleep, prepare for what was certain to be a long journey, but she had to apologize first. Her lungs burned from the exertion of her travels, climbing through the hills. Finally, she had to stop to rest. Upendo was probably asleep anyway, she thought to herself, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to lay idle for long. Once her breath was caught, Giza was on her feet again, moving past the familiar jungle ferns and lovely flowering plants. Light blue eyes glowing in the darkness, Giza remained torn between her desire to sleep, her need to apologize to her friend, and her determination to venture out of familiar territory and into the unknown where her sister lurked. She walked a few steps faster.

Queen Nyota had given the young adolescent much to think about after she had left, and it plagued his thoughts for hours. The teen wandered around the Lowlands distraught to say the least. One thing kept going through his mind, her comments about him and Giza together. She had said that best friends often make the best companions later in life and for her that held true. But however would it be the same for Upendo and Giza? No, Giza was his best friend, she was nothing more to him than a friend. But tonight their friendship had been tested, an argument had been created. Never in Upendo's life did he remember being that furious on any subject that there was. Not even when he was blinded with rage about the topic of his own father had he reached that level of anger. Why did that have to happen? Why did he have to overreact to Giza and her stubbornness? As Upendo cursed himself he let his thoughts glaze over the fact that Giza was growing up. She was a good few months older than him and he knew that she would be an adult before he. It was impossible to say that Giza would stay in the Lowlands when she became of age, he was the only thing holding her back. But now, the dual-eyed adolescent wondered if he drew the line. Maybe with that fight, Giza wouldn't come back and if she did she would only wait until she was old enough to leave. The thoughts killed Upendo, he didn't want them to be true.

But as he padded through the Lowlands he came across the pool of crystal clear water that he had first met Giza at. He could picture his young self coming across the russet female, he could see the figures of their young cubbish selves. A small smile was given and he trekked on, letting the bad memories that had just been created seep out of his mind and better ones forming in his head. But of course, that all changed soon when he heard the whispers of two elder females of the pride, ones who clearly had seen the days of war that Nyota had informed him about. "Who do you reckon he's looking for?" The second female sighed, "Probably the outcast-" At the word 'outcast' Upendo stopped in his tracks and hid, listening quietly. The conversation continued, "Oh, you mean Giza? Shame, she is so different from the pride. Shouldn't he be setting his sights on the princess?" A nod was given, "Yes, I fear that she won't stay, or her former pride comes to find her and eradicate us all. I don't understand, dear Nyima is a perfect match for him! Such beautiful cubs will be made from those two. Not like the outcast don't you agree?" "Ah yes, a wonderful litter of royal cubs. Such a bright pelt with the dark one yes? I fear those cubs would be-" Upendo didn't stay to listen any longer, how dare they talk about his best friend like that! They didn't know her like he did, they had no right to talk about her like that. He didn't even care about the talk of him and Nyima, it was the talk about Giza that unnerved him.

He ran away from the scene, finally finding himself at Mwezi Meadow. The waterfall was flowing heavily that night and it took Upendo a few moments to brave the onslaught of water to check within the cave. His and Giza's secret hiding spot, and yet she wasn't in there. With a sigh Upendo left the area and traveled throughout the Lowlands, finding one of his sisters and telling her that he was going to be out late that night. At least now no one would have to worry about him. As the sun set and the stars came out, Upendo found himself on the edge of the Lowland's territory overlooking the savannah. He didn't know why he was there or what he was looking at, and in all honesty he wondered what would happen if he were to step outside the borders. He was helpless if someone wanted to come and attack him right now, the rest of the pride was a long distance away and probably dead asleep right now. But then, someone burst out of the trees behind him, and Upendo was glad to see the familiar russet coat that was Giza. He sighed and lowered his head to the ground, "Giza?" He gained her attention first before sighing again, "I'm so sorry Giza, I overreacted back there. I should have kept my mouth shut. I hope you aren't mad at me," The young teen sounded like a young cub at that moment, but he didn't know how else to express his feelings. Dual-colored eyes were quickly shut and Upendo stayed silent, waiting for a response from his best friend.

The lioness felt her heart rate accelerate rapidly when she finally happened upon Upendo. She found herself unusually nervous to be in his presence again, and she looked down shyly. Even without knowing the conversation that Upendo had overheard, Giza felt strange. Seeing her old friend was different, somehow. Both had been forced to grow up so fast. He wasn't the cub he had once been, nor was Giza the lost, helpless child she had been when he discovered her. Even cubs got older, and Giza felt almost like a grown-up for the first time, knowing what she had to do. Before she had a chance to utter a word, the young lion beat her to it, offering an apology for his behavior earlier that day. Giza looked bewildered for a moment, sitting so that she could catch her breath again. Upendo had no reason to be sorry, and so she shook her head. ”No, I’m not mad at you. How could I be? I just didn’t want to hear the truth. But I knew you were right.” As easily as the words had rolled off of Upendo’s tongue, Giza experienced the opposite. Apologies had never been her area of expertise, but she swallowed her pride. ”And I—I’m sorry too. It was selfish of me to stay away.” There. Now, that wasn’t so hard. Yet Giza didn’t feel any relief.

She continued. ”I saw both of them. My mother and my brother plan to stay in this new kingdom they call the Ashlands. They’ll be better off there, far away from Scar. But the others..” Her monotone voice trailed off into somber silence at the mention of her lost sisters. It was quite impossible to dismiss the lingering memories of Ari. Now, another grim thought crossed her mind: what had become of Uma? She wasn’t a full-blooded sibling like her own litter, but Giza had grown to respect Uma. Heshima had not mentioned her fate. Giza sighed sadly and her pale eyes cast downward. ”My sister Ari is dead. No one knows where Tasa is. She was banished.” A distant expression had crossed the adolescent’s face as she spoke. The lioness struggled to remain in control, to ignore the overwhelming feelings that were bubbling beneath the surface. ”I’m going to find her. But she could be anywhere.”

What if… What if Tasa was already dead? What if she had ventured far, far away by now? What if Giza’s search proved to be endless, or simply impossible? But the questions and the doubts were irrelevant now. Giza’s mind was made up. Since her cubhood, she had seldom strayed beyond the borders of the Lowlands. It would be a fine adventure if it wasn’t so daunting. Once again, Giza struggled to express herself properly. Her sky blue eyes met the mis-matched stare of her closest friend. There weren’t many secrets left between the two, and yet there was some uncertainty in her voice when Giza found her nerve. ”This is something I must do, Upendo. I thought maybe— if you wanted to, you could come with me. Two would be better than one out there.” The faintest of smiles played her lips, but Giza knew that her friend could very easily say no. He was loyal to the jungle pride, perhaps he had no desire to leave at all. Either way, Giza would be departing from the Lowlands that very night. With or without Upendo.

Out of all the days, weeks and months that Giza stayed in the Lowlands with Upendo and his family, the dark tan cub had never heard her apologize to anything. It was one trait that always irked Upendo about his best friend, that they were so much different in nature. While it was true that both of them held evil roots in their blood and genes, Upendo knew that neither of them were like that. What also surprised Upendo was that she said that she was wrong and he was right, it was also something that Giza never liked to admit either. The russet female always held her pride above everything else, and boy was she a proud lioness. It was unknowingly a trait that she had gained from her father and that Upendo was unaware. He thought of Scar as evil, despicable and dangerous. Fathering cubs was something a lion like that shouldn't do from what Giza had told him. And yet, if Scar hadn't of seduced her mother, Giza wouldn't be here at all. And that would be the most horrible thing in the world to him. Losing his best friend is something that he wouldn't want happen to him in a million years. And yet, it was a threat that could possibly be around until the end of time. But upon her apology, Upendo smiled and nodded his head, "Don't be sorry Giza, it was just a misunderstanding between us," Yeah, a misunderstanding, that was all it was in Upendo's head. Years of rage and irritation were given to Giza that day, but Upendo blew it off now.

What Giza said next however pleased Upendo, she had gone to visit her mother and brother in the newly formed Ashlands. The dark tan teen smiled, "Giza that's great! At least you can visit them in safety now, away from him," But Upendo's happy tone vanished in the next sentence. Ari was dead and Tasa was missing, Giza was alone once more and not being able to see the sisters that she undoubtedly missed everyday. Upendo stepped forward and pressed his forehead upon Giza's for a moment before backing away and sighing, "I'm so sorry Giza. I, I don't know what to say," He paused for a moment, remembering that she had another sister that she had yet to mention, "What about your other sister? The one that isn't your full blood, did your mother say anything about her as well?" A strange emotion flowed through Upendo in that moment, he didn't care about anyone but Giza and her family at that moment. Taking a step back, he gave the lioness her space as she vowed to go off and find her missing sister of Tasa. It pained Upendo to see her this sad, this distraught, yet it made him feel glad that she was motivated enough to venture out for the good of someone besides herself. However on the other hand it could be said that she was doing this for herself as well, seeing as it would bring the female closure that Upendo nor her mother Heshima nor her brother Kifu could provide.

Then came the strange part, Giza asked Upendo to join her on this quest to find her sister. The male thought about it for a moment, turning his head back to the direction of the pride, "But, Malaika and Sakina, I-" but Queen Nyota's words played through his head, "Malaika and Sakina are no longer cubs, Upendo, just as you yourself will soon be grown," The teen sighed and looked to his friend's paws, averting his eyes from her, "I- I should probably let them branch out, they don't need their brother acting as a parent for them," Dual colored eyes now looked into bright cerulean and a curt nod was given, "I have to find Ziko and Jabari, I have to let them know about mother. They may be loyal to the Coldlands but they are Lowlanders by birth. I'll help you find your sister Giza, as long as we can go find my brothers. If I can convince them to come back with me then we'll have two more lions to help look for Tasa. Maybe she's around there too?" A small chuckle was given, "Besides, I'm not going to let you go out on your own and lose you in the process," In the back of Upendo's mind he knew that Giza was leaving the Lowlands tonight, the teen wouldn't have any time to go back and explain to his queens or his sisters why he was leaving. He only hoped that they would be back soon, and with them return with not one, not two, but three lions that needed to rejoin their families. If only it would end up going that way.

Perhaps both Giza and Upendo had been created for selfish reasons, born in less than ideal environments. Their individual circumstances had never been easy, but somehow, from all of the deception and the tragedy, there stood two swiftly maturing lions that had lived to tell their tales. Giza’s childhood had been stolen away when she realized she was alone in the world, that no one would come to rescue her when she was lost. And Upendo’s world had been changed forever with the loss of both of his parents at such a young age. Not only had they survived: they had prospered, against all odds. It was a wonder they weren’t a pair of manic criminals or rogues. The russet lioness was relieved that Upendo would not hold her childishness against her yet again, that he understood. As always, he was a better lion than Giza had ever seen in her lifetime, and she felt a rush of pride as she returned his smile with one of her own. She was proud of the little lion that had saved her skin so many times, reaching out to ruffle his chocolate brown mane with a paw. There was nothing more to say about that.

Giza made no attempt to move away when Upendo moved closer to comfort her upon learning of Ari and Tasa’s sad fates, and she was silent for a lingering minute. Time was still needed to sort out her thoughts and to grieve properly. But now was not that time. She shook her head when Upendo inquired about her half-sister. ”I don’t know what has become of Uma. My guess is that she is still in the Pridelands, along with a half-brother named Nuka. If I know Scar, they will be staying there.” Giza had hardly given her youngest sibling a second though since her departure from their father’s kingdom. She hadn’t really known the son of Zira, nor was she even certain if he was still alive. Deep down, she suspected Nuka would never leave the Pridelands, not while his father was still alive. Unless, of course, Scar finally succeeded in his years-long quest to create a perfect specimen of an heir. Giza didn’t want to humor that thought. There were enough of his progeny now scattered throughout the neighboring territories. The world didn’t need any more little Scars running amock. Regardless of Nuka’s weaknesses, he was still the only cub produced by his mother, the queen. In Giza’s imagination, Nuka was likely still fooled by his father, living a lousy but not unbearable life as the future king of nothingness. Giza did not envy Nuka.

There was no telling where Tasa had traveled to during her exile, but the Coldlands seemed as good a place as any to start the search. She nodded eagerly when Upendo spoke of his brothers, though she had never met the boys, she had heard of them before. ”We’ll go to the Coldlands first, then. But we must go now, right now.” How would they ever find their way? Giza didn’t bother to worry about the details of their journey, she was far too anxious to begin it. Weariness was shoved aside and her restless paws lead the way as she started to walk through the jungle, slowly at first so that Upendo could walk alongside her. ”It could be a long time, you know. It’s a big world out there, if I remember correctly. But I knew I couldn’t do it without you. And I knew you wouldn’t say no.” Her shoulder brushed against Upendo’s and she gave an unwitting giggle and an uncharacteristically playful wink. Immediately, she realized she was being what could be construed as flirtatious and she looked away, feeling an unexpected sense of insecurity and shyness before her oldest and closest friend. ”Uh, I mean… Well, you know.” Clearing her throat, the lioness picked up her pace to a quick trot.

Upendo didn't know what to be more appalled at, the fact that Giza had another brother, or the fact that every single sibling she talked about that was outside her litter had different mothers. The name of Nuka meant nothing to Upendo but he prayed softly to the Great Spirits to travel to the Pridelands and watch over the cubs that remain. If the situation that was in Upendo's head of the Pridelands was true, which it was, those cubs -now teens- would need it. Little did Upendo know was that there was another sibling that was dead as well, also from a different mother. The normally calm and peaceful Upendo growled slightly and looked towards the ground, his eyes seething with anger. "How? How could someone do that? He mated all those lions, and he doesn't even love them?" His own father was the same way but alas, his plans went awry when he met Shani. Thoughts drifted back to the remaining siblings of Giza's, "You escaped, you left, they can find a way out. They-" The adolescent knew that Giza probably didn't care much for her half-siblings, however he still felt that no one should deserve the life that they were living. He was blessed to have been born in the peaceful Lowlands -well, at least raised in the peaceful Lowlands- and he felt pity for everyone who wasn't. His lands were abundant, they were free and safe, and yet so many other lands other than his own were under attack daily by other things besides lions. It was a hard life, and Upendo was oblivious to it.

He would make sure his children knew how thankful they should be for their Lowlands heritage and safety, he would take nothing for granted any longer. As all these thoughts raced through Upendo's mind, he almost didn't hear Giza's response to the Coldlands idea. After realizing what she had said, he turned his head again to look in the direction of the dens. His heart started to break, he was leaving the most important lions in his life in that moment but he turned his head back and followed Giza. "You know, I've never been outside the Lowlands before. Not once," How would the two find their way in this large world? It wasn't like his father was there to guide him on the way to the Coldlands like he had promised so very long ago. As he followed Giza, all he wanted to do was turn around and say goodbye to his sisters, let Nyota and Duara know that he and Giza were going to be alright. At least he wanted to let someone know that they weren't leaving the pride for good, and that one day they would be back with hopefully another member. But alas, he knew that it wouldn't be possible, for if he was going to leave with Giza, it would have to be now. The adolescent looked towards the ground as he walked, making sure to look up every so often to make sure he didn't walk into a tree or other large object as they made their way out of the lands. He wanted to say something, to protest, but he knew he couldn't, his and Giza's minds were already made up.

There would be no stopping them, they would leave the Lowlands tonight and head off towards other lands themselves. Giza spoke yet again, saying how they weren't going to be back for a long time. "I understand," "And I knew you wouldn’t say no," Yet again Giza was right, how could he say no? She was his best friend, and there was no reason that he wouldn't go out of his way to be with her on this journey. But then an unlike Giza chuckle and wink was given and it made Upendo feel slightly uncomfortable. But when Giza started to speed up the teen easily matched it. The grass below them was fleeting, sand was starting to replace the plant life that Upendo had known all of his life. Soon they would pass the sight of where Shani died, and then they would be off in neutral territory where Nyota and Duara could not protect them. Finally speaking again, Upendo stated the obvious, "I think, they'll know that we'll be back. Especially if we're off together. I told Queen Nyota tonight that I would always be a faithful Lowlander, so at least she'll understand that I'll be back," What would happen when the two found Tasa? What about when Upendo came across his brothers who were off in the snow filled lands of their father? All Upendo knew was vanishing behind the duo as for the first time in his life he walked away from the lands he was born in and loved. But, they would be back some day, no matter how long it took. They would be back, with Tasa or not.

It felt strange to speak of her siblings. She couldn’t guess how many of them she had out there now, if her father had continued in the same manner that had created Giza and her litter, as well as Uma, at the same time. But she remembered the little time she had spent with her half-sister. Uma had been likeminded; the cunning sort, even as a cub. And Nuka had never seen the disaster of Scar’s ways. It wasn’t that Giza didn’t care for her half-siblings, though her affection for them was not the same as it was for her littermates. She hadn’t cared much then, when they were still all together, preferring instead to get the others into trouble whenever possible, but the passage of time and her growing maturity had changed Giza in many ways. But it was too hard to think of the others, or worse, to imagine a whole army of Little Scars conceived long after her departure. She couldn’t save them all. ”I suspect if they really wanted to, they would leave. It seems Scar will banish anyone who looks at him funny now, he’s lost his mind. In the end, I hope it’s just him and his hyenas.” Giza felt an unconscious twitch as she spoke of her father, and not wishing to continue on the subject, she simply shook her head.

She had heard, years ago, that the spirits of those who had gone before watched the living from the stars. Her father had never told her, of course, and her mother never had much opportunity to teach her russet daughter about the Great Spirits. It was only something she heard the elder lionesses murmur about to themselves, when Scar wasn’t around to hear them. The Lowlanders believed in ancestral spirits – their own family members, who they felt never left them. Rather, their spirit stayed in the jungle, protecting their descendents. Giza had never put much thought into the spiritual side of life, and had never cared for the idea of ghosts or stars keeping a close watch on all of her deeds. But tonight, as they left the jungle behind and entered the savannah side by side, she looked up to the stars and hoped that if they were up there, someone would be guiding their path, whether it was a long dead relative or whoever else lived in the cosmic realm. She had found her way from the Pridelands to Upendo, after all. ”I have been out, but it’s been so long. One time, I thought about going back to the Pridelands, but I turned right back around and went home to the jungle instead.” She thought of the time she met Imani, the female rogue who had inspired Giza in many ways. But the Lowlands had beckoned her back then, as they did now.

Even as the journey began, Giza wished it could be over. She hated to leave the comfort of what she had become used to there in the jungle. She wished she could speak to her mother again, maybe be a little less accusatory the next time around, but there wasn’t time for that. She would make things right again by bringing Tasa back. It was the only way. They would be a family once more; for the first time, really. Giza hadn’t done much to redeem herself in life, but this was her chance. This was the moment to show what kind of a lioness she was, despite (and in spite of) her wicked father. Upendo spoke of the queen but Nyota was the furthest thing from Giza’s mind. ”Yeah,” she replied absently. Upendo was a rare commodity in the Lowlands, being male. Another thought crept into her brain and escaped before she had a chance to think better of it: ”I’ve heard a lot of rumors that Nyota has her eye on you to be heir, along with Nyima. Why wouldn’t you go back?” She tried to ever-so nonchalantly glance to see his reaction to this.

As Giza talked about her siblings supposedly having a choice, Upendo knew that it probably wasn't true. Although he had to agree with her that Scar had most likely gone crazy due to the stories he had heard. However if Giza was able to escape, she probably did it underneath her sire's nose. There was also the fact that from what Giza had told him that she was not anywhere near her father's favorite and that probably made all the difference. But from what Upendo was thinking now, her father was probably trying to hold onto all remaining cubs and lionesses that were loyal to the lands and not him. His intuitions were correct however Giza was right, Scar was probably exiling everyone for looking at him the wrong way. It was another reason Upendo didn't wish to be a king, he didn't want to hold all of that responsibility that came with the title. While he would have been a good and peaceful leader, Upendo could see himself snapping under all the pressure and turning into a lion that he did not wish to be; his father. The subject of Giza's father was quickly dropped between the two adolescents as their mission to the Coldlands was becoming more and more apparent as the jungle became smaller and smaller behind the two. The sands of the desert were becoming more abundant and the new terrain felt odd underneath the jungle-born lion's paws. If this was what the neutral lands felt like, the dual-eyed adolescent could only wonder what was in store for them in the Coldlands.

The teen didn't know what to be happier at with Giza's new statement, the fact that she turned back to the Lowlands, or the fact that she called the Lowlands her home. It gave him a firm sense of faith that once the duo found their siblings that Giza would not venture off to the Ashlands with her sister upon their return. "You thought about going back?" Upendo paused for a moment and then continued, "I often wondered if you ever missed your homelands, and I knew that every morning I could wake up and you might not be there anymore. I guess as a cub I was really scared, not only would I be losing a member of the pride, but I would be losing my best friend," The teen stumbled after hitting a rock with his paw, but quickly regained his stature and pace. "You understand me so much Giza, it was something that Princess Nyima couldn't understand. Her father is king of the Coldlands, but it just wasn't the same from what I went through," This was most likely common knowledge to the female, that she was the closest thing Upendo had after his parents had died. He wasn't sure if she knew about Nyima's lineage but it really wouldn't matter. It was funny, Shani and Nyota had both been given litters by a Coldland male, the litters were split up. However, one was diplomatic while the other was out of lust. Even so, Upendo knew that both fathers of their respective litters loved their cubs and would love them until the very time of their deaths. For Upendo's father, that time came quicker than it should have.

But after bringing up both Queen Nyota and Princess Nyima, Upendo quickly regretted the decision as the russet princess of now two lands brought up a sensitive topic to the male. It was his status as being the only male in the Lowlands, and the most suitable for being the next king. The teen growled and rolled his eyes at the thought. "Not you too Giza," A slight hint of anger washed through the teen for a moment, but it quickly dissapeared per his good nature. "I told Queen Nyota tonight that I don't want to be Nyima's consort. She respects my decision, and I'm sure Nyima feels the same way," That had not been the first time ever in his life where Upendo had not used the title of princess with Nyima's name; for he dropped the title when he was talking to his queen earlier that night. He now saw her as just a friend, a friend with a title, but the title was soon to change once the Lowland cubs were older and wiser so he would drop it unless he was talking directly to her about pride matters. A small chuckle was given and Upendo's mouth spoke before his mind could stop it. "Besides, I'd rather have you as my mate then her Giza," Realizing what he had said, the teen's eyes widened and he picked up his pace, his eyes focused on the horizon. "Come on, if we keep running we should be there by the sun is the highest in the sky tomorrow," Sleep was the last thing on Upendo's mind right now as he was running on pure adrenaline. He remembered his mother saying that the Coldlands could be reached in a half a day if one kept running as she did when he was going to be born. But his mother was an adult, he and Giza were only teenagers. But maybe they could make it, even if it took longer than expected.

The arrid desert felt surprisingly cold in the dead of night, and Giza found herself unconsciously accelerating her pace to warm herself, despite the exhaustion the lingered within her bones after her long journey from the Ashlands. But there was no end in sight now. When Upendo asked if Giza had once thought of returning to the Pridelands, she offered a response that had been given a great deal of thought during countless sleepless nights: "To be honest, I didn't want to go back. I was only curious to see if anyone had noticed that I was missing, but I decided halfway there that if they cared enough, they would have found me. They had their chance." And instead of a life with her natural family, one that likely would have lead to moral decay and possibly even an early grave like her dear sister Ari, Giza had lead a fairly peaceful life there in the Lowlands. She had never found replacement parents, but she had found love somewhere else; in Upendo, whose very name suggested what he always seemed to give in abundance. Without that, she wouldn't have survived. She saw Upendo stumble slightly and she slowed her quickened steps, falling back in line with the lion. "Life would have been worse for me if I went back. I had family there but it was toxic. I think getting lost was really the best thing that ever happened to me." A smile crossed her maw as she spoke, happy to finally say the words aloud. She knew that wouldn't sound crazy to Upendo.

Upendo spoke of understanding, and of Nyima's royal ties. Giza cleared her throat and reminded her friend of two things. "My father is a king too, though. And now my mother claims she's the queen of her own land. But from what I've seen, having a high title only leads to trouble. All I want is a normal life." A kingdom of her own was not something Giza desired for herself, but perhaps she was still too young to understand responsibility and familial duty. She was not so naive to miss the way Upendo reacted to her seemingly innocent comments about Upendo's future with the future queen of the Lowlands, and for a moment wondered if she would have to apologize for a second time that night. Thankfully for Giza, that would not be necessary. Instead, Upendo informed the russet female that he had spoken to Nyota that very night and turned down any prospect of becoming mates with Nyima. Giza let the words sink in slowly, trying hard to fight the smile that threatened to appear. Before she could utter a word though, Upendo said something else that shocked her entirely. The young male was hurrying away just as the meaning of his words dawned on Giza, but she still could not believe her ears.

Who would ever want to be the mate of someone like Giza? This simply didn't make sense, and after a silent pause, she attempted to reason with him. "I've heard the things the others say when they think I'm not there. They say great things about Nyima, of course, and only the best about you. But when they speak of me..." She shook her head. Giza was not one for self-pity, she had learned long ago that wallowing never solved a problem, it only made things worse. But it still hurt her feelings to know the others thought she was different. One could only imagine the scandalized whispers if they were ever to learn that she was the daughter of Scar. Like Nyima, Giza was a princess with a claim to two kingdoms. She sighed, shaking her head again, trying to make sense of it all. Giza wasn't certain how she would find the energy and the strength to continue that night, but she would keep running as long as her legs allowed her to. Her paws were already beginning to ache, her muscles burned and cried out for rest but she ignored it and pressed on, trying to match Upendo's stride again.