Working on a thing for us rq
Seph shifted uncomfortably as she sat next to her best friend, Aspen. She'd been thinking for a long time about how he likely interacted with her remaining family. She never had the courage to ask, though - not even her mother, who she'd been close to ever since they rescued her. But aspen was calming; she felt comfortable with him. Her heart fluttered nervously as she began to speak. "My mother spoke of my grandmother as a great lioness fallen from grace. She was once opposed to this war but by the time her first child disappeared, it was too late for her. She joined the war."
Aspen furrows his brow slightly. "What do you mean, 'she joined the war'?"
Seph shook her head. "She became a warrior. She gave in to my grandfather's wishes, his views that warriors were superior. The same reason my mother left."
Aspen searches his memory for any warriors he knew of that fit that description. "...Do you know her name?"
"Corone."
I feel like aspen would stand against that description something like: “I know of Corone, she was a great warrior. Fallen from grace is not how I would ever think to her. Though I guess everyone would have their own view....” Aspen side eyes the lioness hoping he hadn’t upset her with his brash words, “I’m sorry... it’s just she was one of the warriors my dad always told me stories about.”
Seph takes a deep breath and her confidence goes with it. She closes her eyes and replies," Although it is hard to accept it, I am not surprised my mother would have stretched the truth, but..." she bites something back, wincing. She takes another breath, and exhales as if she isn't ready, "Tell me about her."
“Are you sure...?” Apsen tenses a little knowing family was a touchy subject. “Okay... I’ll start off with the basics I guess. She was a warrior as you know. Hmmm... now she is a cub trainer and she is great with them. But as a warrior she was amazing. My dad described it as nothing on the battle field could stop her, she used her element in a way that was new to the pride lions; it was in a way of survival. It was the way she learned as a nomad.” Aspen paused and looked at Seph, trying to see if he should continue.
Seph's words dripped from her lips slowly. "Disease. The same that infected my mother." She opens her eyes and stares into the distance. "Is she kind?"
“Yes, Corone was the first disease lion ever to join the pride. It wasn’t easy for her,” Aspen shifts his weight to be looking more directly at Seph. “She always was to everyone I can think of, though to be fair I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be on her bad side.”
"Well, with an element like that, I'm not surprised..." she turns her head toward him a little, shyly. "Do you think she knows who I am?" A glimmer of hope begins the sentence, but, it seems to turn to barely masked fear very quickly.
Aspen flashes her a reassuring smile, “I’m sure she knows of you. But she is also wise and knows not to touch and open wound. She will leave you be to live your life. I can remember her once saying she just wanted her family to be happy...” Once again the male shifts his weight, though this time it appeared he was doing it unconsciously as he was thinking. “Corone knows her daughters opinion and in turn knows what you know of her, besides the fact that I have told you about her. She is probably to fearful of your reaction to even try and reach out. Plus, I don’t think she would know where to look as I haven’t said anything to anyone.”
Seph releases a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. a tension releases in her. She sits still a moment, and opens her mouth, looking finally at Aspen's eyes. "Do you think she'd love me, like my mother never did?"
Aspen met her eyes, the warmth shining through them, “I think she already loves you more then you will ever know.”
A hope lights somewhere deep and her eyes and she sobs just once, leaning into him. "Thank you." She sniffles and dries her tears, "Thank you, Aspen."
Aspen nuzzles her gently and helps her dry her tears, “You are welcome. I am here for you Seph; if you ever want to go see them I will take you, but I also understand not wanting to and will never force you too.”
Aspen furrows his brow slightly. "What do you mean, 'she joined the war'?"
Seph shook her head. "She became a warrior. She gave in to my grandfather's wishes, his views that warriors were superior. The same reason my mother left."
Aspen searches his memory for any warriors he knew of that fit that description. "...Do you know her name?"
"Corone."
I feel like aspen would stand against that description something like: “I know of Corone, she was a great warrior. Fallen from grace is not how I would ever think to her. Though I guess everyone would have their own view....” Aspen side eyes the lioness hoping he hadn’t upset her with his brash words, “I’m sorry... it’s just she was one of the warriors my dad always told me stories about.”
Seph takes a deep breath and her confidence goes with it. She closes her eyes and replies," Although it is hard to accept it, I am not surprised my mother would have stretched the truth, but..." she bites something back, wincing. She takes another breath, and exhales as if she isn't ready, "Tell me about her."
“Are you sure...?” Apsen tenses a little knowing family was a touchy subject. “Okay... I’ll start off with the basics I guess. She was a warrior as you know. Hmmm... now she is a cub trainer and she is great with them. But as a warrior she was amazing. My dad described it as nothing on the battle field could stop her, she used her element in a way that was new to the pride lions; it was in a way of survival. It was the way she learned as a nomad.” Aspen paused and looked at Seph, trying to see if he should continue.
Seph's words dripped from her lips slowly. "Disease. The same that infected my mother." She opens her eyes and stares into the distance. "Is she kind?"
“Yes, Corone was the first disease lion ever to join the pride. It wasn’t easy for her,” Aspen shifts his weight to be looking more directly at Seph. “She always was to everyone I can think of, though to be fair I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be on her bad side.”
"Well, with an element like that, I'm not surprised..." she turns her head toward him a little, shyly. "Do you think she knows who I am?" A glimmer of hope begins the sentence, but, it seems to turn to barely masked fear very quickly.
Aspen flashes her a reassuring smile, “I’m sure she knows of you. But she is also wise and knows not to touch and open wound. She will leave you be to live your life. I can remember her once saying she just wanted her family to be happy...” Once again the male shifts his weight, though this time it appeared he was doing it unconsciously as he was thinking. “Corone knows her daughters opinion and in turn knows what you know of her, besides the fact that I have told you about her. She is probably to fearful of your reaction to even try and reach out. Plus, I don’t think she would know where to look as I haven’t said anything to anyone.”
Seph releases a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. a tension releases in her. She sits still a moment, and opens her mouth, looking finally at Aspen's eyes. "Do you think she'd love me, like my mother never did?"
Aspen met her eyes, the warmth shining through them, “I think she already loves you more then you will ever know.”
A hope lights somewhere deep and her eyes and she sobs just once, leaning into him. "Thank you." She sniffles and dries her tears, "Thank you, Aspen."
Aspen nuzzles her gently and helps her dry her tears, “You are welcome. I am here for you Seph; if you ever want to go see them I will take you, but I also understand not wanting to and will never force you too.”