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Xhosa - Healer.
Mother of Habub, Khamsin and Shisheeya.
Grandmother of Olileanya.
Daughter of Enyuka.
Grandaughter of Kipepeo (pride advisor).
Great grandaughter of Maua (healer).
5th Gen.
Lisi inherited her small stature from her grandmother Kipepeo. She gets on well enough with all her female relatives, but she needs her space if they get too overbearing. She is closest to the primal cub Marrana, who will be a fellow trainee one day.
Enyuka is happy for this little one to accompany her great grandmother Maua on healing trips, even if Lisi does take on the information a little strangely. And she does take it all on, the practical and the spiritual. You can only do so much if you limit yourself, she tells her wide eyed great grandmother one day.
She doesn't seem to need much in the way of materials, rather, she seems to be able to rid pain with a touch of her delicate paw, as she quietly demonstrated on the clumsy Marrana one day after she had hurt her pawpad after tripping, gently taking the affected foot and holding it awhile. Marrana loudly exclaimed that it didn't hurt anymore, and the scratches had gone, look! She sees nothing odd in her best friend though, but a lot of the other lionesses are somewhat sceptical, scared or both. The healing qualities of her ancestors seem to have multiplied to a point beyond inheritance.
She is turning out to be more of a shaman than a medicine lioness, (she was born in November after all, the month of the visiting shamans) but as long at it has the same effect, Enyuka isn't worried. She encourages her strange little daughter, who is friendly enough but a bit distant, a lot mystical and very clever. Lisi has to take care that her healing abilities do not wear her out too much.
As her great grandmother gets closer to her 16th year (!) she hands over her position to the still teen lion, not yet 2 years old but very competent, who is taken aback but graciously accepting of the position. Maua creakily nuzzles her family with pride and tears in her pink eyes. The pride look on in wonderment and have to be reassured after so long with the same healer that Lisi is more than competent to look after a pride, albeit unconventionally.
As the healing duties take it out of her somewhat she is on the lookout for an apprentice, but there is no rush, for now, she thinks quietly.
AT the passing of her great grandmother she hangs her head quietly and spends time with her remaining family, all the while not saying much. As it reaches twilight and the remembrance is over she rubs noses with her mother and grandmother and goes to sit out in the evening warmth, in a small clearing about half a mile from the den.
She looks to her left, her hearts' side, and senses a spirit there. She listens intently.
"I will always be with you, my youngest. You have a gift - I am very proud of you, and so are your family. I will be with you always..." Lisi leans closer, in time to feel a whisper ruffle her fine face fur, and sees a pair of pink eyes winking out into the moonlight. "I love you, grams," She smiles, and heads back to the den.
One of her hardest days dawned when she helped an older lioness, Ololka, birth a single mutated cub.
"What....what's happening? Have I done wrong? She will live, won't she?"
Lisi hides her tears and looks at Ololkas' grief ridden face. She watches as the cub makes her way to her mother to nurse with happy little news, doubly pitched, which makes her blink back more tears.
"I cannot say. I will do my best for her, but..." she stops at the distraught look on Ololkas' face, and diverts the topic. "Let's name her Lafiya. It's Yoruba for 'fated'. Whatever happens she is loved but we must leave it to fate." She gives the mother a sad smile and walks off to inform the ruling couple. The youngster is later adorned with gifts, which doesn't help her mother's grief.
Deep in her heart Ololka knows her cubs' ill fate but vows to care for her the best she can. It is hard for the proud lioness. "My Lafiya," she licks the little one gently, "whatever happens..."
Ololka cannot deal with the painful thought of losing her sweet, happy cub so soon, and spends long hours talking to Lisi about what can be done. One such solution was found, although it was pretty risky, but it meant that Lafiya could live on in the pride forever in minds, heart and spirit,
"So she will be a ghost?" Ololka is a blunt lioness and cannot understand how such mysteries work. Lisi doesn't admit that she can barely fathom it either.
"In basic terms, yes...although she will become much more than that. She will watch over the pride, be our guardian, and yet feel no more pain or suffering. She will be our little guiding spirit, our good luck charm. This method, it will take her body, but let her spirit manifest itself - you will still be able to see her, talk with her, but not nurse or hunt with her. She will be able to come and go from this realm or hers as she pleases. If she is agreeable to it, I am willing to try it for you, my friend."
The two lionesses look over at where Lafiya is lying, surprised to see her alertly listening to all that is being said, her four eyes all fixed on her mother. Ololka grimaces, and says to Lisi to let her have one last nurse before she decides. Lisi nods and quietly pads to the Den entrance.
It has been a busy couple of years for the pride healer, and she wonders where the time has gone as she cares for her aging mother all the while knowing she cannot halt the inevitable.
She looks with pride upon her two daughters, who have felt no pressure from their quiet unassuming mother to follow in her difficult footsteps. She wishes for her twins to follow their own paths in life, and knows in her heart that a trainee apparent will appear soon, and she will be able to spot them.
With the dawn of the new royal siblings, Lisi decides, along with many of the old guard, to retire. She is closer to 14 years now than 13, and age is taking its toll on the little lioness. Although still an active healer she knows that her son Shisheeya is more than capable of taking her role, and he takes her place with humility and a small ceremony. Now she feels she can enjoy her retirement!
"You wonder where Mpilisi, Healer found that really cool bug she is playing with. When you ask her, though, she just invites you to play. Alrighty then."
"When you approach to say hello today, Mpilisi, Healer steps back and snarls, but she continues to be nice afterwards."
"As you two greet each other, Mpilisi, Healer moves away when you get too close. You try to approach her again, and she begrudgingly accepts the friendly nuzzle you offer her. She looks a bit bothered about it, though."
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