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the tiny female wept beside her mother’s body, for when she visited the watering hole alone an attack on her pride occurred, which left her mother dead, and her entire pride. she stayed by her mother’s body for three days and two nights, on the third night she left in search of food.
as she hunted, she was seen by many males and many of them didn’t impress her. she was smaller than most lionesses her age, some of them at first thought she was an adolescent. none of them caught her eye until she stumbled into the Pride of Dusk’s territory.
while hunting a gazelle, she noticed the king she heard stories about. King Goduka, Seer of the Dead or Heavenly depending on who was telling the story. and the King noticed the female too.
He trotted over to her, his eyes from afar pierced her soul and made her fur stand up. as he got closer and closer to her, her heart began to race. he was interested in taking her back or he was going to attack her. the gazelle was long gone by now, but was it too late to chase after it?
“you’re looking a little lost there,” he stared blankly as he approached, he kept his distance. “what pride are you from?”
“they were ambushed.” she replied. “everyone is dead.”
“i see.” he said to her, although he clearly wasn’t looking at her. “you’re hungry aren’t you?”
“starved.”
“your mother, she was a very kind one to you. she says the last king you passed up was a catch.”
the female chuckled, “she always loved the darker ones. that sounds like her.”
“well of course it sounds like her, it’s her words. she’s settled well in the afterlife. she feels your remorse and guilt for her death however. she wants you to know that she didn’t want you around to see her go, they would’ve ended your life too, the pride.”
“what pride was it?” she questioned.
“she says the pride of blood and ravens. the strife between your king and their’s is settled, for your lord has won the argument, but the blood king has won the battle.”
tears welled in he young lioness’s eyes, sniffling as she held them back. “and you’re the king of the Pride of Dusk, correct? king Goduka.”
“Seer of the Dead,” he nodded. “and your name is?”
“Minehle.” she answered hesitantly.
“come on, let’s get you something to eat.” Goduka told her. “you may stay in my pride for as short as you want, but your mother says that you should stay there.”
“are you trying to claim me?” she asked as the king turned around.
he looked over his shoulder back at her, his eyes pools of spirits. “i am giving you a choice, i don’t claim. i offer shelter and food, that’s simply it. i let my females decide where they would like to stay. although they all enjoy the plains since we’ve moved from the marshlands. they’ve always slept in my territory, i treat them well.” he looked ahead again and padded towards his home, and quietly Minehle followed him.
Minehle stayed close to Goduka, he was the only lion she knew and cared to know. she never thought that she would end up in the Seer of the Dead’s lands ever, or even be a part of his pride.
“your mother is a talker.” he told her quietly as they ate together. he was kind to her and gentle, she thought he was handsome but he didn’t seem like the type of king to ever take a queen.
“what’s she saying?” she asked
“just about how you’re her little cub,” he chuckled to himself, “it’s endearing. my mother says the same to me every now and then.”
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