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A warrior woman such as her Queen, Eimhir padded steadily to the faraway pride, her cubs sleeping upon her back. Queen Azrael had been expecting her, the ghostly lioness nodding once at her arrival, flicking her long ears to invite her and her young into the camp.
Lionesses giggled and cooed, complimenting the snoring young she carried, whisking them away to the soft nests to continue their nap after the long journey while Eimhir purred, dipping her head finally in a formal greeting to Azrael. “Thank you for allowing me to travel here, Kesari said your pride was very pleasant, but I wasn’t expecting this.” She meowed. “I will do my best to keep myself busy, I am not a freeloader, and I am skilled in battle. Once my cubs are weaned, I will begin in teaching Ethelred more tactics to pass down to the adolescents. I taught her all she knows, you know?” The lioness laughed heartily, shaking her jeweled neck as if she had a mane.
Azrael hummed in slight amusement in response, flapping a wing while dismissing her into the bustling flow of lions.
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"Eimhir, I think that's enough for today." Ethelred announced, shifting in the dirt to get back onto her paws. She shook her rugged mane, the rattling of her bone armour creating an eerie jingle.
The lioness then looked onward at the painted warrior in front of her, watching as she chortled in amusement, akin to a grandmother. "Oh? Did you have enough today? Nonsense, dear Ethelred. It's about time you realize who's the older one here." Eimhir smiled sweetly, her meows accompanied by more soft chuckles as she flicked her tail.
Ethelred sighed, feeling unamused by the older lioness' antics. It's just how she is—not one to joke around in such matters. Her hardened personality had yet to improve if she wanted to become a mentor to the adolescents she was supposed to teach. A flaw in her system. "I know that, Eimhir. I'm actually quite fine and thriving; a little spar has yet to drain my energy completely." She huffed, wiping her nose over with a paw to appear more nonchalant, yet off since she wore a mask that covered her entire face. "Besides, it's best you rest more. Our Head Broodmother has taken notice of your underlying condition-"
"Underlying condition?" Eimhir stepped up, interrupting Ethelred mid-sentence. She hummed amusingly, wiggling her cat brows with a shrug of her shoulders. "Just say I'm old! Everyone knows that already. And I know full well I can't move as I used to." The older lioness finished, turning away from her apprentice to face the sunset over the horizon.
The mountains in the distance blocked most of it, creating a huge shadow blanketing the earth's soil below. The distant sounds of herds making haste in the valley were a welcoming sound to Eimhir, the lioness grinning from ear to ear. "Listen, Ethelred, I'm old, yes, and that means I'll be gone soon. My spirit will leave my body, and I'll be up in the sky prancing with our ancestors. Every sunrise just reminds me of another day leading closer to my departure." She stared up at the sky, viewing the clouds from below on her rocky perch. "My cubs are all grown and have left for their own lives. I am satisfied. But what would make me more happy is to see you let go of your thoughts and ease away from being so strict."
Eimhir's eyes glazed over with a bright light, the sun casting a warm glow upon her figure. She looked absolutely stunning, a true warrior basking in the glory of the setting sunlight. "Every day you seem so adamant about appearing so serious. You were always so hard on yourself for every little thing that happened. Losing one of our broodmothers a moon ago was disheartening for you to hear, to feel like you failed at saving her when you never knew she vanished from camp." The warrior's tone dropped a bit at the mention of the mysterious passing of their pridemate and how Ethelred took it. She had noticed her apprentice's behaviour dwindled ever since that day and how it affected her deeply.
The sunset then took on beautiful shades of orange, yellow, and purple, with the clouds hanging above. Eimhir smiled faintly, her eyes squinting at the sight. She turned her head back at the now-pondering Ethelred. The apprentice had her head lowered to face the ground like a disciplined cub. Silence aroused between the pair as Ethelred shifted her paws, claws scraping the rocky terrain beneath her while her thoughts ran rampant in her head.
Eimhir took notice and stood up, her tail curling up as she sauntered over to Ethelred and brushed against her shoulder to catch her attention. "There you go again, Ethelred. What did I say about thinking so hard?" She asked, raising a brow at the lioness. "And how will you fight when you're already blinded by the past? Don't let such things take the reigns and guide you away from tomorrow. It's about time you think of the joys a single life could bring, like mine, and how I was born to be a warrior before our goddess. Exactly like you." Eimhir tapped her claw on Ethelred's shoulder, dipping her head slightly. She carried her usual heartwarming smiles that she always had and a sense of reassurance to others who witnessed it from her. It made Ethelred forget her worries in an instant, the dread from inside of her dissipating.
"I understand, Eimhir. I'll know when to let up and carry myself to the end. But I need time before I can properly bask in the enjoyment of life." Ethelred raised her head up again to look her mentor in the eyes, her voice soft-spoken. The air felt less tense now that Ethelred had finally confided and heard the words she had longed to hear for a while. It was better; she could speak fluently without having to drag them dramatically, like she hadn't a care in the world.
Eimhir's face brightened immediately at Ethelred's words, her eyes practically glowing with the added effect of the setting sun's rays upon her gentle face. She nodded her head and chuckled, pleased. "Then take your time. No matter how long you need, I'll forever be by your side, guiding you through this life." She spoke calmly, as always, bringing in a sense of comfort.
Without any other words spoken, Ethelred gave a simple nod that was followed by a smile under her mask. She watched as Eimhir stepped away and approached her perch again, which faced west, where the sunset had taken on a more apparent look in the sky. It was a beautiful site, hence her reasoning for not disturbing the peaceful Eimhir that hummed.
However, the silence was broken by Eimhir; her voice was like a gentle breeze in the cool air. "My dear Ethelred, when I pass, I want to be buried facing the west so I can see the sunset. It's a beautiful sight and reminds me of home." She glanced up, flickering her gaze left and right at the clashing clouds above.
"Home? Like Queen Kesari's pride?" Ethelred questioned the warrior, taking up Eimhir's rear and standing directly behind her. Eimhir shook her head at the question, her ears pinning back against her head in a relaxed manner. "No. My home is here now. Where I have always belonged." She then closed her eyes and let the warmth of the sun take her in completely, whatever was left of it anyway.
Ethelred wasn't at all surprised by her mentor's response; more so, she was happier than she could ever be at the sound of it. She walked over and slumped next to Eimhir, tilting her chin up to gaze upon the purple hue in the sky. "Then I'll bury you here, Eimhir. Where home is."
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