Hajira

Gunner
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hajira's life had always been difficult. Born blind, she pridemates would tease her and brag when they knew she was in earshot. The discussion would range from a cool bird they saw that day, to their training, to the beautiful land that was their territory. That one hurt the most. How could she fight and love a place she couldn't see? How could she love pridemates who were like this?

One day a strange traveler came to their land. Hajira could tell by the way his paws hit the ground that he was big, and carried himself regally.

Her queen, ⸙༻ Eurydice ༻⸙ , led the stranger over to her. "We have this one, if you'll take her off our hands." She whispered to the stranger, "She has an attitude, so you may want to be careful."

Hajira snorted, it's hard not to have an attitude when half your pride insults you and the other half pities you. And she can still hear, though she somewhat appreciates the sentiment. (⸙༻ Eurydice ༻⸙ was always kind to her after all).

"I am not unused to attitudes." The stranger said. "What is your name, cub?"

"Hajira," She growled defiantly, moving to where she assumed his eyes would be, based on his voice.

The strange king rumbled a small chuckle. "Well, Hajira, my name is ~Heimdall~, how would you like to join my pride? I am aware of your...condition, and have made arrangements so you can still have a job, if you would so wish."

Hajira pauses, she's never had a job. She could never hunt or patrol, so what could be left?

"What job?"

"I'll tell you if you join me, I have a gift, should you want to come."

It was then she heard a broken caw, a raven. It came down and landed in front of her. She could smell it and hear it's feathers ruffling.

"I'll go."
~~~~~~~~~
As they walked, ~Heimdall~ told her about the job.

"You will be protecting the cubs. A broodmother. You do not need sight for it, as all cubs have a different scent, and I assume you have a heightened sense of that." He was right, she had to learn who was around her somehow.

"I also have a heightened sense of hearing."

"That's good, that's good." ~Heimdall~ paused before continuing. "And I figured your attitude could keep cubs in line and protect them should the need arise."

Hajira tilted her head, the unusual feeling of the raven on her shoulder distracting. "But I can't fight."

~Heimdall~ doesn't hesitate. "Not necessarily. You can tell where they are, you have claws, you have a voice. You can find them, attack them, and call for help. We have quite a few huntresses who would adore the practice." His voice is full of pride. It's odd, She's never been so proud of something she's never seen.
~~~~~~~~~
When they arrive, the lionesses greet their king and then excitedly introduce themselves to Hajira. ~Heimdall~ tells them all that she's blind and they nod before moving more slowly, letting Hajira learn their scents and their voices. They bring over ornaments, they tell her it's colored like the rainbow, every color imaginable. They shower her in petals, very happy for a new pridemates.

She tells them she's never seen a rainbow. They console her and one promises to teach her about colors. She introduces herself as Inira. She guides Hajira to a meadow and tells her to lie down on the grass, that is green. Inira says her favorite color is green. They spend a long time in that meadow. Inira leads her to the cave opening during the sunset, that is orange.

On her first night, as she curled up, Inira whispered to her, "This is black, sometimes it is scary, sometimes it is comforting."
The mud that plastered Hajira's fur as she played with cubs. That was brown, she likes brown.
On a tour of the area around the den, Inira led Hajira to a group of rocks. She told her to run her tail along them, try to dig them up. She couldn't. Inira told her that was gray.
The cool, life-giving, water is blue.
The feeling you get when she hears about her new pride's exploits, that's purple.
Inira took her to a cliff and had her stand at the edge, careful to not let her fall off. The nothing that was felt, that's white.
The first rays of sun that hit the land in front of your paws is yellow.
The fire from lightning that struck a tree is red, Hajira is nervous around red, but she is drawn to it, it is misunderstood, like she was.

But not anymore.

Now she has a pride she can love. She still has her attitude, but she has a place that will accept her anyways. She has a home.