Heavenly

• Can see glimpses of the past
• Normally it’s recent past and of their own life but they will get glimpses of other cub’s past as well
• jokes with the other cubs that they are the opposite of The Starseer

• follows around The Starseer, learning everything they can from her
• Starseer is very interested in their abilities and is very closely monitoring as they grows up

“Starseer!” Echo called out, padding over to her companion. The Starseer noticed she looked very deep in thought. “What is the matter Echo? Is something wrong?” Starseer asked, moving to meet her. They continued walking towards the tallest mountain, Where Stars Touch the Earth, and spoke together. Echo had come to rely on her friendship with Starseer greatly and she felt the same. “I need your council. I know I am getting older and the world is becoming more dangerous. In case something should happen to me, I need to have an heir..” she trailed off, looking behind her at the pride. “And are you unsure of who shall be your heir?” Starseer asked, tilting her head slightly. “Extremely. I’ve been queen for almost just as long as Mishalei had and yet while he had four heirs before me, I have not even thought of this until last night. I haven’t even looked at any of the cubs in this way.” Echo replied. The Starseer rolled her eyes and smiled. “Mishalei spent all of his time around the cubs of the pride. He loved them greatly. It’s nothing to be ashamed of that you enjoy exploring and helping other kings and queens more than you enjoy sitting in a cave with annoying cubs.” Echo laughed and bumped her shoulder with Starseer in a friendly way. “Yeah I guess you’d be the one to agree with me on that.” They came to a resting spot at one of the rocky outcroppings on the base of the mountain and both turned to face the pride. Surveying from their high vantage point, they could see every pride member. Especially Sashi taking the cubs for a walk. They both watched silently, taking notes of which cubs played rough and which were gentle. “You know Echo, this isn’t something that can really be decided in a day, this is the future of the Southern Sun pride, not just picking out a cub we find interesting.” Echo nodded, turning her head away from the pride and back to look at Starseer. As she did, something caught her eye. Just now coming out of the cub cave, way behind everyone else, was a little brown cub with white patches. It looked quiet but kind, watching the other cubs almost like Echo and the Starseer were, looking for who would make the best playmate. “Starseer.. Who is that cub?” Echo asked, her eyes trained to the brown cub. “If you had asked me about any other cub I honestly wouldn’t have been able to tell you.” Starseer said with a laugh. “But that one I do know. It’s the cub of another starseer, not belonging to any pride so she asked if I would take the cub in to be raised alongside ours.” Echo nodded in thought. “Does she share these powers?” Echo questioned, watching the cub finally choose her playmate and pounce, laughing peacefully. “They are a bit too young for me to know of powers. Mine hadn’t shown their face until I was nearly two. I’ve been watching this one though, they are a little different in terms of cubs.” “Indeed.. much to think about then.”

12/16/22 Hiraeth takes the throne

The air was cold and wet, nothing out of the winter ordinary. Unlike a few days ago, it wasn’t a winter wonderland blanketing the valley, the cold and damp air stung and bit at the pride’s skin, sharp and painful. Echo sat with Dahro and Haku, warming herself with the company of her lover and best friend. A little while ago, a flock of birds had come up from the trees, most likely startled by something below the tree line. Since food was scarce, Echo had sent a hunting party towards it, hoping they would find large prey to feed them. It had been some time however and Echo grew more worried by the minute. She stretched out, her breath pluming out of her from the cold. “Where are you going my love?” Haku asked, flicking her tail as she moved to follow. “No don’t get up, I’m just going to check on something I’ll be back soon.” Haku seemed a bit upset but Dahro nodded and put his heavy paws over Haku’s to comfort her. Echo smiled and padded off, leaping down the boulder towards the spot where the birds had come up. Inagi and Maruso lept from their spot and made their way to follow behind the queen. Echo wasn’t opposed to them coming along, should things have gotten bad it was comforting that they would be there. “Are you checking on the hunting party?” Maruso asked, moving up to match Echo’s pace. “I am. I don’t like how long it’s taken and I can’t hear any commotion.” “We’ll come along with you.” Inagi said, less like an offer and more like a statement. Echo smiled at them, happy to have them with her.

On the other side of the clearing, atop the mountain Where the Stars Touch the Earth, The Starseer awoke with a start. “I need to stop her!!” She immediately began sprinting down the mountain, throwing herself as fast as she could, tripping on rocks and tumbling when they lost their balance under her weight. If she could just get down the mountain before Echo got up from the rock, she would be fine. She let herself run in silence, focusing on the sound of the world around her. She could make it.

Echo continued towards the location of the birds, the best huntresses in the pride following closely behind her. As they got further from the pride and the noise of the many lions faded, the usual sound of the surrounding forest was strangely absent. It was as if there was nothing alive around, surrounded by silence and cold. The snow in this part of the forest hadn’t reached the ground much but the sticks and grass were frozen, stabbing into their paw pads as they quietly made their way through the woods. They walked mostly in silence, trying not to scare any prey that could be in the area by running. If the hunting party had found something, they didn’t want to scare off whatever they had found. Maruso and Inagi whispered behind her, giggling at jokes she couldn’t hear behind her. She cared deeply for Kaori when she was alive and the girls she left behind reminded her so much of their mother. It meant a lot to have them go with her.

The Starseer finally reached the bottom of the mountain and into the pride’s main clearing, darting her way through the lions huddled together for warmth. She flung herself towards the large rock on the outskirts, her paws traveling faster than the rest of her body could keep up. When she arrived, huffing and out of breath, Haku starred down at her with a sour expression. Starseer knew Haku wasn’t fond of her. In the queen’s eyes she spent far too much time alone with Echo than she was willing to trust. “Starseer. What can I do for you?” The question was polite but her swishing tail gave her away. “Where is Echo.” It was harsher than she had meant for it to come out but she was relieved when she saw Dahro poke his head down. “The Queen left to follow a hunting party. Maruso and Inagi went with her.” The color drained from Starseer’s face. Without another word she sprinted in the direction Dahro had been looking at. She didn’t even pause when Haku yelled after her to explain what was happening. She heard the heavy thump of Dahro leaping off of the rock after her and she was relieved, glad the large male would come too. “Starseer!” She heard another voice call. She turned and Hiraeth, the young lion she and Echo had spoken about being Echo’s heir was running alongside, keeping pace with them as they ran. “This is much too dangerous for you Hiraeth. You stay here.” “I can direct you to everywhere Echo has been. I can find my way better than you can.” Over the past few months Hiraeth’s powers had truly grown and manifested into full blown pastseeker powers. Upon touching an object or lion she could see visions of the past. It would actually be wise to take them as well, being able to know exactly where Echo had gone without having to pause and future seer. “Fine. But stay close to Dahro.” Starseer huffed back, turning forward, leading their small group onwards. They could make it.

The familiar look of the woods began to fall away as they traveled further outside of their territory. Echo wasn’t even aware the birds had come from a spot so far from their pride. She was positive they were going in the right direction however, the land was marked several times by Hissah and Iso ahead, the two best huntresses in the party she sent. As they walked the trees got thinner. Smells became to grow more faint, less creatures and more.. human smell. Did Echo send a hunting party into human territory without thinking? “Echo? Have you noticed the trees are all lined up?” Inagi asked, pausing to look around. Echo stopped as well, glancing around at the trees. They were in perfect rows, evenly spaced apart. “I feel like we should not have come here.” Maruso whispered, glancing around nervously. “We’ll find them quickly and leave. Stay nearby, we’ll hurry.” Echo said, breaking into more of a run as they weaved in and out of the trees.
As they ran they approached a clearing, bare of trees in the middle of the forest the smell of humans was overwhelming. They could barely even smell Hissah and the rest of the party. “Echo! This way!!” Maruso shouted suddenly, taking off towards the left. Echo and Inagi followed closely behind, all of them smashing their way into the clearing and taking off towards a large object. As they got closer and closer the sound of human noises and lion roaring became almost deafening. The finally rounded the object and there was the hunting party, surrounded by several humans shouting and waving objects around in a scary manner. Hissah lay still on the ground behind the party who growled and fought off the humans valiantly. Echo’s blood turned cold. She wasn’t just lying their wounded. Her face was twisted in agony, eyes glassed over to reveal a hollow corpse behind. They had been too late.

Starseer could smell Echo but they could tell she wasn’t intentionally marking anymore now that they had exited their territory. The smell of the hunting party was faint and yet Starseer was still having a hard time as she didn’t spend too much time around the pride still. Hiraeth bolted forwards, brushing their side against a tree, curling their tail around the tree to keep contact with it for as long as possible before suddenly switching direction. Starseer followed right behind, falling out of breath by the second. She had run all the way down the mountain and through the forest and was running out of steam. Dahro pushed her from behind as she began slowing down, gesturing to keep running. He was right, she could rest, AFTER Echo was safe and sound. “She’s just behind these trees.” Hiraeth called back, looking at Starseer for confirmation. “She had been running. Something scared her but I can’t tell what.” Hiraeth continued. “Must have been the trees. Or this strong smell of human im picking up.” Dahro commented, letting his face wander to look up at the strange, lined up trees. Starseer looked around, tilting her head in confusion. “I’ve never seen this before..” she commented.
“STARSEER! ECHO IS IN TROUBLE!” Hiraeth screamed ahead.

Echo roared with distress upon seeing her fallen companion causing the humans to have noticed their arrival and turn their weapons to the queen. “Echo! Flee!” Tarentula yelled, snarling at her. “Your highness! Get away from them!!” Iso yelled as well, charging forward to attempt to scare the humans away from Echo. Inagi and Maruso flew forwards, hissing and snarling, trying to get them to back up. It was successful and Meekan and Iso were able to flee from the center and run to join with Echo on the edge of the battle. Jalil stay crouched over Hissah’s empty body, not wanting to leave her companion behind. One of the humans took a long black stick he had been holding and pointed it at Jalil, letting loose a sound of thunder and fire. When the sound and light cleared, Jalil lay upon Hissah, limp with her paws still clutching her friend. “We must flee!” Inagi yelled, grabbing the scruff of Iso’s neck and flinging her back towards the trees, quickly turning to run with Maruso. “I’m not leaving Hissah and Jalil!” Echo yelled, causing the lionesses to freeze.

Hiraeth cleared the corner and flew headfirst into Iso, tumbling them both out of the way and onto the ground, hissing and snarling before realizing who each other were and that it was an accident. Echo charged the man with the thunder stick and Tarentula went with her, claws outstretched to attack.

Dahro and Starseer came around the corner, narrowly missing ear bleeding thunder a few feet in front of them. Whatever had blown out from the thunder stick had blown the two back, Echo and Tarentula flew backwards into the surrounding lions. Dahro instinctively snatched Echo by the scruff and Iso and Inagi grabbed Tarentula. No more fighting, no hissing.
They ran.

They didn’t stop for a long time. Hiraeth was blinking back disbelief. Visions of the past, laying helplessly on the ground with Iso flopped on top of them, helpless to save their queen. They were the fastest of the group though, and they could back track where they had been before. Well. When the image of Hissah and Jalil’s faces staring into nothing wasn’t. They didn’t pause to look behind them but at least they were sure the humans hadn’t followed. Hiraeth would check on the rest behind them by taking note of everyone when they saw into the past. Every one of them were trying to stare straight ahead until they could reach the safety of the pride. Tarentula was yowling in pain the entire way, screaming with every bump Iso made. Echo however… was silent. The group hoped she was unconscious. But as the hunting group made their way across the frozen forest, Hiraeth became scared as they couldn’t see the air smoke from her mouth like it did for them.
They finally arrived back at the clearing, Maruso and Inagi running ahead to make sure they grabbed Pineil and Naomi and cleared a spot for the injured. Pineil and Segall were there waiting to receive Tarentula, using soft, hushed voices in an attempt to calm her. Dahro placed Echo down in a patch of grass, moving to be as close as possible to her so she’d warm up. The pride began to gather but Maruso and Inagi were quick to shove them away so they had some space.
“ECHO!!” They turned and to Hiraeth’s horror, there was Haku. She ran, throwing herself on Echo, sobs of worry echoing through the frozen air. Naomi pushed past, listening closely to Echo as everyone around held their breath.
A moment of silence fell over the pride as their waited for Naomi to say something. Finally Haku snapped at her. “Well???” Naomi looked up, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “The Queen is.. dead.” Haku screamed, burying her face into Echo’s fur. Starseer silently nudged Dahro and snuggled against him, both finding solemn comfort in each other for the moment. The pride held their loved ones a little tighter. No one spoke a word, some dried their tears and focused on the survivors, others moved to comfort Haku. Starseer knew there was an important next step that must be taken.

Quietly standing, she moved towards Hiraeth and bowed low to the ground. Dahro followed suit. The rest of the pride stayed still however. Untrusting of The Starseer, a near stranger to the pride and Dahro, a scarily large male from a northern pride. Starseer turned to the surrounding lions and hooked tails with Hiraeth, the much younger lion looking nervous with the concerned eyes of the pride on them. “A few months ago, Queen Echo called my council. Just as Mishalei before her, she asked me for help in choosing her heir to the throne should anything have happened to her. While Echo never was able to officially name an heir, Hiraeth was her choice.” Lula scoffed from the side, tail flicking with annoyance. “You’re telling me the queen picked a cub from outside our pride to be queen who you introduced to us? You took in Hiraeth, how do we know you’re not just pushing your own motives now that the queen is dead?” The unsure lions surrounding them began to look worried. There was a rift forming before them. Those who could believe Starseer and those who could not. “She’s right! You did take that cub in didn’t you Starseer? What can you do to prove Echo even named her at all?” Julic spat. The pride whispered around, worry and pandamonium stirring. “There are ways I can prove it and ways I cannot. Echo was my closest friend, we spoke for days on this. I can summon her spirit in a week once her soul is in rest if you want to hear it from her.” “Summon her spirit? How dare you pose a notion! She’s not some old ancestor to be called upon to tell bedtime stories to cubs!” Julic snapped back. The pride became enraged, everyone bickering with their neighbor about everything. Could they trust that Starseer actually summoned spirits? Were the other summons just a trick? Why a week? Voices slowly started to quiet down until everyone went silent again, starring at Haku as she raised herself from the ground on shaky legs. Her face was still red and puffy from her tears but she held herself high as she made her way to Hiraeth. While the pride’s attention had been on Starseer and Lula, no one had noticed the poor adolescent sobbing into Dahro’s mane. Hiraeth wasn’t being accepted by the pride. Did they even want to be queen? This was never their choice. As Haku approached, Dahro backed away from Hiraeth, bowing his head to the queen. Hiraeth couldn’t meet her eyes, looking down and moving into a low bow before her. Haku moved their face to look up at her and moved to snuggle her close. Both lions held each other for a minute, crying into each other’s fur. “Hiraeth, there is no doubt in my mind Echo would want you to be queen. You are so caring.” Haku was choking back tears as she spoke, trying to be loud enough for the rest of the pride to hear her. “Just like you, Echo was a stranger to our pride when she was crowned. She spoke of you. She saw herself in you.” Haku continued, trying to dry Hiraeth’s tears. “And I can see it in your eyes. There is nothing that you could have done more for her.” Starseer looked to the surrounding lions and watched as each one began to cry alongside the queen. “Starseer. We don’t agree often. But in my heart there is no doubt that the pride can always trust you.” Haku said, bowing her head to Starseer. One by one the lions around them bowed to Hiraeth, some of the more stubborn ones like Lula and Julic bowing only their head in contempt. But they all bowed. To Hiraeth. The new leader of the Southern Sun pride.

• still scared the pride doesn’t fully accept her, Hiraeth ascends the throne
• backed by Haku, The Starseer and Dahro, more lions accept their title

• Lula and Julic’s jealousy runs deep, this peace won’t last long

•very wary of sending out hunting parties
• tried setting up concern times where if parties weren’t back by a certain time they would go after them but the main huntresses complained so they stopped
• spends all of her time reflecting on Echo’s life, seeing how she made decisions and what she should have done

1/30/23 A large storm hits their home

The day before was wet and damp, miserable for the lions who called The Valley their home. Hiraeth had been up all day and was planning on being up all night, caring for the elderly females and cubs who couldn’t leave their caves in weather like this. Now as night passed over them the rain and storms only intensified. Those who were still moving around The Valley looked for shelter and huddled close in caves with their pride members. Hiraeth had found themself stuck in the back of the elderly lioness cave, pushed inwards by the scared lions entering the cave. They sat there for a moment, attempting to calm their breathing as they freaked out being so trapped. Kanto, their friend, noticed and moved closer to them, rubbing he head against their side. “You’re alright. Just stay right here Hiraeth.” Kanto said gently, sitting down next to them. Hiraeth could feel the eyes of the pride members burn into their fur. Judging their leader with small whispers. Hiraeth pushed Kanto gently to the side and stood tall, aware that the pride was looking at them not for guidance but as a joke. Bracing themself, they pushed their way through the crowded cave, coming to the entrance. The lionesses behind them held their breath, most of them terrified of the storm. “Hiraeth, you don’t have to go out there.” Haku called from the back of the cave. Hiraeth looked back to them just as a bolt of lightning lit the sky. They glanced at who was in the cave and saw Pecha, huddled around three cubs looking up at her leader with desperate and scared eyes. “The cubs. Pecha is in here no one is with the cubs.” Without another word Hiraeth bolted into the rain, sloshing through the grass that could barely soak up the rain it was receiving. The harsh rain was beginning to turn them all around, they couldn’t recall where they had come from or where the cub cave had went. They relaxed a second, letting the energy of when the valley was clear and calm. Opening their eyes, they ran to the left, the rain stinging their pelt as they ran. Finally they made it to the cub cave. It was dark and wet, big puddles already forming in the middle of the cave. As their eyes adjusted they could see the cubs huddled in the corner, starring at Hiraeth in fear. “It’s ok. You’re alright, I’m here, I’ll protect you.” Hiraeth said. The cubs were unsure but as Hiraeth walked close to them and laid down, the cubs swarmed them, crying that they were scared and didn’t want to be left alone again. Hiraeth smiled, cuddling them all close, cleaning the ones who were dirty from the mud. They didn’t care what the other lions in the pride thought right now. They were with the cubs, they were safe and calm. That’s all that mattered right now.