Welcome to Gaia! ::

Things were changing. That was the one thing you could count on in life. Things would always change. Fireheart wasn't a big fan of change, but she knew it was important to keep life...well. Living. She looked over the sea with a grim expression as the wind tossed her tuft and scarf a bit. There was a strange smell on the air, possibly a storm, and it didn't sit well with her. Most things didn't, though. She had come to learn how to deal with her uncle as co-ruler, she had learned how to raise cubs, and she yet she still had to learn how to face change with an easy smile and a laugh as most of the pride did.

Shifting on the rock she was perched on, the Queen lowered her head to her paws for a moment to shelter herself from the sea breeze. Her latest litter had finally grown, and she had chosen one of the females to be her successor. Starfire was already more a Queen than she had ever hoped she could have been. Where Fireheart was ready to fight and confrontational, Starfire was easy going and got along with everyone. She was better at talking to those in the pride, getting to know the ins and outs of everyone's lives, and was well-liked. Fireheart had done her best at taking up the title when her mother and sister settled her with the task of ruling, but it was clear Starfire was going to succeed her with flying colors.

That was a good thing, of course. Fireheart was training Starfire to be a better Queen than she had been, but the hard part was deciding when to pass the torch.

A shifting behind her made Fireheart's ear swivel, her head following soon after. She relaxed when she saw it was Boneknapper - she would have relaxed it if it was anyone, to be honest, but her first instinct when she heard an unexpected noise was to be on alert. She gave a soft snort at the observation, shifting a little as the pink female joined her on the rocks.

"Just trying to figure out when is the best time to pass my title to Starfire," she said, not feeling as if this was a matter best kept to herself. Perhaps the younger lioness could offer her some advice on the subject. "The title's been passed so frequently these past few years that I don't want to burden the pride with another new queen when I'm still more than capable of seeing to the duties that go with it." It wasn't as if she was in charge of everything, after all. She simply was the one to go to if there were questions or concerns and, should the need arise, would be the voice of those in the pride like Boneknapper - the crafters, the fortune tellers, the ones that rarely left the pride lands.

"She's far more sociable than I though," she went on, figuring it was best to get all her thoughts out at once. "I feel like she'd be more successful in the role than I am. So perhaps I'm doing the pride a disservice by staying."

Seers. Starfire was a Seer, as were her brothers and sisters. Fireheart wondered if she could see a time when she was queen, how the pride was doing...but that wasn't the point Boneknapper was making. The queen tuned in again and was quite surprised at the advice that she was given.

"One responsibility at a time," she murmured, frowning a bit in thought. That wasn't how it had happened to her. The title had been practically dumped on her overnight. Her sister was supposed to take the title, and she had been in training for it, but then both her mother and sister decided the time was now, and Fireheart would be the new queen. Everything had to be learned at once, her training shifted from fighting and stalking to the duties she had to see to every day. It had been a whirlwind, confusing and scary, and the thought had never once crossed her mind that it didn't have to be like that for Starfire.

"...that's very sound advice," she finally said, her expression relaxing a bit as she looked at the pink lioness once more. "It honestly never came to me that that might be a good way to transition."

Fireheart gave a little 'mm' of agreement. Ram had been in charge of the Bahari since before she was born, she was sure. Her interactions with the leader off the seaside pride were few and far between but he seemed like he had a sound mind for leading. Still, having the same ruler for so long could spell trouble. She was glad to hear a royal litter might be on the way for their neighbors.

"It seems it's one extreme or the other between us," she said with a little snort "At least where the queen is concerned." Shandor had been king before she was born, but he finally had a litter of his own now. There was no rule within the Kizi that said the heir had to be blood-related to the king or queen, but that was generally how it went if only for simplicity's sake. She found it mildly amusing that her own heir was god-born as well as Shandor's litter. Perhaps having dual Seers oversee the pride and its actions would help keep their heads down and out of trouble as she liked.

"Riddle Mouth is surely looking to settle down and pass the title as well," she said. "Perhaps we can coordinate the titles to go at the same time. Try to set some sort of...I don't know. Pattern other kings and queens can follow." She didn't care for change and she knew the pride was far more accepting of it than she, but she also knew it was a bit jolting to jump from leader to leader. Hopefully she and her 'uncle' could settle those rocky waves a bit and smooth things out before they stepped down.

"Oh, she already does," Fireheart said with a little shake of her head. The incoming storm blew another strong breeze that ruffled her fur and she glared out over the sea at it. This was not the time for rain.

"Hopefully they'll support one another when they're both sitting pretty with their new titles," she added as she glanced back at Boneknapper. "It's always best when you can work with the other ruler as opposed to against them." She and Shandor saw things very differently - he was far more relaxed than she, and whenever one of these traveling groups came Fireheart was always one to distrust them and wish them gone on the morning light. Their attitude towards strangers aside, she and the king did work together nicely even with their age difference.

Rising to her feet, she glanced out over the sea once more as the sky darkened and lightning flashed in the distance. "I suppose I should go and let the others know a storm is coming," she said, hopping down from the rock she had perched on. She paused by the other lioness, peering at the little bone she was carving. Ah, to have a talent like that.

"Thank you for your advice," she added, giving the younger lioness a small but honest smile.