[PRP] A Change in the Wind (Fireheart x Boneknapper)

[SilverLutz]

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.

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Boneknapper hadn't lived a long life yet, not as long as some in the pride. But she had lived long enough to know the faces and isms of her pridemates. She knew that Funnyface sometimes went and found a secluded place where she quietly cried, not wanting anybody to see her without her characteristic grin and laugh. She knew sneaking up on Misty Starlight was impossible, and to never touch Soothsayer unless she gave you the okay. Flower Lord was stoic as the Lead Patron, but he was also fond of singing, and still very much a joyous cub at heart. His youngest sister living in the Bahari next door certainly helped bring that out more.

So it was that she found the pride's current queen, while out looking for new bones to add to her collection. "Hello, Fireheart. You look more troubled than usual." She picked at a spot in the rocks, coming away with tiny rodent bones. "Ah, perfect little pieces!" She stashed them away in her bag, silver eyes glancing over to the other lioness. "Marrow for your thoughts?"

SilverLutz

"Marrow for your thoughts" is a play on "Penny for your thoughts"... Because I don't imagine a lion would know what a penny is, so I figured, "Let's lion-ise this common phrase!"

 

[SilverLutz]

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."

Andranis

And it's fitting for her nickname XD

 

[Andranis]

"Not to sound cryptic or anything, but only fate knows when the time is right." Settling down, the pink lioness looked off somewhere into the middle distance. "Seers get just an inkling, but the future they see may not be what the actual future IS. And whether we're ready or not, time has a way of springing things on us." She shifted, one paw crossing over the other.

Her thoughts meandered for a moment, moving like a stream. She considered all the possibilities, and tried to imagine the outcome for each. She was no seer, of course, so for her it was entirely speculation, the branches of the stream springing up as a new possibility occured to her. Finally, she lifted one paw, scratching her throat and cheek as she collected her thoughts together in one metaphorical pond. "I think, though... Given the history of changing positions... You should ease her into it. Give Starfire one responsibility at a time, that you hold now. It eases the burden off you, and slowly transitions her into the position. By the time you give her the last responsibility, we'll all be accustomed to her more or less being the queen, and just waiting for the official announcement at that point."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

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."

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

The pink lioness shrugged, pulling out and toying with one of her many bones. With her claws, she began to carve into it little designs that seemed, at first, completely random. "It's what we've grown used to. Sudden shifts in power, who holds it, have become normal to us in a rather unhealthy way, I suppose." She examined the bone, then looked at Fireheart. "I've spoken to the odd Bahari, though. Like that lioness with waves on her a**? Apparently they have it just a bit worse than we do, they haven't had the throne pass DOWN a line since the pride reformed some generations back." Her attention diverted back to the bone, carving more with her dewclaw. "They're excited about the prospect of Ram having cubs on the horizon. Frankly, I can agree with their excitement. I can only imagine not knowing who next will hold the ranks of king and queen here."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

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.

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Humming, Boneknapper examined her work. "Yes he is. I'm not sure if any of his sons knew what to expect, even being seers, as to who he'd pick. But I have confidence in Puzzle." She stashed the bone away, looking at Fireheart. "As much as I have confidence in Starfire and her own abilities as a future ruler. They're both good lions, and I'm sure Starfire will have only the best interest of the pride at heart when her time comes, and won't stress about it as much as Puzzle is." Her poor, dear Puzzle. He was panicking just a bit, but she was sure he'd be fine. If he wasn't, she'd be there to give him a helping shove.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

"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.

Andranis

And last from me!

 

[Andranis]

Boneknapper smiled, rising as she stashed her work away. "I'm happy to offer advice. But I'm also happy to see you taking it. The mark of a good ruler is knowing what advice is good advice, and what's bad advice." She looked to the clouds in the distance, the rumbles of the storm reaching her ears. "I'm sure many already know, but it's good to tell everybody in case somebody's oblivious." She nodded to Fireheart, turning to make her way down the path. "I'll see you later." Now to go find Puzzle so they could settle in their den for the storm... She had plenty of bones to carve at, at least.

SilverLutz

Fin!