The memories of her youth come and go.
They are fleeting, yet when they arrive, they hit her with a force so strong it is almost as if she has been physically pushed.
She welcomes them, for they are dear to her. She holds them close and envelopes them in her body, so that one day, she may recall them again.
Sometimes she does, sometimes she does not. It is okay though, that is how the past should be. Not something to dwell on, something to remember, to hold, to acknowledge, and then to let go.
This time, it is of her and her sister, Tàpá.
She is walking alongside her like she always has. Her sister always forward, she, slightly behind. Iyõ liked it like that. She felt comforted in the knowledge that the one she was following, the one who was leading, was her sister.
Iyõ loved her sister with all her heart. She was her blood.
Iyõ had followed her sister wherever she had gone, without question. The golden lioness had always been more comfortable in the presence of her sister, so why should that be changed or disturbed? Iyõ could not think of a reasonable answer to this question she had asked herself, and she had asked it many times.
She thinks back to a time when they were cubs.
Tàpá was sick, their mother watched over her, carefully. Iyõ, nervous and scared, fluttered underfoot, darting to look at her sister for a moment, but looking away almost as soon as her green eyes laid on the body of her sister, scared that it may be the last time she did.
Her mother, full of worry for one daughter, had no time for the second, especially when she was trying to concentrate.
Go, said her mother, find your sister a present. It will make her better.
It will make her better.
That was all Iyõ needed to hear. She had the power to heal her sister. Why had her mother only said this now? Why, she and Tàpá could have had a whole extra half-day of playing.
It did not matter though, for the though had left the mind of Iyõ almost as quickly as it came. Her young mind only fixating on the now, the present, the making better.
Tiny yellow paws darted from the den that they called their home and out into the nearby world.
She had a present to find.
But what could it possibly be that could make her sister better?
Iyõ could not begin to fathom it. There was so much available to her. A vastness existed in this world outside their small cave that she could not imagine conquering. She did not know where to begin.
Shortly, her eyes drifted to a nearby desert flower. The gold cub rushed over to it, excitement in her eyes. Could this be the gift that her sister needed to bring back her health?
Emerald green eyes poured over the flower with great concentration. If this was to be the thing, then she had to be sure. She scrutinized it’s light green leaves, still growing from the strong, yet frail looking stem. She noticed that it was soft to the touch, almost even furry. Weird, plants had fur? She would ask her mother later. The petals of the flower itself were purple in hue, but not in a bold way. It was understated, soft. Pretty, delicate, but not quite there. Iyõ shook her head. The flower would not do. It was not enough.
She had to find something that was.
An unusually coloured stone, it was white, with flecks of grey. Iyõ had not seen one like it before.
A feather, fallen from a passing vulture.
A branch, trampled by a passing wildebeest.
Nothing was satisfying Iyõ though.
Her search amounting to nothing, Iyõ was distressed. How was she supposed to save her sister? She couldn’t find anything that felt like it was the thing, the object to make her well again. The golden cub made her way, her tail dragging along in the dirt behind her, to the base of a nearby tree to lament.
She was a failure. Iyõ would have to stay away. She couldn’t bear returning empty handed.
Her small body dropped to the ground in her sadness.
Something caught her eye at the base of the tree. There was a small opening. A fully grown lioness would not be able to get their paw inside, but she was able, with her tiny limb. Iyõ lowered her head to the hole and peeked inside, curious about what secrets might be hidden within the trunk.
Her eyes fell upon an almost perfectly intact eggshell. Its shimmer entranced her. The colour of it was an off blue, probably closer to grey, and it was speckled in a darker colour of similar hue, but also with the occasional bursts of white and brown.
Iyõ reached out her paw gingerly and tapped it. The egg shifted freely and felt hollow. Whatever the egg bore was long gone. There was a small crack at the top of the egg, a small piece of shell was missing, almost heart shaped.
This was it. This was the thing. Iyõ didn’t know why, she just knew it was.
With a delicate manouver she removed the egg from its hidden place and gently picked it up in her mouth. This was the thing that would make her sister better again.
She had to restrain herself from running home, afraid the weighted steps of her running would cause the egg to shatter.
Soon she was in front of the small den. Iyõ was certain this would work. With pure belief the young cub stepped into the den.
Her mother and her sister were curled up together, sleeping. Gently, Iyõ placed the treasure next to her sister and positioned herself in the pile. She had completed her job. Her sister would be better. And now she was tired.
Iyõ smiled. The memory invoking warmth, joy and pleasure. She was glad she was able to recall this time, as an innocent cub, capable of believing and doing anything. Her love for her sister, and mother, had remained constant all this time.
Iyõ looked around. Her sister would not be far, and she wanted to tell her of this memory.
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.:. Shadows of Africa - New Guild! .:.