There was a tug inside her, pulling her from her current life in the pride. Gwen, without another moment passing, took to the air, following the feeling in her heart. She flapped her wings as fast as she could. Something didn't just feel right. She couldn't put her wing on it, but she was ready to get to the bottom of it. The journey took her days, before finally she landed in a mountainous area, spotting the familiar form she had met many years ago. There was a difference though. Those young cubs she had seen her with were not present. Instead, another male, one not so similar to her, lay.

She wanted to get closer, and the nearby tree wouldn't cause to much of a scene for the avian. She swooped, landing quietly as she listened in.

When you couldn’t see the world around you, all the days meshed together. What was the difference between night and day, when everything was always black? The thought never bothered the male in the past, but recently he found himself struggling to overcome everything that happened around him. His actions must have been noticed by his family (both blood and non) as he found the gentle nudges happening from all parties more disconcerting than actually comforting. At one time, he actually snapped at his mate, only to be scolded by his genet pal. It was during that moment Kipofu found he would stay where he was while the rest of the clan headed to the Sky Festival.

His place did not stay long, soon he found himself being tugged by Katika, pecked by Kalani, and nipped by Lina to keep moving.

“You seem awfully down lately, are you okay?” She had asked him one day while they were on the move. The only response Katika had gotten was a heavy sigh. She did not push the subject matter, knowing when the former Pridelander was ready, he would tell her.

It was just the waiting game at this point. The pale lioness stayed near the other, and when she was called away, she made sure Linaeve as well as either U’no’le or Ta’la’la was with him.

“I don’t need them here,” Kip said gruffly before Kati had left one day to join in a hunt while the clan was on the move.

“Why?” She asked quietly, a bit away from the other, but close enough to know his sensitive ears could catch the words.

The lion shifted where he stood, scarred eyes staring blankly in front of him. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need my children to continue to assist. They are old enough to take care of themselves, and don’t need their crippled father holding them back from anything.”

The words stung hard for Katika. She looked back, noting the hunting party was beginning to gather. She did not want to leave them waiting, but she also did not want to leave Kip in his current state. “They don’t mind you know,” She said softly, walking over to the male. She nudged his head slightly. "What if Lina just stays with you?" The lioness offered, glancing over at the genet who nodded quickly.

"I would never leave him!" She said with a smile, bobbing her head as she rubbed his leg. "Right Kip! Me and you, til the end!" She grinned, eyes sparking up at Katika.

"Lina is fine." Kip said quietly. "Just not the kids." His keen sense of hearing could tell they were not nearby to hear his words. Good, that was just what he needed if they had over heard him.

"If you are sure. I won't be long, I promise." With the size of their hunt group they should be able to take down enough prey to feed the traveling clan before resting for the evening. They still had a long while before they got to the festival grounds, so pacing themselves was needed.

"Sure, sure," Kip said with a sigh, laying on the ground. He must have been near a tree, the feeling of the sun beating on his light back was lesser.

When Kati was gone, Lina turned towards Kip. "You wanna talk about it?" His bond asked. The lion sighed, shaking his large head before resting it on his paw. "Okay...I'm right here if you want to, remember that."

Kipofu did not answer, instead, he closed his sightless eyes, listening to the world around him, imagining just what it was like to see it.

---

Gwen took the moment to follow Katika and her own avian bond. The white falcon did not go unnoticed by the blue bird, as she narrowed her eyes.

"I remember you," Gwenhwyfar said softly, before Kalani could speak. "Many years ago. You had so much emotion for your fallen mate you had brought me to you."

Katika looked up at the avian following, stopping. "Pardon?"

"Ah...right, I am sure you won't remember too much of that evening." The lioness had seemed out of it to begin with. "But I see your feelings have not changed. You are a loyal creature Katika. Do you know that?"

The yellow lioness shifted. "How did you know my name?" Even Kalani looked bewildered. She didn't have much time to talk, she needed to meet with her hunt group!

"Don't worry," Gwen said quietly. "I will explain in due time." She took off in flight, the feeling that caused her to move still strong. She was drawn to the loyal creatures, and so far, twice in one lifetime was she drawn to this lioness.

---

When Kati returned, Kipofu was asleep. The lioness gave a curious look at the genet was curled against his neck, also slumbering. She shook her head. Poor guy. She knew he had a rough life, but it was something that he had lived with for all of it. He had told her the story of his blinding, about his mother's death, about his former guide's fight for survival after being brutally attacked by another. He wanted to do so much more with his life, but the inability to see had caused an unnecessary stress for the him, and sometimes Katika was finding it hard to even reassure him.

When the male shifted, the female shook her head of the thoughts. Things would be fine. They always were in the end. She lay next to her mate, making sure not to disturb the two sleeping creatures. She must not have been as quiet as she thought, for she found Kipofu opening his blank eyes, blinking them. "Hey, go back to sleep." She said softly to the male. "Lina is sleeping too," she advised.

"I know." His voice was soft. "She's making that portion of my neck go numb." He joked, trying to shift to get the genet to move on her own, but failing miserable. "Little help?"

Katika chuckled, nudging the small genet down to the ground. "Easy there Lina, just shifting Kip." She said to the sleepy female, who grumbled, trying to wrap in the male's mane instead. "We will start moving in a few hours again, you two get some rest." Katika said. She felt Kipofu roll to his side, pressing his back up against her. It was something he had always done. He wanted to make sure others were around. To him, he felt safer.

"...kays..." He murmured, and soon found himself snoring slightly.

Holding back laughter, the lioness turned her head to the sleeping pair. Even though there were days like today, where Kipofu seemed upset, she still loved him. Once they were settled back in the familiarity of the tracks the Bird Clan normally travelled, she would make sure she would show him.

"Sleep well, love," she said softly, resting her own head on the ground. The hunt had been short, but beneficial for their clan. While Kati wasn't ready to sleep, she would make sure she'd wake Kipofu up just before the clan was ready to begin moving again so he could eat as well. Her mind drifted back to the conversation with the avian. Who was that strange creature?


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