Siri beamed even further. This older lioness thought her game was clever. Cubbish pride seemed to glow around her as she sat on the ground, prompting Akina to the same. "Queen of the Rock, it's where you gotta stay on that rock as long as you can before you get pushed off, you gotta race to decide who's on the rock first though" Akina explained.
Siri listened to her and nodded "Yeah, we play hide and seek too, but we've discovered all the good hiding places around here". Akina began to giggle "We also play fight, but Siri doesn't like to". Siri rolled her eyes and gave her friend a playful jab "It's 'cause you always win!" Siri, although bigger, found that Akina was quite quick on her feet and had natural talent. It was a shame she preferred play fighting to the other games, she was a real tomboy of a cub.
---
Nura was surprised by Dakari's continued kindness. When Nura had told her older brother, he had called her a hoard of names and pushed her away, siding with his parents on the whole matter. When the young male came and sat by her, she welcomed the affection. She needed it. She turned her head and let it rest against his mane, still choking back a few tears.
She would be quite happy leaving it at that, but she wanted to get everything she had to say out. She trusted Dakari, he deserved to know. "It was just a silly romance" she murmured. "When I told him I was having a cub, he seemed like he wanted to help...but he disappeared. He left me. I couldn't live with my parent's shame, so I left" she sighed, finally finishing what she needed to say.
She often wondered if she had done the right thing, but she assumed so. If she had stayed, Nura and Akina would have been outcasts. "I-I can't say how grateful I am" she continued, voice a little shaky. "Akina has gained a friend" she began, looking up to face him. "And so have I".