Painted Flowers

Chapter 2 - The Fallen

"Mosi?" Zola yawned, stretching out her paws in front of her to reach the dirt-clod walls of one of the dens within the Waterfall camp.

"Expecting someone else?" Her mate joked, but there was something behind his tone. Something she couldn't quite place.

"No, what I didn't expect was to be awoken this early," Zola huffed, peeking at the horizon. The sun had barely breached the sky, staining it with admittedly beautiful orange and pink hues.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Mosi whispered lovingly. "But I'm glad you're awake now. Because now you won't wake up alone and wonder where I am."

I don't deserve you, Zola had thought, but what she had said was: "You're leaving?"

Mosi visibly flinched at her tone. "I promised Layali a training session. I'll meet her at noon," he explained carefully, not wanting to upset her.

"Then why leave this early?"

"Well...before I..."

"And what is this, a 'father-daughter' session? I'm a royal as well, Mosi, yet I no longer seem to be involved in Layali's training," Zola frowned. Something wasn't right, and when things weren't right, she tended to jump to conclusions. "Just why is that?"

He always did this. It was as if he was hiding her away from him. Avoiding her like a plague.

"A practice hunt, Zola," Mosi sighed, getting up to leave. As he did so, his legs shook ever so slightly, revealing to Zola that his arthritis must have been of bother that morning, and the humidity wouldn't help. "We need to work on stalking in particular. She hasn't much experience-"

Zola wouldn't let him get away so easily, and used his aching joints to her advantage as she rushed to her paws to block his path. "Why not a family hunt, then? I'm just as good a hunter as you--better! Just look at you! Did you even think to ask me to come along? Or was I not even on your mind at the time?"

"Zola, it isn't like that. Layali is just-"

"Not wanting to spend time with her own mother?" Zola snapped. She had begun before to suspect why Mosi was so reluctant towards her involvement, yet she desperately needed to vent her frustrations. "I swear, every time we come to this wretched waterfall-"

"Not so loud!" Mosi growled, shifting his eyes to the mouth of the hole, now glowing with sunlight. Layali was in the yearlings' den on the opposite side of the Waterfall camp, but Mosi needed to feel secure with their conversation. "She mustn't hear us argue."

"Immediately you assume we'll argue?" Zola stepped forward. "Well, here's an argument for you! I can't remember the last time we hunted together, but she always has time for you and her training doesn't she?"

"Layali loves you, Zola! You're her mother! Where is all this even coming from?"

"Well she doesn't act like it! That girl hardly ever ever speaks to me. She's always off playing king and queen with you, while I'm left in camp alone in an empty nest! Was this the love you promised me, Mosi? Because I can tell you I had a different idea in mind!"

In outrage, Mosi pulled back his lips, exposing his teeth. "Don't you dare, Zola! You were the one who pushed her away! How do you expect her to love a mother who acts like she hates her?"

Zola was shocked into silence. Mosi never raised his voice at her--he got angry and agitated with her at times, yes, but he never snarled at her like this, as if she were some enemy.

Mosi took a deep breath before closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I'll talk to Layali today. We need to start acting like a family." He stepped closer to her, pressing his face into her neck. "I promised you love, and I still promise you that. I do love you, Zola, and I'm sorry."