Painted Flowers

Chapter 14 - Losing Sight

Kichea sat patiently as her good friend tended to her bandages, along with her request for little blue lilies to be included. It took a while to weave in these flowers precisely, and they would wilt after mere hours, but it was worth it for her to feel a bit pretty for the rest of the day. It warmed her heart that Feoria was willing to do this for her--despite the fact that it kept her in the stuffy medicine cave a bit longer than usual.

"There...you're done," Feoria told her, resuming her tidying of the herbs scattered around the sandy floor.

Kichea ran her pads softly over her bindings. Though she hadn't looked at her reflection yet, she already felt more confident and attractive. She couldn't stop herself from grinning ear to ear. "Thank you, Feo!"

"Don't mention it," the mamoyo mumbled without looking up from what she was doing. "It's my job."

Kichea wasn't offended by Feoria's grumpy tone, having been used to it for nearly two years now. They had known each other since they were little pups in the nursery, and though Feoria was of higher rank than Kichea, the two of them grew up close and would play with each other as often as they could. Lately, however...they seemed only to meet up when Kichea needed her eye patch replaced. More and more responsibilities were placed upon Feoria as she grew older, and she seemed to grow more and more distant. Kichea really didn't want that.

"So...what are your plans for this evening?" Kichea asked timidly, shuffling her paws in the sand.

"Uh...not sure," Feoria smirked. "You have something in mind, my patient?"

"Well uh...n-no, but I was wondering if...if we could...hang out?"

"'Hang out?' How so?"

"Just you and me."

"And what shall we do?" Feoria teased. "Just you and me? Is that why you wanted to wear lilies, to look all cute?"

Kichea swallowed, blushing under her fur. She didn't know what she wanted to do...she just wanted to be around her. To be in her company. It was...comforting. Why was she feeling so nervous? There was no reason to be.

Feoria's smile faded into a frown. "I'm not really allowed to stray far from camp these days...Mama says I need to stay close in case someone needs me. Just another way to punish me, if you ask me." She rolled those lovely golden eyes of hers. "You know how furious she was the last time I sneaked out, to go hunting with Zahra and Zain?"

Kichea felt herself unconsciously bristling at that statement--both to reprimand Feoria's disobedience and for the fact that she was a little...envious. But...why? Feoria had other friends beside Kichea, so what? Or maybe she was just jealous that she had trouble hunting for herself, being blind on one side, with the only way she would be able to hunt was alongside the other yearlings, bringing down big game.

Which wasn't so easy when memories would sometimes resurface of one instance in particular when she followed along with her friends to track down the nomadic herd that sustained them....

Kichea shook those thoughts out of her mind, flicking her ripped ears as if being rid of a pesky fly. "Well I mean...we can just hang out here, then, if it's convenient for you...I mean, this tends to be our favorite location."

Feoria gave her a sly look. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No!" Kichea replied hastily. "I'm just saying. Ever since my accident, you know...I've just spent a lot of time in here with you, that's all. I miss that."

"You miss being bloodied up?" Feoria raised a brow jokingly. "You miss drinking from soaked moss and never having to leave your nest? You miss me fetching scraps and medicine for you?"