minifun990 wrote:Username: minifun990
Lion name:Hatisha
Lion gender: Female
Pride:Mystic Isles
Pride Status: Huntress
Prompt:“You are lucky, Hatisha.” Hatisha's mother said somberly. “You are pure enough.”
“Pure enough for what mum?” Hatisha had asked, still a young cub. She was new to this world, unsure of so many things yet so eager to learn more. There were a few things that she had already learnt though, mistakes she had learnt not to make again. She felt herself shrink under her mother's gaze, knowing she had made another mistake.
“Greyborn.” The old lioness growled. Hatisha shrunk further, her mother only called that when she was very angry. “What have I told you about calling me ‘mum’? I am lead huntress and I shall be addressed with respect.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Hatisha shuffled for a bit. Before asking again. “But Ma’am what did you mean by pure enough?”
She didn't answer that night, nor the next, or the night after that. In fact, Hatisha was never sure if her mother did answer, instead she found out other ways. The other cubs in the pride were not cruel, at least most of them were but they often stayed away from the greyborn. Hatisha was never the most popular, nor the most appreciated, and she definitely wasn't seen as the prettiest.
The only friends she had were other greyborns and together they struggled through the hassles of being some of the few unusual lions in the pride. Creams and browns were the norm, whites exotic and beautiful. But grey? Only old lions were grey, only experience was supposed to colour a coat. Hatisha grew to hate her coat, just as she was taught to, constantly put down about it.
And she accepted it, just glad she didn't have a coat any less natural. She was honored that such a hideous lioness such as her could be accepted into the pride. Sometimes the other grey lions didn't see things the same way, but it was only through accepting their flaws that the greyborn could hope to gain favour among the beautiful ones.
It was only that favour and trust that got her onto the island that fateful day. It was her first trip to an outsiders' pride. She had no clue it would be one of her last.
She had just been scouting when she had been attacked by a black lioness. She tried not to hurt them too much, black lions were still cared for by the pure ones but a new comer stole her breath. The moment the lioness stepped from the foliage Hatisha had to do a double take. Surely her eyes were deceiving her. There was no way such a lioness could be real. Bright pink with brilliant swirls contrasting the white on her underbelly. Some of it at least, a vivid purple akin to Hatishas own purple eyes.
It was completely exotic, awe inspiring in its rebellion against nature. It should inspire hate in Hatisha, yet somehow she found it amazingly beautiful. For the first time in her life Hitasha wished she had more colour on her pelt, a blue, a green, a purple, anything to make her more interesting.
“So who's this pretty girl?” The exotic lioness said. Hitasha couldn't help but gape. Her. Pretty? She wasn't pure enough, but she was nowhere near exotic enough either. She was boring she was -
“I'm not sure, love her stripes though, that shade of grey brings out her eyes.” Hitasha’s brain appeared to be short circuiting. She must be hearing them wrong, or maybe they were teasing her. But they led her back to their pride and the compliments didn't stop with those two. So many different parts of her were appreciated, she got complimented on the almost cloud like lighter patterns, her gradient, her vivid eyes. At one stage Hitasha started to cry. She had never been called beautiful before. She had seen herself as ugly for so long that it took quite a while for the words to sink in. She wasn't lesser, she didn't have to be anything other than she was born. She was perfect just the way she was.
(678)
Winner! I really liked reading this story and felt I connected well with the character you created for this adopt.
