Names.
Like all the other days in the last fortnight, the cubs had been sequestered away in another part of the castle. It was their request, once they had found their voices, after all. They needed the time alone to deliberate their names.
After all, now that they had voices, they would also need identities. Something to distinguish them from each other.
Strength sat at the ocean's edge, watching the waves lap lazily against the shore; Shujaa lying behind her. Against the near-white sand, he was hard to pick out.
How do stars and star-children choose their names? she wondered. Was it the way some races did it? Was it a matter of coming into the knowledge of what it always was, and you simply needed to wait long enough for the awareness to be realised? Or was it something you chose after deliberation? Or did their mother tell them what the name was, and that was that?
Well. They had all the time they needed; she just had to wait.
It would not be long.
Though time seems to be more anomaly than anything else here, it does pass. And in the space of what humans would call "a day", the cubs came out of the castle and down to the shore.
"You have names now?" A simple question that allowed the cubs to tell Strength how the naming was done.
Yes, we do, said one of the males. Our mother had to awaken that part of us that would allow us to access our names.
So that was how it was done...
"And what names were revealled to you?"
If the cubs could smile, they would.
Strength had that "don't keep me in the dark" look.
The other male stepped forward. I am Fundisho.
The male who had spoken added, And I am Ndia.
"And you two? What names did you recieve?"
Utani, said one of the females, and the other said, Nuru.
Strength grinned. "'Direction', 'path', 'kinship' and 'radiance'. They are all good names."
We're glad you approve, said Fundisho. As is our mother.
There was a nod from Strength. "Well. Now that you are named, what say we have a little celebration for the six of us?"
After all, now that they had voices, they would also need identities. Something to distinguish them from each other.
Strength sat at the ocean's edge, watching the waves lap lazily against the shore; Shujaa lying behind her. Against the near-white sand, he was hard to pick out.
How do stars and star-children choose their names? she wondered. Was it the way some races did it? Was it a matter of coming into the knowledge of what it always was, and you simply needed to wait long enough for the awareness to be realised? Or was it something you chose after deliberation? Or did their mother tell them what the name was, and that was that?
Well. They had all the time they needed; she just had to wait.
It would not be long.
Though time seems to be more anomaly than anything else here, it does pass. And in the space of what humans would call "a day", the cubs came out of the castle and down to the shore.
"You have names now?" A simple question that allowed the cubs to tell Strength how the naming was done.
Yes, we do, said one of the males. Our mother had to awaken that part of us that would allow us to access our names.
So that was how it was done...
"And what names were revealled to you?"
If the cubs could smile, they would.
Strength had that "don't keep me in the dark" look.
The other male stepped forward. I am Fundisho.
The male who had spoken added, And I am Ndia.
"And you two? What names did you recieve?"
Utani, said one of the females, and the other said, Nuru.
Strength grinned. "'Direction', 'path', 'kinship' and 'radiance'. They are all good names."
We're glad you approve, said Fundisho. As is our mother.
There was a nod from Strength. "Well. Now that you are named, what say we have a little celebration for the six of us?"