[PRP] Shaky Legs (Zivar x Mittere)

[mouselet]

It wasn't a threat at all, the shadow she'd seen. Just...a cub. One of the far too many that seemed to be running around the pride of late. Or maybe it was just that she hadn't been out and about enough to see them until now. Though it could be a bit of both, pregnancy seemed to be catching. Not that she'd ever be caught dead with a litter, but that was neither here nor there.

The pink lioness sighed and got to her feet a little shakily. Blue eyes narrowed at this sign of continuing weakness...or maybe something worse. Curling her lip, Mittere made a mental note and took the few steps necessary to bring her to a point where she could be seen as well as see.

"Making trouble, kid?" she asked.  

[mouselet]

Great, a scaredy-cat. Part of Mittere was tempted to torment the cub a bit just because the girl was so obviously off-balance, but the part of her that had become a leader squashed the temptation. An expression that some pridemembers would have been shocked to see crossed the pink lioness' face - she was smiling.

"And why don't you intend to make trouble? Don't tell me that you're too much of a goody goody," she told the kid with a snort. She hadn't believed that excuse when she was a cub, she'd hardly believe it now.  

[mouselet]

Mittere raised an eyebrow at the cub. Rules might exist for good reasons, but she'd always felt it was best to know exactly where those boundaries were. She decided that it might be best to just tell it to this cub straight.

"Look, you're young enough that as long as you don't single-handedly destroy the pride, you can do anything without getting more than a momentary punishment," the pink lioness told the girl. "You should be finding out the bounds of your freedom, not just wandering around meekly." She considered that, and snorted.

"If you're going to let me stand in your way, why'd you even leave your mother's den?"  

[mouselet]

If she was reading the kid right, Mittere thought she'd be ready to shout back. But apparently she was too much of a wimp to even do that. Pathetic. This pride seemed to breed it into them. That would have to change, though there was only so much she could do for kids if their parents didn't like her methods.

The pink lioness' thoughts were brought up short by the cub's response. Her mother...wasn't here? Was the lioness dead? That was Mittere's best guess, though no one could know for sure, of course.

She considered trying to be nice, telling the cub it was all right, or maybe that what didn't kill her would make her stronger. But as the thoughts ran through her head, the girl spoke again. Mittere snorted. That was showing more spine than she'd seen yet from the cub!

"Fine then," she replied. "You do that." The older lioness didn't move, except for her tail, swaying back and forth calmly. She wanted to see what the cub did with her "freedom."  

[mouselet]

Hmmm...not as determined as she had hoped. But, there was strength in the cub, Mittere could see it. Hopefully it would only grow as she did. The pride needed strong members if it was to continue to survive, and it was Mittere's duty to ensure it's continued existence.

The pink lioness watched the girl until she could no longer distinguish the black shape from the shadows of the landscape. Then, and only then, did she take the few steps necessary to get back behind the rock and collapse on the ground. It was faster and less controlled than the Warrior wanted, and she scowled at this sign of continued weakness...or a warning of the future. There was, after all, a very good reason she was now a member of the Kitwana'antara, and much as she hated it, it seemed her hopes had been in vain.