Over the months Kaipo had started to put on weight and over all just started to feel pregnant and adapt a glow. It was something that would have been heavily noticeable to any of her peers. This was a good sign for Kaipo from the meeting she had on her way to the pride. She had been less active around the pride but still managed to learn all she could from the elder magi to keep her self busy.
Though there came a time where Kaipo needed to excuse her self from even that and retreat to a den where she could give birth in peace. Over the course of time, Kaipo was able to make the birth place as comfortable as she needed it to be. There where a few pelts laid on the floor for her and her soon to be cubs to lay on and be comfortable. Kaipo was more than prepare for when the time came as was the pride in the know. Possibly in the know from the signs of Kaipo showing and possibly from the bragging the lioness did.
The birth was a successful one. Both mother and cubs were healthy and out of harms way. However what troubled Kaipo was one of the cubs pelts. It was darker than his brothers and tainted with red as if mocking her for her deeds. Kaipo had dark siblings but she was sure if she'd found a pure pelted male that no harm would come to her young.
But now she stared face to face with reality. Not only was this male dark and shameful but he was tainted with red which made him unfit to live among the ranks of the pride.
There was a brief moment that the mostly white lioness debated giving this boy a mercy kill. But even Kaipo had a heart.
Still this boy disgusted her. His eyes weren't even opened yet and she diespied him with every ounce of her. How could she go forth to the pride to show her new bundle of joys when one was a stain. Unclean. A blemish.
Her teeth bared and she pushed the stain of a cub away from her letting the others to her warmth while she glared at that thing.
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She had laid with her two presentable young for a while as she regained her strength. The darker of the cubs blindly squeaked in the dark of the den. The stain of a cub would die if she continued this cruel treatment but even Kaipo didn't have that stone cold of a heart to watch her young die before her. It was still pretty early in the morning and she'd not yet alerted the pride to the birth of the cubs. Getting rid of the dark cub seemed to make the most sense given the situation. He was, after all, tainted goods.
With an annoyed grunt, Kaipo hoisted her self up, and padded over to the dark stain. She wrapped her maw around it, gently, before returning to the other two cubs and nuzzling them closer to each other for warmth. They'd be fine for the time the deed would take. She could not be sure if this dark stain of a cub would be after she committed the deed. Frankly, she wasn't sure if she cared.
Leaving the den behind she headed in to the comfort of the swirling mists. Kaipo moved as gracefully as she could while also gently carrying the dark cub in her maw. Her paw steps were careful and calculated so as to not alert anyone of her presence be it a prides member or other wise.
The dark cub didn't seem to mind or even notice that his mother was carrying him. He limply hung from her jaws only making an occasional squeak or two. Over all he was quiet and not fussy which made this 'deed' Kaipo was committing all that much more easier.
While Kaipo traveled through the mists she did have time to reflect on just what she was about to do. Kaipo was far more worried what her prides members would do if they found out she deceived them rather than the fact she was actually about to leave her only cub to the care of the mists which was to leave him for dead. To erase his existence and to never speak of him just seemed logical to the mostly white lioness.
How had the red pelt happened? Was this a punishment? She'd been nothing but faithful to the gods and to this pride for that matter and this was how they repaid her? With a cub not fit to stand in the ranks and to be marked as a danger to their way of life. She'd never speak of him. She'd never love him.
The lioness paused and shut her eyes tight letting tears fall down her cheek. She had been cursed. This was a sign of terrible things to come. The wretched beast she held between her jaws would be her undoing if he was to linger around like a shadow of a nightmare. So much hatred and hurt she felt from this. So much anger and so much betrayal.
Kaipo carried on letting self righteous thoughts swim in her skull as she carried the unwanted to the boarder of the pride. He had been a curse upon her and a mark to her family name. By the gods she had been cursed.
She was at the edge of what was considered the edge of territory. The place where the mists began to thin and ghosts had been rumored to lurk. Kaipo lowered her head and released the infant to the thinning mists.
"Spirits, I have been mocked. Take back your curse. Take back your taint. I name thee Beflecken and I leave you to the gods." She spoke in a trembling voice. Tears now staining her cheeks. "Please accept this soul and leave me at peace," Kaipo lowered her head and sobbed. She lingered on the edge of the boarder where her baby blindly squeaked. He was cold and he'd probably die out here. The ghosts might come for him, Kaipo hoped so at least.
The lioness turned her back of the thinning mists and her cold lonely stain of a son.
She'd alert the pride to the good news after her tears dried.
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