The morning light was perfect. The clouds covered most of the violent heat, and a cool wind blew in from the ocean. Nawiri felt herself breathing deeply, taking in the crisp morning air. It gave her time to contemplate her life now. Her children had grown, and most of them had ventured further, save for her set of twins who decided to play along the sandy shore.
Nawiri was proud that all of her cubs survived. None of them seemed to have her weaker bones, and for that she was glad. With her bum shoulder, she often watched wistfully at her playing children as they wrestled and fought with one another and their peers. She sat at the mouth of her den, humming softly to herself when her twins came tumbling towards her.
The pair was cheerful. Nawiri was mildly disappointed that half her litter turned out to be male. It was unfortunate, really, but she loved all her children. Her son wasn't really a sun anyhow. He wasn't really anything, the boy had told her - though not really a boy, huh? She was mostly confused by it all, but she was accepting of it. Most others wouldn’t see if that way - a man not wanting to be a man? She thought Vaska was stronger for it, if she was honest. Her cub was different - special.
All her children were special, because they were hers. She loved them all, with ever fiber of her being, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Vaska gave her a grin and Slava was leaning against her twin, panting. She seemed quite pleased with herself, though, like she had won or something. "Having fun?" She asked, laughing softly. Her maternal instincts were still strong. She couldn't remember them being this strong with her previous litter, but she chalked it up to her not feeling completely safe with the violence around her. A lot of her had suffered back then - her soul had nearly left her body as she struggled to raise her children on her own.
This time, she had Sara. Saraneth would protect her if anything would happen, so she could afford to feel this feelings. She had her oldest daughter Umeko and her friend? Partner? She wasn’t quite sure what the pair where to each other. Regardless, she was sure that their family unit would protect hers as well. Well, perhaps not protect, but her family had grown quite a bit in the last year. She near welled up with emotion just thinking about it. This time around, she had been loved.
Vaska gave a small laugh, nudging their mother playfully with the top of their head. "Yes, yes. I definitely won that time," Vaska had claimed, but Slava laughed, nearly doubling over with it.
"No, no, Vassi, I won. I just let you think you won that time," she giggled. She butted her head against her sibling’s shoulder instead. The pair shoved each other around a bit more. The two wrestled for a bit, laughing all the way, before the two collapsed at their mother's feet. It only took a moment before Slava yawned. Vaska declared themselves a two-time champion, before laughing at the look upon their sister’s face.
"Are you two done playing today?" She asked with her own soft laugh. It was Vaska who smiled and nodded though, curling up near their mothers feet, followed immediately by their sister. The small lion flopped near her children. They were nearly larger than she was, and she knew they were not finished growing year. Vaska's mane had not yet grown completely in. Umeko was also a large girl, but her father was large as well. That, she thought, was an extremely large lion.
With a soft hum, Nawiri started singing a soft song. She was a bard by trade, and she knew her singing voice was at least decent, but he children were the most important audience for her. As long as they enjoyed it, then she would continue her song. The lioness was far from good at most things.
She was good at fighting before the rock had crushed her shoulder. Perhaps in a different pride, she would have been considered strong for surviing it, but Nawiri always found herself feeling like a week link in the pride. If something were to happen, the lioness wouldn't even be able to defend her children.
She gave a soft sigh, breaking a little in the middle of her song. "Are you okay, Mama?" Slava asked, her concern showing clear on her face. She wasn't normally a emotive girl, her Slava, but she would likely always show concern around her family and close friends.
"I'm alright, babies" Nawiri told her children. She noticed that Vaska frowned, concerned as well. She nuzzled the pair on their heads. "How about another song, hmm?" She asked. Her other children would normally gather around, but they had ventured further than her twins. The triplets were likely causing some Mischief, and Tyr was off somewhere.
She was concerned about that boy, if she was honest. He was the only tan cub of all her children. Even with her first litter, they had all ended up blue and black like she was. She wasn't sure if her son had blamed her for that or not. She gave another small sigh as she focused her attention on the children still gathered around her.
The twins hummed softly, curled up closer to their mother, nearly enveloping her in their circle. "How about a happy story?" Vaska asked softly. "About how you met Sara, maybe?" He murmured. They had heard this story, more than once, but it was one they always enjoyed hearing. Nawiri couldn’t even remember how many times she had told this one.
Nawiri gave a small laugh as she started once again. "Of course, of course," she huffed, shaking her head softly. "Well, where should I start," she hummed, pretending to have to figure out where the story had started. "Ah, well. One morning, I had gone down to the edge of the ocean...."