[PRP] She Carries the Moon (Kupatwa x Caritas)

[SilverLutz]

The moon was a central part of life in the Mwezi. You could tell how much longer or shorter the night would be from its position, what time of the year it was from where it sat in the sky, and it could either light the way or send you into darkness. It watched over them all and protected those that it witnessed the birth of. Kupatwa was one of the ones to have been born under the light of the moon. Not a full moon, but some was better than none. She had just recently been allowed out of the den and the moment she had set eyes on the moon, she knew what it was to be safe and protected.

Lucky for Kupa, even during the daylight hours she had the moon with her. The marking on her chest was a reminder to all who saw her, and to herself, that the moon was their guiding light and protector, and that even when they couldn't see it, it was there to watch them and keep them safe.

Kupa's was currently admiring the reflection of her marking in the water, tilting her head this way and that to get a better glimpse of it. It was rare, but sometime the moon looked like it was upside down like it was on her chest. She thought it looked like a big smile.  

[mouselet]

The night was clear, the moon was up, and there were no pregnant lionesses to worry about. Caritas meant to enjoy her free time while it lasted, as she had a hunch that she'd be busy again soon. True, she wasn't the only Midwife in the pride, but if even a single lioness was pregnant, she and Hagryphus would be taking turns to keep an eye out, ready to witness and assist with the birth.

Those were the thoughts running through the black lioness' mind when her eye fell on a cub-sized figure near the watering hole. Given the colors she could make out in the moon's soft light, and the approximate size, she guessed this to be one of Orion and Halili's children. Middle class then, which seemed like one of the best places to be these days. It was the low class and her own high class which were fraught with danger, depending on who you favored.

Caritas forced those thoughts aside and determinedly made her way over to the cub. With a child, she wouldn't have to worry about the changes that had befallen the pride last year. In fact, it was very likely that the kid didn't think anything was strange at all, having known nothing else.

"What are you looking for?" she asked the youth, coming up alongside the cub and looking where the little one looked.  

[SilverLutz]

Kupa purred happily as she reached forward with a paw, splashing the water to make her reflection ripple. As it settled down she noticed another form in the water, and she turned just as the dark lioness spoke. Her pale purple ears stood up straight and she tilted her head to the side just a bit. This was the first adult she'd seen outside of her parents...that she remembered anyway. How exciting!

"I'm not looking for anything," she said, glancing back at the water. 'I was looking at my moon marking! Isn't it so nice?" she asked, looking back at the black lioness with a sweet smile. "I can take the moon wherever I go!"

That thought alone was enough to make her happy for quite some time. Ah, it was the little things in life, wasn't it? She'd come to find that would be the case in many things.  

[mouselet]

There was something to be said for the logic of cubs and to be honest, it made Caritas long for the days when her own were that young. Unfortunately for her, not only were her boys fully grown, but her duties as a Midwife were up through the birth of cubs, not afterwards.

She resolved to spend more of her free time with the cubs of the pride. But for the moment, she already had that.

"Yes, it's quite lucky to be born with such a marking," the adult agreed. "A way to ensure that the Great Lion will surely have His Eye on you at all times." Perhaps a bit too pious for the cub, but it was as much a blessing as a warning. Be careful, the Great Lion is watching. Wouldn't want to get into too much trouble now...  

[SilverLutz]

Kupa nodded quickly and lifted a paw to cover her marking, giggling just a bit. "But now He can't see," she said, lowering her paw. "Now He can! And now He can't." Again she covered her marking before laughing and smiling up at the lioness. "It's hide and seek! But it's more fun to play when the moon is asleep." She gazed up at the sky where the moon sat nearly full. It had gone through its cycle a few time since her birth, and although she knew the most dangerous time of the month was when the moon was dark - or sleeping as she called it - she loved to run around during that time. The night seemed so much thicker and spookier.

"I'm Kupatwa," she said suddenly, realizing her manners. "My momma says to say who you are right away and I forgot. I'm sorry!" She hoped the lioness wouldn't be upset with her.  

[mouselet]

Caritas couldn't help smiling as the cub played with the moon on her fur, alternately covering it up and revealing it. Oh how she missed playing with children! And it seemed the girl, Kupatwa, did have some manners instilled in her, and was able to remember them eventually.

"Well, we won't mention that to your mother, okay?" the adult offered conspiratorially. "My name is Caritas."

It seemed Halili was doing her duty by her cubs, at least, even if Caritas couldn't quite forgive her for siding so publicly with Shangyue. It was odd that the slave hadn't chosen to become a Royal Guard, especially when the whole pride knew she'd been offered such a position, but perhaps she considered the family's duty performed with Orion. It wasn't any of her business, and the Midwife had no intention of prying.

Not that Kupatwa could tell her anything useful about it anyway.  

[SilverLutz]

"Okay," Kupa said in a whisper, lowering her body to the ground with a grin. A secret! Oh, she loved secrets, even if it was her own mistake she was helping to hide. Her tail wriggled in delight before she stood up again, moving forward to rub against the lioness' leg.

"Caritas! I like that name!' she purred happily, rubbing around and between her front legs. "I also like you, you're very nice. You're my first not mom or dad I've met," she added with a delighted grin, pausing to stare up at the taller female. "Do you have a job here?"

In the pride, she meant, of course. She was very interested in learning about her home now that she could leave the den and wander around a bit. She still had a curfew and a distance she wasn't allowed to go, but when someone walked into the bubble she could move around in? It was time to attack them with questions.  

[mouselet]

The older lioness smiled. Was she really the first adult the cub had met? She hadn't thought Orion and Halili would be so confining - or so evasive - as to make that so. Well, it wasn't her place to comment on another's parenting, even when one of the parents in question was her own brother.

"I do have a job," she answered Kupatwa's question. "I am one of the pride's Midwives." Which technically meant she was a Priestess, but specifically she was a Midwife and that was how everyone referred to her.

There was no need to confuse the girl just yet.  

[SilverLutz]

Kupa's eyes lit up like the moon as Caritas answered her question. "Wow, a Midwife!" That was a fairly high rank if she could remember correctly. "Did you help my momma when she had me and my siblings?" she asked, pressing her paws against one of the larger lioness'. "That would be so cool!"

It would also mean they had met before, but Kupa didn't remember the first few days of her life. Who could blame her, too? It was rather boring when you couldn't hear or see anything. She extended her little claws to poke Caritas' a bit more before grinning up at her.

"I don't know what I wanna be yet," she added as she laid down across Caritas' paws. "I have a few options, but I like looking and playing in the water for right now." She was just a little cub, after all, she had some time before she had to think about that.  

[mouselet]

"Yes, I was there when you were born," the adult answered with a smile. As if she'd have been anywhere else when her own nieces and nephews were being born! Orion may not have insisted, but enough family members had that she'd felt forced to be there. Not that she minded, of course. But it was good to know that blood was thicker than politics in this case.

"You don't have to worry about what you'll be when you grow up for some time yet. After all, you have a lot of growing to do!" Caritas reminded the cub lying on her feet.  

[SilverLutz]

That fact alone made Kupa grin ear to ear. So Caritas had been a part of her life even before she could remember! That was exciting. Very delight, she nuzzled her head against the lioness' legs once more.

"Yup!" she said happily, her tail flicking back and forth. She had lots of time since she was so young, and the only thing she had to be concerned with right now was learning, Perhaps when she was an adult she could look back on this time and smile fondly, or maybe she'd shake her head in sadness: not at herself, but at the situations within the pride that were starting to come to a head. She was oblivious now, but depending on what happened, it could change her life for the good or the worse.

Her ear twitched as a distant voice called to her, and with a sigh she got to her feet. "I gotta go, Momma's calling," she said with one more headbutt to Caritas' leg. "Thanks so much for being there when I was born! You're my favorite, outside of Momma and Dad."

She gave the lioness a quick grin before turning and bounding into the bushes, hot on the trail back to her den.

[Last post from me!]  

[mouselet]

The energy of cubs was always a new revelation for Caritas, and it had been quite some time since her own boys had been so young. It was easy to forget that boundless enthusiasm and optimism. The black lioness was left somewhat dumbfounded by the cub's words as she traipsed back to her parents.

"You're welcome, and thank you," she answered belatedly, too soft for the retreating child to hear. The words had touched her, even though she chalked them up to a cub's limited experience of the world.

"Thank you indeed," Caritas repeated to herself as she turned and continued on her way.