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 Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:38 pm
Dakarai, the pale striped golden cub, was so very lost. He had made a big mistake, wondering too far away from home. There was a grasshopper; it wanted to play so he chased it, all innocent. However, by the time he finally caught the little bug, he noticed he could no longer see Pride Rock. Dancing around in place, the anxious cub looked around, his wide blue eyes looking for anything he recognized.
Not seeing anything, he started to whimper. Tucking the white tuft of his tail against his leg, he scrunched up to hide in the golden grass. Bold, or scared, enough he finally made that high pitched chirping noise to call for his mother, "MOM! Momma!" He was so scared, who knew what was out there. Although he was not out of the pride lands, the scents were familiar, but he didn't feel safe without his momma and siblings around. Although he was trying to hide, his called, both in words and in sound, as well as the shaking that moved the grass, made it hard not to know there was a lost cub in the area.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 1:13 pm
Hodari was the first of the family to notice that Dakarai had disappeared. He remembered seeing his younger brother become interested in some green bug, but thought nothing of it. The next moment he looked back, Dakarai had completely vanished! "Mom! Mom! Mom!" Was all Hodari could whine as he suddenly realised that they would need to find him.
Enjoying the safety of the pridelands and the warmth from the sun, Shiri was sprawled out near the entrance to their den. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be resting. When the sound of her cub's wild cries reached her ears, however, the new mother stood up in a hurry and tried to find the source of the noise. "H-hodari?" She asked, worry clear in her voice.
"Dakarai went off to play with a bug and now he's gone! I didn't go with him and Tuli and Mnyama are here!" Hodari's voice was completely filled with worry and the expression he wore on his face was enough to have Shiri up and running to find his brother.
"Dari.. calm down.. I'll tell the others and we'll all go look for him together.. He couldn't have made it too far, right..?" Shiri was not well practiced in hiding her fear. She had only just had her cubs a few months ago and did not know what to do in such a situation. Worried, but attempting to remain brave for her cub, she began to lead the way to find Dakarai.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:46 pm
When you are all alone, every little sound was a monster. A vulture over head really gave the cub a fright and in fear, he took off again. Looking behind him, he watched the bird and whimpered as he fled at top cub speed. If his legs would take him any faster, he'd go no matter how much his lungs protested. Each step took him father from home which was not helping with his anxiety.
Tripping over a tree root, the cub tumbled limbs over small furry body. Coming to a stop, he whined and curled up bruised and stunned. After a bit, he piteously started that chirping again, crying for his mom to come and save him.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:48 pm
Shiri and Hodari had managed to travel a good distance. The cub was keeping a quick pace next to his mother, breathing out roughly and becoming more worried for his brother. They had explained to Kutulia and the others about the situation and they had gone off in other directions to look for Dakarai.
As the two continued along, Hodari kept a sharp eye and an even sharper ear. If his brother had learned anything as they grew, he would know to make some sort of call that Shiri would be able to recognise.
Like Hodari, Shiri was not doing so well knowing that time was passing and her cub was still long gone. Her eyes were beginning to grow watery, but as they continued to travel, she forced them back. She would need to remain brave for her son, despite the inner turmoil she was currently in.
As they continued on throughout the savanna, Shiri heard the faint noise of a small cub in the distance. It was beyond the hunting grounds and nearly past the pridelands border. Fearful that her son would leave unintentionally, the lioness quickened her pace and let out a short roar to announce to Dakarai that she was coming.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:55 pm
The shivering cub continued to call, the chirp being his last hope. He was so scared, there were things out there and he was all alone. Hurting from his fall, he felt even worse and was about to give up when he heard a roar. Looking up, he called louder, "Momma!" Standing on his hind legs, he tried to use the mean branch to look over the golden grass. His eyes searched for his mother, the chirping more frequent. "Momma, I am here!" He would be safe if she found him, he didn't know his brother was with her, but wouldn't doubt that his siblings would try to find him to.
The only difference, he looked up to his momma as a super hero of sorts, there was nothing his momma wouldn't be able to do, she'd protect him and save him from this scary place. All it took was the absents of his family to turn the Pridelands from wonderful and safe, to scary and lonely.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:15 pm
When the noises from far off grew louder, Shiri felt a strange strength swell up within her. She ran quickly now, nearly forgetting to pace herself with Hodari beside her. And though she would not wish to lose her second cub as well, she knew that running a few feet ahead would be the best situation for the three of them. As she neared, she could tell that the sound of her cub was not normal. He seemed hurt, or scared. Shiri could not tell at this point, but this worried her even greater. If anything happened to her cub, she was uncertain as to what she would do.
Hodari was much smaller than Shiri and so her large bounds carried her quite a few feet ahead of the cub. Having heard the sounds of his brother up ahead, Hodari smiled and let out a small noise, in the hopes that it would sound like his mother's rawr. Worried for his brother, the cub couldn't stress about how much he had failed to do so. As they continued to close the space between them, Shiri went farther and farther ahead. Hodari's small heart was racing, but his mother was sure to remain within site so that no one else would become lost.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:23 pm
He could see her, he thought, he could see her! "Momma!" He cried out more, whining because his bruised little body was hurting. Though with her close, he was no longer scared, his heart beat just needed to know that and stop its escape from his little chest.
Upon hearing another sound, recognizing it as one on of his siblings, he called back, trying to repeat the noise though it wasn't nearly as good coming from the wayward cub. Not wanting to somehow get lost, he stayed put waiting for his wonderfully Momma to come and get him, and his sibling of course.
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:40 pm
Dakarai's voice was loud and clear now in Shiri's ears and as she continued to follow the sound, she finally found herself staring at the small, fragile cub in the grass. He seemed dirty and held himself rather uncomfortably. Leaning down, Shiri quickly licked him and offered a very gentle nuzzle. "I am here Daka..." Her voice was gentle and relieved. Simply hearing her cub's sound was not enough, but to see him and smell him was reassuring.
Once she had finished cleaning him up, she looked him over and questioned him quietly, "Are you alright? You seem hurt...." Shiri's eyes had finally watered again and a few tears had managed to slide down her cheeks. They were not tears of pain, but of happiness.
Hodari caught up in time to see his mother nuzzling a dirty sibling. While Hodari tried to keep himself from becoming jealous, he couldn't help but twist his mouth and look away to distract himself. His mother was also Dakarai's mother and so he would have to share her.
Feeling a bit better, the cub quickly hurried to his brother's side and began to purr. "I'm glad we found you! You shouldn't run off on your own!"
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:14 pm
Dakarai whimpered lightly when his momma licked a sore spot. He didn't shy away from her; instead he purred over the pain and nuzzled her. Hearing her voice again was like rain to the parched earth and the sun, granted he was only gone for an hour or two at the most, being that long away was an eternity.
Gazing up with adoring eyes he took the pain, of his Momma accidently hitting the tender bruised spots, with only slight whimpers. "I hurt," he told her honestly before saying with full faith, "But your here so I'll be okay, Momma." Nuzzling her more, purring loudly, he only looked down when he saw the tears. Thinking he had caused her pain, he said quietly in a sad voice, "I am sorry, Momma." Never did he mean to hurt her; he just shouldn't have followed the grasshopper.
In his excitement, he completely forgot a sibling was with his momma. When Hodari spoke, he turned his blue eyes to his brother and purred in return. Nuzzling him too, careful of his hurt-spots. He nodded, his ears lowered, "I am glad you found me too, Hodari, it is scary out here. There was this big bird that was big enough to pick me up!" He jumped up excitedly about regaling this awful bird, sounding excited now that he was safe with his Momma there to protect him.
Though to him, he did have a good reason and his fear was washed away by the story, "I stalked a grasshopper. I caught it too! Then I let it go." He trailed off still confused about what he was supposed to do with it after he caught it. It was too little to play with without killing. One thing he knew, there was supposed to be something to do with what you caught after you did it but he wasn't sure exactly what that was yet.
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:58 am
When Shiri noticed her cub flinch and whimper beneath her licks, she paused and looked him over. Her worried expression and tears had not yet left her, even though she knew her cub was safe and protected in her company. To see him in pain was something entirely new to the mother and while she wished she could ease it all, she was not sure just what to do. "Oh, Daka.." She cooed sadly.
When Dakarai announced his pain, Shiri nodded. This was obvious to her. She only wished she knew better what to do. Looking around, she tried to assess whether she could carry him back, or whether they should remain where they were for a short while to rest. Surely his fright had worn him out. And when her cub apologised for getting lost, Shiri felt more tears well in her eyes. "No need to be sorry. Everyone gets curious and you did not know that you would get lost.." Shiri offered more licks and nuzzles, but was careful not to meet any bruised areas.
As Hodari watched over his mother and sibling, his mouth continued to twist up awkwardly. Dakarai was such a little cub! It seemed his brother was purposely making a show in order to gain all of his mother's affections! Knowing that this thought was false, Hodari simply curled himself around his mother's legs to keep warm and comfortable.
Not soon after Hodari found himself comfortable, he felt his brother offering a nuzzle and couldn't help but purr. Despite his jealousy, he was really worried about Dakarai. When his brother mentioned the bird, Hodari became excited as well, "Really? That's cool! What color was it?"
And before Hodari could speak any further, Shiri put her head between the cubs and nuzzled both of them. "Boys.. are you feeling well enough to return home, or would you prefer to stay here awhile?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:17 pm
Dakarai felt so bad that his mother looked up set. He was such a bad little cub to make his wonderful momma cry! Curling his tail about his small body, he gave her the most remorseful look. "I am never leaving you again, Momma.", he announced to his mother, being with her he was safe and his hurts weren't so bad, even when his momma touched them.
Purring like a little happy motor he told his momma excitedly again, "I did catch the grasshopper, and now I know I can get lost, I don't want to that again!" Nuzzling her back, he continued to purr and give her lots of licks in return. How could one cub get so lucky? He had no idea how his brother felt, even if he would feel the same if the situations had been reversed.
With his attention back on his dark furred brother at their Momma's paws, he responded, "It was big, huge even! Its shadow was bigger than me! It was all dark brown with a yellow beak" In the interest of drama, he stood up on hind legs for the moment he could balance and had his paws out, creating a shadow to slightly cover his brother before gravity brought him back down to the ground.
The bird left his mind again and nuzzled his momma more, giving more licks. "I'd like to go home, what about you, Hodari?" He said softly, yawning widely the next second. Shaking his head he waited for his brother to respond, after all, his big brother was almost as utterly wonderful as their momma.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 7:31 pm
Shiri was thankful that Dakarai apologised so many times, promising never to leave her side again. While she would not hold it against him if he disappeared again, she only hoped the poor cub wouldn't get hurt again. She felt as though she let him down, not being there when he really needed her.
Covering her self doubt with a smile, the mother revelled in the love that her son offered her. She returned the purrs and reached down to nuzzle both Dakarai and Hodari equally.
When Dakarai mentioned going home, Hodari nodded quickly. It was exciting to be out, but when he found that his brother was hurt, he wanted so badly to be back at the den. "Yea, lets head back home, momma.." Hodari couldn't help but act a bit more cuddly in the presense of his brother and mother. Angavu and Jasiri weren't there to tease him and the event was rather frightening.
"Alright.." Shiri said with a smile, glad her boys had agreed. "We'll head home on one condition. You boys lead the way."
Excited for the opportunity to be in front for a change, Hodari began on his way back towards their den. Pausing for a moment, he allowed his brother to catch up before continueing on.
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