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Tamu's relationship with her father was wearing thin, and the strain was showing. Whilst normally she would dote on her father, his recent revelation of placing his highest hopes in HER for leadership of the pride had jilted her into reality. Somehow, she had always suspected, as one sister was away with the spirits half the time, and the other was a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Her brothers...well, she'd barely seen either of them since the rites, which wasn't good. Perhaps off galavanting somewhere, having adventures...

Tamu found herself in the middle of the beach as she woke from her tormented thoughts. Sighing, she needed shade or at least somewhere more comfortablet han just the sands. So she flopped onto a hug bed of dune-grass, patting it down and wriggling onto it until it was flat. She was content to sit and stare at the sky, watching the carefree clouds float by.

Kwaruza had found her way to the pride heavily pregnant by walking down a beach from the dawnwalkers. She wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for her two children and she was so happy to finally see somewhere she could have her cubs and that had been a while ago now. Her cubs were juves and playful things.

She had left them with their older siblings and gone for a walk down the beach. She knew a pride lived here and wanted to seek out the leader, find out whether it was okay for her family to stay near the lands. Kwaruza wished to join a pride but with youngsters, she knew it might not be easy.

However as she moved today she saw someone she had never seen before. Weary that it maybe dangerous, even if the stranger was female, Kwaruza moved towards her slowly.

"Hello?" She called out softly, hoping not to startle whoever it was.

Tamu's knee-jerk reaction was that it might be her mother. It was certainly a female voice, and one that seemed older than her own. Her relationship with her mother wasn't all that solid either. She scrambled clumsily up to her feet, not really bothering to shake off stray bits of grass or sand.

Her tail swished about lazil behind her as she took a few steps forward to greet the white lioness.

"Hello..." she replied, equally as cautious.

"Hey, erm, I am Kwaruza... I was looking for someone in charge of the pride here?" She stuttered a little as she spoke which was strange for her and not in character at all but then she was away from her children and she wished to be close to them and so this was all rather awkward.

She looked along the beach behind the lioness, there seemed to be no one else around so she relaxed a little. However she was still worried about her children but then what mother wasn't worried about her children?

It was evident that the young adult struggled a little to answer the elder female. Technically, it was her father. But just days ago, he had requested of her that she start treating herself as a leader too. Her body language said otherwise though.

"That...would be me..." she answered, although nothing about her posture seemed to scream leader.

Maybe most would question the female as a leader but for Kwaruza it just made her smile.

"Oh really? It is so nice to meet you!" She smiled softly at the younger female and relaxed completely. She wasn't any harm and there wasn't going to be any large male who she would have to talk to which suited her just fine!

"I was looking for you, I need to ask, would it be possible for me and my family to stay here? My two eldest are fully grown and hunt well, my youngest three are juves but are being taught to hunt already so we wouldn't be a nuisance. We just need a home." It all came out a bit rushed but Kwaruza hated asking for things, she despised it. She was brought up to look after herself so asking for things was just, well, weird.

What? She...bought it? Was Tamu already showing some outward signs of leadership and she didn't realise? This was a silent ego boost for Tamu, and quickly became visible with a wide and beautiful smile on her maw. This lioness seemed to be a great influence on the young heiress.

"Well, its a pleasure...Kwaruza was it..?" she replied, beaming and with renewed vigor. She had a bit more heart in it now.

"I'm Tamu," she nodded politely. And then she spent a short while thinking over the lioness' request. She wondered how a leader should approach this. She had a familt in tow, but surely that meant they were most in need of a place to stay? Feeling confident she ahd the right answer in her head, she replied.

"You'd be most welcome here," she smiled, "I believe we have a pombuka in place anyways, so you needn't feel worried about your children, they'll have others to play with their age too."

Kwaruza was shocked, "I can stay? Oh thank you so much!" She didn't really know what to expect but for now, oh she was so happy. "You should come and meet my little ones! They aren't too far off if you wanted to meet them?" No harm in offereing? After it she was female and as far as Kwaruza could tell most like children.

This felt good. Kwaruza was obviously happy with the decision. And it felt good to be bestowing this kind of decision on someone.

She was a little unsure of the offer at first, she didn't have much experience with cubs herself, but how bad could it be? She was a cub once.

"Sure, it'd be a pleasure," she smiled and nodded.

Kwaruza smiled, her children were her pride and joy and they were all so very beautiful!

"This way, they aren't far and knowing the youngsters they will have already tried to follow me." She smile turning in the direction she had came in. Oh it was so good to be somewhere she could call home again!

"Kayin? Hitomi? Angaa? Mruka? Chuju?" She called the names of her five children hoping that Angaa and Mruka would still be looking after them but she also knew what her children were like.

Chuju had followed his mother, he liked to go on adventures and so when his name was called happily ran out from his hiding place towards his mother and the stranger she was with.

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!" He called happily as he bounded over and rubbed against her legs with a huge smile on his maw.

This was quite pleasant actually. All of Tamu's worries seemed to have melted away with Kwaruza's presence, perhaps it was just the fact she was occupied now, with no chance to dwell on more morose aspects of what leadership would mean.

Following the lioness, she couldn't supress a smile as she saw her son suddenly leap out and bound towards her. It was a very warm sight and equally warm feeling inside. She could remember doing that with her own father.

"Chuju, this is Tamu, she is in charge of the pride here so be nice!" She chuckled and sat down a little annoyed that only Chuju had followed. She really liked her cubs following her but then it was probably part of them growing up.

She then looked at Tamu, "This is Chuju my youngest boy. I have an older boy, Mruka and his sister from the litter Angaa and then Chuju has two sister's from his litter." She smiled at Tamu before looking down at her youngster again.

Chuju looked up at his mother and listened before nodding.

"Okay mother. It's nice to meet you Tamu. Are we allowed to live here now?" He looked up at her with his little baby eyes hoping that they would work on her like they did on his mother sometimes.

"I really would like to stay!" He thought adding that might help his mothers cause not knowing that this talk had been and done already.

Tamu was just about to introduce herself to Chuju, and even bow and the whole shebang, but his little plea simply melted her. Like she was stunned. How adorable! Was she this cute as a cub? Look at him!

"Well...how could I say no to a face like that?" she said to him only, with a nod to Kwaruza, knowing that she had already sorted this out.