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 Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:27 pm
It had come. It was a shock, really, when she'd learned Xinavane was pregnant. But it was a welcome shock. The little ones would be the first born in their pridal lands, and Moto'nyota could not think of a better lioness to be having cubs. She had made sure all the males KNEW they had best wait outside...they could greet the little ones once all was done. Even the females weren't poking their heads in...Moto had a feeling Tara and Dogo were pulling their 'bodyguard' act at the entrance again.
Moto, for her part, had a rock close at hand...hollowed out long ago by something, and currently filled with a paste made from berries and various plants. She'd ensured Xinavane's den was cleaner than usual, and that the younger lioness had soft grass to lie on rather than dirt. The Mwezi did not want to chance anything going wrong. Xinavane was young, and Moto knew there were possible complications that could pop up...
Of course, she was also being slightly paranoid.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:51 pm
 It was now. It was happening right now. And Xinavane wouldn't have said she wasn't nervous, if she had been in the mood to talk. But mostly, she was a little in shock, since she really hadn't been expecting cubs in the first place... but they were important. They were special. They were being born into a world that she knew was dangerous... but she knew their father would protect them.
Well... in spirit anyway. Trying to get a God to stay put, especially THIS one, was impossible enough. But she wasn't worried. Which was odd... because she should have been. Nervous, oh hell yes, but not worried. Everything was going to be alright...
And then it hit her with a shock. Yes. Yes, the cubs were coming NOW. Clearly, not in the mood for waiting around. Like their dad that way. Wanted to get a move on, into the world around them.
The first was a boy, white and spotted, though Xinavane could distinctly recodnize that the front paws belonged to his father... The second. The second now. A girl, this one. White, with little wings... pretty. Now the third - and Xinavane was pretty sure the last- another little girl, black, like her... marked with spots and blotches. Cutie.
"Oh... Gods..." She mumbled under her breath with a small groan. It had hurt a little more than she expected. She admired her mother... Xinavane didn't think she could have taken two more cubs. But she had done it. They were there. They were alive. They were safe.
And frankly, they were awfully... cute.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:04 pm
The little black female kicked feebly out around her, surprised and a little frightened by open space where there had once been tight, warm boundaries. Eyes still closed, she mewled anxiously. The sound of her own voice startled her, and she instinctively jerked back comically, falling on her side. That didn't feel right, so she fumbled back on to her belly.
She gradually became aware of her senses. There was an unfamiliar rustling, the smell of something musty and sweet, and a deep rumble that was instantly recognizable. She'd heard it for a very long time now. She hadn't even known it was a noise until it had stopped just a bit ago. It spoke of warmth and comfort, and she moved towards it, eventually enveloping her head with her Mom's belly fur.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:23 pm
He kicked and moved about the second he found he was able to do so. He was a little shocked by the cold... and by the absense of the other two little bodies he had come so close to. He found it hard to move, for it was something he had never had to do before. Gravity had kicked in, and he didn't like it.
It took him a moment to know she was there... and when he did, it was only by the sound of her voice. The safe voice. The one he knew, and sought to be close to. She wasn't that far... he just needed to reach her... and he found her soft fur quickly. He knew her already... and even though he didn't know the word yet, he knew she was his.
Mom.
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Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:13 pm
Moto smiled at Xinavane and the cubs. Other than the pain that usually came with birthing, everything had seemed to go perfectly. As each cub found their way to their mother, she dipped the toes of her front right paw into the mixture she'd brought with her. Then, gently despite her size, she marked each cub's forehead with a sun-and-moon symbol.
"Welcome, little lights, to the world of darkness. It is you who shall remind us, every day, of why we fight. And it is you who shall keep our path lit...Even when there is no moon or sun in the sky." Her voice was gentle, but firm...a voice used to cubs and those smaller than her. "May you always walk with light, despite our dark world, and may your Karma be good."
Her speech said, she looked to the new mother. "What are their names?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:19 pm
The middle-born cub wasn't so quick to move to her mother's side, laying there, tiny ears twitching just slightly. She listened to the many new sounds around her a good moment, before dragging her belly across the ground, heading to the source of warmth nearby after her siblings.
The silent cub was more than happy to burrow through her elder brother, and younger sister, eagerly snuggling against them and their mother's tummy to fall asleep. She was more than happy to take some time to ignore their dark, much too large new world.
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Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:14 pm
The boy moved closer to his mother, settling himself between his female siblings, squirming around when the older female touched him, but other than that, he seemed quite comfortable. He had a whole new world that he needed to get used to.
Xinavane watched them a moment and then smiled, gathering her breath. She had been thinking of names for a while now... plenty came to mind, but she had been unsure of who would be what. Now that they were there, she knew exactly what to call them.
"The boy... He's Buibui'Sefu." A good name for a boy, strong. But they all needed to be strong. She was prepared for them all, "The little girl with the wings... she'll be Xiá Fēng, and her sister, she will be Hima'Rajani. They'll be strong... I know they will."
And she trusted that. All things considered, Xinavane would have to say that the birth had gone quite well. Not what she had expected at all, but quite well. And now she had three new lives to protect. Three that already meant more to her than she had thought possible.
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 8:42 am
Moto nodded. "Good names...good names indeed." She chuckled. "A bit strange to go from suddenly being just you to having new lives that are your own flesh and blood, isn't it?" She remembered birthing her cubs...It had hurt...
But it had been worth every second of pain. Her beautiful, wonderful cubs...And now there were three more cubs among them. "May I introduce them to the pride now, Xinavane?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:27 am
Xinavane took a moment to look over her cubs... her children... her loved ones. Cubs she wouldn't mean to, but knew she would, care about more than she cared about anyone else. They were hers. And they were perfect, as far as she was concerned.
"Yes... I suppose it's that time." She smiled and nodded, running her paws over their little bodies, delicatly lest she break them, "They're going to be great... I know it. No matter what they do... they'll be great." Now she knew exactly what she was fighting to protect. Everything was clear now.
She looked up at her leader, "Alright. I'm ready."
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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 12:01 pm
Moto nodded and stepped out of the den, then out of the way. "We have three new members among us, the cubs of our own Ardhi." With Moto and the self-proclaimed 'den guards' out of the way, Xina and the cubs could be seen. "Buibui'Sefu, Xiá Fēng, and Hima'Rajani have joined this pride healthy and whole!"
She smiled back at Xina and bowed, then turned to the pride. "Now...let's give the new mother some time alone with her little ones and some much needed rest."
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Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 12:55 pm
Xinavane couldn't help but grin a little at that, "Oh thanks for that..." Now she wanted some rest, and some time to get to know her children. After all, there was always work to be done.
And now she had more reason than ever to be as good at her job as she possibly could be.
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