Returning from her last visit to her offspring still with their father, Kohpi smiled at the sight of the dens that now seemed to be home now. Dusk really made them seem welcoming, beconing to the wary traveler. On her back, Darshana slept, long-since tired out by the trip. As she carefully deposited the hare in her den, the white lioness' ears flicked, hearing soft crying. With a frown, she turned and went to find the source of the sad sound.
Huddled away from her sisters, Kubuko shivered, ears back. Softly, great wet tear drops fell from her snout, hitting the ground in soft patters. She'd woken up from another dream, of a dark lion with glowing green eyes killing her mother. It was the same one, every night... This time, it frightened her greatly. Swallowing, she blinked at the sound of somebody approaching. "W-who's there...?"
Stepping up to the cub, Kohpi frowned. "Kohpi is here..." Gently nudging the tiny ball of fur, she let out a soft rumbling sound. "What's wrong...? Why the tears? Is it the dark..?" There were no questions of who the cub belonged to. She could tell by the very markings, this cub was related to her in some way. Sitting down, she gently pulled it close.
Leaning into the warm body, Kumbuko sobbed. "I h-h-had a bad d-dream.. Again..." Huddling, she settled, eyes closed. She seemed to go to sleep, leaning on the lioness, tears still slipping down her face. A few minutes later, though, she snapped awake, looking up at her. "How did you have something so bad happen as you and your family attacked... And you still trust others...?"
Taken aback with surprise, Kohpi leaned down. "How did you know...?" She looked the cub over, frowning. After a moment, she licked a dark ear. "No matter... You're special, then, aren't you? You see the past?" If that was the case, then... "Oh... Oh.... I think I now what that dream is..." Her ears went back. What had she missed while she was gone? She would have to find her mother and ask... No, her mother was too depressed to think about death... Shotonin, maybe.
The cub could only shrug, huddling into Kohpi's white fur. It was so pure looking, and so warm and comforting. She spoke softly, almost too soft to hear. "I'm Kumbuko..." She didn't know what it meant, but one day she'd find out. Shivering lightly, she burried her face in Kohpi's belly. "Why did Momma have to go...?"
Her heart felt heavy, memory filled with that of her first two cubs. Where were they now? One day, she would find out. With their lack of presence, though, she feared the worst. For now, her attention focused on the cub, raising a paw and petting her. "She had to go... Because..." What was a good reason? Ears flicking just a bit, Kohpi thought as fast as she could. "She wanted to keep an eye on you, as best she could.."
Looking back up at Kohpi, Kumbuko couldn't help but smile. It was a good answer as any, really. "Okay..." As she settled, starting to drift, Kumbuko frowned just a bit. "Kohpi... Will you stay here? As long as you can... As my friend?" Somewhere, in the back of her mind, the cub knew from description this lioness was her aunt, but... Friend would work, too.
"Of course. One can never have too many friends." Nuzzling her niece, though she knew the cub not to be yet, Kohpi smiled, a pleasant one filled with the promise of friendship. Even with all that had happened in her life, she trusted anybody, and believed them all to have a shred of good. This cub... She could just tell, there was no malice present.
"Never.." Letting out a yawn, Kumbuko drifted to sleep. With Kohpi near, her dreams were pleasant ones, filled with visions of Kohpi playing with her own cubs, as well as a leopard awkward as a newborn giraffe. A purr lifted from her chest, filling the air with the same warmth of her dreams.
