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 Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:14 pm
A low hum and hiss rolled from the lioness's throat as unguessable thoughts rolled through her mind, the haze that comes after birth still holding her enthrall. Something in the back of her conciousness poked at her to clean her cubs, that she was a mother now... again... and there were things a mother needed to do for cubs, but the voice seemed to be calling into a void were nothing was. It was the cubs' unfortunate luck to born to the insane lioness, their very lives in danger of ending before they properly began.
At least the den was fairly well hidden and protected, some instinct directing her to pick out a depression in the roots of an old tree, digging it out till it was large enough for her to move around comfortably. In the shadows of the tree, it wasn't easy to spot either.
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:42 pm
Luckily for the cubs, Afritti had noticed the insane lion acting odd before she had vanished in tot eh abyss and now she was out searching for the crazy girl. It felt like a constant trial to the salmon tinted female to be saddled with Sheitani but she was a responsibility, a part of the pride and in a way her part of the pride. She was supposed to care for those whom could not care for themselves and the gods knew that shei could not care for herself.
Tilting her nose tot he air, she caught the scent of blood "Sheitani." She called, her voice demanding and quiet, she had to use a certain tact with the insane female, she had to be forceful and careful, who new what trouble she was in but the bloody lioness was around there some where.
Sheitani had given birth before and it wouldn't have surprised her one jot if she hadn't gone and gotten herself knocked up again. She tried to count in her own mind who had cubs at the moment, who could surrogate a litter in the pride, there was no one she could think of and her own milk had dried up a while ago. It would be harder to raise a litter without milk but she would if she had to.
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Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 3:35 pm
A voice calling in the jungle outside the den made Shaitani start and she bared her fangs in a hiss, the extended eye teeth a menacing sight. Somehow, she knew what was coming and she started to scrabble around, knocking mewling cubs around in her haste. Had to hide them! Had to keep them from the Valkol! The dark queen... she would take them if she found them, but they were hers! Hers!
Shai mewled in her throat as she tried to dig deeper, but the wood of the tree's roots kept her from making any progress. At most, she managed to dig out a few small hollows, but none really big enough to hide in. Desperate, she shoved the cubs behind her and crouched in front of them, starting out through the opening of her den into the night beyond, waiting for the queen to find her.
Of course, after a few seconds, she started to blink bleerily, suddenly unsure of what she was doing and why.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:00 am
Afritti'dogo slipped forwards, silent on her paws, she was close now, she could hear the crazy lionesses shuffling. Then, she heard the mew. Cursing quietly she slipped under the tightly woven undergrowth and smiled lightly.
"Sheitani, you need to come back to the dens. Everyone is looking for you." She lashes her tail and flattens her ears, worried which way this would go, she knew the bloody red female didn't really like her, but that really didn't matter., what mattered was that these new little lives were a part of her pride and the insane female would never care for them as they should, she would probably have forgotten about them by the time she took a step away from them.
Poor little mites. Standing as tall as she could she nudged past Sheitani and looked at the dusty, damp little cubs. Poor things, they needed a proper mother.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:07 pm
When the queen slid into the den, Shaitani flattened herself to the floor, groveling before her even as she squirmed to keep her cubs covered with her own body.
"Valkol!" She crooned as she wiggled and squirmed. "Shaitani is your servant." The comment about everyone looking for her was enough of a surprise to distract her, her face frowning in puzzlement. No one ever looked for her... except the Valkol, of course. And it was never pleasant when she did. Her inattentiveness let Afritti slip past her, spying the cubs she lay on.
"No!" She squealed as she tried to wiggle her way between the queen and the cubs. She knew she shouldn't disobey, felt it almost as a physical pain, but she felt a strange desperation to... her mind couldn't grasp the why, but she knew it was important. "Please... please..." She mewled as she tried to pull her cubs toward her with her paws and tuck them against her sides.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:31 pm
Afritti'dogo frowned, she felt a twang in her heart, a twang for the poor cubs, a pull for their fool of a mother "SheItani, you can keep them, but you must bring them to the dens." It was a promise she had no intention of keeping, a promise that the mad one would forget by the time they carried the cubs to the inner dens.
She smiled her sweetest smile and lay down nudging the lioness gently, but hard enough to move her off the cubs "You'll suffocate them Sheitani, then you won't have them." She whispers, her voice a gentle muurr, trying to convince the crazy lioness that this was for the best.
If all else failed, she would sit and wait and others would come and they would move sheitani and take the cubs if she liked it or not. It was the only way to protect the young lives.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:38 pm
The red female squirmed insensibly as she scrabbled in the dirt, clawing up pawfuls of it even as she tried to keep the cubs close. Bring them to the dens? No... nonono. She couldn't do that! If they moved, she'd loose them... they'd disappear like shadows in the sun...
Rolling onto her back, she displayed her belly before the queen. "Not to take... stay... mine!" She mewled, trying to make herself as pathetic as possible. Most likely Afritti had see all her tricks the first time, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try each and every one of them. Deep down, she knew it wouldn't work, but she couldn't stop herself from trying. Why they should be so important, she didn't know.
"Maggots, vermin, filth... dirt and decay and death!" She gasped out as she rolled on her back, her red eyes darting about the den. "Bugs crawling in the mold, the dank and rotten earth... eating and growing and writhing! Can not leave... can not leave..."
What little intelligence she had for conversation seemed to be slipping from her under the stress, though she was smart enough to keep her claws and fangs to herself.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:51 pm
Watching the silly fool of a lioness roll on her back like an idiot, trying to impress her, trying to manipulate her with her fool hardy words and insane rambling, she had seen this before, she wouldn't be fooled again no matter how sorry she felt for the nutty lioness. Afritti finally lost her cool. Slashing out at the blood red lioness she struck her across the face, her violet eyes glaring down at her.
"You will move from my sight now Sheitani before I cast you out to the sunlight where fools melt away in to fur and blood and nothing more!"
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:05 pm
Shaitani squealed as she was struck at, reacting so fast that she might have been anticipating the blow. She jerked back, but still got a good hit from the queen. The claws cut shallowly and she shuddered at the pain of it, so familiar and missed for so long. No one struck her any more, not since her beloved died.
The insane lioness could hear the determination in the queen's voice and part of her knew fighting anymore would do her no good. She scooted backwards, away from the cubs and the queen, abasing herself as she went as she babbled apologies. All that show, though, was just that... something to distract from the cub she had wedged behind her and now pushed towards the den's only exit. His cries as he was jostled where mixed with the cries of his brothers and sister as they lost the warmth of shai's body and the smell of their mother.
Shai actually managed to pushed the cub out before she turned and lept out of the den, her crazy eyes darting back and forth before she bent to snatch up the cub and sneak around to the back of tree. Afritti was left alone, for the moment, with Shai's three remaining cubs, all of them squirming and begging for food.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:54 pm
((moved to AIM)) Syrius Lionwing Afritti watched as the lioness backed away, she shook her head, stupid thing, she thought to herself looking down at the tiny bundles. Had there been more there? No, she didn't think so, i must have been one of shais paws. Bending down she pulled the cubs towards her belly, grooming them gently and cleaning them up, they were damp and dirty from all of the scuffling and neither of these things would do the poor things any good.
"Sheitani! Sheitani come back here you little bloody thing!" her voice called she was full of rage, she wished she could do something to sop sheitani having cubs, but se was no medicine woman, no shaman or anything, she knew no way to cross the mad lionesses legs.
It seemed one little hit had gotten sheitani scared, but perhaops she would return and she would send her on her way to find bidu and a couple of other pride members to move these little balls of fluff and stuff to the main dens. She would figure out a way to make sure they were looked after, fed and loved and kept warm. She was getting too old for all this.
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Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 12:37 am
Shaitani squealed as she was struck at, reacting so fast that she might have been anticipating the blow. She jerked back, but still got a good hit from the queen. The claws cut shallowly and she shuddered at the pain of it, so familiar and missed for so long. No one struck her any more, not since her beloved died.
The insane lioness could hear the determination in the queen's voice and part of her knew fighting anymore would do her no good. She scooted backwards, away from the cubs and the queen, abasing herself as she went as she babbled apologies. All that show, though, was just that... something to distract from the cub she had wedged behind her and now pushed towards the den's only exit. His cries as he was jostled where mixed with the cries of his brothers and sister as they lost the warmth of shai's body and the smell of their mother.
Shai actually managed to pushed the cub out before she turned and lept out of the den, her crazy eyes darting back and forth before she bent to snatch up the cub and sneak around to the back of tree. Afritti was left alone, for the moment, with Shai's three remaining cubs, all of them squirming and begging for food.
Afritti watched as the lioness backed away, she shook her head, stupid thing, she thought to herself looking down at the tiny bundles. Had there been more there? No, she didn't think so, i must have been one of shais paws. Bending down she pulled the cubs towards her belly, grooming them gently and cleaning them up, they were damp and dirty from all of the scuffling and neither of these things would do the poor things any good.
"Sheitani! Sheitani come back here you little bloody thing!" her voice called she was full of rage, she wished she could do something to sop sheitani having cubs, but se was no medicine woman, no shaman or anything, she knew no way to cross the mad lionesses legs.
It seemed one little hit had gotten sheitani scared, but perhaps she would return and she would send her on her way to find bidu and a couple of other pride members to move these little balls of fluff and stuff to the main dens. She would figure out a way to make sure they were looked after, fed and loved and kept warm. She was getting too old for all this.
Only when Shai heard her name called did she slink back towards the den, an almost hopeful look on her face. The call had distracted her from the cub she'd stolen, and even the ones Afritti held now. Out of her control now, they ceased to matter to her jumbled mind and were easily forgotten, thus her comicly confused expression when she poked her head back into her den.
"Valkol..." She whined as she crawled on her belly, ears back submissively. "You called this lowly one?" She looked up hopefully at her, any sign of resistance gone.
Already, the cub she'd singled out was feeling the hardships of a mother like Shaitani, the cold and damp seeping through his soft cub fur. He let out a soft mew, but quickly fell silent, his instincts telling him to hide while his mother was away. His life would not be an easy one, not like for the cubs Afritti held safe in her paws.
Afritti sucked air between her teeth and shook her head "Go to the dens Sheitani and find bidu, when you do lead her back here." She narowed her eyes and lifted a claw pulling sheitanis face towards her she flashed her pale fangs. "Do you understand?" She glared at the lioness, preying she would get the gist, she couldn't carry all of these cubs back on her own, she needed another set of paws.
Releasing the lioness she turned her attention back to the cubs curled up at her side, wrapping herself around the frightened little bundles. Poor things, having to start life this way.
At first, there was only surprise and confusion on Shai's face as the queen commanded her. Dens? Bidu? What did they have to do with her? She was supposed to... get... them? She frown in concentration, till Afritti reached out and hook claws along her face. The reaction was instantaneous.
Back was the groveling manner, the whining voice and applogies. She squirmed as she mewled like a kitten, nodding jerkily, or as much as the claws allowed. "Yes, Valkol! Go to dens, get Bidu. Go to dens, get Bidu!" The red lioness struggled to keep the words straight and prove to the queen that she could remember the simple instructions. It was hard, and harder the more she tried, but she was doing pretty good so far, considering. Only when Afritti released the claws did she spin and dash off, frantic to obey her commands.
The salmon tinted lioness shook her head watching the crazy creature race away. With a sigh she folds her body around the cubs, she wanted so desperately to help them, to heal them and feed them but she could not, she as not a mother any more. She did not have milk. She pondered if there was anyone in the pride with milk flowing to help the youngsters. If not, well she would have to feed them on blood and finely chewed meat. It would be more of a challenge than usual.
Still, she smiled down and the cubs and closed her eyes, she would do her best, as she always did, she was the mother of this pride and these children needed her. Allowing herself to slip in to a light doze, she would wait until shai and bidu came to her then the task would begin. If only one of her daughters had milk, this would have been much easier.
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