It was an overcast day as Kizuka’nafsi rounded up her cubs and dropped them off at the crush, where all the other mothers and their children were currently stationed. Safura’nafsi was still a little groggy from being woken up that morning. Her night had been wrought with strange dreams about the father she didn’t know or had never see and her mother. In her dreams they looked as happy as could be, but she knew that the reality of the situation was far from what that actually was.
Although she was a happy cub and had her head up in the clouds daily, she wasn’t a dumb one. She knew her mother’s heart ached from not having her father around, and on occasion when she looked upon her cubs her eyes would well with tears and she would hide her face. Safura’s mother missed her father, and even though Theluji was acting as their father now, it didn’t mean Kizuka loved him, and that hurt Safura’s heart.
Quickly finding herself a place to rest her weary little head, Safura settled into a soft patch of grass, unobstructed by the needles or leaves of the various forest trees. A soft sigh escaped her lips and a rush of cool air washed over her, making her shudder a tiny bit. She quickly found herself falling back into the much-needed rest the little cub needed to be healthy and her mind began to dream once more.
Her dreams were not of her mother or father this time, but a different lioness. One she had never seen before. She couldn’t make out what the lioness looked like. The darkness of her dream seemed to obstruct any real details her mind had been attempting to construct, but it didn’t bother her any. All Safura cared about was the voice that was singing to her. She had heard the humming in previous dreams, but never heard the words of the song. This time she heard them as crystal clear as if the lioness was sitting right next to her.
I was a little girl, alone in my little world, who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pr-
And than her dream shook. Shook and shook and shook, disrupting the pretty voice she was hearing and causing her eyes open, only to be temporarily blinded by the bright light of the day streaming in over her. It took a few moments for Safura’s eyes to adjust properly and when they did she noticed who had shook her so harshly.
It was a large, old looking male with a mane of purple and blue, much like the markings on her mother and her aunt. She shrunk down instinctively as he starred down at her with dark purple eyes and a very hard expression. He didn’t look pleased and she was uncertain as to why he wasn’t pleased with her. Maybe she was sitting in his sunning or napping spot. If that were the case, she would simply say she was sorry and move. She didn’t mean to take his spot, after all.
“I-I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t know this was your spot,” Safura mumbled, quickly picking herself up from the spot to move.
As she did so the giant male shoved a paw on top of her back and forced her back down to the ground with a hard little shove, scarring the poor little cub stiff. He gave her a displeased grunt and she thought he might attempt to discipline her and began to whimper. He growled at her, “Stop that whimpering! You’re not a filthy dog, you’re a lion!”
Safura quickly stopped, and felt another heavy paw push her over and over, onto her back, than her stomach, than her side. What was this male doing and why was he deciding to pick on her? She didn’t do anything wrong, apparently, so was this really necessary? She hissed at the male and tried to swipe at him out of fear, “Leave me alone! You big bully!”
The older male stopped and starred down at Safura in a hard manner before laughing to her face. Her words had amused him greatly, and only solidified the impression he figured he’d get from the children of the Kabaila’umbikezeli, his daughter. Little pathetic crybabies who were unable to properly protect themselves. What was that idiot daughter of his doing? Spending all her time chatting up the council with her and her sister’s stupid requests and ideas. They were not there to change things in their pride, they were there to continue to support the standards of their pride that had lasted for generations.
“Bully?” The large male questioned rhetorically. He would not contest that. He was indeed a bully and a proud one. That’s what got him and Sadiki placed on the council in the first place, and if a strategy paid off why change it?
“I am not ‘Bully’. I am Joto’Damu. You tell your mother that,” He said with a smirk, leaving the little white cub alone and backing away from her slowly. She would know soon enough that he was her Grandfather and Kizuka would soon shudder and hiss to herself violently for the way he treated her precious daughter. He was an evil old b*****d that much was for sure.
Once Safura was out of the larger male’s grasp, she tugged away quickly, scrambling onto her little cubby feet and taking off towards the other children and the Nannies that watch over them. She didn’t care what that large male’s name was, because he was a mean old fart to her. He didn’t have to be mean to her, and because he was she would stay as far clear from him as she possibly could.
With a little sniffle, and a pathetic cry for someone’s attention, the little pale cub threw herself at the feet of the nearest Nanny. She needed a hug.
Word Count: 1005
