"Life..." Nombuso whispered as if to herself, but her eyes scanning the face of another. "New life...The birth of those darling cubs is a blessing for us all."
The fact that the older lioness believed everything she said made it difficult for Awiki to fault her for her words. To find fault in them. And it wouldn't help to do either in any case, as stubbornly set as Nombuso had become... There was no challenging the lioness, unless you wanted an earful. So, Awiki watched her elder sway in the faintest of winds and smile when the first cry of the morning echoed in the distance.
A cub. Ready to feed.
She wanted to be frustrated with the brown lioness. She wanted to stomp back to her quarters, sleep for a few hours more, and then go on a hunt with the others. She wanted to be independent...but she simply could not be. Not yet. Acknowledging Nombuso with a subtle, "Mmhm." Awiki settled into her seat a little more.
And for a few seconds, that agreeable sound seemed to satisfy the older lioness well enough.
Then...
"You're young. Someday you will come to understand." A smile curved her dark lips.
Awiki was quick to respond, unintentionally speaking with a sharpness of tongue. "With what limited resources we have available to us I just don't see the point in having them. That's all."
"So they are a threat to you? Sure, not in their tiny forms now, feeding off their mothers, but when they grow up? Become adults?" Heavily lidded eyes opened and glanced over without the turn of her head. If the cut of her words did not alert Awiki of her disapproval, the flick of her tail against the peach-lioness' thigh would.
Did, rather. Meeting Nombuso's gaze briefly before turning over to the waking pride, a moment passed before Awiki shook her head.
"No...I guess not. The pride has somehow managed to survive the birth and growth of litters before...and I'm sure being a mother is gratifying in someway." The younger lioness' blues shifted again to the elder's stance and was pleased to see a sudden change in demeanor. Another smile filled out those white cheeks, and her green gaze had begun to scan the horizon once more.
"Oh it is, child. You should see the faces that a mother makes when they first lay eyes on a newborn cub." There was chuckle, as if she were reliving a moment, privately. “The fathers are far less interesting to watch, but sometimes… sometimes they squirm a bit. Not entirely sure to how to help their loved ones and the new ones. And that’s amusing.”
Awiki made a face of her own outside of Nombuso's view before a response would follow. She had heard plenty on what a newborn looked like, and wasn’t exactly interested. "I bet." And then a synced laughter resounded between the two.
"I know the thought of it is not a pleasing one...Not for a young thing like yourself. Ah, well if you ever consider children, you will come to understand. It is not a feeling one can easily describe."
"And you?" The question was posed quickly and without much thought by the young lioness, however Nombuso's sudden rigidness made her curiosity falter. Perhaps she should watch her tongue better…
"..."
A long moment passed. They sat in a tense silence, neither one looking at the other. Within it Awiki could practically feel the sadness that Nombuso's fallen gaze emitted. She didn't bother to wonder why it had never come up before, but only wished she hadn't have bothered to ask.
Before the topic could be changed, the brown lioness began to speak. She was firm, but not without suppleness to the tone that would hint to the residual sadness therein. Still… despite the moment that had passed, there was a strange lack of distress in her tone. She wasn’t upset. Not in the way Awiki had expected her to be.
"I was given the duty of aiding mothers. Becoming one... a decent one, well it was never meant for me and I have long since come to terms with that. Plus..." She shifted, turning to give Awiki her full attention at last. She tried to smile, but the quiver of her lips was weak. Awiki was compensating for it by furrowing her brow and offering a small, reassuring grin. "I am given all of the opportunities to raise a child by simply being a part of their lives here, in this pride. We are all given that ability. Even you..." Nombuso rose to her feet and promptly shook out the dust that had gathered on her fur. Awiki followed in suit, wary of what might come from her mouth next. It would seem that Nombuso was leaving information out. As to what, Awiki couldn't be so sure. Every now and again she would hear chatter of a 'grandchild', and a 'daughter', with the elder lioness' name linked to it--but the peach Busisa had yet to meet either of those within the pride, if it all pieced together that is. For now, she refused to say anymore. If Nombuso wished to keep her past a secret from the freshly inducted Busisa, so be it.
"Like I said, I've come to terms with how my life has been lived and how it will continue to be. There are times when it is more difficult to cope with than others, but at the end of the day I know what role I am to lead. New life, Awiki. It is a blessing for us all, remember that. Come."
She moved forward, away from their resting point and toward the center of activity within the pride. The afternoon sun would rise soon, and those able enough to hunt would need to be ready. The cubs would need their milk, and only a healthy, fed mother would do...
"Nombuso?" Awiki muttered, matching the other lioness' gait.
"Yes, child?"
"I think I understand."
(1002 VERDS)
