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It had been a very long couple of days. Kaelyn had convinced their captain to search for the young cubs family. It was an effort in fruitility and as the sun set on the second day of searching the captain had called the search off. Dooley lay in a patch of shade grooming the tiny cub that sat between his paws. She was so little, he could sit her on one of his passive paws. He didn't know cubs could be so little. He couldn't remember himself, but he was fairly certain he had never been so small.

He had fetched the little female the softest parts of the beast they had captured, he had watched her eat and then cleaned her before settling himself with the tiny babe. "Phu are you full?" He smiles his eyes resting happily on the little girl.

Wessex leaned against her lion friend and watched the cub. It had been a couple of days and the youngster just seemed to sleep eat and poop. It was quite endearing and she felt very close to the baby that Dooley had pretty much adopted. They had found no sign of the cubs parents and questioning the babe had proved pretty futile, really all she could tell them was that they were lions and they lived with lots of other lions and they were big. It was so vague. The hyena had left little to no scent trail.

Waphupha nodded vigorously at Dooley. The massive lion had been so kind to her, he had fed her and let her sleep in his big fluffy mane when they were walking then when it was night time she had slept between his paws with the Jackal curled tightly around her. It was very nice and comfortable, and so cozy, she almost forgot that they were searching for her parents. "Yes I full." She looked around blinking her big blue eyes "Where Kae?"

Dooley watched carefully as the lioness faltered in her steps. He had never seen her so unsure. Ever since he had known her she had been unwavering in her determination. She had done what she had set out to do and she had done it with gumption. He loved her for that, she was so straight forwards it made him smile. This though, this was clearly new territory for her and he could almost see the way her mind was working, hacking through the fears and doubts that would have them become a real family.

"Kae is right behind you Phu." He smiles up at the chocolate brown lioness his eyes dancing with amusement as she prodded the cub. He had a feeling that Kaelyn would never truly stop searching for her family but at this exact moment there was nothing more he could do. Nuzzling the tiny cub to her paws he stood slowly and stretched, he purposefully took his time before scooping the cub up and placing her on his head. "Hold tight Phu." He rumbles as he follows after Kaelyn, he had no idea where they were going but it seemed she wanted a private conversation away from the rest of the reaver band.

Wessex stood up and followed Kaelyn, she walked between the chocolate lionesses legs wagging her tail." She's so cute Kaelyn." She coos her tail wagging a mile a minute, she was certainly having maternal feelings, she had never really felt this way before and it made her sigh. She'd fallen entirely in love with the little cub and it was making her happy, and maybe a little longing.

"Kae, Kae wait for us!" The little cub giggled as she was planted in to Dooleys mane, it was great being up so high, she was convinced she could see the entire world from up between the massive males ears. She nestles herself comfortably there, watching the brown lioness' shape. She already felt attached to the lioness who'm Dooley seemed to follow, she seemed to be searching so hard for something, what were they looking for again?

Dooley pulled to a firm stop behind Kaelyn, she was being very serious about this. He raised a brow and let out a small chuckle. "We won't give up Kae, but for today, we can't go any further. She's very little and travelling around like this will do her no good, she needs a home where she can sleep sixteen hours a day and a family until we find her real one." He smiles at her and moves closer to her he licks her on the nose and tilts his head, just a little, he had to remember that there was a cub up there. Kaelyn was so determined, he knew that was just how she was and he was fine with that, he knew she would never truly give up but, he could see the more pressing need to make sure the cub was okay, her family may have been looking for her, but, on the other paw, they may not have. He knew that not all families cared for their cubs and one that had left a cub alone long enough for a hyena to grab one, well, in his eyes they didn't really deserve her back. He wasn't going to air these thoughts to Kaelyn, she could search but for now, she would have to resign.

"Until we find your real family Phu, Kaelyn will be your mummy and I'll be your daddy and Wessex will be your aunts okay?" He looked up through his mane, he could see her tiny fore paws on his head. So little, he constantly thought just how tiny she was.

Wessex huffs and her tail stops wagging for a moment, she wanted to find the little cubs family, she really did, but that didn't mean that she couldn't love the little creature until they found her real home. "Aunty Wessex has a nice ring to it." The jackal smiles her deep brown eyes fixed on the tiny kit that sat so trustingly between her friends ears. "Dooley is right though Kaelyn, we can't keep wandering around out here with her." She looks up at Kaelyn and sighs gently "I know you don't like it Kaelyn but maybe her family arn't looking for her."

The tiny pale cub was busy day dreaming looking around at the sky, batting at odd fly away strands of tan mane and generally having frun from her really high vantage point until her name was spoken and she turned her cornflower eyes on Kaelyn. She smiled widely, Dooleys words, she understood them on the basest level, she was actually unsure if she had ever had a daddy before, though she faintly remembered someone telling her she had a father. The memories of home were slipping away all too quickly and she didn't really mind, it was nice here, Dooley was funny and Wessex was nice and Kaelyn was mummy. "Kaelyn is mummy, Dooley is Daddy and Wessex is aunt, okay." She repeats like a little parrot, her blue eyes fixed on Kaelyn, she tilts her tiny head and rumbles a little purr, she understood on a base level that Mummy meant warmth and food. "Mummy Kaelyn is a good mummy she made the food."

Dooley looks out from under his mane and chuckles "Yes she did Phu, yes she did." He chuckles quietly and looked at Wessex, it seemed his partner had, had a similar thought to him, perhaps no one was looking for the little cub. These things happened all the time. He knew in some places cubs simply died young, or just vanished due to predation, a big litter could lose a cub just because it was the smallest. "For the moment Kaelyn, we have to face the fact, she is ours. At least for now."

Dooley watched as Kaelyn bolted. She always amused him how she reacted to every situation to the extreme. He gave a sigh and lifting a paw he pulled Phu out from his mane. "Phu, you stay here with Wessex I need to go and find Kaelyn before she does something silly." Dooley raised a brow, he knew that explaining this to the cub was silly, she wouldn't understand, he was quickly learning she was too young to understand much of anything. He doubted if she could truly even remember her real family. He licked her nose affectionately and placed her down beside Wessex. "I'll be back in a few Wessex watch the cub."

He bounds off after Kaelyn, his massive body moving, probably faster than he ever had, despite her mad dash the big lion caught up to her and for once, instead of just approaching her, he tackled her, pulling her to the ground and sitting on her. "Kae, don't run away." He smiled down at the chocolate lioness, he would take some abuse for this, but he wouldn't let her turn tail here. He licked at her ears gently his blue eyes smiling. "I know you're feeling trapped, I know you're terrified of the cub calling you mother and I know you think we are confusing her. No I wouldn't fight them if her parents turned up at our door, but, until they do, we have to be her parents, she's so young Kae, can't you see she doesn't undertstand why she doesn't have a mother and father any more?" He tilts his head and carefully backs off. "We have to go home together Kae, I promise I won't make you stay, I promise you can go out reaving again as soon as we get home, I swear I'll never stop you looking for her family and if they come I promise I will let her go home, but for now, we have to be her parents Kae, YOU and me. Its something that the little critter can understand."

He takes a deep breath and waits patiently, he wasn't going to let her run away from them. This was one thing he was going to insist on. "I'll just tackle you again if you run." He pulls a tongue at her closing one eye and tilting his head. He knew he would look rediculous but he didn't care.


Wessex watched as Dooley ran off after Kaelyn, and they were most certainly not far enough away that she couldn't witness probably the mightiest of tackles he had ever seen Dooley do. Shaking her head the white and black jackal chuckled and at the same time cursed the big idiot. She guessed he would have some bruises or scratches, or both from this encounter. He really was a fool for Kaelyn. Turning her attention to the little cub she wagged her tail and pawed at her. "You stay here with me Phu okay? They will be back in a few."

"In a few." The tiny cub parroted giggling at Wessex she rolled over to Wessex and started to chew on the tip of her tail. "What's in a few Aunty Wessex?" She mumbles around the jackals tail her tiny blue eyes fixed not he jackal that had been dubbed her baby sitter.

Wessex opened her mouth to reply and decided it probably wasn't worth the effort. "Never mind you just sit there." She extracted her tail from the cubs mouth and curled her pale body around the little lioness "And I will tell you a story okay?" She smiles she really was quite smitten with the little cub.

Phu gave a little nod and curled up against the jackals belly her watery blue eyes turned up to the white dog. Wessex was weird, she had never seen a Wessex before but she was also nice. perhaps Wessex was the only Wessex but that was okay too. Resting her chin on the jackals belly she blinked owlishly, she was tired and she really didn't' know what was happening just that she had found a nice mummy and daddy and Aunty and that was all she needed to know.

The big male shuffled around slowly, carefull, lifting a paw he raised the golden eyed lionesses head and licked her nose gently cleaning away the blood from her nose. "Hey Kae, I'll never leave you." He smiles, a smile full of love and adoration for the chocolate lioness. "I'll never leave you, I'll never throw you away, I'll always be there, if you like it or not." He chuckles and licks her face cleaning away the tears and dust.

Where they had both come from, they had not been welcome, they had been trained and pushed away. Banished from the only home they had ever known. Unlike him though, Kaelyn felt anger about being cast out, he had always found the world to be so much more interesting beyond the borders of the sandy home they had been born in to and though there were times when he missed his mother, he had never had much to do with his father and when he left he had Wessex.

Wessex had been with him forever so he had never been alone. Kaelyn had been alone, cast out in to the darkness without a friend in the world. "You'll never be alone again you know?" He smiles lovingly at this amazing lady who had stolen his heart and most of his senses. "Now turned your tail and go and see your daughter." He grinned playfully. His pale blue eyes smiled and he stood nudging her shoulder to turn her back towards Wessex and the cub.

"Don't forget to smile my lovely" He whispers nuzzling her cheek affectionately.