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 Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:28 pm
Amani lay panting within sight of Dya'Comi's river, watching as the sun's light as it set behind her. She'd learned to fish better after she came to these lands and sometimes spent down times in hunting here, beneath the tree she now lay beneath. Being pregnant, however, had put a damper in most of her everyday activities. Harabu wouldn't let her do much until the cubs were born and he probably wouldn't let her even when they were.
Not that she minded in the least. Firstly, she was glad to know he cared so much about her. And secondly, carrying cubs was a very uncomfortable experience for her, so she was glad that she didn't have to hunt or run in the hot sun. Up until now everything had been just a minor inconvinience.
But something was very different this evening.
The light-furred lioness continued to pant as she felt another wave of pain course through her abdomen. Amani squeezed her eyes shut and her teeth ground against one another as the pain shot through her swollen belly.
As the pain subsided again, Amani relaxed back into panting.
"Well... It's one of two things. Either I'm... having the cubs now, or..." but she didn't want to even think of the other possibility. In her heart she knew she was bringing their cubs into the world.
But they would have to wait. She didn't want to do this alone, without the lion that meant the most in her life.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:54 am
Harabu was a little slow getting back to Amani today, he had been hunting but as most knew his skills weren't exactly amazing so he had a small rabbit limp in his mouth. It would be ok though, he wasn't hungry, Amani needed the strength.
He got back to her and tilted his head, dropping the limp animal at his feet. "Amani. Are you ok?" He looked a little worried and walked towards her and nuzzled her softly. "Do you want me to find Ihlo?" He was at a loss for all this female stuff but he knew Ihlo would understand more, that and the two females got on so well together.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:36 am
Amani slowly shook her head.
"No, I. I don't want her to worry," she said slowly and softly as she leaned against him. She pressed her face into his fur, waiting for the next bolt to run through her.
"I don't want you to go anywhere. Not, yet." They had been slowly coming quicker and by now almost one right after another, but she had enough time to beg Harabu not to leave before another wave stopped her speaking. So close, but not yet, a feeling inside her said. She knew she Harabu couldn't leave at this point.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:44 am
He just nodded though he still didn't have a clue what it was that was wrong with his mate but he just sat beside her, it was all that he could do after all. Just sit and be supportive and everything else that it was that he could do.
He nuzzled at her softly trying to reassure her.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:24 pm
A few moments passed in worried silence with only the sounds of the approaching night between them when another wave crashed and this time the instincts in Amani took over.
A moment seemed like forever and much sooner than it began, it was over. Thankfully, their daughters came almost one right after the other, saving her more pain. The first was a white beauty with black stipes like her mother. The second female was purple with white paws and red stripes that resembled Harabu's markings. She even had the mark beneath her eye. Third was another white female with light blue marks on her rump, like her father. And lastly, a black female with red stripes like the first-born.
Amani looked tired as she watched their four new daughters suckle, but her eyes were alight.
"Gods, Harabu. They're so beautiful..." she sighed, no louder than a whisper.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:33 pm
Harabu looked worried as she gave birth not knowing how to help her but he just watched she seemed to be coping ok. He watched the cubs all girls. They were all so beautiful but thankfully not one looked like Ihlo which is what Harabu was hoping. They all looked so different, the black and red one sticking out the most.
"They are amazing Amani, so beautiful." He smiled and laid down next to her and the four beautiful girls.
The youngest of the four girls wriggled around a little, coming out from such a warm place gave her a little shock but she was happy to curl up by her mothers stomach and take a drink. Her first few moments in life seemed to be great.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:42 pm
As tired as her mother must be, the third born was still quick to wriggle her way to find her own place at Amani' belly. Finding what she sought, she drank, aware she was no longer where she had been before. Anything beyond that was lost on the little female.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:16 pm
The firstborn mewed the protestation of her birth, disliking the change of location from having been warm and safe only moments before. Her fur was wet from the birth & the air made that an unpleasant feeling. And she was hungry. She moved towards the nearest, largest source of warmth. When she found a source of her mother's milk her frustrated complaints ceased instantly and she latched to suckle, snuggling mother & sisters for warmth.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:47 pm
Amani smiled down at their daughters and nuzzled Harabu lightly.
"I knew they would be... Do you think Ihlo will be happy?" she asked, the smile she wore echoing in her voice.
"Four little girls... What should we name them?" she asked, leaning her head against him as her eyes closed.
The second eldest was completely amazed at this new sensation. No more warmth and cusioned luxury, but so many new things at once. Changing cold and heat, sounds, smells, even her voice and the voices of her sisters enthralled her.
But it was too cold to think about other things and she was oh so hungry. So for the moment she was content enough to just snuggle close to her mama and fill her tiny stomach.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:37 pm
Harabu looked down at them and smiled. "I hope Ihlo likes them." He then looked at the cub that was of his own colours.
"She is being called Umbia and that little mostly white one there." He pointed to the one born just before the little black and red one. "I want to call her Nurisha. Pretty names." He smiled and looked at his children bursting with pride. They were all so beautiful.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:20 pm
Amani nodded and looked to their two remaining daughters.
"Idubencane... and Huruma," she named them, the white and black cub first, the the purple and red.
"Beautiful names for beautiful cubs," she sighed and laid her head down.
"You can go get Ihlo now, if you want. I'd like her to meet her little sisters."
Huruma perked up a bit at the familiar sounds. She had heard them times before, though they were no longer muffled and distant. She didn't know it then, but they were the voices of her mother and father.
Taking her fill, she broke away from her mother's side and curled up close to her warmth, mewing once before drifting off to sleep.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:45 am
Harabu smiled and nodded before getting up and rushing off to find his daughter, hopefully she would like her sisters as well. He could only hope that she would love them as much as they would surely love her.
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:53 pm
Idubencane grumbled slightly as her sister moved, the heat of bodies shifting. When the big form left too she made something of a pout. Somehow the big one's pressence had her feeling safe, more when both big ones were there than just the one from whom she nursed. Nothing else yet registered to her young mind. Her stomach filled and Idubencane burped and fell over backwards. That upset her, for the warmth was gone. Mewling the black striped female crawled back to her mother's side, snuggling in for the warmth there. She yawned, showing a small pink tongue, but did not sleep yet. Idubencane was tired, but some part of her wanted to know what was happening around her and tried to stay awake.
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