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 Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:12 am
Hababuu placed the chocolate cub at Kiburi's forepaws and watched as the mother set her task at washing this new one. There was a smile now on the young girl's face as she watched this scene unravel. What would it be like to have cubs of her own one day? Looking at this little scene made her think that the pain would definately be worth it.
Kiburi's startled cry jolted Habu from her reverie and instantly the young one went to her aid, picking up the chocolate cub to place her next to her three sisters. "Come on now Kiburi." She said in a calming voice, "you can do it." She smiled despite her nervousness, "what did the last one's name mean?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:22 am
Kiburi's whole body shook and she seemed to curl inwards a little, tail moving to wrap around one hind leg. "It...It m-means..." She clenched her jaw as another contraction shook the length of her body and with a stifled roar she pushed again, her whole body tensing. Every inch of her face registered pain and for a moment she seemed at a loss for words.
Then the contraction subsided and she stuttered, trying to control her breathing, "B-born to wander..." Her eyes seemed to glaze over as she cast them over her four little daughters.
This next cub seemed to be causing some discomfort and her heart shuddered as she thought of it being trapped or born the wrong way as she had been. She gave another worried cry and used her fear to drive her onwards, pushing with all her might. Something shifted and with another great effort the fifth cub was brought into the world.
Slate-blue eyes sought out and found the newest ball of fur lying outstretched on its belly on the ground, its slimy fur shimmering in the dull light. Kiburi remained waiting patiently as this fifth one was brought to her and instantly she recognised a difference. This little pearly cub had a small tuft of fur between its ears and its scent was different from the others.
This one was her boy!
With great affection Kiburi washed the fur of her first and possibly only son, making gentle strokes with her tongue, pausing only to whisper his name lovingly into his ears. "Tambi. M-my little Tambi." And he was quite small, though she was pleased to note he seemed to be roughly the same size as the last two born before him.
She lifted him by the scruff of his neck and placed him at her belly, watching as he moved to take his place next to his sisters.
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:25 am
So it was easy to tell boys from girls, Habu realised as she watched the wriggling balls of fur feeding happily from their mother. They seemed oblivious to the pain they were causing Kiburi, or the trauma of their somewhat violent birthing. It was a shame cubs didn't always remain so blissfully ignorant, soon they would have their own share of problems to deal with.
Just like her.
But for now she would concentrate at the task on hand. She could find a present for her brother later, there was no rush for that.
"Is that the last one?" She asked, glancing over to the young adult who seemed to have fallen asleep.
"...Kiburi...?"
The adult's body tensed and Hababuu knew that was the only answer she would get.
There was another on the way.
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:39 am
Kiburi had been praying silently that the white lioness had been wrong. That she would only birth five little beauties. She would have been happy with one and yet somehow she had been gifted with many more. Whilst she was happy about this she was also becoming increasingly worried. The birthing was sapping her strength far too quickly and already she could not control her tremors.
She felt hot, tired and incredibly uncomfortable, not to mention weak.
Wheezing slightly she gave a twitch in Habu's direction, only to find herself too weak to reply or even move. Her body tensed automatically as it prepared for the birth of another.
This time it took far more effort than any before it and with each passing moment she grew worried. What if something was wrong? What if something went terribly wrong?! Could she handle the fact that one of her cubs had died due to her weakness?
Tears welled in her eyes as she pushed and her maw parted in a silent cry.
Please...please... Her mind filled with prayers, wishes and desires and then suddenly she felt the sixth tiny body fall free onto the ground.
Another had been born.
Kiburi had not even the strength to turn around and lay on her side, filling the den with her hoarse breathing.
She grew worried further when the contractions didn't seem to end and gave Hababuu a terrified look as the juvenile placed a creamy white girl beside her.
"P-please..." Kiburi struggled to speak, "w-wash her for me...there's still...m-more." Her eyes glanced at the tiny little white cub fearfully. She seemed not to be so lively as the others and perhaps a little too small for her own good.
"H-her name...h-her name is Ya."
Because she would say yes to life.
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:00 am
She gave a nod and lowered her head to wash the birthing fluid from the tiny newborn. It tasted strange on her tongue, almost tangy, but she put up with it. Her smaller tongue washed slower than Kiburi's but it wasn't long until she had this new, little girl completely clean and fluffy. Somehow Hababuu could not help but favour this little one. This survivor who was so small and yet so strong.
"Ya." She smiled and picked up the little one, placing her next to the others and making sure she wasn't crushed by the slightly bigger cubs. "Play nice now." She joked lightly, pausing to glance over in Kiburi's direction.
The adult was struggling, that much was obvious. Her body was shaking violently and her eyes were squeezed closed.
She kicked out her hind legs, tail coming free to slap almost angrily against the ground. Then finally Hababuu heard the sound that proved that another cub had been brought to the world and instantly moved to fetch it.
However as she laid eyes on the tiny little golden ball of fur Hababuu knew something was terribly wrong. It did not struggle, it did not make a sound. It lay there in the puddle of fluid but did nothing to change it. The juvenile was suddenly afraid of touching it because somehow she knew this great stillness meant something bad. She took a step back, wary and unsure of what to do and then opened her mouth to try and speak.
"K-Kiburi." Her own eyes were filling with tears and her legs trembled as she tried to decide on the right course of action.
She knew in her heart that the cub was dead. It was too small, too weak...
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:06 am
Kiburi's heart ran cold as she heard the juvenile's voice and she knew then that her last cub would never live to see the world. She threw back her head and roared, the sound blasting all around with it's heart-crushing note.
"No!" She tried to deny it and yet she knew...she knew nothing could be done.
Wrenching herself upwards she shifted her whole body around so that she could set her eyes upon the tiny golden boy who would never walk, never play, never explore.
On the ground the cubs wailed and slowly the new mother lowered herself and gathered in her young, heart aching to think of that one little boy who would never live to see the light of a new day. She nestled her face in the mass of tiny bodies and wept until she had no tears left and then slowly she lowered herself to the ground and willed sleep to come to her.
What had happened this day would be imprinted in her mind until the very last moment.
But before sleep came Kiburi heard a voice, a voice that sounded distinctly like her mothers; Bakhti.
Your golden son waits for you. He is not truly dead.
And with that comfort came sleep, Kiburi;s eyes falling closed and her breathing easing out into something that sounded a little healthier than before.
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:18 am
Sadly Habu turned back to look at the tiny little cub and slowly drew forwards, picking up it's tiny body and carrying it out of the den.
She did not pause, instead she moved swiftly across the ground towards the river where the mud was softer and easier to dig up. Then setting the tiny baby - she had chosen to name Goldie - to lay down on the riverbank before moving to dig feverishly at the ground.
It would probably be the first and only time that the little vain princess would ever dig in the dirt, but somehow it just felt right. It was the least she could do for Kiburi and for the poor lifeless baby.
Then finally when she had dug a hole almost as deep down as herself in height she leapt out and picked up the tiny motionless form once more.
It was here that she set him in the hollow and bowed her head.
"Goodbye little Goldie...I hope you find your way to heaven okay."
Then she began the task of burying him, ignoring the dirt that fell all into her fur.
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:27 am
Little Jini'pomoka - the eldest of the litter - was born blind and deaf. She had wriggled and mewed like a kitten and now fed contentedly.
It seemed whatever had been bothering her mother just now had gone and as Kiburi fell to sleep so too did Pomoka feel drowsy.
She gave up feeding and wriggled upwards to snuggle in the curve of her mother's neck in an attempt to get away from her other siblings.
Enveloped in a warm mass the tiny child gave a small yawn and began to knead with her paws at her mother's fur, before curling up into a tight little ball.
It was here that she dropped off into a deep, but very peaceful sleep, unaware of the pain and trauma that had just gone on around her.
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:07 pm
One of the younger cubs in the litter, Kizalia'buga lay quietly by her mother. Hunger hindered her little as she was in a light sleep, but it was starting to linger on her mind. Listening to the sounds around her, feeling the bodies move next to and near her.
Her back leg tiwtched as she opened her eyes slightly and watched the action around her. There was not much happening except the quiet breathing of her mother and the wriggling of her 5 siblings. She looked around but had a slightly distant feeling in her heart, a feeling that was there even so there were many others around her. She didn't want to stay where she was, it gave her a feeling of... well, she wasn't quite sure yet.
She scooted toward the stomach of her dozing parent and cuddled gently into it's warm fur. The feeling floated off as she lay there, body warmth from her family around her, returning to her state of half-asleep, half-awake.
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Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:47 am
Life. It was a strange, thrumming thing that burned through the small white creature. She jostled and shifted, mewing pathetically without taking much notice of the tragedy that had followed her own birth. Ya twisted and rolled onto her side, stretching out her tiny paws as she felt her siblings jostle against her. They felt bigger then her for some reason- and she gave a rather mighty shove to be sure she got at a teat. Past that first mew- she made no other noises save the occasional gurgle and scoff when she felt too pressed.
The cub, exhausted, took what milk she could before collapsing upon herself. Her head rested against the tiny bones of her paws, and let lethargy pass across her.
Too tired...living was tiring.
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