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 Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:14 pm
Grinning, her chest was puffed with pride; she had gotten that stupid pig to go away and saved her son's first kill. Picking up the still warm hog, she started back to the den. Even in her up sprits, she noticed things right away. There were no paw prints going back to the den, sniffing to try and find his scent. Slowly, her heart started to drop.
Taking off in a run, she held her injured leg up so that she could move quicker. Sure, it hurt and made more bleeding, but it was her cub's life and that meant far more to her. Pushing through the pain, she got all the way back to the den, leaving the piglet far away that it wouldn't attract anything to her den. Inspecting her cubs, she realized Motsu wasn't there. To her horror, she realized he probably ran the wrong way.
Rather then go to the pride and ask for help, or bother her sister, the alone mentality of a rogue land lioness showed itself too strongly. Running into the jungle again, her hurt leg never hitting the ground, she didn’t give a thought to herself, only her son. Bursting into the thick trees, she didn't even look where she was walking as she bolted forward, roaring, she called desperately to find the little cub that she had lost. After this, she'd teach them all about their leopard part, then they could go to the trees and she'd never lose them like this.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:37 am
The little red cub wandered still further into the jungle, trying to back track, but finding everything looked the same. The loam underfoot seemed to get thicker as the trees began to get larger, and finally he sat down against the trunk of one of these massive trees, trying not to cry. His ear perked up when he heard a distant roar, but it was too far away for him to know if it was his mother, or where it came from. Despite this, his hopes rose, and he stood, looking around. "Momma?" He cried, then louder, "Momma?" He paced, growling as his stomach knotted in nervousness and fear. What if it wasn't his mother? What if she couldn't find him?
As the little cub paced below, a large tree python looked down at him from above, it's yellow eyes gleaming. Oh, what a meal that would be! He'd be full for at least two weeks. At the moment, his stomach was very empty. So the large green snake began slowly slithering down the trunk, just out of sight of it's intended meal. Usually, it waited for birds and the like, but it hadn't caught any thus far, and was very hungry.
Motsu whimpered, sniffling as he fought back tears and sat down. Maybe his mother would find him if he sat in one place? She was a great hunter, she would find him...right?
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:50 pm
To encourage her son, and herself, as well as warn anything nearby that there was an angry lioness, she roared again. Calling with all her might, she continued to run, determined to find her son. Luck was on their side, his scent was not hard to pick up, the fear was nearly palpable on the tongue.
Leaping over another trunk, the grace of the powerful huntress was in full form as she pushed the three used legs to their limits. Closer, she could feel it, passed every tree she looked harder to find the little one that had run so far from home. His sense of direction needs serious work that was just that.
Around the next tree, she stopped, panting heavily and greatly relieved, she had found him! "Motsu, come here, quickly." There was no time to delay, they had to get home as quick as possible, her wound needed to rest and they were in danger here. Now, she could see she couldn't depend on him to find his own way home, increasing the danger.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:07 pm
He heard the roar again, and this time he was sure that it was his mother. "Momma!" Rising to his paws, he stared in the direction it had come from, listening carefully for any sounds. But instead of his mother, he heard something move behind him and turned, yelping when he saw the snake, only a foot away from him. It lunged, narrowly missing Motsu as he jerked away and turned, racing towards his mother, sobbing and yelping loudly. "Momma!!!" He cried, hearing her call. He pushed himself as hard as he could, splashing through a dirty creek and dirtying himself, until he finally leapt over a large root, right in front of his mother. "Momma!" He sobbed out, rushing to her side, trembling all over, "It tried to eat me!" He nuzzled her, desperate to get as close to that comforting scent as he could.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:36 pm
This was a nightmare, hearing her cub's frantic cries for her, knowing she might not get there fast enough. When he did find her side, he was crying about nearly being eaten. Needing to get away from here, so she could reassure her child, and feel at least a little bit of safety, she didn't spare much time in giving him a few good licks. "Follow close to my side, don't get away from again, we are getting out of here." Still with a limp, she started out of there. Once they were safe, she could spare all of the time in the world to comfort and groom. Now, they need to get going.
Extra alert, her slight panting didn't inhibit her ability to sniff around for trouble as she led them out of the jungle. Plans already in motion, they were going to know how to defend themselves, right away. Climbing, she'd also get them climbing since it was a benefit of their mixed parentage.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:42 pm
Motsu nodded, sniffling as he turned and followed closely. "Momma, you're hurt." He cried, smelling her blood, though he fell quiet, brushing against her every so often, so close he stayed to her. It seemed like an eternity before they finally broke out into the sunshine, and the exausted dirty cub whimpered, now fully limping on his injured paw, "I'm sorry, Momma...I didn't know...I was scared and it got dark and there was big yellow eyes and teeth!" He rambled, crying softly.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:03 pm
The comment about her being hurt was ignored, she was too busy focusing on getting them out of there alive. With her leg the way it was, any attack would be very hard to fend off, it was much better to avoid it. What a pair they made, both hurt and limping. She was the mother, she was supposed to be invicable. Perhaps she would have come out unscathed, but to do so would have put Mostu in worse danger.
Once they were out of the jungle, safe again, she told her son, "I'll be alright, soon I will go and let mother Ocean clean the wound. First, you will be checked out." Not to let any argument, she nudged him right into the flowing stream of fresh water going to the ocean. Once the intail durt was cleaned off, she could be assured he was alright and treat him. Licking his ears and between them, she told him, "You and your siblings are going to learn how to climb. I let Sewelo get taught by a leopard, but let the rest of you out of it. No more, I'll teach you how to make sure this never happens again." She had no favored cubs, though it seemed Sewelo got more and did more.
It was only he sought her out more, happened to be with her when things happened. Today, Motsu would learn all about who he was, tomorrow, the rest of her litter.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:16 pm
Motsu didn't protest getting pushed into the cold water, nuzzling into the licks gatefully, "I'm sorry, Momma." He said softly, leaning against her paw wearily, "I...was so scared." He raised his bright eyes to look up at her, "I didn't mean to scare you." He now realized how worried and scared she had been, he could still smell it on her. All he wanted was to snuggle down in the den with his siblings and mother and sleep.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:34 pm
Continuing to lick her son, calming herself down as well. "Come out of the water so I can get the rest of you." Her words were softer now, having calmed down a bunch now that she felt comfortable. "I know, son, I know." Breathing deeply, she was able to smile at him some, more convinced about what she was going to say.
"Motsu, have you ever wondered about your birth father? Not Thili, though he is a great father." She believed in Thili, loved him so, that sometimes it slipped, she'd take any chance to reinforce her thoughts on the subject to try and keep her cubs positive. They were entitled not to like him, if one hated him so much, it would break her heart, but she'd do what was best for her children, even if she believed him to be best.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:40 pm
Motsu climbed out of the water obediantly, shaking himself and licking his pinched paw. He looked up at his mother, appearing confused. "No...I don't need a father. I have you." He said, a determined pout on his muzzle. He tolerated Thili more than anything. He really felt nothing for him. "Come on, Momma, let's go back." He said, nuzzling her face, "You're still hurt." He didn't think twice about her question, having never questioned it himself.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:12 pm
She smiled gently at her son, it was better than him rebelling or something like that. He didn't sound like he out right hated Thili, for which she silently thanked him for his tolerance. The suggestion to go home was dismissed though, and she said with a firm but gentle voice. "Not yet, Motsu, I need to talk to you about some stuff. I wanted to hold back and hide it, but it was proven to me that I can't" He may not want to hear it, but he had to know about that half of him, so he could use it to its fullest.
Giving him a nuzzle and a lick between the ears, she'd have his full attention on this, she needed it. Sewelo took it well, but he always took everything he said to the letter, sometimes too far. Motsu was more independent of thought, but another cub that made her feel like the center of the universe and so loved. "I know you don't feel you need a father, you don't need your birth father, but he gave you a gift you need to understand. You are a lion, with something extra, the power of a leopard." She wouldn't say he was half, never, just extra gifted.
To drive home what it meant to him, she tried to explain further. "Your father was a leopard; leopards are very good at climbing trees. If you can use that part of you, you'll be able to escape harm in the trees." Nothing could hurt him there, no lion would be able to climb that well, unless it was raised by a leopard, and nothing else could climb. No filthy hyenas and no violent warthogs.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:15 am
Motsu stopped as he was licked, flicking his ears as he looked up at his mother, tilting his head. "What is it, Momma?" He questioned, sitting down on his haunches patiently. He listened closely. "Leopard?" He asked, trying to think. He had seen a few leopards, but how could he have the power of one? "Does...that mean I'm not a lion?" He asked, sounding a little hurt. He wasn't a lion like her, "Are the other cubs lions?" He asked. Was he the only one who was different? He wasn't sure what to think of climbing trees, though it sounded exciting, but the thought of being the only one who wasn't a lion in his family hurt.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:50 am
No, he wasn't quite a lion but that didn't make a single bit of difference to her. She waited to allow him time to soak all this in before she gave him another nuzzle, "You are a lion, in your heart, you have everything that is good in a lion within you. Its just, you have added traits of a leopard." It was something extra, as far as she saw it; nothing was taken away from him, just gained.
Keeping her tail behind her, one proof of their difference was she had a tuft and he didn't. "Everyone one of your siblings have this added gift, only your cousin, Aunt and Jethro." She couldn't bring herself to call him their uncle, not until she could see that he wasn't going to leave them like Aten and the lion before them had left her sister. The cub he brought with him, though, she had little trouble saying she was family.
In reality they were all each other had, they were family no matter what. While it might hurt, thinking he was different from the others, it was that difference that could be the key to saving him or his siblings should trouble come their way.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:03 am
The young cub's ears tipped back as he looked down at the ground, tail curling around his hind legs where he sat. This was a little hard to understand, but it didn't sound very bad, the way his mother was saying it. "So...I am a lion, and a leopard?" He asked, unable to comprehend what kind of impact that might have on him. "So that means I can climb trees and...and..." he thought, "Leopard stuff? As well as hunt really good like you?" Ah, the simple mind of a child. His perspective might become skewed later if he encountered prejudices, but for now, he saw nothing wrong with it.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:20 am
The wheels were turning, and the difference between the cubs of hers was very marked by how he was taking it. Hearing him out completely, she smiled and nodded, "Yes, you'll be able to roar like me, hunt like me, and you'll grow a mane like Thili." At least, she hoped he'd have a mane. It would probably be less then say, the male she named, but she was sure it would be there. It would probably have helped if she knew another leopon, but she didn't so she had to go with what she believed.
There was nothing wrong with being both, and she'd shred anyone who even breathed the word or wrongness. At first, she was afraid that would happen, but this pride showed her that it wasn't as she feared.
Giving him one more bit to encourage him, "A lion and a leopard together are called Leopons, but you'll always be my little lion cub, just one able to climb like I cannot." That was all the difference she saw, but she loved him even more, all that made him like her and all that made him different.
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