|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:46 pm
((I'd kinda like this to be a little open, but not until after Raza's had all the little ones, which I plan to do all in one post anyway. XD After she's had them, feel free to toss someone in, if you'd like))  Barazahi's belly had reached an unprecedented fatness on this day. On top of it, the highly disheveled lioness was feeling particularly ill on this morning. She allowed a red eye to slide open, only to find that her eyes hadn't truly been prepared for the brightness of daylight. She waited for her eyes to adjust before looking around for anyone who was nearby... Nobody. Everybody was out and about, probably fetching some food for her.
Raza moaned in pain as she rose to her feet. It seemed that her belly was dragging on the ground as she quite ungracefully padded out in search of her mate.
"Angu," she sighed, the sound having been the loudest she could utter before she fell to the ground, pain searing again. "Angu!" She said louder. All she could do was hope he wasn't meandering on the borders of their Pride's lands. They hadn't been home for a week! Cubs, so soon? This couldn't be it, could it?She let her earthy-red eyes slide shut again, as she prepared for what was to come.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:53 pm
Angu sighed as he left his sleeping mate, not wanting to leave her. But he had to patrol, he had to think of the entire pride, not just her. No matter how much he wanted her and the cubs to be the only ones he had to worry about. To care about. To love, and cherish.
Moments after he left, however, Angu heard Raza's voice faintly on the wind. She was in pain. With all the speed he could muster from his bulky body, he sprinted back to her side, panting and laying beside her.
"I'm here Raza, I'm here for you." He said softly, licking her cheek tenderly. It was time, he could tell. On the outside, he tried to remain calm for both the sake of Raza and himself, but inside his heart was racing. He couldn't keep from worrying about his love giving birth. What if something went wrong? What if something bad happened to her or the cubs? And even if nothing went amiss, he didn't know if he could bear watching helplessly as Raza went through such an extreme process.
"Everything will be fine." He whispered, though he wasn't sure if they were true. He could only pray that they were.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:11 pm
Barazahi let an eye open. She could see that characteristic pink block out the sun. She smiled. "Angu..." Her voice was weak. "They're coming," She told him, and she was right. Pain seared through her as the first cub entered the world-
- A girl. She had her grandfather's back spots, and her dad's pink. And part of Raza's face markings. She had enough time before the next came to clean the girl. "She's beautiful," Raza commented, pondering for the first time ever if this was the most beautiful creature she'd seen. She closed her eyes and lay back down as the second was on his way. Pain, again, this one worse than the first had been. Soon enough, another cub was born into the world.
There was no break, as the next hurriedly pushed his way out.
She looked up at her mate, strained and quickly running out of energy. "There's more!" She said, concerned. She knew there was at least one more to be born. She laid her head back down and reached out a paw to touch Angusho's before she felt the now-familiar pain return. Another boy-
Raza turned back to her new sons, and lone daughter, sure that this was the last. She started to clean them and sat up, unaware that the trial was not yet over. She cleaned them off as best she could. "Angusho, they're gorgeous! So many new Shujaa!" She said with a smile up to her mate, that soon turned into a look of confusion. A strange feeling- not as painful as before came over her, and she brought the last into the world.
The last was surprisingly small... Probably why he didn't hurt as much. Still, Raza couldn't help but worry for his health in the back of her mind. Barazahi this time didn't have the energy to stay up after she cleaned the last. She felt more worn out than she ever had in her life. She reached, again, for her mat'es paw as she plopped back down into the dust, tired. She knew that she'd have to get up soon... She'd have to carry the cubs to a baobab tree so she could scratch the bark on them, making them pride members by birth and blessing them. That, though, could certainly wait for five more minutes...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:17 pm
The girl, the only female of the litter, soundlessly shivered as she felt the cold of the outside world hit her. It wasn't long, though before her little grey nose caught the comforting scent of her mother, though she didn't realize it, and silently squirmed over to it. The closer she got, the warmer it got... Most newborns would at least make little squeaks, but the female was silent as she reached her mother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:25 pm
Angu watched in awe as Raza pushed out the first four cubs, beaming proudly down at them. "They are wonderful, my dear. Simply perfect, just like you." He nuzzled her gently, but paused as the last came out. He frowned, slightly concerned. The last cub was smaller than the others, and wasn't moving. He held his breath for a moment, afraid that he may be a stillborn, but soon after, his youngest son stirred, squeaking slightly.
"What shall we name them?" He asked, still watching the last one closely. He tapped the yellow cub ever so gently with his paw, "I think this one should be Kipawa. And this one," He tapped the runt, pushing him gently toward Raza. "Should be Genge'kibwana. Would you like to name the others, love?"
Genge had no energy left, none at all. But he had to move, that was all he knew. He needed food, what ever that was, but he was so tired from being born and struggling against his brothers and sister to try to get out, but failed. He was exhausted. He shuddered, moving one of his paws feebly, but then stopped.
The only sign that he was alive was the occasional squeak or flick of the wet ear, he did not struggle as his father pushed him against his mother. Grateful for the warmth, he managed to find what he was searching for, and suckled happily on his mother's milk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:55 pm
As if he had something to proove, the pink and blue boy pushed his way towards his mother's side by instinct. He was small, as any newborn should be, but it was quite apparent already that he had a strength about him that obviously came from his father. He reached his mother's warm side quite quickly and nuzzled his way into her fur for a few moments, simply enjoying the lack of breeze. After a few seconds, the hunger struck. He pawed at her belly until he felt what he was after, and freedily suckled like any healthy cub. He squeeked inbetween gulps, because for some reason he felt the need to. It just felt... right to squeek and suckle and kneed at his mother's belly. It felt like the lion thing to do. And so he did it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:29 pm
Barazahi managed to muster up the strength to sit up. She'd have to get them to a baobab some time. She would wait a little while more upright before taking a cub. They'd need family members to help carry... She couldn't take more than one, and neither could Angu.
She nuzzled the cubs. "The girl, her name should be Hidaya'Ua. And this one," she touched the blue boy with the pink mane. "He should be Umlindi, don't you think? Good strong name. And the other blue boy, I like Yamir." She hoped she wasn't being too forceful with her opinions.
"Angu, eventually, we need to get to a baobab tree. Not right now, but in a few minutes, once I can muster the strength," She said. It was odd that a lioness who had lived outside of the lands for so long would find the ritual so... important. Still, she thought it would indeed be a very significant thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:29 pm
Yamir's tiny body shivered in the cold air (at least in comparison...), his tiny limbs pushing out in front of his body, blindly trying to make an image in his mind of all things around him while he sought out the warmth he desired. Sure enough, he found it by his mother's side. Not to say he'd chosen -that- location on his own, as he'd had no choice, but was instead given that location by another drive.
Hunger.
Mimicking the motions of his brother, whom he had squeaked at in protest upon receiving a shove-from, he too fed from her, though with less of the instinct that a cub should have had and more of the drive of 'I CAN DO THAT TOO' that was oh-so-endearing of bickering-siblings. Or whatever else.
The sound of cubs and Raza had brought Mpenzi to the scene, leaving her son elsewhere to investigate the matter which sounded all too familiar to herself. The Kaimu took a moment to peek about before she made her entrance, and with it she came silently, taking a seat in the presence of both the parents, while not taking it upon herself to speak, looking adoringly at the young ones, mentally counting them, then smiling again.
There was five. A lovely number. Many boys to play with her Nzigu and a young girl to be acquainted with her many daughters. At least, if the parents of the children wished it.
Beaming in awe, the sandy-lioness looked to each parent, bowing her head in congratulations, before looking down at the little ones. "They're beautiful."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:18 pm
"Lovely names, my dear." Angu said softly, licking her cheek tenderly. "No need to rush, take your time. You're right though, they will need to be taken there."
Angu bowed his head respectfully toward Mpenzi, "Thank you. It is an honor to have you here at the birth of our children." Angu said with a smile.
Genge shivered in the cold, torn between trying to snuggle up warm with his mother and satisfying his hunger. Before long though, he was full and proceeded to attempt to bury himself in his mother's fur. He yawned, and quickly fell asleep. Being born was a very tiring affair, especially when you are small for your age.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:37 pm
((Feel free to RP your babies, though this RP isn't finished. Keep an eye on it until it is, so you can post if you want.))
Raza looked up as the Kaimu approached. How embarassing, for the queen to see me like this, she thought to herself. Her fur was messy, she was covered with dirt... She was still fat from the pregnancy's inactivity... Not at all in her usual beauty.
"I, too, am honored that you could be here to bless our cubs." Her eyes showed her pride. She wanted to go so she could get the work over with, but the cubs seemed to still be hungry. She decided to procrastinate the work. Besides, there were only 3 adults, and 5 cubs. Not enough mouths around...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:43 pm
"I could carry more than one of our cubs," Angu offered, "If you would place one on my back, I can carry two at a time." He eyed the smallest, who was now sleeping, probably our smallest, I wouldn't want one of the others to try to jump off." He teased, "And that's hard to do when you're sleeping." Gently, he picked up Kipawa by the scruff of his neck, ready to make the somewhat short trip to the sacred tree.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:20 pm
Barazahi picked up the remaining cubs, taking one in her mouth and managing to get another on her back and a third to balance on her head... They were not really squirmy right now. Whether the queen would follow or not, she was unsure, but Barazahi knew this was something she had to do, though it had never happened to her.
Despite her entire body aching, the lioness was strong and carried everyone else to the sacred tree, gently setting each one down carefully at its base. She sat for a moment, regaining her balance, before scraping the bark off of the sacred Baobab tree, allowing it to fall on her sons' and daughter's heads. "You are now of the Mteo'Nyungu," she said to them, though she knew they wouldn't understand. Not yet. She looked at them, proud of her accomplishment and full of love. She hoped she was prepared for this challenge ahead of her, but she too was of the Mteo. She knew that these cubs would make her proud.
((Finished!))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
