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 Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:54 pm
Mwali had watched the birthing in silence, his face stern as ever. A massive litter to them, surely this was Finar-si’s way of showing her approval in their ambitions. Each of them birthed without complications, strong cubs with demanding cries for their mother’s milk. He would remain where he was, remain silent, until Azachamorel was composed once more. He was silent, but there was a very faint softer side to him. He had sat himself beside Azachamorel as she nursed the cubs, keeping a sharp eye on each of the cubs. Every one was essential. Any one of them could be selected by the goddess herself as the firekin’s new ruler.
The cub’s eyes had opened, though they were still very near helpless. Mwali had returned a few times with young kills still bleeding in his jaws. This evening was no different. A young gazelle with his mouth still parted, eyes still bulged out from its last moments of life. The last moments of terror as its life was ripped away by crimson claws.
Mwali dropped the calf down in the sand at his mate’s paws, licking the blood from his maw. “Goddess bless your strength.” He said quietly, proudly. “How are they?”
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:04 pm
Afzal squirmed and wiggled as he pushed his way to the milk. Calls and squeaked as he pushed his way with as much force as a small cub could do.
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:29 pm
 Sinbad, as he'd been named earlier, opened up a single eye. A rounded red eye watched the movements of his brother beside him. The cub reached a paw out, batting clumsily at the sand beside the squirming cub. He didn't know to mind his claws just yet, so there had been some rather unfortunate accidents. Mwali obviously approved of the playful behavior, play was a good start to fighting...
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:34 pm
The sheer size of the litter had meant the the cubs had all been born relatively small, but none of them worryingly so, and they'd been growing well in the days since their birth. Mwali was at once an annoyance and a blessing, bringing food but always watching. It was a touch disconcerting for someone who wasn't used to such near-constant company.
Just looking at the cubs made Azachamorel swell with pride - pride and hope. Eight! And she had carried and delivered them all with no loss. The boys outnumbered the girls, five to three, and they ranged from Mwali's bright red-orange to her own middle tones to dark, and two even matched each other, which she found rather fascinating. She'd named the pair accordingly.
Bright eyes locked on Mwali and the prize he carried as he entered. She fell on the gazelle the moment it was presented to her, tearing into the carcass without ceremony or spoken thanks. It was only several swallows in that she answered, pausing also to lick the cub who squeaked, the one with the streaked whisp of what would be a mane, with her bloody tongue.
"They are well," she responded, "Growing stronger by the day. You see?" She chuckled at Sinbad's antics.
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:45 pm
Azula stretched against her mother's side. She wasn't much good at moving just yet, and so she prefered to remain still. It wasn't laziness or lack of will, but rather some early-blooming form of self awareness that wanted her to not make a fool of herself. Not that the cub, had she the words, would have the concept to explain that. Her eyes, a brilliant teal like her fathers, peeked open at the swarm of red all about her. Though her nose twitched at the smell of the meat, she was still of age to feast on her mother's milk and thought little of the gazelle's bloody mess. Instead, her eyes rested on her father's form, come back wherever it was he went off to so often, and then the two 'playing' shapes of her brothers. She was glad she was away from them, for the claws of her siblings weren't something she took any joy in; as she was prone to crying to her mother about.
Instead, Azula, as she was called, wormed her way past the sleeping sisters she'd been curled against, and towards her father's side.
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:32 am
 ((Because I HAD to post before rushing off to my next class))
Instead of following Azula however, she stumbled onto Simbad's form, her maw opening to close over the boy's ear, her gums chewing insistently at the pelt there, sucking at it, tugging. It was not hurtful; not yet anyhow, for her mouth still lacked the sharpness of most of her teeth, but rather, must've been a bit like a massage. Her tail turned to curl about her body, her bright red eyes remaining heavy lidded as the cub found herself somewhere between the realm of sleep and the wake.
They strayed towards her parents; she knew whom they were by instinct, and ever since she'd opened her eyes, the small cub had watched them insistently. Even though she understood little of what they did, and nothing of what they said, something in the back of her mind demanded she keep as much attention on them as ever possible.
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:17 pm
 "Rrrrrrrr." The brightly colored cub growled, emerald eyes slightly sleep-bleary as he watched his father pad in with the kill. "Rrrrrr." He padded forward, steps wobbly, sniffing at the antelope. Seating himself with a plop, he watched his mother tear the carcass apart, fascinated.
But watching his mother eat soon lost the young cub's interest, and he looked round for Gehenda, who was quickly becoming his favorite sibling. He sneezed and wobbled on unsteady paws towards said sibling, showing his tiny needle-like fangs in a little grin.
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:09 pm
 Gehenda. The fires of hell. And indeed, part of this cub was scorched by those fires. He, like his sisters, was quite content to relax against his mother's wamr and furry form. At least until challenged. He blinked away the blur and vaguely recognised one of his many brothers hobbling toward him.
With a yelping 'rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' he thought to warn him off and state his claim on this patch of mum.
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:01 pm
 Niwasha'Hewa was used to all the commotion that started up whenever one of them and subsequently the rest woke up, but that didn't make it any less annoying when she was trying to nap. She huffed her indignant displeasure and decided she stood a better chance of continuing her snooze next to the fluffy warmth that was her father. To that end, she stood and carefully stretched, tiny claws flexing out, and toddled in Mwali's general direction. Her twin, Niwasha'Kan, was similarly displeased, but had a different way of handling the situation. The closest offender was his yellow-eyed brother, at whom he directed his own aggravated, "A-urrrrr!" and paw-thwack.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:09 am
Mwali looked down to the two cubs that had come up to curl beside him. His expression was deadpan, cold as ever. Almost as if he was assessing them. "Yes I see that... walking already, and playing." He nodded his approval, slowly moving a paw to gently nudge Azula a bit towards 'Hewa. It was the same method he had used to raise Kui and Mwali. There was little affection to be gained from him. Their care was their mother's role. It had always been that way. He would be their teacher and protector, their mother would care for them and assist in their teaching. It was the way of things.
"Not a flaw in them." He noted, "All of them bear the bloodstained pelts of the goddess. In time, we'll have a force of ten to include you and I." He smiled a bit, "Perhaps by then I could gift each of them with their own personal slave to hone as they wish."___
The cub croaked in protest to the nibble on his ear, rolling himself around to his back to kick all four paws at his sister. He seemed a bit uncoordinated and rowdy, even for his age he always seemed to be eager to start little play fights. Nothing impressive for clumsy cubs hardly able to speak, but play none the less.
He threw his paws out to kind of 'hug' around her neck, mouth parted in squeaking attempts at growls.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:29 am
Nooooooooooo....
Had the cub been able to, she'd have voiced this more vocaly, however, as it was, she merely rolled with her brother, issuing a squeak of protest at the fact he was not letting her have her way with his ear. As far as Kenna was concerned, that ear was rightfuly hers, and she wanted access to it, thankyouverymuch. Her own furry ears flattened back briefly, only to perk at the sound of her father's voice, red eyes peeking at the larger figures beside her before she focussed her attention back on Sinbad, whom now had a grip on her body; a bit of a hug, yet not quite.
She grumped.
And then did the next best thing that her position allowed, what with the fact she'd been ear-deprived by the way they'd turned to roll; she nipped at his maw and nose, her paws pushing at him awkwardly in her attempt to maintain dominance, even at such a young age. Because, goddamnit, that ear was hers.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 9:50 am
Across the den, Azula grumped as her sister did, but for different reasons. She did not want 'Hewa! She wanted her father! Too young to understand that the male held little means of affection for them, or perhaps just too obstinate in nature, Azula rebelled against the paw that pushed her away. At first the tiny cub tried simply to resist, but her minute strength was no match for a grown males. So, instead, she tried the tiny baby teeth again his paw. Even as she did that, she rolled onto her back to swat at his paw with her own two, though the movements were clumsy at best. She wanted attention and she would have it!
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:41 am
Sindri blinked slightly unfocused eyes at his brother, curling his lips back around tiny fangs and growling back, before launching himself clumsily at the other cub, forepaws extended and pinprick claws ready to dig into his brother's fur.
"RrrrrrRrrrRrrr!" he rumbled, narrowing his eyes at Niwasha'Kan. Two against one! Gehenda couldn't escape this! He rolled inexpertly and tried to fasten his teeth around his brother's ear.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:10 pm
A force of ten. Ten, when it could have been just three or four. Yes...it had to be a sign. Ten to do the goddess' work. "Perhaps," she agreed after a moment, "So long as they don't become lazy for it. My children will hunt for themselves, and for the pride - not leave it to their slaves, as Kimeti seems to."
Aza had disapproved of the King's reliance on a slave to do his hunting before she'd known the truth of his origins. Better that his family, his pride, provide for him, and yet he chose to use a slave. It was insulting.
Hewa watched her father push Azula away with quiet interest, but it didn't deter her at all. She wanted a napping spot, and she was going to have one! Mwali would just have to deal with that. Relying on her sister as a distraction, she toddled ever closer, meaning to flop down and curl up against his haunches.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:07 pm
Mwali growled a bit at the news. Using slaves to do all the hunting? That was unheard of. Yes, they came along for hunting trips. They scouted to find the herds, even were the decoys to herd the prey into the jaws of the -true- hunters. If he could have his way, they'd not even be permitted to hunt large game. It allowed them skills that could lead to them turning on the firekin.
"They will only be allowed to hunt small game and pick off our kills once we've had our fill." Mwali said simply, eying the cub that had curled herself up beside his haunches. He had half a mind to scoot her back towards the others but let her be for the moment. "If they learn to hunt then they learn to fend for themselves. They learn independence. No... they must rely on their masters. To leave us is death. If not by our claws then by the claws of the desert and Finar-si herself." He explained, "We get them young, break them early... they are our pawns against invaders. Afterall, we let the weak weaken the enemy so the strong will always prevail." Meat shields pretty much. Actual lions for their offspring to practice their skills on to sharpen their own claws if nessicary. The weak were meant to elevate the strong further. That was the way of things. Lower lions to keep their pelts groomed after a long battle or keep watch on their boarders. If the pride fell, they would be the first to go. They had to have a reason to want to protect the pride, even as slaves.___
Sinbad was less eager to surrender his ear to his sister. However, having his face nipped at was not much of an improvement. He gave another loud squeek- what was in his underdeveloped mind a growl -and attempted to pull his head back, finding that it only led to having himself placed quite uncomfortably between the sand and his nipping sister. He surrendered his grip-hold on her to attempt to shield his face with them, kind of kicking clumsily with his back paws.
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