Her coat shimmeerd with life, with health and with the jewels with which she adorned her body. She was areal queen now, mother of the whole pride and soon to be a mother once again. Her abdomen had swollen to nearly twice it's size in recent weeks and having hardly seen anything of her eldest daughters she was in search of them. She would need their help too. Although she wouldn't expect them to nanny their siblings constantly, she knew she carried more than two cubs this time and she had sworn to care for Sheitani's cubs, and the gods only knew how many she would birth.
It was vital then that she had help. Following the scent of one of her daughters she smiled and moed a little faster, though not much, the weight of her stomach slowed her immeasurably so she more waddled than stalked as she usually did. It was the price she payed for pregnancy.
Bidu was a dark, brooding lioness, encouraged by their sultry surroundings and upbringing. She was far from cold, but she could be ruthless and calculating, although all she had to practice on where hapless monkeys and birds of the deep forest.
This lightless day, she was found nestled in the bows of a tree, licking a monkey carcass, her pristine fur violated by blood. She heard something approach, but was so confident in herself that she didn't even bat and eyelid and continued to chew the carcass until the beast came into view.
Violet eyes caught any lick of light so that they glowed like small lamps in the darkness, her steps muchheavier than usual due to her condition, but that didn't mean her velveteen paws didn't carry her almost silently to her daughter. "Mah'wibidu" She called, her voice stern, strong, confident, her long tail giving a single lash making the undergrowth shift and sway.
"Come here my child I need to have words with you and I casnnot clamber in to the trees at the moment." She smiled to herself, she was proud of her condition. When her first daughters were born it had been a problem, she was after all a young mother then, now though, she felt experienced, empowered, knowing what was to come. She had become the mother of the pride and a better mother of her cubs for it, even if she never could tellt hem how much she loved them.
Ah. It was mother. Bidu had flicked her eyes briefly to the dark shape as she came into view and then didn't look at her again until her name was called.
"Yes mother," she said smoothly and then slid from her perch in the branches, leaving the monkey carcass now for the scavengers.
It was always a bit hard to show or express affection with her parents, even with her sister. She knew it was natural but all the same, it still felt almost uncomfortable. As if affection was a weakness. She didn't want to be weak. To greet her mother, Bidu bowed respectfully and rumbled at her.
Afritti smiled at her daughter, standing tall as she watched her bow in the darkness her dark eyes stretching out over her form. She was growing in toa beautiful young lady and she felt very proud of her. She would do well in the pride she was strong, independant and a wonderful little huntress. She was perfect in Afritti's eyes.
"I have news my little one." She whispers leaning forwards with a claw to tip her daughters chin slightly so she could look in to those pale red eyes, eyes she had inherited from her father. "I am once again to bring life to this pride my child and I require your help." She paused for a moment letting a whisper of a smile trace her lips.
"I know I am carrying more than I did with you and your sister, and," She paused for a moment and took a slightly seething breath, "Shaitani is also carryign cubs and I have sworn to your father I would take them in. I will not see babes die in my pride, it would not be right." She licked her lips her white tipped paw returning to the ground. It was alot to ask of her daughter, she knew, but who knew how many cubs she would have to care for, she needed all the help she could get.
The news of Shaitani's ineptitude to care for cubs didn't surprise her. The red lioness had always seemed a little...off. But she was a dedicated member of the pride, and she could not be faulted for that. Bidu blinked at her mother, staring straight into those soft-purple eyes, seeing strength and pride. Her mother was a force to be reckoned with, and a force to be admired.
"What would you have me do? I will help in any way I can," she replied earnestly.
The older lioness let a soft rumble formin her chest, those deep dark eyes watching her daughter carefully. She admired her eldest children greatly for what they were. They were wonderful in her eyes, the perfect specimens of little vampires.
"I would only ask that you would come and help me watch them my child. Your father is busy running the pride, he guards the borders and watches over those within. He will help when he can but if shaitani bears a large litter I will be hard pushed to give attention to them all alone." Afritti knew it would be difficult, but that she would manage to feed them alone, that it would probably drain ehr and leave her tired feeding not only her own cubs but someone elses as well. She would need time to simply rest and sleep, to recuperate. Her daughters could help with that, if they would babysit for a while.
Oh dear. Bidu had almost dreaded this. Having to look after younger siblings brought about mixed feelings in her. She was almost, dare she admit, excited to have more siblings. There was much she could impart to them - hunting skills, games in the dark, stalking, everything she'd enjoyed as a cub - but there was also the issue of not being her parent's 'little girl' anymore.
"Babysit...yes mother, I will do as asked and take care of them when you're tired. I'll keep them safe to within an inch of my own life," she replied after a brief pause, sounding rather resolute and determined.
No matter her inner turmoil, new life in the pride was important.
Afritti gave a sigh of releif. She knew it was alot to ask her older children to care for their own siblings as well as anothers children. It wasn't soemthing she was ever asked or expected to do. Infact she hardly knew her own half sisters. "I know it's alot to ask of you Bidu, it will be good experience for you though." She chuckled softly, a sort of cattish meow in her voice. She expected her daughters would one day find mates, or simply males to give them children. It was a little early for her cubs she thought, she was far too young to be a grand mother, but if they should come home from a hunting trip heavy with cubs, whom was she to complain?
They in turn would become her children and the pride would blossom once again as it had before shaitani wwas virtually left alone.
"It shall be an honour mother," she replied with a semblance of a smile, but as always, it was an uneasy almost sinister smile, borne of how the pride's traditions and myths had shaped her as a lioness. Despite her snowy appearance, Bidu could be a scary sight in the dark.
And her mother raised a good point, wiping the smirk from her maw for a moment of reflection. Practice...she would indeed have cubs of her own one day, but the idea of raising them hadn't crossed her mind. Was it natural or learned?
The change in her daughters expression made her chuckle. "I wish my mother had taught me to care for cubs when I was young. I had to learn the hard way, by doing." The dark lioness shook her head lightly. "I suppose your father and I are lucky you both turned out as well as you did." She smiled and lifted ehr paws one after the other. Being pregnant was hard work, your feet hurt alot.
"Will you come back to the den with me? I know your father will be pleased to see you. I need to search for your sister as well, it will be easier to double team the cubs." She let a soft laugh roll over her lips and she shook her head, it was always easier to look after her eldest daughters when Moses was there
Despite her mother's naivety in the rearing of cubs, Bidu had never actually felt wanting. She always felt as though her needs were catered for, and perhaps it was just her upbringing. As Afritti found it difficult to actually express her love for her daughters, Bidu never really noticed. She just seemed to know her mother's heart was in the right place.
And thats all that mattered to her.
She nodded her delicate head, her black tuft of hair drooping across one side of her face in a very 'gothic' fashion.
"Yes mother. And I'm sure King'Ora will show herself soon," she replied, knowing her sister was very much alike.
Afritti puurred softly turning towards the dens where she and her family resided. "I know my child, you are both such good children." She whispers her tail swaying lightly behind her as she lead the way back to the central area of the pride. She would probably ask Bidu to go out and find her sister and bring her to the royal quarters before long, but for now,s he was satisfied to have found one of her older daughters without much wandering.
