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 Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 9:35 pm
 The quiet mother lay panting distressed at the feelings within her, the creatures within her womb were stirring, in a way the aged mother was accustom too, but it was too soon for a birth, she knew that. Her light brown pelt was scabbed and she smelled distinctly of infection and if the family had ever encountered it, death. Panting her cream belly not extended as it should be, like her last four babies, they..or it would be too small she knew this.
"Tetemeko," she panted and felt squirmy, Aadil loved her grandson, and his presence the last few days was a comfort, he wasn't sure why he stayed close but she appreciated it.
"I.." she stopped, she was in labor, and it was far too early for such a thing, they needed a few more days maybe weeks, she knew it was too early and she did not want to alarm her family. The family had been told of her attack, but not of her night with Riko, she would have to explain if the cubs did not look a thing like her, and all like him.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 9:49 pm
For the hour or so before things started, Tetemeko had been very restless in his vigil. Fidgety, he'd been tempted to run to look for his father, for his grandfather, his aunts.. but at the same time he just couldn't leave her alone. He still hadn't quite figured out his intuition, though the chat with Tili had informed him of his seer-abilities. So far nothing too obvious had presented itself, though his actions were starting to reflect it more and more. Especially now. When he heard his grandmother call out his name, his pacing stopped.
"Gram?" he replied, stepping closer to her.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:00 pm
"Tete, I think the babies..they're coming now," she huffed her chest heaving quickly up and down. If there was one thing she was good at in the entire world it was giving birth, children were what she wanted in the entire world. Opening her eyes she turned to him, "Do you want to be here, I can understand..of you don't want to see," she gave him a warm grandma smile, the kind that usually make everything alright.
The first really big contraction came and she clenched her eyes tightly, thinking of Kubwa and Kipanya's perfect birth how it seemed to go quickly and then the girls, they were perfect as well. It was only a matter of time for her to have her trouble makers, not that Kubwa hasn't caused trouble.
"Oh dear," she sighed as it passed.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:13 pm
Tete didn't looked surprised but he looked rather stunned, he was at a complete loss of what he was going to do though he just couldn't bring himself to leave. He knew he had to stay, even though Aadil said she would understand. Shaking his head, he nuzzled against her gently.
"I won't be much help," he said, "But I'm not leaving you alone."
She reached the entryway to the den just in time to hear what Tete said, and her immediate reaction was to drop the hare she was carrying and stare as her eyes adjusted to the change of light.
"What's going on?"
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:22 pm
She nuzzled against her grandson as another contraction started and her breathing shallowed as she concentrated, the time to push wasn't yet. "Alright dear, you're such a good boy," her jaw clenched tightly and she spoke through her teeth. The pain was more from the state of her body than the onset of birth.
She looked up hearing her oldest daughters voice, Ready to be a big sister, my little love?" she didn't want this to be a truamatizing experience for either of them so she tried hard to keep calm.
"Tetemeko is keeping me company, care to join," she let a chuckle out as well as her breath that Aadil hadn't noticed she'd been holding.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:36 pm
Tete kept his head by his grandmother when she tensed, hoping the comfort of having someone around with her would help her get through this. She couldn't be alone for this, and that was his main concern at that very moment- though he wanted very much to find his grandfather and his father. He started when Shani showed up, lifting his head and taking a hesitant half-step towards her and letting Aadil answer Shani's question.
He looked back at Aadil sadly for a moment, then back and fourth between the two. This was his chance, she wouldn't be alone and he could try to get the others now.
"Gram- I can go get Grandpa," he offered, "And dad. Shani can stay with you while I go and I'll be back before you know it."
"A big sister?" she repeated quietly before realizing exactly what Aadil was saying. Shani might be somewhat naive, but she wasn't stupid. She hopped a couple of steps closer with wide blue eyes, "Right now? But-" She stumbled over her words, pausing when Aadil chuckled and let out a breath.
"I was just out trying to hunt, mama," she rushed an explanation, feeling like she should have known somehow and not left- Tete sticking around had been kind of weird to her, and while she did try to mimic him at first she managed to convince herself it was ok to go, "I got a hare this time, I caught it all by myself- I wanted to bring it back for you.."
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 10:47 pm
Aadil nodded, "That's a good plan, you go get Kubwa," she neglected her mates name out of fear not forgetfulness, she still did not know what to do if they looked like Riko..please let them be Mvumo's, let me have been pregnant before and just noticed, let them be Mvumo's.
She smiled at Shani, "Yes, now." she paused, "Was it a big hare, love? Did you bring it in?" Aadil hadn't seen it, but could smell blood on her daughter. She purred warmly thinking of her big girl, an adult now or near too it and her pregnant other daughter, how it warmed her heart to know she had more grandchildren on the way.
"Show me, alright?" She smiled.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 11:04 pm
Tete's eyes never left Aadil even when Shani started a rambly excuse about why she was not already around the den. He took note of how she only mentioned Kubwa, understanding on some slight level why she might hope to avoid her mate but deciding he would try to find Kubwa first- he was closer to his father anyway, he had a better chance of guessing where the white lion might be than of guessing where gramps had wandered off to. You'd think he'd have stuck around as much as Tete, but then Shani had been able to convince herself it was OK to go hunting, no one could blame them. He nodded, nuzzling against Aadil once more.
"I'll be back," he said, "I love you, Gram."
With one last affectionate nudge to her cheek, Tete stood upright and darted from the den, glancing at Shani on his way by.
Shani watched Tete quietly and then looked back to Aadil when she was addressed once more. At the questions about her catch, she looked back to where she had dropped it. It wasn't too big, but it wasn't all that small either. Too small and she wouldn't have been able to catch it, it'd have been that much faster and have had that many more places to hide.
"It's not real small," she commented, turning around to retrieve it to show off her accomplishment. She wasn't sure what to do in this situation, but if mama wanted to see the hare, Shani was more than willing to show it to her. She set it down gently before her mother with a small but cautious smile.
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Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 11:33 pm
She nuzzled Tete again warmly and looked up at her strong young grandson, "I love you, be quick love so you can meet an aunt or uncle," she turned her light blue eyes away from him as he left and nodded to Shani.
"Wow, look how big that is! You're becoming such a good hunter, we'll have to help Ghali learn to hunt better, promise you'll help?" It's said that when people are dieing sometimes they know, on some subconscious level the aging mother knew, knew it was then end soon, her main concern were the children, the present and the future ones within her.
A contraction took her suddenly and she gasped and her eyes widened in pain. They were coming quicker now and she knew soon the time would come.
-------time lapse luff
The exhausted mother looked down upon her trouble makers, tired and her haggard breath rattled through her form as they fed. A little blue one, not her blue, but her tan, and one nearly identical to Riko, she wondered what her diligent daughter would think of the pink, salmon and blue creatures that sat there. She was in pain, lots of it but did not want to stress out her beautiful children, another perfect litter, and certainly did not want to scare Shani.
"Shani," she was breathing hard, "you're a very big sister." a grin spread across her maw.
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:54 pm
As Tete went off, Shani met his gaze when he glanced over and the utter seriousness of his eyes unsettled her. She looked back at Aadil with an anxious smile as her hunting skills were praised. That's all she ever wanted to hear, and at least it seemed like a suitable distraction from whatever pain her mother was going through.
"Thank you," she murmured, "I'll help Ghali as best I can, of course! But I don't think she really wants to learn sometimes, but where she's having babies too she should.."
She winced when Aadil went through another strong contraction, and decided it would be best to stay quiet. Stepping carefully around, Shani took a spot beside her mother and stayed with her.
[ ... time lapse ... ]
Shani was amazed by the whole situation. She stayed by her mother through the whole thing, the whole time wishing that her father would show up, that Kubwa would show up- someone who knew what to do. But they made it, and now there were too oddly colorful babies at her mother's side. They didn't look the same colors as any of them, really. Shani and Kip were the same color, Ghali was the blue of Aadil and Shani's tails.. Kubwa was an oddball, though. She didn't see exactly where his colors came from, and so she used this logic to ignore the odd colors in the two cubs.
"They're so small," she breathed, staring, "A-are they boys or girls?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:54 am
Aadil smiled, even in her nervousness about the weird colors her offspring took from their father she admired her handywork. They were perfect, small and a little too early but perfect all the same. She pressed a cold nose to the boy and took pleasure in his squirming away and closer to her warm belly.
"They're both a boy and a girl," she said weakly, her strength was beginning to ebb away. Her age, which made her a grandmother of an adult lion, the awful beating she sustained after the little one's conception and the miracle of birth were draining her.
"Three perfect litter, two boys, my warriors and trouble makers, two girls, my hunters and beauty, and a boy and a girl, my hope is the best of the first two," she sighed, she was one for talking and it was taking a bit out of her as well, "Naming wise, the girl, the pink colored one is Anya, like your brother Kip, and the handsome boy is Enzi, a good named I'd say." She looked to Shani for a bit of reassurance, are they good names? She was always so nervous naming. She remembered Mvumo naming the boys, Kubwa after his dead brother, Kipanya because he was tiny as a mouse. "What are you thinking, love?" she put her head down on her paws and waited for a response, her eyes closing and fluttering open.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:59 am
"A boy," Shani murmured from her mother's side, "And a girl." Her blue eyes were stuck on the pair of them, they were so colorful, so bright- much more colorful than even Ghali. It was unusual, but she only admired and thought nothing of it. They were also so small, much smaller than she ever saw anyone or remembered being. She'd felt so small when she was little, but now like that.
"Anya and Enzi," she repeated, seeming only to echo her mother quietly. She paused and finally managed to look away from them to her mother, where she gave a smile, "Was I ever that small, mama? They're so .. so small, and so beautiful."
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:11 pm
"Never this small, but always this beautiful. These two were so excited to see you and the world that they came too early," Aadil sighed and closed her eyes. "Your Mama's is very tired, how about you come over here and keep me warm while we wait for your brother and nephew to get back, and anyone else who wants to see the new additions. Let's take a tiny cat nap," she yawned and she spoke and waited for Shani to cuddle close. She thought of future grandchildren and how diligent Shani would be as a parent. What type of mate would the wonderful female take? Would he be strong and quiet or passionate and loving. The thought pleased her either way Shani was a good girl, as was Ghali and they would take wonderful mates, and make wonderful children. She wondered also about her grandcubs not yet born, and if they would be as stubborn as their mama.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:18 pm
"Oh," Shani mumbled, looking back to the cubs. She hadn't much knowledge on the gestation of lions, but it did seem quite fast now that she thought about it. Of course, it also seemed like it'd been forever that her mother had been confined to a den as she healed from her little trip outside of the pride.
"Oh, oh!" she said suddenly when her mother said to cuddle up with her, "Of course." Shani had shifted through all the confusion of Anya and Enzi arriving, and then for all her staring and the inability to take her eyes off of them. She was more than happy to snuggle back in with her mother.
"You did good, mama," she said, "You deserve a good rest."
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:28 pm
Aadil sighed and felt at home next to her children the warmth of Shani and the tiny bodies of her children pressed against her was all she required to drift off into a sound sleep, a final rest, her breath evened out the panting and tiredness from before slipped away into a relaxed state. A good place for a good mother to drift off away from this world and the pain. She'd named her last two children, made amends with her grandson, her daughter was heavy with cubs, and her life was complete. The only more perfect thing Aadil could ask for was her mate.
Her breathing slowed further and stopped all together, she was at peace, a warm smile spread across her face, eyes closed.
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