She'd seen the signs not long after their little group had set out. For a lioness who'd already been in the situation, it was easy to recognize. There was also the factor of Kingu's fidgetting, which was starting to become irritating, the more time passed. When they were close to the pride's lands, after such a long journey down the river and across a vast desert, Mut questioned less the wisdom of making Tziporah make such a trip. After all, the sandy-brown lioness WAS pregnant, and grumbling every step of the way about it.
As they settled at a vacant den on the edge of the lands for the night, Mut went to the other brown lioness. "Hey... How're you doing?" She looked the other lioness over, noting just how big her belly had gotten. Her own hadn't gotten nearly that big, but then... She'd only had two.
Shifting where she lay, Tziporah clawed at the den floor with a growl. What a stupid idea it had been, in hindsight. Make Kingu relax, he'd feel MUCH better... And she got pregnant for it. It was like some form of divine punishment for her attempts. As if it weren't bad enough traveling across a desert while pregnant, the cubs kept moving! She looked up at the other lioness, ears going back. "I'm doing fine, but they won't stop moving and kicking and... Ow!" She turned, growling at her abdomen. "Stop that!" She would have batted at it, but she didn't want to hurt any of the cubs.
Tilting her head, Mut watched. For several minutes, she didn't move, keeping her eyes on Tziporah's stomach. After a moment, she went and shoved everybody else outside. "Go on, get out of here... You, too, Kingu!" There were some things a crowded den were no good for, and it was simply easiest to send everybody away.
Letting out a sound of protest, the male looked back. "Wait, what's going on?" While everybody else went to different spots, he turned and started back in. What he was faced with send him scrambling backwards, as nobody wanted to argue with a lioness with her teeth bared. Letting out a sigh, he went and laid down near by.
Returning to Tziporah, Mut sat down. "Still hurting?" At the nod, Mut letting out a sigh, smiling. "That's... Not entirely the cubs, you know..."
"I know..." Tziporah looked away, claws flexing as another pain started. When it ended, she looked up at Mut. "I've seen my mother have many cubs... And these ones are on their way out..." She let out a growl, ears folding back in pain. It only seemed to get worse...
Settling near by, Mut used her presence to provide a calm solace for Tziporah. As far as she could tell, it worked. With the others gone, Tziporah had relaxed, letting nature take its course. After a while of nothing, Mut settled down to nap.
She didn't know how long she'd been asleep, but the sun had gone down already with Tziporah's aggitated roars woke her. Going over, Mut nudged the lioness. "Hey.. Come on, breathe..."
Shifting to her other side, Tziporah growled. "This was a mistake... I should never have tried to get him to relax..." Rolling onto her back, she tried to find comfort amid the pain between contractions and the cubs kicking. Shifting again back to her stoumach, she let out a pained sound. Why did it have to HURT?
Grooming Tziporah's ears, Mut let out a soft sound. "Nothing we do is a mistake. Everything happens for a reason." Turning the other lioness' face with a paw, Mut stared her in the eyes. "Now stop belittling yourself, and bring those cubs into the world, okay?"
Tziporah nodded, letting her focus drift from the past to the present. She'd seen her mother do this many times before, even helped a sister or two... Now it was her turn.
Outside, Kingu paced. Now and then, he looked up, ears perking towards the growls he heard. The look on Mut's face, though, kept him from going in to see what was going on. After a while, he lay down, staring off into the night sky as he waited. Whatever was going on... He wasn't included, and he wasn't going to BE included.
Two hours later, Tziporah finally fully relaxed. Sides heaving just a bit, she stared at the wall. It was over, the pain was over... When she looked up, she couldn't help the smile that came to her face. The seven little cubs huddled at her belly let out various squeals, kneeding at her as they suckled. She let out a soft sigh, laying her head to sleep.
Smiling at the sleeping lioness, Mut went outside. She'd need time to herself, to bond with her cubs. For now... Going over to the sleeping male, Mut lay down, nudging Kingu with a paw. When he shifted to continue sleeping, she shoved him lightly. "Come on, wake up..."
Letting out a yawn, Kingu looked around. His eyes soon settled on Mut, blinking a few times. "Did I fall asleep...?" At her laugh, he stretched out. "Why did you kick us all out? Where's Tziporah..?" He looked around, trying to focus his still-sleepy eyes propperly.
"She's fine... And so are the cubs." Brushing a rock away, the peach lioness smiled. "All seven of them." She looked over, waiting for the male's reaction. Of course he would have to know just how many cubs there were... The fact he was the father was as glaring as anything could get, what with three having his colors and all of them sharing quite a few markings with him.
"Seven..." His ears perked, before going back just a bit. Looking at Mut, he frowned. "Seven cubs..." He looked to his paws, thinking. "I was the only one she's been with as far as I know..." Suddenly turning to look at the den, Kingu considered hurrying in to see them. He had to stop himself, though, out of respect for Tziporah's privacey. "How many are boys, how many girls..?" How many would learn to hunt with their mother, and how many would train with Eyal?
Mut was glad he didn't rush into the den. Tziporah needed rest, and him poking his nose wouldn't help her any. "Four boys, three girls." Offering him a smile, Mut motioned- Three of them have your color, one has Tziporah's color, one's the same color as your HAIR... The other two, I'm not sure where their coloring came from..."
He had four sons and three daughters... It was a shock to his mind. Shifting, he considered what this all meant. Well, he'd deffinately have to keep the other boys of the pride off his little girls... Letting out a sigh, he settled down to go back to sleep. "This is going to take getting used to..."
"Well, get used to it..." As she got up and started to leave, Mut paused, looking back. "Oh, and... Your youngest son is a seer... He's been blessed by the gods..." For the first time in a long time, she'd gotten a vision. It was weird, too... A vision of the cub getting a vision. She let out a puff of breath, before going to sleep on the other side of the den.
Her last words had Kingu awake again. His son was a seer? He looked at her, wondering how she knew. Watching her, he considered the ways. All he could come up with was that SHE was a seer. Before he could ask, Kingu realized Mut was fast asleep. She'd been up a while, it seemed, keeping Tziporah company. Despite his million questions, Kingu smiled, laying his head down to sleep.
