Esu'me was happy. She wasn't exactly completely SAFE yet...but she was happy. Helping to watch over the little ones made her insanely happy. And aware that there was indeed life in her belly. It was still small...but it was there. The lioness yawned, more in contentment than tiredness. Though she was tired. Then again...several days of near-nonstop running would do that to a lioness.
It was an exhausting day, helping Miss Esu'me keep track of all her brothers and cousins. Being the oldest cub was hard, she thought with a sigh as she flopped down next to Esu'me. After a long moment, she turned to look at the lioness and kneaded the ground before her nervously.
Esu'me looked to Ia'eh with pale eyes...eyes that, despite their tendancy to turn icy when angry, were filled with nothing but patience and caring. "Thank you, Ia'eh. You're very adult for your age." Like she had been. Though the brown lioness had also been a bit of an airhead when she wasn't helping out with watching her younger relatives.
"I have to look after them. So the cub stealer doesn't get any more of them," Ia'eh said softly, smiling gently and flicking her tail. It was nice, having another adult around...
Cub stealer...Esu'me had heard what had happened. Andif the male who had done such things ever showed his face...Well, Esu'me wasn't certain what she would do to him, but it wouldn't be nice. Cubs were precious...to be protected and taught, not...not STOLEN. The thought of the lives growing inside her being stolen by Him made her shudder. "And while I'm here...I'll help make sure they're safe."
"I'm glad. I don't want to lose anymore of my family. Not even you, Auntie," Ia'eh said lightly, smiling and shifting to press an affectionate 'kiss' to her adopted aunt's cheek.
Auntie...That simple name for her made her smile. "I know how loss feels." Though the loss she knew was a bit different. "And I'm not going anywhere yet...Not for a long while." She was happy here. And perhaps..she might even be safe for a while. She'd know as the days went on.
"I'm glad to hear that. Mom and Aunt Codail need all the help they can get," Ia'eh replied, smiling and absently stretching alongside Esu'me.
Esu'me laughed softly. "That they do." She craned her head over and licked the top of her eldest charge's head. "Even as responsible as you are, you can't keep all of them in line." She couldn't help but admire the size of the family. "I thought my family had been large...it was nothing compared to this."
"Mom said the pride she came from was like this... Even if they weren't all related, they were like one big family," Ia'eh said lightly, smiling at the thought of a pride like that.
"Mmmm....that sounds like a wonderful pride." Esu'me laughed softly again. "Maybe I should ask them about it one day, hm?" Ia'eh was definitely one of her favorite cubs...She didn't push with questions, and was well-behaved usually, and Esu'me rarely had to speak loudly for the girl to hear her.
"You should. I bet they'd be happy to tell you about it," Ia'eh said gently, smiling fondly and shifting to flick her tail absently.
Esu'me nodded and nuzzled the juvenile happily. "I wonder...what sort of pride would you like to live in?" Esu'me wondered if a pride existed of the sort SHE would love to reside in.
"Someplace where cubs are protected. So no one has to go through what we did..." Ia'eh said, nodding her head firmly.
Esu'me nodded. "Someplace where others cannot be hurt." She nodded, mostly to herself. "Where bad creatures cannot touch good creatures, so that no one need bear scars they did not deserve."
"That sounds nice. Somewhere untouchable by outsiders..." Ia'eh said lightly, nodding at the thought.
"Yes!" She yawned again, and looked at the sky. Almost dark. "You are a good cub, Ia'eh...I hope, when I have little ones, that they are as well behaved as you." Perhaps her little ones would be born while she was still among this family.
"I'll bet they will, with a mom like you," Ia'eh said, smiling and shifting to absently nudge her Auntie's side. "Maybe you should take a nap."
Esu'me nodded tiredly, stubbornly keeping her eyes open. "I should...the others are settled...and the other two should be back soon..." Sleep...sleep that would be untroubled. Oh how she'd loved the nights of uninterrupted sleep.
"I'll keep an eye on everyone until Mom and Aunt Codail get back," Ia'eh said lightly, smiling and nudging Esu'me again.
With a nuzzle of thanks and a content sigh, Esu'me closed her eyes. Dreams...perhaps she would dream of the days before Him. Days spent in play with friends and her brother and younger cousins. Days where she crafted until her eyes drooped in sleep or her family called her away...
