Kizuka = Gray
Theluji = Light Blue
Kizuka'nafsi starred at herself in the waters of the pride's sacred spring for a few moments. She was on her way to pick up her children and decided to detour for for a small while in order to enjoy some well needed time to herself. If she wasn't dealing with the council and the preparations for the flooding season, she was taking care of her children the best way any part-time mother could and it killed her. She did not want to be a part-time mother to her beloved children and every day that went by where she could only see them for a few hours made her wants to cry. She missed so much of their lives already.
She sighed, dunking her head into the water. She did it not to drink, but to symbolically wash her mind of the worries that plagued her head, "May the gods take my worries and carry them off like the fall leaves."
She needed a break.
Home. He was home and he was never leaving again unless he HAD to. Just like this last time. He'd left to seek out new members for the pride. And he'd found none that would fit. Well...one. But she'd fled before they reached the valley. But he was home now, and none of that mattered. Theluji-lesani took a deep breath of clean, pure air that was free of the infernal dust that plagued the lower lands outside the valley, and started for the shrine. Best he pay his respects, since he'd returned home safely.
And then he caught a familiar scent. A slight smile broke his usual aloof expression, and he changed his course ever so slightly. "Kizuka'nafsi." He'd had to leave shortly after the twins had stepped up and he'd gained the priviledge of being the Impi'jikelele, but the distance hadn't diminished the fact he still reserved a certain level of gentleness only for Kizuka and her sister.
Kizuka heard a familiar voice and her head perked up immediately. It was Theluji, and though the circumstances of their inevitable mate-hood were both complicated and heartbreaking for the lioness, it did not mean she was not happy to see him. She turned her head and took in his white and pale blue coat, with a small smile spreading across her face.
"Theluji, welcome home!" She said, moving away from the spring to walk over and brush up against him in greeting. She licked the side of his face gingerly and smiled once more, "It's good to see your face again."
Theluji returned her lick with a gentle nuzzle, one that belied the strength of his frame. "It is good to be home, Kizuka. I'm afraid I come empty-pawed. I found one possibility, but she fled." He was honestly sorry about that...He'd hoped to bring at least some new blood for the pride, some new strength for them.
"How have things been here? Have you and Fasihi been treated well?" He knew things were complicated, regarding the twins stepping up. But God's will was not to be questioned, and he would stand beside the two Kabaila'umbikezeli without hesitation.
"It is alright, Theluji." Kizuka said, with a small smile. She was not disappointed in his unsuccessful attempt to bring in new members. It was hard to find those who would embrace their way of life and the rules in which they governed themselves by. She could not fault him, the Gods had decided recruitment was not in the pride's interest at this time.
"Uhm. Our pride members have been very kind to Sister and myself, as well as the children," Kizuka said quietly. " Ikhansela Sadiki brought home a mate. She is very lovely, and her name is Bubu, they've had cubs. 4 very rambunctious male cheetahlings. And I believe that Safura has posession of our pride's gift early on..."
She would not tell Theluji of the fact her father was attempting to find himself a new mate. It was both infuriating and heartbreaking to listen to how he planned to replace her late mother with someone who could "produce for him some intelligent daughters". The nerve.
Theluji was glad things had been going well in his absence. He prayed they would stay well, maybe even get better. They were coming upon a tough time of the year for the pride. "I am glad nothing has been amiss in my absence. Though I have a feeling I'll need to prod our Ibutho and Mkingaji back into top shape." Give them a little slack, and they'd take a mile.
"Safura? Another new life in the pride?" That thought, combined with the fact Kizuka had apparently lost the weight she'd had before he'd left...It didn't sit too well with him.
"You recall how I had gained some weight prior to your leaving? And how I thought it was the stress of coronation? It was not that... Theluji, I was pregnant. I was pregnant and unaware of my delicate state," She said quietly. He had been well aware of the fact that previous to their arranged mate-hood that she had taken on a lover in order to fulfill her role as an Umbikezeli and bring the pride more lightly colored cubs. In a pride so close knit as their own, most knew of each other's business quite easily and secrets were terrible hard to keep.
"My previous lover is their father," She said quietly, adverting her gaze a little. It was not news she wanted to give him in this fashion, but he would find out one way or another that she had had children, and that they were not his, though they had certainly tried before he had left.
"I had six cubs. Three girls and three boys," She reported, still not meeting his gaze for fear of feeling as if she had betrayed him, when she knew she had not. "Safura is one of my daughters. Safura'nafsi. There is also Sini'nafsi, Sabia'nafsi, Iolana'nafsi, Alfijiri'nafsi and Tofauti'nafsi."
Cubs. Kizuka had cubs. And they weren't his. It was NOT the sort of information he wanted to hear, so soon after coming home. And although he wasn't HAPPY about it, as his vanished smile spoke of, he couldn't get angry about it. She'd become pregnant before she'd stepped up. She'd been faithful since she'd stepped up, but...it still hurt a bit.
"I see. Congratulations on the cubs, Kizuka. I am glad one of them is showing signs of being gifted by God." He ought to be happy for her. The pride had new blood, good blood.
She knew he hurt, even if slightly, on the inside from the fact that the children she had produced were not his. She couldn't say she wouldn't feel any differently. She only hoped that his disappointment over the issue would not effect how he would treat her poor children.
"I am on my way to pick them up," Kizuka said quietly, turning her head back to him, "Would you like to meet them, Theluji? They've got such different personalities."
Oh! She almost forgot. She should probably tell him about Bagrat. You know, before her returned to the den and found a random yellow juvenile sitting there, ready and waiting to refer to Theluji as 'father'. "There is also one other thing... While you were gone I had gone out of our pride looking for a pure white cub that had been reported to Fasihi and myself... On the way I found a lioness, and adopted her cub."
Theluji nodded. It was best he meet them, get used to them. Even if they weren't his, they were Kizuka's. He had to, at least, keep watch over them. Protect them. And then...she threw yet another surprise at him. Another cub. This one adopted. That, he could deal with a bit better, though.
"I see. It would seem I've much to catch up on, than." He let his small smile return. "Should I be warned of anything? Any mischief in the cubs? Or...particularly clingy ones?" He'd remembered some of his age mates had been clingy towards their parents. He'd...never been so, himself.
"Safura is a very energetic and happy child. Sometimes a little too much so," Kizuka said, smilling as she did. She loved Safura so, but her perfect little cub was much too happy sometimes. "Uhm. It seems all three boys are very attached to me, but what boy isn't attached to his mother? Alfijiri likes to draw pictures with mud and berries, so he gets very messy. Tofauti is the quietest and most distant from his siblings. Sabia, Sini and Iolana are very much the mediums of the group. And Bagrat is much too grown for his little size."
Was that everything she needed to explain about her children? She seemed to think so. Any other little quirks would be found out by spending time with them, after all, she was still trying to get to know her own children with what little time she got with them, and not that Theluji had returned that time was shortened yet again since her duties to him were also important.
"It is good you are home, Theluji."
Theluji took in all the information, storing it in his mind for later use. They...sounded like an interesting bunch. A very well-rounded litter of cubs. And Bagrat sounded like he could make a good Ibutho or Mkingaji when he grew older. Size was something that helped defend the pride. Especially against rogues.
Home...Yes. He was home, even if home brought some unexpected surprises. "Thank you, Kizuka. And...it is good to be home. The places I've been...I never wish to be so dust-covered again." Dust got EVERYWHERE...it matted thick fur like his, and it had taken him forever to get rid of it. Give him rich loam and dirt any day, rather than their dry counterpart.
Kizuka couldn't help but smile at Theluji's words. She understood how the dust from dryer areas would stick to one's fur, discoloring it and getting into your undercoat so deeply you could feel it resting against your skin. It was like moist earth or mud, where a dip in water would rinse it clean off. Dust was like sap and simply got worse when it wasn't dry.
"I pray the Gods don't direct you to such unpleasant places ever again," Kizuka said, looking towards the inner sanctum of their pride. Towards their shrine, "The children should be expecting me soon... Would you like to meet them?"
Kizuka figured now was as good a time as any to meet the children she loved so dearly. She didn't want Theluji to meet them when they were tired and be caught off guard when they had regained their energy the next morning and were running circles about him. Best give him the shock sooner rather than later.
Theluji was silent...a sign he was actually unsure. Did he really want to meet them? In all truth, he needed to, even if he didn't want to. They were a part of the pride, a part of Kizuka. And the Gods never made a mistake. The cubs existed for a reason, for a purpose, as they all did. After a moment, the large lion nodded.
"I shall meet them." There was, of course, no guarantee he would LIKE them. But they were conceived before Kizuka's ascent to Kabaila'umbikezeli, and as such, had done nothing wrong. He would tolerate them. Hopefully, any energy they had could be directed at something other than himself. He hoped.
He was doomed.
