Morath was busy on her own-away from her siblings and studying stuff at her feet. She had several rocks, a chunk of twisted root, some kind of animal tooth and a few other things. For some reason, she felt as though these items should mean something but... she couldn't explain it. She sighed, pushing the items around quietly with a frown.
By pinchmonster: While Taraxa liked the constant attention from females, that didn't necessarily mean that he enjoyed the constant attention from his clingy daughter Ulrika. He'd narrowly escaped her worrisome hovering by shoving her off on Saraneth and was blissfully tooling around the prideland doing nothing in particular. He spotted Morath -- she was the oddly-colored one out of all his children, and he adored her dearly. Currently the little lioness was peering at a few baubles, and so Taraxa made his way to her with interest. "Daughter," he called softly as he drew closer.
She furrowed her brow at these items. For some reason the tooth reminded her of her father; just something about the jagged shape of the biting surface of it and yet the smooth sides and the slightly yellow coloration of it... She moved that one out of the way of the others; shaking her head. Just as she was about to frustratedly shove the rest away, a familiar voice filled her ears. She turned to gaze over her shoulder at her father.
She smiled. "Poppa..." She said softly, looking rather sad at him. She had been feeling rather-well...left out since her sister had suddenly taken to clinging to her dads ever step.
Taraxa had no qualms about showing attention to his daughters. They were beautiful and he loved them dearly. He leaned down to nuzzle the soft headfur of his darkest daughter and grinned down at her, though the grin faded when he noticed the sad expression on her face. "What troubles you, young one?" He hoped that it was nothing serious -- he worried about his cubs and their wellbeing and wanting nothing but the best for them. "Tell papa."
Morath didn't want to tell him the multiple things that bothered her. She looked down as he nuzzled her and pushed the other trinkets into the dirt; leaving the tooth out in the open. "I just was trying to figure out some stuff about these funny things I found.. like I know that I like this tooth because It reminds me of you father..." She said pushing the tooth into the open for him to see. "The other ones I can't decide why I like them... " She looks frustrated... "And... and... I wish that you weren't so busy all the time..." She said soflty. "Brother Thuto told me about mommah the other day... about what she looks like and stuff..."
Blatant change of subject.
Ahhh, Morath. She reminded him much of himself when he was but a cub. "I will try to spend more time near you, Morath," he promised, hoping he wouldn't break that promise to his daughter. He went along with her topic change, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. "Ahh, your mother, hm? A beautiful lioness, strong and capable. It would please me if you were to seek her out once you're much older. Do you think you would like to meet her? Perhaps Thuto could take you to see her when you're old enough?"
Morath looked down at her paws for a moment. "I don't know... I mean... It'll be weird... because even though I love her... I haven't seen her ever... and... well... I don't know. I guess maybe someday. I wonder if Thuto will take me..." She looked a bit more happy. "Do you like him Papa?' She looked up at him.
"I know that he's a thrall but... I like him a lot... he is just like our big brother... " She coughed. "Is... everything okay with Ulrika..."
"Thuto is a very very brave brother." Taraxa nodded. "It took much courage for him to come back here with me, to a place where he knew nobody. It was just so that he could look after you. Your mother wished for him to come, and so he did. You should respect him well, and listen to him when he gives you advice." Thuto might be a Thrall, yes, but he was the family of his cubs as well, and Taraxa would not tolerate him being abused.
"Ulrika?" Taraxa grunted. "She is... not herself as of late. I lost a duel to a female before her, and well.. I almost ... " he coughed, changing the topic. "She will be fine."
Morath wanted to press her father to find out more but chose against it. She looked down at the tooth and pushed it into the dirt with the others, covering them from sight. She nodded. "It must be hard for him... especially since he's a-a-a leopon... cause he's so thick and he'd be a good fighter... but I think he enjoys taking care of us..."
She leaned against her father with a sigh. "Papa... it doesn't matter if you lose battles... caues thats how life is..." She nodded. "Sometimes its okay to lose..."
Sometimes his children surprised him. They were full of such wisdom that spawned from their innocent nature. It was so refreshing to see, really it was. "You're right, my dearest Morath," he whispered, nuzzling her. "That's just how life is." He chuckled softly, nodding his head. "And I think your brother does fine. He knows he'll not be troubled with. If he does, he only must come to me and let me know and I'll have it taken care of immediately." He frowned then, "Has he said something to you?"
Morath looked up at him. "Like... anything about being treated bad... no... he just talks to us.. he loves us... I think he loves us dad... and he talks fondly of you... I don't think he had a daddy... not a good one anyway if he did." She looked seriously.
"He says that he is glad you are... so good to us... that you care so fondly for us... and considering what was going on at moms pride... he is glad we are going to be well taken care of..."
"Thuto does love you," Taraxa beamed at his daughter. "I am pleased he has done so well here, I really am. He does an admirable job of watching after you and your sister and your brothers." Taraxa nodded. "Now, daughter, listen carefully. Papa will be going away for a while -- it is nothing to be sad over, but it is something to celebrate. The Warlord is going on his first Viking and he has asked me to be a part of his party. You must promise to behave while I am gone, and watch over your sister."
Morath sighed when her father talked about going away. She sniffed, not in sadness or anything but just to show her feelings of it. "It's your job father... I understand. and my sister wont... won't be as willing to let you go most likely... my brothers won't be hard... they are too busy being... boys... but... I promise I'll try my hardest father..."
He knew his daughters didn't approve of him leaving as often as he did, but ahh, such was the life of a Viking. He'd go batty if he had to stay confined day in and day out, but thankfully he was in a pride where he wasn't expected to. "I worry most for Ulrika. She already isn't taking it very well." He huffed. It was almost annoying how his pale-haired daughter shadowed his every step, but he'd never say such a thing aloud. "I will be sure to tell your brothers the same thing I've told you, Morath. Watch over one another, but importantly, Ulrika."
Morath looked like she was a bit annoyed now. "Yeah yeah... I will father..." She said that more towards her sister than her brothers. She flicked her ears and looked up at her father with her teal colored masked face with a scowl. "I will father.. only cause you asked me..." She looked down. "Daddy..." She paused. "How come she has a mentor already?"
Taraxa saw the annoyance but thought that perhaps she was feeling a bit miffed that he was leaving. He didn't pressure further for an explanation, instead answering her question. "Saraneth chose Ulrika, it is as simple as that." He shrugged as if he found it to be no big deal. "Priestesses are strange creatures," he continued, idly scratching behind an ear with a large paw, "and their ranks are not completely filled as of yet. Perhaps your mentor simply hasn't come along yet, hmm?"
She just made a noise in her throat and shifted lightly. She didn't want to admit that it made sense but... she felt jealousy towards her paler sibling. She sighed. "Yeah. I guess so..." She said simply, looking down at her trinkets with quiet dignity
Taraxa growled softly, a pleasant sound that showed how comfortable he was. "Good, then," he nodded, oblivious of any jealousy that Morath felt towards Ulrika. In his mind, there was no reason for jealousy, but then again he wasn't really... attuned to the minds of females, no matter their age. He was oblivious, really. "It's time for a nap," he announced with a grin, lifting a paw to rustle his daughter's headfur.
Morath sighed and nodded, standing up and abandoning her trinkets and heading back towards where her family was... with a sigh. She didn't feel like sleeping but she would anyway. "Okay daddy..." She said softly.
Taraxa exhaled as he rose to his feet, nudging his daughter along as his mind wandered. Soon he would be on a Viking, the first one in a long time, and that was quite exciting. Taraxa couldn't wait. He hoped to bring back a hefty handful of Thralls. Perhaps some females to watch over his cubs so that Thuto could have a break on occasion. Grunting, Taraxa followed his daughter to their den, where he gathered the rest of the cubs to him for a nice fufilling nap.
Fin
