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 Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 12:12 pm
 The symptoms had come creeping at first, but N'Seka had suffered through his first of many fevered nights and it was painfully obvious that he was one of the many that were susceptible to the plague. Today the chills had passed, but he was tired and achy. He was currently under the watchful eyes of the nannies, and they made sure he didn't overexert himself. They also seemed to want to make him avoid everything that could possibly be fun, and while the cub was tired today he still wanted to do something other than napping. Napping wasn't fun. Monster hunting was fun, but he didn't want to go monster hunting either. Not because he was too tired to do it, just because he didn't feel like it. So there!
The minders meant no harm, and deep down N'Seka could understand that, but he was still sulking away from the others.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 12:53 pm
 Today was a bad day. The cough was almost constant and it left her breathless and in pain, as if her ribs were trying to tie themselves into a tight knot in her chest only they were still attached to her muscles and her heart was also in the way. It had started a few weeks ago and sometimes she forgot about it but then she had days like this when she didn't even want to leave the den. But her den was not exactly a relaxing place to be when one felt bad.. with so many half and adopted siblings she never had a moment's peace and while normally she loved having so many brothers and sisters to play with, today she just needed a space she could rest and stay quietly away from everyone else.
So she had slowly and stiffly made her way, under his father's watchful eye, to the healer's den area and the open space with the huge tree that offered plenty of shade from the noon sun. For the moment however she picked a spot off to one side where a few others youngsters were resting and settled down, flat o her side in the sun, letting the warmth seep through her fur and ease the craps in her side that were a result of her ragged coughing.
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:28 pm
N'Seka followed every movement of the winged and masked cub as she walked past him. She looked like he felt when his paws hurt and he wondered if she was in pain. As she gingerly settled in a sunny spot he glanced at the healers and nannies in the area to see if they would bother him again. When no one showed any signs of noticing him he started moving closer to the white cub. He stopped in the shade next to her little slice of sunshine, his shade just touching one of her paws.
"Why are you in the sun," he blurted out, "Isn't it hot?"
Sometimes it could be nice with warm sun, but he was mainly looking for conversation with someone that wasn't an adult. That question would have to do for a start.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:54 am
Saoirse slowly let her worn body go limp as the sun did what her poor father's constant worrying could not.. help ease the pain in her muscles from the constant stress of coughing. Luckily, the coughs had subsided and as she lay there, the sunlight making red and amber patterns on the inside of her eyelids, she felt her limbs going slack and her chest finally loosening its stranglehold on her heart.
When the cool touch of shadow fell over her paw and a cub's high voice sounded close to her, she blinked open vivid orange eyes and blinked up at the dark shape above her, semi-blinded by the light streaming down all around him. Smiling in a friendly manner she rolled onto her belly so she could talk more easily without being blinded, though he was still higher than her, standing up where as she was laying down. "Nope, its lovely an' warm." She knew it could easily get too hot, but for now it was a welcomed warmth to her chilled body.
"What about you.. aren't you cold in the shadow?" In the typical cubbish thought process she asked the question back at him, for the other cub was most certainly avoiding the sunny patches.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:10 pm
N'Seka considered the answer and the question. With his black pelt it was very easy to get too much of a good thing and get too hot in the sun. His paler brother's didn't seem as bothered by it, but the cub hadn't made the connection between coat colour and heat tolerance. After last night he didn't want to feel too hot, and the sunlight was too bright for his tastes today. He wasn't feeling like himself at all.
"No," he said, "I was strange and cold-hot-cold last night, but I'm ok now. Mom was all weird about it and the nannies too."
Since they were talking now he settled down in the shaded spot and put his chin on his paws.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:18 pm
Tilting her head she listened to his reply, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. Her mom, well, adopted-mom since her blood-mother was a rogue but Eva had been her mommy since the young cub had arrived in the pride, was a healer.. the Head healer actually.. and when Saoirse felt well enough, she loved to help her mom out with her other patients. In fact most of the family helped Eva out and none of them had fully escaped at least a partial education in the art of healing. So it was slightly more knowledgeable eyes that blinked up at N'Seka. "Cold-hot-cold? That's a fevah... " Lifting her head she grinned faintly, as if pleased she remembered the name of the condition. "I get that too... mom makes me drink lots and puts a leaf of stinky goo on my head." The poultice stank but it usually helped her breathe more easily and sometimes even stopped the shivers too...
"You should try the stinky leaf next time." She nodded slowly as if delivering a medical breakthrough.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:43 pm
N'Seka listened, wide eyed and with ears perked up. He had been fussed over all day, but no one had stopped to explain to him what had happened until now. Giving the monster a name actually helped and he inched a bit closer to the other cub. His front paws were out in the sun now, and the line of shadow almost followed the division between black fur and white fur.
"Fevah," he parroted, "Stinky leaf sounds... stinky."
He wasn't a stranger to roll in stinky things while playing, but it seemed weird for adults to allow stinky things and use them on purpose.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:52 pm
She grinned happily, pleased to have someone to tell things to, as her siblings knew the same stuff she did, it was rare she got to impart such wisdom to someone who didn't know it already. "Yup.. Thas whats it called when you go cold-hot-cold. Just ask Mom for the stinky leaf, she knows what it is... " Pausing she scrunched her muzzle up, trying to remember if Eva had ever told her what was in it.. she was fairly positive the older female had, but Saoirse had always been ill when she came tot he healer's den, putting up such a fuss that even Eva didn't try and move her till she was too weak to argue. Though Eva could just as easily treat her family in their home den as in the healer's quarters, as she kept a good stock of her medicines in their family den anyway.
"Yeah, it stinks, but it helps... " She nodded sagely, remembering the many times the leaf and its stinky, cold muck had eased her shaking and the dreadful coughing. Smiling at the darker cub she suddenly realised she felt much better. Between the sun and the company, she almost felt like her normal self again. Oh, certainly not energetic enough for rough play, but she felt far better than she had that morning.
"Thanks." She spurted suddenly, gold eyes big and grateful.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:33 pm
"Stink leaf," N'Seka repeated, and decided to try to remember the name in case he needed it later, "You think I'll get cold-hot like that again?"
He assumed his friend was talking about his own mom, Yejide. She was a healer after all, and should know things that helped you feel better. He hadn't really helped his mom with her work so he didn't know much about healing. Most of his time was spent playing and exploring with his many brothers.
"You're welcome," he said, slightly confused, "Thanks for what?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:21 pm
She nodded, her expression suddenly as serious as her cubbish face could manage. "Yup.. stinky leaf.. and I think so.. at least mine keep coming back." She gave a faint shrug. That was about all she knew on that particular topic, but it did seem that if you had one, you got more later on.. Of course what she hadn't yet realised was that as the chills were connected to the sickness and as very few lions recovered from the sickness, the chills would continue.
Smiling at his reply she nodded. "Thank you for helping me feel better." She explained, her smile bright despite her obvious physical weakness.
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:41 am
"I did?" N'Seka asked, pleased but confused, "How did I do that?"
He kind of hoped that the cold-hot-ness wouldn't come back, but since the other cub was bigger than him she probably knew was she was talking about. N'Seka tended to believe what he was told, especially if someone older told him. Luckily his brothers hadn't realised this or started to exploit his gullible nature yet...
"Do you know my big brothers or sisters," he asked, catching this new train of thought, "They're bigger, like you."
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 10:14 am
She nodded again, a little slower this time though her smile remained. "Yup." Pausing she blinked soft gold eyes at him. "Talking to me." She replied, as if that explained everything, and to her at least.. it did.
Saoirse wasn't the type to take advantage of anyone, and when her health allowed, she often stood up to the rougher cubs in defense of the smaller youngsters. Since she hated to see anyone hurt or sad... though her efforts in the wider scale of things was limited, she still did what she could.
At his question she tipped her head thoughtfully. "I have seen them around..." She had met them while with other cubs, but not yet on an individual basis aside from N'Seka, but she could recognize them by sight at least.
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 10:26 am
"I like that there are a lot of cubs to play with," N'Seka said with a pleased little purr, "Lots of siblings and others. How many siblings do you have? I have lots!"
He was pleased that she knew his siblings. He adored his big brothers and sisters and clearly everyone should know that they were awesome. Some of his other siblings were also sick like him, but N'Seka hadn't connected the dots yet. He was still young, but he would grow into his disease eventually, and it would become a natural, normal thing.
"It's nice that there are cubs to play slower with too," he said, "'Cause I'm tired and I don't want anyone to bite my ears right now. Do your siblings bite your ears sometimes?"
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:12 am
At the mention of siblings, she almost rolled her eyes but did laugh softly, maw stretched into a wide grin. She didn't know of a family bigger than her own!
"Yup!" She beamed. "I gota lots of sibs... Umm.." Mentally she tried to count them but ended up whispering each one under her breath as she went. ".... Haruma, Ndale, Faraa, Sorcs, Bea, Kay, Rian, Mall, Athair, Bila, Ruko, Oisin, 'Pala, Lochlan, Soifra, Ena, Aoibhe, Ally, Ker, Call, Adi, Elwynn and Mez.... 23!" Grinning she nodded at his comment, knowing that when she felt ill she liked to be around her older siblings best.. they always seemed to know what to do to make her feel at least a little bit better.
"Yeah... I also like just watching..." As she had been doing today, feeling too ill to join in even the tamest of games.
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:17 am
N'Seka's eyes grew wide as Saoirse started to name all her siblings. It sounded like a lot more sibling than his own.
"Ny'Li, Dumaka, Ketonga," he started, "Lawsonia, Ithanga, Chizoba, Mahlah, Taya, Zeki, Layla, Litahti... and... I said Zeki already... and... Chimvi. Lots."
N'Seka didn't know the counting words to describe how many they were so he stuck with lots. He had recognised some of the names of her siblings, but not all of them. Being a cub he was mostly familiar with those close to his age or his bigger siblings age. Oh, and the adults and apprentices watching the kitlings of course.
"That's Dumaka over there," he said, pointing at a striped cub suffering a coughing fit. "I think the others are around somewhere too."
It was funny, because his body was kind of tired, but he was happy inside when he talked to Saoirse. It was a better way to rest than when someone tried to tell him to.
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