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Nubia cooled her paws in a little stream miles from the family she just left. A few days before, Nubia was helping a single mother take care of 3 rather rambunctious cubs. The father of the family left before childbirth and the mother desperately needed help caring for them. She stayed with the family until the cubs were allowed to be left by themselves. They still needed constant attention, but now the mother could leave to hunt without fear of one straying away. Well, Nubia wasn't quite sure of the youngest cub. She had a wild streak in her that left Nubia exhausted at the end of the day. Hopefully her lessons didn't fall on deaf ears. No, Nubia was certain the cubs would be alright. It was always hard to leave babies, but they wouldn't be babies much longer. Plus, Nubia's skills were needed else where. Once a family was on their way to health, she left and moved onto the next.

So, now Nubia found herself searching for her next family. She and her mother would travel the lands and offer their services. Some new mothers would take it and others just wanted to eat them. Nubia learned quickly which lions would be open for a nanny. She wasn't quite sure where she'd go next, but she always enjoyed the experience.

Nubia splashed around a bit in the stream. The water tickled her under belly. She didn't want to get drenched, but the little water that made it to her flank was a needed relief from the heat. Plus, her fur would dry in a few minutes anyway. It was nice to take a moment to enjoy a little play time for herself. Splashing around a bit was a game Nubia didn't mind playing. However, she didn't enjoy playing lets bite Nubia's tail. Cubs seemed to love to chomp on her tail. Though, it wasn't bad when they were young, it wasn't until they got a nice set of adult chompers that Nubia didn't appreciate it. That's when it was time to find some food for the kids.

Nubia was so involved with the water that she didn't notice the grass rustling. It wasn't until his reflection crossed in the water that she realized there was another creature there. Nubia jumped in embarrassment. "Oh, gosh!" She lowered her head and began backing out to dry land. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I wasn't alone. Let me just get out of this water so you can get a drink." Oh, Nubia was in trouble. If her mother was here, she'd yell at her like a new born.

Nubia stopped from backing away and glanced up. Oh, my... Her tail twitched in surprise. A smile spread across her lips. She certainly was surprised, in a good way. Nubia never knew who she was going to run into when she left the protection of a family. After all, she was only a wolf that wandered the territory filled with lions and cheetahs--who would love to make her into a quick snack.

The tension in her body began to drift away. She didn't realize she was so nervous. It was wonderful that he wasn't going to eat her, but it was especially great that he was a wolf like herself! It's been a long time since she's seen a fellow wolf. "That's alright. I'm pretty cooled down now." He seemed very nice. Her eyes ran over his colored pelt. "I love the white in your coat!" She began to laugh, "I'm quite fond of white." She stepped over a bit to expose her side with the dancing butterflies. She couldn't help her smile growing larger, reaching her eyes.

Nubia giggled at his comment. "Why, thank you!" She looked back at her side. "Yes, I'd play a game with the cubs called Chase the Butterflies! Then I'd take off running and they would try to catch me." Nubia looked back and winked. "It was the quickest way to tire them out. They'd be asleep 10 minutes after we were done playing." Nubia continued to laugh to herself. The game was always a winner in her book. The cubs were never quick enough to catch her and she didn't need to run all that fast, since they were still young. Of course, she'd slow down after they've run for awhile and let one of them catch her. Yes, the mother would enjoy the game too since the cubs could practice their 'hunting' skills. Though, some of the cubs took it too far, but Nubia sorted them out quickly.

"Oh! Watch me make them dance!" She wiggled her backside back and forth, causing her coat to ripple a bit. The butterflies shook and moved which made them look more like they were experiencing an earthquake than smooth dancing. Nubia burst into giggles and butterflies near her chest jumped up and down with her laughter. "They're still learning the routine." She slowed down and smiled. There was always a way for her to entertain herself. Life was never a dull moment.

Nubia tilted her ear towards the male. She could hear the nervous tone. Oh, she hoped she didn't say anything to scare him. Nubia mentally checked herself over. She wasn't very scary... no fangs, large teeth, or gross attributes. At least, she didn't think she was very intimidating. It was kind of hard with butterflies on your coat. The word 'cubs' drifted through her ears and Nubia giggled to herself. Of course! Maybe he was afraid that she ran a gang of cute little, cuddly monsters! "Don't worry! There aren't any cubs here. I'm a traveling nanny, so I leave the cubs with their mothers." She shivered at the thought of taking a cub away from its mother. No, no, no. That was not something Nubia could handle. For one, she couldn't protect it. Plus, how in the world could she feed it? At least with the real mother around, Nubia just had to look after the cubs. Not get them dinner. That seemed a bit too much for Nubia.

She shifted her attention back to the male and smiled. "You think so?" She laughed at the praise. "Well, my name's Nubia." She plopped down on the ground near the water's edge. All that dancing around got her a bit tired.

She eagerly nodded her head. "Yes! My mother and I used to work together to help single mothers." She smiled remembering her mother. It's been a few years now since she's passed away. Nubia was thankful that she could think about her mother without getting choked up. Her mother was a strong wolf! So seeing Nubia crying her eyes out would only get her scolded. She chuckled.

"I help the lions with their cubs and they offer protection and food. Some times it's dangerous, but it's been very rewarding." She is in no way spoiled in riches like furs or trinkets. No, her rewards are only the experiences she has with the cubs and their families. Plus, exposing lion cubs to wolves at a young age will hopefully curve their desire to kill wolves in the future for food.

Nubia smiled up at Kouen. "It's nice to meet you too! And please, no misses. That makes me sound all...lady like." A giggle escaped her lips. "Nope! I'm traveling to a new family," she shrugged, "I don't know where they are, but there's always somebody out there looking for some help with the cubs." She nodded in a serious manner, but cracked a smile. She tilted her head towards Kouen. "So what brings you out this fine day?"

Nubia's fur felt a little hot from the compliment. If she could ever blush, she'd be doing it now. She shook her head from side to side while laughing, "If you think I'm lady-like, then you must not have too much experience with a real lady!" She thought herself very, very far from a lady. Nubia got down and dirty with the cubs, having to drag stuck cubs from the mud or fixing up some nasty cuts. Her idea of a lady involved sitting in the shade and being too busy not doing anything to get messy. Nubia would more than likely get bored after a while. That was not the life style for her.

She cocked her head up towards Kouen. "You're looking for your own family?" Her heart tugged. The way he said it sounded very sad and a bit lonely. Nubia's nanny instincts were kicking in. She couldn't leave a creature alone if they needed help. "Is there anything I can help with?" She genuinely meant it.