Back Log (Takes place when Aureo was a cub)
Aureo opened his eyes to see if either of his parents were awake. To his surprise his father wasn't there. It was odd, Aureo thought, because he hadn't heard his father leave. His mother's heave paw held him close to her. Carefully he wormed his way out of her grasp without waking her up. He didn't get to spend much time with his father. At least his mother would spend a bit of time with him before dropping him off for training. He guessed his father was always doing pridal duties. The sun was just starting to set as he wandered outside. In their small pride the start of their 'day' didn't start till the sun was down. Aureo never really understood why, but he never questioned it.
He glanced around outside the den to see where his father had wandered off to. In the dirt he could see paw prints. He set his own paw in the paw print and stared in awe in how much bigger his father's print was to his own. Someday his would be just as big, he was sure of it. His parents wanted him to grow big and strong. That's why they had him go to training at such an early age. Other cubs his age were playing with their siblings, but not him. His parents knew he was special. He didn't brag about how special he was to the other cubs. Well at least he didn't any more. The one time he did brag his father was there to smack some sense into him. After that Aureo was pretty good at not bragging to others.
His father's tracks led him to the massive lion sitting on a rock, looking down at the canyon below them. Water rushed down the walls of the canyon to form a small lake at the bottom. Aureo had always wanted to travel down there, but his father always told him that he wasn't old enough to travel down there. Only on important missions would they travel that far. When he was older he would for sure go down there to see what it was like.
He stepped closer to his father and curled up to him at his feet, his head rested on his father's leg.
“Aureo you shouldn't be out here. You did not have my permission to leave the den.” Timeus spoke with a deep voice. He didn't bother to look down at his son. His son failed to have respect for the boundaries he had put for him. Like all trainees, Aureo had strict rules he had to follow. The big rule was that he wasn't supposed to leave either of his parents unless he asked first. He was protective of his son. Who could blame him though? The boy was meant to become a soldier like him. He would have to learn to deal with strict rules now so he won't struggle with them later.
He glanced down at his son. Aureo was so small, so delicate compared to him. At this stage he had to be careful with the cub. Aureo could get seriously injured if he was pushed too much. When creating the perfect fighter one had to be careful. Cubs are easily trained, but easily broken. He leaned over and picked up Aureo by the back of the neck.
“Father! I can walk! Let go of me right now!” Aureo yelled while struggling to get away. He wanted to spend time with his father but not like this! He was being treated like he couldn't even walk. After his father carried him closer to the den he let him go. Aureo landed on his feet and looked up at Timeus. “You didn't have to do that father! I just wanted to spend some time with you.”
Timeus let out a sigh. He didn't spend much time with his son, that was true. Compared to the trainers, he would be rough on the boy. He didn't know the cubs limits and would probably end up getting the cub hurt. If he got seriously injured he wouldn't be any use to the pride. However he did think it was important for the cub to have a link to him. “Why don't you show me what you have learned?” Timeus suggested, ignoring the cubs comments. Picking up Aureo was to show the cub that he was acting immature. It was a small punishment fitting for a small crime. He never allowed Aureo to get away with misbehaviors even at his young age. He was partially to blame for the cubs misbehaviors. Cubs need an outlet for their energy. Because of his lack of interaction with other cubs Aureo didn't have an outlet. Timeus decided he would held get rid of some of that energy by having a little 'duel' with his son.
Aureo's eyes lit up. His father never gave much interest in his training, other that he was getting stronger. “We learned how to stalk our prey.” Aureo replied, getting in a hunting position. His body was close to the ground as he stalked an invisible enemy. Than to really show off he pounced, bringing up a cloud of dirt. He looked up at his father to make sure he was watching. Timeus was watching and even had a weak smile on his face. “Our trainer is going to be taking us on a hunting trip so we can really test our skills.”
He was the youngest in the group, but that didn't matter. Unlike some of the other members of the group he was completely determined to be good at hunting. He wanted to make his father proud. If he proved that he could be a strong fighter like his father, his father would actually pay attention to him and perhaps even spend sometime with him.
“Try attacking me Aureo.” Timeus ordered. He knew his son couldn't do any damage to him. It would still be interesting to watch though. He sat down waiting for his son to attack him. His thoughts were what his son would be like when he was older. With his upbringing and his natural skills the cub should turn out to be a strong fighter. If everything goes as plan, Aureo will become the top soldier in the pride, Timeus thought. The cub would surely prove to be an asset to the pride. He would make him and Seema proud.
Aureo hesitated before taking a swipe at his father. He didn't want to hurt his father. At the same time, his father had ordered him to attack. If he went against his father's wishes Aureo would be in trouble. He took a swipe, jumping up to get his father's face. However before his claws could hit the intended target, his father knocked him away with his paw. He fell back onto the ground. He landed on his side. It didn't take him long to hop back up. His side was hurting but he didn't show any sign of discomfort.
“You hesitated Aureo. In a fight you don't hesitate. It will give your enemy an opportunity to attack do you understand?” Timeus asked, looking down at his son. He knew his son didn't have any killing instincts. That was his biggest flaw. There were times when he struggled killing a mouse at times. Timeus was sure with age Aureo would grow out of it. “Tomorrow we will try again. I will wake you up early so we can get some practice in. Now hurry up and head home. You don't want to worry your mother.”
Aureo's ears perked up. His father was going to actually spend time with him. He couldn't believe it. A huge grin fell on his face. “I won't disappoint you father!” With that he hurried back to his den to find his mother still resting. Carefully he nudged her paw up and slid under it. She pulled him closer to her and he welcomed the warmth.
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