"I want my children to see the world..."

"I want them to find the strength to push the boundaries..."

"To live a life, that while riddled with prejudice for what they are, they have the ability to over come..."

"I know I'm asking a lot, but even I can recognise my own limitations."

"Give my daughter the world."

"Show her what it means to live."

"Please..."


*****************



"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" she tugged on his ears, tiny teeth sending jolts across his spine in a manner he couldn't fully appreciate. They had barely slept, or at least he hadn't, and he could only surmise that he had been asleep for roughly two hours before the cub had decided that it was time to move on. It was fine for her, he had carried her on his back while she slept contently in the crook of his neck, but he hadn't even had a chance to lie down yet!

The cheetah opened an eye and gazed at the leotah for quite some time, his lips pursing as she gave a shriek of delight and darted a little distance away. It was a ritual for her, to wake up up, bound away, and then promptly bounce back to him. She was still so young and naive to the world, but this was a part of the oath he had taken. He would guard the child with his life...and just as his friend had requested, show her the world. Admittedly he had never been a father before and as such, nothing had quite prepared him for the over excitable child and her inability to appreciate when he needed to sleep!

"Good morning, La'seine," he replied softly, raising a paw to rub at his eyes. It was then that he caught the flicker of moment in the corner of his eye and swept his paw out. Gathering the tiny cub into his paw, he tossed her into the air and then caught her with the other one. "Mmmm, you still haven't quite gotten the hang of stealth, have you?" he enquired softly, a small smile appearing on his lips.

She giggled.

"I can be stealthy," she replied, swinging comfortably from his paw as she stared up at him. He'd been her guardian since she had opened her eyes, admittedly he wasn't her real family but as her mother had once said, it wasn't always blood that bound a soul to another.

"Of course you can, which is why you failed to catch your prey," Vas'redoubt responded, depositing the cub onto the ground once more. He gave himself a shake and a prolonged stretch before surveying his surroundings.

"Nuh uh!" La'Seine replied and lifted a paw to point at his ears. "I got them!" she announced and then promptly swept underneath him to sit between his forepaws. "So where are we going?" she asked at last, a ritualistic question that she always performed...even though she knew she would receive the same answer each time. Alas, she was a child and such ritualistic behaviour was both fun and healthy for her.

"We are going wherever your paws lead us, La'Seine," Vas'redoubt replied gently, gazing down to his paws where the little cub had seated herself. He had grown used to the rituals as well and truth be told, La'Seine's little paws had led him into some of the most unexpected regions. For example, he had been in familiar territory for days, but for some reason La'seine had no inclinations to remain on the plains and her paws had set her very much on a course for the unknown. It would be new territory for him too within the near future if she kept to her current course...and frankly, he had no idea where it led.

"I want to find the edge of the world," La'Seince announced, as she always did, when she was provided with Vas'redoubt's response. She gazed up at his chin for approval and on see the soft smile she gave a giggle. This was her dream, she wanted to tell everyone she had found the edge of the world. Then she wanted to look down at it to see just how far it went...

She wanted to stare into the mouth that could end the world.

So dramatic!

"Then we shall find the edge of the world, but you must promise not to jump off, okay?" Vas'redoubt gave the cub a nudge to set her on his way now that he had woken up enough to pay attention. His vision was still a little blurry from sleep, but he had his other senses to rely on and if he should pass a river he would wash his eyes out to refresh himself. Although he did make a promise to himself this afternoon... The second that La'seine became tired, he would fall asleep at the same time. He would find a suitable place for them to rest and catch up on his much needed 'me-time' as well. Hey, if he couldn't beat them he would join them, it made sense.

"I will not jump off," La'seine confirmed with a curt nod as she began to march forward, little body causing the grass to quiver though the world would never know what was underneath the surface. Vas'redoubt in the meantime padded after her, lips pursed in a half smile as his little 'trooper' made her way towards what could very well be the edge of the world. Admittedly, the closer she wandered towards the unknown lands, the more curious he became as well!

"And no throwing things off the edge either," Vas'redoubt added, brow furrowing as he contemplated what risks this may entail. No one would know what lay beneath the surface, surely. No one could possibly know what may be provoked if they were to be so foolish as to disrespect such ground. Suffice to say that he knew that a child could be exceptionally clueless when it came to manners and he would have to be the sensible one...curious as he might have been.

"But -"

"No, La'Seine." he replied firmly and shook his head. "You do not wish to be disrespectful to what might live there, would you?" he enquired gently and tilted his head to the side as she turned back to look at him.

"No, no I guess not," she agreed with a soft sigh and then proceeded forward again. She would have to settle for calling down into the depths to see what answer she might receive, that was the only option it would seem. Well, it was the only option unless she found a society by the edge of the world who confirmed that it was safe to do anything more than that.

"Do you think there would be others living nearby it?" she asked after a few moments. "Others like us?"

"This world has many hidden secrets and societies, I do not see how it would be outside the realms of possibility." He was hazarding a guess of course, it would be impossible to be sure of this but if he could find lions on the highest and snowiest peaks, then it wasn't all that unlikely that there would be a colony of animals near the edge of the world.

"Oooooh we might even be the first to find them!" she gave a dramatic coo of delight and promptly bounded forward, causing her guardian to increase his speed to a slow 'trot' as they headed towards the unknown and away from everything he was so familiar with...


Word Count: 1204