Thorin was still young, only possibly a few weeks old at that point. He was still an infant to the world and had only just opened his eyes a little while ago, but he was already so curious about his surroundings. While he wanted to crawl and to explore anything and everywhere he could, he just couldn’t thanks to his tiny, new body’s limitations. The tiny cub frowned as he laid around his siblings under the tree his family called home along with two other lionesses that lived with his father. His head tilted upward as the sun was suddenly blocked from casting its rays down on the new life.
A large brown male looked down at the minute cub below him. The others from the litter as well as their mother were sleeping, but that one. It seemed to be wide awake instead of sleepy like the others. Durin was new to really filling a fatherly role. While he had had cubs in the past by other lionesses, all had died by various causes before getting out of cubhood. Their mothers had all left him as well too, possibly out of grief or they had just moved on. It had always haunted him that he had never truly been a part of their lives. He would not make that mistake with these little ones. Durin smiled down at his son with a sense of pride he had not felt in so long as he gazed into the black eyes of the small kin below him who looked back up at him in such wonderment. The male leaned his head down, gently nuzzling his cub which in turn caused Thorin to roll onto his back, sneezing once from the dust cloud that his movement had formed.
Who was that large shape in front of him? Was it someone important? It had to be, why else would it be looking at him. Thorin’s small, new and empty mind wondered so many things as he stared up at Durin’s face. His mind was racing with so many thoughts but the only thing his inexperienced mouth to make out was a soft mew as his white toed paws reach up to bat at the dark mane of his sire. “You are a wonderful and precious gift, my son.” Durin whispered, pressing his nose gently against his son’s cheek, giving the little boy a cautious nuzzle.
Again Thorin responded with a soft mew and returned to the gesture with an attempt at a nuzzle himself, trying to mimic the larger lion. The simple gesture the cub made was one that brought warmth to the large male's heart. Never had he felt such joy around his children. This boy would grow into a fine lion, he knew that much to be true from the start. Perhaps he would grow and have a different way of life once he left Durin's company and only have one lioness to himself but all Durin truly wished for at this point was that he would be happy wherever he ended up. For now though, this cub was his and he would raise it and it's siblings as best he could with the mother who had only recently joined him and his small pride.
"Come now, little one. You should rest for now. There will be plenty of time to explore later." Durin said quietly, hoping to not wake the others around him as she nosed the cub onto its belly before taking the scruff of it's neck into his mouth. As stealthy as he could, the large brown lion lifted the cub into the air and carried it back into the mess of other children of his. Gently, he laid among them, letting Thurin come to rest in the space in his paws and under his neck. This movement was met with a mew of protest that came from Thurin. "Hush now, little one. Sleep now." He cooed, giving the cub a lick along it's head, followed by another gentle nuzzle.
He did not want to sleep just yet. He wanted to explore and to sate his curiosity but of course with the chin of his father over him, that was not an option at that point. Another mew made its way up and out of Thurin's throat as he pawed at his father' great paws. He did enjoy the confines he was currently in but the warmth of his father's mane against him was starting to slowly lull the young cub to sleep without realizing it. His movements became sluggish, even more-so then usual considering his young age. Within minutes the mewing ceased and silence filled the air once more as Thurin's black eyes slid closed and sleep took the son of Durin just as it had done to all of his siblings.
Durin on the otherhand was still wide awake. With the young lives all around him, he was more alert then ever. He needed to be. With three lionesses and so many cubs that depended on him, Durin had been worked to the bone and exhaustion was beginning to set in as he strained to keep himself attentive to his surroundings. It was the middle of a hot afternoon though and the heat was not helping his exhaustion either. Who in their right mind would attack then when it was so hot out? Those desperate enough would likely be too skinny and malnourished to even be a challenge to a drowsy lion or even to be moving in the heat. He gave a hearty chuckle at the thought, his mane shaking a bit with caused the sleeping cub that was nestled against it to mew out in protest to the movements. Quickly as it had started, Durin cut his laughter off. He did not mean to move disturb the cub.
This whole fatherhood thing would take time to adjust to, but at least he would have time and help from the lionesses in bathing and feeding them all when they moved to solid food. Soon enough though, the heat began to affect Durin even more and slowly, but surely the gold eyes of the great brown lion slid closed as he joined his family in a afternoon nap.
[Word Count: 1,050]