[Hoku Cert here.]
The pile had grown bigger. No longer just a single bird's nest, Hoku had built a nice growing collection. Once it became apparent her bird's nest wouldn't hold the rest of her treasures she had decided to dig a hole well away from her family's usual congregation spot. Or that of anyone else, for that matter. It had taken a few days of staking out potential spots to make sure her things would be safe before the cub had decided on this one spot. She dug the hole behind a large rock, using one side of it as lining. For the rest of the walls she got a mixture of mud and leaves to plaster the side with a green lining to keep everything from getting dirty. Once done, she placed a large rock on top to keep other animals out and the weather as much as she could. It wouldn't stop rainwater from seeping into the dirt around it and making the walls muddy, but it was the best she could do for the moment. For a little cub she thought it was a pretty good idea. The only thing it didn't help was how to organize the treasures.
Maybe she should ask her Mama what to do. She had never seen her mother going around with found items, only the bones from kills she was discarding. As she still wasn't very old Hoku had yet to see Eli in her prime during autumn, helping plan the Vuli celebrations. Eli enjoyed working with only the things autumn provided and so didn't start looking for items to make her games with until autumn actually came. For Hoku she couldn't resist already thinking about next year's summer. She would be fully grown by than and able to lend a paw. She couldn't wait! Until than she would continue to hoard her treasures and find uses for them. Just like a good Crafter would do.
With a smile on her face, the blue cub darted around the other pride members in search of her mother. The red lioness was found basking in the sun, enjoying some off time from both hunting and cub caring. Not that the duty of cub rearing ever stopped. But it did when they were asleep.
At least she thought they were all asleep.
As the blue cub came running towards her, Eli looked at her daughter with an questioning gaze. Hoku felt it and stopped in her tracks, her tail going between her legs as she realized she had disobeyed her mother without even meaning, or knowing, she had been.
"You should be napping like your sisters, Hokulani," the adult said sternly, using the full name Hoku wasn't overly fond of. The Lani at the end made it sound so feminine. She didn't want to be feminine. Hoku, on the other hand, could pass as a boy's name. "I thought I seen you go down for one. What are you doing?"
Looking down at the ground at her feet, Hoku stirred up the dust with one paw. She didn't like going against her mother. But she couldn't help it. The idea had come to her as she was laying down for sleep and suddenly she couldn't close her eyes anymore. Where she had once been tired she was now too full of adrenaline to settle down.
"I'm sorry, Mama. I was sleepy, but..." Here she paused, looking up into Eli's green eyes. Sometimes she wished she had her mother's eyes. Green was such a pretty and boyish color. Orange was so lively, like a overly peppy and girlie female. "But..."
Oh, who was she kidding. She couldn't hold it in any longer.
Face breaking into a smile, Hoku darted closer to Eli, clearly too full of energy all of a sudden to settle down long enough to sleep.
"Mama! Come with me! I want to show you something!"
And before Eli could say anything in response, the cub had run away in the direction of her hideaway hole. Eli couldn't do anything but smile and follow behind her daughter, glad to see her so excited about something. When she reached the place Hoku had stopped, she looked at the cub with another questioning look, this one merely confused and curious. Hoku answered her by pushing aside the rock to show all the treasures she had collected.
"See all the things I've found!" she announced happily, not allowing Eli to get the first word. "I couldn't sleep because the hole idea came to me. But I'm not sure how to keep the walls from getting muddy with rain water."
Before answering, Eli took a moment to look over her daughter's handiwork. Yes, she certainly had collected a good few pieces of things here. The many pale, sun dried shapes of bones shouted out to her from the hole in the ground. She could also see funny shaped rocks, pretty rocks, nuts, and what looked like shells from the water. Hoku must really have been scavenging hard and for a while to find shells discarded from passing creatures. Those were quite pretty. Though they weren't a usual part of her celebrations, Eli couldn't help her creative mind from beginning the process of finding uses for those.
"This is very nice, Hoku," she said proudly. Whether she knew it or not, all these things would be very useful to her pride and save the adults time searching for them. "I'm not sure what to be done about the walls. Perhaps you could find flat rocks to line it. The dirt should be enough to keep them from falling out."
Hoku flung herself onto her mother's leg, hugging her in a show of gratitude. "Thank you! I will begin looking right now!"
And for the second time that day Hoku took off before her mother could say anything. Eli merely shook her head as she made her way back to the rest of her litter. She wasn't sure where Hoku had picked up this fascination with treasure hunting. Part of it stemmed from Eli and her wanderlust, she was sure. The need for adventure seemed to pass along to the next generation so easily.
But than she was also a cub and that's what cubs did. Time would tell if Hoku grew out of this or learned how to settle down.
Word Count :: 1060