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 Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:10 pm
((At the moment, just for Asali and cubbins, but it'll open up to the whole pride soonly.
Just to note, they haven't actually been given their names yet ICly -- that'll be done once Asali gets them to the pride :3.))
Days ago, now, Asali'jua had disappeared from the pride, losing herself within the warm, wet embrace of the swamp. She had not done so entirely without warning, however; she had been firm in telling the others, sweetly protective Jabali in particular, that she was not to be followed or sought out. This was a secret thing, a sacred thing, a female thing.
And so it had been that the pale lioness slipped away, finding a safe, dry shelter in the hollow of an old tree, with roots that rose and twisted around it, obscuring the entrance. It had been difficult for the heavily pregnant queen to make it inside, but she had wormed her way in nonetheless. Getting out would not be such a difficult task.
She gave birth there, out of sight of the world, to five cubs. They were as she had known they would be -- three sons, two daughters. She and Jabali both were easily seen in the litter, and even Matope. Brothers, indeed.
Asali and her cubs had remained safe within the tree since then, but now...now the cubs' eyes had opened. The time for seclusion was over; it was time for them to truly come into the world. With the dawn, with the sun.
And so she shepherded them out before her, slinking out between the roots with much greater ease than she had first entered.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:24 pm
The first son struck out into the world with a careful, bumbling stride that kept him near his mother's paws, which he bumped into once or twice, only to blink at in childish confusion. But he was in no way reluctant or frightened, only filled with a wide-eyed curiosity, and the very beginnings of a sense of adventure.
As he stepped into the light that filtered through the canopy of the swamp-trees for the first, he blinked his dark-rimmed eyes. Little dots of light floated through his unnaccustomed vision, leaving him with a light-headed, dizzy view of his home.
There was...so much here. So many things to take in. The twist of the gnarled tree's roots, the sway of the halfhearted breeze as it stirred waters both murky and shining. A flicker of movement to one side as a snake darted past, a plop-splash to the other as a frog leapt into a still pool.
Ears canted to the sides in a near-comical expression of awe, the chocolate cub with his mother's swirl upon his shoulder gave a little hop-skip in imitation of the leaping creature he'd seen just before, only to stumble and fall. His whiskers skimmed the surface of a pool of water, rippling his brown-eyed reflection.
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:30 pm
A dark chocolate coloured cub, similar to his older brother's colour, was more wary on exploring their odd habitat. Instead, he climbed around his other sibilings, trying to get ontop of them to get a better view, if blurry, at his surroundings. Of course, being a very tiny cub, he lost his footing and tumbled into the soft ground, face first.
Mewling, and shaking, he crawled his way back towards his mother's soft fur, deciding that, no, exploring right now was just too scary. Warm, soft coat of mother's was enough for now.
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:14 am
The first of the daughters stuck her head out of the sheltered den that had been her home for her short little life so far. This new, brighter light of the outside world made her squint and she staggered a little. shaking her head, she tried to remove the blindness, but it was only momentary and soon the new world of trees and water and earth faded into view.
As they did a grin also grew on her face and she stared about boldly. This was.... almost imcomprehensible! Imediatly she bounded a few small steps ahead of her mother and clambering siblings and began to inspect whatever it was her brown-eyed brother was looking at in the shimmery substance.
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:38 am
The youngest of the daughters tumbled out, her evergreen coloured eyes trying hard to focus on the world she could hear around her. So different was this to her, when compared to the den she'd lived in until now. At all seemed unreal, as if she were staring at a dream of some sort. Her cautious, yet curious steps padded her close to her white fuzzed, lighter eyed brother.
Almost a complete opposite colouration of the little male, it seemed that her outlook on the world was also a complete opposite of his. While he wanted to hide in their mother's fur, she was eager, ears perked up and forward, to explore everything that moved. Her sister's antics weren't lost on her, and it wasn't but moment's later that she was crow-hopping after her sibling to gaze into the untold depths of liquid curiosity before them.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:48 am
Finally, there emerged the last-born of the litter, a male, pale and considerably smaller than any of his siblings. Shakily, he wobbled after his more active siblings, panting slightly from the exertion.
Small pink tongue lolling slightly out of his mouth as he sought to catch his breath, the pale cub stumbled to a halt beside his siblings, caramel eyes spying things in the water that perhaps only he could see, gaze unfocused. As he leaned forward, his panting, rapid breaths caused ripples in the water's surface, and he sank to his haunches, struggling to catch his breath.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:18 am
Asali's gaze flitted from cub to cub, careful eyes kept on each child without neglecting the others in the way that few but mothers ever seem to master. She smiled gently to herself, watching the curious ones, the shy one, the small one.
Letting a bright, soothing hum form in her throat, mimicking the wordless songs she had sung them in the den, she moved on towards the pride's rest. She'd been careful choosing a den, sure not to make it too far or too difficult a path. There would be no swimming lessons today.
She gently nudged each cub with nose and paws, ushering them along at an appropriate pace for their age, and measured by the palest one's needs.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:28 am
Nyoe's brown-tufted tail swished jerkily as he wobbled to his feet again, bumping his head against each sister's shoulder before being bumped in turn by Mother.
Where could she be going? They were going too, right? Wide eyes blinking curiously, he started to follow her, giving his resting brother a soft head-bump and mewling at his fellow brown sibling.
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:58 am
The pale daughter gave a mewl of protest as a couple of her other siblings came hopping over and jostled her position at the pool's edge. She was here... well, second, but she'd gotten a good viewing spot! But what on earth was this stuff? She reached a paw out tp touch it...
...just as her mother came and moved them along gently with her nose. The little brown-pawed female squeaked at having her exploration of that particular 'thing' halted but soon forgot about that. Mother was taking them somewhere! She bounded along proudly until she was a couple of feet in front of their mother and then slowed to a better walking pace, though her eyes and ears turned and tuned in on every sound and interesting sight around them.
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Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:00 am
Lurching awkwardly to his feet, Mng'aro tripped after his siblings, not wanting to be left behind. Strands of knowledge seemed to float around his head, telling him that this trip was important. It was thus that he almost completely missed seeing a deepish mud-puddle, and found himself slipping, knee-deep in the gooey mud, a pitiful mew squeaking forth.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:51 am
The little brown cub, with his white-tuffed tail and flop of white fur on his head slowly, and reluctantly, followed his mother. Where were they going? He wanted to stay where they were, weren't they happy there? But mother knew best, and so he slowly tagged along in the group, curling around his mother's large paws as she led them to where they were going. His ears flicked backwards as he heard a noise, his pale-coated brother. He looked backwards to see that his little brother seemingly half disappeared! He gave his own little squeak and he slowly inched back to get near his brother, his own little paws sinking just a bit in the mud. Stopping where he was, he watched his brother, unsure as of what to do.
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Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:00 am
The little female lagged behind the rest, not entirely realizing that they were all headed off in another direction. Her gaze was riveted to the water before her. She did not venture to touch it, but only stared into it, at her own reflection that wavered with the slight breeze.
It wasn't until she heard her youngest brother's soft mewl that the young one turned to see the rest of them venturing off. A squeak sounded from her mouth maw, as if to say 'Wait up wait up! Don't go without meeeee'. Granted, that's nothing close to what it sounded like, but the meaning was the same, regardless. Bounding off after the rest, the little girl put the brakes on in a hurry as she reached the mudhole that seemed to have claimed one brother, and seemed to be trying to snag the other one as well. A distressed mewl sounded from her, distressed that it looked like her brothers were being eaten by thick gunky stuff.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:10 am
Well, that wouldn't do! Stifling the urge to chuckle, Asali turned towards her cubs' distress. Padding to the pale ones' aid, she first nudged his helpful brother back out of 'danger,' before bending her head and picking the littlest one up by the scruff. The lioness pulled him gently from the mudand set him back on firm ground, giving him a lick and a smile.
Making sure the others were still all accounted for, particularly the girls, one of whom straggled behind to satisfy her curiosity, and the other of whom bounded forward, keen and bold, the new mother went forward again, shepherding and tending her children to ensure that there were no more incidents.
And so it was that the little group made their way to the 'island' the pride shared as a collective den of sorts. The cubs would not need to swim so early, however; there was one tiny strip of land that ran up to the island, too narrow to do a grown lion any good, but just the right size for a line of cubs.
Asali directed them towards it, slipping into the water to paddle alongside. If any of the pride now watched, they would see that the queen carried herself with a grave air, and turned her amber eyes on them with clear message of: silence. This was important, so important.
((Right, 'tis the adults' turn now! Any order you want to go in...then the cubs have a round again, and then Asali'll give 'em their names. heart ))
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:23 am
The sun shone over head as she heard the movements from the far bank and kikawaidas dusty pink eyes opened. She had been sun bathing. It had been some time since she had seen the queen but the look she gave spoke of a grave importance and Kikawaida stayed silent, though she got up from ehr relaxed possition to sit. It was obvious that the khaki female had fellen to the same state as the queen before she left, she was looking decidely pudgy around the midsection. Of course, she had spoken to Umo, she knew what was going on and upon seeing Asali'jua and her herde of babes she wondered would she be sheparding such a horde towards the island one day?
Her stomach lurched at the thought but she stayed smiling, the exact technicalities of hiow cubs were to come from her stomach were lost upon the some what ditzy swampie. She would ask the queen when the time was more appropriate.
Bowing her head lightly she smiled softly, giving the queen and cubs a silent greeting. She knew not to say a word, just to watch. Her hear melted upon seeing the new cubs any way, she wished to play with them, she was sure she would get a chance for now, all was seriousness and stern silence, still her pink eyed gaze admired them one at a time, such beautiful babes, would she be blessed thus? Would she bring so many in to the world? she wasn't sure.
Waiting silenly now she looked around for the rest of the pride, her back being tanned by the bright sunshine from above.
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:01 pm
Jabali lifted his head, ear twitching as the soft sounds of a lion paddling through the water that surrounded their haven reached his sensitive ears. Rising to his feet, he stepped around Kikawaida, and stopped a few feet from the small strip of land that...his and Asali's cubs?! were walking across, a somber expression sliding across his face as he noted his mate's expression, although his eyes were practically dancing to see FIVE healthy (or at least, they appeared so) cubs, and the return of his love, who looked to be in good health also. He lowered his head, expressing his willingness, as always, to follow Asali's lead.
It had been a tough call to not follow her when she'd disappeared from the pride so close to her time, but the grown lion had made himself remain behind, awaiting Asali, and their cubs, returns.
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