Maawio walked slowly back to her den, her legs swaying a little as she did so. Her morning stroll really seemed to take it out of her. She let out a little puff of breath as she ascended to the mouth of what had been her family den for many years.
A pink bird fluttered nearby excitedly. She knew something very very exciting indeed, but had been sworn to secrecy. Mbari had wanted to tell his mother himself, after all, and Kamba could understand why. Mbari had been the lion she'd mentored for some time in self confidence, but it had taken Alili for it to really make a difference. It saddened her a little, but she knew the time would come where she would not be his only companion, and he really needed that. It had taken too many years of his life for him to come to terms with his paranoia and beat his shyness, but he had done it and she was so proud. The avian didn't spend all of her time with the male anyway, they had a good relationship with both distance and closeness, allowing them to know one another well but still lead entirely separate lives, and if truth be told, Kamba liked to travel.
Mbari and Alili walked together, their pace quickening as they reached the familiar form of pride rock. They were more excited than they had ever been. Mbari did not expect Alili to return his love in the way she had, and he was happier than ever. He still had to shake away some paranoia, but overall his head was in great shape. His life was finally beginning, a little later than the rest of his family, but it was still happening. This time he was jittery with excitement as he walked to see the other most important lady in his life.
Kamba fluttered down to greet Maawio with a smile. “Mornin'!” She said chirpily, waving her wings about. Maawio looked down at the bird with a suspicious smile. Kamba had been significantly happier since Mbari had found a mate, and the golden elder had too, but there was still something in her voice that hinted at a little more.
“Morning Kamba, you're happier than usual, e-even for you!” She joked. “How are you?” Maawio knew that the avian did not spend all her time with Mbari, and even so she found it a little insensitive to ask about her eldest child before the own creatures well-being, however worried she was about him some times. He had Alili now, and that was reason enough for her to relax.
“I'm well, I'm well.” Kamba chattered, fluttering to and from the corners of the mouth of the den restlessly, her beady eyes looking out onto the horizon expectedly, she knew they were coming and wanted to stall Maawio a little so it would be more of a surprise. Kamba doubted it was effective at the moment as she couldn't contain her excitement, but she still wanted to give it a shot.
Alili was more nervous than excited if truth be told. Her own mother had left long ago, so Maawio was a very important figure that she felt the need to impress. She was a lovely old lioness and she was neither judgement nor hard to please, but Alili felt the nerves all the same. Sometimes her rough-housing and general boisterous behaviour didn't go down too well, but Mbari had assured her that his mother had taken a genuine liking to her. She had a feeling deep down that Maawio would be overjoyed, though. Mbari had always told her about how his siblings had moved on and settled down quickly, and sometimes he felt like he had let his family down. Alili admired him all the more for doing things on his terms, for making sure he was ready to take on such a commitment, and for waiting for as he had said “the right lioness.” She knew he had a relationship before, but that had also left him damaged. He wasn't the kind of lion to fling with another – no – she supposed that would make him more nervous. Alili let out a few deep breaths, looking about the grasses to distract her mind for a moment.
Mbari could sense Alili was a little nervous, just due to the fact that she was more reserved than usual. “Are you a-alright love?” He purred at her gently and stopped to nuzzle her shoulder. “It will be fine, don't worry!” This made a difference, Mbari reassuring someone else for once! He doubted however, that Alili struggled with the same kind of anxiety that he did, and so hopefully it would not spoil the occasion for her.
His mate gave him a nervous smile. “I'm alrigh'” She nodded. “I'm jus' a little nervous!” Taking a deep breath in, she motioned to him to carry on walking with her, she was sure that once they had told Maawio, they could be more excited together and that it would be a relief.
It was a strange sensation, for someone that was always such a tomboy, to be carrying cubs. It made her feel significantly more feminine. Not that she had even felt masculine though, but there was something about having her tiny family inside her that made her feel more gentle and graceful. It was also probably coupled with the fact that sparring was off the cards, which had made the lioness sad for a moment, until she realised that she could teach her cubs how to spar and play fight with them!
Maawio could see them now, and her bright blue eyes looked from the two figures on the horizon to the avian next to her, two and two clicking together. Oh please let it be true. It would be the most wonderful thing... She smiled at Kamba gently. Even if it was what she thought, she would still act surprised of course, and she would be completely unable to hide her joy. Maawio thought that Alili was absolutely the right lioness for Mbari, she was boisterous where he was shy, but had a genuine good heart and a wonderfully bright and bold temperament. Coupled with the fact that Alili had been polite and obviously a little uncharacteristically nervous when they had first met, she could tell she was a good lioness.
The old lioness rose to move further out of the den, as Kamba continued to flicker about near her head. Finally the pair reached the den, and exchanged affectionate greetings. The avian was near to combustion and decided to try and settle herself calmly further within the den.
Alili smiled widely at her mother-in-law. The more times they had met the more comfortable she had been, and the more of herself she could be too. Maawio had seemed to embrace this and they had had many wonderful visits and conversations even without her son. Her own blue eyes were not too different from Maawio's, and both twinkled with excitement and happiness.
“Come, come inside.” Maawio ushered them inside gently and sat almost expectantly opposite the pair. “Have you eaten?”
“We're fine, mother.” Mbari mumbled with a smile. His eyes, so similar to his fathers, slid from Alili to Kamba, and then back again. They had not yet come up with a plan of how to tell Maawio, nor had they spoken about who would say the words. They had become a little too wrapped up in excitement. He nudged Alili gently, seeming to think it was her place to say.
Before coming out she had made an effort to flatten the unruly tufts of fur on her head and neck to try and make herself look a little more presentable, despite the fact that Mbari loved her appearance. Her attempts however, had been in vain as she now looked a little more ruffled than usual due to the quick walk and the pressing mid-day sun.
Alili had already spoken with Kamba, so glanced at her quickly before turning to look at Maawio with a smile. The excitement of the prospect of motherhood was building up inside her, and she knew that this was what Maawio had wanted for Mbari for a long time, so she blurted it out happily.
“We are gonna 'ave a family!” She looked down at her dark growing belly that had begun to swell only slightly and beamed both at her mate and his mother.
Maawio's suspicions were confirmed and the old lioness leapt up with all the joy and youth of a cub herself.
“Oh, o-oh!” Maawio couldn't quite find the words at that moment, but her expression said it all. She nuzzled them in turn, her face beaming, bright blue eyes sparkling with happy tears.
Her paranoid baby that had taken so long to grow, that had suffered through so much and clung onto her for most of his life, had finally flown the nest. He had finally got what he wanted and this is what she was waiting for before she would die at ease. She had panicked lately that she would not live to see him truly happy, but she was wrong.
Her chest was bursting with pride and as the day moved on, all four creatures in the den chatted and laughed excitedly.
WC: 1560
