Thandiwe was pacing her small den; she was beginning to worry. Kwesi had been gone too long. She was worried that something may have happened, and he would never return from the Jungle of Secrets. Khalima was a crafty lioness, but she was also unstable in a lot of ways. She could be lucid for a moment then suddenly not making sense. She knew what dangers her mate would face but he promised her a cub, and she knew he would do whatever was necessary to keep that promise.
Her mind began to ponder on if the cub would be a male or female, their colors, markings and if they would accept her as their new mama. She fretted which caused her to pace back and forth. She was nervous and scared at the same time.
She wished Kwesi would appear in the opening of their den and be perfectly fine. His journey was taking too long, and in the back of her mind she worried another lioness was to blame. Even though she dismissed that thought soon as it entered her mind, it did linger for a few moments before she dismissed it.
As she paced, she suddenly heard a sound, paws hitting the ground. It was near, she sniffed the air and instantly relaxed. He was home finally! There was a different scent with him, one she never smelled before. She inhaled deeply her eyes closed in response.
When she opened them Kwesi stood before her with a look of affection on her face. Behind his large body a small cub hid, only their face was visible. They seemed unsure of her and what to do.
Thandiwe smiled as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. She crossed her paws in a relaxed motion and slowly moved her head and gaze at the little cub. She let herself be totally relaxed and exposed in a way. She wanted the cub to feel safe and comfortable enough to venture out and go to her.
She nodded slowly and said in a soft voice "Hello, welcome to our den. I am Thandiwe, mate to Kwesi. Don't be afraid, will you come out so I can see you?" she asked.
W/C 369
Each step Kwesi took was one step closer to his mate. How he missed her! It felt like an eternity since he saw her, his heart skipped a beat at the thought of introducing their cub to her.
He turned to look at Zarie who was walking along his side, seemed happy and content and he smiled. Khalima granted his wish perfectly! He instantly had a connection with this cub and he hoped so would his mate.
The sun was shining brightly as he made his way to their den, he walked up the rocky incline and stood in the open doorway to his home. There inside he saw his beloved mate pacing then suddenly stiffening as she smelled the air. She seemed to relax then she looked towards the opening and saw him standing there.
He turned to look at Zarie, who was now hiding behind him. Only her face was able to be seen. He chuckled low before softly saying "Come out and meet your new mama. She did ask if you would, so please go. I promise you all will be well" he coaxed her out gently.
W/C 190
Zarie was thinking and was lost in thought when she started to climb up a rocky incline and then she ran into the back of her daddy. He stopped suddenly. Frightened she sniffed the air, and a scent assailed her nose. It was different but it was not a scent that scared her. It soothed her. That was unusual. She instantly hid behind her daddy and peered around one of his legs.
She saw a female lioness pacing back and forth as if in agitation or worry. Her coat was white with black markings. When she turned to look at the entry way she noticed her pretty light blue eyes, they were striking!
Looking up at her daddy he didn't seem bothered, he seemed perfectly relaxed. The female voice washed over her like a soothing balm. She took one tentative step out from behind her daddy, then another one. Then she was fully out and walked slowly towards the female.
She looked up again at her daddy and he nodded then smiled. That reassured her she was perfectly safe. She sniffed the air again and the smell again made her feel comforted.
She walked up to the female and looked at her. Those eyes seemed to see everything at once; it was unnerving to be looked at like this. She knew she was only trying to figure out who she was and if she was trustworthy.
As the lioness sniffed the air she slowly rose and circled her. It was uncomfortable but necessary. Zarie knew she was only checking to see if she needed tending to.
Then the lioness spoke again in a softer tone this time. "I am pleased you are here. I hope you can come to love me as a mama. I already adore you as my daugther" with that she slowly reached her head out and nuzzled Zarie. It felt amazing. Zarie melted into her new mama and sighed in contentment.
"I am very happy to be here. Daddy told me all about you but he didn't say how pretty you are! He did try but his word didn't tell me how shiny and bright your coat is" she stared at it in amazement. "So so pretty" she muttered under her breath.
W/C: 376
