Dusk was over the Galelands, its fading light outlined the Great Baobab where the pride made its den. Inside the cave carved in the massive trunk, Queen Busara welcomed two cubs into the world. Only one was truly hers, the other was from her oldest child who was currently unconscious, drugged so that she would not be aware of anything.
Only one of the two cubs that the Queen and her heir had brought into had lived. The other was a limp mass of fully developed cub, but held not a trickle of life in his tiny figure. The only boy born into the Galelands royal family had been stillborn, but Jani did not know this...and she would not know this.
Busara gently washed the young cub on her arms, admiring the little bundle of fur and feeling regret that her child would not know the truth. Maybe one day...but it would not be anytime soon. The Queen drew back, then noticed something. The cub's eyes were opened even though she had been asleep only a heartbeat before. Her eyes were dark as she had not gained her eye color, but yet the child's eyes were focused, so much that it startled the Queen who was used to many strange sights.
The lions were on the move. A stray wind had blew its way into the den and swirled around the chamber, it brought lions with it. Some were young cubs, others were old, there were males and females. They were all pale white, translucent so that the ceiling and walls of the den were visible through their bodies.
They were dancing. Twisting, turning, leaping, and running. Having fun and being carefree as if there was nothing to disturb their happiness. The little cub watched them in silent awe, not quite understanding what she was seeing but yet she could not look away. She was entranced by the wind lions.
Another thing that she didn't understand was the faint figure of a cub suddenly joining the dancers. She saw it clearly, but did not know what she was seeing, but she kept watching until the breeze drew away and the dancers vanished.
The cub blinked her eyes and looked up at her mother. Busara was saying the sacred naming ceremony for all young cubs. "I shall name you Uru, for you are my precious little jewel." The Queen gave her child one last lick then gently plucked her up and settled against Jani's snowy white side. The cub blinked up at her before she settled down to feed. The Queen did not linger on staring down at the child that she would have to pretend to be a grandchild, she had to make sure that nobody knew about the dead cub that was Jani's true cub. There would be no evidence of this event. The pride had only assumed that their Queen was helping her daughter, given that Busara also had some medical knowledge from her time spent with the mandrills in her youth.
Nobody would know what really happened...until Busara was ready to tell little Uru the truth. Right now...Uru would be the daughter of Crown Princess Jani and granddaughter to Queen Busara. It was all good.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Celebrating New Life (First Chapter)
Two cubs were welcomed into the world that wonderful morning. Late the evening before, the aging lioness had felt her pains began and during the night her labor went on. The King and other pridesisters dutifully retreated outside, knowing that the Queen needed privacy during this matter. The mandrill was called of course, for there was every chance that Bibi's age could had made bringing life into the world hard.
As the sky paled to the colors of dawn, the Queen welcomed her children into the world.
The biggest cub was a male. His coat was tan with light colored areas while his tiny tail tuft was light honey brown. He had a normal Pridelander nose; blunt and a dark brownish pink. His sister had the rounded features of their mother and the other Pridelander lionesses. Unlike them, her coat was a coffee brown with tan colored areas on her muzzle, chest, underside, and paws. What her brother lacked was the black ear rims and her nose was a dark shade of pink.
As the father of the cubs, Mohatu was the first that Bibi accepted into the pride den to view them. The King's eyes were instantly drawn to the two bundles of fur, taking in their spotted form and their cubby features that could change as they grew. Mohatu was delighted and gently nuzzled his mate. "They are truly precious." He murmured in awe. After the royal pair spent some long hours just watching their children, the only cubs that had been born to them and probably would be Bibi's only litter. The reddish-brown lioness was in her early forties which was getting up in years for a lioness to be productive. Mohatu easily could had chose a different lioness, one younger, perhaps prettier, with enough good years to provide more heirs if needed. There are been some fine lionesses at the time, but the King had been drawn to the lioness whose pelt was like red clay and they loved each other dearly. The little male cub let out a small squeak and Bibi moved, gently transporting the cub from her arms to her side. The little male instantly was silent as he fed, soon joined by his sister. With the two babes taken care of, the Queen turned her attention to her mate. "What shall we name them?" The Lion King sat down and thought for a moment. Studying each cub carefully with a furrowed brow. Finally Mohatu spoke. "The male...can be called Ahadi. He can be another promise for peace in the kingdom." Mohatu said with a slight smile, but Bibi nodded with approval. The Pridelands used to have a barbaric way of deciding who became the next ruler, a brutal battle to the death with the last lion standing claiming the throne. Before the Reign of Fumu, the First Lion King, the way of claiming the throne was to kill the weak. If there was two cubs then the strong; be it of brawn or brains, would kill the weaker sibling. For many years that was how it had done...until Fumu had ousted that pride from the future Pridelands. Perhaps it was a good thing that Fumu had only daughters. He had a wicked mate, but her influence never grew to be a threat. It was pure fortune that none of the three princesses had their mother's darkness, though at times Kakanda had been questionable, but in the end she had tried and that was what mattered. But none could had seen the darkness that would fall upon the Pridelands during the Reign of the Three Queens. King Fumu, though kind and approved of his daughters sharing the throne, never named which daughter's line would hold the throne and his death had left that open with disastrous consequences. The ending of the brutal tradition had been by Afua, Mohatu's grandfather, and his father, Abu, had actually been just a young cub when the battle had happened. Despite the sacrifice that Afua gave, most of his eyesight, he had made it so that the Pridelands would never have to spill such blood. Of course there were issues. Namely the lion called Moyo. The pride that once dominated the land that would become the Pridelands had all but die off or dispersed, only the Selfish Lion, as Moyo was often called, remained. But it seem that this twist of fortune did nothing but made him try all the harder. He was a constant thorn in Mohatu's side. But Ahadi was much too young to be worried about all the things that Mohatu had to carry each day. For now, his days would be spent in safety and being a child, having fun, getting into mischief, and never having to learn the often harsh reality of things. When Ahadi was mature enough, then would he learn the full extent of his position. But that was years away. Having named one child, Mohatu let Bibi name the second cub who was now dozing against her mother's flank. Not seeming to mind when Ahadi hit her with flailing paws. She had the facial expression of a lion who was always happy of the world. Mohatu nearly did not hear his mate's reply, but when it came through then the King blinked and looked surprised. "We shall call her Erevu." "B...but that means..." Mohatu's face reflected confusion at the reasoning that his wife would give a name that meant 'shrewd' to a cub who probably would be bubbly and open to the world. Bibi looked amused and it was moments like this that Mohatu remembered why he chose her...Bibi was wise. "I know what it means, but I did not choose it for meaning." Bibi explained calmly with a gentle smile and gently patted one of her mate's paws. "I chose it because it simply sounds nice. It is a modest name, nothing too flamboyant but neither is it dull. I can tell that she is neither of those things which is why I believe Erevu fits. But if you do not like it then we can find something else." Mohatu had tilted his head with a thoughtful expression on his face. He always thought that names were chosen not just because of how they sounded, but also what they meant. But now that Bibi had mentioned it, Mohatu could see that it was a good fit. A modest name for a possible modest lioness. It was perfect. With the cubs named, Mohatu moved to the next order of business. It was time that the kingdom got to meet its future king and while Bibi rested from the long birth, the Lion King went to get everything in order.
It was a day to celebrate.
The biggest cub was a male. His coat was tan with light colored areas while his tiny tail tuft was light honey brown. He had a normal Pridelander nose; blunt and a dark brownish pink. His sister had the rounded features of their mother and the other Pridelander lionesses. Unlike them, her coat was a coffee brown with tan colored areas on her muzzle, chest, underside, and paws. What her brother lacked was the black ear rims and her nose was a dark shade of pink.
As the father of the cubs, Mohatu was the first that Bibi accepted into the pride den to view them. The King's eyes were instantly drawn to the two bundles of fur, taking in their spotted form and their cubby features that could change as they grew. Mohatu was delighted and gently nuzzled his mate. "They are truly precious." He murmured in awe. After the royal pair spent some long hours just watching their children, the only cubs that had been born to them and probably would be Bibi's only litter. The reddish-brown lioness was in her early forties which was getting up in years for a lioness to be productive. Mohatu easily could had chose a different lioness, one younger, perhaps prettier, with enough good years to provide more heirs if needed. There are been some fine lionesses at the time, but the King had been drawn to the lioness whose pelt was like red clay and they loved each other dearly. The little male cub let out a small squeak and Bibi moved, gently transporting the cub from her arms to her side. The little male instantly was silent as he fed, soon joined by his sister. With the two babes taken care of, the Queen turned her attention to her mate. "What shall we name them?" The Lion King sat down and thought for a moment. Studying each cub carefully with a furrowed brow. Finally Mohatu spoke. "The male...can be called Ahadi. He can be another promise for peace in the kingdom." Mohatu said with a slight smile, but Bibi nodded with approval. The Pridelands used to have a barbaric way of deciding who became the next ruler, a brutal battle to the death with the last lion standing claiming the throne. Before the Reign of Fumu, the First Lion King, the way of claiming the throne was to kill the weak. If there was two cubs then the strong; be it of brawn or brains, would kill the weaker sibling. For many years that was how it had done...until Fumu had ousted that pride from the future Pridelands. Perhaps it was a good thing that Fumu had only daughters. He had a wicked mate, but her influence never grew to be a threat. It was pure fortune that none of the three princesses had their mother's darkness, though at times Kakanda had been questionable, but in the end she had tried and that was what mattered. But none could had seen the darkness that would fall upon the Pridelands during the Reign of the Three Queens. King Fumu, though kind and approved of his daughters sharing the throne, never named which daughter's line would hold the throne and his death had left that open with disastrous consequences. The ending of the brutal tradition had been by Afua, Mohatu's grandfather, and his father, Abu, had actually been just a young cub when the battle had happened. Despite the sacrifice that Afua gave, most of his eyesight, he had made it so that the Pridelands would never have to spill such blood. Of course there were issues. Namely the lion called Moyo. The pride that once dominated the land that would become the Pridelands had all but die off or dispersed, only the Selfish Lion, as Moyo was often called, remained. But it seem that this twist of fortune did nothing but made him try all the harder. He was a constant thorn in Mohatu's side. But Ahadi was much too young to be worried about all the things that Mohatu had to carry each day. For now, his days would be spent in safety and being a child, having fun, getting into mischief, and never having to learn the often harsh reality of things. When Ahadi was mature enough, then would he learn the full extent of his position. But that was years away. Having named one child, Mohatu let Bibi name the second cub who was now dozing against her mother's flank. Not seeming to mind when Ahadi hit her with flailing paws. She had the facial expression of a lion who was always happy of the world. Mohatu nearly did not hear his mate's reply, but when it came through then the King blinked and looked surprised. "We shall call her Erevu." "B...but that means..." Mohatu's face reflected confusion at the reasoning that his wife would give a name that meant 'shrewd' to a cub who probably would be bubbly and open to the world. Bibi looked amused and it was moments like this that Mohatu remembered why he chose her...Bibi was wise. "I know what it means, but I did not choose it for meaning." Bibi explained calmly with a gentle smile and gently patted one of her mate's paws. "I chose it because it simply sounds nice. It is a modest name, nothing too flamboyant but neither is it dull. I can tell that she is neither of those things which is why I believe Erevu fits. But if you do not like it then we can find something else." Mohatu had tilted his head with a thoughtful expression on his face. He always thought that names were chosen not just because of how they sounded, but also what they meant. But now that Bibi had mentioned it, Mohatu could see that it was a good fit. A modest name for a possible modest lioness. It was perfect. With the cubs named, Mohatu moved to the next order of business. It was time that the kingdom got to meet its future king and while Bibi rested from the long birth, the Lion King went to get everything in order.
It was a day to celebrate.
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