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 Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:30 am
 Tuzwa's paws ached as she continued through the thinning grass. Small bones crunched under her weight as the graveyard grew closer. Her cubs rested on her back except for Dhamisa who insisted on running beside her. Mtafutaj'Duhushi slept well and nuzzled into her neck while the unamed little female was restless. Tail swishing lightly in anticipation, Tuzwa began to wonder what Ausha would think of their cubs. If he would think that any of them would be suitable as his heir. She knew that he would adore his cubs whether or not they were suitable but her heart leapt at the thought of his reaction. The bones became larger and soon she picked Dhamisa up in her maw to ensure that the cub would not be lost.
Her large body couldn't manuver over the larger bones until she came to the rib cage of a great elephant. Her maternal instincts kicked in as she huddled into the dark corner of the animal. The darkness would hide her noticable son from the hyenas and vultures that happened to pass. The proud mother netsle her cubs against her. Dhamisa nipped lightly at Duhushi's tail as he protested. Tuzwa chuckled and watched her cubs pass the time.
"Your father should be here soon my children. You should rest now before he does."
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:02 pm
Ausha made his way through the graveyard that he called home with barely a stumble. In the prime of his life, his limp was not even a hindrance to his movement, time had allowed his other limbs to compensate for the defacit of one and so it was with the poise of royalty that he made his way towards the borders.
He honestly wasn't sure what to expect, he had made the arragement with Tuzwa a while ago to meet here again as soon as the cubs were able to walk around without too much hindrance. Part of him at the time hadn't recognised the magnitude of what this meeting would mean to him. He would be a father, no longer a casual bachelor living the high life in a dustbowl but now responsible for the existance of lives in this world.
It was a daunting thought for a lion, who when it came right down to it, had never once had a father figure.
Either way, he knew that before he even laid eyes on them that he would do his damndest to make sure that no matter what happened, no harm would come to them. He wouldn't make the mistakes of his mother.
"Heyoo!" he called out playfully as he caught sight of Tuzwa in her shelter, and, with his heart pounding in excitement, he bounded down from the bones and headed over, pausing when he could see the cubs.
For once in his life, he found no words, merely stood hypnotised by the small forms, each so similar to him and at the exact same time, the spitting image of their mother.
My god, they are beautiful.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:20 pm
Tuzwa heard soft steps and covered her cubs protectively. She wouldn't let anything happen to the life that they had created. The fur at her neck stood at attention and a soft growl left her maw until Ausha's form appeared before her. Body slackened she stood over the cubs and smiled. Her eyes sparkled as she looked about them to decide which to bring to him first.
"Ausha. You finally came." Her voice was sweet and tender as to not frighten him away though her mind was at a stand still. "These are the cubs we created Ausha." Tuzwa walked slowly to him and nuzzled his soft mane. The small cubs looked up in wonder at their father and Duhushi backed against his mother's leg. Her eyes darted from one to the next. She felt the small cub against her and turned slowly towards him. "Thank you for volunteering my little one."
Duhushi shivered as he was lifted by his mother's jaws. The soft purple cub was frightened by the larger male and mewed lightly in protest. As a proud parent would she set their only son in front of him. "She's the most like you at their young age. But He even cleans his fur almost obsessively like you." Tuzwa looked back at Dhamisa before she nuzzled her son gently and licked his striped mane. "He always searched for you even though he knew nothing about you." Tuzwa chuckled as one of her girls bounded towards them. The small mark on her shoulder was her trademark. "She has your mark. I don't know what it means but she must be a special little one." A small laugh escaped her maw as she nuzzled her daughter as well. "The other girl is still very afraid. She almost ran back home."
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:56 am
Ausha wasn't surprised at Tuzwa's reaction, all mothers worth their salt were defensive of their cubs, still, he slowed his pace slightly until Tuzwa recognised him. It was as if he was in some sort of odd haze or dream, he couldn't focus right, to think, him, a father. He could have burst with pride.
"Of course m'dear." he purred, his tail flicking happily, his gaze hopping from cub to cub, stunned and extatic, he returned Tuzwa's nuzzle, grateful beyond words, and looked upon the first cub who showed himself properly.
The male, to Ausha's eyes was perfect, he was so vibrant, in colours drawn from his mother, and a lighter hue that fell somewhere between the two. Even his mane was like Ausha's had been, striped with indeterminate colour. His purple markings were very much Tuzwa however. "He's a very handsome boy." Ausha grinned "I expected nothing less." He playfully nuzzled the little purple male. "Don't be afraid dear, if there is any two lions in this wide world who wouldn't harm a hair on your head, it's me and your mother."
He truly was his father's son if that was true, nothing pleased Ausha more than a son who knew how to take care of himself. "Keep up the grooming dear, with fur like yours you will be a star."
His attention next fell on the two girls, astounded at how nature had miraculously made the two so much like their mother, and at the same time, like himself. It was boggling beyond words. Dhamisa however, trotted ahead of her sister, heading straight towards Ausha.
He blinked as he noticed that the female had inherited the mark of the Gange, the symbol passed on through his family. His grandfather and mother had it, he himself had it (albeit obscured by scars) and now this female had inherited it. He gave a wry grin to her as she stood defiantly before him, and wondered how long until she realised that the symbol had long been regarded an unfortunate omen in his family, hence his own name.
The main thing about this female that stunned him was her similarity to his grandfather Blanc. He hadn't known the lion long, but what he had known of him, she had inherited. Were it not for her black tailtip, she would all but be him reborn. It was indeed scary, but immeasurably heartening.
Dhamisa all but challenged him with her blue gaze, but Ausha disarmed it with a grin. "Lovely to meet you dear, loving the stubborn streak." he laughed out loud, amused.
Finally, he looked upon the other female, still stunned by her gorgeousness she was closest of all to him in pelt colour, with a splash of violet on her rump and fade-out paws. However, noting her still present young-cub anxiety, he left her be for now, merely giving her a reassuring grin and a nod of his head "Same to you darling."
Returning his gaze finally to Tuzwa, Ausha took a deep breath, and, in his usual, over dramatic style, said "Oh Darling! They are gorgeous, I could just hugthemforever. Stunning, stunning, stunning stunning!" If he didn't have such a bad shoulder, he'd probably have been bouncing around like a cub.
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Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 3:33 pm
Tuzwa watch Ausha's inspection of their cubs and wondered what the future held for them. Dhamisa was quite the rebel but she knew that she was going to be held high because of the mark on her shoulder. She looked to her other cubs and sighed. "I'm glad you approve of them. Considering how handsome you are I was none suprised when they came to be so gorgeous."
They had lives of their own as well but in the circumstances they probably wouldn't stay in the pack. Bending slowly over she nuzzled Duhushi's cheek. He would have a hard time no matter where he went because of his pelt. "We have to watch closely over Mtafutaj'Duhushi. The hyenas will find him fast if we don't" The small purple cub licked his mothers nose and stumbled back on unsteady paws. The slightly dazed cub stood and licked Ausha's paw happliy.
A soft chuckle left her maw before she fell back to Kit. "Don't you want to say hello to your father. I know we didn't come all this way for you to stay back here." The cub stayed in her corner almost shrouded in darkness. Tuzwa smiled and turned back to him. "Do you think that we could stay here until the cubs get larger. I believe they are too tired to go back to my den. I promise that I won't come inbetween you and any pride affairs."
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