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 Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:39 pm
It wasn't often that she got a break from motherhood, her three young cubs demanding much of her time and attention... Not that she minded, of course. Her girls had become so much a part of her world that she was uncertain what she would do without them and the stability of the schedule they kept her on.
Now, for example, they were sleeping, having fed until contentment amongst pushing and pawing. She nosed each one of them carefully before taking a few steps away from them to stretch, not wanting to interrupt their nap while she had a moment to herself.
Her own thoughts had finally caught up to her, some more so than others. There were things that she knew she needed to talk to Dohani about but their respective jobs had been occupying them for hours, leaving them too tired to do much more than sleep in each other's company, let alone carry on full conversations about things that had passed. She was going to have to press the issue soon, though, least he find out through other means and argue with her for not speaking to him sooner.
She couldn't help but smile around her mouthful as she walked along, tail ticking back and forth behind her. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was high and the hunt had been successful... And she. Well, she had been asked to bring food to Mwindaji which, hopefully, meant getting a glimpse at the cubs that she'd heard about but hadn't seen.
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:02 pm
Betoto's stomach growled loudly. She grimaced briefly in embarrassment before stowing the expression away. It really wasn't like her to be so hungry so early in the afternoon, but the fact remained that she was. There really wasn't anything she could do about it except to ignore it, or eat. Betoto wasn't sure which of the two options she wanted to pick.
The leopardess let out a quick yawn and sighed. During her sigh, a delightful scent caught her nose. Two scents, actually. One was Auri. The other...Was food. Smiling, Betoto followed the scent. It was only a few minutes before Betoto saw the lioness in the distance.
"Auri!" Betoto called, happy at the sight of her friend. And food. But she ignored that last bit. The food was, of course, NOT for her. Betoto walked over to Auri and stood beside her, keeping pace with the lioness's walking. "On a mission?" she asked seriously, though a spark of playfulness lit her eyes.
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:22 pm
She nodded, knowing better than to try and speak around a mouthful. Still smiling she tilted her head in the direction she was heading, which just so happened to be the place where mothers and expectant mothers often gathered with their young, hoping that would explain her 'mission' without the words that she couldn't form. Her pace picked up a bit at that, eager to deliver the food so that she would be able to speak again.
She paused for a moment as she caught sight of Mwindaji. She had left the new mother to herself for the most part, not pressuring her about her need to return to the hunting parties now that their numbers were greater, leaving her to tend to the young ones instead. Now, though, while she was alone, seemed like it might be a good time to talk to her.
Hearing something moving not far from her she tensed, a low growl forming in her throat as she waited to see if it was necessary to make it any louder. Her tail flicked back and forth as she waited... Waited... And then she saw the source of the sound; a cream lioness and her leopard companion. Auri, Mflame Shujaa's sister... And food. her stomach growled at the thought of it and she found herself feeling silly. She'd been spending so much time tending to her young that she had, again, forgotten about her own needs. "... Greetings."
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:35 pm
Betoto felt a snort of laughter itching to explode from her, but she stifled it. Poor Auri couldn't talk with such a large piece of food in her mouth. It was strangely amusing to the leopardess. But it wasn't good to laugh at others, she scolded herself.
"Ahh, bringing food to a hungry mother, hm?" Betoto remarked knowingly, unable to hide a smile. It somehow made her proud to see Auri doing kind things for others; especially mothers. Mothers were very important in the eyes of Betoto. Perhaps she'd be a mother one day? Or even Auri? Betoto smiled at the thought, but her thinking was interrupted by the voice of Mwindaji. Betoto bowed her head slightly in greeting and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Mwindaji." she said, eyes peering through the darkness of the den. "How are you feeling?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:53 pm
"Hungry..." She found herself laughing, shaking her head slowly. "And in debt to the hunters for picking up the slack that I have left... And to Auri for bringing me food when I've not paused to think of getting some myself." All in all motherhood had been kind to her, especially now that her moods and temper were beginning to even out. She was more of a lioness now than she had been before, less of an impatient child. "Thank you."
She set the meat down by Mwindaji's feet, stretching her jaw slightly before speaking. "No need to thank me. You need to eat so that you can take care of your little ones. They're a lot of work, aren't they." More a statement than a question as she'd helped with enough cubs to know that they were. "And you aren't in debt to anyone. We all do what we can to help each other. You know that."
"Indeed." She nodded as she made her way towards the trio. "We bring back what we can to feed everyone... Not just those who aide us in the hunt, Mwindaji."
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:05 pm
Betoto offered a smile to the approaching dark lioness, somehow happy now that there was yet another girl to talk with, no matter how serious the dark-pelted lioness sometimes acted. It was always nice getting together for a chat. Betoto, despite what she would say, really liked to talk; and listen. She wasn't normally one for gossip, but she did like the occasional long talk, especially when there was more than one other person to join in.
"Ah, good afternoon," the leopardess greeted, bowing her head politely. "And yes, that's true." Betoto agreed, eyebrows raised. "Besides, you shouldn't be getting up anyway, Mwindaji. You need to save energy for your little ones, right?" she offered, smiling at the sight of the tiny sleeping cubs.
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:26 pm
"If they're anything like their mother, they'll be up and causing trouble in no time." A bit of a sly grin curved the corners of her mouth as she settled down not far from the other two lions and the leopardess. "And there's no telling what they'll get from their father. Rest is probably one of the best things you can get."
Sighing she settled back down. "Yes, Nya..." She managed to resist the urge to roll her eyes, tail flickering behind her at the mention of her daughter's father. "They'll have his strength." She nodded once, leaving it at that.
"They'll become our little handfuls once you're able to leave them for some time." She nodded slowly before nudging her leopard companion. "Isn't that right, Betoto?" Her smile broadened. "It feels good to be home; to have things getting back to normal."
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:11 pm
Betoto grinned, nodding at Auri. "Yes," she agreed. "If they pick up their father's strength, there's no telling what they'll pick up from they're mother." she teased. But she was excited. The leopardess deeply loved cubs. Something about nurturing them and caring for them felt very right. It was her place in the world, and she had no plans on doing anything else but just that for the rest of her life.
"It does feel good to be home..." Betoto murmured, glancing away from the lionesses and to the cubs once more. Cubs meant new life; hope. Things were becoming as they were. The days were growing longer, and the sun was shining brighter. There was a new kind of unity in the pride now. And things were getting back to normal. Betoto knew they were. Soon, things would be just as they used to be.
Soon...
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