Bringing the Family Together; Uke, Kovu, Vitani

[Ïмøĝęŋ]

As the sky began to turn rosy pink on the horizon, a large shadow emerged from beneath a large flat boulder. Bright amber eyes stared straight out across the landscape. The savannah was quiet this morning, unusually so. Lifting her dusty pink nose to the air, the lioness scented the wind. It was faint and could've easily passed over the head of any lion, but this experience female knew that taste well enough. Hyena. A soft growl started to rumble deep within her chest, but the female quickly silenced it. She knew that while the mangy beasts had officially cleared out months ago, there could've been a few stragglers that was getting the most out of the blossoming pridelands. Even being one of the largest lionesses in the pride, she could not stand alone against a group of the mutts if they decended upon the den. Looking over her shoulder, she eyed it carefully. The female had called this area home for nearly three weeks now. The den was an old warthog hole, but dug larger for herself and her family. The entrance was well hidden behind tall savannah grasses and thorny bushes. One would literally have to stumble into it in order to find it.

Although she knew this was the safest area in the savannah, she refused to chance her family against the heartless hyenas. Stretching out her long, toned body she carefully surveyed the area. All of the herds would be crowded around the waterhole at this hour, both for the protection and for the source of water. It was now or never to move offspring. Turning around, she crawled within and purred softly at the sight of her two tiny cubs. A dark male who took after his father and the tawny female who took after herself. A motherly smile spread across her lips as she gently nudged the two week old cubs with her nose. "Come now darlings, time to wake up. We've got a big day ahead of us.." Tama rasped her tongue over each cubs head before glancing out the den opening once more. Pricking her ears forward, she listened for any sign of danger and sighed when the music of the insects drifted back. Looking back toward her precious cubs, she gently picked up her son in her powerful jaws before cautiously leaving the safety of the den.

Again, the Lead Huntress looked around, making sure nothing would spring from the bushes and attack her. Once she calmed down, she gently placed her son down upon the cool sand before retreating to the depths of the den to bring out his sister. Both cubs were too young to walk the long trek back to Pride Rock so Tama had to either leave one behind as she raced to the pride, or awkwardly bring them at the same time which would take longer. Placing her daughter next to the male cub, she lifted her head and looked in the general direction of Pride Rock, debating in her mind what to do. Even in her weakened state, she could probably canter halfway there and easily trot the rest of the journey. Flicking her amber gold eyes down to Kivuli and Tanivi, she tried to decide who she should take first. Tani was the calmer of the two and probably wouldn't try crawling off like Kivu might. So it was settled as she picked up her daughter and carefully hid her at the very back of the den. She returned to scoop her son in her jaws and began the journey of moving dens.

In no time, Tama had reached Pride Rock and settled her son into their new den. It was infact her old secret place that she often took to when times were really bad during her father's rule. She quickly cleaned out the old, mouldy nesting and settled Kivuli in a small nook in the rock walls before swiftly departing to retrieve her daughter. It was already early afternoon when the tired lioness returned to her son, gently placing his sister beside him. Panting softly, Tama refused to rest her aching paws as she went to get new bedding. A few of the other lionesses watched their Lead Huntress curiously, wondering why she returned to Pride Rock so soon after the birth of her offspring. She ignored their intruding glares as she gathered dry grass. One of the lionesses left her pride-sisters to find Uke, Tama's half-sister. Back within the new den, Tama padded the rock floor with a decent layer of the soft material before easing the cubs out into the middle. Finally, she lowered her tired body down and nudged her cubs to her belly, feeling guilty for holding their breakfast from them for so long. "At least we can all be safe now..well from the hyenas at least." She growled softly as a nosy pride-sister stuck her head in the den before chuckling softly as the lioness tripped over her own paws from not backing up fast enough.

[nightshade]

Kivuli's eyes widened in surprise as his mother said that today they would have a long day ahead of them. So far in his short life his days had largely been the same, and he wasn't sure he had wanted that to change, he quite enjoyed their quiet days in the den. As his mother took him by his scruff and placed him out the den, he frowned, the rising sun was bright, and he wanted to get back into the den and sleep for a while longer. But it seemed that this wasn't to be the case. His mother picked him up again before he really had time to get back into the den. He was soon very awake. He had never seen so much of the outside before, Tama was taking him far from anywhere he had known before, and Kivuli felt completely battered with new information, thousands of new smells. He decided almost at once that he liked wherever he was headed, it smelt less musky, which he would soon learn was the scent of the hyena, and smelt of familiar things, despite not having met his pride before he knew their scents, Tama smelt faintly of these lands, and his father often smelt of the other lions, as he had had more contact with the pride.

Besides, it must be important if mother had left his sister back at the den. Or maybe she wasn't coming? Maybe this was a special secret, just for him. He smiled at the thought, liking that he could be more special than his sister. That illusion was soon shattered however, when he was placed on the cold ground surrounded by rock, and his mother left. The young cub was smart enough to know he had not been abandoned, and realised that his sister must soon be coming. He sighed dramatically, and then realised how alone he was. He stayed still, scared of what may happen. As time passed, he grew steadily more confident, his stomach growled, making his decision for him as he slowly set out from his hiding spot, surrounded by string scents of lions. He padded carefully, but soon realised his mother wasn't nearby, and a soft snore from a sleeping lioness was enough to convince him to scramble back into his hiding spot, where he remained until his mother had returned.

He pushed past his sister eagerly and began to suckle, pushing Tanivi out of his way with his back legs, but was startled back into his resting spot when Tama growled at an approaching lioness. He had rarely heard such a sound, but was sure it wasn't a good thing. He sat near the back, puffing himself out, barely increasing his small stature, glaring at the spot where the intruder had been, not wanting anything to upset Tama.

[Indigo<3]

Pregnancy was upon her, she had conceived cubs with her life long friend and mate Shaka. For most of her life the thought of having a family gave her nightmares.. She had not wanted to further her father's line to another generation. Uke had been afraid of the path her cubs would tread upon if their grandfather had still been King. He had never shown her much favor over his other offspring, but he had made her heir for a time. She was royalty at least in his eyes, since her mother had been a Princess of another pride. Since she was young she had enjoyed the attention her father suddenly gave her after being ignored for most of her life. She hadn't really wanted to be Queen, she had mourned for her cousin and uncle to much for Scar's liking. When he mated with Zira, she had been removed from the position of heir and became a no one again. It had hurt her severely to be neglected by her only parent.. but she turned to the pride and her friends for love. She had watched sadly as her father destroyed the pride lands.. saw how the pride began to unravel. Some lionesses going to him as loyal followers and others becoming rebels.

She had rebelled against him, for the sake of the pride. Uke had been grateful when Simba had returned and chased him away. Exiling him from the land forever.. under the penalty of death should he ever return. For once in her life she had been able to breathe and to smile. The pride began to recover, but they remained torn. Zira and her followers and the rest.. two seperate pride's in one land. How long would that work? Uke had spent her time with her mate, and during this time she had become pregnant. The pregnancy was still very well hidden from anyone that looked upon her. Which she was glad for. This day she approached pride rock in the hope of having a nap, or to find someone to talk with.

A lot of the younger females had given birth recently, while others were still pregnant. Even some of the older lionesses had become pregnant again. It was a baby boom for the pride and it brought most of the adults a lot of joy. Uke was glad to see cubs running around and just enjoying life, something she hadn't really been able to do. She approached a den, and smelled the scent of her half sister Tama. Uke chuffed softly in greeting as she peered inside the den itself. Her bond with Tama had become quite strong as a late and she considered her to be a good friend. Immediately she saw the two very young cubs, and a beautiful smile crossed her face.

She was a aunt. The idea of it made her head swim, and slowly she walked inside. Of course she made sure to not agitate her sister, maternal instincts were strong in their species. Staying a distance away for now, she lay down on the cool stone, watching the family with a smile on her face.