[PRP] Help. (Ciro/Njia)

[KasaiLoki]

Ciro navigated the rough terrain as quickly as he could carrying the small bundles in a makeshift pelt bag. He tried to balance himself, but he was sure the girls were experiencing quite a bumpy ride from his frantic pace.

Golden eyes scanned the familiar path until they settled on a series of dens. He never had figured out which den was Njia's, no matter how many times he had asked. So, he stood outside of them, his eyes scanning the darkened entrances for any movement. He'd even look at the ground for feathers, an indicator of her vulture companion, but came up empty.

Placing the cubs on the ground, Ciro spoke. "Njia." He called out. Hopefully she was home. He was to be her captain on her first viking, so he was sure she wouldn't be out of the lands. He placed one paw in front of the bundle, as to protect the cubs or keep them hidden.

Oi, this father thing would not be fun.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Njia had been resting, or as much as one could with a new litter of six cubs. The pregnancy had been unexpected (though really did she have any right to be surprised). The black and purple lioness had kept the condition to herself, mostly because she still had few friends within the pride... and the father had been busy with other affairs. She hadn't seen Ciro in quite a bit, and honestly hadn't been sure what she'd tell the male. 'Congratulations? You're a dad! Oh, by the way, having six cubs sucks.'

It was as if fate had it in for her when she head Ciro's voice nearby. One of the cubs stirred and started growling impatiently for food, but she felt it'd build a little character to make the cub wait a few seconds while she dealt with the lion who had disturbed her peace. Keeping her den hidden from Ciro was now out of the question, because after having cubs she was going to swear herself off of males entirely.

No dark knights to sweep her off her paws and convince her to join an unfamiliar pride and then get her pregnant and...

Ugh.

Njia stomped out of her den, exhausted from parenting and annoyed that Ciro hadn't been around for any of it. She stared at him in silence for a few moments, and barely processed the parcel he carried with him. Instead, she focused on the lion himself. "What are you doing?" she asked with an arched brow, finally giving in to her curiosity.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Krysin

Ciro felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw Njia step out of her den. Normally a smirk would be placed on his maw, having known the location where he could continued to rendezvous with the dark female, but today was a day of overwhelming emotion that the thought did not dawn on him.

"I need your help." He didn't take a moment to look at the female's form, to get the clue she too had cubs. If he would have just focused, he would have seen the answer to his help was standing right in front of him.

"Do you know any females that may have had a litter of cubs recently? I have...these two...that need help. Their mother is gone." Ciro's paw moved away from the bundle on the ground, nudging it open to show two small cubs squirming around.

"I don't know what to do with them..." he said honestly, gold eyes gazing right into Njia's own.  

[Krysin]

Njia blinked, momentarily confused by Ciro's request for help. When he lowered the bundle to reveal what was inside, everything seemed to fall into place. She sighed, staring down at the two cubs who were clearly Ciro's own. Her and Ciro were never an exclusive thing, but for some odd reason the thought of him being with another female annoyed her.

But, these cubs needed help and Njia was in a position to offer it. Their situation, and even Ciro's, did not matter now. The cubs were too young to be on their own, and did not look to be more than a few days younger than her own. She already had six mouths to feed... what would two more be? True, Ciro wasn't asking her personally for help. He just wanted to know if she knew anyone. Right now, the only lioness she knew that could help him out was herself.

"Okay," and she sighed, washing away all the agitation she felt with Ciro too easily. "Pick them up and follow me," the lioness advised. She supposed there was no better time to let Ciro know he was a father twice over than now. So, she turned her back towards him and walked into her den where the cubs were stirring without the warmth of their mother to soothe them back into slumber.

She looked back at him, giving him but a moment to realize the entirety of the situation he had just walked into. He wasn't the father to one set of cubs, but to two.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Krysin

Ciro was relieved when Njia agreed. He obliged, picking his two daughters up in the pelt bag, following the female. What he didn't expect, was her to head right into the den.

"Er Njr" He started with his mouth full, ears perking at the sounds of small cubs squealing and growling. His heart pounded in his chest as gold eyes fell upon the forms of six cubs, not quite newborn but close enough.

He placed the children on the ground, sitting down himself. Eight children. He had...eight children that he knew of. He glanced at Njia, shaking his head to wipe his thoughts. "You're...a new mother." He stated the obvious. "I uh...guess that means we will put off getting you that Reaver title...huh?" The male tried to make light of the situation, but probably was failing miserably.

"You'll help them though? This is Koharu...and that one, with the wings, is...Haruhi.." His words hitched at the second named, the familiar marking reminding him of their mother who so coldly said goodbye, leaving her daughters behind.  

[Krysin]

"For a little while, at least. I was hoping to find someone to help take care of them but that's been more of a daunting task than I'd imagine." She hadn't made many friends within the pride yet. After all, she had barely gotten settled down into her new home when she realized she was pregnant. It had left little time to make acquaintances within the pride. Njia would figure it out, but it would take time for the cubs to be independent from her.

She wasn't exactly ready for motherhood, but she could wing it with the best of them. "What's two more mouths to feed, Ciro?" she asked him with a shrug of her shoulders. He owed her big time for this, but she felt like that did not need to be said.

As he introduced the cubs, she stepped over to them to give them a quick sniff. They were healthy, but very young still. She picked the one called Koharu in her mouth and deposited her into the pile of cubs. It was best to mix their scents as soon as possible to best camouflage the cubs as her own. Next was Haruhi, and she set the cub down next to her sister.

"They... look close enough I can always pass them off as my own, if the mother's not around any longer. The wing marking is unusual, but I can claim to have an aunt or something with a similar marking." She wasn't really thinking this through - two more cubs were a lot of work, but what else was she supposed to do? She couldn't just let them starve, and it would be easiest for the cubs to adopt them as her own.

Njia was doing a lot for Ciro, though she didn't dare dwell on why she was willing to go so far for him.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Krysin

"Once they are not reliant on you so much, I know of a thrall who would be willing to watch them for extended periods. To be honest, she was my first option but her grandcubs, your...nieces and nephews," He really didn't know Njia's relationship with Umochozi, "are already past the point of relying on their mother's milk."

In all actuality, Njia being having his cubs just worked out. He was getting over the fact he had impregnated to lioness' at the same time. It was something he would need to realize as much as he fiddled with the females.

That reminds him. He...probably should check on Kristanf's thrall to make sure he was in the clear there.

"I guess when there are six already, not much?" He chuckled. "I owe you, you know." The male purred, walking over to Njia to nuzzle into her neck. "I don't think our normal...favors would work out in this situation, eh?" He smirked lightly, playing with the dark female.

"I still promised to show you the world. You can bet I will keep to that." He watched her place the two sisters near each other, mingling them with their other children.  

[Krysin]

"Well, I can't see myself being willing to part with them any time soon, but as they get older it'd help to have a nanny of sorts." In her old pride, there were positions dedicated to helping raise the young. Here the thralls seemed to be in charge of just about doing every menial duty imaginable. It was an unfortunate truth, and it didn't quite sit well with Njia yet. All she could think about was seeing the sadness on some of the thralls' faces, or even the delusional joy in others'.

Unfortunately for Ciro, he wasn't going to get very far with the new mother any time soon. It was his price to pay for knocking her up to begin with. "I know," she told him with a small roll of her eyes. Of course his mind would jump there, but Njia was in no mood to indulge him. Instead she turned away from him, and flicked her tail against his nose. "None of that in front of the cubs."

Playful flirtation would have to be reserved for another time - or at least when Njia's guard wasn't up. She was already growing wise to his manipulations, though she knew her own weakness to them well by now. "I'm holding you to that, Ciro. I don't want to be stuck within the boundaries of the pride for the rest of my life."

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Krysin

He didn't let the flick against his nose bother him. Instead, a growing grin in it's place. "Certainly. But you didn't say it still couldn't be done with the cubs weren't around..." he quickly snuck in a n** to the other female, before he backed away before the lioness decided to did her claws into his dark flesh.

He grew somber real quickly at Njia's final words. "Just let me know when you are ready to go. I have seen personally what being stuck in the pride does to one's mind. Leaving behind those two little girls are a byproduct of the state." Ciro explained.

"So uh...did you want me to stay...here with you? or Perhaps it would be best if you know, I just come to visit?" Basically Ciro was asking so how does this parent thing work?  

[Krysin]

Of course he would press his luck, and Njia turned to face him with a flushed expression. She tried so hard to keep him at bay, but it seemed like the slightest of touches could do her in. Oh, she'd definitely have to keep him at bay for the sake of their cubs. They wouldn't have either parent if the two just got too tangled up in one another all the time.

She stubbornly tucked her tail back against her legs, saying 'no' without having to use words. Njia was determined to keep herself off limits to her amorous somewhat-lover. "Uh, no. You're not staying here." Not because she didn't want him here, but because she could never trust herself around him. She wasn't about to neglect her motherly duties to go frolicking off with the most handsome male she had ever met.

"You'll come to visit, often. But you're not staying." She wanted his assistance in raising the cubs, but she didn't want his distractions.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Krysin

"Right. Visit often. Okay." It was probably for the best. Both adults knew what sort of troubles they would likely get into if they shared a den for more than a couple minutes.

"I'll be back a little later then. I'll let you rest and them as well." He said, eyeing on the children one more time before he turned to leave. He paused at the entrance of her den, his head turning just over his shoulder. "Thanks again, Njia." and then he was gone. He could no longer dwell on the past, what had happened and what not. Now all that was left to look forward to was the future.