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 Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 3:38 pm
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 3:54 pm
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Safura easily had the most beautiful litter in the pride and it was not simply bias. Between their stripes and colors and eyes, plus the constant baths she gave them, they were always the best of the best. She was teaching them the importance of being the best, too, encouraging them to become Umama and Enkulu when the chance arose. She didn't spare the boys from this treatment either and had informed them more than once that they were more than welcome to return to the pride when they were older and stronger, so they could challenge the Inselelo of the time, just as their father did.
She was re-telling them this today, for today was the day they would venture forth and see if Kuhasa was still within the pridelands. She had already taken so much time to make sure her litter was ready to make the journey, but Safura wouldn't risk her boys not being prepared to the new lands they were to face. She hadn't been out in the rogue lands for a very long time, so she wasn't quite sure what to expect, but she had to make sure that they could eat meat without making themselves sick with it, before she decided it was time to depart.
"Come along, my precious ones." She said, herding the cubs into a group. "Today we are seeing your brothers off with your father. Anyone who doesn't want to come along may stay with the pride, but you mustn't wander off on your own, understand." She surveyed the group, noting who was coming and who wasn't and then nodded. "Alright then, let's be off."
She nosed the boys forward, keeping them near her front paws and kept her ears perked, listening for the sounds of small paws behind her. She heard at least one pair and glanced behind to see Emangalisa, the darkest of the litter, strutting forward. Emangalisa typically a trend-setter, so perhaps her other sisters would trail along behind her. Safura hoped so, these cubs needed to know their father, if only for a short time.
Eyes facing forward again, Safura walked slowly to make up for the shorter legs, but kept a keen eye on the horizon. Kuhasa couldn't have left the bonelands already, could he? No. She wouldn't even consider it. |
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:10 pm
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Ethembekile had grown up with a pride he knew he could never really be apart of. His mother told him it was a perfectly normal thing and he was sensible enough to realize that she was doing her best for him, by sending him off with his father. Other cubs weren't as lucky, she told him and his brother, Uphawu. Other cubs had to grow into adolescence, but then were kicked out by the leading males and expected to live on their own.
By comparison, this was a lot less scary, Ethembe thought as he walked next to his mother. Besides, like she kept telling him, they could always come back when they were adults and try to challenge the Inselelo, whoever that was at the time. Ethembe didn't know who he would be as an adult, but the idea of coming back and being able to see his family again was an appealing one.
He looked over to his brother and smiled a little. At least he wasn't going to be alone. Of course, he knew that his dad would be there and Safura had mentioned that a half-brother of his named Kosan might be there too, but he much preferred a full-brother than to just a half. He would definitely miss his mother and sisters, but... maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
Emangalisa strode just a few paces behind her mother and brothers, but she was constantly calling over her shoulder,
"Come on, girls! You don't want to miss a chance like this!" every few minutes.
It truly was a momentous occasion, considering that they were going to cast off not one, but two members of their family. She knew that Mother said that they may return in the future, but Emanga doubted it. Looking at her brothers,
she didn't know if either of them would bother returning to the pride, even if they did have a pretty sweet deal should they return. Between getting lionesses to hunt for you and throw themselves at you? Who wouldn't want that? Still, Emanga was more than content to have been born a girl,
if it meant getting to lead all of her pride mates. She had her eyes set on the role of an Umama and she was certain she could become one. She just had to be the best at everything, her mama said so.
"Come on, girls!" She mewed again. "What could you possibly want to miss this for?" |
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 7:52 pm
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When one of her daughter's started calling out to her, Safura paused mid-step to look back to her. She smiled down at Zobuhle, easily one of her more ambitious daughters and nodded through her declarations and questions.
"Of course you can, dear one." She replied, waited for her daughters to catch up and then resumed her slow pace. "An Enkulu is a lioness who has been recognized for her marvelous hunting skills. It is more of a title than a role, really, but of enough importance and prestige that it is bestowed upon a lioness by our Abaholi." She went on. "In order to prove yourself an excellent hunter, you must train every day to better yourself in speed, stealth and strength. Then, if you are old enough to participate when the time comes, you can participate in a Mkhulu." She paused for effect.
"A Mkhulu is a great hunt in which any eligible lionesses can volunteer to prove themselves. It's during a Mkhulu that we go after bigger prey that we would otherwise stay away from, such as elephants or giraffes. However, when the eventual kill of such a beast is completed, those who stayed behind come to feast on the catch and it is a very momentous occasion to all who partake." She purred. "I know that you and your sisters all have the potential to become Enkulu."
Now if only they could all make it to an Umama status. Safura would be pleased if even one of her daughters became a leader of the pride, but to have all of them succeed in such a feat? That would be a truly miraculous thing.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:04 pm
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Emangalisa turned to her sister and tossed her pretty head, though it wasn't quite as elegant as her mother was able to... not yet anyway.
"I don't know. Bigger, maybe. Males are supposed to be bigger, right?" She replied and then studied her sister's stripeless pelt. "Although, Mom said that he didn't have any stripes at all, right? So you must take more after him, considering the only stripes you have are in your mane." She said, tilting her head to one side as she observed her sister.
"I guess we'll see when we find him." She finished and flicked her ears. "What I'm more interested in is the croc-o-dile that he has with him." Apparently, her father had tamed the scaly beast. Emanga had been warned away from crocodiles, but the notion that one had been tamed and that her father had done it was certainly an exciting notion.
"Hey Uphawu, Ethembe!" She called up to her brothers. "Do you think either of you will learn how to tame crocodiles, since you're gonna be living with one from now on?"
Ethembekile had forgotten about the crocodile that his father called his companion and shivered a little. All the things he'd heard about the beasts were that they were bad news. His mother had often told them that while their father may have been able to take one on as a traveling companion, that didn't mean that all crocodiles were so friendly. In fact, many would see the cubs as a snack, rather than a friend. So, he had done as his mother bid and stayed away from them.
Still, with the excitement in Emangalisa's mew, he couldn't say no so decisively, even if he wanted to.
"I dunno, Emanga... Maybe." He looked to his brother for help. "What about you, Uphawu?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:27 am
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Uphawu was trudging along very seriously as the excitement built up around him. He had high expectations for his father and the day he and Ethembekile were going to join him had finally come.. yet, after everything his mother had done to prepare them both, to assure they would be well cared for and had an opportunity few others had.. he was nervous! But he couldn't let it show! He would show mama how brave he was, and he would make a good impression on Kuhasa. He had to!
He didn't pay any attention to the enthusiastic rambling around him until he heard his name-- and he was asked about the one thing that made him most nervous. Crocodiles were huge even when you weren't a cub, hopefully their father had some secret for taming them because Uphawu knew he wasn't keen on being eaten.
His eyes flitted from his brother to his sister, his mother and then back again. His anxiety would be easily identifiable to any adult but in his mind, he was still playing it cool.
"Of- of course!" he exclaimed, "If anybody knows how, it's gonna be dad and a real life crocodile!"
---
Not far from the river, Kuhasa had set up a temporary camp for himself, Kosan and Zahif. They were close enough to the pride that cubs could reach them without being too much trouble for their mother, which put them in a precarious situation as far as the rest of the pride was concerned.. thankfully, the Abaholi seemed otherwise occupied, if they cared at all that a losing Inselelo lingered. Between the three of them loitering so close to the pride's borders, they knew the cubs would arrive soon.. and it would finally be time to properly move on.
So the former Inselelo had taken to making a daily trip away from where they had hidden away, hoping to meet up with Safura and the cubs when they arrived. It just so happened that today was his lucky day, and he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. It was hard to make out the cubs, they were still so small and, naturally, blended so well in with the dried grass.. but he knew something was there.
Kuhasa was leaner than he had been in a good while, but he looked significantly healthier than he had during his departure. He was whole again, though his limp had yet to improve much, if it ever would. Still, he was smiling as he walked out to meet them.
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 11:58 pm
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Safura listened in to her cub's conversations with a touch of amusement, though her face remained neutral (yet not unkind) as she looked forward. She noticed who was speaking and who was not and was happy to find that all of her cubs were present. She felt eyes on her and glanced down to see Uphawu glancing up at her and then away a great deal of times and she curled her tail forward, to brush it against her cub's back.
"Whatever you choose to do, whether it's crocodile taming or coming back to challenge for an Inselelo position, I will be proud of you." She told her son with a smile. "Though naturally I may be bias, wanting to see you and your brother again." She purred, before glancing back at her daughter, Zobuhle.
"Zobuhle, darling, you needn't worry yourself with crocodiles. Just because your father managed to do it, doesn't mean I want you endangering yourself. Train yourself to be strong and focus on hunting, that will gain you the most prestige in the pride." She chided gently, before turning her gaze front and center again, only to slow and stiffen.
"There he is." She breathed with relief and then turned to her cubs. "Remember, my darlings, stay with me. Uphawu, Ethembekile, you're up front, yes, good. Girls, stand with me, near my hind legs. Zobuhle-are you listening? Yes, right here, on my left." She indicated with a swish of her tail. "Excitement has it's place, but above all else, so do manners and good behavior. Let's so your father how lovely you all are and really impress him, shall we?" She encouraged and then started walking again, more slowly, so that her cubs could follow at their usual pace. She would have to trust them to be polite and not charge ahead, now.
She looked at Kuhasa directly as she approached and she was near beaming, by her standards, when she got within speaking distance. She drew ever closer, her tail swishing in front of whichever cubs tried to sneak ahead and then, too suddenly, she was standing in front of Kuhasa.
"Well?" She asked expectantly. "What do you think? Aren't they the most beautiful cubs you've seen?" Her eyes twinkled at her own words and she was just as eager, though she didn't show it, to hear Kuhasa's reply.
Perhaps even more so than her own cubs.
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:21 am
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Emangalisa looked expectantly at her brothers, before nodding her head contentedly when Uphawu at least, claimed that he would learn how to control crocodiles. She was proud to call them her brothers, she decided. Between their stripes (making them look the most like their mother out of all of them) and their confidence, she would be sad to see them go.
Though as her mother reminded them yet again, they could come back to challenge for the Inselelo position. Wouldn't that be interesting! Though the idea of watching the older lionesses swoon over her brother's stripes made her feel a little weird. Maybe it was better that they were leaving, after all.
Glancing at her other sisters, she was about to inquire after what on earth Imbali was gawking at, when her mother announced that their father was within sight. She was eager to bound over and inspect the lion in question, but at her mother's bidding, filed in line behind her mother and simply walked beside Safura, trying to peer around her mother's legs for a glimpse of her father's pale pelt.
After what seemed like forever, her mother stopped and spoke. Emanga poked her head up from over Ethembekile's and saw him then, a large lion with no stripes in sight! Emanga glanced to Zobuhle and then back at her father. They really did look similar! She knew it!
Ethembekile was happy that the attention of his sisters was away from him at the moment and could offer no more than a helpless shrug to his brother when Uphawu looked at him, seemingly for help. He didn't pay too much attention to his brother's reply when too soon his mother was announcing that his father was insight and she nudged his brother and him towards the front. He kept glancing back at his mother, who was staring straight ahead, though her tail was moving behind her to straighten his sisters behind her. When she finally stopped walking, he found himself looking up at a smooth-coated lion. He was lean and hadn't any stripes on him, unlike many of the lions there, but most imposingly, he loomed over the cubs.
Ethembekile found himself looking in awe up at his father. He was so huge!
How could someone his size have possibly been defeated in battle? He was sure he would hear all about it when they were leaving... At that thought,
Ethembe pressed against his mother's leg, though his eyes never left his father. What if they were too small? Would his father still want Ethembe and Uphawu?
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 1:33 am
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Zobuhle looked up towards her mother and nodded when she told her she should focus on the hunting aspect rather then the crocodile taming, it was a relief since she was uncertain what it would be like to even meet one crocodile in person, rather than even attempt to tame one.
Just as she was thinking about that her mother told them to get in line, and Zobuhle felt flashes of excitement go through her body as her hairs raised, she followed close behind Emangalisa, when the mother stopped, she snuck over to her mothers right side, and peek around her mother seeing her father for the first time she was in total awe he was so big as tall as a mountain it seemed, she looked at his pelt, and back at hers a few times realizing that they both really were alike with no striped markings, but they did have different manes, she was not certain why he didn't have stripes, but she knew she took after him in that aspect just he was a different color than her he was more a silver to white color while she was tan.
She was trying so hard to refrain from running over and inspecting him, that she couldn't help and burst out asking her mother. "If I have no stripes like him will I take after him more mom?"
Zobuhle realized she just blurted it out loud, and took a step back, and sat on her hind legs as she knew it must have been rude to be so bold, but she couldn't help her inquisitive side, she had so many thoughts racing, and now seeing her father here, right in front of them she was wondering if her brother would also get as huge as him.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 3:10 pm
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Uphawu flinched in surprise at the feeling of his mother's tail, but looked up at her with a smile. He didn't fully understand the situation he was in and couldn't look so far into the future that he could even begin to decide between staying out there and coming home.. he could only see what was right in front of him and that was leaving behind all the girls.
Then their mother spotted Kuhasa and he straightened himself up, scrambling to get into place. He didn't dare sneak ahead but he couldn't help but lean around and try to get a better look.
Kuhasa was smiling when finally Safura was before him, his eyes scanning the little crowd behind her. Three beautiful girls, one of which would fit right in with the other daughters he was leaving behind.. but the two who looked most like their mother were boys. He realized quickly he was taking no small part of her with him now.
"They're beautiful," he said, looking back at Safura, "Just like their mother."
Uphawu's gaze was stuck on Kuhasa, trying to take in the whole picture here but sensing as his brother got farther away from him and closer to their mother. He stood frozen in place, wondering the same things but either too stubborn or too nervous to move.
Kuhasa's attention was brought back to the cubs when Zobuhle bravely asked if she would take after him, and he smiled at her. Safura had very attractive markings, sure, but he was glad she had a cub more like him, too. She had struck a deal with him and he knew she would hold up her end of the bargain and raise wonderful daughters, but he was the sentimental sort. Considering where they were now and the difficulties they had faced getting here, he suspected she might have been feeling it, too.
"What's your name?" he asked Zobuhle, then nodding to the others, "Can you introduce me to everybody?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:37 pm
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Safura grinned at Kuhasa's words.
"Naturally." She replied, before glancing down at her little ones fondly. She twitched an ear at Zobuhle's statement, but did not reprimand her. She didn't want to silence her cubs, she wanted to hear them speak out, not just here, but when they were older too, so they could feel confident with their own opinions.
When Safura had first come to the Bonelands, the traditionalists still reigned supreme, but now that she had had cubs, Safura's first priority was to see them happy, regardless of what would happen to her popularity in the process.
"Your other brother has a name, too, Zobuhle." She chided at last, though she did not sound unkind. Indicating with her tail, she added. "This is Uphawu." She looked apologetically at Kuhasa and then told her cubs, who had been very good and so deserved a proper reward. "There, now that we've all been introduced, go and meet your father." She encouraged.
Emangalisa was rather put off that Zobuhle had been asked to introduce everyone, rather than her own perfect self. She looked rather sulky until found herself to be introduced as the first sibling and she looked up eagerly at her father, standing a little straighter and wanting him to look on her with pride. Wasn't she pretty? She was unlike her siblings too, with her darker patterns. Shouldn't that count for something? She thought hopefully.
When Zobuhle finished the introductions and her mother stepped in to give them permission to go investigate, she scampered forward and plopped her front paws onto one of her father's.
"You're so big!" She remarked with obvious awe in her tone. "Am I going to be as big as you are when I'm older?" She glanced at her brothers. "Will they be?" She asked blinking at her brothers. No, that was impossible. Surely they'd stay their own size forever, right? She turned to her father again. "I'm Emangalisa, like Zobu said, but you can call me,
Emanga, if you want!"
Ethembekile gazed up at his father, wondering how far he would have to walk backwards in order to see the whole of him. Probably all the way back home, he thought and then paused. Wait... He wouldn't be going home now, would he?
Despite his mother's permission to go investigate, Ethembe hung back while his sisters went to explore. He'd have the rest of his life to hang around his dad. Right now, he wanted to stay by his mother while he still could.
- Mynsed - Quoting you into the RP in case you want to take up Vixie's place in the RP.
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Imbali'yasehlane toddled along with her siblings, her mouth pursed and brow furrowed. Her mother and sisters were prattling on about ranks and titles. It was all very important, she knew that much already, but she was still pretty hung up on her brothers leaving with their father. And who was this guy they were going with, anyway? She listened to Emangalisa, but her sister was effectively just repeating what their mother had told them. She nodded, mostly to herself, that she was also interested in seeing a crocodile. The little cub stared at her brothers, trying to memorize every stripe.
