The thing about Maziwa was that she was known to adopt any stray or abandoned children. That was just how she was. She'd only had one litter on her own, a beautiful litter of three, but beyond that the remainder of her children were adopted. As were her grandchildren, for the most part. One of her biological daughters had children, but most of them came from one of her adopted sons, Damu. Who then adopted his own children.
It was an endless cycle really.
So was it any surprise when she adopted this little bundle of joy? She promptly named the child Khala. Her bright golden eyes had taken her breath away when the little bundle first opened them. It had been some weeks, and with the encouragement of several others she finally named the young pup her Heir.
Now, she just had to see how the pack would feel about the change. She would find out soon. The Naming Ceremony would start soon. And once it did, there would be little she could do to change the course of the pack. She, and they, would have to accept it. At least, that wass how she hoped it would go. A lot could happen, and she felt her stomach churn with nerves.
She wished she could seek out her mother's advice on this situation, but nothing could bring her back.
Maziwa took a deep breath and nudged the little pup awake. Khala opened her golden eyes and blinked up at her new mother. She wiggled a bit, stumbling to her feet.
Khala was a patient pup, one that listened even more than Maziwa did. She felt the pup would make a great leader, with some guidance. The two made their way out of the den. Khala stuck close to Maziwa. There were no pups her age in the pack right now, but she hoped that would change soon. The pack was expanding slowly, but that was normal up in the cold climate of the high mountain tops.
Resources were scarace, but Maziwa, and the rest of the pack, made due with what they had. They were resilient, after all. She took a deep breath, and walked with purpose towards the slightly less popular common locations of the pack.
She would introduce her Heir to some before the ceremony to gauge their reactions.
This was the first time an heir would be named in the pack. But Maziwa was getting old. She needed to find someone to pass her knowledge down unto, and someone that would lead the pack with the love and attention she had given it. She truly believed Khala could be that. The orange dog knew all of the members, though she was closer to some over others.
She hoped she would run into one of them first, before any opposition may rose up. The words stuck in her throat for a moment, but before long she came across Rhodon.
The White and Pink dog had been tending to a patch of flowers by the river. Not many flowers grew up here this late into the year, but if they did it was usually Rhodon that made it happen. Very technically, and only partially through adoption, was Rhodon related to her. Her grandmother being her son's sister. Her grandfather was also the father of some of her half-siblings.
As she said, their little family could be confusing. She gave a smile at Rhodon and Khala bounced forward a bit to introduce herself.
Maziwa smiled as Rhodon tucked one of the flowers behind Khala's ear.
"What are you doing with the flowers?" Young Khala asked. She didn't touch the flowers, but she did peer super close to them. They were quite fragrant and beautiful. Rhodon gently booped the pup on the nose.
"Why, my great uncle Damu is blind, young one, and it makes him easier to find the edge of the water if the flowers are at its edges. Once he touches the flowers, and their scent is the strongest, he knows to only take two more steps before he needs to drink," She proclaimed with a little bit of a flourish. Khala giggled and Maziwa smiled at them kindly.
"I am going to name Khala my heir soon, officially. I know word has probably gotten around a little, but I figured I would introduce Khala to a few to guage a closer reaction," Maziwa cited as her reason for the visit. She was very plain, not believing in hiding behind flowery words to keep the pack peaceful.
Truth and honesty were key. She wanted Khala to learn as well.
Rhodon nodded, eyes focusing on the pup for a moment. "I think she has the makings for it. I see a lot of you in her, despite your lack of common blood." The pup was inquisitive, but didn't seem to overstep any boundaries like other pups would have. Rhodon knew when she was Khala's age that she was a little bit of a brat.
Her uncle seemed to be fond of her, though, and Leji, before he had left, had been kind to a younger her. She had wanted to follow the other dog on his journey, but she hadn't. Not yet, at least. This was her home, and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave it. But at the same time, she'd wanted to meet her father.
Gele was his name. Leji had known where he went, and had followed him some time after. It wasn't like the pair had been intimate with one another, but perhaps there'd been a spark. Either way, her mother had found a caring mate that had taken in her mother and cared for her and her siblings as his own.
Kind of like Maziwa had done with young Khala, though neither of Khala's parents were in the picture any longer.
"I think the pack will be receptive. You are wise, and I think Khala will grow up to be a fine leader under your care," Rhodon stated, gently placing a paw on the future Alpha's head. Maziwa smiled a grateful smile, and the two carried on their way to the next dog. Hopefully the interaction would be just as pleasant.