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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:22 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:29 pm
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From outside of the large den two curious pairs of eyes peered into the darkness. Arwach had brought home a new Thrall but the two lionesses had been ordered to leave her be for the time being. Their Captain had gotten food for the exhaustion lioness and left her alone after that, telling the two to keep out of the den until 'the time came'. Whatever that meant, they were not sure, not until they heard the sounds of little mewls and realized what Arwach had meant.
Cubs.
"Do you think we should go in there now?" Pazi whispered to Igagasi, bright eyes shining with delight. The pale female turned to look at her companion with delight and was met with an equally excited expression.
"Maybe," the curly-haired lioness returned, her green eyes bright with happiness. Cubs! Oh, this was wonderful! And a lot of from the look of things. Taking the initiative - Igagasi was much braver than Pazi - the blue lioness ducked her head to show submission as she padded into the den, ears flicking with curiosity.
"Hello there," she said softly, not wanting to overwhelm the obviously exhausted mother. "Um, are you doing all right? My name is Igagasi and this is Pazi," she said, pausing to nod back at the pale lioness who had joined her in the den, standing at the mouth for now.
"Arwach left you some food," Pazi chimed in, noticing it had gone untouched, but with good reason. The poor female was obviously exhausted and had gone immediately into labor upon her arrival. "I know you must be exhausted but your cubs will need the food just as much as you."
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:37 pm
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Radha lifted her head, watching the two females enter. Those must have been the two...what did he call them? Thralls, Arwach had mentioned. She could not think of who else the ladies could have been.
Nodded her head, Radha's eyes flickered open, shifting the sleepiness away for the time being. She was sure she could try resting a bit later. "Hello," the new mother greeted. "I am doing as well as I could for the situation." Her voice held a little bitterness to it. One could tell she did not want to be here, and if she wasn't with cubs, she'd be out in an instant. But that was moot right now. She had cubs. She could not risk their lives for her freedom. "I am Radha" she introduced when the others mentioned their names.
"I'm...I'm not hungry." Not that she wanted any food the male brought her. "They should be okay for now." She'd need to eat soon, but she would figure that out later.
"Did he take you two from the roguelands as well?" She inquired, curious to know how these two ended as thralls.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:49 pm
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Igagasi nosed a bit closer as Radha woke up slightly, addressing them both clearly and with open eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was to sneak up on a new mother who was in a strange place and send her further into shock and distress. She offered her a little smile as she laid down a comfortable distance away but close enough to speak without their voices echoing in the rocky den.
"That's good. I'm sure you had quite the journey. They seem to be doing well, too," she added as she gazed warmly at the cubs. They were quite large for newborns but that didn't matter much to her since all of them were suckling and moving around.
The comment that followed had both females frowning and Pazi took the opportunity to grab the leg of zebra Arwach had brought to the den and moved closer with it. She might not be hungry now but she knew it would be soon that the new mother would feel her stomach being to growl.
"So long as you keep up your strength," she said, depositing the food closer to Radha but not so close that it seemed she was forcing it upon her. The soft spoken lioness gave Radha a small smile and settled down beside Igagasi who sighed at the question that followed.
"I was taken, yes. Pazi came along willingly," she said, no hint of ill will in her tone. "We were both adolescents when he found us, although I was first. Pazi came along some time later."
Pazi nodded in agreement as she turned her gaze to the cubs, a soft 'aw' leaving her. "Aren't they darling?" she murmured, resting her chin on her paws as she looked over them fondly.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:59 pm
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Radha watched as the zebra limb was placed near her. She nodded, expressing she may eat it later, but for now would leave it just where it was.
She listened carefully. "How could you go so willingly?" She asked to Pazi. Radha was always one to do things on her own, she did not need be pushed around by others, or need them tell her what to do. It she hadn't been pregnant, she was sure she could get away from the male if she tried.
"Shame. He has nothing better to do than take others." She shook her head, clearly disagreeing with how the lion worked. She couldn't do anything about it now. What was done was done.
When Pazi commented about the cubs, the negative thoughts of the situation vanished almost immediately. She glanced at the newborns, shifting herself so the cubs could be seen. She had five seemingly healthy children. Four males, one female. "They look so different than my first litter." Well, almost. The one she would call Taradhipati looked like her first born son from her litter with Kivuli. Then there was Tecwyn, the little oddball of the bunch, that perhaps got his solid coloring from his dark as night father.
"I didn't think they could be this big. Must've got that from their father." She chuckled. She did not know the male, it was more so a one night stand if anything. She was pretty amazed none had the galaxy pelt like she had, another notion that the father's genes were more predominant in the litter.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 8:12 pm
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The question made Pazi's ears press back against her head, her shoulders hunching a bit. She knew now that to be a Thrall was not a very glamorous life, but in the rogue lands Arwach had made it seem so wonderful. Even still, she had to admit she was happy here. She was safe, fed daily, and had wonderful company in Igagasi. Other Captains and Reavers and even Freeborns would treat other Thralls badly because they spoke out of place or tried to escape, but since she had been here she had been very well-behaved and had lived well because of it.
"Pazi's a gentle soul," Igagasi explained for the younger lioness. "Arwach lured her here with the promise of safety and protection and a meal every day. And...well. He wasn't wrong. So long as you mind him he takes good care of us. And really, we all share the same connection of dens so I'd be keeping them tidy without him telling me to. I don't wish to live in filth," she added with a little snort before leaning in to nuzzle Pazi who looked a bit less embarrassed.
"It isn't so bad here," she chimed in quietly. "You're never bored, there's lots of lions around all the time to talk to, there's always food...I was separated from my mother when I was barely old enough to hunt for myself so having him come in seemed like a blessing from the gods." And, if she had to do it again, she certainly would.
Attention turned to the cubs, then, and Igagasi nudged a little closer with a grin on her face. "They are quite large," she agreed with a little laugh. "Oh, but they're sweet! Don't you worry, Radha, Pazi and I will help you bring them up. We'll do whatever you need. Arwach isn't very fond of cubs so you'll probably not see him too often," she added with a little grin.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 8:43 pm
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Radha nodded, but could not find herself to agree with Pazi.
"I guess I'll never understand the workings of one mind." She said quietly. How the female described the daily life did not make the pride to seem so bad. Just the way everything concluded left a bad feeling for her.
"Thank you," Radha said. She would need all the help she could get. Previously, she had Kivuli with her to help raise the cubs. Now, she thought she would be on her own. Instead, maybe these females were a blessing in disguise. "Glad to hear he isn't fond of cubs." The less she had to see that male, the better.
"They will need names." She had only picked out a few. When her thoughts were not meddled with sleep, she'd probably name the others. "Luamei," she nudged the little girl forward. It meant rogue, very fitting for the lifestyle she had previously lived. "You two will be good role models for her." She told them. Her only daughter needed some good female role models in their life. The boys she was sure she'd have to find someone /not/ Arwach around. "Are there males with yo---our rank?" She could not bear to say the word thrall.
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:01 pm
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"Oh no, he'll leave them all be," Igagasi said with a shake of her head. Arwach could be cruel at times but he would never straight-out murder a cub, especially now that he had captured their mother. He'd be quite pleased to have them brought up to serve him, she was sure, even if she didn't like it herself.
The request made both females nod and stand, although it was Pazi who spoke. "If you need anything just call for us. It's so nice to meet you and your little ones," she added with a fond smile. "We'll be here to help all of you, no matter what you may need."
They both turned and left the den after that, speaking softly to each other, clearly excited about having the little cubs in their midst.
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