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 Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:27 pm
Tired from hunting for himself, Dinaledi decided to lounge slightly outside of the central area of the pride. He didn't like to nap at his den for two reasons. One, because he didn't want to be alone, and two, because he didn't want to miss anything that might happen. He wondered if there were any more members he needed to meet, so he could record them as part of his job. He wasn't entirely sure of what he was supposed to do, since the lioness he was learning from had been missing. He had only been informed of the position he was going to hold slightly after the war. He really only took it because of the lack of lions in each area. He sighed, and shut his eyes trying to take a nap. His stomach was full, and he was content, so now was a perfect time for sleeping.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:50 pm
Indu's pale yellow and blue form shot out of a bush like a hare being chased, there was a pretty butterfly that had taken flight lazily from the same bush and she wanted to see what it looked like up close. Chasing it she did not realize the blue lion's she jumped and pounced the butterfly with no such luck it skittered just a paws length away.
"Come back here!" She squealed and jumped again, "I woooont huuuuurt you!" she whined.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:07 pm
The young, innocent voice of a cub filled the air. Without opening his eyes Dinaledi wondered who the voice might belong to. Since there was only Malkia's children, one of which he had met previously, and another cub which was born to a slave he wondered which family it belonged to. Too excited to keep his eyes closed, he opened them, and realized that the voice belonged to Indu, the first cub here at the new land.
Indu probably didn't know exactly just how important she really was. Well, at least Dinaledi thought she was very important to the new pride. She represented hope, and also the future. The small amount of youth belonging to the pride all held the future in their hands. No matter what class they belonged to, the pride depended on them. Without them, there was no future for the pride. They would be the future hunters, guards, and everything else imaginable for the pride.
Before she could get too far, Dinaledi shouted "Wait! Come here, Indu." Hopefully it wouldn't be too difficult to break her attention from the butterfly it seemed she was chasing.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:20 pm
The pastel cub reached forward but at the shout of her name faltered and the butterfly quickened it's flight and was gone in a flash, grumbling, the young lioness was quick to anger she whipped around expecting to see another cub. But, she did not expect to come face to face with a lion that looked nearly like an adult, "Who-o are you? It got away because of /you/."
She trotted over to him, he had the tell tale mark of so many in the pride, a moon across his shoulder, why she did not have a star or moon Indu did not understand, but she knew it often was a symbol of someone within her small little world.
"How do you know my name?" She demanded, a haughty little demand that would grow more fierce with age.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:30 pm
Dinaledi cringed when he realized that he just caused a carefree cub to become unhappy. He didn't mean to take away her fun. Work certainly needed to be done on his part if he ever wanted to be the nanny his mother was. Wait. He shouldn't even be thinking like this. He wasn't a nanny, he was an apprentice to the record keeping priest. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Indu. I'm Tsebo'Dinaledi, but you can just call me Dinaledi for short. I didn't mean to make the butterfly get away."
He paused, and collected himself, wondering how he even got so defensive around a cub anyways. "Ahh. Well, you see. It's hard not to hear the name of the first cub born in our new home. You're very special, whether you know it or not. You represent a new hope for people." He didn't want to get into the fate of the pride with the cub, but in reality Indu was a light at the end of the tunnel for many. Sure, they could have found a new home, but new life made it seem like it would be able to flourish and survive.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:38 pm
Indu tried her best to collect herself, a little kids reaction nearly like a temper tantrum was something her chocolate colored mother was constantly trying to correct in her. She was supposed to be high ranking, and needed to act good to everyone, but Nerit usually gave in and allowed such behaviors.
"Hello Dinaledi, its alright, butterflies are around everywhere, that one just had wings I'd never seen, I like bugs," he grinned happily and planted herself before him.
"I...I'm not that important, the great lion did not fully look my way when I was born! Mama says he was looking though, more than to the other litter."
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:50 pm
Dinaledi was surprised with how well the young cub reacted to her butterfly flying away. Usually cubs would become upset when something they wanted was taken away, and he was rather taken aback that he didn't need to quiet her. "Well, that's true. There will always be more butterflies to chase, but I apologize again for making the one with special wings fly away."
This cub was much more outgoing than the other one he had met, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do when she sat down before him. He outstretched his arm cautiously, which invited the young cub to hold on to it or whatever cubs do. "Ohohoho. I beg to differ. You are important though! Just because the great lion wasn't looking fully, doesn't mean you're not important. Anyways, it's not your class that makes you important, Indu. It's the fact that you were the first new life here. You gave so many people hope, including myself that this place was able to become our home. He took his free paw, and rubbed it on her head.
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:59 pm
Indu nodded enthusiastically, "Special wings will comeback." she grinned up at him and her grin turned to that of a sheepish one as he spoke of her importance, she thought she was just like everyone else, she had a rank like everyone else. Poor Dinaledi had doomed the rest of the M'J pride, her ego was large enough and now she was being told outright of her importance.
"Since, I'm so important you and I should play a game, do you know any fun games?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:06 pm
Dinaledi chuckled at the cub, "Don't let it go straight to your head." He joked, even though the young one may not fully understand his joke. "However, I do know some games. We could play tag or maybe even hide and go seek, but those both aren't much fun with only the two of us." Thinking about what he could do to entertain the young one he realized he could tell her a story. "Well, if you want, I could tell you one of my stories." Dinaledi remembered most of the stories his mother had told Yezi, Lela, and himself when they were cubs. Most of them contained some sort of moral, which would be good for Indu. She wasn't a horrible cub, but it wouldn't hurt her to learn something from someone other than her mother.
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:57 am
Being an only child the games that only involved one or two people were the games that the little cub was used to. But, she liked the idea of hearing a story, Nerit did not tell very happy ones, and was not very imaginative. Indu had seen her mother react strangely in many situations, but this seemed to be related to her being a slave, Indu wasn't sure and was not about to ask her mother about what it was like to be the lowest class.
"I want a big head though? So it'll match my big body? Tell a story, but only happy ones, please?" her eyes settled on the older male and she sat down before him hoping that he would have a good story to tell indeed.
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:48 pm
Dinaledi looked around, hoping to find something that would inspire his story. He felt an unspoken sort of pressure to be able to tell a good story, like his mother was able to. Come to think of it, Dinaledi had never really told any stories. "A happy one? Hmm." Dinaledi searched his mind for anything that he might be able to build a story upon. His mind reverted back to the butterfly that Indu was chasing after earlier.
"Alright, listen close. There was once a small, tiny little caterpillar that could barely do what he wanted since he was so small. He couldn't move fast, and he was small, so he only moved when he needed to eat. The other caterpillars made fun of him, since he couldn't do all the things they did. However, one day he started spinning himself a cocoon. He was afraid, because he didn't know if he was ready, but for the whole winter he stayed in there while his body began to change. On the first day of spring, it gave a little wiggle, and then cracked. A beautiful butterfly emerged from the cocoon. You may be wondering what happened. The caterpillar was simple, but in a good way. He never threw any insults at those who made fun of him, and he did what was required of him. See, Indu, if you do what you're supposed to, then you'll have a metamorphosis some day, too."
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:06 pm
Indu started to think that this wasn't a very happy story, the poor little butterfly was getting picked on for being different! But, the story had to do with bugs and she sat raptly listening to every word excitement spread across her face. Wow! Caterpillars became butterflies, she never knew that! Maye it was a good thing that he'd scared off her butterfly she would have never known such a thing.
"Wow! I don't think I'll never grow wings though! Lions don't have wings, unless their fur looks like it! TELL ANOTHER!?" She hopped up and down excitedly maybe she could learn more about bugs.
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:17 pm
Dinaledi was delighted at the sight of Indu becoming excited over his story. In all honesty, he had never really been around cubs all that much, and it came very naturally to deal with them. He thought back to his current job in the pride, and for the first time he wondered if he had made the right choice. With the possibility of future royal cubs, he wondered if he could ask Yezi about taking up his mother's old position.
The new idea about becoming the royal guard to the cubs certainly was not going to be pushed out his head any time soon, but he still needed some time to think about it all. He didn't want to be rude to Indu, but he really had some thinking to do. "Well, I don't think I've got time for another story, Indu. I'm sorry. Maybe next time." He extended his paw, and pat the young cub on the head. "Take care."
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:48 pm
Indu grunted not used to being dismissed so and trotted off, that was not nice at all! She thought it was quite rude and would tell her mother about it the moment she proceeded home, but for now she was content to try and find a caterpillar cocoon, something to poke at and see what was inside, she could maybe even seen a butterfly emerge.
"See you another time, Dinaledi," she muttered as she wandered away from him and his interesting tale, he was an odd lion to be sure, but at least he was on the same level as she and someone to speak with if needed.
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