[PRP] A New Place, A New Life (Aali, Thabiti, Zeki)

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali had wandered, he wanted to give his ladies some time alone to relax and bond things were looking up for the pride and that made him relax in turn. Steadily he had moved away from the prides lands exploring a bit putting on bursts of speed here and there to flex his muscles and keep himself fit. He could still remember the mild ache of his back as he had carried the prideland females back to the pride. No ache would have stopped him from his task though the long and difficult trail had led to such rich rewards.

Today he had not been searching for a treasure not even looking for an interesting tale to tell at night under the moon, yet he had found both. vivid blue eyes had easily picked out the shape of a lioness on her side in some low scrubby bushes, a makeshift den. When she had seen him approach she was not wary, she had no spirit left in her to even snarl at him, she only begged him to take her only living cub and keep her safe. Aali had been stunned to find a small female tucked further back and he gently coaxed her out promising to take her to a safe home. He tried to lead the cub away quickly, but before they were far enough his ears fell back at the soft rasping sound and sudden silence. He knew then that the lioness was gone, her spirit moving away even as they distanced themselves from her body.

Snapping away from the memory he looked down at the cub and offered her a tentative smile. "We're almost there..." He knew the walk must have been long and hard for her small paws and he wondered if he shouldn't simply carry her. Still he knew the best way to distract her from the tragic loss of her mother was for her to be moving on her own four paws.

As they moved into the prides territory he felt himself relax slightly pleased to be back on his own lands. He scanned the area wondering if he might spot his brother on patrol he knew his nephews delighted in following their father around. Aali had a soft spot for his nephews and nieces and delighted in watching them play, he felt himself once again longing for the way when he too would be a father. Still parenthood was fraught with it's issues...he looked down at the orphaned cub beside him and held back a frown, poor little banu.

 

[Ary Keeyara]

The little cub had walked beside Aali without any protests. It was a funny thing, her being so quiet. It might have suggested that she didn't understand what had happened...but that was incorrect. She knew her mother was gone. Her feelings felt jumbled up, twisted and tangled in her heart, so she wasn't sure what she was feeling. She had known this day was coming...and still she didn't know what to think about it. It made her feel a bit sad that she couldn't seem to sort out how she felt.

The annoucement that they were almost at her new home made her lift her head. "Mmm," Thabiti nodded her head in appreciation, but didn't say anything else. She wasn't sure what to say to the large lion who had taken her away. What would mother have wanted her to say...?  

[Reeshie Hack]

Zeki'Ilhame was bored.
It was Ilyas' turn to have some time with their father, so Zek had stayed behind, hoping to play with Maamaan 'Jiyya or at the least one of his sisters, but 'Jiyya had to go hunting and his sisters were all being boring. So instead of just lying around doing nothing, he decided to wander about the pridelands, looking for something to do.

He'd learned where to go and where not to go, how far away from the den and all that. But when he saw his uncle not far ahead, his spirits rose and he ran towards the larger lion.
It wasn't until he was closer that he saw the small white form walking at his uncle's side. The young male paused in his run, blinking at the cub that his uncle had. She was a small white female from what he could see. She was the first cub he had seen in the pride besides his siblings and he had to admit, she was pretty. But what really had him interested was how green it would make Ilyas if he started his harem early on, before his brother managed to get a female.

He would have to ask his uncle if he could have this cub. It'd be nice to have someone who had to do what he said. He probably wouldn't be bored as much anymore, if he always had a playmate around, who would play the games he wanted to play instead of wanting to sit around being all quiet and boooooooring!  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali grinned as he spotted one of his nephews, this would be perfect a chance for the cubs to interact. He wasn't quite certain how to ease the pain of one so small, but at least she could be eased into the pride. What better way for her to learn then by playing with the other cubs.

"Thabiti that is my nephew ahead..." He smiled and waited until Zeki was closer to playfully swing him up with a paw before setting him down and nuzzling him with a chuckle. "Wandering alone today Zeki?"

He moved carefully behind the small white female offering her his silent protection should she feel too shy to advance. Aali knew better then to try and force her to be jovial if she was still aching from her mothers loss, then again he knew each had their own way of dealing with grief.
 

[Ary Keeyara]

Mother had told her every day that there would be a time where she'd be leaving. She had never been able to tell Thabiti when it would be, but she knew that the day was going to come and neither of them could change it. Smile, her mother had told her, when you find you're somewhere new. I may not be there, but I will always be watching for that smile. Her mother had said that new beginning were always for the best and that Thabiti should never forget that.

She looked at the other cub for a moment. He didn't much resemble the big lion she had come with. His bright colors shone a little in the sunlight. It reminded her of those shiney snail shells she used to show her mother.

Mother...

Smile.

Thabiti smiled with gentle cheer, her eyes shutting briefly, "Hello."  

[Reeshie Hack]

Zek laughed as his uncle swept him up and set him back down. He pawed at the older lion as he was nuzzled, making a face that was a cross between amusement and wanting to make his uncle stop being all huggy.
"Fah, Uncle, I wander 'bout all the time," he shot back with a short huff of laughter. And then he turned his attention back to the other cub. She was smiling at him, and seemed...

"Aw, no, she's not really polite, too, is she Uncle?" he moaned, looking back up at the older lion with an almost pained look on his face. He wanted someone he could play with that wasn't Ilyas. Because in all honesty, his older brother was bigger and liked to show off more for their father, which sometimes meant stomping on the younger male. He needed someone to play with who would follow his lead rather than directing the game. His sisters didn't play much, at least not with him, and Maamaan 'Jiyya was off hunting sometimes, so she wasn't always available to play with.

The young male looked her up and down closely.
"You'll play, right?" he asked, head tilted slightly to one side as he posed the question.
All things considered, he probably sounded really rude. But he had no idea where the young lioness was coming from, what she had just lost. He had never had to deal with the kind of loss she had. But he didn't know about that. For all he knew, she had been lost and Uncle had brought her here so that she wouldn't get eaten or anything.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali chuckled softly and gave Thabiti a reassuring nudge, "Thabiti this is Zeki, Zeki this is Thabiti...her mother has asked the pride to take her in. We will show her our ways and welcome her." He smiled softly and held back a laugh at his nephews commanding tone.

Perhaps it would be good for him to take a little interest and responsibility in teaching Thabiti the ways of the banu, for someday he would be a pad and might need such skills to train a Kajira. In turn it would be good for Thabiti to grow used to the ways of the pride males that she might someday be a skilled Banu, loving and obedient.

He sat down and relaxed watching the two interact and ready to intercede should Zeki's overwhelming personality be too much for the recently orphaned cub.
 

[Ary Keeyara]

"I don't know many games," Thabiti admitted. Her mother had not been able to play much, in her poor health. So instead the young cub had become used to such games as scavenger hunts and I Spy. Mellow games, or ones where she did the running and her mother could rest in the background.

"But I'll play," she agreed. Her smile remained, "I'll learn." New experiences...this is what mother had wanted. And it was what Thabiti wanted too.  

[Reeshie Hack]

The young male narrowed his eyes a bit at her.
"Thabiti's good. I wanna call you Thabi, though," he said after a minute, a smile forming on his face. Oh, yes, Thabi was much better. It was cuter, even though Thabiti was a cute name to begin with, but Thabi was even moreso. He looked to his uncle again, eyes shining with hope. She wanted to learn to play his kind of games! That was so awesome. It might take some time to teach her, but to have someone that would play with him and not get angry if he won was worth it.

Plus, it would turn Ilyas green with envy. Of course, that thought barely crossed the cub's mind.

"Can I have her, Uncle? I promise I'll take good care of her and not let Ilyas bother her and help my mamas teach her to be a good Banu. Please?" he asked, eyes widening a fraction with his pleading.
 

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali was mildly startled by Zeki's request and he paused a moment to consider it. If Thabiti were given to Zeki the cub would have all of Faiz cubs to interact with and learn from. Of course one more cub to care for yet Faiz had four lovely Banu and they shouldn't have trouble managing one more cub. Besides Zeki would be responsible for her, and Zeki needed a lesson in responsibility. He wondered if his young nephew would rise to the occasion or soon grow bored of the new cub.

"Zeki you understand that you'll be responsible for making sure Thabiti is happy and well cared for? A banu is a lot of responsibility, and if I learn you've shirked that responsibility I will be most displeased." His tone was serious at first but slowly he smiled and nodded.

"Ask her then..." He smiled reassuringly at Thabiti. "Would you like that? Zeki taking care of you? He'll make sure you learn all you need."
 

[Ary Keeyara]

Thabiti tilted her head a little, listening carefully to the conversation. It was a little strange, she had to admit. Just a bit ago she had thought she would be staying with Aali, as he had been the one to take her from her mother's resting place. And now, so quickly!, she was going elsewhere, or at least with someone else?

She supposed mamma would have simply said it was a new opportunity for her.

"Alright," She agreed readily, nodding her head with a controled energy. She looked right at Zeki, though, and added, "But only if you'll play a certain game with me, once and a while. Promise?" She was willing to play any and all of his games, but there was one she never wanted to stop playing completely, the first one her mother had ever taught her. She didn't want to forget her mother and she didn't want to forget that game.  

[Reeshie Hack]

Zeki nodded to his uncle enthusiastically. He would make absolutely sure that Thabi was well taken care of. He wouldn't let anyone mistreat her and if he caught someone being mean to her or scaring her or something, they'd have to answer to him.

He returned his attention to her when she agreed and made her own request. Some of the older lions in the pride might probably tell him not to give in to her whims early on so that she could get used to having her way, but Zeki really wanted a friend and if giving her little things like that made her happy than he didn't see much of a problem.

"Okay, but I need to know what the game is before I can play it," he replied with a playful smile and pawed at her a bit.  

[Roxy_roxanna2]

Aali watched the two cubs with a broad smile, yes this would work very nicely. It was obvious that Zeki would take the duty to heart, and the way Thabiti responded made him feel better about the choice as well.

"Come along you two...before you start playing games we must see what Faiz will say." He nudged his nephew along back towards his fathers den hoping his brother wouldn't mind the new addition.

Still he was sure even if Faiz did object at first he would quickly see the solid reasoning behind the cub staying with his harem. At least the young female would have other cubs her age to associate with, and of course the banu would teach by example.
 

[Ary Keeyara]

"It's a game of finding things..." Thabiti began to explain, but stopped when Aali directed them to move on. With a flick of her ears she murmured low to Zeki, "We can play it later." She offered a warm, pretty little smile, "Ok?"

Without even waiting for an answer she moved after the older lion. A lot of changes were taking place today and yet...she walked with a bit of comfort. Mother had said to look for the best in things and well...things didn't look too bad. She had lost one person and gained another and while it was by no means a replacement it was...a new way of living. She had to see it that way. There was nothing else for it. She'd stay with Zeki and his family and let her life move along from there.  

[Reeshie Hack]

Much as Zeki wanted to stay and learn more about this finding game of hers, his uncle was right. They needed to talk to his father about this and they COULD always play it later. Oh he couldn't wait. It sounded like an interesting game and not one that got rough. He liked those kinds of games more often than not.
"Okay, you can teach me when we get back to the den," he whispered back and touched his nose to her cheek. He wasn't really sure what the gesture meant, only that he had seen his father do it to his mamas when he was happy with them. Zeki understood it was an affectionate gesture, which for a cub his age should have been a "gross" thing to do, but he didn't think anything of it. Maybe it was because his family was dominated by females, that he didn't have any notions that girls were gross. Thabi was going to be his Banu, his closest friend as they grew up. So it was okay to do stuff like that.