The life of a rouge was what Baridi thought she'd be living for ever. She enjoyed the freedom of coming and going as she pleased, meeting new and interesting people, seeing new and exciting things...why would she stop? The answer came one morning when she realized she wasn't alone. She wasn't being followed, oh no. She was traveling with a few extra passengers that had decided to make themselves known by the gentle bulge of her stomach. Baridi had been very surprised at first, until she remembered the rouge leopard she had helped a few months ago. His paw had been injured and he had been lonely, so she had mended his leg and spent the evening with him to bring him a bit of comfort. Never had she thought it would result in cubs!
She realized, after a few weeks of walking, that cubs in the rouge lands would need to grow up quickly. It saddened her to think that her cubs would not have an easy life, as roaming was quite hard on everyone, so the idea to settle down while they grew up perked her interests. Once they were old enough she could go on her way, and they could come or stay if they so desired. Then there was the problem of finding a pride...
The question of where Baridi would settle down was a no-brainer for Taji. He had spotted the expecting mother a few days ago, as she had been hanging around the edge of his pride. Taji was a very welcoming lion and was never one to impose his presence, so he had waited to see if she was intent on moving on or looking for a place to stay. It seemed like she was going to hang around by the small watering hole by a few trees, though, so the lion decided to introduce himself to her and possibly extent a paw to help her out.
As he approached, he made sure to keep his gait rolling and a friendly smile on his face. He didn't want to startle her, after all. "Good morning!" he called out when he was within earshot. "What a lovely day to meet a new friend," he added, deciding to let her know his intentions right off the bat.
Baridi was starting to grow hungry. It was getting harder and harder to hunt on her own, since the extra weight in her belly made it difficult to run quickly and make sharp turns. A pride really was starting to look like a better idea, and if she could find one quickly then she was sure her cubs would grow up strong before they were even born. She was positive there were five or six, with the way her sides were bulging already. It was a bit embarrassing to tell the truth!
A voice distracted her from her thoughts, and she lifted her head to peer out towards the sound. A rather fluffy, jolly looking lion was walking her way. A smile crossed Baridi's face as he spoke and nodded in agreement, shifting to rise to a sitting position rather than laying down. "It is a lovely day," she returned, a warm smile on her face as well. "Not too hot, just enough breeze to make things comfortable..."
"Indeed," Taji said with a nod, taking a sitting position as well to mimic the leopardess. Mimicking was a good way to make others relax, he had learned. It was also a good way to trick them into thinking you didn't have any moves of your own, and then you could surprise them with a nice spin-o-rama, but that was not for making friends. That was for kicking tail during playoffs.
"I'm Taji," he added, a big grin on his face. "And what is your name? No no no...let me guess. It must be...Beauty. Or Darling."
Baridi covered her mouth with her paw to hide her laughter. "Oh no, nothing so sweet. My name is Baridi. It's lovely to meet you, Taji," she added, bobbing her head, the smile still on her face as she lowered her paw.
"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine," Taji said, taking a little bow."I couldn't help but notice, my dear, that you've been sitting here for a few days. Hunting a little, drinking a little, but mostly sitting and laying. It seems as though you've got a few little friends that will be welcomed to the world soon," he said, a proud smile on his face. He wasn't a father yet - he was still pretty young so it wasn't something he was worried about just yet- but whenever there were cubs or pups in his pride he felt like some kind of proud uncle. Baridi wasn't a part of his pride, but that didn't mean he couldn't share in her joy.
"My pride is just over the river here," he said, nodding in the direction he had come from. "I've been watching you for a few days and since you haven't left this spot, I figured I might come extend a paw in welcome to you. You don't need to stay, by any means, but raising cubs on your own out here might be a bit more difficult then you'd like. We have very capable lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs...all sorts! They would love to help you, or at the very least bring you something to eat."
The offer surprised Baridi, but she listened to the lion speak without interrupting. How was it that he seemed to know exactly what she needed and wanted? It was magical, really! This was almost too good to be true. Lots of prides she knew of required members to stay upon pain of death, so being allowed to come and go freely would be amazing. That way she could leave and, if her children wanted to stay, she could come back to visit without worrying about being chased off.
"Oh...Taji, you're an angel," she said with a little laugh. "I was hoping I'd find some pride that could take me and my cubs in. They should be due in a few weeks and...ah, this is just lovely!" She nodded, a wide smile on her muzzle as she stood gingerly. "I do want a loving pride for them to grow up in in case they don't want to leave with me. I'm a rouge at heart, but settling down here for a few months would be grand..."
She couldn't believe her luck. This was far too good to be true. "What kind of pride is it that you have?"
The way that Baridi reacted made Taji grin once again. This was great! It seemed that this was exactly what the leopardess wanted to hear. He was glad he'd be able to help, and he knew his pride would be a great place to raise some cubs. There were lots of other cubs for them to play and socialize with, and lots of friendly adults for Baridi to be around.
"It's very welcoming to all types," he said with a nod. "We love to play games and there's some fierce competitions on the field, but when all is said and done everyone is friends and we support one another. We all hunt, play, take care of the youth, help each other out. It's a very welcoming place."
Baridi couldn't believe her ears. This place sounded exactly like the perfect place to raise her family. "Taji, how can I say no?" she asked with a laugh as she carefully stood. "And the only thing I need to do is cross this river? I'll definitely take you up on that offer." This was honestly too good to be true. Was she dreaming? She couldn't be dreaming...if she was it would be a very cruel dream. To make sure she wasn't, she gently stepped on her own toes. The little jolt of pain informed her yes, this wasn't a dream and yes, she had found the perfect place for her cubs. She hoped that if they didn't choose the rouge life, they would love it here and continue to extend their family. Maybe there would be grandchildren when she returned to visit! Oh, that would be wonderful.
"Just cross the river," Taji agreed. "There's a shallow part just down the way here where you won't have to worry about swimming for too long. You can walk right across and I'll introduce you to the rest of the pride. And I can promise you they'll welcome you with open paws."
His pride was his family. He knew them all by name, he could tell you who won what award or championship, who was related to who...he took it upon himself to do all that, even before he was the joint leader of the pride. It warmed his heart to see it grow, even by just a few members. Who knew? Perhaps one of her cubs would take his place some day. With the ranking system they had, it meant that the most worthy would assume the rank of leader, not one born to the present leader. Everyone had an equal chance, regardless of gender or species.
"Come, my dear," he said, standing and turning to head to the river. "Follow me and I'll show you your new home."
"Wonderful," Baridi said with a laugh and a smile, following the other lion without hesitation. The river was indeed shallow when they reached it, and she walked across without any problems. The grass seemed much greener on this side, and she was already glad that she had decided to come. She could already see little cubs running around her paws, laughing and playing with other cubs and pups. It warmed her heart to think that they would be safe and happy here. Being a good mother was number one on her list for the next few months, and she knew she'd give it her all to be as good as she could be.
Taji helped Baridi make her way across the river, proudly bringing her closer to the center of their pride. There were lions and leopards and other felines and canines walking around like friends, playing cames, laughing and wrestling without claws or teeth. It was paradise here, he knew, and he hoped Baridi would think the same.
"Welcome to your new home, my dear," he said, motioning with his paw at the vast lands spread out before them. "There is no where you can or cannot go, no friend you can or cannot make. The world is your gazelle to have! Our lands are bordered by that river and the mountains in the distance there. The game is plentiful, the water is cool, the weather is sunny and warm, and you could not ask for more here. If you have any questions or problems, please don't hesitate to find me. I'm always around," he added with a wink. "And everyone here will be willing to help too, I'm sure! Especially when they see you're with cubs. Everyone here knows that they are our future and will gladly help you in any way they can."
"Thank you, Taji," Baridi said, bowing her head slightly in thanks. This was more than she could have asked for. "I'll certainly seek you out should I have any problems, and I hope my cubs will come to love this place. They'll know you as their savior," she added with a little smile. "Uncle Taji, the great lion who saved them."
Taji laughed softly and shook his head. "I wouldn't go so far as to saved them, but perhaps the one who gave their mother the opportunity to have a safe childhood. He sent the leopardess on her way, watching her waddle with a chuckle. Soon there would be little green cubs running around, he was sure. He did hope they'd come to know him as he knew the rest of his pride. Perhaps he could even train them a bit. Leopards were important members to any team, and he was sure some of them would be great players. With a mother so resilient it would be impossible for them not to be.