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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:19 pm
Her daughters were mostly sleeping in their den within the temple, where Johari and Soa currently were as well. The only thing out of place was Soa seeming restless. She sat curled at her mother's paws, half sprawled across one of her legs actually. Johari smiled a bit as the four familiar bodies were pressed against her side, looking as innocent as angels. In truth they were energetic little scamps, though it only made their parents love them more if anything.
It shouldn't be much longer now that Muroki, or maybe one of the hunters or guards would arrive with part of the daily hunt so that Johari could eat since she stayed with the cubs most times now still. Already she was feeling the edge of hunger, but patiently waited. Being as she was unable to hunt she'd never feel it her place to complain, even if she ever felt the need to to start with.
Adanna had decided to take on a hunting shift that day. It was a duty she performed with a strange amount of pleasure. She had always been one of high energy and a need to stay active. Even in the scortching heat of the desert she was as thirsty to keep her paws moving as before. So no matter how difficult she had gone off eagerly to find something to catch...and not even something for herself.
Near one of the few patchy spots with water and vegetation she had found a straggling desert hare. Nothing major, really, but the desert wasn't a place where you passed up a meal due to its size. She chased it down with typical speed and ferocity, catching it after a few minutes of chase. It was then that she jogged back to the dens. She might only be dropping the meal off with the mothers and heading out again, but every little bit helped.
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After a few minutes more she had to have a stretch. Careful as she detangled from the pile of cubs Johari put a bit of space before easing into a languid stretch, purring with contentment as her eyes closed. Once she had straightened from this she rounded back to look over their brood and smiled softly, carefully retrieving Soa by the scruff of her neck to place back with her sisters for a body pillow.
"... I really never would have thought life would turn out like this..." She breathed happily.
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Adanna stopped at the mouth of the dens, flicking her ears attentively. Didn't sound like a whole lot of activity down there, but what did she expect? She was about to call out, but then remembered the hare in her mouth. Dropping the body at her feet she licked her lips briefly and then said loudly and without shame, "'ey! Anybody up in there? I've got lunch. Or whatever meal time it's supposed to be right now."
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Johari glanced towards the odd doorway (built for two leggers, of course) and called back as she immediately recognized the owner of the voice. "Adanna, I'm not sure if Safiya or Azra are here, but I am." Since Johari hadn't been paying that much attention to the rooms outside of the royal den, really, she'd have admitted. All her focus was on their daughters. "I'm sorry to be a bother, but could you bring it here if it's not too large?"
She wanted to stay to keep an eye on the girls, who could still be a handful when they were awake, and with Soa indicating she might not really be fully asleep she had to keep a closer eye out.
Ada rolled her shoulders in a shrug, "No fur off my back." She picked up the small animal once again and loped swiftly into the strange desert structures. She felt the temperature immediately drop as the sun disappeared from view within the shelter. It sent a small shiver up her spine, but nothing more. Living out here, you were used to extremes.
She finally came across Johari and bounded over, brandishing the hare like a carnival prize. She dropped it onto the shadowed floor, shaking her head, "Speedy little devil, but not much to eat or anything. I'll probably be heading out again in a bit."
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"Thank you, Adanna. This should be more than enough to tide me over until the rest of the hunting party returns. Do you have a few minutes to talk, though?" The young queen questioned hopefully. She didn't get to interact with the guardian very often, and wanted to find out how the rest of her family was doing before Adanna was off again.
"Hu? Sure thing," Ada was mildly surprised, but she plopped herself back against her haunches willingly enough. She wasn't very good at sitting still...but if a conversation was interesting enough she'd often forget about it. And besides...being an adult, she had a drop more of patience than in her youth. Right? Maybe.
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Johari's mood picked up a bit with that, not that it had been down to start but all the same-- "Wonderful, how are your mate and sons doing? I know that this heat must be harder on Nukta and Nanuka, with their black fur, but I never har a complaint from either." Johari grinned a bit, knowing that poking a bit of good natured fun at Nukta was one thing that Adanna seemed apt at doing, at least from her witnessing that first meeting, it was.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:28 pm
Adanna laughed, "We're all doing fine." She grinned and shook her head, "You said they haven't complained? Not to you maybe! Haha, bunch of full grown babies sometimes, I'm telling ya." Despite it all her comments were light, an affectionate tease on two of her boys that weren't around to "defend themselves".
"I had some darker brothers," she commented without really thinking, her mouth just running off with her train of thought, "They did just find in lands like this." She shrugged and then met Johari's gaze, "You and the kids doing ok I take it?"
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"Hmm, that we are." Johari grinned, tail ticking with mirth. So she was right! She'd have to remember this for later ice breakers and conversational bits. "It sounds like your life is never dull though, with them around. It's lively at least, it seems?"
Her gaze drifted to the cubs as if cued, and really, she was as it turned out. Soa was standing behind the two adults staring calmly and sleepily, eyes darting between the visitor and the hare at Johari's paws. She did have the sense enough to greet, even as she eyed the meal with cubbish hunger.
"Hello..."
The smile was soft, and she looked back to Adanna. "Thank you, Adanna, ah, I hate to cut this short, but..."
"Life's as lively as you make it," Ada laughed. Never dull hu? More like she never let it stay dull. Being bored drove her mad which meant anything and everything was fair game.
"Hey kiddo," she grinned toothily at the small cub. She then rolled her attention back to Johari, "Ah, don't worry about it. Kids are kids...and food is food." She jumped up nimbly to her paws, stretching a bit. Guess it was time to go back out and hunt again. Not that she minded in the least.
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"That's true." Johari chuckled, but the comment was taken seriously. Adanna was well informed, and Johari was usually learning something new from her each and every encounter. She didn't so much as twitch as Soa came to lean against one of her legs and stared up at Adanna, one ear flickering quietly. Soa was clearly still tired, but likely too stubborn to simply go back to sleep. "Thank you again, Adanna, we'll have to catch up properly once things settle down! Good luck with your hunting." Johari smiled kindly.
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Ada chuckled on her way out, flicking her tail in amusement, "Luck has nothing to do with it. But you better home I've got some anyway...or I'll have nothing to bring back to ya!" And she left mother and daughter at that, slipping back into the blinding sunlight and the burning desert sands. Back to work she went. There just wasn't anything better than this.
~ FIN
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