[PRP] Maternal Bonding (Eudeyrn x Eppie)

[Dulcea]

Eudeyrn paced outside the den, grumbling to himself. All night he had been awake, hot and cold bouncing back and forth. He hadn't wanted to trouble anyone with it, there was already enough fussing over the really sick lions. There wasn't any reason for him to mention what was only a slight disturbance. This morning he had gone out to play, but had found that no cubs his age were about. Shame, since the lack of sleep had left him strangely energetic. He stumbled a bit as he lost focus, deciding that he would simply wait here for one of his siblings to wake. Surely they wouldn't just walk past him without offering to play.  

[hibi-tea]

The first to stir were not of his siblings but his mother, Eppie. It seemed that Veena and Josepi had decided to sleep in on Eudeyrn and Liraz was feeling un-particularly-well today. It was alright though, as both Veena and Liraz's little familiar friends were in the den with them, and would no doubt alert Eppie if there was any trouble about. It was one of the nice things that had transpired since Eppie gave birth. Jozo's absence from her den, while still heart breaking, was not going to cause a lapse in the care of her children now.

Getting up and stretching, Eppie made her way to the front of the den where she found one of her little boys, Eudeyrn. He woke early, but did not wake her. How peculiar of him. walking towards him, Eppie dipped down her head and gave her son a nuzzle and lick, "You are up before everyone, honey. Are you hungry?"  

[Dulcea]

"No mama," he answered with a bit of a sigh, wishing he was. He knew it wasn't a good thing but he didn't feel up to trying to stuff anything down. Instead he redirected the thought, "But I'd like to go out." Out where he wasn't sure, he hadn't been far from the den before. He had heard that there were good places as well as bad, and he hoped they would be able to avoid the bad. "Or you could tell me a story," he added, glancing back at the den. If his siblings were still asleep he wasn't sure he'd want to leave them behind, "Did everyone used to be sick?"  

[hibi-tea]

Eppie was surprised at her son's forwardness in asking her if everyone used to be sick. She knew she'd eventually have to address the issue, what with friends and family ill, their health rapidly declining, but she had hoped it wouldn't be so soon. She wanted her children to live as cubs to, unawares for as long as possible, but her children were anything but cloudy-minded and she should have anticipated this curiosity.

"No," Eppie said quietly, giving her son a soft smile, "Everyone used to be healthy and prosperous, and our pride was once ever so great..."

"But you see," Eppie continued, sitting next to her son and scooping him up into his arms for a cuddle, mostly for herself as she loved to cuddle her precious children, "Many, many generations ago, during our pride's greatness, our people became greedy, and vain. Vain is when you think you're better than everyone else. And because they were so vain, they tried to compare themselves to the Gods..."  

[Dulcea]

Eudeyrn pressed himself up against her, his eyes wide as he listened to the stories. He had known that the sickness was a bad thing, and that not everyone had it, but he had never really thought that it was a punishment. "Did that make the Gods angry?" he asked, casting a wary glance to the horizon. Maybe if he behaved himself extra well the Gods would let his family stay healthy for longer, like the lions on the outside. "Couldn't they just apologize?" That made things better, didn't it? Saying you were sorry was what you did when you made a mistake. It would have to be a very big sorry, but it could help.  

[hibi-tea]

Eppie nodded to her son. He was so smart and deductive. Perhaps if he had been born back in the times of old, he could have helped to prevent such a disastrous fall to their pride, but alas, changing the past was impossible. Perhaps he would be the one to help shape their future, though.

"The Gods were very angry, and perhaps if they had apologized our pride would have been saved, but they did not," Eppie explained, sadness in her voice, "They continued to proclaim they were like gods, and the turned away everyone who wanted to join our pride. So the Gods sent down sickness and disease to punish them. And we, their children's children's children's children are left to clean up their messes. We're being punished for something we didn't do..."

"But through prayer, and sacrifice and proper respect to the Gods, we will one day show them how sorry we truly are for our parent's mistakes. And the more new blood brought into the pride acts as the Gods blessing for our recovery," She explained, giving him a warm smile, "One day the pride will be without disease."  

[Dulcea]

He smiled back, a deep shining of hope in his eyes. "I'm going to see it happen mama, we all are," he exclaimed, though somewhere in him did not truly believe it, "Maybe we'll all start to get better and everyone can play with each other without coughing or sleeping for so long." Fortunately he had not grasped the concept of death, and had been told in passing by another that one simply went to sleep for a very long time. He certainly didn't want that to happen to any of them, but the thought remained that it might be possible to wake up again, if the Gods could be made happy with everyone again. "I'm going to pray whenever I can," he added decisively, "And bring them all the best flowers I can find."  

[hibi-tea]

Eppie felt her stomach sink, and she fought tooth and nail to hold back tears. Her children, each and every one of them were so optimistic about what the future held for them, even her sickest, Liraz. She only wished they would be able to see the end of illness in their pride, but she knew it would not be in her generation, and most likely not in theirs either.

She gave him the bravest, and warmest smile she could muster and gave him a lick on his forehead, "I am sure the Gods would be pleased with the flowers you bring them, Eudeyrn. They would be proud and pleased by your devotion, just like I am."

Eppie sighed slightly at her son's hopeful words and cleaned his little head-tuft, "Everyone will get better one day. I know we will. We should go wake up your brother and sister. I have a feeling they're being lazy faces today."  

[Dulcea]

"Ok mama," he agreed, tumbling sideways out of her grasp, "Do you think they'll want to play?" He landed awkwardly on two paws, falling forward onto his face for a moment because he managed to steady himself. "We could go look for pretty white flowers," he added cheerfully, "Or see if any of the other cubs want to play!" The story had made him feel a little better, there was a reason at least. All he'd need to do then is be good and devoted, maybe he'd see about becoming a priest.