[PRP] Brotherly Love (Chiboza and Ithanga) FIN

[Mtorolite]

Ithanga looked down the slope. It wasn't even a steep slope, really, just a nice smooth bit down away from the den where he and his many brothers slept. He could do this.

Except apparently he couldn't. As soon as he started walking, he found one paw hitting another until he tumbled down, and landed, with a slight crash, into one of Yejide's sons.

Ithanga oof'ed at the impact.  

[ShinyObsessed]

Luckily for Ithanga his fall was broken by Chizoba, who was one of the most easy going lions out there. He merely laughed from underneath him. "You ok?" He asked and swished his tail in the dust a bit. "You have got to get a handle on those legs Ithanga." Chizoba commented as if he'd been the most graceful cub to ever grace the Kitwana'antara lands.  

[Mtorolite]

Ithanga stood up and tried to shake his head clear.
"Yeah, I think I'm ok. I'm just jumbled up again." It took Ithanga a few moments to right himself properly and get all of his legs under him the way they were supposed to be.

He was glad he ran into Chizoba, if he had to run into anyone. His brothers did not provide a very good landing when Ithanga tumbled into them, but Chizoba was big enough to actually provide some padding.

"I dunno why I can't keep them straight, it shouldn't be that hard to walk."  

[ShinyObsessed]

"You'll get the hang of it eventually. I did. And I was a pretty clumsy cub. Though not as bad as Chimvi." Chizoba grinned and put his paw on Ithanga's head to ruffle his head tuft. "Besides it takes practice, and you guys have been carried a lot and stuck in the den where there's not a lot of different terrains. You'll be running around with us soon."  

[Mtorolite]

Ithanga attempted, unsuccessfully, to smooth his baby mane back down after Chizoba had finished fluffing it up. Ithanga was used to looking untidy though. He never seemed to keep clean for very long after his baths. Then he had a coughing fit.

There was something very sad about seeing the little ball of fluff cough, his lungs working so hard his entire body shook. It took him several minutes to recover, until he was finally able to pick himself back up.

"Sorry about that," he said apologetically. He was the kind of cub that was always apologetic. It came with the running into people and the untidiness.  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba frowned at Ithanga's coughing. "Have you seen a healer about that cough? Or talked to mom about it?" Just because Chizoba had chosen to keep his sickness a secret for as long as he could didn't mean his new little brother could have the luxury.

He gave him a little encouraging nuzzle. "Where were you off to before you took that great sliding tumble? I'll go with you." Chizoba was a very protective older brother, and he loved cubs. Luckily he was also quite a lot of fun. So was tolerated most of the time.  

[Mtorolite]

"No," Ithanga admitted rather reluctantly. "I don't want anyone to worry about it. I'm sure it will stop soon." Ithanga didn't want anyone to have to fuss over him. Mom already had . . . at least ten other cubs to fuss over. She didn't need to worry about him even more.

"I was just going for a walk, and then I slid."  

[ShinyObsessed]

"Well I really think you should talk to Mom about it at least. She can probably help that clear up quicker." Unlikely. It sounded just like the disease's cough, it wasn't fair that Ithanga had gotten sick so quickly... Chizoba shook himself mentally of the bad thoughts. The best he could do was to make Ithanga's days as fun filled as he could. "Well I'll go with you. Just in case you need a bumber or something." He'd fallen in love with all his new siblings and he was hoping some of them would be immune.  

[Mtorolite]

"No, I don't want to talk to her about it. It's just a cough. I'm sure I'm not real sick or anything. She's got everyone else to worry about. If it gets any worse I'll tell her about it."

Ithanga looked around. He really had been wandering aimlessly. "Let's go down to the stream then, we can see if there are any frogs around."  

[ShinyObsessed]

"Frogs would be fun to see. I haven't seen many before." Chizoba commented as he went towards the stream with Ithanga. "Have you ever tried to catch frogs before? It's kinda hard, they always seem to know right when you're about to pounce."  

[Mtorolite]

"It doesn't work out very well when I try," Ithanga admitted. He did not mention the frogs usually heard him coming a mile away, and last time he had scared them all off with a coughing fit. "They're just too quick."  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba grinned. "They are really fast, though I bet if one of us snuck up on one, and then startled it towards the other we could catch one." Chizoba paused in the trek and sketched it out in the dry dirt for him. "See? I think it could work."  

[Mtorolite]

"It's worth a try, I guess," Ithanga said, although his doubts were not dispelled. Something would go wrong and the frogs would get away. Probably him coughing when he was supposed to pounce. "It would be easier with more, I think."  

[ShinyObsessed]

Chizoba happily helped his new sibling down to the river to try and catch frogs. Ultimately they wouldn't catch a one. But it wasn't always the end result that was the most fun, but the process that was to be treasured.

He had fun splashing his little brother in the warm sunshine when they'd scared all the frogs away. Then he would teach him the best places to bask in the sun and the delight of snuggling with siblings to keep chills at bay.