Aanga - Das Tor
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Idunn - NovaCracker
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Man'tah - NovaCracker

Word Count: 1,881 [According to Google Docs]


Aanga was worried. There was no sign of Man'tah, and it just wasn't like Man'tah to vanish. The gemborn lioness paced in the cave she'd taken for a temporary den as she searched the area, confident in the knowledge that the others in the search party were taking their shift in looking. She...needed to plan. Plan where to go next after they finished searching the area, plan on how to adjust their search tactics...Some might think being a queen was easy, but it wasn't. She worried about her people. Worried about them, and wanted nothing more than all of them safe and happy.


Idunn was smaller than her mother, the only lion in the whole world she knew, and it was scary. Small, hungry, and frightened, newly able to explore, Idunn had gotten loster than she'sd ever been, and so the cub fled into the first denspace she saw, small voice crying as she looked for her mother or siblings, ears drooping, and the cub highly distressed as she ran into a leg, hoping it was mommy, sobbing.


Aanga startled at the cry and the sudden small body pressed into her leg, stopping and looking down at the black and white cub. What on..."Hello, little one." The cub reminded her of Man'tah a bit..."And why are you hiding in my leg?"


Idunn looked up with large, bright, frightened eyes, and immadiately huddled at Not-Mama, looking down sadly.

"I'm lost." She said, whimpering. "I wandered away from Mama and now I'm lost!... Am I gonna get eated? Mama says strangers eated babies."


Aanga sighed, shifting to lay down so she wouldn't be quite so large in the cub's eyes. "I'm not going to eat you. Eating other lions, even if they're not Dvergr, is rather a bad idea." She'd heard tales of the sicknesses that could befall a lion who ate of their kind.


"Ohhh. Mama said we're Dvergr!" The cub perked, beaming a moment, then paused. "But Mama didn't say what that is." It was a sheepish admission, at best, and the cub sat.


Oh! Aanga perked at that, smiling slightly. "Well, it means you are part of a very old pride. A pride older than all of us put together. We live in caves and tunnels, and are many, many things. And we especially love our treasures." Perhaps..."What does your mother look like, little one?"


"Black an' white." Idunn responded shyly. "Mama's not in trouble is she? Mama said she was gonna get in trouble but we were okay." At that, Idunn frowned. "I don't want Mama in trouble."


It seemed they'd found their missing Matriarch. "No, she's not in trouble. We were all very worried about her, though." Aanga nudged the cub. "You see, she's very important, and suddenly disappeared on us. We'd feared something horrible had happened to her. Instead I find out she had something wonderful happen." The Queen couldn't help but chuckle. "What is your name, little one?"


"My name's Idunn." The cub blinked, fidgeting shyly and purring.


Aanga gave Idunn a lick on top of her head. "And I am Aanga. It is a pleasure to meet you, little Warrior." She smirked. "Unless you think another calling would fit you better. I know we have some brilliant storytellers and wives."


"Don't know." Idunn admitted. "Mama said she doesn't know yet! But I bet my brother will be a great warrior." Idunn looked to her paws again shyly, tail flicking. "He's super brave."


“I bet.” Aanga was...more than a little amused. “I bet you have it in you, too. After all, your mother is very brave. And things like that tend to pass down to one’s cubs.” She could only hope it would be so with the cubs she and Thorin would one day have...If they could bring themselves to it. “Now...why don’t we find your Mama, hm? I’m certain she’s worried sick about you! And I was looking for her to begin with. To make sure she’s okay.”


"Oooohhh." Idunn blinked. "Nuriess is lots braver than me." Isunn admitted candidly before huddling into Aanga shyly, looking up. "Mama is in a big cave when I snuck away. Am I bad?"


“Not bad. Simply curious.” She nudged the little one. “Now...do you remember what direction you came here from, Idunn?” That would certainly be of aid in finding the poor little’s mother.


"Uhm." Idunn pointed with a paw awkwardly, looking up after a moment and huddling in, mewing shyly. "I'm scared!"


That was a start. A good start. Aanga licked the top of Idunn’s head. “I know. But we need to find her. Then, you’ll be able to hide in her and we can all go home when she’s ready.” The Queen nodded sagely. “Until then...I will stay with you, and you can hide behind me, hm?” Let the poor cub have a bit of safety. The caves and tunnels could be terrifying for someone so little and unused to them.


"Okay Miss Lady Ma'am." Idunn admitted softly. She pressed close, much as she would her mother, and mewed shyly, shivering. Safety! She appreciated it.


Aanga let the cub get her bearings, made a set of marks in the floor of the cave to indicate she was following a lead, and then she started off in the direction Idunn had indicated. She kept her steps small enough that the cub could keep up, not wanting to lose the poor thing. Really...it was terrifying to be lost. She knew when she’d get separated from Asali in their early days, she’d been terrified. She kept her eyes and ears open, and her nose to the air, searching for any sign of Man’tah or new cubs. The matriarch needed to be found as quickly as possible.


The path lead up in the mountains, old scents following trails to show cubs the sky and stronger indicated oft used routes, and ?Idunn huddled against Aanga as she watched. Stones were strange and frightening, even if they smelled of mama, and in one place white and black fur marked a recent space of the Matriarch.

Still, it was the scent of cubs that was first, Idunn peering before huddling. "Mama's not with the others." She whispered.


Aanga looked around, catching Man’tah’s scent around the area, but not...there. She shook her head, sighing. “We’ll have to wait here, little one. At this point...it is best she come find us, rather than us try to look further and end up lost beyond belief.”


"I did bad?" Idunn asked, peerting up. "I just wanted explore." And that was when Aanga was almost pounced, Man'Tah nearly tripping as she stopped, eyes wide in surprise and alarm.

"Idunn!...A...M...I..." The Matriarch sputtered.


Aanga shook her head. "You didn't do ba-" She startled at the newcomer, and then leveled a flat look on Man'tah. "Hello, Man'tah. You've had us all rather worried." She sighed. "If you were having cubs, you could have had them at home, you know. You wouldn't be the first Dvergr to have cubs not of a mate, and you certainly won't be the last."


"I... Didn't want the old ladies judging me." Man'Tah lowered her head, ears pinning back. "Not all Dvergr are as open minded as us outsiders. I... Idunn wasn't trouble was she?" Man'Tah's voice was shy, Idunn blinking at her Mama before bounding over, purring.


"They would have been the last to judge you, Man'tah." Aanga sighed, shaking her head. "Asali and I are the ones they eye with suspicion. Because we don't bear 'proper colors'. And no, Idunn wasn't trouble." The Queen sat back. "And I suggest you bring she and any siblings she has home soon. Before you cause our long-suffering King a brain-bleeding." She smirked, showing she was joking a bit.


"You're lovely though." Man'Tah sdighed, then looking to Idunn, whom happily cuddled into Aanga gently. "Three girls total, and a boy." She spoke softly, smiling a little, then frowned. "What would the king say, though? I don't have a mate." She swallowed.

"My son has no father."


"The King would say your cubs have a fine example in their mother. The Queen already thinks such. A father is not needed." She sighed. "And aside that fact...there are many males in the pride your son can choose to look up to." She chuckled. "Your cubs have a great boon in being supposedly 'fatherless'...they will have more paws to choose to follow, since more than a few of us will help you out. Mayhaps talk to the Patriarch of Schatzi and his mates? From what I know, the pride they came from was familiar with many paws raising a litter."


"Maybe." Man'Tah swallowed. "I want my cubs happy though. I'm just... Scared." Man'Tah studied her paws before leaning, grooming Idunn in her nervousness. The cub purred, leaning before pawing Aanga.

"Mama, she's nice!"


"I'll be a voice to help support you, Man'tah. You will be safe, and your cubs safe and happy." She nodded, then smiled at Idunn. "Thank you, little one. I...I try to be. I admit there are days where I am still learning to be." Day after day, though, she was more and more a Queen, and less the 'do anything to survive' lioness she once was.


Idunn smiled, snuggling up to her Mama, but purred at Aanga, Man'Tah smiling weakly. "She likes you. I was worried she'd be shy."


Aanga shook her head. "Not really. Just...a little uncertain because she was lost. But now she's with you again." She nudged Man'tah. "Gather your little ones when you're ready, and we'll head home, hm?"


Man'Tah nodded, Idunn creeping out to rub Aanga. "We'll get to play, righty?" She asked.


Aanga nodded. "Yes, yes you will. There aren't many cubs right now, but one day, soon, there will be." She suspected it wouldn't be long before she saw cubs from her sister and brother-in-law.


"Ooooh." Idunn seemed disappointed. "Aren't you a mommy?" And Man'Tah proceeded to squeak.


"Not yet, little one. Not yet." She and Thorin were taking their time. The old bloods could look down on them for it, but...they wanted to do things right. They would make sure that when they brought heirs into the world, that they were ready for them, and the pride back on strong, steady paws.


"Why not?" Idunn asked innocently. Man'Tah squeaked, trying to ruff her cub quickly.

"Idunn!"


"Because my mate and I are waiting for the right time to become parents, little Idunn." Aanga chuckled. "Now...I will be back in a bit, hm? I need to let others know that I found your mother, so they can stop worrying about her."


"Then you'll be a Mommy?" Idunn asked. Man'Tah lifted her then, speaking around her ruff.

"I'msosorry."


Aanga couldn't help the amused laugh that came from her. "One day, Idunn. One day." She nodded to Man'tah. "It's fine. She's a cub, and full of questions. I'll be back shortly. We had a search party out looking for you, so...best to let them know you're safe and sound." With that, she headed back towards where Idunn had found her, marking the path as she went.