Kitambi hated playing messenger duty.

The trail between her home pride and their neighbouring one was a horrible place to be. It was dank, dark, and crumbling in places that it shouldn't be crumbling in. One day, it would just fall apart and they would have to make a new trail. The heir to the Nchi'mahadhi pride just hoped she wouldn't be in it when it decided to collapse. She disliked the idea of tons of rocks falling on her even more than having to traverse through this cold trail. But it wasn't like she was doing this for fun. She had something for her mother.

She had been sent for early that morning, and was met at the end of the trail by Sen. The lioness had told her that she had been slow, and then passed over the small body of a young white cub. "Jun." With no further explanation she had hurried Kitambi back down the trail, and pestered her to go faster until she was out of sight. Only once she was out of their allied pride's sight, the Nchi'mahadhi heir had slowed. She had all but forgotten about Sen's promise to give her mother a cub in the place of taking Waseme. It appeared that she had had her litter, and this little girl was to be the trade-off. Poor girl.

She would never know of her real mother, for Sen had told them both that they were not to say who she belonged to. They were to tell her she was the daughter of some dead rogues, and Sen had given her to the Nchi'mahadhi. Kitambi couldn't help but snerk as she picked up her pace to a quick trot. She wasn't sure if she should tell this young cub that she was really a trade-off for the young lioness's own sister. Perhaps that would be too much at her age. Maybe when she was younger. For now, this little cub would live without knowledge of her heritage. This little cub...

Nsundu was waiting for her. The brown lioness's eyes honed on the white cub in Kitambi's mouth, and she tilted her head curiously. Kitambi simply shrugged, and set the cub down on her mother's paws. Jun gave a small mewl, but settled down again, eyes shut tight. Nsundu blinked down at the cub, before looking up at her daughter questioningly.

"She's Sen's. You remember? You traded Waseme for her?"

A look of comprehension dawned on Nsundu's face, and she grinned broadly. "Oh riiiight! I remember. So this is the little one then? She's a pretty little thing... we're telling her she's the daughter of two dead rogues, right? Does she come with a little name tag or do we get to name her?"

Kitambi paused, before the only word Sen had said to her came to mind. "Jun. Her name's Jun."

A pair of blood red eyes opened and blinked up at her, before they closed sleepily once more.

Nsundu simply shrugged. "Well, I'm glad I don't have to name her. You wanna take her to Binafsi then? She just had her little group, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind another. You can tell her the same story Sen told us if you like." Kitambi nodded her head, and gently picked the white cub back up again. She knew her mother would not raise it. The lioness, like Sen, had different priorities in life, and raising cubs was not one of them. It was the mother she had grown up with, and Kitambi had come to accept it, as would this cub.

With Jun held safely in her jaws, the young Nchi'mahadhi headed off to the den she knew Binafsi slept. The trade was complete.