The birth of his children had been a very taxing thing for Namir, who hadn't even had the heart to go in and join his mate as she’d labored over their coming into the world. His mate had barely made a sound, just focusing her efforts on cleaning each of the whole four cubs as they came into the world.
Four beautiful children. Certainly he had a lack of sons to his name, Artemis only having bore one son out of the four. But a beautiful child he was. Certainly of an odd coloration, but upon one curious glance to his mate, Artemis had let all be known.
"That's what color my brother is…" she purred, licking the growing mane on the small boy as he nuzzled in with his sisters at her belly, before she again laid her head down on the floor of their den, eyes half closed and a deep rumble filtering through her chest.
"What moon is it?" she’d asked quietly, which had sent Namir to check with the priestess who had overlooked it at the place of noting, only to return to her side some time later. Their children were of a waxing gibbeous.
Upper-middle class.
If anything, Namir was only greatful that the great lion hadn't frowned upon them and made them all slaves. That would have made his heart sad.
However, Artemis seemed to be having other thoughts besides the moon now that her heart had been put at ease. Oh yes, she was looking over her children and seeming to mull. Mull over what?
Something. Something indeed.
"What will we name them?" she finally asked after a time. Namir’s face cringed just a bit at the inquiry. She'd posed an excellent question to him. What would they call them?
"Something-"
"Short so you can remember it. I know." Artemis teased, then frowned again following it, "However, that doesn’t inspire any names as of yet…" she commented. Namir, however, had already been well prepared with one name to give. Oh yes.
He settled down next to his mate, resting his head against hers, and looked over the small litter. Four, that number felt just right in his head. Not too horribly big, but there was enough to be playmates with the other children who had been brought into the pride.
Namir took a moment to give each of his children a lick on the top of their heads, purring quietly at them before pausing and looking to Artemis. "Iah."
Artemis paused for a moment, looking at her son and mulling the name over in her head, before repeating it back to him. "Iah." Well, that was one son named, three girls to go. But they were three beautiful little girls. One a mascot of her father’s love and joys. The indigo of his mate and the moon crested on her forehead.
Artemis was quick to decide. "Taini." She offered, waiting as Namir registered it in his head. Taini, Taini, Taini. Only two syllables. He could manage that name. "Taini." He agreed. Then it was on to their eldest pair, brown like their father.
Beautiful, beautiful children.
The two parents loomed over their two nameless daughters, contemplating, before Artemis finally commented: "Theron or Taga for one of them…" She figured he’d be able to remember perhaps one more 't' name. Namir figured he’d be able to remember both of them, nudging the head of each child as he repeated the names.
The eldest of his children, and the one who held the most striking resemblance to him, "Theron." And then the one who was his own light brown with a streak of the cool colors of his mate, "Taga."
Artemis gave him a curious look. "Are you sure you can remember three 'T' names?" she inquired. Namir nodded firmly as Artemis rested her head on one of his legs. Namir rested his head on the back of hers, looking over both his mate and the four young ones at her belly.
"Theron, Taga, Taini, and Iah." He recited in turn.
Artemis chuckled a bit. They were quite the names. T's for the girls and then her one handsome little man got an 'I'. They were good names too. Good names for her beautiful children.
Now all they needed to do was grow up good and strong, keep their mother proud of them.
And proud she already was.