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 Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:07 am
But...she was a little bored.
As she hummed she rolled a small rock beneath the soft pads of her paw, drawing patterns in the sand with its edge. She often found herself mesmorized by the sand, even if her nose didn't like it very much. She wouldn't go so far as to say she was allergic to the sand (heck, she didn't even know the word!) However, it certainly did make her sneeze and sniffle a lot.
Maybe she'd grow out of it.
Either way, sneezing or no sneezing, nothing was going to stop her from enjoying the soft sand beneath her paws - especially now that it was cool enough to play in. She was almost considering going back to the den to find a sibling to tussel with, but, oddly, she wasn't in the mood for that today. Yes, she did play but not as much as perhaps her other siblings did. It was clear - even at this early age - that Vesta would not take the path of a soldier or guard.
It just wasn't in her.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:47 am
Since the cubs had been growing so rapidly, they had already begun to become more lion-like to Azarax - much more. Since the days of the tiny paw-sized cubs, blind and deaf and mute all at the same time, he had grown in confidence around the little creatures. And although the realization that he was actually a father had been a long time in coming, it had reached him eventually, and with it had come a whole new sort of joy in spending time with them and watching them grow.
One day, he knew, they would be just like Yin and himself, full-grown and completely able to take care of themselves. The day would come when these little lions would no longer need him. But where the thought would once have struck dread and terror into him, he now found that he embraced it. Almost.
He knew that he was meant to lose the ones he cared about one day. He understood the purpose of it now, for without loss, how would any of them ever realize how important the ones around them truly were? And because of the knowledge that one day his cubs would grow up and not need him anymore, he treasured his time with them all the more.
As he padded back to the den, having done a quick patrol that was intended more to put his mind at ease than anything, his eyes caught sight of a familiar little form lying almost in the entrance of the den. Not quite right at the entrance, but close enough to the outside, and as his eyes picked up the fiery orange that tinged the cub's ocelot marks and the white muzzle, he knew it was Vesta who lay there.
Perhaps if it had been any other cub, Azarax might have worried that she was trying to sneak away from the den. But whether it was the bored look on the cub's face, or whether it was that Vesta happened to be one of the less rebellious ones of the litter, he felt content in the knowledge that she was sitting there and nothing more.
"Vesta," he said as he approached the den entrance, ducking into the shade. Almost instantly he felt the relief of being back under the shade, in the more bearable temperature of the den. "What are you doing?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:20 am
She looked up, squinting into the bright light of the day. She knew that lion. Knew his scent, knew his face, knew his voice. Even on the day of her birth she had instinctually known who they were. And she loved them both dearly.
"Daddy!" She chimed, leaping up onto her feet and making to take a step towards him. She hovered, hesitantly, unsure whether she should break the rule and rush up to meet him. She was supposed to stay close! But...but daddy was here now! Nothing bad could happen if he was here to keep an eye on her. She was sure he wouldn't mind if she bent a rule just to go and say hello, right?
"Daddy!" And she bounded across the sand, moving clumsily as she went, laughing in delight at having her father back with them. And those few strides for an adult were exhausting for her tired legs. She pulled to a halt and pressed herself against one of his forelegs, panting and smiling.
"Nothing. Being good. Didn't go far, just like you and Mummy said. Are you staying with us for the rest of the day now, Daddy? Bored and no one else to play with." She blinked large eyes up at him, pleading.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:33 am
He chuckled as she scrambled across the sand, limbs flailing as she ran. Her inexperience with the sand was obvious, but he knew that would change. Before long, the cubs would all be old enough to leave the den and play outside in the bright sunlight, and with time, instinct and experience would take over for the clumsy that presided over Vesta's movements, and walking on the sand would be no problem. The Firekin blood in her, and all the rest of her siblings, would make sure of that.
He paused in his step so that when Vesta pulled up in her charge out of the den, he wouldn't walk right into the cub and send her flying. As she pressed herself against one of his legs, he bent down to nuzzle her in greeting.
"That's good," he said, content to know that she was listening to his and Yin's words. It seemed to show that if Vesta could do it, then all the rest of the cubs could to it too, and it brought a peace of mind that he was grateful for.
Still, he knew that being in the den all day was boring - especially for cubs, who seemed to be bursting with energy at any given time of day. Much as he wished they could stay small forever, he couldn't wait for them to grow up enough to be able to play outside on their own. It would certainly brighten up their days, and who knew what sorts of adventures cubs could get into. Rather than worry him, though, the thought sent a tingle of excitement through him. Ah, and to think, his cubs having adventures. He revelled in the thought.
"Well," he hesitated, not wanting to promise anything he couldn't deliver. "I will be, but only if nothing urgent comes up. Like your mother get hungry." He added jokingly.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:57 pm
"Mother is always hungry!" Vesta complained, patting her paw against her father's foreleg. "Daddy should stay with me. Play here. Yes?" She looked up at him again, her golden eyes wide and bright, her mottled pelt bright under the glare of the sun.
"No fighty game, though, Daddy. Not good at fighty games." She wriggled her little nose and lifted one ear. "Hidey game better. Or....chasing game." She looked at him and arched a brow. "But Daddy have stronger legs." Then she pulled away, took a few steps back, and reared up on her hind legs, waving her forepaws up at him.
"Carry. Carry me? I can sit on your shoulders and you can show me fun places?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:24 pm
((Sorry for the lateness! Busy, busy week))
Azarax chuckled. "Yes, she is," he said, shooting Vesta a secretive look of agreement. "But, you know, that's all because of you five little goofballs."
As she mentioned mentioned her lack of interest in fighting games, he smiled. She took after Yin, Vesta did. He was glad to see Yin's personality shining through in so many of the cubs. Sometimes, he wished and hoped that they wouldn't inherit his natural thirst for war and fighting. He had accepted that side of him, and even embraced it at times, but it wasn't necessarily something he wished to see in his children.
Still, he knew, they had Firekin blood running within them - that old Firekin blood that had bred years of violence and anger into their kind - and it wasn't likely that none of that had gone into the cubs.
Like Atesh. Already, the black cub was growing big and muscular, and was displaying all the traits that Vesta didn't. He could be aggressive, and he wasn't afraid to shove anyone for what he wanted. And he was good at fighting games.
At the thought, Azarax made himself a quick mental note. He would have to keep a close eye on that boy, make sure he learned to use his fire and attitude properly.
He glanced down at Vesta again, realizing he had almost drifted away from the conversation. So much to mind... so much to remember. He nodded. "Of course, kiddo," he said with a grin, lowering himself down into the sand so she could clamber onto his back.
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 7:55 am
"Hey!" She squeaked. "I'm no goofball, Daddy!"
Perhaps, in that little head of hers, a thirst for the fight would emerge someday. Perhaps anger of fear would drive her to it. Perhaps the will to defend a loved one. Maybe all those things. But, for now, Vesta was content being who she was, unaware that other cubs might play rough and that, great things could come from being strong in the Firekin.
"Yay!" She squeaked with joy as her father agreed to carry her and, with a happy mewling sound, bounced up onto his back, only just managing to pull herself up. Then, with a giggle, she settled herself across his broad shoulders and set her head against his mane.
"Daddy has a bright mane!" She declared, patting it with a white-tipped paw. "Prettiful."
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 3:08 am
"You, little one, are the epitome of a goofball." He said solemnly with a slow shake of his head, trying hard and then failing to keep the smile from spreading across his face again.
Yes, he understood it now, what it was like to be a parent. He had known the moment he had laid eyes on the five mewling balls of fur, so very small and delicate, that his life had transformed forever for the better. That feeling was like no other. To be able to look down at something and know that he would never love anything in the world more.
He rose slowly, making sure that Vesta wouldn't lose balance and tumble off his back. It would have been quite a fall for her, he imagined. As he felt the tiny paw pat his thick mane, he half turned his head so he could see her and laughed.
"You think so?" He said with a grin. "Not as pretty as you, though, Vesta." No, nothing in the world was nearly as beautiful as any of his girls.
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:52 am
She stuck her tongue out at him, giggling. Daddy was so funny at times!
"Uh huh. Nice red. Shiny." She purred and leaned to rest her head against his mane. The sun had warmed it, made it comfortable.
"All girls are prettiful, Daddy. We're born prettiful!" She continued. "Boys are icky. Most boys." Obviously not her Daddy, since he was pretty, too. And that made sense anyway. Because Mummy was pretty and pretty went well together.
"Will you walk fast, Daddy? I'll hold on tight. Promise!"
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 6:48 pm
"Course you are," he nodded in agreement. "You know why that is, though?" He added. "It's because you girls make the world go round. So long, long ago when the Gods made the earth and all the creatures on it... Well, they decided to give you girls a little something extra for all the work you'd be doing."
He raised an eyebrow, considering Vesta's request.
"Well, as long as you promise not to fall off, I can," he said with a chuckle. He lengthened his stride, walking faster as promised. "You want to go somewhere, Vesta?" He asked, knowing that the cubs weren't quite old enough to go traipsing about through the desert on their own. It would come in time, of course, and when it did, he was sure all of them be gleefully running about all over the place.
It wasn't a bad idea to bring Vesta out somewhere, though. She was too young to explore on her own, but it never hurt to start getting to know the desert early. Eventually, finding her way around would become instinct and she would learn to recognize every dune and see the difference in each one. But it was easy for a cub to get lost the first few times out.
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 6:23 am
She beamed, pleased at the sound of that/ Girls were pretty and important! Why would she want to be born a boy when being a girl brought all these bonuses? She purred in agreement.
And, as Azarax quickened her pace her eyes lit with excitement and she felt as if she were embarking on an amazing adventure. "Somewhere fun!" She squeaked. "Someplace really good. What's your favourite place in the desert, Daddy? I want to go there."
She was clearly eager to see more of the desert than what she could see from the entrance of the den. The world was new and exciting and very beautiful.
"Daddy. Your fur is just like the sand. How comes I didn't get your fur? No one else did, either. That's not fair." Her whiskers drooped a little.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 3:18 am
He had no favorite spot in the desert, he realized. Only one which he frequented, drawn there by his subconscious. It was not something that he aimed to do, but he had found time and again that, should he let his mind wander, he would end up in the same place. The border of the desert, closest to the lands the Safi had served out their exile in.
It was, he knew, a place that, despite the tragedies that had happened there, was very dear to him. He felt a connection to the very spot, as if something within him was linked to it. And he knew it was a place that, one day, he would share with the cubs. But he wondered if today was the right time. It was a beautiful day, not to be marred by stories of the past.
"Why don't you choose?" He suggested. "I can take you to the highest sand dune in the desert where you can see just about everything and feel almost like you're sitting on top of the world, or... there's a place by the border that I go to sometimes."
His smiled widened at Vesta's next words, feeling his heart warm at the complete innocence that radiated from the cub. Having not yet been taught many of the pride's customs, she seemed to have a way of breaking things down into their simplest forms. Fur like the sand within the mighty desert - it made sense that it might have been a good thing to inherit.
There were times when he wished that each and every single one of them could stay innocent forever.
"You know, Vesta, with our pride, it's a good thing that none of you got my fur. See, our customs say that a Firekin must be red, white, or black. Or variations of those colors, and my fur is actually too far off from any of those. I'm an exception, but if any of you had gotten my fur... You'd have to leave when you got older."
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 11:32 am
"A place on the border?" She questioned. "Isn't it dangerous at the border, Daddy?" She let a smile creep onto her face then. "Daddy, you not scared of anything! Someday I'm gonna be big and brave just like you." She wriggled and put on her 'thinking face'. Where did she want to go?
"High place sounds fun. Will the birds hit us if we go there?" She imagined a place in the clouds, now, a place where all around her was a sea of magnificent gold.
And then she heard about the pride's views on colours and her little head turned to look at him, her gaze intent. Her heart burned with a fierce pride for her parents and now it burned stronger still for her father. For his was special in more ways than she could have imagined. The exception to the rule.
"Don't want to leave." She insisted. "Won't because I'm black and orange." She continued. "That rule is silly. If Daddy so strong and good and brave why can't others be like that, too? Others who aren't red, black or white. Seems silly."
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 2:56 am
"It is," he agreed with a nod, content in the knowledge that Vesta, at least, had the good sense to recognize the danger of being so far away from the heart of all the pride's activities. "Course you are, Vesta," he added with a grin. "You all are. Your mother and I didn't have all you little rascals just to miss out on the chance to get to say, 'Well, that's my girl!'"
He veered off his original path, heading a new direction with the little lioness's decision. Paws treaded the ever-shifting sands with a determination and a deftness that came from years of practice walking over the terrain. "Sometimes, they get low enough to, but they wouldn't hit us. They're a little too afraid of us to do that." He fell silent for a moment, negotiating the upward slope of a small dune.
"That's right, you won't have to leave," he said, not for the first time silently thanking whatever forces controlled fate that none of the cubs would ever have to leave. Not unwillingly, in any case. He hoped that such a day would never come, but he knew that at least if any of them grew up and wanted to leave, it would be of their own decision and nobody else's.
"It is a little silly, you're right. But it's just tradition, Vesta. It used to be worse than this. Long ago, the lions that called themselves Firekin used to think that they were all descended from a goddess, Finar-si, whose descendents could only be red, black or white. They believed that only lions related to Finar-si by blood were superior to all other creatures, and they saw everybody else as inferior. They took other lions as slaves, and to them, Blood was all that really mattered." He explained, thinking back to a time that seemed so long ago, but lived so vividly in his memory it almost could have been yesterday.
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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:15 am
She beamed, making up her mind there and then to become the best she could be. That way she'd make her parents and her whole pride proud of her. She'd be a perfect Firekin!
"Would they even be afraid of me Daddy?" She asked, raising a little paw and waggling it around in a mock-fierce fashion.
As they continued, her eyes scanned all around them. From here, up on her father's shoulders, she had a good view of the surrounding land. Of the sand that was swept smooth - except for where recent paws marred its surface. Of the distant jungle. Of the densites. Of other lions passing by. The dunes made things interesting, changing levels, taking them higher and then lower again. She wished she could stay small forever so she could be carried around like this always.
"Fi-nah-si." She repeated clumsily. "Fi-nah-si, bad?" Firekin bad, too?" This was an odd idea indeed. "What's a slave, Daddy?"
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