The den was quiet, one of the rare moments with three banu handling a litter of eleven. The afternoon was exceptionally hot this day and many had taken shelter to sleep away the worst of the heat. Though cuddled with many of his siblings, Rahim didn't want to sleep right now. He felt far too awake, and furthermore, he was thirsty. . . .
Woe to his mother for making them nap! Woe to his siblings for wanting to snuggle one another despite the dreadful heat! How could they sleep so soundly, so unwavering on such a hot afternoon? Even within the den underneath the shade everything was still rather warm. . . . Ugh.
Glancing around, red eyes wide, the little cub began to ever so carefully squirm. He managed to duck out of the small pile of fur that made up two of his siblings and ever so carefully pushed himself away from Ukoo where she too napped. He wasn't going to go anywhere or escape, he was too intelligent to do something so stupid that would only get him in trouble. . . . but he certainly wasn't going to sleep any longer.
Nope. No naps for him!
But Rahim was still only a little cub, and while his biggest concern was not waking any of the banu surrounding him he had forgotten to inquire about his father's whereabouts. He hadn't given the grasses where Tariq usually slept a look, and part of the cub assumed his father might not even be home. . . . He was a vizier, after all, and Rahim knew his ebony father was often busy away from the den.
Delicately worming his way around the resting banu and siblings, careful to walk as soft on his paws as possible, the olive Ukoo look-alike pushed himself to the entrance of the den. He heaved a small sigh, licking his dry lips with a parched tongue before he sat rather wistfully at the door. His red eyes stared out, drinking in the freedom that awaited him only as he grew. . . . Clever he might be, it wasn't that he was chained to the rules of his family, but he had weighed the pros and cons of leaving on his own with the consequence.
Thirsty he might be, he'd wait. . . Furthermore, the peace and over all quiet of the den was not worth waking his mother. For once one banu stirred, chances are they all would and then his brothers and sisters would rise and wake up one another and ugh. . . . no.
He'd just enjoy the solitude and the quiet afternoon to reflect over the day. The serious little cub was notorious for his quiet attitude as well as constantly mulling, thinking and observing. Today was no different, especially when he could do so peacefully and without disruption.
