Nanashi waited at the mouth of the den just as the light began to shine above the walls of the pride. He knew it was early, but he had warned his son that it would be the case. There was no rest when you were the Boss – things needed to be addressed and the earlier they were, the more work people were able to fit in a day.
A rustling noise from the den alerted him of his son's approaching and he glanced towards the mouth. The pale form of his eldest was still a shock at times, but he grew used to it as the months passed. The boy was clearly a cheetah, and those eyes...well, Nanashi could not doubt his parentage when his own eyes stared back at him from the boy's pale form.
“Father,” Seiji said, offering his father a sleepy but warm smile as he finally breached the exit of the den and stood beside the sitting form of his parent.
“Seiji,” Nanashi responded, nodding his head to him though there was affection in his gaze. He cared for all of his cubs. They were the perfect mix of himself and their mother, Nyoka, though Nanashi caught himself thinking that perhaps they were all more like Nyoka than himself. They all seemed to possess her knowledge and strength. “Are you prepared?” He asked.
“Of course, Father,” Seiji agreed, looking forward to assisting his father again today. He had been watching and listening and learning from his father since he was young but today his father was allowing him to address some of the minor concerns of the pride without his father. Of course, Nanashi would be nearby should things go bad, but it was a true test of Seiji's strength as a future ruler.
“Good,” Nanashi said, rising to his feet in a graceful movement. He had forgone his pelt and jewelery that day, preferring to wear merely his own coat for a while. He still carried himself with the same strength and grace that he usually did, but he blended in more with the rest of the pride without his adornments – which had been his plan all along.
Unfortunately, Seiji would never blend in completely. His colour was too pale compared to many others amongst the pride and really, he would always be known as the son of the royal couple.
Nanashi led Seiji towards the lower areas of the pride where the grunts and slaves were beginning to stir. They would be the most grumpy but they would pay the most respect to the learning royal – especially considering that his father would be watching them from nearby.
- - -
Hours passed in a odd blur of reality and exhaustion, and soon the sun had begun to set and yet Seiji was still following his father – making sure that those with curfew were within their appropriate dens. Seiji's movements had become sluggish as the day wore on, but a glance from his father was all that it took for him to straighten his posture and stand that bit straighter and more regally, earning a pleased look from his father.
“Is that all of them, Father?” Seiji asked, as they finished their check of the dens.
“Yes,” Nanashi agreed, and stretched his long limbs as they walked, his back cracking lightly. “You did well, Seiji,” Nanashi praised and saw Seiji light up at the pride, his son trying to hide his smile. Nanashi's own mouth twisted up into a smile at that, and he glanced back towards the den. Most of his offspring would have returned by this point and Nyoka would be there too, but Nanashi nudged his son.
“This way,” he encouraged, leading them away from the den.
“Where are we going?” Seiji asked, bounding to keep up, as his father's pace was significantly faster than it had been early and the elder male continued to glance at the sky with a worried expression.
“You'll see,” Nanashi told Seiji and continued his pace up the hill – the tallest one within their pridal lands. The sun was fast setting and by the time that they reached the top, the colours shone across the dusk sky in an array of blossoming shades.
“Look,” Nanashi encouraged, causing Seiji to turn. He blinked. The dusk sky was beautiful yes, but what caught his attention was how the night fell upon the pridal lands. The hollows and low areas darkened first like the stream , then the smaller hills began to fall to darkness. It was like the darkness spread out and covered the pride like a blanket.
Seiji watched, fascinated, as the last place to fall dark – the royal den – slowly faded into darkness. “That was fascinating,” Seiji said, glancing towards his father, who watched him with an amused smile.
“Look up,” Nanashi encouraged once more and turned his gaze skyward as his son followed his lead.
The stars twinkled back down at them and Seiji grinned. He loved the night sky and the sparkling stars only grew brighter as the night continued to fall.
“Today has been a long day,” Nanashi said smoothly, “I thought you might need a reminder of why it is we do what we do.”
“I know why we do it, Father,” Seiji assured but smiled at the stars. “But still, it's nice to sit back and look at the beauty we have around us, isn't it?”
“It is,” Nanashi agreed readily, smiling though it was slightly sad.
He had brought Satomei up to view the same thing even though she had never been close to the same rank that Seiji had. When his niece had been young, she had followed him everywhere and he had loved it – and now he had his own offspring eager to learn from him, but he still found himself missing the slightly brattish attitude of the small white leotah. She had been a hybrid, and had looked disturbingly close to the leopard he hated, and had been the illegitimate child of his sister, but he still now missed her.
He took comfort in knowing she was under the same sky as he was and that perhaps he would journey out to see her again – and the cubs she raised now.
“Father?” Seiji questioned, breaking Nanashi's train of thought. Nanashi turned to his son, who looked at him with concern. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” Nanashi assured him, and gave him a quick nudge. “Let us return to the den. It will become quite cold rather soon and I would hate for you to get sick now that you are just starting to learn the duties.”
Seiji nodded and proceeded his father down towards the den. Nanashi paused, glancing up at the sky and casting it a smile which was tinged with a slight sadness, before following Seiji back to his family.
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