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 Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:05 pm
A few days had passed, and just as Ali had predicted, no family stepped forward to claim the pale cub as their own. She had been rather upset about it at first. But she was starting to understand that this cub was going to be in her life for awhile, and truth be told, she didn't even know the little one's name.
The hare she had in her jaws had been easy enough to take down. It was still fat, obviously still wearing it's cold weather fat. The weather had been more chilly as of late, but she had rather enjoyed it.
She dropped the hare at the mouth of the den, looking inside for her charge. She would get to know this cub today, and maybe they could even go outside and play. It wouldn't do to not let a cub outside now and then.
"Oh little onee.." She said in a sing song voice. "I have brought something for you."
She found herself tangled in the bed of pelts. She was finding a way to entertain herself while the adult was gone, but she had gotten herself lost under the quilts.
When the voice returned she stopped her growling, staying still enough to let the blanket unravel itself from her form, before shooting out like a rocket to the cave entrance.
“For me?!” she squealed happily, spotting the food quickly. She was hungry! She was a cub, therefore she was always hungry.
Even in the past few days, the young cub looked in much better shape than when Ali had found her. She was gaining weight, she no longer shivered from the wet cold the rain offered, and she had stopped crying out for her long lost mother. Cubs didn’t remember much, and she was finding herself losing bits and pieces of her former family every day. Who needed to think of them, when there was a new mom right here.
“Yay!” she aimed for the hare’s leg, the thigh to be more exact. If she could, the youngster would eat all of it.
Ali had not grown used to having such a ball of energy around her at all times. But she was thankful for it. It gave her a reason to exist, and she liked that feeling a lot! When the cub bolted to the front of the cave, she chuckled and nodded.
"All for you, my little one!" She said with another chuckle. She was rather proud at how grand the cub looked. Her pelt was shinier, she looked healthy, and it had only been a few days. Ali was proud that she had survived that cold night, and had stepped into her life.
"So little one. I'm going to need to call you by something. I'm sure that when you aren't so little, little one just won't work." She teased, watching her dig into the meal. She lay on her belly, just watching her eat.
"I'm Alehandra, er.. Ali. But you can call me whatever you like." She smiled.
“Call me?” She had grown use to being called little one, that it just seemed that was her name. Her head tilted as she looked up at Ali, her maw tinged with the hare’s blood.
Adults were such funny creatures. Sometimes the nameless cub didn’t understand the words that came out of their mouth, but she just nodded happily. She was sure she’d get use to whatever name someone was calling her. Everyone did in the end.
“Ale…haann…dra?” She sounded out, frowning. Long words and names were hard for the youngster. Ali was a little better saying, but still felt indifferent about it. A familiar word sprang to her mind, one that Ali definitely reminded her of.
“Mom?” she offered as the other’s name. She felt like her mother. She took care of her. Why couldn’t she be her mother?
"Yes, silly. Like a name. Do you have a name?" She asked, her voice soft. The innocent look in her eyes as she ate the hare was too adorable for words, and Ali found herself liking this role she was filling.
Then she called her mom. Ali's eyes widened slightly, wondering if she should correct her, or let her simply call her mom. She was probably going to raise her, so long as her real mother didn't show up.. and every little cbu deserved a mother.
"If you want to call me mom, you go right ahead." She said softly, raising a paw to pat her on the head.
She shook her head. “No?”
If she had a name, she didn’t remember it. She could barely remember yesterday, or the previous days for that matter. If her other mother gave her a name, it was lost just like the cub was.
“Mom!” Then mom it was. It was much easier to say than the longer name, she thought. A loud purr rumbled in the golden cub’s chest, as she rubbed against the leg of Ali. She licked her chops, forgetting about the meal for a moment.
“Name me?” she giggled, curious what her new ‘mom’ was thinking.
No name, huh? Well that was certainly a predicament. She would just have to name her, herself. It wouldn't be good to have a cub that only responded to little one. Others might not be so nice, and she wanted her to have a true name.
She smiled, leaning over to snuggle the youngster. She loved how cuddly the cub was, she could always use a hug. And she rather liked having the title of mom.
"Okay. Well let's see." She focused a bit, staring at the cub in concentration.
"Well, you need a lovely name. One fitting of something as adorable as you." She chuckled. "What about Astrid?" She asked, plucking a name from her memory. "From what Im told, it's a very good name."
Astrid? She liked that!
“As…triddd-a” she sounded, added the emphasis on the d. “Me Astrid, you Mom!” It was fitting in her mind. Ali had something to call her, and now Astrid had something to call Ali. It was the best of both worlds.
“Mom should eat too!” the cub purred, glancing down at the forgotten hare. It wasn’t good for her to be hungry!
“Or…we can go outside?” Astrid offered, wanting to get out and stretch her legs. She had been inside the warm cave since she got here, she wanted to explore. “Can we…puhlleeaassse?” she looked up with those big pink eyes, a look she was beginning to master.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:10 pm
Astrid thought on it for a moment, and then a little voice repeated the name. She smiled, and nodded. Astrid would be a good name for her, and she was already taking to this mom name.
"I ate already, my dear. But I think going outside would be a wonderful idea." She said, standing and nosing the rabbit. "Shall I bring this inside the den until later?" She asked, smiling. She wished she was better at being playful. What did cubs like to do?
"Maybe we can play tag." She said, a chuckle escaping her.
“Okay!” she said happily. She was full from the little bit she had, but she was sure when they got back from outside, she would be much more hungrier. She waited for her mom to put the rabbit away, before bounding outside.
She didn’t know the terrain too well; she didn’t want to travel too far away.
Astrid turned back towards the Reaver, crouching her frontal body low to the ground, her hind end wiggling in the air. With her countless amount of energy, she bounded for Ali, giving her a quick tap, before running away.
She giggled, looking back at the older lioness to see if she was following. What took a many steps for Astrid took less steps for Ali. She had to be quicker than the adult if she was to stay away!
Ali tossed the carcass inside the den, knowing that if anyone took it while she was gone, they'd have her to answer to. That would be like taking food right from Astrid's mouth. She couldn't have that.
Astrid cleared the rocky stairs that led to home easily, and Ali smiled at her. She didn't even have to tell her not to go far, Astrid stayed close. She was thankful for that. Not that she had any reason to fear. Ali would die before allowing someone to hurt her.
"You got me!" The older lioness said with feigned shock. She didn't run as fast as she could, she wanted Astrid to think she was super fast.
"Oh no! I will never catch you!" She said, and laughed.
Astrid giggled. “Try and you might?!” She shouted back to the adult, quickening her pace.
The young cub didn’t see the hole that had been dug, and tripped right in it. She landed to the ground with a ‘omphed’, her tail falling right over her head. She stayed there for a moment, dazed, before getting back to her feet and continuing her run. She’d be a strong lioness one day.
Astrid slow her pace, her energy beginning to wane. Endless energy was coming to an end. Cubs were curious creatures. They could be so lively one minute, and the next tired as could be.
The cub was also beginning to note the temperature outside. It was quite chilly out here. She sniffed the air, looking around, before bounding back towards Ali.
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 9:26 am
Ali had the energy to continue her chase, but she allowed the cub to go further. She supposed it was a game quite like her mother would have played with her.. had her mother really known how to be a mother to begin with. She laughed, though her fear for Astrid's safety had her pause whenever her ward fell. She waited, waited for the wailing that would signal the cub was injured. But then the cub stood and ran once more. Ali grinned, what fight thiis adorable little child had.
With the falling sun,the sunset grew colder and colder, until the sun was gone from the sky and there was no warmth. "Come on, dear." SHe said, leaning down and picking up the cub by her scruff.
"Et's 'et 'ou 'in'ide." She spoke around the cub. She was going to enjoy being a mother.. She just knew it.
“Kays” Astrid slurred, curling into herself as Ali picked her up.
“Momma,” she cub started, pink eyes watching the land as they headed back to the den. “Our..there others like me?” She asked. What she meant was other cubs, not necessarily orphans. Astrid didn’t think of herself as an orphan though. She had a loving mother, although she wasn’t a biological parent. The pale cub did not know the difference.
When her mother didn't answer, Astrid assumed Ali was just busy concentrating on carrying her. She yawned a bit, falling into a lulling sleep as she was brought back inside the den.
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