[PRP] What's it like?

[Zosie]

Tamba'dini yawned, her body stretched out across the ground. She had a curious pelt marking, bright white apart from irregular and very dark brown "splotches". She often had others tell her that she missed a spot cleaning or that she had something on her, but close up you could tell. It would be improbable a lion would manage to get mud on her ears, eyes and torso but not her paws. Tamba always thought those lions were a little silly to assume, but it still made her laugh.

She'd not long returned from her name quest, and her new name was beginning to sound like it was the one she was born with. It was something she'd picked on a whim, after an exhilarating moment, but it was perfect.

She still thought about her pilgrimage often. It was by far the most exciting moment of her life. Not everyones was so exciting though, and a portion of pilgrims didn't even come back. Tamba was comfortable here, and didn't see anything to tempt her away from her home.

Her muddy-red eyes took note of some of the happenings around her, her body still feeling too lazy to do anything other than recline.  

[Seaki]

It had taken Kiuma a long time to get used to her new name. She would often still ignore it when Kule or Uongo called for her. She got flustered when it happened, of course, but it would get better with time, she hoped.

It didn't take much for her to get used to the small pitter-patter of cub paws though. Her heart swelled with joy at the fact that she had bore another litter. It was proof that she had found a place she was comfortable with, after all.

The light tan lioness wandered along, still curious about being in a pride. She had not met many of the other members enough to gain a friendship with, and she hoped to strike up a conversation, at least, with as many of the others as she could.

So when she spotted a white and dark-brown splotched lioness she gave a small pause.

"Hello," she greeted, almost shy.

Zohwhee

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[Zosie]

Tamba noticed she had company and bobbed her head politely at the lioness who greeted her. "Hi there!" She returned a sunny greeting, she'd been in a good mood since returning from her pilgrimage she had to admit.

After a second glance she recognized the lioness as one of the new mothers in the pride, word spreads fast, and such a beautiful thing as new cubs in the pride did not go unnoticed, especially by other females.

She let out a gentle purr at the thought and followed on from her initial words. "You're one of the new mothers? How are the little ones?" Tamba'dini smiled gently. She wasn't sure of the lionesses name, in truth, so she introduced herself. "I'm Tamba."

Seaki

 

[Seaki]

It relieved Kiuma when the lioness returned such a warm greeting and she smiled in response. She was actually quite surprised that the lioness had known about her, but this was the only pride she had ever belonged to.

And if she was honest, she still hadn't been here that long.

"Oh, the cubs are doing wonderfully. All healthy and quite rambunctious," she laughed. Mostly boys! It was quite a large litter, though not the largest she'd ever had.

"I am Kiuma," She was proud that she hadn't given her birth name. She had barely spoken it and she doubted Uongo even knew it. She was here now and she didn't need her other name.

Zohwhee

 

[Zosie]

"It's nice to meet you Kiuma." Tamba new from word of mouth that the lioness had not been born in the pride, and thus it was plausible she had returned from her name quest sometime recently - in her adulthood.

It had taken Tamba quite a while to find her name too, so much so that when she returned she was a young adult.

"Is that a new name?" She asked inquisitively. She loved to hear stories of name quests, she found it so interesting. They were often personal and would relate to an event, and it was down to the individual lion whether they disclosed the meaning or not, or the inspiration. A few lions came back with amazing tales of their pilgrimage, so much so that a few tales were thought to be very tall indeed.

Seaki

 

[Seaki]

Kiuma flushed a little. "Yes, it is. I'm, well, I'm very old. It's going to take some getting used to, I think," Kiuma stretched and sat to settle into the conversation. Tamba, though - she could be her great grandchild with her age, honestly.

She gave a small chuckle, smiling. "I take yours is as well?" She had learned before her name change about the quest the young adolescent of the pride would take a journey to find their true names.

Honestly, it frightened her now that her cubs were born. They were so small right now, and she couldn't imagine letting them go alone into the world.

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

Very old? The lioness certainly didn't seem old, but then Tamba knew that some lions could have grandchildren and even great grandchildren before they even had a speck of grey on their muzzle. She smiled at the lioness kindly.

"Well you do not seem old, Kiuma." Tamba purred gently. "Yes it is, it's a scary but great thing isn't it, the name quest?" Tamba had found hers very exhilarating in the end but there had been unquestionable moments of boredom.

Her dark eyes glazed over for a moment as she thought about the patter of tiny paws. As she aged it was something that was becoming more and more obvious to her that she would perhaps be expected to deliver her first some time in the near future...

Tamba'Dini fell silent for a moment.

"What's it like?"... "Motherhood?" She asked gently.

Seaki

 

[Seaki]

"You're very kind, Tamba," Kiuma gave a small laugh. She was old, and nothing was going to change that. She was, however, still young enough to bare cubs safely, by the size and health of her litter. She gave a fond smile to the brown and white lioness.

But, ah - the name quest. It was different, she guessed, from everyone elses. "I've faced many frightening things in my life that prepared me for anything, so I'd say it might have been," she sighed, looking off into the sky for a moment.

Her attention focused back to the lioness after a moment, when the next question came. She knew that wistful tone in her voice - the longing for motherhood. It had been a sound she made often in her old mate's absence after her first litter had gone away on their own.

"It's the most wonderful feeling in the world," she answered truthfully. "But also the most terrifying." And it had been - there was a balance there, all the good and bad of being a parent - a mother. It was a personal thing, to know if the rewards of motherhood outweighed the bad, and for her it had.

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

In all honesty, it sounded wonderful. Tamba had heard all kinds of different things about motherhood. About the pain, the separation when they grew, the challenges you could face... But she had also heard about how wonderful it was, and was always looking for another opinion. She had no doubt that the lioness could read her tone of voice, and she was grateful for her honesty.

Tamba was one to take calculated risks, and her name she had chosen literally meant "Leap of faith." Had she not taken the leap of faith, she would not be here, and thus would not even have the option of carrying on her bloodline. She had decided that when the time would come, motherhood would be the best leap of faith thus far.

"I do not fear fear itself." She said wisely. "And I have heard so much about the joys that it must outweigh the terror?" She suggested.

"I would like to see your cubs, if you ever need help with anything. Let me know." Tamba nodded to the lioness gently. Perhaps she would go and mull over these words for a while, and think about where he life was going. A little deep for the moment, but she had spent so much of her name quest enveloped in thought that it was really no huge change for her.

Seaki

 

[Seaki]

"The joy, for me, far outweighs the terror," Kiuma agreed. This litter was far less frightening than her two half-cheetah litters. For one, she had many around that could help her in raising the children. She wasn't alone as she had been before. Despite both litters being born of the same father - he hadn't been around for the birth of either.

Here, it was odd that the male could not be around until the babes were old enough and named. Still, it wasn't something she'd never gone through before and after, she had as much help as she could get.

"I'll be sure to drop them off on you sometime," Kiuma laughed. "I doubt they're giving their father an easy time, so I should probably go check on them," she admitted. She smiled, bowing her leave.

Perhaps all of them could use a break and Tamba might like to know what being a parent might feel like - she just hoped her little hell-raisers wouldn't force the lioness to change her mind!

Zosie

 

[Zosie]

Tamba smiled widely and laughed with the lioness. She imagined that the joy indeed would outweigh the terror. "Yes, feel free." Perhaps it would be interesting to get in a little practice before she became a mother herself. She doubted she would be easily swayed on the matter.

((FIN))