The den felt more empty now, with Amaranth's welps gone. Well, most of them.. Susu eyed the one that was left, a male who looked remarkably like his mother with hints of his mysterious father. His mother was off doing an errand, distraction from having to see her mope around the den. The cub had been left behind, and now it was just him and Susu. "What are YOU looking at?"
Anundr didn't know much about life yet. He had to do what some of the big lions told him, but other big lions did what THEY were told... It had confused him deeply at first, because he didn't yet know who was a Thrall and who wasn't. The word was still a struggle for him to pronounce, but he'd get it with time... Eventually. The cub blinked owlishly up at the lioness, gold eyes wide. "I... Um... Uh..." He shrank down. "I-I didn't mean to stare!"
Susu sighed, then gave the cub a pat on the head. "Staring into space until we can figure out something for you, then. Fine, whatever." She shifted where she lay, crossing one paw over the other as she looked outside. He'd be a good Thrall one day, she knew that from the few glimpses of the future. She just had to train him right, make sure he would go down that path correctly. As her tail flicked, she felt something on the tuft. One brown eye looked back at the cub batting at it, before she moved her tail away.
He watched the tail flick away, sitting for a moment, before he went over to the den entrance. He didn't go out, though, unsure about the world beyond. Last time he'd been out there, he'd watched his brothers and sister get taken away by others. What if he stepped out there, and somebody took him away, too? His mother could do nothing to stop them, after all. Anunder blinked as a paw landed on his tail, causing him to turn and look, eyes growing large. Was she mad at him? Was the lioness that had seent his brothers and sister away angry?
She pulled the cub closer, giving him a warning look. "Don't go outside unless you're given permission, or sent on an errand." She settled again, watching the world outside. As her tail twitched, she glanced again at the cub. "What's with that look? Why are you staring outside like that?" His expression was... Fearful? Why was it fearful? Surely she was more worth fearing than whatever was outside. "There's no monsters out there, silly cub." She jabbed him with one paw. "Come on, tell me what's wrong!"
The cub hesitated, then looked up at Susu, eyes wide. "I-If I go out there, I'm afraid somebody will take me away!" He didn't want to be taken away from his mother! She'd be sad forever without even one of her cubs to come home to, and then what would she do? She'd probably cry for ages! "I don't wanna leave Mama.." He shuffled his paws, looking down at them. "I'd do anything to stay with her!"
Susu regarded the cub, before pulling him in roughly, stroking her claws over his head. "Oh you poor CHILD! Of COURSE you're not going anywhere!" She frowned, gripping his chin with her paw. "Your miserable little life belongs to me, nobody else. And IF anybody stole you away, they'd have more than me to argue with about it." First there'd be Yu to bring in. She was confident that he'd be a captain soon enough, and that meant he'd have far more weight to throw around than just anybody. Then there'd be Munyu, all youth and power and strength. This wasn't getting into the rest of the family, like Yu's twins and Savana. They'd all come help her get a Thrall back in a heartbeat.
He bit back a yelp, knowing better than to express his displeasure at the rough petting. It never ended well, told off for getting frightened. He was, frankly, amazed that he hadn't been admonished for being afraid. Staring up at the priestess, he held his tongue and bit back a smile. On some level, as he saw it, she cared about him. She'd bring war to anybody who stole him away. He blinked for a moment, then bowed his head, cuddling into her.
The priestess went rigid, claws extending on her front paws for a moment, before she relaxed ever so slightly. She went back to petting the cub, claws raking through his crimson mane and along his spine. It amused her, really, as it looked like it was marked with blood. From his nose to the tip of his tail he looked like he had a blood stripe, with matching blood-red marks coming off his eyes. He was like her own little blood thrall... "One day yet, you'll be more useful..." She pinched his cheek. "Until then, I quite enjoy your undying loyalty." Her maw spread in a dangerous, toothy smile. "It makes me quite happy to think about."
Anundr's ears perked up, starting to lean into the pettings. Undying loyalty made her happy... If she was happy, he'd stay. She wouldn't ever send him away to some other family to be their Thrall, and he'd stay with his mother, always be there for her... He buried his face in Susu's cloak, smiling more to himself than anybody else. "I'll do anything to keep you happy!" If he could, he'd retrieve the moon for her. Eyes closed, he didn't see the dangerous smile on her face. Of course, he wouldn't have cared if he HAD seen it, because smiles meant happiness, and if his mistress was smiling, it meant she was happy.
"That's a good boy, Anundr..." She retracted her claws as she continued to pet him, a reward for his compliance.
A thrill ran through him. She'd used his name! It was a reward worth its weight in fine skins and good meat, and it came coupled with her claws being retracted! He heard the wind outside, and the sounds of others doing things, but didn't pay them any mind. He was making his mistress happy, and that was all that mattered.
