Pekee Pamoja Pride from Ukumbi wa Paradiso

[Tiger♥Bear]

A24 : Does your pride have any legends in their history or ‘historical heroes’ that they look up to in their past? Living or dead. (150 word minimum)

Each lion has their own stories. Some with ancestors that have great tales. Aiysha has her great, great grandmother who received a blessed coat for her selfless actions. She bears the same markings which leads her family to believe she is destined for great things herself. Kondo comes from a long line of renowned warriors, daily proving himself to be worthy of his bloodline. Jabali is a mixed case bearing a curse passed down from one of his ancestors for a crime he committed, however, he also bears a blessing for his own actions. Perhaps in time, he will become a hero for the pride. Firyali may also be seen as such for founding the pride in the first place.
Some of the gods are seen as legends as well, especially the lesser gods. The seasonal gods especially are said to have been chosen because of who they were in life. The winter goddess for her optimism during the harsh weather. The autumn god for his acceptance of change. Even the lesser known gods such as the goddess of the moon for her love of the night and seeking the light even in the dark.

(195 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Quote : "It had never entered his head that his son was not his own blood"

It had never entered his head that his son was not his own blood. At least, not until his mane started coming in. Sefu felt betrayed. His son Asani, the only child he had, was starting to grow a mane. Now it's normally typical for males to have manes. Except for Sefu. All of his ancestors for the past few centuries lacked a mane- including the males. They were a long line of hunters and because of this lacked manes. It gave them a sleeker look causing less wind resistance. He expected any child of his- any son of his to be the exact same: maneless. It didn't make sense. Asani looked like him in every other sense. He couldn't deny that. But if there was even a slight chance Asani wasn't really his, it wouldn't be a stretch to say he took after his mothers looks. Ubatili and Sefu had a similar look. She claimed it couldn't be anyone else's. It was difficult not to be upset. Surely his genes were strong enough to prevent a mane for any of his children. Right?
"You can't be serious?"
"What am I supposed to think? I told you: no one in my family has a mane. How can you be so certain he's mine?"
Ubatili scoffed but there was a hint of hurt and even embarrassment in her eyes. "It couldn't be anyone else. You're the only one..."
He waited for her to continue. When she didn't, he realized what she was saying. He was the only one she'd been with. He started pacing.
"Look, I'm sorry he didn't come out the way you wanted him to."
"I never said-"
"Don't say that. Don't you dare say that you never said that! You were just trying to tell me he couldn't be yours because he has a mane. How conceited can you be, Sefu? He's your son. Whether you want to accept that or not."
"Tili, I never meant-"
"Just... stop. I don't want to hear it." She sighed softly, her head dropping.
He opened his mouth to speak but after catching her flinch, he decided better of it. He nodded his head silently before taking his leave. Maybe he was being stupid. He loved Asani. He was a strong lion, even if he did have a mane. He was more than strong. He was chosen to be one of the royal guards. How could Sefu be anything but proud of his son?

(413 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Quote : "It was just for one night"

"You should stay the night and recover."
Kibwe shook his head. "No, I should really head back. My family..."
It was still a weird thing to say. Family. His family. A small smile started to grow on his face as he pictured his girls. His new mate, Sultra. Her soft brown fur and her small wings. Her warm smile and compassionate heart. She was perfect. His two very new cubs, Avelin and Kesi. Avelin with her tiny wings- just like her mother. She also had the soft brown fur. Kesi had those bright eyes and gray fur. They were both so small and fragile, and yet could not be more perfect.
"I'm sure they'll last one more night without you. You said yourself it was a long travel. Spend a night to recuperate then leave first thing in the morning."
He sighed softly. He knew the queen was right. As much as he wanted to return to his family, he could use the rest. It was a couple days journey and he'd already spent half the day just getting here. He nodded his head softly. It was just for one night. "Alright. I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Thank you."
He bowed his head before taking his leave of the king and queen. Making his way to the pond, he spotted a familiar face. He smiled and called out.
"Khamisi!"
The orange lion turned and smiled back as he made his way over. "Kibwe? What happened to you? Where have you been?"
The blue lion chuckled and gave his head a small shake. "Quite the story, actually. A wildfire broke out in Maeneo ya Kufa pushing me out of the region. I, uh... got pretty exhausted to the point of injury."
"Wow. I take it you got better?"
"You could say that." He smiled fondly. "I met a lioness and as luck would have it, she was a healer. She helped me."
Khamisi smiled knowingly at the old knight. "I know that look."
"I would hope so. It's the same look you get when you think about our healer, Naigh."
The younger lion laughed but nodded his head. Before either could say more, four small cubs ran up with Naigh just behind them. Kibwe smiled brightly as he looked at the cubs though his heart tightened as he thought of his own so far away.
"Kibwe. It's been a while."
"It would seem so. Who would these cubs be?"
The four raced toward Khamisi, climbing up his legs or jumping on his paws. "We've got Sanna, Subira, Ashura, and Elewisa." He pointed to each cub in turn. "And they are quite the handful. I wish my mother had told me to expect four before they got here."
"I doubt it would've prepared us much even if we had known." The lioness stepped up to nuzzle her mates cheek.
"I suppose you're right."
The blue lion smiled at the family. "I guess I should be grateful I've only got two."
The pair looked at the prodigal knight, the pale orange lion speaking up with a smile. "You've got cubs?"
"Yeah. Two girls. Avelin and Kesi." His smile softened. "Perhaps when they're a bit older, I can bring them here for a visit."

(540 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Quote : "As the dream faded, she chased it, forlorn"

Laughter. Smiles. Sunshine. It was spring. Flowers were starting to bloom in the valley and the herds were crossing the plains in large numbers, even stopping at the pond for a refreshing drink. She looked around at her home. Everything was perfect. The day was just starting. She could see her brothers. Akida with his porcelain mate. Banou found her simply radiant. Russom, while his mate was not to be found, had some of his cubs at his feet. She smiled at her nieces and nephews. Her parents weren't too far off either, also overlooking the valley.
"I thought I might find you out here."
A rich voice called out to her and made her heart swell. There was something familiar about it and yet she didn't recognize the voice. She felt him next, pressing against her side as he joined her. She leaned into his touch but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Something was holding her back.
"Find me, you did. Come to join me on this lovely day?"
"I have indeed. It seems the rest of your family is having fun with their loved ones. I didn't want you missing out."
The princess made a soft purr like noise as she rubbed her head against his shoulder, just under his mane. His coat was a deep red, his mane a soft reddish cream. She could feel him gently resting his chin on her head. She felt safe and loved.
"How thoughtful of you."
"Always looking out for my girl." She closed her eyes, relishing him. His sound, his scent, his feel. He was so inviting and warm.
She pulled back to look up at him and she swore she could melt. His eyes were a gentle teal so contrast from his rich coat and complimenting his mane. She smiled at the lion before her. "Promise?"
"Always." He moved in to press his forehead to hers but it seemed to take place in slow motion.
...what's happening?
His face was leaning down toward her but she was being pulled away.
No. As the dream faded, she chased it, forlorn.
She closed her eyes, hoping to feel his touch just one more time...
The touch never came. Opening her eyes, all she could see was black. The air was silent and cold. After a long moment, she hung her head with a sigh, wishing it wasn't a dream.

(401 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Quote : "As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back"

It had been a couple days since her time in the jungle when she made her decision to leave the valley. She was going to go to her brother and ask for a rank in his pride. if she stayed here under her family's paw, she'd never get the chance to prove her worth- her strength. There wasn't anyone else like her in the pride. Not even close. Sure, Nuru had eyes that glowed but at least she only had two like everyone else. She didn't have many personal items but she was still battling with herself. Maybe she could talk to her parents again. Tell them or even show them how talented she was. Her deformity could be seen as an enhancement in the right role. Having a third eye could prove useful in scouting or hunting, surely. With a heavy sigh, she approached her parents who stood just outside the small den.
"Mother. Father."
They both turned to her, smiles on their faces. "Afternoon, Jahori. Any plans for the day?"
"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." She noticed her mother tense and her father almost seemed to deflate. They knew what she wanted to discuss even before mentioning it. After a quick mental pep talk, she continued. "I want to do something useful for the pride. I know I can be a great huntress if you just let me."
Tendaji turned to Firyali. He was more open to the idea. He knew Jahori was strong, but Firyali worried about her. She may have been misguided but just wanted to keep her daughter safe. "Sweetheart." Her mother sighed. "We've talked about this."
"And I want to talk about it again. I'm not weak. I'm not useless. I want to be doing something. Anything."
"We don't think you're weak or useless." Her fathers voice was sincere but she knew he wasn't the one who needed convincing.
"Just let me do something." She looked her mother in the eye. "Please."
After a moment, Firyali sighed. "I don't want to see you getting hurt."
"I won't!"
"You don't know that."
"And you do?"
"Jahori-"
"No! I won't accept that. I'm an adult. I should be treated like one." Her heart raced, a mix of emotions boiling inside her. "Since it appears I won't be, I guess I'll just have to act like one."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm moving out!"
That seemed to catch their attention. "What?"
"Where do you plan to go?"
"Anywhere but here." Hurt rising above everything else she felt, she took off ignoring the calls that were made. Her eyes burned with welling tears that threatened to fall as her paws pounded against the ground. She raced across the plains toward the snowy peaks. Replaying the scene, she choked on a sob as the tears finally pushed their way out. She neared the edge of the plains and the border of the mountains, more time passing than she had thought. As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back. Her heart clenched wishing things had gone differently.

(514 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Quote : "She looked around quickly, to see if anything had been taken"

The chamomile flowers and peppermint leaves were making her nose itch but she needed to take them back to her den. She was able to take a few herbs from her mother before moving out here, but she wanted to stock up on some of the local plant life as well. Never hurt to have some extra herbs on hand. Both of these would make for excellent drinks if she soaked them long enough. The snow was slowly melting but it was still cool outside. She wondered if it would always be cold here. As she got closer to the dens, she noticed tracks. Small ones and definitely not lions. She crept forward cautiously. Entering her own, she spotted three critters rummaging through her things. With a gasp which dropped her newly collected things, the creatures turned to her.
"Thieving raccoons, get out!" she roared at them. Not that they would understand her. They skittered about, clambering over discarded and overturned baskets before scampering out of the den. Subira roared again in frustration. "Rotten vermin."
She looked around quickly, to see if anything had been taken. Who knew if there were more before. The den was a mess and it would take a while to reorganize her things.
Kito rushed over, entering the den. "What's going on? I heard you yelling."
The brown lioness turned to the black lion. "Sorry. Just some raccoons."
The knight looked around the den. "Wow. They made quick work of your things, didn't they?"
"Yeah," she scoffed. In frustration, she kicked a basket. "It's going to take forever to fix all of this."
"Would you like some help?"
"I don't know how much help you'll be, but I won't stop you if you want to try."
"What makes you think I won't be much help?" He gave her a crooked grin.
"You familiar with medicinal plants and herbs?"
"Uh..."
She smiled at his sudden lack of charm. "It's nothing against you, just would be more useful if you knew about the different plants."
"I can just help organize it. I'm sure they all look different." She gave him a look with raised brow. "Right?"
The uncertainty in his question made her laugh. "Sure. Some of them look very different. How about this. If you're not sure, just set it aside and I'll sort it out."
He gave her a cool smile. "Sounds good to me. Let's get to work. I'm sure with the two of us, we'll get this place back in order in no time."
"The sooner we can get it organized, the sooner I can check to see if they stole anything."

(439 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

A35 : What does the moon represent to your pride? Is it just the moon, or does it have deeper significance? (100 word minimum)

For most, the moon is just the moon. There are some, however, that recognize the moon as a symbol of alihatu alqamar, the moon goddess. One of the lesser known gods despite being depicted as one of the offspring to the creation god and destruction goddess, she is the ruler of the night. She is sometimes seen as a trickster for the ever changing shape of the moon. Whenever there is a full moon, it is usually seen as a good sign. It's symbolic for alihatu alqamar showing her true form. New moons though are seen quite the opposite. As if hiding in plain sight, most troublemakers act out during nights with new moons. During special moons such as a harvest moon or a lunar eclipse, there is sometimes a festival being held.

(133 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

A36 : What does the sun represent to your pride? Is it just the sun, or does it have deeper significance? (100 word minimum)

Just like the moon, the sun is generally just seen as the sun but to some it is a symbol to the sun god, 'iilah alshams. He is seen as the sibling to the moon goddess and son to the supreme gods. His followers consider him a sign of enlightenment and they often try to share this with others. The sun is usually considered a good sign. The only time it's questioned is during a solar eclipse when the moon blocks the light of the sun. These events happen rarely over the valley but are seen as a weakness in the sun god. During times of equinox and solstice, there is a festival for the change in the seasons.

(119 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

A28 : What does your pride do for fun/to relax? Do they have games they’ve made up, tell stories,ect? (200 words or 1 art piece minimum)

It really depends on the age group. The cubs have more free time which allows for more time to play and have fun. Usually all the cubs will get together for games, no matter the age. The two favorite games are classics: hide and seek and tag. Though there are other games they play such as I spy or they'll even wrestle for fun. When the cubs are playing games with their parents (or adoptive guardian in the case of orphans), they like to do learning games. Catch the tail, pounce the rock, or defend the den. These type of games helped in the cubs learning what skills they use best and could help determine their future rank in the pride.
The adults in the pride have less time, depending on their role. When they do have a spare moment, however, they don't often play games but rather just do things to relax. On warmer days, some can be found lounging in the pond or basking on the rocks. During colder months, most stay in their homes cuddled close or perhaps sharing stories of their past or of legends. Those with cubs will sometimes take part in games to help their cub grow into the lion they will be. Stories will also be shared with cubs. The pride also holds festivals during special occasions where the pride comes together to celebrate which can be seen as a time of fun or a break from duties.

(245 Words)

[Tiger♥Bear]

D15 : Generate a random first line OR random quote here, and write a short story with it. (300 word minimum)

Quote : "He didn't want to go out on such a night but"

He didn't want to go out on such a night but he needed to make sure Faraji was safe. The wind was howling as it whipped his mane around his face. The snow swirled heavily in front of hi making it difficult to see past the harsh blizzard. He thought this type of weather was over with but then again, being in Msitu wa Baridi probably meant the average wet season extended into the early spring months. Jengo walked hesitantly out into the snowy static. He wasn't normally like this. He was the type of lion who would turn in early or lock himself in his den to pour over notes on his next trap idea. He was superstitious and skittish. Ever since Faraji had taken a chance on him to teach him how to be a better conventional hunter, Jengo took more risks. Sort of. He only took risks if he thought it would get him more notice from his tutor. How did he get so... so... lovesick? He'd only known his fellow hunter for a couple months. Yet here he was, wandering in a storm after the lion who had him acting so foolish.
The paw prints were starting to fade in the heavy snowfall. He pushed a little harder against the wind trying to keep up with the trail before he got lost.
"This was a horrible idea." His thoughts voiced out loud but seemed like a faint whisper with the howling winds. The tracks faded more and more as he pressed on until the point they no longer existed. He looked around but could only- barely, see his own prints behind him. He groaned in frustration.
"Jengo?" But wait. That voice. Could it be? He turned to the direction he thought it had come from not wanting to hope too much. "Jengo, is that you?"
The voice got a little louder as it got closer. He squinted his eyes as a figure approached him. The very figure he had been looking for. His heart seized in his chest. "Faraji?"
"What are you doing out here?" Even in the dense storm he could see the frustration on his companions face. He looked down at his paws, his face heating from embarrassment.
"I-I wanted to be s-sure you were o-okay."
The frustration seemed to ease slightly as Faraji shook his head. "I can handle myself. Come on, let's get you back to the dens."
With a slight nod of his head, Jengo fell in step closely behind Faraji. What was he thinking? He wasn't a scout. Faraji probably thought he was a fool too for wandering out here like this. They were silent the entire trip back which, Jengo noticed, Faraji seemed to know quite well. They hadn't gotten turned around once. Of course Faraji would know how to get back even during a storm. Jengo sighed softly, his head hanging even more.

(486 Words)