Airi watched with a smile as her three cubs ran ahead of her to the edge of the ledge. She had promised them that once they were big enough she'd take them to see the view from higher up in the hills.
As Khalida reached the edge she gasped a little. "It's huge out there!"
"Have you seen it all?" Nadir wondered, looking back at his mother.
"No, not all of it," Airi replied.
"It's pretty," Nthanda decided. "Everything looks prettier from up here."
"So, you three like it?" Airi asked.
"I do," Khalida said decidedly. "Can we play now?"
"Yes, just be careful not to play too close to the edge," their mother cautioned.
The cubs needed no encouragement and began to tussle in the dirt, wrestling and hiding in the tall grass as they snuck up on each other.
Airi settled down to watch, thinking sadly that this might be one of the last time the three of them got to lay together like this. The king had informed her already that Nadir and Nthanda would start their training soon. They were young, but royal cubs didn't have the luxury of putting off their training for too long. Unfortunately, the king still hadn't seen fit to allow Khalida to join them, so Airi would take on her teaching herself if necessary.
Of course, Nthanda had already told her sister she would help her if she could. It was a relief to Airi that their father's attitude hadn't made Nadir and Nthanda ostracize their sister or treat her cruelly.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she heard pawsteps behind her and stood, looking over her shoulder. The king and two of his guards appeared through the bushes, stopping a couple pawsteps behind her.
All three cubs stopped playing, Nthanda perched on a high rock and Khalida in the middle of pawing at her brother.
One of the guards stepped forward, clearing his throat. "It is time for Prince Nadir to begin his training," he announced.
Airi felt her heart sink but before she could speak Khalida growled, ears flattening. "You can't take him away!"
King Chikondi glanced over at her, his gaze cold and eyes narrowed.
The guard just looked uncertainly between the cubs parents while Khalida glared and lashed her tail. Nthanda slid off of the rock to join her siblings.
"Nadir, come with us, you can see your sisters later," the king said evenly.
Nadir glanced between his sisters, then at his mother a moment before standing and walking slowly toward the king. Khalida opened her mouth to protest but Airi gave her a warning look and she was quiet, still glaring at the king and the guards while her sister just watched sadly as Nadir said goodbye to his mother and followed the older lions back down the hillside.
Airi watched them go then turned back to her cubs. "Well, you two can go on playing," she said, forcing a smile for their sakes.
"I don't feel much like it," Nthanda said quietly.
"He ruins everything," Khalida said darkly.
"Khalida, you mustn't say such things. I don't want you getting in trouble."
Khalida bit back a reply, not wanting to worry her mother. But she had a lot more to say, if she could ever get the king to listen.
But for now she just turned to play with her sister. Even if she wasn't really in the mood, she wanted to play with her as much as she could before she was also taken away.
As Khalida reached the edge she gasped a little. "It's huge out there!"
"Have you seen it all?" Nadir wondered, looking back at his mother.
"No, not all of it," Airi replied.
"It's pretty," Nthanda decided. "Everything looks prettier from up here."
"So, you three like it?" Airi asked.
"I do," Khalida said decidedly. "Can we play now?"
"Yes, just be careful not to play too close to the edge," their mother cautioned.
The cubs needed no encouragement and began to tussle in the dirt, wrestling and hiding in the tall grass as they snuck up on each other.
Airi settled down to watch, thinking sadly that this might be one of the last time the three of them got to lay together like this. The king had informed her already that Nadir and Nthanda would start their training soon. They were young, but royal cubs didn't have the luxury of putting off their training for too long. Unfortunately, the king still hadn't seen fit to allow Khalida to join them, so Airi would take on her teaching herself if necessary.
Of course, Nthanda had already told her sister she would help her if she could. It was a relief to Airi that their father's attitude hadn't made Nadir and Nthanda ostracize their sister or treat her cruelly.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she heard pawsteps behind her and stood, looking over her shoulder. The king and two of his guards appeared through the bushes, stopping a couple pawsteps behind her.
All three cubs stopped playing, Nthanda perched on a high rock and Khalida in the middle of pawing at her brother.
One of the guards stepped forward, clearing his throat. "It is time for Prince Nadir to begin his training," he announced.
Airi felt her heart sink but before she could speak Khalida growled, ears flattening. "You can't take him away!"
King Chikondi glanced over at her, his gaze cold and eyes narrowed.
The guard just looked uncertainly between the cubs parents while Khalida glared and lashed her tail. Nthanda slid off of the rock to join her siblings.
"Nadir, come with us, you can see your sisters later," the king said evenly.
Nadir glanced between his sisters, then at his mother a moment before standing and walking slowly toward the king. Khalida opened her mouth to protest but Airi gave her a warning look and she was quiet, still glaring at the king and the guards while her sister just watched sadly as Nadir said goodbye to his mother and followed the older lions back down the hillside.
Airi watched them go then turned back to her cubs. "Well, you two can go on playing," she said, forcing a smile for their sakes.
"I don't feel much like it," Nthanda said quietly.
"He ruins everything," Khalida said darkly.
"Khalida, you mustn't say such things. I don't want you getting in trouble."
Khalida bit back a reply, not wanting to worry her mother. But she had a lot more to say, if she could ever get the king to listen.
But for now she just turned to play with her sister. Even if she wasn't really in the mood, she wanted to play with her as much as she could before she was also taken away.
(592 words)
CS stock hereandhereused for cubs' reference It's been too long since I've done anything with feline anatomy...
