[Private] Kiarasmate and Kivuli

[Baya]

A few seasons had passed and as Vitani predicted the lands really did remain at peace. There was the occasional rogue or hyena, but they were chased off by Ayari or Kovu. Shwari, Husudu, Siri and Zina had all moved to the jungle that bordered the pridelands in order to start their own pride. Ayari and Vitani meanwhile had the family they were wanting for so long. Their cubs were named Teso and ________ [OOC: That's for you]. Teso was born a healthy young male, with tanned fur and large emerald green eyes. Everyone in Kovu's pride immediately recognized the young cub to have inherited Scar's traits except for his face and paw structure, which he inherited from Ayari.

Kovu and Kiara finally decided to settle down and start the circle of life once again. They had a cub by the name of _______ [OOC: I'm going to give this to you if you want it].


Teso groaned as he opened his large emerald eyes, rubbing them gently with his paws. He took in the sight of the dark den, looking around at all the sleeping adults and other cubs. The young cub fixed the small tuft of black mane he had growing in so that it wasn't so messy. He was a very clean, and mentally advanced cub. He understood things that would baffle other cubs, and he could tell when he was being deceived. Definitely a trait shared from both his parents.

Teso made his way slowly through the den, weaving in and out between the sleeping lionesses. Teso looked to his uncle Kovu, and knew that his parents would be near him in case something were to happen. Since his dad had helped bring down a rogue horde, he and Teso's mom were made the king's royal guards. If anything were to happen in the kingdom, they were the ones that would take care of it before Kovu had to get involved and injured. Teso didn't like the fact that such strong lions were subject to bowing down to an inferior king in terms of intellect and physical strength.

Teso quickly made his way towards his father, whom had his head over his mothers. Teso stuck his tongue out in disgust first, and quickly pounced onto his father's head. "Dad? Daaaaaaaad? Wake up!" Teso said as he tugged at his father's ear. Ayari groaned as he opened his blue eyes half way and looked up slightly.

"T-Teso? Do you realize what time it is?" Ayari groaned. Teso nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! It's time for your morning patrol! You told me you'd take _______ and I. Remember? Mom made you say yes with some sort of look?" Teso asked with a tilt of his head. Ayari chuckled slightly tiredly. It was a glance that ran a chill down his spine every time. It was Vitani's seductive glance. Her eyes showed pleading, and Ayari couldn't help but say yes when she gave him that look. Now came the problem of actually having to protect his cubs on patrol.

"I see. Well, I guess I have no choice now do I?" Ayari asked quietly as he then proceeded to yawn.

[KiarasMate]

As the sounds of his brother’s voice gradually began to dissipate the pleasant dream he was having, Fumu’s onyx eyes slowly opened as his small, tawny body pressed up harder against his mother’s side, looking for a bit more warmth during the early morning hours. It seemed as though that returning to sleep wasn’t going to be easy though, as the sound of his father’s voice finally snapped the youngster into a full conscious state as he rose to his paws and gave his tired frame an overdramatic stretch before turning to see what was going on. Spotting Teso speaking with ayari, Fumu grinned as he trotted up along side his brother and took a seat, the size difference between the two brother’s now apparent as Teso’s larger figure shadowed that of Fumu’s. Even though he was shorter than his brother and not quite as well proportioned, Fumu never let this fact get the better of him as he truly was a kind and generous cub. While being a bit on the shy side and being quite the opposite of Teso in many ways, the one trait that Fumu did gain from both his parents was his feisty attitude.

Looking from Teso to his father, Fumu stayed quiet for a moment, merely listening to the exchange of words between his family members. He had remembered that Ayari had promised them both that they could accompany him on patrol and it was obvious that Teso was excited about this fact, a lot more than Fumu himself was but this was to be expected. Teso seemed to have a more adventurous side to him, while Fumu always opted to take a more leisurely approach to life. Finally having an opportunity to speak up, Fumu stated in a quiet voice.

”Dad, do you think Kari can come along on patrol with us please? She wouldn’t stop bugging me about it yesterday until I promised her that I’d ask you if it was alright.”

As he asked this question, Fumu’s onyx eyes started to scan the den, looking for where Karima was, quickly locating the golden furred cub, who was still sleeping peacefully next to Kovu and Kiara, her parents. Karima, or Kari as she was addressed by the two brothers, had easily become Fumu’s best friend, much to the chagrin of Teso, who seemed to be bothered by just how much attention Kari gave to Fumu. While she tried to be equally fair to both brother’s, there was just something that seemed to keep her closer to Fumu, although she still considered Teso to be a close friend as well and often times, would sneak off with him when they both felt adventurous. Smiling upon spotting his best friend, Fumu turned his gaze back to his father as he waited for an answer.

Finally feeling the absence of both her mate’s warm head and her cubs little body pressing against her, Vitani started to come to life as she tiredly open her eyes and took in the sight before her, bringing a warm smile to work its way upon her muzzle. Life seemed to be more than perfect for her and her beloved Ayari. They had been blessed with two handsome and healthy cubs and had grown even closer to one another more than she herself could even explain. The fact that they now were parents and had a lot more responsibility in life had changed Vitani’s personality slightly. While she still kept her tougher side, caring for both her precious cubs had definitely impacted her greatly as she seemed to soften up quite a great deal. Still, even with all the changes in her life, Vitani always tried her best to keep her mate and cubs happy, doing whatever she could to ensure both the safety and prosperity of her family. Not wishing to interrupt her mate while he spoke with their kin, Vitani quietly moved herself so that her head now rested against Ayari’s neck as she lightly licked him lovingly and purred softly, invoking a disgusted look to cross Fumu’s muzzle as he looked away from his parents open displays of affection.

Vitani wasn’t the only one who had been stirred from the voices of Teso, Fumu and Ayari. Karima herself was beginning to wake up as her baby blue eyes opened. Letting out a cute little yawn before rolling onto her back and stretching out her legs, Kari rolled onto her paws and glanced about the den. Looking over at her parents who were still snoozing soundly, Karima silently stalked her way over to where both Teso and Fumu were situated, both brother’s undivided attentions were still upon their father, giving her exactly the moment she was looking for as she playfully lunged in between the two brother’s, sandwiching her soft body in the middle of them both as she giggled and exclaimed.

”Morning Tessy and Fumey! Did I scare ya?”

[Baya]

Ayari looked down to Fuma as he asked his question, and looked troubled for a bit. "I don't know for sure Fuma. She is the princess, and it would not look very good if something happened on patrol and she got harmed. Did she ask Kovu before asking to come along?" Ayari asked. He couldn't believe how parental he was right now. It was just like how his parents treated him, and he loved the feeling of being able to be there for his cubs.

Ayari smiled as Vitani nuzzled under his head, and licked his cheek. However, he laughed at the look of disgust on both Teso, and Fuma's face. Fuma jumped down from Ayari's back and sat next to his younger brother. "You know I wouldn't complain as much if they didn't do this sort of thing so often..." Teso whispered to his brother with a look of disgust.

"You know, both of you will have a mate too one day. Then your cubs will think the exact same things you are right now." Ayari pointed out to his cubs, as he nuzzled Vitani.

"Pfft. Fat chance. I'd rather walk into a crocodile's open jaw then to even remotely think about being stuck with a girl. Bleh." Teso said with a shudder. Ayari sighed.

"Innocence is ignorance, and ignorance is bliss I suppose." Ayari said with a smile as he stood now, and stretched. He figured it might as well be time to go.

Teso looked to his cousin that just jumped out at them, with a bored expression. "Yes. I'm so scared I think I just soiled this part of the den." Teso said sarcastically.

"Be nice Teso. Sarcasm eats away at your soul." Ayari said sternly.

[KiarasMate]

Taking Teso’s sarcasm in stride, Karima pretended to plug her nose with her fore paw as she took a step back from where her friend was standing, responding in an equally mocking voice as she leaned up against Fumu.

”Oh, so that’s what stinks huh Teso? And here I thought it was just you after all.”

Chuckling from Karima’s reply, Fumu fielded his father’s question as he lightly nudged his best friend away from him with a fore paw before speaking in a convincing voice.

”Of course she did Dad. She’s the princess after all. Do you honestly think she’d be that irresponsible?”

Giving Kari a nudge with his fore paw, Fumu smiled innocently up at Ayari. Feeling Fumu’s nudge, Karima joined her best friend as she sported an equally convincing grin up at Ayari before speaking in a cute tone.

”They said it was okay Uncle Ayari, since I’d be with you.”

Unable to hold back a smile herself from the way her cubs and Karima were acting, Vitani playfully nibbled upon Ayari’s ear as she cooed softly to him.

”Don’t be so up tight Sweetie. Let Karima come along. She is going to be fine since she’ll be in your care my brave Ayari. Besides, look down at those two faces and tell me you can say no to them.”

As if on cue, both Karima and Fumu smiled simultaneously, looking quite the sappy duo as they both waited for Ayari to cave, which was most likely going to happen.

[Baya]

Ayari raised an eyebrow at the two grinning furballs and chuckled quietly. "Ah, fine. It might be a good idea to get to know your kingdom anyways princess." Ayari pointed out as he walked out the den. He made sure to go slowly so that the cubs could follow along.

Teso looked to his mother and smiled as he trotted out after his sibling and cousin. He hoped they found a rogue or something so Teso could see his father fight! He had heard so many stories from his mother regarding Ayari's fighting ability and Teso felt like showing off his lineage to Karima.

Ayari trotted quickly to the edge of pride rock, and sat down for a moment. Teso walked up beside his father and sat down too. "Observe it cubs. Look at how the sun rises up over the horizon and gives everything the will to awaken. Never forget that the sun can be as greedy as it is generous. It can take your life, just as easily as it gave you life." Ayari explained. Teso looked confused as he looked up at his father.

"The sun is just the sun dad. It didn't give me life, you and momma did." Teso stated matter of factly. Ayari sighed.

"You have to look down Teso. Look at the grass. Look at the Zebra. Then look at your reflection in a pool of water. Without grass, there would be no Zebra. Without the Zebra there would be no lions. The grass needs the sun to grow, and if the sun is displeased with us it can dry up all the grass." Ayari explained in more detail. Teso frowned slightly once more and looked to the Zebra. Ayari stood once more and began to descend down pride rock with the cubs to a watering hole.

Ayari took a long drink from the watering hole while he observed Fuma and his cousin tumbling around in the grass. Ayari noticed Teso was just crushing some ants for entertainment. This sort of disturbed Ayari as images of Nuka went through his mind. Ayari REALLY hoped he didn't inherit anything else from his uncle.

[KiarasMate]

Escorting her family to the entranceway of the main den, Vitani watched as both her cubs, accompanied by Karima, bounded after Ayari, clearly eager to get the days events underway. Flashing her beloved mate a departing smile, the proud mother turned about face and disappeared back into the cave. Still feeling a little exhausted herself, the prospects of stealing a few more hours of sleep tempted her greatly as Vitani took a quick glance around the relatively lifeless den. Most of the members of the pride were still snoozing soundly and if it hadn’t been for her own lack of adventure as of late due to having to care constantly for her cubs, Vitani would just have easily taken her body up on its offer to return back to sleep but realizing that she was potentially free to do as she wished for the next several hours at best, Vitani was determined to make the most of her time as she silently padded over to where Kovu and Kiara were resting peacefully against one another. Reaching out a fore paw, Vitani gently gave the golden furred queen a light nudge as she addressed her in a low voice in the hopes of not disturbing her surrounding pride mates.

”Hey Kiara, you feel up for a hunt today? Ayari took the cubs off my paws for a while, along with Karima, just in case you were wondering, so I figured maybe I could get out and give myself a little work out. It’s always better to have company though, so what do you say?”

Ever since Zina, Schwari and the rest of Ayari’s former group had left to seek their own lives within the distant jungle lands, Vitani had formed a stronger bond with Kiara, as she was the closest company she had, aside from her brother and Ayari of course. It had been a while since she herself had even gotten the chance to spend some time alone with the golden furred lioness without the company of others though and having the opportunity to do just that, if Kiara herself was permitting of course, wasn’t something Vitani was about to pass up. Smiling thoughtfully, vitani waited patiently for her friends reply as she casually reached out a fore paw and gave her sleeping brother’s nose a light flick with a single paw toe.

==========

Trailing after Ayari, both Fumu and Karima took up a spot on the large male’s opposite side to which Teso had positioned himself at. Looking completely awestruck from the gorgeous panorama that met their gaze from atop the majestic promontory, both cubs listened intently to the wise words that left Ayari’s muzzle. Unlike his brother, Fumu rarely questioned anything his father said, as he was more prone to believe what he was told, especially if it came from the one lion he looked up to the most. Karima didn’t look quite as intrigued by what Ayari was saying, perhaps maybe because she was too distracted from what Teso was saying but keeping her manners about her, the little lioness cub behaved herself and simply smiled as Ayari’s lecture came to a close.

Now that it was time to move on, both Karima and Fumu trotted after Ayari and Teso as the group made their way down into the lush grasslands, Fumu following closely behind Karima as he batted his little fore paws at her swaying tail. By the time they had arrived at the waterhole, Karima and Fumu had already begun to wrestle with one another, which was nothing out of the ordinary and seemed common place between the two youngsters. Realizing that Teso had gone off to bully some ants however, Karima’s curiosity was sparked as she casually made her way over to where he was, leaving Fumu lying in the grass as he watched intently as well. Arriving alongside Teso, Karima spoke up in a sweet voice as her baby blue eyes met with her friend’s emerald ones.

”Why ya pickin’ on the ants for Tessy? Don’t ya wanna play with me and Fumey?”

Seeing that Karima had occupied herself with Teso’s company now, which didn’t bother him much, Fumu turned his attention upon his father as he stalked over to where he was before playfully pouncing over one of Ayari’s large fore paws, giving it a light bite before nuzzling himself against his father’s paw. Glancing up at Ayari with his onyx eyes, Fumu spoke up in a happy tone, his little tail swishing to and fro behind him as he did so.

”Thanks for letting Kari come along today Dad. It’s nice to be able to spend time with her, not saying that Teso’s company gets boring, but you know what I mean, right?”

[Baya]

Kiara yawned wide and loud, showing off every one of her fear some strong teeth before smiling gently towards Vitani. So much had occurred these past few seasons, and Kiara completely understood why Vitani was asking for some company on her own little mini-adventure. Kiara had lost her sense of adventure as well being the queen and everything. She used to be so curious. Though she figured now would be the best time to bring adventure back into her life. Even if it was just for a couple hours.

"Well it sounds fun. Would be like the old days." Kiara said in her gentle tone. She stood and stretched, trying not to hit any one else from the pride around her. Perhaps it wouldn't exactly be like the old days. Like finding another pride of exiled lions. Or being confronted by an attractive border guard.

Kiara giggled as Vitani flicked Kovu and he turned over, grumbling in his sleep. "Let him go Vitani. He's had a rough night. He takes his job as king very seriously. Too seriously sometimes I think." Kiara pointed out with a grin as she trotted alongside Vitani. What they needed to do was pick a destination, and just run there. Somewhere that wouldn't take long. "Do you wanna go visit Shwari and Zina? Their lands aren't too far from here." Kiara suggested as she made her way out of the den. The golden sun shined down on her golden fur, making her almost glow.

//

Teso smirked as he crushed more ants. "Picking on the ants? Well, it's just fun." Teso remarked as he blew on some of them to make them go out of order. Though Teso's smirk faded and his eyes widened in astonishment. The ants were collecting their fallen comrades, and the ones that were blown away returned to the line of ants, into the organized formation once more. Teso just found a new respect for ants. No matter how many of them died, or how far they were separated, they always reestablished order.

Ayari's ears twitched, and looked over to is son with no real expression. He noticed that Teso had stopped harming the ants and was now observing them. What started as cruelty, led to discovery for the young cub. Ayari hoped that his son would learn to respect the rest of nature because of its beauty and complexity like he just did with the ants. Ayari looked down at his other son whom was nuzzling his rather gigantic paw. Ayari chuckled as he put his paw gentle on his son's head.

"Fuma. I understand completely what it is like to have siblings. Though I was never really blood related to any of mine, the bond was all the same. Don't take your brother's company for granted Fuma. In the end the only one that'll ever back you up no matter what happens, will be your brother." Ayari explained in a calmed manner, with a small grin. The sibling he had in mind was Nuka. Though he never got along with Ayari, he was more of a big brother to Ayari then anyone else could be.

Teso eventually got bored with the ants and decided to prowl onto his father. He slowly crawled on his belly, eyes locked on to his father's back. He smirked as he took a small leap onto his father, bumped into his back and fell onto the floor. Ayari chuckled and looked behind him at Teso. "Still need's work." Ayari said as he helped his son get up with his muzzle.

"Dad, will I be strong like you?" Teso asked as he sat down. Ayari sighed.

"I had to go through alot to achieve this strength. I don't plan to put you through that son." Ayari said quietly as he looked to the sky. Ayari didn't like the shape and color of the clouds. A storm was likely coming, and he didn't want to take too long on patrol.

"Alright little ones, come along again." Ayari said as he stood and began to walk away from the watering hole. Teso quickly jumped after Ayari, and broke into a small trot to keep up with his father's giant strides.

[KiarasMate]

Smirking to herself from the reaction she had invoked from Kovu, Vitani politely heeded Kiara’s request and let him be for the time being. She knew that Kovu worked himself to the bone in order to keep his kingdom safe and prosperous however, Vitani herself seemed to have never quite outgrown the part of her that just always had to toy with her brother whenever the opportunity presented itself. Turning her full attention upon the golden furred queen now, seeing that she was ready to move out, Vitani listened intently to the suggestion that Kiara proposed to her. Thinking things over briefly, the former Outlander calculated the distance it was between their lands and Schwari’s, as well as the amount of time that would probably be needed to go there, visit for a short while and return without being missed by anyone. Figuring that it was a doable though, Vitani nodded in approval as she replied to Kiara in a complacent voice.

”Sure that sounds like it would be a nice way to give my lazy legs a good work out and it’ll be nice to see how our friends are doing as well.”

Knowing full well that both herself and Kiara knew the way to the jungle lands like the backs of their own paws, Vitani didn’t feel the need to take lead as she often did whenever it came to anything dealing with travel outside The Pride Lands themselves. Keeping a swift, yet leisurely pace as she moved down into the grasslands and started off towards their desired destination, Vitani’s mind began to replay the last epic battle that had taken place between Kovu’s ranks and Maju’s forces. It had truly been a fight to remember, although the ending of the confrontation had never seemed to settle right with the former Outlander. The lands had been relatively peaceful since then though, which both pleased and perplexed Vitani at the same time. She was happy that her family and friends had a safe place to live, yet knowing that Xepher, as well as several of the other members of Maju’s former horde had been let off so easily, Vitani couldn’t help but to think that trouble could be brewing somewhere. Shaking off this thought for the moment however, Vitani broke the silence between the two lionesses as she spoke up to Kiara in a casual tone.

”So Kiara, is being a mother as exciting as everyone said it was cracked up to be? I’ll vouch for that, but you know how mischievous both Fumu and Teso can be. I’m just thankful that your little Karima is there to keep them in line most of the time.”

==========

Karima was about to respond to Teso’s halfhearted reply with a snide remark of her own, when she noticed the change of interest in her friend’s facial expressions. Karima knew that Teso was a good cub and even though most of the time, he acted older than he really was, Karima couldn’t help but to find his sage-like personality charming at times. Still, the two of them seemed to bicker more than anything but it was all just playful banter in the end. Watching Teso rising to his paws as he attempted to pounce his father’s hind legs, or so it appeared, Karima couldn’t resist letting an amused giggle to leave her muzzle as she jokingly stated at the defeated cub.

”Maybe you need to fight some more ants to get stronger Tessy.”

Meanwhile, Fumu had been pondering over his father’s words. The young cub wondered what exactly Ayari had meant by what he had said, as Fumu couldn’t even imagine anything coming between him and Teso. They were like one in the same, two of a kind and nothing would ever change that, right? Noticing that his father and Teso had already started to travel onwards, Fumu abandoned his thoughts for now as he scampered after them, followed closely by Karima, who had taken the liberty to now swat her own little fore paws at her friend’s tail in the hopes of giving him a taste of his own medicine. Being used to this sort of behavior however, Fumu merely toyed with Karima as he swayed his tail teasingly at her before speaking up to his father in a curious voice.

”Hey Dad, where are we going next?”

[Baya]

Kiara trotted alongside Vitani for awhile, deep in thought. It was quite some time since they really saw Shwari and Zina, or Husudu and his adopted daughter. It would be nice to know what became of Husudu and what he ended up naming his daughter. A small grin became fixed upon Kiara's face. It was quite amusing to see such a pride filled fighter change to a calm care giver over a cub. Also, Kiara was curious as to whether or not Shwari and Zina had a cub or not.

Kiara's thought train was interrupted when Vitani asked her the question of what she thought of being a mother. A smile grew on Kiara's face. "The pain of birth was worth the joy of raising her." Kiara said as she stopped for a quick rest. Kiara looked around at the current grasslands they were on. They'd have to cross a rather narrow river to get to the jungle lands.

//

When the war between Kovu's pride and Maju's pride had ended, Shwari and Zina had moved to the jungle as Shwari had planned. Of course Husudu and his daughter, Uzuri, had come along as well. There had been a lot of cleaning up to do within the jungle lands because of the rebel occupation. However, with the help of some other local lionesses the rebels were easily chased out. Shwari and Zina truly did settle down and they had a beautiful little girl.

Shwari himself had not changed much in appearance except for the longer mane. Husudu had not changed at all either. Husudu's daughter, Uzuri, was merely an adolescent but already she was extremely attractive to the rogue passers by. If not for Husudu's "Protection" she'd be off with a rogue right now.

Currently Shwari had just woken up from his sleep beside Zina. He sleepily opened his teal eyes and yawned loudly. The other lionesses in the pride shifted slightly. Shwari chuckled as he looked to his white furred daughter, and licked her forehead. She would not face the cruelty he and Zina had faced as cubs. She would be shielded from all that pain and suffering. Shwari then proceeded to give his mate a gentle nuzzle. The king of the jungle lands then looked to where his brother was sleeping and was grinning at the sight of Uzuri sleeping directly on the back of Husudu. Her chin was resting on top of Husudu's head. Some things just never changed.

//

Teso frowned at Karima's comment. Though the frown quickly turned into a grin as Teso couldn't keep a straight face. What she said was actually pretty funny. "Or you could practice with some leaves. Leaves work too." Ayari pointed out, not wanting them to even suggest harming smaller creatures.

Ayari was walking for a bit when he heard his son's question of where they were going. Teso looked over to Ayari as they walked, curious to know as well. It wasn't a norm for their father to take them out with him on his patrols. Ayari looked forward without saying anything for a few minutes and then looked to Fumu. "Near the borders. Sometimes rogues try to sneak onto the pridelands and hunt." Ayari explained.

"What's so wrong with that dad? Didn't you say rogues were always starving dad? What's wrong with letting them hunt?" Teso asked with a frown. One moment his father was expressing compassion for all creatures, the next he was putting down rogues. Could he not make up his mind?

"That's different Teso. If we let every rogue come onto the pridelands and eat our food then the pridelands will become as desolate as the desert they come from. Do you think rogues are as civilized or logical as you and I?" Ayari asked quietly. Teso looked down in thought about it then looked back up at his father, still confused.

Soon the group got close to the border, and Ayari's eyes narrowed. Teso could feel the tension coming off his father by just standing near him. "Stay here cubs. If anyone comes for you, run and get help." Ayari murmured as he fixed his gaze upon something moving in the grass near the boarder.

[KiarasMate]

Smiling from what Kiara was saying as she too felt the same way, Vitani nodded in agreement to her friend’s statement. It was true, the burden of carrying around Teso and Fumu for nearly an entire season within her belly had reeked havoc both upon Vitani’s body and attitude alike. Her typical nagging nature towards Ayari and her brother had grown exponentially during the course of her pregnancy and the fact that Ayari himself forbade her to do much of anything, other than lying around the main den, near the end of her gestation period, had almost sent the former Outlander into a fit of rage due to lack of exercise and adventure however, once everything was said and done and they had been blessed with their two adorable bundles of joy, it all seemed worth it in the end. Speaking up in a pleasant tone, Vitani replied to Kiara’s comment as she slowed her pace in time with her friends.

”Oh, you said it Kiara. I’m surprised that both Ayari and Kovu managed to pull through during our pregnancies, seeing as at times, it appeared that they were suffering a hell of a lot more than we ourselves were. If I had to do it all over again though, I would, just because I know that both Ayari and I love our cubs, as well as yours and Kovu’s of course too, more than anything in life.”

Taking in her current surroundings as she noticed Kiara taking a quick breather, Vitani reckoned that the pair would arrive at the river they needed to cross in order to make their way into the jungle lands that were now inhabited by Schwari and company. The river didn’t really pose much of a challenge for either feline, as Vitani was more than capable of crossing due to her muscular frame and despite Kiara’s poor equilibrium when it came to the hunt, she was actually quite a graceful swimmer as far as lionesses went anyways. Glancing over at Kiara as if to gauge how long her friend wanted to rest at their current location for, Vitani would have probably insisted on pressing forward sooner, although being slightly out of shape herself due to being cooped up in the main den for so long now, this short break was more than welcome. The enjoyable walk was doing wonders for her though, as Vitani’s former adventurous side was slowly being rekindled within her being. Flashing Kiara another fond smile, Vitani politely stated as she gave her legs a quick stretch.

”Let me know when you’re ready to go again Kiara. We should hit the river here in a bit and a cool dip will probably do us both good.”

==========

Not too far off from where Vitani and Kiara were currently situated at on the other side of the river, familiar faces were beginning to stir deep within the lush jungle lands. Zina, the once Traveling Shaman who had once hid her feelings towards males behind a protective wall, had actually managed to fall in love with one herself. Thanks to Schwari’s understanding nature and devotion to bringing her out of her shell, the emotional barrier had since then, crumbled into obscurity. The two felines had become quite smitten with one another and it didn’t take very long, once they had arrived at their jungle home, for the pair to give into the throws of passion, resulting in them bringing a beautiful new life into the world. Their daughter, to which Zina had quaintly named Penda, due to the extreme love and affection Zina felt towards Schwari, had been born with the same fur color as her mother, while retaining her father’s eye color. At first, Zina had been slightly apprehensive about her daughter’s future, due to the cards that had been dealt to her within her gene pool, but after Schwari had talked some sense into her, like he often did at times, Zina realized that their daughter was truly a blessing in disguise, as she represented more than just a new life, but the undying bond of love that Zina would always have for her beloved mate, no matter what.

Life in the jungle had taken some getting used to for most everyone, although Zina herself, quickly adapted to her new environment faster than anyone else, as the fertile landscape offered a wide abundance of herbs, plants and flora at her paw tips. For a Shaman, this home was like a utopia of sorts, although ever since she had become a mother, Zina herself had dabbled less and less within the ways of Shamanism. Still, she would often times take long walks through the dense jungle with her daughter and Schwari, sharing her vast knowledge about the various foliage they happened upon. Things seemed to have turned out for the best for everyone as Zina felt her mate’s loving nuzzle, which gradually coaxed her awake, her yellow eyes slowly opening as she caught sight of his handsome complexion, bringing a warm smile to plaster itself over her white muzzle. Letting out a much daintier sounding yawn than Schwari himself had, Zina spoke up in a sleepy voice to her precious mate as she tenderly nuzzled him back and placed a soft kiss over his cheek.

”Good morning Hun. How did you sleep?”

While waiting for Schwari’s response, Zina took a moment to fuss over her daughter, giving her a gentle nuzzle and lick over the same spot that her mate had previously covered with his own tongue mere moments ago. Letting out a cute sounding grumble, Penda simply shifted her position as she snuggled her snow white body back in between her parent’s, refusing to want to start the day so early as it was way too comfy being sandwiched in between two warm bodies.

==========

Taking Ayari’s words into careful consideration, all three cubs stayed where they were bid to. It didn’t take long though, before each cub’s unique characteristics began to show as Karima found herself starting to get bored and antsy. Assuming that there actually wasn’t any danger to be had, as Karima herself looked up to Ayari for protection just as much as she did with her actual parents, seeing as both Ayari and Vitani were in fact, in charge of keeping peace within The Pride Lands, the young lioness opted to find other means to entertain herself. Taking a quick glance around, Karima spotted a bush that lay not too far off from where the trio were positioned at. Grinning to herself, Karima gave Teso a firm nudge in the ribs with her fore paw to grab his attention before she stated in a quiet, yet still mocking voice.

”Oh look Tessy! There’s a nasty ol’ bush over there! Why don’t you go and show me your fighting skills. Your dad did say you should practice on leaves, didn’t he?” C’mon, don’t be afraid of the big bad leaves now.”

Unlike both Teso and Karima, Fumu continued to remain more on the cautious side. His father had told him to stay put and that’s just what he was going to do. Both his parents had taught him that danger could lurk around every corner and being unprepared was a sure fire way to meet an untimely fate. Clearly, they had sugar coated their words quite a bit but having Teso as a brother, it didn’t take very long for Fumu to learn the true meaning of the point they were trying to get across. Now, as both his brother and friend fooled around together, Fumu hoped that whatever his father had gone to investigate, wouldn’t prove to be any sort of threat, as it would be difficult to convince both Teso and Karima to listen to him once they got going. As a pair, they could be quite stubborn when they wanted to be and knowing this fact all too well, Fumu took it upon himself to at least follow his dad’s orders to the best of his ability.