Serengeti Snow: Chapter Two: Where's Dad?
(DISCLAIMER: The lyrics in this chapter (in italics) belong to the writer and artist, Maria Mena. The song is "He's Hurting Me".
SECOND DISCLAIMER: The chapter contains swearing, abuse, and a fight.)
I've never been confronted with my own thoughts,
They don't bother me when I'm alone,
Baridi blinked, dumbstruck with her daughter's question. She shook her head a few times and smiled. "I um...well." Her voice echoed in the den, and a resounding yawn from the other lions alerted her to the fact that she had awoken the pride. Kishoka, the king, nuzzled against his queen, Hasira, his scruffy tuft of black mane that hung separate from the rest from his chin nearly getting into the half-puma's eyes. "Wha's wrong 'Ridi?" He yawned again, showing off his sharp, dagger-like teeth. Paka grinned. "Momma was gonna tell me where Daddy is Uncle 'Sho-sho!" She laughed, pouncing at the deep brown lion and going after his ears, trying to chew on them. Kishoka frowned. "Punda." He snarled softly, getting up suddenly, the small cub rolling off his back and landing with a soft thud on the ground. He padded out of the den, his long stride carrying him into the night air gracefully. Hasira stood and rolled her eyes. "Kishoka!" She called, taking off after him in great, powerful leaps that also had her out in the night air in seconds. Neva uncurled from around her newborn cub and yawned, wriggling out from under the tiny fluffy beast and lifting Paka. She slowed her pace to keep up with Baridi as the scarred white lioness left the den, following their king and queen as the other cubs slumbered.
Kishoka flopped down heavily by a thin tree, leaning back against it. Hasira sighed and snuggled into his dark mane, her orange eyes staring out in the gloom. Baridi limped forward and settled herself down a few feet from the king and queen, and Neva set Paka at her paws before sprawling out nearby. "I really don't want to have to talk about him." She murmured softly, her soft blue eyes staring out over her shoulder back at the den where her two cubs slept. "He's gone, that's all that matters." Baridi frowned, leaning forward to settle her head in her friend's paws, and Neva set her chin down atop Baridi's head after a slight roll of her eyes. "Fluffy." She mumbled softly and closed her eyes, allowing the white lioness's soft rumbling purr to echo in the cool night air. The sun began to peer over the edge of the ground in the distance, throwing a soft array of red and golds into the dark blue sky. Kishoka sighed. "Alright Baridi....tell your daughter.....you're long winded enough for it." He mumbled, reaching out with a paw to pull his adopted niece in closer to him and Hasira, the later of which took up grooming the little golden cub's fur. Baridi sighed, telling the story to her little cub while flashbacks played in her mind, illustrating the gruesome last days of Punda being in the pride.
Can you come over, save me, because he won't stop?
Now get him off his fucking throne.
Caution, the floor's wet in here, been crying.
I don't know why he seems convinced I'm lying,
And I don't know what he's capable of doing,
But he's hurting me!
The sun beat down on the golden fur of the large, yet slender and effeminate male lion, his thick red mane glistening and wet from his recent swim in the river. He sat in his usual spot, back pressed against the slender tree, roaring back and forth with friends of his in a distant pride, as he always did. A day as usual, despite Paka being out with Hasira and Kishoka visiting Kishoka's birth pride. Baridi returned from Neva's old den, carrying the half-cheetah's daughter, Kifalme, the half-cheetah carrying her infant son, Ajali. After setting both cubs down in the empty pride den, Neva and Baridi approached the male, Baridi staring at him. "What's this I heard about you yelling at Neva for leaving meal bones by your tree?" She asked, an irked expression painted on her white furred face, and her black lips stretched back to expose little bits of her white, sharp teeth angrily. Punda glared, kicking a bone toward Baridi angrily. "It's a fucking mess in here, Baridi! Where the FUCK does she get off tossing her food around where I sit?! No one in the damn pride respects me! I go out, I hunt big game, and I drag it back here, and this is the thanks I get?!" Baridi hissed. "I sit here too, Punda! You're not the only one who's been inconvenienced by this! Now cut it out, you're acting like a cub!" She snarled. Punda roared. "Shut up!" He snarled, leaping forward and crashing his scull into the smaller but heavier female's, trying to knock her unconscious. Baridi reeled back and snarled, throwing her weight at her mate and slamming him into the slender tree. "GET OUT!" She roared. "GET OUT, GET OUT! I don't want to even SCENT you until the sun sets at least!" She roared, chasing after Punda as he raced out of the pridelands, toward the pride his friends lived in. Neva's eyes went wide and she rushed to Baridi's side as a small bump began to form under her fur. "Baridi, are you alright? Should I roar for Kishoka?" Baridi shook her head, and flopped onto the ground weakly. "I...I don't know....he wouldn't....why....why would he....let me handle this." She murmured softly, burying her face in her paws.
It's not his fault I made him loose his temper,
I should know better not to talk too loud,
There's no one out there who could love me better,
I'm not like you, you are too proud.
The day dragged on with Baridi not moving, her mind reeling from the pain and from her thoughts. She slowly rose to her paws and padded off, away from the pridelands and toward the empty, open hunting grounds where all sorts of predators stalked their prey. She glanced out into the haze of the day, looking to find a friend of her's, and saw nothing. With a sigh, she set her head down and let out a low groan, not knowing where to go from here. At a last ditch attempt at confronting her younger but wiser friend, she raised her maw to the air and let out a thick, loud roar, calling out into the day for the advice she needed. The resounding silence was deafening. She closed her eyes and began to weep. Where was he when she needed him? With a soft chuffing call for the same male, which again went unanswered, Baridi stood and slowly padded back toward home. The sun was setting and as she approached she noticed the shadowy outline of Punda curled up to sleep by the tree. Hanging her head low she curled up beside him. "I'm sorry I hurt you." She murmured softly, licking a few red marks from her claws that adorned his shoulder. Punda grumbled and lay his head down atop Baridi's back. "Just don't do it again." He growled darkly, closing his eyes to sleep. Baridi sighed and snuggled into the slender male, allowing herself to sleep despite being afraid of him now that he had snapped and hurt her.
Caution, the floor's wet in here, been crying.
I don't know why he seems convinced I'm lying,
And I don't know what he's capable of doing,
But he's hurting me!
The next day saw the return of Kishoka and Hasira, toting their five cubs and Paka. The cubs were sent to sleep with Hasira and her sister, Neva, and Kishoka approached Baridi, nudging her lightly. "Go see your daughter, she missed you." He murmured, watching the white lioness rise and enter the den, before turning to face Punda. "You HIT her? What for?!" Punda snarled. "I wanted to make her shut up! She keeps attacking me verbally, I've HAD IT with that limping white BITCH!" Kishoka snarled. "If you EVER put a claw on ANY lioness in MY pride...." Punda laughed. "Who the fuck made you King?!" The black mane lion bore his sharp teeth and unsheathed his claws. "They did. Because I'm bigger and stronger, and apparently still kinder. Not to mention because Hasira is their leader already." Punda shook out his reddish mane and snorted. "Whatever." Kishoka stared intently at the male's thin mane, offering little protection to his oh-so-vulnerable throat. His blood lust rose deep inside him, but he turned, listening to his better judgement and walking away from the other male. Baridi looked up at him when Kishoka entered the den and frowned. "Kishoka....why are you so angry?" The king frowned. "Baridi....you're better than that....you shouldn't be with scum like him." Neva nodded. "Kishoka's right, you shouldn't have let him hit you...." Hasira looked up. "He HIT her? What the FUCK!? Why wasn't I told!? I'll kill him!!" Kishoka gently grabbed his mate by the back of her throat. "That's why you weren't told. C'mon...it's not our place to spill his blood." He hushed, and Hasira leaned back into him, purring at the slight pinch her mate's teeth on the back of her neck produced, giving her enough pain for a small spike of adrenaline to hit her blood stream. She purred and licked Kishoka's chin softly until he let go.
Don't leave me!
Please believe me! OWWW!
Baby there is...!
I can explain...! OW!
Please love me!
Please need me! Owwww...
The next few days saw Baridi ignoring the pleas of her pridemates and snuggling close to Punda's side, trying to be pleasant and nice and kind, while roaring for her friend who never answered at night. All the while, Punda heard the nightly roars, and would shove Baridi away and not speak to her. All the while, Kishoka and Hasira took care of Paka, knowing her mother would have her paws full trying to convince her father to love her again. At last, a few nights in, Baridi had had enough. She lay beside Punda in the dark and closed her eyes. "You don't talk to me, you won't let me touch you, you ignore my teasing and flirting, and you keep roaring to your friends and not paying me any attention....what should I do, Punda?" The male snorted. "I think it's best we split up. It'd be better for you." She looked up. "If you would just talk to me, or hold me...." Punda turned to face her. "Baridi, enough. Let's just....go our separate ways." Baridi nodded, hanging her head. "Then it's over. Goodbye Punda." He looked up. "I still love you." He murmured as the lioness retreated to sleep in the den. That morning, the male was gone, with his most recent kill, and a few crucial chunks of rock from the den too. Kishoka paced about, snarling about his desire to chase Punda down and kill him, and Baridi shivered, a mixture of hurt and anger driving her to join in on his verbal bloody rampage.
I've never been confronted with my own thoughts,
They don't bother me when I'm alone,
Can you come over, save me, because he won't stop?
Now get him off his fucking throne.
Paka stared wide eyed up at her mother. "Wh...Why would Daddy...?" Baridi frowned, pulling her cub close and nuzzled her. "It's alright sweetie...I'll find you a better Daddy." She murmured. Kishoka snorted. "It's not like Punda was even your Dad....remember?" Paka looked up. "Yeah, so what? I was adopted....it means Momma loves me more than if she had given birth to me! Because she CHOSE to make ME her daughter, and not anyone else." Baridi chuckled and rasped her tongue over her daughter's fur. "You tell Uncle Kishoka." She laughed. Hasira smiled. "Just like me and Neva adopted Baridi as our sister....it makes our bond stronger than blood, because it's blood we chose." Kishoka sighed and nodded, silently admiting defeat. A quiet murmur of early morning mews escaped the den and Neva sighed. "The cubs are awake...no more sleep for us." She murmured, rising to her paws and padding toward the den to provide her infant son with a meal of milk. Baridi leaned up to nuzzled against her adoptive sister's foreleg before allowing her to pass by. This was the family she chose for herself, and poor, hungry, and needy as it was, she would stand by them.