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News From The Old Sun King

The sun was up, and it was the heat of mid-day. Jiweusi lay on her back, lounging lazily, while her adopted son, Kijivu slept on her belly, their contrasting coats both dappled and equally beautiful in the Acacia tree's leaf-filtered light.

Beneath her closed eyes, the mothering black leoaprdess was worried. King Juakali had said he would send Tume to notify her of something to do with Kijivu, and yet it was afternoon of the next day and Tume had not yet come.

She opened her eyes to slits to look upon the stretch-out, round-bellied ball of white fur that lay nearly snoring on her own belly. She smiled broadly with love. Yes, he was truly a gift to her in her darkest hours, as she was a gift to him in his.

Her deepest regrets where that she was not more attentive... perhaps she could have saved one of the other cubs, maybe both of them. But Aminifu was relentless, and quick. The only thing that had prevented him from ripping her apart was the fact that she had so thoroughly surprised him.

That's right. If she had leapt down any sooner, it was likely that Aminifu would have killed not only the cubs, but her as well. He was not exactly the largest lion to beware of, but he was certainly the most bloodthirsty. Kijivu's small form lolled on her belly as he rose with her deep sigh. She took a paw and cradled the cub's backside to ensure he would do no rolling.

Jiweusi's head snapped up, she heard something below! Looking down, she frowned. It was just a Kudu quenching it's thirst. That was another thing too. She would have to make a kill to keep her and the child going, and soon. But, that could wait until evening, when all the animals get moving about in the relief from the day's blazing sun and heat. Though she felt the pangs of hunger, the little cub's belly was bloated with her milk, the gift to him from her dead children.

Strange though, how death followed him. Perhaps King Juakali was not so smart to dismiss the superstition of the White Curse? But what was she thinking? This is Kijivu, her own, her only son, she was thinking about. If there was a curse, it was against him! So young and already witness to so much death. It would be a miracle if the boy grew up sane.

And he would, she would make certain of that. Once the cub recovered from the initial shock of things, she would have to talk with him about what he'd been through, to help him sort out his emotions and to explain to him that this was not his fault. Her deeper thoughts were disturbed by Kijivu's movement. The little cub rolled over and wrapped his tiny gleaming paws arounf her large dark one.

The black Leopardess smiled at him, but the expression quickly faded into a frown. What was he dreaming of? Her? Or was he imagining things before, when life was good and the paw he curled about was his mother's? Jiweusi was saddened, remembering her own life as a cub, tiny and helpless, like the one holding tight to her paw and trembling.

Wait, trembling?

Indeed, Kijivu's face was buried in Jiweusi's paw, and his body quivered in seeming fear. She reached over with her other paw, stroking his back, as she spoke softly.

"Kijivu, it's okay, Jiji is here for you. You're safe now."

His trembling lessened, but his grip remained tight on her forepaw.

"Jiweusi?" came a familiar voice from below.

"I'm here, Tume, but I do not wish to wake Kijivu."

Although not their favourite thing to do, Caracals could climb. Tume, the familiar-to-all messenger made his way to Jiweusi to find her belly-up with the cub snuggling her paw. Even the normally firm and business-like golden cat could not help but give a little smile at the heartwarming sight.

"As you know, Good King Juakali discussed the white cub with the Shaman Rafiki."

A hard lump forming in Jiweusi's throat. She tried to brace herself. "What has the Good King decided?"

"He has decided that... Kijivu, is it?" Tume paused.

"Yes," the black Leopardess breathed.

"He has decided that Kijivu shall follow him as Heir to the Throne, betrothed to Neema."

Jiweusi was so shocked that she nearly fell out of the tree. Ever conscious of her new baby, the Leopardess had wrapped her paw firmly around him, using her other limbs to regain control over gravity before it had much of an upper hand. The cub woke, but trusted his surrogate mother so fully he did not seem alarmed.

She now sat with Kijivu between her forepaws, facing the Caracal. The little cub rubbed his eyes wearily, and lay down, wrapping his forelegs around one of the black Leopardess' front paws. He laid his chin on her toes and let his lids get heavy.

"Heir to the Throne?!" Jiweusi parroted, stunned. Who would have thought that this could ever have happened?! "But I am no Lion! How will he know the ways of the lions? Even more, how will he know to be a King? He- The King... He will not take him from me... will he?"

This last question was filled with such fear, such anxiety! Jiweusi could not bear to lose another child, even if she had not born him, and even if that loss was not a real loss of life.

Tume shook his head. "The King knows how much you already love him, he could not bring himself to break your heart. Besides, he will learn the most important lessons when he has matured some anyway."

Jiweusi expressed her relief with a few tears. "Thank you, Tume. But... Betrothed to Neema? She is nearly of age... Kijivu is just a child."

Tume rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "By order of the King."