Painted Flowers

Chapter 25 - Something New

Layali must have been much more exhausted than she realized. When she opened her eyes the next morning, the baobab den was completely empty. She wasn't awake enough to jump into a panic from the realization that her friends were missing, but she also wasn't awake enough to remember exactly what was happening.

She let out a massive, drawn-out yawn. "Zain? Kioni? ...Ugh, why am I always the last to wake up..."

Exiting the den, Layali was relieved to find that Kioni was just fine, but wasn't so excited about who was supervising her. This was the first time Layali had gotten a full view of Shani, and the first thing she noticed about her appearance that morning was the awkward shape to her torso. So she was pregnant--that was why the pair of mates treated each other in such an oddly protective manner. It didn't look as if she was ready to burst any time soon, but she was definitely far along. Layali knew very little about a dog's pregnancy, only that it was a time of pain, and having to eat much more than usual to gain the strength needed in preparation for birth. Though, she supposed the miracle of pups was worth all the torture. Maybe?

Her thoughts then trailed to the factor of wanderers deciding to start a family together. They had each other, and she guessed that they would be able to support themselves just fine without other packmates for aid. She thought of Cyrah, how if she were in Shani's paws, she would be constantly saddled with her three little ones. She wouldn't be able to force her former litter to babysit them whenever she got sick of mothering. She thought of Zola, how the dainty queen wouldn't enjoy scrounging for food on her own, without subjects to regurgitate their meals for the sole princess. She thought of Zain's mother...she was a wanderer who couldn't, or wouldn't, care for her children. It must have been difficult for her to leave them--if she cared about them at all.

Shani must have been a tough dog if she were in the right condition to raise pups. Judging by their first encounter, Layali knew she had to take extra caution around her, and potentially work hard to earn her respect.

When Kioni noticed Layali approaching, she gave her a large and adorable grin. Her attention was on Shani, who was focusing on a pile of some sort of herb. Layali walked slowly towards them, unsure how to properly greet Shani, nervous to be met with hostility like she was before.

But it was Shani who spoke first, without looking up at her. "Good morning."

Layali nodded shyly. "Good morning."

There was an awkward pause. Kioni turned again to watch Shani curiously, her tail twitching every once in a while.

"Your cub--how old is she?" Shani asked.

Layali blinked. Her cub. What an odd concept, as if she were a mother herself. She couldn't imagine herself that way whatsoever, but Kioni was her responsibility, just as a young pup would be. "I-I don't know. I found her about a moon cycle ago. During the eruption...and we couldn't find any trace of her mother."

Shani shook her head in what was either pity or disappointment. "What have you been feeding her?"

"We regurgitate for her...mostly small animals and birds... We give her whatever we can find, but--"

"She's not getting enough energy. You really ought to bring her hunting with you so she can learn a few things. She must have been old enough to learn by the time she lost her mother."

Layali blinked. "How can you tell how old she is?"

Shani ran a paw through Kioni's fur. The cub began purring with the simple pleasure of being pet. "Her fur has the downy fluff of a kitten. As she grows older, it will sleek down to the coarser fur of a mature cheetah. But as of now, she is still quite young; about five moon cycles old."