Chapter 4
"You just ran out of there?"
"Yeah…not the smartest thing to do, I know now. Let me tell you though, when your hormones are surging, you don't always do the right thing. I was really upset though,"
"Well Daddy shouldn't have been so hard on you, he does sound like he was overreacting a bit…" Kam said, frowning.
"Perhaps I was, but I'd never been a father before," his daughter jumped as Kieji walked up to sit beside her. He smiled at Sharra and leaned down to rub cheeks with her.
"Both of us were scared Kam, and my raging hormones weren't helping, running away wasn't going to help anything, but you overreacting wasn't right either,"
Kieji nodded. "I know,"
Sharra collapsed at the base of Ashka's tree, tears streaming down her cheeks. She pulled her paws around her face, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Shh, child, calm down," Ashka's gentle hand rested on her back for a moment before stroking her fur.
"I messed ev-every-everything up!" Sharra sobbed.
"No," The baboon shook his head. "No, I don't tink so, I tink you just need to calm down," he patted her shoulder. "Come, let's go up in my tree and talk, hmm?"
Slowly Sharra rose and then followed him. "Oh Ashka, why does everything have to be so hard?" She choked on another sob.
The old baboon laughed. "Oderwise life would be boring," he was mixing something in one of his famous shells. "Tell me what happened and we'll work dis out, but first, here, eat dis, it'll make you feel a little better and is good for dat growing cub," he set the bowl in front of her feet.
Sharra let out a long sigh as she leaned down and sniffed it. It smelled delicious. The lioness allowed a small smile and then lapped up the concoction. Ashka was right, it did make her feel better, and made her relax a little bit.
The old baboon smiled, "Now, tell me what happened,"
--
Night had fallen by the time Sharra left Ashka's tree. She walked slowly, the tears still fresh on her face. Talking with Ashka had made her feel somewhat better, but now she had to face Kieji again. She let out a long sigh, she wasn't looking forward to it.
She was within sight of the den when she saw him. Without thinking, she burst into a run and he mirrored her. They met in a collide of limbs that might've looked like a fight, but really it was only a hug. Slowly they sunk to the ground, heads together, hair entangling in the exact spot where they'd met.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry," Kieji sobbed, tears streaming down his face.
"Me too Kieji, I'm sorry," Sharra cried.
"No, I shouldn't have yelled at you for going out," Kieji pulled back just enough to look at her. "I just don't know what to do or how to help or anything. I feel so lost on this. You should be able to go see Memmai and share everything with her…I'm so sorry Sharra,"
"Kieji, I shouldn't have yelled at you either…I'm so sorry. I should've just explained how I was feeling…should've a while ago.." She rubbed her head beneath his chin.
Slowly they sunk lower so they were laying down, heads together. Kieji began to hum, the tune one that sounded familiar to Sharra. She stared at him, her amber eyes searching, thinking back. When the song registered, the two began singing at the same time…
I see the sun
I see the stars
Each time…
I look into your eyes
You try to hide
Yet here you are
Let yourself let go
And see the sun
See the stars
And see yourself
For the first time
"I love you Sharra," Kieji said, a small smile playing across his lips. She blinked back her tears, a smile playing on her own lips.
"I love you too," she said, licking his cheek.
"We slept out there that night, in the spot where we'd met. The song connected us, made us realize how much we loved and needed each other." Sharra sighed, watching her mate walk off, swishing his tail. She looked at her daughter, with her rounding belly and the glow about her, and felt suddenly sad and happy at the same time. She smiled.
Kam's eyes were misting and she was fighting the tears that were welling up. "Hormones.." she tried to laugh. Her mother merely nuzzled her.
"It's ok Kam,"
She cried then, the tears slipping out and sliding down. Sharra sighed and moved closer to her daughter. "I know honey, I know.." She rested her head on Kam's shoulderblades and sighed, knowing her daughter was excited, but scared at the same time.
"Do you want me to stop the story?"
"No! No, Momma," Kam sobbed, "I-I want to know the rest of the story, please?"
The days and weeks began to pass. Slowly at first, and then it seemed as though overnight Sharra's form grew round and instead of walking and rising easily, she waddled and had trouble standing up.
As morning came pouring into the den one day, Sharra blinked, pulling a paw over her head to block out the light. The sun was not welcomed at that point.
"Good morning Sunshine," Kieji murmured, nuzzling the top of her head. Sharra merely groaned.
She sighed, lifting her head to look at him. He smiled at her. "Why are you always in a good mood?"
"Because I don't look like a balloon," he laughed.
Sharra growled and cuffed him. "Haha, you're so funny," she was still growling as she attempted the ever-hardening task of rising to her feet.
"Need help?" Kieji asked. She growled at him in response.
It took a moment longer than she wanted, but she rose, even stretched. Kieji merely laughed and nuzzled her. He then escorted her to the watering hole, where they shared a drink before parting ways. Kieji had to go check the borders and Sharra, though she hadn't told Kieji, was going on her own quest to find a place to give birth.
It was getting close, she could feel it, Memmai and Katu's majordomo had come earlier that week to announce that Memmai had given birth to three beautiful cubs. So Sharra knew she was due any day. Of course, she also knew this because every day it was harder to walk around and she felt as though she were carrying a whole zebra's weight with her everywhere she went.
Sighing, she made her way away from the watering hole, heading toward the grove of trees that lined the area behind their den. Something kept pulling her that way, but she had yet to check it out. Though her belly was round and there was no doubt she was carrying, many said she still held a certain grace about her, perhaps that of a true huntress. Now she used this skill to pick over the fallen logs and sticks, to walk with a carefulness one would think she didn't possess. She followed her instincts, her heart, her legs as they led her deeper into the wooded area.
Just as she thought she was definitely too far she saw it; the huge tree with the worn out trunk, a small hole just big enough to squeeze through yet, as she got closer, discovered it opened into a huge area as big as the tree itself. The tree looked almost like a replica of Ashka's, except it was smaller and not quite as wide at the base. And it was perfect.
Sharra stared at the opening, debating going inside to make sure when the pain clutched at her abdomen, forcing her knees to buckle and her breath to hitch. Like it or not, this was the place, and the time was now.
A/N: Alright so I gave you all a longer chapter, hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping to get the next one up soon, so stay with me! ;)