Uru rasped her tongue over the tiny bodies that were in her arms. Alternating between the two little boys who responded to her attention with little mews but did not wake from their slumber. The Queen was trying to think of names. To the Galelanders, a name was the greatest gift you could give for it had power and potential, the perfect name could lead to greatness while a name that did not fit could lead to despair. As the periwinkle-colored lioness bathed each cub, names danced around her mind like the wind currents that played above the Gale. There were so many names to choose from, each had its own power. But when she came across a likely name there would be something that would not fit. Her heart couldn't help but ache despite the fun she was having trying out names for her children. These would be the first cubs, the only cubs, to have names. They would carry this gift with them for as long as their circle continued.
The greatest of joys...The deepest of sorrows...all in one.
~~~~
A young mother laid in the den that she had chosen from one of the few safe places in this land of rogues. In her forearms were two cubs and at her belly were two more cubs. A large litter was uncommon for a first time mother, and for one so young. But the birth had went smoothly and all four cubs were healthy. Uru was exhausted, but despite her body wanting to sleep, she just couldn't. Her gray-blue eyes kept trailing over her new babies, taking in the appearance of each one and feeling her heart and being fill with warm love. But the grandest gift...was the ability to name the life she had created. But her body finally got its wish and she fell into a gentle slumber. Tomorrow she would give them names. The princess quickly learned that being a rogue mother was more difficult than being just a normal rogue lioness. There were no pridesisters who would bring her food while she rested or watch the cubs while she went off to hunt. As for the matter of food...her body was weak from birth which hindered her speed. When she returned to the den, her belly was hollowed with hunger and as she laid down, the babies squirmed to her belly to get what milk she could produce, but it was limited. She had to try harder or else her cubs would die from starvation. Uru forced herself to her feet and once more left her cubs. She would be successful and bring down enough food that would fill her belly and make her milk flow, and then, once they were safe and well fed, she would bestow names upon her children. When she left them the second time, it was the last time she would see them alive.
Uru would not let the same mistake happen twice. When she found the best place for her cubs, she refused to let any other lioness near it. Any lioness who happened by was sent off with a warning and a nick from claws. The birth was slightly hard, but Uru had grown since the first time and now she was ready for the challenges of raising cubs as a rogue lioness. After a painful spasm, the first cub came, and there was silence. The blue-gray lioness turned to begin lapping at the little mass of fur, but her breath caught in her throat. The cub was perfectly formed...but very still. She tentatively licked at it, waiting for it to inhale sharply and let out a mew or wail. But there was nothing. The cub was stillborn. Blinking back tears, Uru carefully shoved the little corpse away. She would have the remaining cubs and then set out the preparations for burial. In minutes there were three cubs in a cave of silence. The second cub had came in silence and like its first sibling, it did not respond. The third and finaly cub was the same. Three cubs...all born dead. They were born and died nameless, as was the fate of the cubs who did not live to see the sun.
A mew jolted Uru from her painful memories. She had been licking the little orange cub firmer than needed and he finally had enough and chose to protest at the attention. His chunkier brother merely yawned before nestling back to sleep. At that moment the Queen knew the names she wanted to give her two precious cubs. Uru gently touched her notched pink nose to the larger cub's head.
"I say these words before The Great Spirit and the Kings and the Queens of the Pasts." she said in a soft voice. "This cub you see before you shall be known as Mufasa. He will be the future king of the Pridelands, but also the first of my children that bore a name. I pray that you will grant him knowledge and wisdom to lead this kingdom and protect the people within it." The newly named Mufasa let out another large yawn and Uru smiled fondly, licking his large nose tenderly. Her attention then went to the smaller cub and she repeated the sacred words once more. "And this cub shall be Taka. Not for the filth of the world, but because he got the chance to receive the greatest gift...and the wish that his siblings could had been this lucky. Let him run and play and bring goodness and light to the kingdom and that he will never know the pain and darkness that I had to suffer." As she leaned down to lick Taka's little notched nose, the cub screwed up his face and mewled in protest which made her give a light laugh. She could forsee many future battles over washing in the future, but for once it seemed to be a future that she had always wanted.
If only it hadn't turned so dark.