Tahja Estes
She had taken her duty as nanny with the utmost joy, glad to be able to offer her aide to the pride, and with her two adopted cubs in tow the three (soon to be six) had picked out a place to stay in the caves of Pride Rock.

Tai padded into the shade of the cooler stone as the sun continued to beat outside in patches.

"This way now, you two." She called back softly, moving to settle down and sit once she felt that they were far enough inside.

Lightning Shadow X
Zira followed after her pristine white mother, who had grown awfully large the past few weeks.
The small black cub walking just behind the older lioness as they went deeper into the caves, squinting a little in the darkness.

"It's cooler than it is out there, momma." She said softly, still young and nieve about life and it's wonders.
Like the sun and the concept of hot and cold and where it was hot and cold.
But right now, she just wanted to follow mum.

Tahja Estes
"That's because the sunlight can't reach in here. The rocks don't like the heat."

She explained to her daughter, smiling quietly to whoever else might be inhabiting the caves at that point in time.

Choosing a spot near the wall, then, Tai eased herself to settle down, grateful for the chance to rest her paws and her growing girth. The cool stones felt good on her white pelt, which tended to attract the heat rather than protect her from it. Room was left for Zira and her brother to curl up beside Tai if they wanted, as the lioness' chest heaved a bit. A soft pant, cooling down further in place of sweating, which her fur prevented.

Amy D
If a china-white lioness being followed by a sooty-black cub was not strange enough, the bright red cub also in tow would have boggled most minds. He often stopped to look around, then rush to catch up, then stop again, then rush again. Udhahiri really was quite peculiar at times, sometimes just stopping and staring at the sky until he fell backwards in its awe.

He hesitated at the mouth of the cool caves. He liked the light. He liked to see things. But when it was dark, he didn't like the unknown. All he had at night was sound and smell, which wasn't enough. He had to see things, he had to know what was there.

Udhahiri practically tip-toed into the cave, this time choosing to stick close to his sister and not stop for anything. At least this way, he wouldn't get lost and he could see what he knew best.

"Its dark in here..." he mumbled quietly.

Tahja Estes
Perhaps, even if only times like these, it was a blessing for Tai's bright white pelt. She had been one of the most esteemed huntresses back in her childhood pride (where, surprisingly, most of the lions were anything but pale, save for those tied directly to the king), with all the snow, but here she felt completely out of her element. She stood out like a sore thumb amidst all the greens, though it was better during the seasons when the grasses turned golden shades of brown and tan. In the evening hours she was like a ghost wandering about, much like her nieces and nephew, and brother.

In the dark of the cave she could be easily found, almost glowing against the shadows the inner caverns cast. If not for her pelt, then surely for the happiness she felt. Though they weren't her own she took great pride and joy in watching Zira and Udha grow, and hoped that when her blood-litter came they would all get along, and become an even bigger family amidst the pride.

They were young now, but soon they'd begin growing into their inborn skills. Their eyes would learn to adjust more quickly between light and dark, and they'd become more aware of their other senses when they couldn't rely on their eyes. For now, however, Tai offered comforting reassurances.

"Your eyes will adjust soon, Udhahiri..."

Amy D
His sister practically melted into the walls, whereas his 'mother' was easy to find again in the murkiness. True, the cave wasn't totally devoid of light, like Udha might have originally thought, but it was a farcry from being outside.

He crept up alongside his mother's tummy and nestled into the growing pudge that would soon be his new brothers and/or sisters. Although too young to have formed any strong opinion on siblings, he did hope for at least one brother to play with.

Udha soon began to fidget again, this time shuffled along Tai's body until he reache her forepaws, where he collapsed into a cute litlte bundle at her paws.

Tahja Estes
Her smile grew a little wider as Udha drew closer, and she leant down, craning her neck over to run her tongue over her son's back, and the back of his head. She certainly didn't mind.

"Are you tired or hungry, sweetheart?" She asked softly, giving him a gentle nudge with her nose.

Amy D
Udha muchly appreciated the motherly show of affection from Tai and was quite pouty to feel it stop. He continued to wobbled around and over his mother's paws and front legs in restlessness, eyes occasionally gazing out to the sunshine, and then back in again to the darker inside of the cave.

"Why'd we have ta move?" he asked bluntly.

Tahja Estes
"I'm sorry Udha, but I need to be closer to the rest of the pride so I can do my job..." Which was to look after the rest of the pride's children and keep them entertained when their parents couldn't, or at least, the ones that stayed at pride rock.

As he crawled over her foreleg again Tai took the chance to lift her paw, snagging and cradling him in said appendage and drawing him in closer, tickling his exposed underbelly with her nose.

"Wait until you meet some of the others your age here, you'll like it. And soon you'll have more siblings of your own to play with too."

Amy D
Udha's 'pouty face' was soon gone when Tai began to tickle him with her nose. He wriggled and squirmed, giggles escaping his little muzzle as he tried to resist or to escape, or even fight back, most attempts quite futile.

Eventually, he just seemed to tumble from Tai's cradled paw and his giggles came to a slow stop. He looked up at her with a searching expression.

"What is your job? Will you still be able to play with me?" he asked, a little selfishly.

Lightning Shadow X
As Udha played with mother, Zira investigated the cave slightly, sniffing at the darkness with childish curiousity.
Did things live in the dark?
Where they friendly or would they hurt her family?
At the thought she let out a small immature growl, seeing as she wasn't big or old enough to make a proper one and tottered back over to her large mother.

Zira had never been one to enjoy cuddling much, but she did love to snuggle up beside her mom and as she reached the pure white lioness she didn't hesitate nuzzling her small dark form against her pudgy belly.
But as her younger brother asked her job, she had to look at her curiously.

"Do you hunt for the pwide momma?" Dangit, she always had a problem with that word.
Well no matter, she'd grow out of it.

Tahja Estes
Oh goodness, now, how to explain this without panicking the cubs...? She wasn't so sure that they'd be so fond of the idea of sharing her with all the other children, but thankfully her job did still mean she could spend quite some time with them still. There would be other nannies to help with the cubs, there being such a staggering number within the pride and all. Tai let Udha loose and glanced to Zira as she joined in on the questioning as well. She leant close then, purring and giving Zira a bit of the same affection Udha had recieved then.

"Of course I'll still have time for you, both of you. I would never take a job that kept me from spending time with the two of you." She smiled with solid reassurance, speaking as though the very idea was ridiculous. It was true, she knew her duties even before they'd been born, she wouldn't have volunteered herself to take these two in if she felt her role would keep her from giving them the care and love they needed and deserved. "I help watch the other cubs while the other mothers and fathers are hunting and doing their jobs. But there will be a lot of other helpers too. My job is to keep track of and tell you all about the stories and legends from all over the lands."

Amy D
Udha's pout flashed across his face once more as he saw his sister approach AND receive affection from mother. And whilst he was listening, he was only half-listening as he then put on his determined face to bat at his sister's head. It required some wiggling and shuffling, but he had to do it!

So, of course, only a few of Tai's words filtered through to his ears...

"Stories? You're gonna tell us stories?" he asked excitedly.

Lightning Shadow X
Zira smiled sweetly at her mother before staring at her brother for a few moment and rolling her golden eye's.
He never gave up did he?
However as she was batted by the red cub she blinked and narrowed her yellow orbs at him dangerously.
It was a mock warning ofcourse, but they where still siblings.
And after a few moments she pounced the little male playfully.

Nobody batted Zira and got away with it!

She was also curious about what stories momma told too, but couldn't really ask as she now had baby fluff muffling her mouth full of tiny teeth.

Tahja Estes
Tai didn't realize that Udha hadn't heard most of what she said, and even if she had, repeating it would have been useless as his sister had now engaged him in a wrestling match. She monitored the two carefully with icey-blue eyes to be sure that neither would be hurt or get upset.

"Mmmhmm..." She answered.

A little play-fighting among siblings was a good thing, Ausi had been sure to tell Tai once before, after noticing that the two did seem close enough to engage in it. It did them good, it taught them things they'd use later in life, while it was harmless now, it would protect them later. In addition to this it honed their instincts. If one didn't use their instincts they'd eventually grow passive from said disuse. Who'd ever heard of a lion without instincts, after all?

Amy D
Udha met his sister's challenge with great zeal, forgetting all about Tai's stories and her watchful eye...and her sensitive belly. Wriggling free from Zira's pounce, he scrambled up his mother and then used her as a vantag point and spring board for an aerial attack on his dark pelted sister.

"Yar! Aha!" he chuckled.