A Golden Return (Ophelia/Jamala/AW!!)

[Erasto]

As the family walks in unison along the jungle's pathways, Erasto finds his breath catching in his throat with an odd sense of déjà vu. When Ophelia, as well as her sisters...Kilua, Amayah, and Sable...were all just cubs, Erasto and Sabine used to parade them for long walks through their jungle home, teaching and sharing all that they could. Soon the girls were familiar with each small stream, several ancient, noteworthy trees, and many of the jungle's nuances that were of importance. Along the way, the girls interacted with the jungle's denizens, meeting face to face with many of Jamala's loyal subjects. How they adored and fawned upon the four sweet little girl cubs - an affection that multiplied further after the sudden departure of their mother, leaving Erasto as a heartbroken single father. Those kind subjects, be they with hooves or wings, tried to offer their assistance as their king coped with Sabine's absence and the strains of raising four rambunctious cubs, but ever since his wife's departure, it was clear that a large piece of Erasto's heart had been ripped from him, leaving him broken and jaded. Thank goodness he had his girls to keep him walking down those jungle paths day after day.....

After glancing over his shoulder with a wide, soft smile, Erasto turns his gaze forward to find a familiar form approaching from the distance. Instinctively, Erasto's muscles tense ever-so-slightly, his body immediately reacting in a defensive matter towards the approaching male. Though the lithe white king trusts Kahllynn's good intentions, the sight of the newcomer's powerful form still makes Erasto a tad wary and guarded. Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, Erasto regards the border guard with a pleasant, though slightly forced smile.

Kahllynn! How good it is to see you out and about at this late hour! On this very evening, great fortune has smiled upon our jungle home!

Erasto finds that there's no need to offer an introduction as Kah quickly identifies the lioness behind him with a sudden wave of suppressed emotion. Immediately, the king's face sinks and his ears droop as he registers the strain in Kahllynn's voice. After finding a connection....a bond, really....in the shared tragedy of losing a daughter, here stands Erasto, reunited with his own kin that had supposedly passed away. Meanwhile, before his very eyes stands Kahllynn, a lion whose own child is never coming back to him. A deep sense of pity and embarrassment falls over Erasto as he stands before the short, stocky lion, wishing desperately that there was some way he could aid poor Kahllynn's aching heart. Yet, it seems that at least there will be a welcome distraction as Enzi and Baraka suddenly bound towards the heartsick lion.

With a soft, pained smile, Erasto watches as his curious grandsons engage Kahllynn with a barrage of questions. As the cubs question and muse about Kahllynn’s place within the pride and family, Erasto gives a light laugh before feeling the need to interject.

My boys......you'd certainly think that Kahllynn comes from our own blood with markings like his, wouldn't you? But the miracle of it lies in the fact that Kahllynn comes from a place far, far away....and somehow....someway....he found his way to a place where there a lions just like him! Kahllynn is learning from your Uncle Salio about the ways of Jamala. Eventually, we hope he joins our pride, and therefore, joins our Jamalan family. For though we may not share the same history or blood, when a lion becomes a part of his or her pride, they become a part of a much larger family, you see?

This moment has proven to be a valuable teaching moment for the cubs. Though Jamala has not served as the shining beacon of inclusion and welcome that the neighboring Shadowlands seem to have advertised for generations, the Jamalan jungle is still can be an open and welcoming place for those who work hard to prove their worth. Without accepting outsiders into the pride, Jamala would have never had the likes of Erasto's mother, Malita, his mate, Sabine, Upaji's husband, Jalon, or Thando's bride-to-be, Amina. Indeed, the influence of outsiders has added depth and a literal splash of color amidst the oftentimes black and white lions of Jamala....

With a toss of his head, Erasto indicates that the troupe should move on as he speaks once again.

Well, Kahllynn.....if you'll excuse us, we're off to find Queen Sabine, as she has not seen Ophelia or her grandcubs yet. Please, do feel welcome to travel with us if you like....you are certainly more than welcome.

It is a leap of faith, allowing Kahllynn to be so close to his grandcubs. After the horror of seeing what Fig did to poor Kilua all those seasons ago, it is a wonder that Erasto would ever open his own family to such danger once again. It's as if Erasto, as wary as he is, can sense the good in Kahllynn's heart, though it will certainly take some time before this trust is made whole and complete.....or will it?

(OOC: This should help transition into the next thread.....Sabby, are you around so we can continue this one? I can't wait until "grandma" to meets the boys )

[Thando]

(OOC: Since I can't bring him into the other thread until the fight is over, I thought I'd show up here. If you don't want him around yet, just let me know and I'll wait to meet Phe and her boys until after the fight. And obviously this would occur before Upaji's thread, however that works out...)

Before Erasto's last words have barely faded from Kahllynn's ears, however, let alone before the white lion can depart with his reunited family to meet Sabine, the underbrush and foliage of the jungle nearby stirs and rustles as if in a nonexistent wind as something quite large pushes and bulls its way through from an unseen pathway. Then, without warning, a deep familiar chuff announces the presence of another Jamalan and a bright flash of gleaming gold attracts everyone's eyes--and King Thando steps out into view.

The second Jamalan monarch has rarely visited the savanna--his coloration makes it practically impossible for him to hunt, he has always been more concerned with interlopers who make it to the hidden trails that lead straight to the heart of the peaceful, gentle kingdom and its unsuspecting denizens, and any outsiders who threaten the pride usually enter it from other borders. Not to mention that this savanna was where he had first saved Dimples from a marauding rogue, what seems a lifetime ago; unsurprisingly, he tends to avoid places that bring up such painful memories of a time and love long lost, not even visiting Mwezi Falls for at least a year after his old mate's vanishing. But he still visits this savanna once in a while, if only to be thorough and cautious in his defensive patrols.

Today, however, that isn't why he came here. The previous days had been spent dealing with the fallout of his proposal to Amina, as well as integrating Kahllynn into pride duties. While Salio had been the one to show the former rogue all the boundaries and paths, Thando had still taken it upon himself to carefully and clearly instruct the black-and-white lion on his duties, and exactly where he was and was not allowed; thanks to being an interim member only, certain actions were circumscribed until Kah had proven himself, such as not being left alone with cubs or lone females, not hunting until he had been apprised of the prey's hierarchy and local agreements with the herds, and so on. The largest Jamalan had also spent some fruitless time searching once again for Jalon, and Upaji's missing cubs, to no avail. All of which means he hasn't gotten to inform his brother yet about the outcome of his proposal...and an encounter with Busuri as well as a simple scenting of the air had told Thando that Erasto could be found here, though not why.

As he emerges from concealment and approaches his brother, having run into him before even reaching said savanna, the golden lion of course immediately spies Kahllynn nearby, and for a moment he pauses uncertainly; the fact Erasto is here in his company means nothing must be amiss, and perhaps he too is even joining in the rogue's education of Jamala's ways, which are incredibly (and thankfully!) different from those of his former pride. But it still seems on odd coincidence... Nevertheless, he smiles in a friendly fashion and gives Kah a courteous nod and half-bow before turning to the others. As he does so, the wind shifts, bringing a scent to his nose...one he hasn't smelled in a very long time, thanks to his own enforced captivity among the humans. There is also, of course, no mistaking the burnished hues of the beautiful lioness's pelt, ones which she (unlike no others in Jamala to date, save Amayah) had inherited as he had. He gasps.

"Ophelia? Is that you...?!"

A quick flick of his blue eyes from his niece back to Erasto, from whose extremely relieved, proud, tender-hearted gaze he can immediately tell that his surmise is correct--why else would his brother be so happy, and so uncharacteristically relaxed, unless his final missing daughter had been found? Then he is looking back, and down, to the other occupants of the forest trail, whose scent, though unfamiliar to him, bears enough resemblance to Ophelia's he can put two and two together. Unaware, of course, how the cubs will react to seeing a truly massive specimen of lion, larger than Kahllynn, Erasto, and their own father, he only smiles and lets out a deep, kind, and loving chuckle from within his broad, chestnut-maned chest.

"And...are these your boys? My, you've done much since we saw you last..."

Winking at Phe, he can't seem to tear his bright eyes off of Baraka and Enzi. As Erasto knows all too well, and his daughter may remember too, Thando has always, always had a soft spot for cubs, whether those of his fellow king, his Shadowlands kin whom he had taken under his paw after Mansa's death, or even random visitors to their lands. He adores them deeply, and protects them with vigorous ferocity. If all goes well with Amina, he may finally get to have some of his own...but for now he simply has a lump in his throat as he reflects on the missing children of Upaji he has yet to meet, and on the wonder that is Jamala continuing to grow and prosper despite its recent hardships...surely the Kings are smiling down on them...

[kahllynn]

After the initial shock of seeing Ophelia for the first time, taking in her burnished bronze coat, her deep green eyes, and the two rambunctious little cubs that were obviously hers, Kahllynn remembers himself quickly and bows formally to Erasto and his daughter.

"Thank you for the offer Sire, I would love to walk with you. However, I think tonight is a night that I would wish to be by myself, and you, no doubt, to spend this time with your daughter. I think I might head on down to the grassland border and walk around a bit." Kah shoots a smile in Ophelia's direction, a warm sincere smile, and he crouches down to the two boys.

"Psst," he whispers to the cubs, while winking at the adults behind them. Kah does love children, and he enjoys spending time with cubbish minds and innocent faces.
Appealing to the mischievous nature of young boys, Kahllynn decides to have a little bit of fun with them, in the knowledge of a shared 'secret'.

"Hey, remember how I said I wasn't part of the family? We can have a little secret...how about if I be your secret...uncle! But nobody else will know, so you have to promise not to tell a single soul until we decide it's safe for everyone else to find out, okay?"

Kah is speaking in a whisper that is clearly audible to Erasto and Ophelia, and he hopes dearly that they won't take his little game the wrong way. The funny thing is, although Kah does not know it yet, is that he will be filling that role in time anyway, if things go well with his like-pelted Kilua!
After all, cubs speak to his heart, and he hopes that when he is a trusted member of the pride, he will be able to enjoy spending time with them alone, supervising them in their playfights. Of course, play-fighting is not play, for Kah, and all he can give them is his knowledge in combat.

This is knowledge that the cubs would probably receive from King Thando or their father, but Kah has a finesse for combat, a sort of sixth sense, in a way, and he dearly hopes that he will be able to teach them something, as a gift to them.

He flips an ear back to Thando's welcoming chuff, and returns the golden king's greeting with a bow, both welcoming and giving respect to him. As Thando greets Ophelia and her boys with surprise and delight, Kah feels a wave of sadness wash over him again, and he silently melts away into the night...just wanting to be alone...

[Ophelia]

Ophelia padded alongside Erasto with Baraka seated comfortably on her shoulder blades. Also like her father, she was feeling a keen sense of déjà vu, for she was remembering the times she had walked the paths of Jamala with her sisters by her side. There were so many memories for her, pouncing on prim, proper Amayah, wrestling with the tougher Sabine, arguing with the inquisitive Kilua! And of course, the lion at the forefront of it all, her dear father. As a parent now, Phe understood the hardships of raising children, and she only had two! The golden lioness marvelled at her father's dedication to his daughters, whilst also juggling his kingdom without her mother by his side for so long.

And her mother. A small part of Ophelia had never forgiven her parents for being apart while she lived with them as a child. After her capture, she had many hours to think and question her mother's incentives, many thoughts on her father's vow to remain by her side even throughout her wandering needs. Through the harrowing time as a captive of the twolegs, Phe had come to a complete understanding of her mother, and a complete forgiveness. Knowing that she was so close to seeing her again for the first time in seasons, she quickened her pace, almost automatically. Her sisters were still alive, - Kilua was well! - and her mother had returned.

The only piece missing from Phe was Bahati...and she allowed herself a moment of thought for him, failing to notice Baraka slip from her shoulder blades and run up to a lion who was a damned mirror image of her father!

Ophelia's first reaction was concern for her boys, but Erasto's immediate cordial greeting to him eased her troubles. Warily, she returns his smile and half-bows in return.

"Kahllynn, was it? That is such an unusual name! Well, the boys seem quite taken with you, and they're a fairly good judge of character! I'm pleased to meet you. Now, I must say, although I'm sure everyone says it, but Daddy, are you sure this lion isn't my brother?! Or yours? You two are identical!"

Ophelia's laugh is silvery throughout the air and she smiles gracefully at Kahllynn as he begins to whisper to the cubs. As she listens to what he's saying, she rolls her eyes, snickers and leans on Erasto.

"Don't humour them, they're bad enough as it is, without secrets to keep! You'll have them on this for days, and if they get too bad, I'll be offloading them onto you to look after!"

Ophelia begins to ask the young lion how he has come to Jamala when she hears the brush tremble and a magnificent golden figure comes into form.

"Why, if it isn't my favourite Uncle Thando!" she exclaims, rushing up to the big lion and nuzzling him. As a child, Ophelia adored the big lion, revering him and loving to tease the fellow. As her sons were growing up, she always sensed a wild cheekiness in them that she was sure didn't come from her proper and rule-following father, but from their big-hearted, kind great-uncle.

"Yes, yes, these are my boys, Uncle Thando. This is Baraka, my oldest son, and this is Enzi, the baby of the family."

Phe snickers with a love for her sons that shines through her very eyes as she gazes upon them. As she introduces them, she puffs up a little bit, in pride, they are certainly Jamalan princes, and very much in personality too. Trailing their mother for days over the heat was no mean feat, and Phe hasn't yet grabbed the chance to sit down with them and talk to them properly about it. She suspects it will make a good story for her family to hear, when they are all together.

"And you, Uncle? How have you been? It has been so long since I saw you all last..."

Ophelia's smile grows wistful as she thinks of all the important moments she must have missed. But still, she is here now, and here is home. Finally...

Phe is so distracted with Thando that she fails to notice Kahllynn softly padding away, and by the time she has noticed it is too late. The young lion looked a little..sad...and she resolves to seek him out tomorrow and introduce him properly to the boys. She figures Erasto or Thando will come ith her, as he is new to the pride, but she senses his good heart, and so do her cubs.

Little does she know that she will cross paths with him very soon....but in a way that will have her already fighting for the lives of herself and her sons...

[Sabine]

Though her time back in her homeland had been breif, and so far, filled with the sounds of battle and fear. Not to discount her own internal struggle and regression from the lioness she once was. Yet, somehow, the Jungle had a healing effect on her. A heart warming melange or hope, love and family. The likes of which she'd concluded many seasons ago, that she'd lost, to her own inability to be the kind of mate, mother and matriarch that Jamala so rightfully deserved.

She'd come back from the battle with the two leggeds, sporting a striking head wound. It had healed nicely in the days since, but the sheer force of the impact had left her "tree-ridden" for the last number of days. Dizzy spells overcame the middle aged lioness with the dull grey pelt. Her turquoise orbs had a hard time seeing things that were around her, it was as if she was going through those few days in a kind of haze. It hadn't been until the previous night that she had felt well, and stable on her legs, enough to venture out of the treetop home she shared with Erasto. She had hoped the refreshing evening air would have a soothing effect. Maybe it did, but it certainly had not turned out as planned.

She stayed away from the treetop that night. Not certain of how to explain her absence and reasoning for even the short period of time that she was gone. But she knew she'd have to try. If their marriage was to survive, she knew, a very significant conversation and compromises would have to be made. It was no secret that she loved Erasto with every fiber of her being. It was partly that love that drove her away. Drove her to near madness and broke something inside her. She felt he deserved someone better. Someone she had once tried to be, and failed as far as she was concerned, and now, something even more pressing on her mind. She had to find him, she at very least had to be honest.

She padded slowly but delberately to the edge of the jungle, where she thought perhaps the best likelyhood of being able to spot him in a more open area, would be. In the distance, she could make out what looked like Erasto and Goldenish form. Her eyesight was still not completely back to normal, or else she may have seen the striking amount of white on the felines head. She padded towards the two of them slowly, still a distance away, and with her sight being what it currently was, she hadn't even spotted the small brown cubs.

Oh what a day today would prove to be.

OOC: Still rusty, not getting much practice.
Kah, I think you mean Sable in your above post. Not Sabine.

[Erasto]

What had once been an intimate family gathering only hours ago soon blossoms into a busy, joyous family reunion as more and more and more lions come to discover that one of Jamala's greatest treasures has finally returned. As Thando's large, golden form emerges like a bright beacon from the surrounding jungle foliage, Erasto lifts his head high, his icy blue eyes widening with delighted surprise. As the wide smile, which has been so prevalent on Erasto's features today, returns to the white lion's muzzle, he watches as his brother and co-monarch approaches Ophelia. The astonishment and delighted shock on Thando's face reflects the emotion that still ebbs through Erasto's own mind, and with an amused chuckle, Erasto cannot help but to think that he must have looked the same way, only with an even greater intensity, when he first laid eyes on Phe only hours ago.

Thando's comment regarding Ophelia's activities while she was away shoos away Erasto's dreamy smile for a moment as he furrows his brows and gives an uncomfortable flick of his ear. Though Ophelia's overprotective father is overjoyed by the arrival of his very first grandcubs, he is still not thrilled about the age at which his daughter must have produced him. Though Ophelia's description of the cubs' father is nothing but noble and admirable, Erasto cannot help but to think that his daughter was awfully young to be having her first litter, regardless of the circumstances around her. Yet, quite contrary to Erasto's usual nature, the white lion does not feel the need to bring up or dwell upon this turn in Ophelia's life. What matters now is that she is here...safe and sound....with two more precious lives in her care. Upon refocusing on this fact, Erasto does not respond to his brother's joke as he forces a smile back upon his face.

Shifting his gaze away from Ophelia, Thando, Kahllynn, and the cubs for a brief moment, Erasto's keen eyes soon freeze upon a dark form approaching from a distance. With a stretch of his long, thin neck and a swivel of his ears, the white lion studies Sabine's form for a long moment before he offers a few hasty words to those around him.

Please....please excuse me for a moment.....

In one graceful, fluid motion, Erasto slips between Ophelia and Thando's form before walking briskly towards Sabine's approaching form. Surely, if the others shift their gaze towards the direction in which Erasto walks, they will see the Jamalan queen in the distance, but from his posture and quick departure, it is clear that the white lion would like to speak with his wife before she stumbles upon the surprise that awaits her.

In a matter of moments, Erasto finds himself standing before Sabine, his gaze immediately shifting with a worried glance towards the wound that has begun to close up atop of his beloved's soft, dark-furred head. Ducking his head down slightly to meet the lioness's still rather dazed gaze, Erasto peers into her unfocused eyes as he speaks softly and gently, his every word laced with concern.

Darling.....how are you feeling? Your vision....any improvement since yesterday? The headaches? Have they subsided a bit?

Leave it to Erasto to overwhelm his mate with questions right off the bat! After casting a quick glance over his shoulder at the crowd behind him, Erasto turns back to Sabine, practically bursting at the seams with excitement as he tries to temper his words with a sort of gentle tactfulness. Perhaps easing Sabine into this discovery will be best for her, considering her current state.

Sabby....I have some wonderful.....well, rather incredible news! Earlier today, as I went for a walk in Jamala's grasslands, I came across somebody. Someone that you and I have missed horribly for all too long! Darling......our daughter......Ophelia........she's home!

Knowing all too well that his headstrong wife may plow past at any given moment, Erasto hurries the rest of his words. Sabine's motherly instincts have always been stronger than most, and the knowledge that her daughter stands nearby will certainly not keep the lioness by her mate's side for much longer. As such, the white lion hurries to break the rest of his news before she rushes onward.

And Sabby....she has sons.....two sons! We're.....we grandparents, darling! Come....come see!

With that, Erasto spins around, his own excitement overcoming him as he walks with Sabine towards the gathering of friends and family. Perhaps he did not break the news as tactfully or calmly as he could have, but even a lion who lives by his brain can be overwhelmed by his heart from time to time....

[Thando]

For a moment Thando allows himself to become distracted from the absolutely adorable, handsome cubs arrayed before him by the quick flicker of black and white out of the corner of his eye, and he jerks his massive head about in time to catch Kahllynn's quick but respectful bow...and his sudden retreat as he vanishes into the foliage as silently as a ghost. He blinks in disbelief--not only at this amazing ability of one so bulky and muscular, one who as a warrior would seem more geared toward frontal assaults and unrelenting pummeling of the enemy rather than sneaking and subterfuge, but at the fact Kahllynn is departing at all.

After a few more moments, the golden monarch hangs his head slightly, a pained expression crossing his face...for it doesn't take him long at all to conclude he is the reason the new border guard fled. Granted, despite wanting so desperately to find a pride to belong to, it would surely be overwhelming for Kah to be around so many new faces, especially cubs and lionesses who might remind his of his lost mate and daughter. But Thando is positive that his...less than unconditional welcome has caused Kah to at least be nervous around him, if not terrified of him.

He must rectify this state of affairs as soon as possible. So far as yet he has not personally witnessed nor had reported to him by Subiri or Busuri anything untoward from the young lion who is nearly Erasto's twin--the warrior has been the soul of gallantry with model behavior, an infectious good humor and kindness, and a knack for befriending everyone he encounters. If this is all still somehow an act, Kah is the most clever and talented deceiver he's ever met...but he is becoming more and more convinced the border guard is on the up-and-up. Which means it behooves him to establish a more friendly, open, accepting relationship with Kah as soon as possible...

Turning back to face his niece as she greets him with such warmth and touching affection, all thoughts of Kahllynn are driven from his mind as he embraces Ophelia--gently, as ever aware of his great strength, yet at the same time as firm and intense as he dares. He remembers a slightly haughty, prim and proper princess who in many ways took after her aunt Nadra's worst traits with few of her positive ones...but he also remembers how she would let down this facade whenever she found the opportunity to joke and play with her massive uncle. It had been one of many fond memories he shared with his brother's children...

Smirking lopsidedly at the lithesome, radiant, golden-and-white lioness Ophelia has become, the mahogany-maned lion shakes his head and tsks scoldingly under his breath.]

"I'm your only uncle. And you'd better not forget it! Still...welcome home."

As his mock-sternness fades into solicitousness and tenderness, Thando glances from one cub to the other with approval, pride, and a beaming smile of love and acceptance. Even the brief scoff he makes cannot mar his otherwise caring countenance--there's no way his great-nephews could mistake him for anything but one who will treasure and adore them unconditionally.

"The baby? You mean the way I was the baby...younger but the largest! I can already tell Enzi's going to take after me...or perhaps his father? And unless I miss my guess, I see my brother's intellect and cunning in Baraka's eyes..."

Completely unaware of how this seeming emphasis upon his brother's strength over his mind may make Baraka feel inferior and unimportant in the scheme of things, Thando nevertheless pauses with a worried frown, for more reasons than one. If Baraka and Enzi have inherited their grandfather and great-uncle's body types and talents, what if they have also inherited the rivalry and at times uneasy relationship of their forebears? He can only hope history will not repeat itself...though at least he thinks it safe to believe from the closeness these boys share that there will not be a recurrence from one generation farther back, the relationship of Kivuli and Othello...

On the other paw, mentioning Baraka and Enzi's sire brings a different worry entirely to his mind. Unlike Erasto, Thando has absolutely no issue with Ophelia bearing children at so young an age--aside from the fact Jamala needs all the new life it can get to help rebuild the pride and put behind the tragedies of the past, the golden lion is simply no prude. Upaji had had a cub young (although the circumstances were of course terrible), and if Dimples had stayed Thando might well have children Ophelia's age by now. No, he is simply worried at what the absence of the cubs' father meant. Had something happened to him? Surely Ophelia would not have left him behind if she could have helped it. Had he left her, or...?

Before he can think of a way to query his niece circumspectly enough not to upset her offspring, Erasto suddenly and unexpectedly makes his departure to the far side of the clearing--where Sabine has just as abruptly put in an appearance! A brief look of concern crosses Thando's face, as he is well aware of the injuries she sustained in rescuing her daughter and one of the Princes of Hidaya...is it right for her to be up and about so soon? Enough time has passed according to the schedule Nadra had given before returning to the Shadowlands, and they still have a steady supply of healing herbs and medicines should Sabine relapse...but so soon after her rather spectacular and hopefully permanent return to Jamala, this dutiful brother-in-law is not taking any chances.

Still, Erasto is there to care for her, and clearly deserves private time with his mate, if for no other reason than to prepare her for the joyful shock awaiting her. And his brother's exit practically compels Thando to find a distraction to keep the others out of Sabine's way until her husband is ready for her to join them. Ophelia's innocent question provides the perfect opening...and a way to subtly bring up his suspicions about her vanished mate.

"How have I been? As well as can be expected, considering the circumstances. Yes, it has been a while...not just for you, but for anyone to have seen me. You wouldn't have known this at the time, but I left Jamala when you were still a cub, Ophelia. I was looking for your cousin Tamu...I'm afraid I didn't find him, though he finally got home on his own. I found...many other things instead."

His voice drops, and he flicks his eyes briefly to Baraka and Enzi before practically mouthing the final words.

"Such as the two-legs."

Thando might have said more, had not Erasto and Sabine begun to approach at that moment. But then again, maybe not. He hardly wishes to relive yet again the trauma of his imprisonment, nor especially to speak of it before his grand-nephews. Grand-Nephews? Great Kings, do I feel old! Ophelia can read between the lines however that something distressing had occurred, and can perhaps discreetly and indirectly learn the full story while her sons are busy meeting their grandmother. Or she can ask him later. After all, it is something he and his niece now have in common, though he would never have wished it upon her...

[Ophelia]

Ophelia giggles as Thando embraces her with all of the strength and vigour that she remembered from him when she was a cub. So big, the lion is, that Ophelia feels quite dwarfed in his presence, although she herself is as nearly as tall as her father, she is by no means a tiny lioness!

Phe is still much like her Aunt Nadra as an adult, although most of the golden lioness's unpleasant traits (namely her selfishness and complaining attitude) have been left by the wayside as a result of her growing up and caring for her sons. Now, she resembles her aunt in the way she moves, her natural grace and mannerisms as she speaks, the tenderness and love she holds for her sons and family.

She still insists upon prim and proper ways around the boys, as she will always set the proper example in her mannerism around them. It is clearly something that little Baraka has picked up on immediately, and something that Enzi is always reminded about, and usually by his watchful brother!

She laughs, the sound of her voice tinkling sweetly amongst the darkened canopy.

"True, my dearest Uncle! And all the better, too, if I had any others, you'd still be my favourite!" The wide smile that graces the lioness's face only grins wider as Thando mentions Enzi's likeness to himself, and she ran a paw over her son's back lovingly. Enzi was build very much like Thando, with big, oversized paws, a taller and bulkier build than his littler brother, and a big, wide face. The little lion had a personality to match, too, a cheeky and playful disposition, just like his uncle. Thando was correct also in his eyeings of her firstborn - more than a slight resemblance to Erasto was evident in Baraka's face and mind, and she bent down and rubbed cheeks with her older son at his mention.

Ophelia narrows her eyes as she follows Thando's logical thought process and came to the correct conclusion that he was wondering about Bahati's whereabouts. Also resonating in the young lioness's mind is the disapproval her father is keeping so admirably quiet about, and she resolves to speak to him about it as soon as she can occupy her sons with something interesting. But for now, she can almost feel the question burning from within Thando's eyes, and she places a paw on his, looking deep into his blue orbs.
"He didn't leave me, and I love him..." she whispers in earnest. "He has been missing...I stayed for days, but he never came..."

Thando will not know what the golden lioness's story is, exactly, and thus will probably find it difficult to understand what she is meaning. But it will be enough for now, to show the huge, gentle lion that her mate is still in her heart, if not with her in body.

As Erasto rushes off towards something, Ophelia cannot see who it is just yet, or she will most certainly have sprung to her paws and rushed across to her immediately, she leans in to listen to her golden uncle, her eyebrows creasing together ever so slightly as he explains that he, too, had been away...and had been caught by the twolegs! Immediately, her eyes flick to the boys, who were hopefully not eavesdropping on their conversation. Baraka most certainly wouldn't, and would probably keep Enzi out of such a bad habit, too, but her youngest son had a way of nosing straight into a conversation and launching into his own opinion on whatever was the subject matter. For now, they were trailing Erasto, just a little behind him, Baraka had most probably instructed Enzi to remain out of earshot while he talked to their Grandma, and they would then rush up to her, buying Ophelia precious time to talk to her much-loved uncle, especially on such a serious issue.

"You met the twolegs as well? They had me captive for a time, before I escaped. One met his end at my teeth, the rest were too frightened to track me, and by morning, I was long gone."

Phe quickly informs Thando of a condensed version of her story in order to keep the cubs from overhearing. She tells the story quite matter-of-factly, for in her eyes, she was never hurt by them, only chained, and she had found Bahati because of them, hadn't she? The lioness can almost thank the Great Kings for granting her the misfortune of placing her in their path, ...for without the enforced hiatus from her home...she would never have met Bahati, nor birthed her sons. And they were worth it. Oh, were they worth it.

Noticing the cubs start to turn around to scamper back to her, Ophelia murmers softly to the big lion. "We'll talk more about the twolegs later, Uncle," and cranes her neck to see who is gingerly following her father behind the path. How she shrieks with joy, springs to action in one smooth movement, and lopes up the path to her beautiful, grey-pelted mother! How the tears begin to fall from her emerald-dusted eyes!
As Ophelia reaches her mother, she notices her wound, and she slides alongside her mother, resting her head underneath the Queen's chin with joy and love.

"Mother...oh, Mother...it's me...it's really me! I'm home, and I'm with you and Daddy, and I'll be here forever now..."

Phe has started to shake with tears as her emotions begin to overtake her, and the truth of her words begin to sink in. She feels both overjoyed and broken-hearted...she is home, yet she has missed so many wonderful moments, and so much time...yet the golden lioness bravely lifts her head up and dries her tears on her foreleg.

About to launch into introductions of her cubs, Phe is immediately distracted by the nasty wound upon Sabine's head, and fresh tears begin to well in her eyes again.

"Mother, I missed you so...but look at your head! At this wound! What has happened to you?"

[Enzi]

The youngest son of Ophelia has had a remarkable few days. Alongside his older, intelligent brother, he had been trapped for days in the rockslide that separated his family, was responsible for keeping his nose keenly planted in her scent, had led them, under Baraka's instruction, back to Jamala, the home of his mother and his family, whom he had never met before. The young cub was hardly old enough to have grown out of his baby spots, yet he had undergone more trials in his young life that a cub twice his age.

Enzi's respect and love for his brother was equal to only the love he felt for his parents, and after Baraka had assumed the role as leader and guider throughout their ordeal, little Enzi felt that he would happily stand by his brother's side in the face of any danger or altercation that might come their way.

Of course, the young cub was at a slight disadvantage in that his mind was still extremely young, and quite unable to process the forthcoming future arguments that could possibly take place between the brothers. However, he was correct in one aspect - he would always take Baraka's side in the face of adversaries, and this he would carry all the way into adulthood.

And so it is now, that he is greeted by the biggest lion he has, and most probably will, ever lay eyes on! Although Ophelia had taken the time to describe her family in great detail to both Bahati and the cubs, there was no amount of words that could have prepared Enzi, and most probably his brother, for the mass of lion that was Thando!

He darted directly in front of the mahogany and chestnut lion, staring up at him in delight from wide burnished-bronze eyes. The shock and utter disbelief was etched on every feature in the cub's face, and the way his maw hung open certainly proved to the big lion that the talkative little cub was mightily impressed with the fellow!

Finally finding his voice again after a few splutters and stumbles, Enzi took a few more steps before the mighty lion, until he was standing almost nose-to-nose with him, his little neck craned back so as to see him properly, and shrieked at the top of his cubbish voice in delight.

"You're SO BIG! You're even bigger than Grandpa! You're even bigger than that other guy! You're bigger than my Daddy! Why are you so big!?"

In typical Enzi fashion, question after question pours from the excited cub without any respite. It will be difficult for Thando to get a word in after all the questions from the quick-minded boy! Suddenly remembering something his grandfather had told him, Enzi picks up his front paw and studies it intently, before placing it atop of his great-uncle's paw.

"Will I be as big as you, Great-Uncle Thando? Were your paws the same size as mine when you were my age? How much food do you eat every day?!"

Suddenly realising his rudeness, the little boy blushes and squinted sideways in his brothers direction, waiting for the rebuke that will surely be coming!

"Er...sorry Uncle Thando..." he mumbles. "But seriously, I've never seen a lion bigger than you before! But I bet Father could still kick your butt!"

At this last statement, Enzi puffs out his chest in pride for his much-loved father, in the childish belief that fathers reign supreme and can, most definitely, 'kick butt' whenever they please. Except if it was against Mumma, in which case she probably would beat him.

Little Enzi gazes in adoration at his bulky great-uncle and rubs himself against his legs in an adorable display of affection. The little cub feels a strong pull of kinship towards the Uncle he so takes after, much the same as Baraka does with their grandfather, and he can see in the big lion's bright blue eyes that he is being regarded highly as well. He raises himself on his hind legs and bats a soft, oversized paw gently upon Thando's legs.

"Uncle Thando, can I come up and sit on your mane? Please?" Enzi places his request in the politest manner he can possibly sum up, so as not to offend or discourage his big, strong Uncle!

ooc: I'm trying to write Enzi's post from his point of view...so if I seem a bit 'scatty', it is intentional :P