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Shrike's great-grandmother on her mother's side was Shaman Renn, a lioness with a connection to spirits and herbs.
Shrike's grandmother on her father's side was Queen Zephyr, a lioness beloved by the pride, with two tails, who could seemingly melt winter into spring, and whose memory has been passed down as a fable within the pride titled 'Lily, Bringer of Spring'.
Renn had Zephyr's mentor and life long friend. With both lionesses being a strong presence in the pride, and much missed, Shrike's birth being a union of their lineages was a celebrated occasion.
However, Shrike's mother Shaman Lynx, like her grandmother Muddle, were very different from Renn and had been distrustful of the pride. The pride hoped Shrike would not be raised the same way. In particular Mila, Zephyr's only remaining grandcub within the pride, was interested in being involved with Shrike's upbringing. Although being a Shaman meant Lynx saw the pride occasionally, she quickly grew tired of Mila and the leopard and lipard cubs she had raised always being around. Shortly after Shrike's birth, Lynx gave her up to Mila, to be raised alongside the cubs Mila herself was soon to give birth to.
Shrike grew up as sister to Mila's cub Plover (the two getting into a lot of mischief together), raised by Mila and the leopard and lipard that always hung around Mila, only realising as she entered adolescence that she was not so closely related to the family as she thought.
At 8 months old, Shrike and Plover were introduced to 9 month old Syzijee, lost away from her pride. The three quickly became inseparable.
On the verge of adulthood, the Gods decided to bless Shrike with a gift due to her lineage and ability to thrive within the loyal pride regardless of her birth mother's attitudes. Seth, one of a set of Gods different from those usually associating with the pride, provided the blessing. Sands and dust swirled around Shrike, the rest of the pride watching in wonder, as she was coated in a shimmering red that clung to her fur long after the winds had settled.
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