Orchid

Orchid was tired.

She had been through two prides already, her pride of birth and then another she couldn't bother to remember the name of, and she was so tired already. She knew other lionesses probably had it much worse, being traded around like some kind of bone everyone wanted their teeth on, but she believed she was allowed this. She was wary of the large male, Cheetu was his name wasn't it? Gods above could be the only ones who knows what this lion had in store for her.

She knew she was different, a mutant, a freak. And it is probably why she flew through her first two prides, they just wanted to make quick money for the next freak in line. It could also be why the lion wanted her, he was just like her. Her first night in the cave was rough, she was confused and scared and oh so angry. She would never lay a paw on a cub but she snapped and snarled at anyone else who tried to groom her. She was, however, quickly cowed by the pride leader's fury. He was terrifying and it was a lesson she will never forget.

She spent time learning her place in the pride, and she was a little offended when she was told she wouldn't be a hunter like most of the other lionesses. She was instead given a single cub to look after, and given a space near the only other broodmother in the cave. She was wary and nervous at first, but it was hard not to warm-up to the happy little lioness with five cubs of various age crawling around her. Soon she could have her own first litter and, dare she say it, she was anxious but excited.

As she gazed down at the little teeny black cub in her paws, she figured that this pride wasn't so bad. Even if she wasn't a hunter.