Cosette

Art by the amazing Helix (#179815)

Amunet presented the small bundle of fluff to a smiling Damien. “Congratulations on your new child.” She said, “If you lose her, you will regret it.” She added in a low growl.
“I swear on my pride I won’t.” He said very seriously, standing tall. Amunet set the cub at Damiens paws and he laid down, purring and licking her. The cub let out a small ‘mrrp’ at Damiens rough tongue and he gushed. “Oh isn’t she just the most precious thing!”
“She is. I expect her to grow up strong and healthy. Are you capable of making that happen?” Amunet asked in a challenging tone, eying the flowered piebald king.
“I see you don’t trust me very much,” Damien sat back up, gently scooting the cub closer to himself with a paw as big as she is. “You can visit any time you’d like to see her. You are welcome in my lands.” He put as much sincerity in his words as he could.
Amunet nodded and gazed at her cub for a long moment. “I shall see that I do.” She promised in a cold voice, but a hint of love was behind the words as she looked at the sleeping baby and her face softened. With one last lick to the cubs head, and a final glance at Damien, the gon turned and walked away.
~ ~ ~
For the first week, Damien didn’t let Cosette, as he’d named her, out of his sight. He took shifts with Gaia at night to make sure the cub stayed put and no danger came to her. But the second week came, and Damien woke up to an empty nest. He leaped to his feet and pawed through the feathers and furs, looking for her. He roared and Gaia came sprinting in, alarm on her face.
“What!? What happened??”
“Where is she!?” He demanded. “Where is Cosette?”
“Oh great Apedemak.. COSETTE?” Gaia and Damien ran off, calling for the young cub, still small enough to be carried off by a vulture. Alarming the rest of the pride, they figured out what was happening and joined in the search. Damiens heart was thudding quite uncomfortably in his chest as true panic began to set in. His eyes darting left and right, running into every cave and praying he didn’t see her when he looked out into the water.
Gaia was running through the dense underbrush that bordered the forest connecting to the beach when she saw two stunning blue eyes peeking from between some leaves. “Cosette?” Gaia pushed the leaves aside with her paw and there she was, looking indifferently up at the primal. “Cosette! Where have you been? Why did you wander off, you can’t do that! Someone will steal you!” She scolded the cub, her own heart pounding with the adrenaline. Cosette didn’t take an interest in Gaia’s words and said nothing as she looked away, fixated on a nearby chirping bird. Gaia took a deep breath to calm her nerves and nudged the cub with her nose back towards the caves.

“I’m worried about her..” Gaia told Damien softly later that night. They were watching Cosette sit at the edge of the waves, her eyes fixed on the water barely lapping at her small paws. “We haven’t heard her say a word since we got her, and she doesn’t seem interested in what we try to teach her. She seems off in her own world all the time.”
“She’s in a new pride away from her mother. I’m sure it will just take time for her to adjust.” Damien didn’t sound all that convinced, but he didn’t want to show his own worry.
“Do you think she even likes us?”
“Of course,” Damien purred and licked Gaia behind the ear. “How could she not? You’re so good to her.”
Gaia gave a wary smile and called Cosette for bed. The cub turned away from the water and strolled past the two adults into their shared cave and prodded at her bedding until it was just right before laying down and closing her eyes.



You find Cosette splayed out near some water, panting heavily and looking generally miserable. she started to complain about how hot it was today, and how she wanted to go play in the snuh. You give her a weird look - it feels great today, and snuh is way too cold to do anything in!