Everlasting Dove

January 23, 2023

Everlasting Dove was a quiet lioness, always protecting and caring for the cubs that were born or adopted into the territory. She was a soft and caring cub as she got older, watching over the younger cubs. She smiled and looked proud when she was finally announced to be a true lioness. She held her head high and proud, ready to run to her mother before noticing she wasn't in the crowd cheering for her coming of age ceremony. Despite the others attempting to talk to her, she ran to her mother. Her mother was the oldest living lioness in the den, just short of their queen who passed away earlier that month. She quickly found the elderly lioness resting, taking slow deep breaths as she laid still. Everlasting Dove quickly ran to her and stayed by her mother that night, bringing her anything she needed.

That morning, she had a dream, the former queen was off in the distance watching a sunset, Nukula, her mother, joining the former queen. The two watched the sunset before turning to Everlasting Dove, both with a soft smile and wrinkled from age.

" We'll meet again, my daughter. Take care of the little ones for me, won't you?"

That morning, Nukula, mother of Everlasting Dove and broodmother, had died in her sleep.