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Indirah looked lovingly at my swollen belly. She remembered fondly upon all whom she had the honor of taking care of in the long span of her life within the pride, and she loved them all equally. Thinking about their soft little paws and cute mewls, it made her sad knowing that this would be the last litter she would ever conceive. Since this was the case, she decided with a firm heart that she was going to end her broodmother career the best she possibly could. She was going to take care of her cubs and the last cubs she was going to be assigned to with all her energy and love that she could muster.
Until Lady greeted the world.
Ever since that little dev-... sweetheart, opened her little eyes, she was born with a mighty spirit. Starting off by refusing to milk, the first battle of the wills ensued between her and Indirah. It took 3 days of goading, begging, then finally threatening her cub before she finally caved into her hunger and fed. By the end of the first two weeks, Lady found out she could walk right into the wrong dens. In the middle of the night, the sleep-depraved Indirah would jerk up from her anxiety-ridden nap to hear the surprised roars of lions who fell prey to Lady's tail-biting habits. No matter how Indirah would trap her cub, she would always find a way to strike.
This tail-biting habit and stubbornness continued into cub-hood. Indirah was becoming desperate, as much as she loved Lady, she needed to find a solution before EVERY lion in the pride gave her dirty looks and mocking nips. She once overheard the lionesses theorizing that she would DIRECT Lady to bite the tails of all those she disliked. It was only a matter of time where her pride mates would start taking out their frustrations on her daughter instead. She only knew of one final solution: send her to Candace.
Candace was known as the brutal babysitter of the pride. She would ruthlessly train all cubs assigned to her jurisdiction without a single thought of empathy. Indirah shuttered at the thought, but as a desperate mother, she thought it best to send her unruly cub to Candace.
The sleep-deprived Indirah pattered out of her cave at dawn, just as her rowdy cub finally closed her eyes. Nervously, she quickly sauntered past her sleeping pride members and rounded the rocky corner to find a cave, lined with a mixture of pristine furs - Candace loved to hunt of course. Indirah stepped into the dark, leaky cavern, to find every cub already awake and grouped in a regiment. Candace Bellowed
"YOU ARE TO GROW UP TO BE THE BEST, RIGHT?!"
The young cubs roared back
"MA'AM YES MA'AM"
All except for one, the youngest of the bunch. Indirah observed the stunted youngling only nervously stare at his paws. Candace noticed as well, and stomped up to the little one. She menacingly growled
"you ARE to grow up to be the best, RIGHT?"
The cub only could shake in the shadow of the terrifying sergeant. One moment of hesitation was enough to grant him a cruel swipe from the lioness. Indirah could hear the sickening thud from where she stood. The cub fell to the cold floor, in which he began to sob.
"There will be NO weaklings in MY squad. DO YOU HEAR?"
The snarl startled Indirah out of her shock. This was FAR too much for this cub to handle. She loped up to Candace, who was standing over the poor cub, and cried out angrily.
"WHO ARE YOU TO TREAT HIM THIS WAY!"
Candace took her focus off her soldier and icily glared at the newcomer.
"This is MY cub who I MYSELF was assigned by our leader. You have NO place to tell me how to treat my assignments. Now, BEAT IT."
Indirah felt the rage of a protective mother run through her. No one was to tell HER how the prides' young was 'not her place'. She pinned her ears and silently stared at the barbaric lioness, who gave her a triumphant sneer. Candace knew she was right, but that didn't stop the wisened Indirah. Indirah spoke low and quiet
"No one is to tell me how to raise our young, not even our new king."
Calmly, she strode past Candace and grabbed the sniveling cub by the scruff. Just as quietly as she came in, she proceeded out. It wasn't even a question. She would NEVER send one of her own to that lioness. As she walked, she overheard an irate yowl from the cave
"YOU WILL REGRET THIS! OUR KING WILL DEAL WITH YOU, DESERTER!"
Indirah of course shook it off, and brought the cub home to his young mother, who was utterly disturbed by the maltreatment of her son. She returned to the cave, more sure than ever that she was to raise Lady no matter what.
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