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Cover | Chapter 5 <--> Chapter 7

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Things have seemed to stabilize. I continued to grow close to Xari, Zalika, and Yazid. We continued to help Xari with teaching the cubs during the services. Though I have had training in most of the pride’s jobs, cub teaching has been the one most of the other pride members say I should be. Though I am still about three months away from adulthood and choosing my role in the pride, I would say that is the job I’m leaning towards.
           It’s a lazy day during the rainy season. I am laying by the lake, my favorite place to be. Before I can contemplate a dip in the water, I hear my mother roar from the king’s cave. I quickly stand and run towards the roar.
           Normally when my mother calls me to the king’s den, it is for a pride meeting. As I approach the den, I don’t notice anyone besides the king, queen, and my parents. Confused, I walk up to my mother. Before I could ask her what is going on, I see a pure white lioness walk up to the king carrying a tiny brown cub. She stops in front of the king as he turns to us, “This is Aria. She is a caregiver lioness. She is one of a small group of lionesses who wonder looking for orphaned cubs and finds them places to live.”
           Aria nods and places the cub at her paws. “My group is one of several caregiver groups around the different pride territories in the area. We have a leader who makes any needed decisions for us who lives further north. We are spread out to be able to cover as many areas as possible. But enough of my rambling,” she says as she looks down at the tiny cub at her paws. “This is Kasi. She was found abandoned in some bushland nearby. The area reeked of nightshade berries and I would assume that’s why her mother abandoned her since they have hallucinogens that some lions are addicted to.”
           King Theodore turns back to us, “Kasi here needs a home. I called for your family since I know that Zara is your only cub and you have said that you always wanted more cubs. None of the other families in the pride have never been interested in giving cubs a home before. Would you be willing to give Kasi a family?”
           My parents look at each other briefly. My mom has a hopeful expression while my dad is a little hesitant. He looks down at Kasi as she paws at Aria’s toes. He smiles before nodding at Mom. “We would love to!” Mom says as she looks to Aria.
           “Then she’s all yours!” Aria says as she gently picks up the tiny cub and places her in front of my parents.
    I crouch down to look at the tiny brown cub. I had never really been around cubs this small. How could I be a big sister? She tilts her head to the side and mews as she takes a tiny paw and boops my nose. I giggle as I lay down. “Hi Kasi, I’m Zara, your big sister.” She crawls clumsily over to my paws and curls up between them and lays her head on my paw.
    “She seems to like you, Zara,” Mom says as I look up at her. “It looks like you’ll make a great big sister.”
    Aria smiles before saying, “I will check back in a few weeks. Should there be any issue, we can look to rehome Kasi. If everything is going well, I will let the caregiver leader that she has found a home. Should anything change between my return and the confirmation with the leader, send a messenger to me and I can start searching for a new home.”
    “I don’t think that will be a problem,” Mom says as she lays down beside me and licks Kasi.

    I look down at the tiny cub in my paws. Never once had I thought about being a big sister. I had wanted a big sister of my own, but never did I think about being the big sister myself. But as I see the cub in my arms, I feel a love that I have never felt before. “I will be the best big sister you could ever have. I will always be there for you,” I whisper to the tiny cub. I had never meant a promise more in my life.
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Welcome to Kasi and Aria! I hope you all enjoyed chapter 6!

This chapter's image was done by

Description
Cover | Chapter 5 <--> Chapter 7

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Things have seemed to stabilize. I continued to grow close to Xari, Zalika, and Yazid. We continued to help Xari with teaching the cubs during the services. Though I have had training in most of the pride’s jobs, cub teaching has been the one most of the other pride members say I should be. Though I am still about three months away from adulthood and choosing my role in the pride, I would say that is the job I’m leaning towards.
           It’s a lazy day during the rainy season. I am laying by the lake, my favorite place to be. Before I can contemplate a dip in the water, I hear my mother roar from the king’s cave. I quickly stand and run towards the roar.
           Normally when my mother calls me to the king’s den, it is for a pride meeting. As I approach the den, I don’t notice anyone besides the king, queen, and my parents. Confused, I walk up to my mother. Before I could ask her what is going on, I see a pure white lioness walk up to the king carrying a tiny brown cub. She stops in front of the king as he turns to us, “This is Aria. She is a caregiver lioness. She is one of a small group of lionesses who wonder looking for orphaned cubs and finds them places to live.”
           Aria nods and places the cub at her paws. “My group is one of several caregiver groups around the different pride territories in the area. We have a leader who makes any needed decisions for us who lives further north. We are spread out to be able to cover as many areas as possible. But enough of my rambling,” she says as she looks down at the tiny cub at her paws. “This is Kasi. She was found abandoned in some bushland nearby. The area reeked of nightshade berries and I would assume that’s why her mother abandoned her since they have hallucinogens that some lions are addicted to.”
           King Theodore turns back to us, “Kasi here needs a home. I called for your family since I know that Zara is your only cub and you have said that you always wanted more cubs. None of the other families in the pride have never been interested in giving cubs a home before. Would you be willing to give Kasi a family?”
           My parents look at each other briefly. My mom has a hopeful expression while my dad is a little hesitant. He looks down at Kasi as she paws at Aria’s toes. He smiles before nodding at Mom. “We would love to!” Mom says as she looks to Aria.
           “Then she’s all yours!” Aria says as she gently picks up the tiny cub and places her in front of my parents.
    I crouch down to look at the tiny brown cub. I had never really been around cubs this small. How could I be a big sister? She tilts her head to the side and mews as she takes a tiny paw and boops my nose. I giggle as I lay down. “Hi Kasi, I’m Zara, your big sister.” She crawls clumsily over to my paws and curls up between them and lays her head on my paw.
    “She seems to like you, Zara,” Mom says as I look up at her. “It looks like you’ll make a great big sister.”
    Aria smiles before saying, “I will check back in a few weeks. Should there be any issue, we can look to rehome Kasi. If everything is going well, I will let the caregiver leader that she has found a home. Should anything change between my return and the confirmation with the leader, send a messenger to me and I can start searching for a new home.”
    “I don’t think that will be a problem,” Mom says as she lays down beside me and licks Kasi.

    I look down at the tiny cub in my paws. Never once had I thought about being a big sister. I had wanted a big sister of my own, but never did I think about being the big sister myself. But as I see the cub in my arms, I feel a love that I have never felt before. “I will be the best big sister you could ever have. I will always be there for you,” I whisper to the tiny cub. I had never meant a promise more in my life.
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Welcome to Kasi and Aria! I hope you all enjoyed chapter 6!

This chapter's image was done by