Name: Eshe
Meaning: A variant of Asha, meaning "life" in Swahili
Gender: Female
Sexuality: N/A
Age: Shown as Cub/Depends on Use
Generation: Kiara's Cubs' Gen

Parents: Kula, Mheetu
Sibling/s: Asha
Crush/Mate: None
Cub/s: None

Pride: Pridelands Pride
Rank: Cub
Former Pride: None
Former Rank/s: None

Personality: Eshe is naturally a shy and anxious cub who prefers to keep to herself and her home. While most cubs seek adventure and the unknown, Eshe fears the world beyond Priderock, and is much more content to stay at home where she feels safe. She likes familiarity and the comfort of her loved ones, and though she often relies on them a little too much, it's all done out of love. Eshe loves her family and friends very deeply, and though she may not be brave or daring, she cares for her family and looks out for them by acting as the voice of reason. Where her sister is daring and rebellious, Eshe is much more responsible, always admonishing her sister for breaking the rules and getting into trouble. Eshe thrives in familiarity, and as such sticks very closely to the rules, and she gets very upset and annoyed when others deliberately disobey them. Though she may seem shy at first, Eshe's true nature shines when she's around her loved ones, and she's not afraid to speak her mind to them, especially about her concerns and annoyances. Eshe often turns to sarcasm and dry humor when she's annoyed, and even though she's normally very quiet, she always has a lot on her mind, and she can get very opinionated at times. While she may seem overbearing and a bit snarky, Eshe does, at the end of the day, mean well, and she wants only the best for herself and her pride.
Like/s: Her Family and Friends, Priderock, Malaizi, Rules
Dislike/s: Unfamiliar Situations, Being Alone, Arguing with Asha

History:

When Mheetu and Kula first got together, they were much farther along in their lives than most couples, but the love they found was strong, and they knew they wanted a life together. Not long after they became mates, they decided to try for cubs, and though they struggled at first, Kula eventually became pregnant. The pregnancy was not an easy one, and Kula was often sick and weak, but with the support of her mate and the pride, she felt confident in delivering her cubs when the time came. Kula was in high spirits the day she went into labor, and though she spent a lot of energy during the process, her firstborn, Asha, came out completely healthy and strong. But the real struggles came with Eshe. Having used most of her energy delivering Asha, Kula struggled to deliver Eshe, who came out very small and weak. The shamans did everything they could, but Kula only spent a few hours with her cubs before the Great Spirits took her away, leaving the cubs without a mother.

Mheetu was devastated at the loss of his mate, but he became determined to protect and provide for his daughters. His sister-in-law, Huria, offered to nurse the girls alongside her own cub Roshaun, and with the help of their relatives and the other pridemembers, Asha and Eshe steadily grew healthier and stronger. After losing the love of his life, Mheetu promised himself that he wouldn't lose his daughters, and so he became very overprotective, setting up strict rules for his daughters to follow to keep them safe. They were to stay in his line of sight at all times, and when he was on patrol, they would stay with a designated guardian until he got back. They were not allowed to leave Priderock unless he was with them, and if there was even the slightest hint that they were sick, he would call the shaman immediately.

Having been born the runt, Eshe was naturally smaller than the other cubs, and because of her small stature and weaker health, Mheetu was especially protective of his youngest daughter. But where her sister acted out and rebelled, Eshe was more complacent; she listened dutifully to her father, always abiding by his rules and never stepping a paw out of line. Eshe found comfort in the familiar boundaries and rules that he laid out, and she liked being able to rely on others when she needed them. But over time, she became too reliant on Mheetu and the others, and she took the rules a little too close to heart. With trips outside of Priderock few and far inbetween, Eshe began associating anything beyond Priderock with 'danger,' and Mheetu's constant worrying made her worry about everything as well. Eshe was already a naturally anxious cub, but combined with Mheetu's anxiety about losing them, Eshe's fears and worries began to take over her life.*

As time passed, Eshe's worries did not leave her-if anything, she only became more aware of all the possible dangers the outside world had to offer. While the other cubs became preoccupied with adventures and their future roles in the pride, Eshe remained where she had always been, afraid to leave home and try new things. This caused a lot of concerns among the older lions and lionesses of the pride, especially her Aunt Mgumu, who urged her to put aside her worries and fears so she could one day make something of herself. But for Eshe, it wasn't that easy; she couldn't make her anxiety disappear, and the pushing and prodding of her friends and family only made it worse. She was often at odds with those around her, leading to a lot of arguments and fights between herself and her concerned pridemates. She felt like they didn't take her concerns seriously, like they didn't understand her and didn't even make the effort to try and understand how she felt. But there was one lioness in the pride who Eshe felt she could always confide in: Malaizi. While the others always pushed her to 'conquer her fears' and move past her 'childish' worries, Malaizi never had such expectations for her. Instead, she treated Eshe with patience and kindness, allowing Eshe to simply be herself, and Eshe often found herself looking to the pale lioness for guidance and safety.

The older she got, the more her family and friends pushed her, and though Asha and Eshe were still a bit too young, the lionesses decided to train the girls alongside Shirani for convenience's sake. Eshe at first refused to be a huntress due to her fear of leaving home, but she found she didn't have a choice, and she was dragged into hunting lessons by the other lionesses. They urged her to relax and overcome her fears, but that was much easier said than done; every snap of a twig, every rustle in the grass, every sudden movement set her on edge so much she often ended up scaring off whatever prey they had targeted. The lionesses tried to be patient with her, but when Eshe failed lesson after lesson, their patience ran out, and they stopped bringing her to lessons altogether. Though Eshe was relieved, she was also disappointed, as she wanted to help out the pride but had a hard time finding something suited to her with all her anxieties. But once more, her answer came in the form of Malaizi, who offered to train her as a cubsitter. Eshe, at first, was a bit apprehensive with the amount of responsibility that came with the role, but Malaizi was a kind and patient teacher who took her time teaching Eshe the ropes. With no cubs to take care of presently, Eshe eased into the role of cubsitter, and for once, life seemed to be going well. However, life would change forever in the Pridelands as a dark presence loomed on the horizon, waiting for the perfect moment to strike...

*Eshe has generalized anxiety.

TLK Relation: Daughter of Kula and Mheetu, granddaughter of Sarafina and Mega.

Eshe, Render (c) Me
Original Images (c) Disney
Background (c) Disney, PrinceVoldy-TLK