Part 2 - The Journey carries on

[epppe]

(OOC: I think you're doing a fine job right now DJ)

Sefu was surprised to hear his name called out all at once. Next thing he realized, there was a cub attached to his front leg. He wanted to answer the questions they were asking but when he saw the lion hanging in the tree, he got a little worried for that lion.

"Uh... I'd be glad to answer the questions, but that lion hanging there isn't looking to well,"
Turning to Figgy who just came out, and greeted him with a friendly smile.
"You mind letting him down, Figgy, I don't think he'll last much longer"

[cheezeegriff]

Now content that nobody was eating anybody, Figgy was happy to oblige - happy, at least, as he could be, now knowing there was no chance he could be alone with Karensha again. He waddled over to the lion and the trap and peered up thoughtfully.
"I... THINK we can get you out without breaking this trap... maybe."
Then he looked at everyone else.
"I'll need at least two people to climb this tree. Your weight will need to add up to more than our unfortunate friend's here,"
he said, patting the lion's shoulder.
"If you climb onto the branch he's swinging from it will lower down, then I can untie the knot and set him loose. Any volunteers?"

[blaqk.noise]

"I'll need at least two people to climb this tree. Your weight will need to add up to more than our unfortunate friend's here, If you climb onto the branch he's swinging from it will lower down, then I can untie the knot and set him loose. Any volunteers?"

"Heh, that sounds simple enough. I can be one of the climbers." said Daylen.

It wasn't much, hardly anything, but at least he was doing something.

(Sorry it's short. There wasn't a lot to explain.)

[magiccat]

Cat sighed and closed her eyes as she faces the floor. Gee now who's making up stories. There's no way mum's telling the truth! She thought to herself, angry at being told off after she had done so well. The lion cub rolled her eyes as her mum sniffed but jumped to her feet and looked around her, hoping to see the kind Figgy or the others. It was then she realised they'd have to go find them.

Fearing another beating behind her ears, Cat waited to see what her mum would do. "m-mum. Are we going to go see them?" Cat asked, trying to sound as emotionless as possible. She failed and a tint trace of hopefullness showed in her voice.

[Lyonize]

Finally, the one called Figgy had decided to get Uriah down.
"Finally." He said under his breath.

"I... THINK we can get you out without breaking this trap... maybe."

Uriah wondered why they had to get him down without breaking the trap and was about to protest but then decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. The less he talked, the sooner he could get down

"I'll need at least two people to climb this tree. Your weight will need to add up to more than our unfortunate friend's here. If you climb onto the branch he's swinging from it will lower down, then I can untie the knot and set him loose. Any volunteers?"

This one was brilliant. What he lacked in physical fitness, he more than made up for in intelligence. Uriah thought when he saw the lion who had apparently made the trap. There was just one problem with the plan. What if the branch broke? This caused Uriah a bit of discomfort but he decided to keep silent. Hopefully he would be back on the ground soon. He already felt as if his head was going to explode.

[cheezeegriff]

Kali gave her daughter a lopsided smile.
"Let's go then, my little mouse hunter. Just try not to learn any of their bad habbits. It's a wonder some of them are still alive."
With that Kali moved off, quickly at first but then slowing as she approached the group. She might know some of the people ahead, but not all, and she wasn't about to walk out into a potentially hostile situation.
Crouching by the edge, she surveyed the scene: Several lions on the ground, and one in a tree. Typical. However when her eyes landed on Figgy they nearly fell out of her head.
If Figgy had been fat before, then the powers that be would have to invent a new word to describe him now. There wasn't a single inch of him that wasn't covered by rolls of furry blubber. His body no longer looked like a lion's, but she struggled to find something to liken it to: his limbs appeared too short, his stomach almost touched the ground even though he was standing, and seemed to give him a great deal of trouble walking. Creases along his sides that opened and closed as he swung his legs back and forth reminded her of a large caterpillar, and his round cheeks looked like they still held a mouthful of food, even though, by his talking, they were clearly empty.
Then she spotted the white cat, Karensha. Though nowhere near as big as Figgy, her transformation was even more shocking, in a way: where she had once been slim beneath her fur, she was now at least twice her previous size, and had lost the slim contours she once possessed.
Caution forgotten, Kali stood up and proclaimed,
"By the Old Kings! Are you two the reason there's been so little game recently??"

[Deleted]

Sanura moved away from Sefu, and moved to stand beside karensha, carefully watching the lion who was staring at her, seeing him smile she poked out her tongue and moved back in front of the snow leopard and tilted her head to the side to now look closely at the lion hanging upside in Figgy's trap.

Curious about why he had lines on his face the same as the other one, she crept closer to him, his upside down face had his eyes on the same level as hers. Blinking she leaned in and bought up her paw with the ribbon tied on it and touched his face where blue stripes were. Bringing her paw back down quickly, she was surprised she thought it would have been cold, so again she used her paw but this time rubbed his nose, while grinning.

"Karensha, he's all warm, but his tummy is rumbling really loud and I think he might be going to throw up, we better get him down, cause its gonna really smell and things."

[Lyonize]

Zoba chuckled silently to himself when the tiger cub stuck her tongue out at him. Perhaps he had made her feel awkward. Maybe she would warm up to him later. Then she approached Uriah.

Uriah saw the curiosity in the tiger cubs green eyes. The two were eye to eye. She was looking at his facial markings with the utmost interest. Then she touched his face on one of the blue stripes. Her ribboned paw felt cold to his warm face. She quickly removed her paw but then put it back on his nose. Normally, cubs were more fond of Zoba than Uriah. This was a first.

"Karensha, he's all warm, but his tummy is rumbling really loud and I think he might be going to throw up, we better get him down, cause its gonna really smell and things."

Uriah tried to smile but he was to dizzy and uncomfortable to make any kind of facial expression.

Zoba spoke then. "Nah. He hasn't eaten anything in a few days. He's just hungry. He won't throw up." He looked away and then glanced back at her, smiling. "I hope." He added jokingly.

Then, another lioness appeared out of the foliage. This one was wiry and thin but still muscular. Uriah and Zoba both turned their heads to see who could be joining the party.

"By the Old Kings! Are you two the reason there's been so little game recently??"

The inquiry made sense if a bit rude. Neither of the two brothers had seen anything worth hunting for the past few days.

[Dakota]

Karensha was standing there amused at all the activity around them, when she heard the snapping of twigs. Quickly she pushed Sanura behind her and in front of the lion that wasn't dangling and moved a bit closer to the one who was, giving him a bit of protection and letting a small growl emit from her throat.
" Why of all felines does it have to be her that has caught up with us, can't stand her attitude and holier-than-our opinions.

"Oh great, just what we all need." karensha let slip from her mouth.

Stepping away from figgy's vine, she shook her back paw to be rid of lion mane that was tangled in her foot and was about to move closer to Figgy when the biting comment reached her ears and those of everyone else, as she saw the one called Kali stare at her rudely.

By the Old Kings! Are you two the reason there's been so little game recently??"

Taken aback, Karenshas cheeks blushed red and she blinked quickly. Looking down at herself her eyes flicked over her body, had she changed that much, that she was now looking unattractive. Figgy hadn't said anything to her, he said he loved the way she looked, had he been lying to save her feelings.
Not knowing what to say, she quickly looked around at the others, and thought they were all staring at her now, stepping back and away, karensha turned and bolted further along the trail, to find a place where she could be alone.

[blaqk.noise]

Daylen stared at the lion that was still hanging from the trap. He had offered to climb up the tree and was waiting for someone else to volunteer so that they could get him down. He didn't look like he could hang there much longer, so the sooner the better.

"By the Old Kings! Are you two the reason there's been so little game recently??"

Daylen started to wonder how many others were going to come from out of nowhere. Everyone seemed distracted now, and totally forgot about this lion that was still hanging. Karensha suddenly looked around at everybody and ran off.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Daylen yelled to her, but she just kept running.

Confused, he looked back at the lion still dangling.

"Figgy, should we just cut him down? I don't think that he will be able to wait much longer."

[Lyonize]

Zoba was becoming impatient. This new lioness had just come in and the first thing she said was definitely uncalled for. The one named Karensha had every right to be offended.

Finally weary of the situation, Zoba leaped up and, as he passed the vine that suspended Uriah, he reached out and with a swipe of his claws, cut the vine. Uriah fell and flopped onto the ground. He laid there turning and blinking, trying to regain his composure. Zoba turned around to face this new lioness who accompanied another cub. Zoba glanced at the lion who's name was Figgy. "Sorry about the trap." Then turned back to face the lioness. His words were not angry but stern.

"The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions." Zoba quoted an old proverb in his deep, penetrating voice.

[epppe]

Sefu was caught by surprise when he saw Karensha take off running. He was just about to greet the lioness to before that. Seeing the lion get cut down made him glad so he wouldn't have to worry about him.

"You guys stay here and introduce yourselves, I'm gonna make sure she doesn't get herself hurt."
He said to the group before going in the direction Karensha ran off. Not wanting to waste to much time, he was in a full run following her trail. It didn't take long for him to catch up to her since she changed so much over the time he was gone.

"Karensha, hold on."
Sefu told her trying to make her stop and hoping she would listen.

[Deleted]

Sanura was still standing there close to the swinging lion when she saw that horrible lioness came running through the bushes, she was always grumpy, and frowning and she had a smart mouth on her.
Moving out now she stood beside Karensha, and let a small growl escape her muzzle.

The tiger cub wasn't sure what was said next, but something bad came out of the lioness mouth and she heard the snow leopard gasp, and then Karenshas face changed colour and she turned and ran.
Standing there she wasn't sure what to do, was she hurt or what that lioness said wasn't nice. About to take a step towards the grumpy one, she heard a whoosh behind her and heard a large bang. Jumping around in fright, she saw the blue faced lion was lying flat on his tummy his legs poking out at different angles, he looked funny not moving.

Sanura stepped back and lowered herself down to his face.
"Hey you, you ok or you just going to lye there making that funny noise."

Looking up she saw Daylen standing by Figgy and the other new lion was saying something to the lioness, while Sefu went running past. Her eyes widened because she'd never seen him move so fast.

"Figgy, whats happening ?"

[cheezeegriff]

Figgy looked at Kali, a chill runing down his spine remembering what she did to Roneda, watched Karensha run off, watched one of the painted lions cut his trap, and then watched Sefu run after Karensha.

"Figgy, whats happening ?"

"Uh, er..."
he said, then shook with anger.
"They just broke my trap!"
Stepping up to the painted lion, he waved his paw about dramatically, saying,
"I just asked you to climb up the tree. Was that too much to save me some work? Phah!"
He turned around, heading for the bushes after Karensha, only at a much slower pace, calling over his shoulder,
"Next thing you'll be wanting food from my OTHER traps, and Karensha and I will have to go hungry!"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions."

Kali sniffed. Then she watched Figgy disappear into the bushes. Fatso really couldn't hold his temper. Walking close, she added a grin to her face for diplomacy's sake and said,
"Don't they also say not to cast pearls before swine?
"I am Kali. This is my daughter, Cat,"
she said, nodding back at the cub behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at the striped kitten, Sanura, wondering if she'd be pleased to see her daughter.
"We were part of this ramshackle pride before it split up a while ago. Looks like it's got back together. Not that they invited me. Not that I blame them.
"So... what's your stories?"
she said, cocking her head and inspecting the markings on each lion's face.

[magiccat]

Cat, poking her head out from behind Kali's leg, could see what her mum meant. The two animals really did look fat and then some! Hadn't they gotten sick eating so much? However, cat wasn't best pleased to here her mum speak out. In fact she glared up at Kali when Karensha fled. That was soooo rude! She stopped glaring once Kali introduced them, Cat didn't want to be hit behind her ear more than once today if she could help it.

She stepped away from her mum and saw Sanura. As most cubs did, even though she knew Sanura hadn't been too fond of her, Cat was excited to see somebody her age around here. Cat watched as every lion except the three she didn't know and Sanura took off. The young lion cub shuffled over to the Tiger cub in hopes of burying the hatchet, Cat was worried she was going to freak out now her friends had left. "Hi Sanura..." She said quietly, sitting down to watch her mum.

[blaqk.noise]

Daylen wanted to run after Karensha, Sefu, and Figgy, but he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to leave Sanura alone, so he stayed. He turned away from the direction the three had run in, and looked at the new lioness and her cub that had just recently shown up.

"I am Kali. This is my daughter, Cat,"

Daylen kept silent and inspected to both of them.

"We were part of this ramshackle pride before it split up a while ago. Looks like it's got back together. Not that they invited me. Not that I blame them."

"I can see why," Daylen said quietly to himself.

Cat quietly said hello to Sanura. She seemed nervous.

"They must have some history," Daylen thought to himself.

[Lyonize]

Uriah had been hanging upside down and before he knew it, he was on the ground with his arms and legs spread apart. He began to get tunnel vision from suddenly being upright after hanging upside down for so long. Then, as his vision cleared, he began to see the same tiger cub looking into his eyes again.

"Hey you, you ok or you just going to lye there making that funny noise."

Uriah realized he had been making a groaning noise. He began to breathe normally. The cub didn't wait for an answer. She turned to the fat lion and asked what was happening.

Zoba simply glanced at this lion called Figgy. He would come to terms with him later. The lioness spoke again.

"Don't they also say not to cast pearls before swine?

Zoba smiled inquisitively.
"So in this context, your presence is being represented by the pearls while we, being the swine, reject your presence. So I assume." Zoba thought about his words carefully. "Perhaps so. Maybe I ought not to jump to conclusions. Or perhaps you ought to re think your first impressions. Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak." Zoba moved on to reply to what she said next.

"I am Kali. This is my daughter, Cat. We were part of this ramshackle pride before it split up a while ago. Looks like it's got back together. Not that they invited me. Not that I blame them.
"So... what's your stories?"

Zoba introduced himself. "My name is Zoba and this" he said nodding at his brother "is my brother, Uriah. We travel together."
Zoba saw out of the corner of his vision that the two cubs began to interact.

[Deleted]

Sanura watched as the cub came towards her, she didn't want to talk to her, she tried to take Meri's place, it wasn't fair, she wanted meri back not this one with her grumpy mother who shouts at everyone.

"I'm not talking to her until I see Meri again..simple."

The tiger cub slowly moved backwards until she was behind Daylen and the two new lions and just stood there her eyes flashing at the lioness, wishing the ground will open and and swallow her.

[Dakota]

"Karensha, hold on."

The words came to her, after she had run off, and she didn't even know why she did it. For some reason standing there amongst them all, after all that happened to them, and it being her fault, she had been starting to feel good about who she was again.
She had been caring for Sanura and Figgy had made her feel happy and wanted, she had even thought him bringing her gifts of food, was really sweet.. had she looked ugly to him and he had wanted to change her... didn't her like her how she was.

She found herself standing by rocks that had left a pool of water in the bottom and stood there head bowed watching her reflection stare back at her.

[Lyonize]

Uriah stood up an stumbled around for a moment while he got a hold of himself. It had been a while since he ha been upright. His mane was messy and sticking up in some areas. With a shake of his mane, he was back to normal. Uriah had been listening to Zoba speak to this lioness called Kali.
He strode over to his brother to stand next to him but only a few steps behind him.

"Zoba. Maybe you ought to rethink your first impression too." Uriah said with a smile. "Don't be too quick to judge."

Zoba looked at his brother and then back at Kali. "We shall see." he said. Then he stepped back and sat down next to the dark lion who was with the tiger cub.
Zoba didn't trust this lioness. Nobody else seemed to trust her either.

Uriah didn't know what to think of Kali. Maybe she didn't mean to offend the snow leopard. But he still trusted his brothers judgment and would keep that in mind.

[epppe]

Slowing down when seeing that Karensha stopped, Sefu noticed she was looking at her reflection in some water. He stood next to Karensha and looked into the water. Seeing the himself, he noticed his scar on his face and started to think back when he got the scar.

"You're lucky you didn't get hurt or caught in something," Sefu said with a smirk on his face, "I remember you would get yourself in trouble whether it was getting caught in a trap or falling in a hole."

It's been awhile since he saw her so he couldn't think of much to cheer her up. All he could do was try to catch up on what has happened since he left and hope that she would forget what the lioness said earlier.

"So, what have you three been up to while I was gone?"

[Dakota]

Karensha kept staring at her reflection while Sefu had come and sat beside her, so much was going through her mind.

"Sefu, you know where you came from, who your parents were, all those things don't you ? You can remember all the good and bad things that have happened to you ?... well you see I can't.

Pausing, the snow leopard lifted her head away from the water and turned so her body was facing his.
" I don't know anything about myself or my past. All I can remember is being with Meri, Sanura, Sheek and the other two, and then we were attacked and I was hurt, and when I woke up, everything was blank. I thought I was looking after things well, then they all left and it was me with the cubs. I feel somehow I failed and now the same thing has happened. My judgement was useless I let Rondea get close and now its my fault Meri has gone.
That lioness just now, those few words just reinforced all those things I had been trying to put in the past."

[Deleted]

" I don't like her, shes horrible and mean, someone go eat her or something"
the tiger cub whispered out loud while still hiding behind the male lions. her eyes opened wide as she saw karensha run away, and then Sefu and Figgy disapeared as well.
where are they all going, why are they leaving me here, maybe I should just show them the way to where our home has been and then Figgy can feed them all.

Standing to her feet, Sanura leant down and with her little teeth she adjusted the badly stained ribbon that was tied around her paw. Satisfied it was to her liking, she moved back and just said over her shoulder, hoping only the nice ones would hear .

" ok, lets go, I'm hungry and I'm sure Mr Figgy has heaps of food ready for us, I could eat a lion soon."

Giving a small giggle she started walking down the track, kicking at small leaves in her way.

[epppe]

"Karensha, it's also my fault,"
Sefu said still looking at the water.
"I was the one that found him and brought to the group. I trusted him like you did and if I was quicker I could have saved her but I didn't which costed us Meri.You can't blame yourself when most of it was my fault. But you know what, you still have Sanura who is going to need you. You also have that tubby mutt of yours to help you out too."
He turned around to head back to the group.
"We should probably get back now before there's anymore trouble."

[blaqk.noise]

" I don't like her, shes horrible and mean, someone go eat her or something"

Daylen laughed to himself.

"Only a cub could say that," he thought to himself.

" ok, lets go, I'm hungry and I'm sure Mr Figgy has heaps of food ready for us, I could eat a lion soon."

Without saying anything, Daylen began to follow Sanura.

(Sorry it's short)

[Lyonize]

Zoba chuckled to himself with the dark lion at the cubs remark.

" ok, lets go, I'm hungry and I'm sure Mr Figgy has heaps of food ready for us, I could eat a lion soon."

Food sounded really good right now. Both Uriah and Zoba had not eaten in a while. Both of them turned to follow the darker lion and the cub. When they caught up to the fat lion, apparently called Figgy, Zoba could apologize for the trap he broke.

[Dakota]

"We should probably get back now before there's anymore trouble."

Karesha listened to all Sefu had to say, seemed like that they both had a burden to carry, maybe it was time to ease the load slightly.

"Sefu....wait !"

Moving forward, she shook her head gently to remove more fluff that had stuck to the corner of her wet eyes. Reaching the lion, she paused, lowering her head a little, then bringing it back up she met his eyes.

" Perhaps... now is the time for new beginnings, for all of us, instead of dwelling on the 'whats ifs', we both might forgive ourselves and look forward to better days."
Leaning in she gave his cheek a quick lick and stepped back just as quick.
"Thank you for coming to talk to me...it meant alot."

Side stepping Sefu, she held her head high and moved on through the debris littering the ground.

"Come on slow poke, better move it or loose it."

[Deleted]

Sanura marched on slowly feeling quite important, she had grownups listening to her and doing what she asked, this was so much fun, maybe she should take them on a detour, afterall they didn't know where they were going.

Moving to the right off the track, the tiger cubs paw hit a stone and tripped her over, falling on her rump. Jumping back up quickly she turned her head so her words would reach the others quickly.
"Its ok, I did that on purpose, now worries, keep close, don't want to loose you."

Trying not to giggle she ducked under over hanging leaves and branches, till she heard the sound of water up ahead. By this time she was thirsty and her small pink tongue poked out and licked around her dry lips, hurrying forward she came to the river bank an stopped.

Moving down slowly she leant her head take to take a sip and then all she could feel was her paws slipping out from under her, and she couldn't stop herself, Sanura fell head first into the flowing river and started to sink.

[Lyonize]

Uriah and Zoba looked at each other and smiled when the cub tripped over the rock and tried to recover as quickly as possible. They each knew what the other was thinking. Uriah was the same way when he was a cub.

Uriah and Zoba had a harder time getting through the trees and roots. They must have gone off the path. Where was the cub taking them?

Zoba called out to her. "Hey. Uh. are you sure this is the right way? Wait up."
She didn't respond. He smelled water. That must be what she's going for. He thought. Zoba tried to catch up but it was harder for him to get through the thick foliage. All those low branches made it more difficult for him with his large, muscular body. As soon as he got through, he saw that she was bent over the edge of a river. The next moment, she had slipped and fallen into the water.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through Zobas veins and without thinking, he leaped into the water after her. The water was deeper than he had expected. Suddenly, the water became much more rough. He turned his head back and forth, trying to see her. He saw a small striped paw dip below the surface of the water a couple meters down stream. With a powerful push against the water, he was headed in her direction. When he got close enough to her, he ducked his head beneath the surface of the rushing water and grabbed her by the loose skin on the back of her neck. With all his might, he fought against the currents and brought her to the surface of the water.
"Hold on!" He shouted through his gritted teeth.
Uriah followed them by land with an expression of shock on his face. He knew that if he jumped in to help, he would only get in the way.

[blaqk.noise]

Following Sanura for a while, Daylen noticed that they had started going off the path. She tripped over a rock and fell, but quickly got back up.

"Its ok, I did that on purpose, no worries, keep close, don't want to loose you."

"Of course you did," he laughed to himself.

He heard the sound of running water nearby.

"I guess that's where we're going." Daylen thought to himself.

Once they arrived, Sanura bent down to drink, but she went to far and fell in. Daylen was about to jump in after her, but one of the new lions jumped first. He figured that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to jump in with them. Daylen ran along the river side instead, trying to find a way to get them out. Looking ahead, Daylen saw a log sitting at the edge of the river. He ran as fast as he could, getting a couple seconds ahead of the two that were in the water. He waited for them to catch up before he kicked the log in. When he felt it was the right moment, he pushed it into the water and jumped onto it. He saw that the lion that jumped after Sanura and a hold on her, so he stood of the log waiting for him to hopefully grab the log, so he could take Sanura and put her on land, and then come back for him if he needed help.