The Last King

[genie]

Ayele squeeked out as Ayesha arrived "Sister, sister, Kesho disappeared and there was a noise at the water" he had been debating about going himself but he had decided he did't really like the river and besides, what could he do... everyone was bigger than he was and that river had scary things in it... crocs, they had eaten part of Judas, he didn't feel like being a snack for them.

[cheezeegriff]

Umoja's head whipped around out of the reeds at Ayele's words. Sure enough, Kesho was missing.
"Curse it all,"
he said, and ran to the riverbank.
"Kata... you useless lump. Didn't you even notice him go in?"
Umoja scanned the rippling water, looking over the blue and squinting, looking for any signs of the cub. There was a stick racing away down stream... and if he wasn't seeing anything, there were little paws clinging to it from under the water.
Umoja started to run down the bank.
"Imani! Flank me, along the bank!"
he called to the lioness across the river.
"Get in front of that stick!"

[Kirsui]

Katakasha noticed movement from her eyecorner and turned her gaze towards it. She blinked in surprise when she realized she had seen Keshomaliki, and that he was too close to the flowing water.. But before she could do a thing the prince shrieked in fright, and the next thing she knew he was underwater, gripping the log tightly.

"Kata... you useless lump. Didn't you even notice him go in?"

She cursed, dashing after Umoja when he begun to run along the riverbank, yelling instructions to Imani. The black lioness' eyes were on the log, all amusement gone from her face when a deep frown replaced it. She was calculating the speed, and quickly realized one tiny thing.

"Get in front of that stick!"

"Too slow!"
That was the only thing she revealed from her before she took one mighty leap and dived into the raging waters. The current took hold of her instantly when she was underwater. She didn't know which way was up and which one down, she just kicked and struggled to get back to surface. Curses how her lungs begun to burn...

Her head broke through the water and she gasped for air. It took a few moments from her to remember why she was in the water. She kicked the water as hard as she could, gaining speed in the flow and heading towards the log to which the prince was clinging. Her eyes shone in concentration, and she could only hope she would reach the log before it was too late. She was almost there, she could almost reach it... If the flow wasn't this hard!

[Dakota]

Everything happened at lightening speed once Ayesha had roared at Umoja and Ayele spoke up what he had seen. She stood beside her brother, eyes flashing red pokers at the two that had now gone running off to try and save the prince.

" There was two of them to watch over Kesho.... what on earth were they doing....we've come this far... and they just let him fall in a raging river.. morons, the both of them."

Moving over to Ele, Ayesha stooped down and picked him up in her muzzle, and placed him on her back.
" Ele, no matter what happens, I need you to be brave for me again, and you hang on. You bare your claws if you think you are going to slip, and you dig them into my skin as hard as you can and you scream with your biggest voice, but most of all.. don't let go."

Looking back over her shoulder hoping to see Judas, when in reality she somehow knew it wouldn't be so, Ayesha turned and moved further along the bank following the course of the water where Umoja and Katashaka had gone trying to rescue Kesho. With her eyes wide, Ayesha moved along quickly, she still wasn't going to enter the water until she knew the prince was safe and alive, if he wasn't., there was no point her jeopardising her brothers life, they would turn around and move away by themsleves, start a new life together.

[genie]

Ayele was picked up and placed on his sisters back before being told to hang on, then they went zooming off along the river bank, moving so fast over the bumpy river ground that Ayele was minutely bumping up and down on Ayesha's back as she chased after the others.

[cheezeegriff]

Kesho tugged, pulled and finally ripped his claws free of the log which had pinned him under the water, then struggled to the surface, pain in his belly ignored as he reached upwards and broke the surface.
"Help!"
he screamed, and opened his eyes for a moment. In the rapidly-closing distance his eyes saw the towering banks of mist and spray that marked the end of the world - or the end of his world if he didn't get out of the water in the next few minutes. The river was rounding the bend of the long island and lots of smaller islands came into view, though with the water so high, some of them were barely more than the tops of tree branches poking out of the water. He struggled for one of these, snagged a branch and held on long enough for it to swing him back in the direction of the others.
Umoja was on the bank, barely more than a blurry speck in the distance to his water-blurred eyes, but Katakasha's black head was closing in slightly faster than the current. He tried to hold on until she reached him, but then a large ripple slapped him in the face and his claws slipped; he zoomed off down stream. He tried to paddle back to her, but felt the current take him again, pull him under until the only breath he got was full of water, the taste of grit and mud filling his nose and mouth.

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

Umoja watched the water as he ran along the bank, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he wore himself out. Finally though he reached a point in the riverbank where running any further would only bring him further away from the prince, so he stopped, gasping for air, watching as the two little dots got further away. From his position it looked as if only a few hundred feet seperated from the edge of the falls, and he dug his claws into the bank and prayed that he was wrong.
But then a third dot appeared, closer to the prince than Katakasha, and he thought he saw a hint of yellow eyes on black fur before the figure dove under again, almost as if it didn't want to be seen.
"Good heavens,"
he said to Ayesha.
"Was that Usiku?"

[Dakota]

Ayesha ran as hard as she dared with Ele clinging onto her back, her eyes kept watch on the branch as it bobbed with the current of the river. She gasped when she saw the princes head rise through water and he screamed out for help, she was still too far away to do anything, and watched helplessly.

" Damn you Judas, if you were here, instead of who knows where, I could have left ele with you, and gone after kesho myself, he would have been out of the water by now and safe here with me."

Hope soared within her, as she saw the cub reach out and grab a branch, that slowed him down, Ayesha kept on running now coming up alongside Umoja who was panting for breath.
Letting out a scream "KESHO, USE YOUR CLAWS, DON'T LET GO" , Ayesha felt sick when she saw him start to slip, and the water reclaimed the cub. "Noooooo"

Making her decision, she was about to pull Ayele off her back and leave him with Umoja when, the males voice cut through her misery.
"Good heavens,Was that Usiku?"

Ayesha had snapped around, and her eyes focused on the swirling river, she could finally see two animals making their way to where she last saw Kesho, please save him, he's only a baby, don't let him die a miserable death,l bring him back to me

[Kirsui]

Katakasha was so close now. A few more pushes with her hind legs and she'd be able to take a hold of the cub and try carry him to safety. Only a few more.. that she wouldn't be getting. As soon as the large ripple hit the prince off the branch she knew she would not be able to reach him anymore.

A swarm of curses filled her mind. She couldn't stop now, even if she wouldn't be able toreach the prince in time. She had to swim faster, to get to him...!

The sound of splashes nearby that definitely were not the normal splashes of the flowing water caught the black lioness' attention. Though she still kept swimming as fast as she could towards the prince, she couldn't miss the black figure that was visible for a brief moment before it disappeared. She would have thought she was seeing things if she hadn't seenthose two yellow eyes.

For the first time since she had pounced to the flowing waters, she was unsure. Kata didn't know what to do next. It would have been easy to keep swimming towards the prince, but now that the black figure had appeared she wasn't sure if she should. The cold water together with the fact she had swam as fast as she could were eating her strength, she knew it even if it was hard to admit it.

And so she turned her head to the shore and stared at Umoja, silently asking what to do now. Should she keep swimming to the prince even though that black figure had appeared? Or should she attempt to swim back to the shore. She had to know, and soon too if she still wished to be able to swim back to the shore and save her own life.

[cheezeegriff]

But Umoja wasn't looking at Katakasha. He was looking at another black head that had appeared further downriver than the first. Had Usiku swam that far so quickly? Then he heard rustling behind him, and span around to see a pair of green eyes staring at him from the shadows beneath the trees. In a grating, male voice it spoke, and to Umoja's amazement, he didn't understand a word.

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

Keshomaliki struggled against the current, but his stomach was bursting, his breath wasn't coming fast enough. He saw Katakasha closing in but then she turned around, and his strength left him.
The roar of the water became distorted, distant, as he relaxed, allowing the river to take him. Over and over he tumbled, seeing the light of the day flash before his eyes and be replaced by the murky depths of the river. He hardly worried though: the pain would soon be over, the burning in his lungs, the sharp, cruel pain on either side of his head. Distantly he remembered: Usiku's teeth had felt much like that.
Usiku's teeth?
The pain intensified, little daggers poking into the fold of skin behind his neck, and the daylight became brighter, the roar of the waters sharper but dimmer, as he was brought back to the surface and light.
The next thing he knew, he was lying on the riverbank, looking up at the faces of not one, but two Usikus. One of them spoke, prodding him as it did, as if expecting answers, but Kesho's ears must have been full of water, because it all sounded jumbled to him.
He looked over his shoulder as the first panther waded into the shallows, and reached out a paw to Katakasha.

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

Usiku bounded through the undergrowth as fast as she could. Her fur was still dripping wet, her breath still bursting in her lungs from holding her breath too long, and then running afterwards. Still she breathed through the nose, and kept her nose close to the earth, and when she caught a whiff of the familiar three-footed warrior she called out.
"Judaas! Where are you?? Don't wander too far: not every face you see will be friendly."
She wandered further, following what she thought was the trail, though it wasn't strong.
"Curse you, Judas! Come to me. My master asked me to collect all of you. If I don't, he may not heal the prince!"

[Judas]

The tsavo had gotten quite distance into the woods, he travelled quickly despite the lack of a limb. Mostly he was looking for another way across the river. But so far he had seen none that looked promising. Just as he was about to take another step a voice called out to him, it was not Ayesha that was sure, it sounded more like the panther.

She told him to come to her, as her master had told her collect everyone of them otherwise chances where high that he wouldn’t heal the prince. She also mentioned that not everything he’d meet in these woods was friendly, well he had actually thought of that, as this place didn’t feel right in the first place.

With a sigh the warrior turned on his heel and headed back in direction of the panther. Who as he arrived could see was dripping wet, as if she had gone for a swim of sorts? The male stopped in front of her, “Why does he need us all?” the tsavo asked not really bothering with a courteous hello, he didn’t get it why everyone would be needed for this in his mind simple task. But apparently he was missing and it appeared Usiku or rather her master requested his presence so he didn’t really have much of a choice than to abide.

[Dakota]

Ayesha still stood not moving a little further ahead of Umoja, her eyes were solely focused on the river and the black head of Katakasha that had been swimming towards Kesho, when she saw her stop
"Umoja whats she doing, why hasn't she carried onto the prince...why's she abandoning him...Um...."
Trailing off suddenly as she heard something behind the three of them, Ayesha turned with a scowl on her face expecting to see the soldier slinking back to them after his sudden disapearance, where instead was a strangers face staring back at them, blinking slowly.

Letting out a deep growl, she stepped up closer and alongside Umoja, two together standing united would let it see they weren't afraid, would it step further out of the bushes where it was still mostly unseen, at this stage all she was hoping was that Ayele, would stay silent on her back, crouched down low, still partially hidden by her long fur tuft.

Not moving she waited for Umoja to make the first move, her claws clenching and unclenching in the wet sodden soil, ready to pounce, when to her amazement the strangest noise was emitted from its mouth. Ayesha tilted her head sideways slightly and kept her gaze focused and leaned her head towards the lion beside her.

"Umoja, we can't stand here all day, what about Kesho... please....!!"

[genie]

Ayele sat flat on Ayesha's back, he would just stay here until he was told otherwise, he did't know what would happen next but he was't going to be a pain or at least not at the moment anyway.

[cheezeegriff]

"Umoja, we can't stand here all day, what about Kesho... please....!!"

Umoja looked over his shoulder at Ayesha, but as he did he glanced back to the prince in the water. Only he wasn't in the water anymore.
"Ho! Would you look at that,"
he said, nodding towards the two leopards on the riverbank, one with her arm out, reaching for Katakasha. As he looked he saw more leopards - most of them black panthers - emerging from the woods on the islands in the middle of the stream.
The panther near them spoke again in a strange tongue, and made paw-motions towards the group with Keshomaliki.
"I... errr.... you think he wants us to go in the water?"

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

“Why does he need us all?”

"He doesn't NEED you all. He simply wants you all, and giving my master what he wants is more than sensible."
Usiku said, breathing with relief that she had found Judas so quickly. She headed back to the stream with Judas in tow and peered across the roaring water.
They were much closer to the falls here, and occasionally a cloud of spray settled across her back, keeping her and everything else permanently drenched. Even the leaves of the highest trees sparkled with moisture.
"We need to swim out to them,"
she said, pointing to the group with the prince in the middle of the rushing water, with the two extra panthers.
"My master waits below the curtain as we speak, and he's impatient to meet you all. I know a safe way across that will avoid the strongest rapids. Step where I step, and you should have little problems."
Usiku smiled, then stepped carefully - and slowly - into the broad, rushing river.

[Dakota]

Ayesha was standing there getting impatient with Umoja, the prince's life was on the line and he couldn't make up his mind what they were to to do, she'd give him one more chance, then make the decision herself.
"Ho! Would you look at that,"

Turning now in the direction where the lion was staring, Ayesha felt herself breath a sigh of relief, Kesho was being pulled from the water to the safety of dry land, and Katakasha was now being helped as well, her eyes opened wider, there were black panthers emerging from every vantage point.
Again hearing the noise from in front of her she turned the same time as Umoja, and watched the panther trying to communicate with them.and the shaking of his paw. Moving her gaze off the panther and beyond him, Ayesha was still hoping that Judas would step back through those bushes and be by her side, but once again disapointment with him flooded through her.
Moving her glance back to the panther watching his face wearily, there seemed to be no malice or threat upon it, yet she hesitated and once again looked back to see kesho standing there on the island surrounded by strangers, giving her heart a powerful tug.

"Umoja, we need to follow him, Kesho is on dry land and Katakasha is there now too, they can't be left alone.. Imani and Judas, well who knows where they may be.. now we need to get over the river as best as we can."

Moving back away and standing on the bank with water swirling around her front paws, Ayesha waited for Umoja to join her, would be better if they swam side by side, so she could support him, if he found the going tough and needed some help.

"Ele.. you have heard everything that we have discussed, I need you to help me now as well, do what I asked you before.. you dig your claws into my back and hold on tight, wrap your paws in my fur tuft if need be to help..but whatever you do don't let go, we only have one chance now to make it over to kesho...this is it."

[genie]

Ayele did as his sister asked, he was scared by what was happening but he closed his small eyes and held on for dear life, waiting and waiting for the time that things become safe again, when ever that may be, he just hoped it would be soon.

[Kirsui]

Kata couldn't help but watch as the mysterious panther took hold of the drowning prince and swam with him to the shore. Her eyes flashed with slight suspicion as she begun following the panther and saw it wasn't alone. She coudln't help but wonder who these creatures were.

She felt her paws finally touch the bottom of the river, and pushed herself up from the water. She did not reach for the paw one of these panthers was offering to her. Instead, she glared at the panther, and shook her fur dry of the water before taking a few steps to the dry land in order to check on the price. He seemed fine, well, as fine as a sick prince could be. And so, with a wary gaze she turned to look at the two panthers, wondering what exactly it was that they wanted.

[cheezeegriff]

"... now we need to get over the river as best as we can."

Umoja nodded, and sighed - yes, they didn't seem to want to harm them. The panther behind them stepped out from the trees and into the water, taking the lead towards the island with Katakasha, Kesho and the two panthers. As Umoja stepped into the fast-flowing water, he spotted movement to the left of their own bank, five hundred paces closer to the waterfall, by the edge of the trees.
"Heh... there's your three-legged friend... and Usiku, I presume, though I can't be sure from here."
As the leopard he assumed was Usiku stepped into the water, Umoja did too.

[Dakota]

Ayesha kept her eyes glued on the older lion. As much as she knew he was a strong fighter as she'd seen when they were wrestling with the crocodiles, swimming in a river with fast currents was an entirely different situation.

With the water halfway up her legs, she was sticking close to him in case he needed her help, she wasn't about to loose him, there was still alot of questions she wanted answering from him, he wasn't about to escape from her clutches just yet till she had what she wanted.

Taking another step further and using her claws to clench at sandy soil, she could feel beneath her moving, being pushed along with the current, Ayesha looked up at Umojas words and followed the direction of his gaze... sure enough there was Judas and a panther, but she wasn't as sure that it was Usiku with him.
Snorting unladylike, Ayesha turned away catching up with the lion
" well he's on his own, if he wants to go wandering, thats his problem, I can't do much about it, I was going to help support him across, but now he can just figure it out for himself, and if he makes it so be it, but he wont find me so accomodating on the other side."

Ayesha gave a small gasp as the coldness hit her skin,and water lapped against her sides. taking another breath she slowed her breathing into a steady rhythm, getting her paws working in accord with each other,and moved off the bank in her own special style, one she had adapted when out roaming by herself, and had come across this situation before.
Raising her voice for a moment, she reminded Ayele of what she wanted of him, and then assured Umoja she was right behind him.

[Judas]

The soldier simply followed the panther, stepping where she stepped. He paid only half attention to those around him, soon enough however he would arrive on the other side. A silent sigh escaped him, perhaps the journey was over soon and the prince would get cured and everything would go back to normal. Wishful thinking on his part, Judas knew that not everything would return to normal as where one plague struck, the survivors were left to deal with the next impending epedemic. One diesease is easily flushed out, but there are others, and some that doesn't have a cure neither mundane, nor magical.

[cheezeegriff]

Umoja paddled through the swift current, holding his nose above the water, trying not to give into the terror that threatened to tangle about his heart and pull it into the depths of despair. The current was strong. He could feel himself being pulled sideways, and swam at an angle to make sure he'd reach the island.
"You there, Ayesha?"
He said between gasps, trying not to let his voice shake, and failing. He watched as Usiku and Judas reached the island, and sighed with relief for them. Some of the other panthers were gazing out to him. He was close...

[Dakota]

"You there, Ayesha?"

Turning her head back from where Ayele clung half on her back and half on her neck, Ayesha watched Umoja's body getting pulled in the wrong direction and started to paddle faster till she was alongside the lion, keeping in time.

"Umoja I'm here, don't fight me if I lean heavily against you and push, just go the same direction I go, and we'll make it fine I wont let you get swept away..I promise".

Slowly she kept pushing herself against him, feeling him shake slightly with exertion as her legs started to scream with streaks of pain, she had done this before and knew she could and would make it to the other side. The Prince needed Umoja in his life, he was destined to rule and the older lion was really the only one who could help kesho accomplish all he needed to, and was really the only link to his parents..something that the cub badly needed till he was completely recovered.

Shaking her head as a small wave broke over them, Ayesha held her breath so she wasn't sucking in dirty water, then feeling cool air meet her face she slowly exhaled, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Nudging Umoja again, she could see they were half way and panthers were lined up on the bank watching their progress. Shouting so she could be heard, she urged Umoja on.

"We're nearly there, please fight.. the prince needs you, you have a duty to fulfill to his parents.. come on Umoja paddle harder".

Turning her head slightly, she knew Ayele was still there she could feel his fine sharpened claws gripping into her skin tightly, pulling at her.
" Ele, not much longer, we're nearly there."

Seeing something brown coming down river at them from their left, her heart beat three times faster, she wasn't sure if it was a crocodile or just a log that had been washed into the river like them., but it was gliding straight for them. Openly screaming now at Umoja, she urged him on faster.

[genie]

Ayele clung on for dear life, his eyes shut tightly, water lapping up around his sides, it was cold and sent a shiver down his spine and tingling out onto his tail. He hoped they'd be done soon and then Ayesha was shouting something, he was't sure what because he was concentrating on pretending the water was't there and his eyes were not about to open anytime soon.

[cheezeegriff]

Apon hearing Ayesha's shrieks, Umoja looked sideways up the river and saw what she saw - something brown headed right for them. He gasped, paddling harder as the object drew closer, spinning sideways as it drifted past to confront the crocodile head on.
Only it continued on its lifeless journey, a log.
The panic had exhausted him though, and his legs no longer held any strength. Silently he began to go under, feeling his mouth, then his nose dip below the surface...
Then felt his feet on the bottom of the river.
Umoja scrabbled with his paws and managed to walk his way into the shallows, amongst the leopards and panthers that had come out to meet him.
"Nice to see you made it safely,"
he said to a particularly drowned-looking Katakasha, then turned and offered his paw to Ayesha.

[Dakota]

After looking away from the object coming faster towards them and screaming hard at Umoja, she twisted her body back, she would fight to her death if she had to, Ayele needed to be saved, maybe the others could get to him, if anything happened to her.
Her eyes widened at what she saw, as it just missed hitting her body, Relief poured through her at what could have been and she started to paddle harder to where the strangers all stood gathering around.

Her paws hit the soft muddy floor of the river, and she clenched gripping hard against the current and slowly pulled herself forward until she bumped into a paw thrust towards her, Flicking her sodden fur away from her eyes, Ayesha looked up to find it was Umoja offering it to her. Presenting him with a smile, she let the lion help her up and onto safer ground.

Collapsing slightly finally feeling her strength start to leave her, she lay there gasping trying to regain some energy, they had made it this far, but everything was still unknown for the prince.
Turning she pulled the cub off her back wincing when his small sharp claws didn't let go, and it left a small graze trail on one side of her neck.
Cradling him against her , she started to whisper soothing words to calm him down as he was trembling with shock and cold.
"Ayele, its ok now, we are safe, we are on dry land and all the others are here as well"
Starting to lick the excess water from his head and face, Ayesha's eyes darted around, slowing when she got to Judas standing with Usiku, but then moved on to where she could see Kesho, another sigh of relief passed over her body..both cubs were safe.

[genie]

Ayele letting Ayesha wash the excess water from his face, sitting still while she did so, then watched as she looked for kesho... he wondered what had happened to the others, he could't see them. He shivered as the sun bared down upon his fur, it was warm but he still felt damp.

[cheezeegriff]

"Well! Nice that we're all together once again."

Umoja turned at the sound of Usiku's over-sweet voice. He looked at Katakasha and Judas, gauging their expressions to see if they were alright, then turned on the black panther.
"Who in the dead kings' name are these people? Why are they all here?"

"Ahem... Umoja,"
Usiku said again, and Umoja turned. There in front of him was another panther that looked exactly the same as the one he'd been chatting to. Come to think of it, they all looked the same.

"Sorry," he said to the one he'd just falsely accused, and faced the cat that was talking back.

"This is my tribe,"
Usiku said, looking around at everyone present.
"Did you think I lived here alone? We all worship the great one, and live nearby to hear his wisdom. And to provide for him."

Provide for him? This was sounding creepier by the second.
"Where does he live?"

"Behind the waterfall,"
Usiku said, and bound off.
"He's expecting us. Hurry, let's not keep him waiting!"

[Kirsui]

All the while when the rest of the group finally begun to gather where Katakasha had been with the prince, she had kept a close eye on the panthers. Her glaring eyes searched for differences in them, looked for different behaviour, different ways to stand... Anything that would make a difference between the smaller felines.

She found none. They were identical. Their scents were mixed so that she would never be able to point out an individual scent from theirs. Well, Usiku was an exception, but she had been travelling with lions so it was only natural her scent would be different.. And so she turned her glaring eyes at Usiku, who now explained who these panthers were.

But as soon as she had turned her gaze to Usiku, something brushed against her side. With a mixture of an annoyed hiss and a gasp of surprise, the black lioness whirled around, claws and fangs bared at one of the panthers, most likely the one who had wanted to helped her up from the water. She had stepped closer to Kata and, by the looks of it, had tried to dry up the black lioness' fur with a long lick.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
But the panther was unaffected by her roaring voice and the death glare she gave to her. Instead she remarked something with the strange language they spoke to the other panthers behind her, and then burst into a flood of giggles that the others soon followed. Kata glared at them, wondering what exactly it had been the panther had said, but refusing to lower herself to ask or even look at Usiku.

[Dakota]

As Ayesha stood there lapping at her brother, trying to get him clean and warm, hoping it would help with the trembling she could feel emitting from his body,while her eyes from under her half lowered eyelashes kept straying over to where Judas was lying near katakasha and Kesho.

how dare he sit there as though he doesnt owe me an explanation, how dare he just wander off into the forest and not answer when I came looking for him because I was worried about him.. I was worried damn it and ...and he sits there looking all innocent, just he wait.

Picking up Ayele by the scruff of his neck she carried him over to where the prince was lying, looking all wide eyed at what was happening around him, she was sure he had never seen so many black panthers in all his short life, come to that she had never seen as many that were now surrounding them. Smirking at katakasha when she saw her snap at one that was trying to clean her up, she was surprised she lioness hasn't lashed out with her claws. Placing her brother next to the prince, she leaned over Kesho and gave his cheek a lick.
" I'm glad we are together again little one, and you are safe."
Straightening her back, Ayesha swung her gaze onto Judas and moved closer to him, she didn't care who overheard her, but she needed to get it off her chest, she had to have a clear mind to look after Kesho and Ayele, they still weren't out of danger yet.

Stopping in front of him she met his eyes and kept gazing, there seemed to be no emotion, maybe she had been wrong about him, this again made her anger heat up and before she could think be fore speaking, it all came out in a rush.
"well... do you have anything to say for yourself ? hmm "
Before he could even open his mouth Ayesha carried on with her tirade against the hapless lion.
" Do you always disapear away from those you say you care about without a word as to where you might be going ?...and.. I came looking for you in that forest, you must have heard me calling your name and yet you didn't answer..Damn you.. You knew we were getting ready to try and cross that raging river, even if you didn't give a toss about me..you swore you were there to protect the prince, yet I had to watch katakasha of all cats, swim away with him."
She knew kata was somewhere close behind and no doubt was taking everything in, but Ayesha was on a roll and wasn't about to stop, just because of a pair of unwelcome ears.

"Was it a test for me, to see if you could get me ?.. did you want to see me fall over myself trying to please you...or....or.. were you getting a kick out of seeing me care and worry about you...and then ...you would just wander off .. and make me feel..make me."

Ayesha stopped her attack suddenly, her shoulders drooping, she just didn't understand anything anymore.Backing away she started to turn away from him, for some reason she felt lilke turing around and punching him hard on the nose and at the same time throw her paws around his neck and hug him tightly, she was sure embarrassing them all either way.

[cheezeegriff]

Usiku listened to her sisters' giggling at Katakasha's expense, and said to her,
"They were wondering what lion tastes like. Aparrently, a lot like wet antellope."
Then she circled around to the others.
"Well, travellers? Shall we be off? My master's just below and by now I'm sure he knows we're-"

"well... do you have anything to say for yourself ? hmm "

"Uh-oh," she whispered, then smiled, and crept forwards to listen.

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

" I'm glad we are together again little one, and you are safe."

Kesho had cringed when Ayesha approached. He knew he had made a bad mistake, that he had wandered off, and he knew he should be punished. When she walked away after Judas he got to his little feet and followed. One of the panthers tried to hold him back, but he simply glared up at the yellow eyes and said,
"I'm prince Keshomaliki, of the Hilltree tribe. Let me pass."
It must have been the way he looked at her (or him), or maybe the tone of his voice. The panther stepped aside and Kesho continued on his way.

"Was it a test for me, to see if you could get me ?.. did you want to see me fall over myself trying to please you...or....or.. were you getting a kick out of seeing me care and worry about you...and then ...you would just wander off .. and make me feel..make me."

Kesho didn't understand everything, but he understood enough, he thought.
"Were you going to leave, Judas?"
he said, his voice still a little croaky.
It wouldn't be too hard to understand if he would. After all, because of Kesho, Judas had lost his foot. Kesho certainly wouldn't hang around him.
He snuggled against Ayesha's legs, as much to comfort her as to seek comfort himself, and looked to Judas' eyes, waiting for the answer.

[Judas]

Judas had remained silent mostly because he had nothing of importance to say, and really there was nothing to say. He hadn’t moved an inch from the spot he had taken up the panthers trailing behind him, in all honesty the crippled warrior didn’t like them. “Hrm?” was the sound that escaped him as Kesho spoke asking him whether he’d leave or not. “No.” he answered plain, “With my injuries I’d hardly last long on my own.” He said with a toothy smile, “I’ll stick around, for as long as I have a reason.” He was about to add something when Ayesha’s approach caught his attention he retained a blank face mirroring hers very much, he let her keep up with her tirade she had after all, all the reasons to be mad at him. He had done wrong, and he knew that.

She then turned from him, as she finished apparently she seemed confused. “It wasn’t a test Ayesha.” He spoke voice quiet quite the contrast to what hers had been a mere minute ago. “I was looking for another way to cross, a shallow or calmer waters.” He murmured, ears lying back slightly. “I found none.” He muttered, “I am, sorry if I worried you.” He whispered softly a frown gracing his features, while he gently nudged her back with his muzzle.

“Decides with my leg, or rather lack of; sending me over the river with any of cubs or anyone for that matter would’ve been too risky.” He sighed, “If I had slipped. Then I’d dragged a victim with me into the abyss of death.” Judas paused for a while, “If I go, then I’d want to go alone. And not be responsible for anyone else’s demise.” The crippled then silenced himself sitting back awaiting a judgment; acceptance or rejection on behalf of Ayesha.