Adolescent Ages

[Deleted]

Nala was standing there feeling amazed that Charlie had spoken to her like that, he used to be so quiet and unassuming, looked like while her and Fire were away having 'fun' with Scar and Zira, the black lion and Seleter had been going though a hard time of it back here.

Turning slightly she saw Fire had moved over to the cub and the other lioness that seemed to always be there protecting him, he seemed to like having the little one around him, or maybe it was the female that had caught his attention. Frowning slightly she was about to follow where Charlie had gone when she heard Fire speak in that ' I know something you don't know ' voice he used sometimes.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G.." "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a cubbie in a cubby leavage"...

Raising her eyebrows and glaring at the red maned lion, Nala took a few paces closer to him.
"And you didn't think I heard that,? you know, if you just tried a little harder maybe I would give you a few of these every now and again."
Leaning in she rubbed her face slowly against his, and then her pink tongue came out and ran across his muzzle.

Looking up at Kyto who was standing up on Fires neck watching everything, Nala gave him a wink and then holding her head high, turned and walked over to where they had last seen the black lion standing.
"Soooo, you gonna stand there with that dumb look on your face with her, or you all coming along to see whats happened to everyone else."

[Fire]

When Nala had put a little dent on commenting on his effort, the lion turned his head slightly in confusion before feeling that nuzzling. Drat! She had got him off-guard! He was a little shocked at the nuzzling, but just nuzzling gently in return for only a second before he felt that lick to his cheek and that cheek blushed a little, rubbing that spot some with that dumb-struck awe in his eyes. That confidence within the lioness allured him somewhat, her voice bringing him back to reality slightly. He chuckled with a smile on his black leonine lips, turning his head to Kyto. "I might just wanna follow the pretty girl.. So unless you wanna follow us, you gotta stay with Afya.. okay?.." He said all of this as he was picking the little cub up and setting him down at his feet some.

[kyto7878]

Kyto nodded his head and jumped on Fires back. Then Kyto asked "But fire i dont see any pretty girls anywhere? where's the pretty girl?" Kyto laughed and then begand gnawing on Fires ear... He had a face of delight as he gnawed on his ear.

[Dakota]

On Charlie ran, his anger falling away with every step he took, only to be replaced with hurt and worry, what if Kikome had just put on an act to them all, and was only interested in retrieving his daughter and then had some plan cooked up with Zira, to do away with them all in ambushes or something else drastic.
None of them knew him at all, he had already abandoned Remba once and treated her like excess baggage, what if he knew Seleter was carrying Scars cub and all the ramifications that came with it.

On the black lion ran, his nose sniffing for scents and his ears listening to any calls for help, what would he do once he found them ? what if Seleter preferred to be with Sukari's father? too many thoughts were now running through his mind, clouding his better judgement.
Pulling himself up,he stopped and stood there panting for a moment. His heartbeat had slowed down slightly, allowing him to think.Taking a slow breath, Charlie moved a few paces forward listening intently, and again stopped.He could hear a small feeble whining noise as if something was in pain, not knowing if it was Remba or Seleter, he rounded the corner cautiously, his hearing atuned to whatever it may be, carefully looking to his left and right in case this was an attempt on his life..

[magiccat]

Afya sighed and started after Charlie, leaving the cub with Fire. "Just walk. He'll only cause more havoc if you stand still." She warned. Afya liked being at the back of a group, not where she was now. She completely ignored the lions behind her and instead followed Charlies scent, well as well as she could. If Kyto wanted to play with Fire, then fine he could play with Fire.

Due to her speed Afya was soon close to Charlie. In fact, she could have sworn she saw a black shape in front of her a moment ago. Something told her she was close and gut instinct helped her along. She was still some way behind Charlie but if she managed to find a quick route to him, she'd be there in no time at all.

[Deleted]

Nala moved faster away from where Fire and the others were last standing and followed the trail where she could see that the black lion had made very clear. There were broken pieces of small branches lying there twisted or trampled leaves lay spilt all on the ground, it seemed to be very easy to follow Charlie.

Turning a corner she caught a glimpse of the back of him, he had slowed down almost stopping but wasn't moving through the last lot of bushes, just staring ahead of him. Nala stopped not sure what to do, when he left them, he was angry and she wasn't sure he was really wanting them to be where he was.

[Fire]

Fire was following quickly behind Nala and not having much trouble following since her trail helped clear a nice path for him to follow, not even having to break through much foliage to be able to keep up with the lioness, wondering exactly what Charlie was going to do when he found the group of them. His rage was something that he didn't have much control over, and Fire feared that his emotions would compromise the situation, especially with the cubs as well.

[kyto7878]

Kyto followed Fire, his tail swished back and forth...Kyto began to paw and gnaw at Fire's tail. He growled cubbishly and grinned. Then Kyto climbed up onto Fire's back and plopped on top of Fires head. "Fire what were you like as a cub? And why is Nala so grumpy all the time?" Kyto gnawed on his ear as he waited for an answer; his ears were up wide waiting for an answer.

[Dakota]

He finally came to the edge of the forest , stopping cautiously the black lion pushed aside some overhanging branches and shouldered his way around a bush to finally see what was on the other side.

Charlies eyes widened and he snapped his jaw shut from letting out a growl, he wasn't sure how to approach those in front of him yet, his first impulse was to charge straight in and rip the lions throat out for all that he had bought upon them.
Not moving he kept watching, seeing Sukari move away from her father and tend to Seleters wounds, but as his eyes moved around he finally spotted Remba curled up in a tight ball, her body seemed to be shaking and Kikome just sat there in his own little dream world, totally ignoring her.

Charlie couldn't help himself any longer, digging in his paws he surged through, anger written all over his face. Bringing himself to a stop by the cub, he lowered himself down speaking softly to her.
"Remba... shhh, it's Charlie I've come to keep you safe and look after you till Seleter is better, look at me now..come on and then we can go over to where she is lying and you can talk to her."

Charlie didn't look at the lion, he wasn't sure what he would do if their eyes met, again he hadn't taken care of her, only his own flesh and blood.

[Kirsui]

Seleter bas becoming aware... She was becoming aware of the information that her senses brought to her. Because her senses didn't bring in any information of danger, her body remained relaxed and still. She could feel someone tending to her wound, and because she could smell Sukari's scent stronger than any other, she knew it had to be the cub. She could hear someone speak softly close by, but still far enough that she could not hear the exact words, and the voice speaking was familiar...

Slowly the golden cheetah half opened her eyes, but otherwise remained completely still so that no one would notice she was awake. And what she saw brought a faint smile to her face. Charlie was there, comforting Remba, and apparently trying to convince the cub to come over to her and Sukari. And at that moment she realized he was also avoiding looking at them because he was avoiding looking at Kikome. Kikome, who was so close to her she could feel the warmth radiate from him.

She slowly moved her head, so slowly that it would not attract attention, and looked at Sukari. She loved this cub as if she was her own, and yet she feared what would happen to the cub if Charlie and Kikome would not get along. Then she turned her head again and looked at Remba. Another cub she held so dear... Would both of the cubs suffer if the two would not settle things between them?

Ah well, she would not ponder that now. Instead she moved her head and gently licked the top of Sukari's head.
"Thank you", she whispered.
Then she pulled her head away and finally looked around herself. No more jungle, it seemed... Open savannah, and in the distance there was the Pride Rock.

Seleter sighed. She would not get away from this area it seemed.

She felt a faint kick, and then realized how hungry she was.
"I know", she murmured quietly to her unborn cub. Her gaze was still fixed upon Pride Rock.
"We're both hungry... Let me rest for a while, then we'll get us some food..."

---

Finally she was here! It had been a pain to walk from the waterhole to the Pride Rock, and Zira was far from happy. Well at least her wound was not bleeding anymore, but she was still very much *** off. She'd need to get a good rest, and perhaps then she would be able to walk around without limping her front leg.

She had a problem now though. The stripe headed glared at the path going up the Pride Rock, and cursed the fact she would most likely have to climb up.

Unless she somehow managed to convince a hyena to go up and tell Scar to come down. But would the king lower himself to do that, even for her?

She huffed. Well, they would see that in a moment.

And so Zira walked to the closest hyena and told them to climb up the Pride Rock and get Scar down to her. She didn't care how the hyena would do that, but she so would not climb up with her injury. She glared at the hyena until it realized it'd be wise to just go and do as she said, and after that the stripe headed laid down on a cool, smooth rock and waited.

[Dakota]

Opening his mouth sightly, Charlie picked up the cub by the scruff of her neck, hoping that his softly spoken words had penetrated though the frightened fog that was surrounding her. Moving himself backwards the black lion finally turned to face the small cheetah, he was so surprised at seeing her conscious and move a little he nearly dropped Remba from his mouth. Tightening his grip once more he moved cautiously towards her, aware that Kikome was to her side as well.

Finally he was standing in front of her, stooping he knelt down, lowering Remba carefully he layed her nearly on Seleters front paws, he was sure that once they reconnected, it would bring the cheetah out of her trance and also help the cub, she was so quiet it was scary watching her.

[Deleted]

Remba couldn't stop shaking, and all that she could see in her mind was blood everywhere and and hearing the noises of screaming and bodies hitting , as hard as she squeezed her eyes together she couldn't get rid of anything.

She knew someone was lifting her off the ground but she was just too tired and scared to open her mouth and protest, she just let them do what they want. soon enough she was lowered back to the ground and she could feel someones skin against her paws. With her nose twitching Remba slowly opened one eye then the other and just gazed at what was in front of her.

[Fire]

"Well, I was like you when I was a cub, Kyto.. Always asking questions and bugging the heck out of my parents with them.. But.. In the end, it made me a smarter lio-DUCK!" He yelled and went right under a tree branch, getting low enough so Kyto wouldn't smack his head and continuing on...

Fire was now losing track of Nala and he was worried that he had gone somewhere that he couldn't get himself out of. He was slowing himself down to take a couple of breaths, but keeping his legs going so that he might have had a chance to catch up with Nala as he passed by some spots. Wait... spots? The blue eyes turned themselves to do a double-take on the spotted area and slowed right down to a stop, seeing Remba dangling there and Seleter on the ground. He had found the group of them in the far-off distance, hoping that Nala saw them as well as he made his way to the clearing that they were in. He approached Charlie's right flank quite slowly and made sure that he was quiet in making his presence known. "Remba.. C'mere..." He says softly to the obviously frightened cub and bent down to pick her up by the scruff of her neck, gently placing her into his mane right alongside Kyto and making sure she was comforted and warm. He then looked to Kyto with a serious look on his face. "Be a good cub and stay silent if you want to stay on my back..."

He couldn't help but look at Seleter and how poor her condition was. Lionesses back at his own tribe would have been either exiled or just left to die with either how crazy or malnourished they became.. or both. He looked over to Charlie with a slightly heavy sigh. "Let's take her back.. Either we take her back and actually have more support in taking care of both her and the cubs... or we have to face that psycho..."

[kyto7878]

Kyto looked at Fire curiously when he said he was alot like himself as a cub, "Lio-Duck!" Kyto was frightened by those words as fire suddenly dropped and He clutched onto Fires mane as hard as he could...As they continued on Fire stepped next to Selecter and Remba.

As Fire put Remba along side himself; Kyto grinned he hadnt seen another cub in a very long time. "Be a good cub and stay silent if you want to stay on my back..." thats what Fire said to keep Kyto from not talking. Kyto then sad and flicked his tail back and forth hitting Remba in the back of the head with it.

[Deleted]

Nala had stopped behind some bushes, and was just watching what was happening, she didn't want to just step out and startle the new lion Kikome, she wasn't sure about him and his reasons for being with Seleter and the cubs.

Hearing the cracking of branches and feline noise, she leant out a bit further to see what was happening, and at the same time recognising Fire, with the cub, who for some reason was still treating him like a long lost father, she wasn't sure where the other lioness was.

Realising that she needed to make an appearance, Nala stepped out slowly and made her way towards where they were now standing beside Charlie, all looking with different expressions on their muzzles down at Seleter.

"I'm here now, we are all together again,, Charlie ? what should we do about Seleter, you are the one who seems to have got closer to her?"

[Dakota]

Charlie just stood there and watched seleter, she seemed to move a little, but not lilke he wanted, was she that much in shock, or perhaps she was hurt internally.

Glancing quickly at Kikome, he wasn't even lookoing at any of them, seemed he was lost in his own little world, the black lion snorted and turned away in disgust.
Knowing that Nala and Fire were beside him and that it was three against Sukari's father he hesistated to reply when they both spoke to him.

"Let's take her back.. Either we take her back and actually have more support in taking care of both her and the cubs... or we have to face that psycho..."
And then Nala.
"I'm here now, we are all together again,, Charlie ? what should we do about Seleter, you are the one who seems to have got closer to her?"

Turning finally, he really wasn't sure what to do or say, his sad eyes just stared at them for a moment.

"Take her where Fire,? we don't know if she can survive being moved, I don't even know if she wants to leave him."
Tilting his head Charlie beakoned over to where Kikome lay.
"We know Zira is out there close somewhere with her followers,and for all we know, Scar might be there with her as well, I honestly don't know what to do, maybe we should stay put seeing its getting late, wait for night to come and be done, see if Seleter wakes any, then we will make a decision in the morning.. Nala.... Fire ... ?"

[This Land]

Kikome layed a warm smile upon Sukari's actions, he gave her a tender lick.
Kikome took a good look over Selter to make sure there wasn't any other serious damage, luckily there wasn't. But while examining her he did spot her belly shift ever so slightly from the inside, another warm smile came across his face. At the same time a loving memory came back to him when his mate was pregnant with Sukari, the exact same thing happened some nights and kikome would just lie down and watch, watch for that magical moment of another kick, it was like looking out for a shooting star, it happens only now and then and ever so quickly, blink and you will miss it...but such a sight to watch, his little unborn cub, alive and kicking.

Kikome snapped out of his memories and looked upon Seleter again, while doing so more of the group had came, for some reason Charlie looked disgusted with him, with kikome just still couldn't fully understand, especially after making a truce. Kikome just kept his feelings and his words on the situation to himself, there is no need to bring them out now.

Kikome listened to the questions that were layed upon the group, and he quickly replied
"We stay out here, the jungle used to be a safe place, because hyena's don't normally habituate it. But now they are in there, another ambush could happen at any time. Which is why I led everyone out here, where it is open and we can see everything. If anyone has an objection and wants to hide away in the jungle again, you are writing out your own death wish."
Kikome sighed
"Its just that all this is all too painfull, so much has happened, and i know that so much more bad things are to happen. Zira will know where we are and it wont be long until we see her again unless we either move, or stand our ground. At the moment, in all our states of physical and mental downs, it would be suicide. Best thing to do is have a good rest, its risky but we have no other choice, we then decide what to do with our lives, or else we will just get into a vicious circle of running and being attacked.
Kikome stood up, turned his back to everyone, sat down and hung his head down, but kept his eyes looking out along the savannah. another sigh escaped his mouth
"Ill keep watch, too much to plan and think about to fall asleep".

A slight breeze passed the group and kikome

Sukari looked up over to kikome
"Dad....sometime ago she told me, she will watch over all of us, don't worry. She loves us all"

Kikome closed his eyes and whimpered ever so slightly.

[Kirsui]

"Let's take her back --"

"-- what should we do about Seleter --"

"-- I don't even know if she wants to leave him -- if Seleter wakes any, then we will make a decision in the morning.. Nala.... Fire ... ?"

"We stay out here -- If anyone has an objection and wants to hide away in the jungle again, you are writing out your own death wish."

Seleter sighed quietly and forced her tired eyes open.
"I don't suppose my opinion matters at all then."
She looked at all members of the group, and for the first time felt like she should not be there with them.
"I'm not a child who needs to be looked after all the time... Nor am I someone out of her mind who can't make her own decisions... Charlie, I know you saw I'm awake, yet I did not hear anyone ask me what I think."

She sighed again, and turned her head away from them all. The grass felt wonderfully cool under her chin, and she closed her eyes again. Perhaps it was because she was so exhausted, but right now her cheetah instincts were kicking in, and hard. All these... lions... She really wished they'd stop treating her like she could not take care of herself. She was a cheetah,born to survive alone!

For a moment she even wondered if she would actually be safer away from them. Zira was looking for the group, after all... What if she was no longer part of it? What if she would just slip away and become a loner once again? Lion issues should not concern her, their prides always just battled for better hunting grounds...

Ironic though that she was not in the state to leave now. She could barely keep her eyes open, so how would she hunt? That, and a little voice in the far corners of her mind told her she didn't really want to leave her friends behind.

[Deleted]

Before she had both eyes opened Remba heard a strangers voice saying her name, it sounded familiar, but she wasn't quite sure who it belonged too, then she was being lifted away and up on a soft warm fluffy mane.
Snuggling down even more she felt as thought she was being wrapped up and looked after, so she finally opened up her eyes to see a huge amount of red all around her as well as another cub, a male cub.

"Who are you, and where's Seleter and Charlie ?"

[kyto7878]

Kyto looked at Remba and smiled "Im Kyto...but i just got here and ive never heard of anyone named selecter or Charlie" Kyto then swished his tail. Then Kyto climbed up on Fires head and asked "Fire can I go look around? Or maybe go play?" Kyto then began to gnaw on his ear thinking Oh he has to go let me play if i start annoying him...Kyto's grip on fire's ear now became stronger as Kyto's grey fur glimmered with the small beats of light.

[Deleted]

Nala stood there looking around her, half listening to Fire and Charlie, her eyes resting on the lion who sat there with his back turned to them all, she wondered what was going through his mind.

Hearing Seleter reply to them with a whinge, Nala smiled, the cheetah seemed to be not that badly hurt then, maybe they could stay where they were for the night, there was enough of them to keep guard.

[Fire]

"I guess... we should stay here for the night, then... and rest." *He mutters the next few words* "While I don't want to admit it," *His tone then picks up* "we should recover our bodies for what is to come tomorrow." The lion let out a quiet and somewhat apathetic sigh before looking over to Kikome with a growl. "About time that idiot made some sense..."
He said quietly to himself before erfing as he felt the tugging onto his ear and then stood still. "No, Kyto.. Everyone is going to bed.. including you." His tone was firm, and he was glad to hear Remba's voice again, chuckling some after he had his stern voice. "Howdy, Remba.. Go back to sleep. It be rest time.."

_________________________________________________________________________________

"WHY.. won't this just GO AWAY?!"

A crashing of bones within the caves could be heard and the smashing of said debris flying against a cave wall, Scar growling under his breath and pacing around almost like a madman. "This is what I get for trusting hyenas to do a lion's work.. An army of hyenas can't even take down 3 lions and lionesses and a couple cubs.. PaaaaTHETIC!... Zira will be there for me, though.. Always has.." The lion was basically talking to himself in this rushed manner, muttering under his breath and the few ones hat looked into the cave got a leer than could pierce through steel before they rushed away in fear of what the black-maned lion might do...

[kyto7878]

Kyto jumped off of fire's back shaking his pelt to get off all the dust he had gathered. "Fire?Why do lions need sleep?And why is the sky black or blue? And why are leaves green?" Kyto kept on rambling on about nonsense questions to try to save time so he didnt have to go to sleep...Then kyto looked up to him as if he was his father, which he still thought he was from what his mother's discription of his father confirmed.

[Kirsui]

Zira's ears twitched and she turned to look at the top of the Pride Rock. She was certain she had heard a crashing sound, mixed with shouting. And there was only one being at the Rock that could have done so.

Perhaps that is why she cringed when she saw the hyena she had sent return with such a hurry it was a miracle the filthy beast didn't stumble and fall. She wasn't at all surprised to hear that Scar was not pleased - on other words the hyena was a coward and hadn't dared to enter the cave and risk its life telling Scar that Zira had returned.

The stripe headed sighed and glared at the hyena. The beast had better not come across with her again after she would have regained her strength...

For now she let the hyena be. She stood up and took a deep breath, beginning to limp up the path towards the cave. Her wounded leg ached, and she bit her jaws shut so that she would not whimper out her pain. Unfortunately biting her jaws shut reminded her of how Kikome had slammed her head to the ground.

Really, this was not the best day for her... And if Scar was annoyed, the day might get even worse.

After several painful minutes she finally took the last steps on the steep path and stood in front of the cave entrance. She was greeted by lionesses and hyenas alike who made sure not to even glance at the cave. That gave her a slight hint of how bad the situation was. She braced herself and entered the cave. She limped only a few paces inside the cave before she stopped so that her eyes would get used to the darker cave.

It didn't take her long to see the lean figure that she knew all too well.
"Scar", she said with a slight hint of tiredness in her voice.
"I returned... With news."

[Fire]

Scar was just about to raise his paw again and smack a rock when he heard his loyal queen's voice in his ears, them perking up as he slowly was coming out of his rage fit and turning his head to look to the lioness. He had noticed her hurt features and the slight exhaustion in her eyes, making note of this as he walked over to her and gave her a gentle nuzzle of his nose to her neck... this actually calming him knowing Zira was the one person she could trust that would take no excuses in getting the job done.. this is one of the myriad of reasons he had her as his queen/lover. "I take it that it may be good or bad news... What is it, Zira?..." He said in that low tone of his, deep and masculine, but also showing little to no expression on his face as well, staring into the lioness's eyes as he said this.

[Kirsui]

The nuzzle Scar gave to her calmed her probably as much as it calmed him. She closed her eyes briefly and released a soft, quiet purr.

"I take it that it may be good or bad news... What is it, Zira?..."

The stripe headed sighed faintly as she opened her eyes so that she could look at Scar as she answered.
"Both, really", she admitted.
"I located the group... They had been hiding in the jungle, though I doubt they'll stay there now."

Finally she allowed herself to sit down. Her leg was would kill her if she continued standing. She shook her head tiredly, and frowned, staring at her wounded leg.
"It was more an accident I ran to them really. I met someone I thought was long gone."
She paused, briefly wondering whether or not she should share this part of her information... But the feeling disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"It seems my brother has joined the little ragtag group. I wouldn't have known, but I saw Charlie lurking around while I spoke with my brother. That could have been a coincidence Charlie was around, but..."
A pause again, and lifted her gaze so that she could look Scar in the eyes.
"Remember that cub with the group...? The one that looks like... like Simba... She was with my brother... The little devil tore my ear, and it appears that she's my niece."

Her frown from before returned.
"The cheetah they have with them is so attached to that little devil that she'd no way let her go, so Kikome doesn't really have any other option than to stay with them."
She sighed, still frowning.
"Unfortunately if that is so, they all know I know where they are, and I don't think they'll stick around that area very long. Kikome tried to scare me off..."
She pointed at her wounded leg.
"... but we both know that won't keep me away..."

Zira didn't really know what else she could say. She went through in her mind the events that had occurred, and she was fairly sure she had now told everything. The group would move, but they would be easy to track down... Besides, they had cubs with them, and a group with cubs would move slower than a group without them. And so, because she had nothing else to report, she simply sat and waited for an answer from her king.

[Fire]

The lion genuinely listened to what Zira had to say with conscious thought also processing in his mind as well. He was also silent for a second before taking a deeeeepo breath in and letting it out as a sigh before just looking into a random spot on the wall. "You never told me... you had relatives, dear... As if this day wasn't getting more frustrating to deal with, now I have to deal with the fact that part of your family is with them.."

"You are right as well.. Tracking them will be easy. However, just because they are easy to track, that doesn't mean that they are easy to stop. With that lion "Kikome" joining them, it will be that much harder for them to stop them from taking over.. No doubt that Nala and Kito have already begun to poison their minds with the thought that "I" am the evil one.. Pfft." The lion did a sarcastic-like tounge thing before looking down to the lioness's leg and wide-eyed a little, quickly walking over and giving it a very gentle lick around the outside to clean a little of the blood off.

"This looks like it hurts... a lot."

[Kirsui]

((OOC: I'll reply now since I don't know when the next time I'll be able to reply comes around))


"You never told me... you had relatives, dear..."

Zira cringed slightly. Scar was right though. She then cringed again when Scar licked her wounded leg, but did not pull her leg away from him either.

"This looks like it hurts... a lot."

The stripe headed chuckled unamusedly.
"What I'll do to him will hurt a hell lot more than this..."
She paused, tilting her head slightly to the side as she thought.
"To be honest, I thought my brother was dead. I haven't seen him since I was a young adolescent."
She snorted.
"He's not really my family any more", she added. "He's been dead to me so long that I've begun to think I don't have a brother. Besides..."
She smiled very faintly, something she very rarely did.
"I don't need a brother when I have you."

---

Seleter yawned widely, but that was the only movement she made. She laid in a half curled position, and her head was turned away from everyone. Her eyes were half open and she simply stared at the ground without really seeing it. She didn't pay attention to what the group was talking about, though she was fairly sure it was about staying where they were for the night.

The golden cheetah yawned again and curled up even more. She covered her belly and half of her other front leg with her tail. Her back was facing the group, and so it was easy to think that she was asleep. She was not though, for her eyes were still open and her ears twitched every now and then when she thought she heard something.

[Deleted]

Remba lay there in the red fur, it was so nice and soft and warm, opening her small mouth she gave a yawn and was about to close her eyes once more, when she realised she wasn't alone. Staring at the noisy cub, Remba didn't know what to say to him, so blinked and looked away.
Climbing up higher on Fire's neck, she flung her front paws around his neck to stop herself from falling and then slide around a little so she could talk into his ear.

" Where's Seleter is she ok, she has a baby now you know, and I'm going to be a big sister!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nala moved around to stare down at the female cheetah, she was alive and able to put out a few words, maybe the could actually get up and move the next morning, if they did stay here and let her rest for the night.
No one was in any hurry to make a decision, so the lioness spoke up for them all.

"We'll stay here for tonight, whether she likes it or not, so everyone better get themselves comfortable. I'll take first watch, Fire ? if you can drag yourself away from your kid, I'll let you know when it's your turn."

Nala moved away from the red maned lion who had the two cubs, and over to Charlie, she needed to find out what was going on and fast, if they were all to get away from Scar and Zira.

[Dakota]

Charlie stood there listening to them all, and yet still blanched at Seleters words and reaction to him. He knew she was tired and been through an ordeal, but hearing her snap like that, when he was only trying to care for her and her unborn cub till she grew strong, made him cast his eyes downwards and stay silent.

His ears twitched as he listened to Nala and Fire go back and forth between them discussing the whats and wherefores, and all the time Kikome, lay there in some sort of stupor. Charlie knew he had to go over and bring Sukaris father into the group, and not leave him alone, whether they liked it or not, he was one of them now, they needed him , if they all wanted to survive and get away from Scar's clutches.

Pushing himself to his paws, he didn't look at anyone and slowly padded over to where the lion lay subdued, Charlie hesitated for a moment, and then sat down on his rump facing Kikome, and spoke very clearly but not overly loud.

" Kikome.. we all need to pull together, yes we don't know each other well and the issue of trust keeps flaring between us all, but we need to make a start and now is as good as any time. All of us need you, just like you need us if we are to get away from.. from.. Zira and Scar.
We've decided we need to stay here tonight, so Seleter and the others can rest, but as soon as first light we had better move, and move fast. I think after your and Ziras little skirmish, she should be back to Scar by now, telling him about her long lost relatives and I'm thinking the glimpses she saw of us, they will have put two and two together and it wont be making five."