Adolescent Ages

[Kirsui]

"Yea, I think you're right" Seleter replied to Fire. She then looked down to Sukari who was hiding under her.
She's so scared... Seleter thought. Then she lifted Sukari to her back and looked at the direction of Zira.
"We might want to get away before she gets the idea of getting some hyenas here" she said on a worried tone of voice.

She suddenly remembered something Nala had said about the cave they had spent the night.
"Um, how about hiding to the cave we spent last night?" she suggested and turned then to look at Nala. "I think I remember you told no one besides us know about it, so wouldn't that be a perfect place?"

[Fire]

"That would be a great idea." Fire nods in agreement with Seleter. He had almost forgotten all about the cave. It would be perfect for them to hide until things calmed down a bit.

[Fire]

"Rok's right... Zira doesn't look like she's moving... More like spying on us to see where we would go." Fire was looking at Zira with his own eyes, knowing that he full well shouldn't because then if he tried to hide within a pride, she would be able to spot him instantly. Something about her just made Fire assume that.

Fire heard Rok's plan. "That is a little bit shaky, Rok... What if she catches you?... She has hyenas around this area that go under her order..."

[Kirsui]

"Fire's right" Seleter said. "It's a bit too risky. Besides, she has hyenas everywhere nearby and with a single order she could get them instantly here..."
But why isn't she doing that? Seleter thought. She then looked down to Sukari and lifted her head again as an idea came to her mind.
"I-a..." she started a bit unsure of what she was doing now. "I could do it."
Seleta, WHAT are you doing?! she thought after she had said that.
"I mean that... I run faster than any of us, and Zira and her hyenas are not fast enough to catch me and..."
Seleter stopped speaking. She stared with a blank expression at Zira, who was standing still, watching closely to them.

[Kirsui]

Seleter lookes at Rok. She thought for a moment before replying.
"Ok" she finally said. "But if we need to run, I'll distract, ok?"
She smiled nervously and looked then down to Sukari.
"I'll be right back" she said as she gave her a slight nuzzle. She then turned to look at Fire.
"Could you take Sukari?" she asked as she prepared to follow Rok.

---

Zira looked at the group.
What are they up to now...? she thought as her eyes flashed a bit. She could clearly see the group was planning something, but she was out of earshot, so she couldn't hear them.
Zira stood still, watching closely what the group was doing.

[This Land]

"Be carful selata" Sukari said worried
Sukari Nuzzled Seleter's neck and wrapped her paws around her neck gently for a moment

[Fire]

Fire nods at Seleter. "Yeah. Come on, Sukari." He gets down onto the ground with his body straight so that Seleter can climb up onto him. He waited for a moment when Sukari lion-hugged, smiling and awwing a bit. "Heh heh. It's a wonder that no one has ever called Sukari their own..." He smiles at his comment.

[This Land]

Sukari climbed onto Fire and held on tight and looked over to seleter and rok
"please be carful" she reassured

[Kirsui]

((OOC: Ok, everyone. I don't want you to get too confused now so I'll explain why this post is so long...
It was Rok's idea to make the talk with Zira faster in MSN, so we made this post together there. I hope you won't get confused by this...
Oh, and thanks to TL for letting us post it here! ))

---

Rok Started to walk in direction where Zira was.
Seleter gave the last look for the others and then followed him.

Zira watched closely as two members of the group started to walk towards her. She recognized the cheetah, but the lion was unknown to her.
"Wonder what they are up to..." she whispered as she focused on these two, forgetting totally the group.

While walking to Zira Rok asked Seleter: "Hey don't worry. I'm not scared of her. Everything is going to be alright." then he continued to walk.
Seleter smiled faintly, but remained silent. She looked at Zira, who was staring at her and Rok. As they got closer and closer Seleter looked around, trying to see if there were any hyenas around.
Luckily she didn't see any of them. Not yet, at least.

Finally they were standing in front of Zira. Rok said: "now what?!" pretending that he didn't seen Zira. Then he looks at Zira and says: "Oh,.. good day!" and then he stops walking and looks around.

Zira looked at Rok suspiciously. Even though he pretended he hadn't seen her, she was sure he really had. Why else would they have walked to her?
"Good day to you too" Zira replied on a clod tone of voice. "May I ask what business do you have here in Pride Lands, kingdom of the mighty Scar?"

"I? Here? Just nothing. And who are you? I've never seen you before too." and then he looks around like before.
"Don't lie to me, you little brat!" Zira growled out. "You damn well know who I am! And look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Zira glared at Rok for a moment and then turned to Seleter. She didn't speak to her, just stared for a moment before looking back to Rok.

Rok says to zira with a lot of anger: "Don’t call me little brat! Who you think you are?!" then calms down and says with cooler voice: "I've never seen you before and you expect me to know you?"
"Yes, I expect!" Zira said a bit calmer. "I am Zira, the queen of Pride Lands. I have the right to call you a brat if I want so."
"aha... You could say that on first place. Well, Now when i know who an I Talking with... What do you want?" Tries not to give her too much respect.

Zira's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Who do you think you are to question me?" she asked. "Well? Answer me!"
"I am Rok. I am an outsider. I'm just passing through. Are you happy now?" smiling while asking her. Moment later continues "And now to my question... What do you want?"

"That is none of your concern, brat" Zira replied. She didn't use Rok's name, she didn't feel she had to. After all she was the queen and he was just a wanderer.
"Tell me, why did you leave your friends and come to speak with me if you really have no reason to speak with me?" she asked, still looking at Rok and ignoring Seleter.

Rok said: "Well I've seen that some stupi.. I mean, someone is watching us for a long time and i decided to check out who is that."
"Beware of how you speak with me" Zira said on a sweet tone of voice. "If you're not carefull, something accidentally might happen to you..."
"wow. Thanks alot.!" says rok and then whispers to Seleter "boy, she is dreadfull... And her breath stinks!" then looks up to Zira with smile.

Zira stared at Rok. A slight grin appeared to her face.
"Now, if you two have nothing to do..." she started. "Why don't you come with me and I'll introduce you to King Scar, hum?"

Seleter's eyes shot open.
"No way" she whispered to Rok. "He'd propably kill us, or let the hyenas kill us..."
Rok looks at Zira: "killing? Is That true?"
Seleter nodded, too afraid to reply in case that Zira might hear her and get suspicious.

"Now, you two" Zira said sweetly when she saw the two whispering to each other. Her grin was looking odd when she spoke on a sweet voice. "It is not polite to whisper in company."
"I know that." then looks Zira in her eyes and says:" You know what? I dont think so. I'm not going there."

"You WHAT?!" Zira asked, now on an angry tone. "I will order you to do that. Or are you are disobeying my orders?"
Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Well then, I must go before you will order me!" then after a small thinking says: "No, I really don't want to go. ... And if I go, what will we do there?"
"You'll see when you get there" Zira said on a devilish tone. "An mark my words, you two ARE going..."

Seleter was scared of how Zira spoke now.
"I think we should get away" she whispered to Rok very quietly. "I mean... right now... If we run, she'll follow, but if we go to different directions, she can't follow us both."

Rok whispers to Seleter: "Don’t worry. I wont go there." Then talks to Zira "I know that you've got hyenas by your side. But they aren't here right now. And one thing is for sure... We are not going! Bye Zira! I think that our conversation is finished!" Turns away "Seleta, lets go!" and waits for Seleter to follow him.

Seleter gave a last look for Zira and then turned to follow Rok. She heard Zira shouting angrily: "You two! You will NOT turn your back to me!"
Seleter looked back and saw Zira preparing to attack them.
"Erm... Shall we run?" Seleter asked Rok on a worried tone of voice, ready to bolt on run if Rok would agree.

"That's IT!" Rok shouts out of anger, turns back and prepares for battle.
Seleter stopped walking and also turned around.
"Please, just let's go..." she begged Rok.

Zira stared evily at Rok.
"Are you challenging me?" she asked on a devilish tone of voice. "Because if you are, you will never be accepted to wander freely around the Lands. Nor will any of your friends be..."
She then understood. Her eyes shot wide open when she realized why these two had left the group.


"good thing i remembered that you are the queen even if you don’t look like one to me!" after some moments Rok says to Seleter: "damn. I almost attacked her... Let's run now. Follow you!"
"Ok" Seleter replied and suddenly bolted into a run. She wasn't running on her full speed, so that she wouldn't leave Rok behind.
"Let's run to there first!" she shouted to Rok. "If we get separated, follow that path that goes towards the Pride Rock. It will lead you near the cave, just shout someone from the group or hide untill I get back, ok?"

Zira looked amazed as the two started running. For a moment she couldn't do anything else but to stare.
"Hey! You two! Come back here!" she then shouted and ran after them, forgetting the other members of the group.

Rok shouted while running: "Stop it Zira! We are finished!" and starts to run even faster while running he asked Seleter"We are we going?"
"To be honest, I have no idea" she replied with a weak smile. She then looked back and saw Zira running after them.
"Should we split up? I could easily distract our 'mighty queen' and then run away from her."
"GO! run away shouted Rok and slows down. "I'm tired of running...You go I'll be fine."

Seleter looked back at Rok and also slowed down. What was he doing now?
"But..." she started, not sure how to reply. "I'm not leaving you to her! Go to the cave by following the path, please. just do it..."
She begged him, hoping Rok would go.
"Please..." she said for one last time.
"She will follow us! I'll be fine! GO!" Saying that he stops and tries to get some air.
"No, she'll follow me!" Seleter said and looked worried at Zira, who was getting closer. Seleter looked at Rok and then back to Zira. She made up her mind and turned to run straight towards the lioness. As she went past her, she almost pushed her down.

Zira got shocked of that a cheetah tried to attack her. She tried to grab the cheetah's tail, but was too slow. Seleter was already running away from her. Zira seemed to forget Rok for a moment and started running after Seleter, not realizing that Rok would have been easier to catch.
She'll pay for running into me Zira thought as she tried to reach the cheetah. Seleter looked back and grinned to her, making Zira even more annoyed.

"well, that's something..." said Rok and starts to run again. "I'll just hide here and watch if Seleta will need my help" Then hides into the grass.

Seleter continued running. She looked around, trying to find some place to hide. She looked back and saw Zira was leaving behind her. With a grin she continued looking.
Then she spotted some bushes near the edge of a small cliff. The cliff wasn't very high and she soon got an idea. Seleter jumped to the bushes and quickly crawled her way to the edge of the cliff.
The bushes covered her well and it was impossible for Zira to see what she was doing. Seleter jumped down from the cliff and quickly looked around. She saw a very small cave on the wall where she had just jumped down and she went to the cave. With a grin she waited. It was impossible for Zira to see her from the cliff.

Zira came to the bushes, but she didn't see Seleter anywhere.
"Where did she dissappear like that?" she wondered annoyed. After glaring around for a moment she gave up.
"I will get her later" she muttered and started walking away, heading towards the Pride Rock. When she had gone, Seleter came away from her hide and climbed up the cliff. Then she headed back to where she had left Rok, grinning happily.


Rok seen Zira going away and then when he thought it was clear he started to run in direction where he last seen Seleter.
Seleter saw Rok coming towards her.
"Hey!" she shouted and ran to him, smiling happily. "So, shall we now head back to others, hum?"
"Yes." said Rok."Let's go. What a day."
"Yea, what a day indeed" Seleter said as she headed towards the cave.

[Fire]

Fire starts walking with Sukari on his back, keeping a close eye on Seleter and Rok to see what they were doing. If Sukari got into the argurment, or worse, the fight, Fire would never forgive himself if she got hurt.

When Seleter and Rok started getting chased by Zira, they were coming within Fire's viscinity. His eyes widened and then he looks up to Sukari. "Sukari... Dig your claws into my back... I don't care how much it hurts to me... We're going to be running fast and climbing stuff and I don't want you to fall..."

With that in mind, he starts running towards Pride Rock, hoping that Sukari was hanging on. When he approached the rock, he was running up the steep slope that lead to the rocks that were perfect to jump up onto it. He leaps onto the rocks with ease and ends up at the pathway to the secret cave, walking into it and setting Sukari down. "There... We're back."

[Kirsui]

Seleter didn't talk at all while walking towards the cave. Her experience had made her quiet. She normally wasn't that brave, so what had made her run to Zira and getting the lioness to follow her?
I'm so glad that Zira didn't notice me from the cliff, she thought.

Seleter looked up and saw the path leading to the cave under the Pride Rock. She looked at Rok.
"Follow me" she said quietly and started following the path. It was fairly steep. When she finally reached the entrance that was covered by the bushes she smiled faintly.
"Finally!" she said and went inside the cave.
"Hi, we're here" she said to the others and then laid down to one corner of the cave without saying anything else.

[This Land]

Sukari looked at fire and gave a big smile
Sukari then lept over to Seleter who was lying down
"Im no relived you are safe seleter"
sukari jumped onto seleter's back and rest her head on the corner between sleters neck and shoulder and nuzzled her

[Fire]

He gave his own happy smile to Seleter and Sukari as they entered the cave, seeing Sukari run up to Seleter and nuzzle the cheetah. "Heh heh. I think someone's happy to see you."

He walks over to the two of them with a worried look on his face. "I haven't seen Nala or Pizeera yet... I'm sure Nala would be fine, but Pizeera... He can't be far from Nala, though since I saw them together. I know Pizeera is not stupid enough to be alone in a situation like this."

[This Land]

Sukari looked around
"i hope they are ok"
Sukari jumped down and walked over to the entrance of the cave and sat still, waiting for them

[Kirsui]

"No, I don't think so..." Seleter replied from her corner and lifted her head up. "All though, we only just met, so I'm not sure."
Seleter laid her head back down and closed her eyes.
We should go looking for them... she thought. But on the other hand... They might come back here while we are away.
Seleter sighed and opened her eyes again. She looked worriedly at the entrance where Rok and Sukari were sitting, hoping that Nala and Pizeera would come back soon.

[Fire]

Fire looked around the land to see if he could see them. This was a very bad time to be out in grasses since Zira was angry with the recent situation. Come on, Nala... Where are you?....

[Fire]

Fire growls loud and paces around frantically. "I can't stand it anymore... Nala could be hurt and we don't even know it..." His mind was swimming as what to do. If he went out to look for her, he would probably be caught by the hyenas that lurk around. But, if he stayed, his mind would be driven up the wall as to what could happen if Nala did get hurt....

[This Land]

Sukari takes a few paces to where Fire was walking
"Take care Fire"
Sukari ran back into the cave and hugged close up to seleter
"Im worried, where could she be"
she burried her head in seleter's paws

[Kirsui]

Seleter looked down at Sukari and then to the entrance of the cave again. She then sighed and turned to talk to Sukari.
"I don't know" she said to her. "But I'm sure she's all right."
Seleter smiled to Sukari, trying to make her feel less worried. But deep inside her mind the thought of what might have happen to Nala tried to get free.

[Fire]

"I'm going..." He then walks over to Seleter, whispering into her ear to make sure that Sukari didn't hear what he had to say. If she did, it would only make the situation worse than it was. " Hide somwhere in the cave where no one can find you... Chances are that if they do find me and try to catch me, i'll try to escape and hide here... If they do find me here, I don't want you or Sukari to be hurt, understand?"

Fire still holds his muzzle to her ear for a moment to think about what he was going to say, looking at her with a suprisingly soft, warm smile. "In case that if I do not come back... I want you to know that..." He pulls his muzzle away to bring his lips to the cheetah's for a soft kiss, holding his lips on hers for a moment before pulling away, still smiling. "I... love you."

He turns around and takes a deep breath. "I'll be back as soon as possible..."

[Kirsui]

Seleter got very surprised when Fire kissed her. For a moment she just stared in front of her amazemed and confused, not knowing what to think of it.
Seleter snapped out of it and turned to look at Fire who was leavung.
"Be careful..." she whispered with a slight smile. She then picked up Sukari and stood up, looking around the cave. She noticed some huge rocks on one corner. If she'd hide behind them, no one would see her from the entrance or inside the cave.
Seleter sighed and walked behind the rocks, lying down and letting Sukari down again, smiling to the cub as she did so.

[Fire]

Fire turns his head to Rok with a serious tone and face. "Rok, I know the land more than you do... And I am going to be working fast... I wouldn't have time to be waiting for you to catch up..."

Fire then turns his ehad to Seleter and mouths out the words, "I meant what I said, Seleter..." A tear falls from his cheek and then he runs away from the group, going to out find Nala, constantly running thoughts of Seleter through his mind...

[This Land]

Sukari stood still and Looked up to seleter
"why are we behind these rocks" she said wondering
"Fire seemed upset and what where him and rok talking about" she said with a confused expression.

[Kirsui]

Seleter looked down at Sukari. She wasn't sure of how to reply to her. After all, sukari was a cub.
Seleter sighed in her thoughts.
"It's for our own safety, Sukari" she said finally. "We are here only because if someone happened to come to the cave we wouldn't want them to see us."
She smiled to Sukari.
"But don't worry about that" she said gently. "I'm sure no one will find the cave."
That was the best Seleter could say to Sukari at the moment.

[This Land]

"i dont want to go out there" Sukari Shivered
she walked backwards and sat in the corner behing the rocks
"who knows who could be out there" she said starting to get scared
"i can hide here if you want, and you and seleter can look for her" she said convincingly

[Kirsui]

Seleter looked at Sukari and then at Rok.
"I can't leave her alone here" she said to him, sighing slightly. "Go ahead and look for Fire, but someone must stay here with Sukari."
She turned to look at the small lion cub, trying to smile at her.
Who knows what could happen if I'd go too... she thought worriedly. For some reason Seleter didn't want - or couldn't - leave Sukari alone.

[Kirsui]

Seleter turned to Rok.
"Are you crazy?" she asked. "After what we did to Zira, that would be the last thing to do..."
Seleter shook her head slightly, trying to think of something.
"What ever we do, we musn't go and talk to Zira" she finally sighed. "She would propably let the hyenas attack and kill us or something."

[This Land]

Sukari Smiled at Kirsui and then looked around this small place they where in behind these rocks, she noticed a small gap underneath a larger rock she could squeeze into and a small loose rock by it
"Look seleter" she said calmly
Sukari then squeezed into this little gap underneath this rock and pulled the loose rock over the gap where she got in
"you cant see me now" she said convincingly

[Fire]

Fire was getting a little tired from running around and constantly scanning the brush around him. His sense of awareness was growing weary of always trying to find Nala. He never knew finding a lioness could be so tough... not that he wasn't good, it's just that Nala was better at disappearing. Fire thought he saw something in the brush flash past, but thought nothing of it since it didn't reappear again.

[Deleted]

(So so so soooooooooooo sorry for not posting for ages!)
Nala lay on the ground in the corner of a cave, her front left leg bleeding, making a pool of blood on the ground. Hyena's all around her. She gulped and looked out of the cave, past the hyena's. She saw pizerra run past but didn't yell out.

Pizeera ran past the bushes. He then realized he had run past another lion. He was looking for help because he knew he wouldn't be able to fight off the hyena's himself. After all Nala couldn't help him cause she had a saw leg. He turned back around and jumped through the bushes landing 5 metres away from the lion. He looked up to see it was Fire. "Fire!" He looked at the lion. "Nala's in a cave cornered by hyena's, they have already hurt her leg. I won't be able to fight them off without your help. Please come!" He said then started to run back to the cave.