The Journey

[Deleted]

"No..." Uschi said, her huge stomach sore from where it had rubbed against the ground, and her limbs aching from the effort of standing and hurrying back. "I was with Wingu... can I help?"

[Lionel]

"Help me find them They must be somewhere in the caverns." Nzuri said and started calling them.

[Deleted]

Uschi took one step towards the darkness of the caverns. Her stomach was so fat and so full, no matter what she did she couldn't keep it off the cold stone floor. She felt like she was going to be sick, nevertheless for Nzuri she stepped beside them and called, "Kiids! Come to your mother, quick!"

[Lionel]

Suddently some little shadows runned out of the caverns.
"Mommy, mommy, has it started?!" Asked Noto.
"Yes, it has my sweety. Now let's get to the safe spot. And you to Zuri." Nzuri said and looked at Uschi.
"Are you coming too?"

[Deleted]

"Of course... if it's not safe here I'm with you. It's not far... is it?" Uschi asked.

[Lionel]

(I think we should sop and wait for others.)

[Amani]

Amani was back with the other lions. His ears flicked up, raising his head to see the smoke. He went and found Wingu.
"Wingu! What's happening?!" he exclaimed, shocked.

[Lionel]

"The mountain lons. They are trying to roast us alive. You better go inside!" Wingu said and jumped down the rock, he sprinted away, shouting orders to ther lions.

" No, no. It' s not far." Said Nzuri

[Deleted]

"Lead the way, then," said Uschi.

[Lionel]

"Go on Zuri, show Uschi, where to go." Said Nzuri.
The little lioness standed infront of Uschi and said: " Folow me!" and started walking deep in the caves.

[Deleted]

Uschi followed at a shuffle, making sure to keep her step in the dark. All she wanted to do is lie down and be sick, but she kept walking for the sake of the cubs, and Nzuri. She didn't want give her another reason to be worried.

[Lionel]

"We're here." Said Nzuri, and lied down.

[Deleted]

Uschi lay down too, flopping onto to her massive belly. "Ugh... how long will this last?"

[Amani]

Amani fled to the caves. He paused at the entrance to catch his breath, looking back at the smoke. He went inside thereafter.

[Lionel]

It felt like hours, but it wasn't that long, when Wingu came back to the caves, coyughing a little. Nzuri runned to him and they started whispering, looking at Amani.
"Amani. How would you like to be a part of my pride in the rising war against the mountain lions?"

[Amani]

War. More memories came flooding back at the sound of that word. War devastated his old pride...and his mother--he didn't want to even think about that. He didn't want it to happen again, especially not here, he wouldn't know what he'd do. He was unsure. He's never fought in war before, and still young.
"Sure, but what exactly can I do?" he asked.

[Lionel]

"You folow my orders, when the fight's start. And you'll have to go trough some tests, so I know, where will you be best at. But now we sleep."
Untill the sun rises...

[Amani]

"Right." Exhausted, finally getting some sleep felt good. Hopefully he can make it through the night. Tomorrow's a new day, the first day of a fresh start...

[Lionel]

As the night passed and the sun rised, Wingu wasn't really sleeping. As soon as he could see better than in the night time, he wen to check the damage. when everybody else will wake up, they won't be able to see him.

[Deleted]

Uschi woke up late, and stretched. Nzuri was asleep with her cubs, so she got up and quietly exited the cave.

Most of the grass outside had burned overnight, but thankfully was now cool enough to walk on. Uschi very carefully shuffled about. There were other lions and lionesses about which she greetd with a nod - they all seemed a little busy - but was glad not to be disturbed. Carefully she made her way to a stand of rocks, beyond which the fire had not passed and where the grass was still fresh. Sitting down, she began to tear up the grass runners, using her paws and sharp claws to weave them into ropes...

[Amani]

Amani had been awake since early morning. He was filled with excitement and nervousness, a little down on himself stiff, but mostly the former. It had been a clear morning, the beauty only almost being ruined by the burnt aftermath. Amani just went with it, thinking "hey, it could grow back." He had a laid back and "go-with-the-flow" kind of personality for the most part. He waited patiently and relaxed till he was supposed to do something next.

[Lionel]

Soon Wingu went back to the cave. He called Amani out and told him, that he need to go with a lioness, to do sme tests.
" Do what she tells you to d, and soon you'll know your place in the fighter squad."

[Deleted]

Meanwhile Uschi found a suitable tree and began fashioning her traps. She hoped none of the lions would trip them, so along the way she warned them. Very soon she had a large crowd watching what she was doing, and so took them aside near some unburnt grass and began showing them how to weave ropes. "Under, over, through. Under, over through. When the grass runner runs out, tie another to it like this... See?"

[Amani]

Amani nodded to Wingu and left with the lioness. He was getting nervous, but his resolve was keeping him together. He wasn't turning back now.

[Lionel]

"So, are you a sprinter or a fighter more?" The lioness asked to Amani.

One of the adolescent lions in the crowd asked to Uschi:"Where did you learn this?"

[Deleted]

"In the mountains!" Uschi said cheerily. "Not those mountains. Further west. Lions and lionesses rely on traps a lot there. The slopes are very steep and the other animals are more agile than us. So we make traps." She finished with her length of rope, the took them all under the trees around the local water stream, and showed those with enough patience how to set them up.

[Lionel]

"Oh... Can you be my teacher?" The young lion asked.

[Amani]

Sprinter. He flashbacked to all the races and games with Nina as cubs. It hurt, and he wanted to go back to his old life. He didn't even know how. He came to reality and answered, "Fighter more."

[Deleted]

Uschi answered the young lion, "Of course!" She finished tying off her trap, then helped the others to do the same with theirs. Once it was done she said, "and now, we wait." Then she waddles over to the young lion and asked, "Hey... Is there anything to eat around here? I'm starving... To hungry to wait." She smiled at him.

[Lionel]

" Yea, right here."The lion said and pointed to the closest rock. Underneat the leaves there was pray.

"You sure? You look more like a sprinter. Anyway, I want you to run to the tree and back, as fast as you can." Said the lionnes and sat down.