The Journey

[Deleted]

"The 'mountain peakers'?" Uschi interjected, incredulous. She looked at Asha. "His speeches may not be that good, but he is a good warrior. He protects us well, though I think he should let ME do more talking." She smiled at her adoptive king.

[Lionel]

Wingu blushed.
"Yes, not a good speach. Anyway, Uschi, bring our guests some food and show them where to rest. Maybe get to know them better?"

[Artemys]

Communication might be something you ought to work on then Asha thought to herself. As an ageing lioness, she remembered the strict upbringing her generation had, and the manner in which common courtesy and respect for elders was drilled into the cubs so that they would not forget their place, even to guests. Asha felt like she spent much of her life complaining and she wondered sometimes whether it was the world around her changing or if it was just her. She came to the conclusion though, that should things be done her way then the world would be a better place.

"I am Asha and this is Bree, we are from the Pridelands but I promise I bring you all no harm. We were merely lost and we sought refuge from the harsh conditions in the open." Asha said, she bowed her head, showing that she meant no harm but her back grumbled in pain as she did so.

Bree, behind Asha, snorted at Uschi's comment as her eyes looked over the huge lion. Bree wished that she could look that intimidating and so thrust her own chest out, holding her head high and baring a few small, sharp teeth she practised her pose which would strike fear in the hearts of her enemies when she would be Queen of some place warm and cosy with lots of game and water. And where old, grumpy lionesses would be banned from. She would show them all, she would be a fantastic Queen. She opened her mouth to give a roar, but just as she opened it, she received a sharp nudge from the grumpy lioness and Bree sulked, sending death glares at Asha. At times she hated being a cub, being pushed around was no fun.

[Lionel]

"Wingu walked away, letting Uschi take over. Before he left, both of his cubs ran out.
"Go on, Noto, Zuri, go have some fun." Wingu whispered in their ears, and then they ran towards Bree.
"Do you want to play with us?" Noto asked, while his sister smiled at Asha.

[Deleted]

"They've already eaten," Uschi said, but Wingu was already walking away. She shook her head and smiled at Asha as Wingu's cubs came up and began speaking with Bree. "Would you like a place to rest?" she offered the old lioness. "You must be weary. How long did you follow our tracks for?"

[Amani]

Amani greeted Wingu as he came and went, and near the welcoming party . He stoodby to be of assistance. Mostly, it was to get out for a bit. He had been keeping to himself for a while. He remained silent so he couldn't interrupt.

[Artemys]

"A rest is more than welcome. We only found tracks about 100 strides in the directionof the setting sun, so it was quite by chance we came across your pride." Asha put in, she was weary and not only from walking but from putting up with a very bored lion cub. She smiled though at the cub that was watching her.

"You see Bree, you ought to have lessons from this young cub. Good behaviour and etiquette is an important aspect of becoming a mature and responsible lioness." Asha said, walking away from the cub. Asha knew Bree would be fine, the young lion always had been. But the trouble she could find herself never failed to amaze Asha. She only hoped Bree had the sense not to get in trouble whilst being a guest at this new pride.

Bree stuck he tongue out childishly as Asha walked away, the gesture made her feel slightly better. What if she didn't want to be a mature lioness?

"I saw that" Asha murmured, which didn't surprise Bree in the slightest. The old crone had eyes in the back of her head.

Turning her attention away from Asha, she directed it to the cub who had talked to her. Her eyes lit up with excitement. It had been a while since she had been in the company of a lion cub around her age.

"You bet, what is there to do in this scrapyard?" She said bluntly looking around. It was no Prideland but there might be something to explore and discover.

[Lionel]

"Scrapyard? This ain't no scrapyaard!" Not said, looking a little upset. Then Zuri came closer.
"We can show you the caves. There are waterfalls and..." She whispered "a secrect cave in there, that leads to the jungle!"
"What are you doing? That was our playground!" Noto said to his sister. "Well, you can't do anything about it now. Shall we?"

[Artemys]

"Well, where I come from, it's one of the lushest and most beautiful regions in all of Africa. Everyone has heard of the Pridelands, but I've never heard of this place before." Bree said, in an almost superior manner. As a young cub she still had much to learn on respecting others and the prides other than her own.

"Buuuuttttt... this place does sound interesting..." Bree batted her eyelashes and gave them her best innocent face. Her tail was twitching with excitement as she anticipated an adventure. She could picture it in her mind: Bree the Magnificent discovers paradise for all lion cubs to be free of bossy elders.

[Deleted]

Uschi led Asha to a quiet place under some trees, where a few lionesses were resting already, well and truly asleep. "Here," Uschi said, leading her to a soft bed of leaves between two tall roots. "This is my bed. I won't need sleep until tonight though, so rest as long as you want."
Then she walked away a while, finding Amani standing nearby. A smile instantly spread across her face. Waddling over, she gave the soldier-lion a quick lick on his left cheek. "Hello, Amani," she said. "My you're looking like the warrior now. How is training going? Wingu treating you fairly?"

[Lionel]

"Let's get one thing straight. We, as in mye and my sister found the place first." Said Noto, and runned inside the caves. He stopped, and called others.

[Amani]

"Hello Uschi." Amani greeted her warmly. "Training's going good. Yes he's been treating me right," he replied. "So how have you been?"

[Artemys]

"Yeah, yeah keep your cool. Can we get going now?" Bree said impatient to get going. She was an explorer at heart and had little patience for others when she was ready. Though being the hypocritical cub she was, she could never stand it when others didn't wait for her. In her mind, the world revolved around her and she would be destined to be the world's greatest explorer and she would star in stories that parents told their children, she would be someone the world would aspire to.


Asha lay down in her cave, keeping her eyes trained on Bree from outside the cave. She smiled fondly at the little lioness as she confidently strutted about in that arogant manner of hers. She would go on to do great things, Asha was sure. But there was still a lot of time between that day and the current one. She still had a lot to learn. Modesty was a lesson that had never sunk in and Asha feared that perhaps never would if she kept up that stubborn attitude. However, cubs aside, weariness began to take a hold of Asha and she closed her eyes and rested.

[Deleted]

"I've been well! Well, a little bored," she said. "Now that everyone's setting traps I don't feel like I'm special anymore. Even some of the cubs can do it." She paused for a moment, a little lost for words. "So... you never told me your story, anyway. Where did you come from, before you came here? I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours?"

[Amani]

"Well, it goes back way before I came here." He hesitated before continuing. "I'm adopted. My real parents were killed by a large pack of hyenas, the wretched things. Anyways, before we lived in a smaller pride out in the grasslands of the Pridelands, by the water hole. So after that I went inland and was taken in by Kora, where i spent the rest of my childhood. Later on I found out my old pride was still alive. So i got reunited with them, but things had changed there. The new leader, he was a tyrant, so we fought often. It was just uneasy at first, but soon it turned into a war and trouble started. We were sent away from the Pridelands for causing trouble. I was still only a teenager so Kora had to come too. It turned to us against him, and a few other pride lions. The war tore the pride apart." He paused, starting to tear up. "I lost everything. The Pridelands, my real parents, my real pride, and Kora, the only other person that cared for me." "AFterwards, I just found my way here. This is the only thing I have left," he said solemnly, wiping his tears as he finished.

[Deleted]

Uschi was speechless upon hearing Amani's words, and seeing his tears. "Oh Amani," she said, then butted his head affectionately. She stood beside him, close enough to warm him, and said, "I'm so sorry for all the things you've lost. I left behind my family too... though it's not the same, I know. They're still alive. But I'm SO glad I met you and I'm so glad you're here. Kora isn't the only person who cared about you. I care about you. We care about you." She nudged him under his chin with her nose. "I'm so glad I met you... are you alright?"

[Amani]

"I'm glad I met you all too. This is like my home away from home. That's why I'm hoping nothing happens to this place during the war. I'm sure Wingu won't let that happen though." Amani said, sniffling. "Yea I'll be fine. So what's your story?" he replied.

[Deleted]

"I ran away from home to avoid an undesirable marriage," she said, looking over her should at the old lioness to make sure she was asleep. "He was handsome enough, but he didn't care about me. He simply cared about the lands it would get him. I could probably return now. Father would forgive me, but mother might not. And I'm sure he married one of my sisters instead. Just to be sure though, I hope to return with a mate of my own, one who loves me for who I am, and not what I can give him. When I find him anyway," she smiled, and giggled nervously. "You're the first person I've told that, you know?"

[Lionel]

"Let's move it!" Noto said, and runned inside the caves.Zuri went slower, waiting for Bree to follow.

[Amani]

"Your the first one I told this also." Amani sighed, changing the subject. "So, who are the newcomers?" he asked Uschi.

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A young Pridelands lioness cub pranced through the grass of Wingu's lands, staying low. She went around looking around for someone, appearing to be lost. Soon her focus was distracted by a butterfly. She chased it through the tall grass. She attempted to pounce it, unknowingly landing next to Amani and Uschi.

[Deleted]

Uschi said, "Asha's the older one, and the cub's name is Bree. They're from a pridelands they call "The Pridelands." She laughed. "They must be isolated, yes?" A silence fell then, and Uschi realised she had an opportunity. "Hey, Amani," she said, looking down at his feet and then across the plain, anywhere but at his eyes, "I don't suppose... you'd be interested in... spending mo-"
Just as she was about to say it, a cub landed beside them in the grass. Uschi looked at Amani, but the moment was gone. With a sigh she said, "Little one, are you lost?"

[Amani]

"They're probably from the same place I was from." Amani said, looking down. Maybe this could be a chance to get back home? Maybe everything had blown over? It'd have to wait till after he was finished here. He was listening to Uschi until a cub landed next to them. He looked at Uschi, and then at the cub.

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"Not really, she's coming." the cub pointed out to them.
In a second, like the cub said, a lioness caught up with the little one.
"These cubs have a lot of energy nowadays." she said, catching her breath before continuing.
"Hello, I'm Nina, Amani's friend from a long time ago, and this little one is my daughter Tumaini." she said.
"Mai.." Tumaini interrupted, annoyed. "Mai" sounded much better to her. Nina laughed and added, "Yea she has her little nickname."

[Deleted]

"pleased to meet you," Uschi said, nodding and smiling. It was a bit baffling, all these new people, and they WERE at war with the mountain lions, so she said, "Err... are you from these parts?"

[Amani]

"Nina! Nice to see you again!" Amani said, nuzzling her head. "and hello Mai," he said to the cub.

"Hello there." Mai replied, looking at Amani. He seemed somewhat like Nina described before.

"No, not at all. We're from The Pridelands, same place were Amani is from." Nina said.

[Artemys]

Asha lazily opened an eye, though she lay on the warm cave floor for a good while before getting up onto her feet. It seemed getting up became more and more difficult after every day going by. She stretched her rusty body before taking a moment to sit down and take in what had happened. She was at the pride belonging to a lion named Wingu. Bree had probably run off with the other cubs, no doubt using her natural inappropriate behaviour with no regard for her hosts. She had been greeted by a lioness named Uschi and a couple of other not too friendly members.

Asha was a little disappointed that she knew so little of where she was. She needed to know the situation, geographic aspects, distance to the Pridelands or direction at the very least. In short, she needed to know more before she spent any more time in this place.



Bree raised an eyebrow at the cub. "I'll be sure to mention you in my speech then, once I'm an acclaimed explorer" she added proudly. She caught the scent of a new cub, and perked her ears up. She couldn't hear anything but the dull blabber of old lions. She managed to distinguish one voice which belonged to the fat lioness. But no sign of cubs, so Bree redirected her attention to the cub in front.

"Come on! Come on! Let's go!" Bree whined loudly, her voice carrying of into the distance

[Lionel]

"Yea, yea." Noto said, and walked onwards. A great wiev opened up. A big pond with a waterfall, vines all around. Colourfull flowers and soft grass. There were some claw marks on the trees, where the cubs had been climbing.
"Welcome to our humble home." Said Zuri, and then Noto laughed.

Wingu felt the scent of more intruders.
"Since when is this a tourist point?" He whispered, and wen't to Amani.
"Amani, who are your firends?" He said, at this point beeing little angry. There was a war going on, but cubs and lionneses keep popping up.

[Artemys]

"Now where have I heard that phrase before" Bree giggled, she was familiar with Timon's tales of how he and Pumbaa saved the Lion King. In fact every resident of Pride Rock had heard the story thousands of times and frankly it was beginning to get boring. She'd certainly have a tale or two to tell the other cubs when she got back.

She looked in awe at her surroundings. "Not bad at all guys! What kind of terrain do you have yourselves here that we could explore?" Bree said excitedly, grinning at both cubs.

[Amani]

"This is my friend Nina and her daughter Mai," Amani replied to Wingu.

"Pleased to meet you." Nina added, while Mai shyed away behind one of Nina's legs.

[Lionel]

"We have explored everything here. You can just go and take a look." Said Noto yawning, while Zuri walked besides her brother.

"Amani, keep them safe. You know there is a wa going on." He said, and then turned to the newcomers.
"Very nice to meet you, but you should stay hidden. It's not quite the peacefull time around here."

[Amani]

"Will do. You can count on it." Amani replied to Wingu, then looked at Nina. "Are you okay with that?" he asked her.
Amani worried about Mai and her, so he wanted to make sure. Since he had to stay and fight, he hoped she would stay.

"Sure." Nina said, plainly. She didn't want to tell him that they weren't planning on staying, but during a war? She worried about Mai.
She hadn't seen Amani in so long it seemed. She would do anything to see him. Maybe this hidden place was safe? She would have to see to it.