Role Play

[Artemys]

*SUMMARY

The reign of the Prideland's first Lion Queen has begun, though Queen Uru is finding that the job is a lot harder than she might have ever imagined. Tensions are rising as a group of rogues and outsiders are gathering to overthrow the monarchy, a group of freedom fighters led by Ahadi. In a desperate attempt to hold on to her family legacy, Uru has called upon a league of lions from far and wide to appeal to her plea and help her fight off the rising threat. Only one side can win, but which will it be?

*PARTICIPATING

*Kanu TGL
Komani
Sorondi
*Zorayda
Mgodi
Fadhila
*Shadow_Carstairs
Jem
Faith
*Artemys
Khal
*krissi
Shys
Shay
*Axel

Saidia

*Leto
Leto

*NPCs

Ujumle - A dark-coated and lean male. He isn't particularly strong but he is hardy and has a lot of endurance/resistance. A common rogue who fights for Ahadi.

Nyamu - An almost albino lioness from distant plains. She is slender but surprisingly strong. She was found and taken in by Ahadi's group and since then has been ferociously fighting for them.

Hasira - A powerful russet lioness with 3 pale scars running down the entire of the left side of her face. She had an abusive mate and was left for dead until Khal's pride chanced upon her. Now she is one of his best fighters and a dangerously savage lioness.

Mfalme - A sandy lion who used to be part of the Pridelands. However, due to his disagreement with Uru's rise to power he has left her and joined Ahadi's fighters.

Shahar - A gold coated lion who grew up with Uru and still in her service, he is charged with handling what actions to take when reports are made by scouts and other lions. He has a very tall but slim build and due to a major burn on his left shoulder, he can no longer fight nor hunt.

Busara - A cream coated elderly lioness who has little strength left in her but has years of experience to be used. She taught both Uru and her father how to hunt and is greatly saddened to see what has become of the Pridelands. She has vowed to restore peace to the lands by helping Uru in whatever way she can.

Mlinzi - A bulky and toned gold-coated lion. He is a member of Uru's guard and has sworn to protect her, as was her Father's will, no matter what.

Padu: Shay's assistant in the crèche. Does most of the work. Obedient but a little jaded by Shay's laziness. The daughter of an absent rogue and a hunter. So knows her place.

Mwamba: a suitor. A rogue trying to marry into the higherarchy. Name means rock. Nickname is Miamba, meaning rocks (in his head).

Nguvu: another suitor rogue. Really only interested in Shay to get introduced to Uru. Shay knows this and keeps him playing.

Usafihi: another suitor rogue. Already so convinced he's so important, it's said he holds his nose so high he can't see the ground when he walks. Name means arrogance

[Artemys]

Uru stood on top of Priderock, her eyes scanning the horizon for signs of life. It seemed strange to have to look for such a thing in the Pridelands. When she had been younger, she had marvelled at the energy radiating from the vast plains that lay in front of their grand home, a countless number of animals of every size and species had settled down there. However now as she looked the land that belonged to her, they were vacant as if every living creature had fled, knowing that what was to come could only mean chaos. There was no denying that it was her rule that had brought a great land to it's knees. Her fault and hers alone.


An ominous silence seemed to cloak the Pridelands and it felt as if all time had stopped. The darkening skies drained the landscape of it's colour leaving naught but shades of grey. It seemed she had always taken the peacefulness of the Pridelands for granted and had never stopped to think of her home land in any other state than that of complete and utter harmony, which she had grown up in. How she longed to be able to return to the days when she had hunted and played at will, careless and content with her life. She would give anything to renounce her position and take up hunting as an alternative. The problem with her desire being very simple: There was no one left. She had been the only cub that her parents had, neither of them had brothers nor sisters and now they had gone, that left her and her alone to carry on the family legacy. And after all, when we're all dead and gone, legacy is all that remains of us. A lesson that had been taught an infinite of times to the young Queen.


Mlinzi approached the composed Lion Queen, he tread cautiously knowing that this was a difficult period for her. The premature loss of her parents had been one disaster for the Pridelands, the uprising of the rogues had only worsened the situation.


"Your Grace, the lions will start arriving soon. It's advisable you are there to greet them personally" He spoke in his husky voice.


Uru turned to face him and gave a light smile, though it was clear from her expression that it was forced. It had been a while now since she had laughed, smiled or been warmed by the sound of merriment and gaiety. Those carefree days seemed an age ago now and the bleak future showed no promise of their return. Though it comforted her slightly to know that she still had some friends that she could trust, a handful of lions in which she could invest her trust. She padded down towards the entrance of Priderock and sat patiently awaiting the arrival of those who had answered her plea for help. She held her head with pride, despite her failure. They must not see the desperation in her composure, she needed to be strong now. She would welcome those who had come from far and wide to help Uru rid herself of the festering troubles that plagued her land. Those who had come to defend her legacy.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Ahadi was perched on a raised boulder, his gaze stern and thoughtful; his friends and followers were gathered around at his paws, each sat with their back straight and their expression patient, he had gathered them here to plan the next stage of the uprising, step one had been completed.

Chase as many creatures away with the rumour that the new Queen Uru was incapable of leading the land, after all a female couldn't run a Pride, it was unthinkable! It always had to be a King with a loyal and devoted Queen who stood by the Kings side, bowing to their every will no matter what. He scoffed a little at the though when a familiar form, her fur shockingly white against the mud around them, padded to Ahadi, her head held high. "Nyamu." He greeted.
"Ahadi, I bring you news."
"Is it about Uru?"
"Yes, you will quite enjoy it."

Ahadi jumped down and strutted over to the lioness, starting to circle her, all rogues had their gazes locked on Nayamu,
"The great Queen Uru has called a meeting of any neighbouring Prides for help to defend against you." Ahadi grinned wickedly.
"Excellent, you've done well Naya." He said, using his affectionate nickname for the female.

Ahadi scanned the lions gathered and his gaze finally rested on Khal and Hasira, "You two. Go to Pride Rock and listen to what Uru has to say and be conspicuous." He warned, "As soon as she has finished her little talk return here and tell us everything." His green eyes were narrowed, "The rest of us shall stay here and discuss what we can do. Go now."

Hasira nodded and went to Khal's side, "Shall we ?"

---

A tawny colour lioness hurried along, ushering a small tawny and silver cub; a smaller carbon copy, to keep up with her. She had heard from talk about the lands that Queen Uru was planning a gathering, she'd heard all about the rogues and was willing to do anything in her power to help the young Queen.
"Jem, do stop playing." Faith scolded, picking the cub up by his scruff, "This is important, we must get to Pride Rock before it is dark, so we can help Uru and so we can have a safe place to rest too."
"But Faith!" Jem whined, wriggling in his sister's grip. "It's boring! I don't want to listen to grown ups talk about boys."
Faith chuckled a little despite herself at the cubs words,
"It's not just any boy little brother; it's a dangerous one. And just think if we can help Uru we can have somewhere safe to stay. Maybe even some cubs for you to play with."
"Really?" Jem asked, instantly stopping his wriggling.
"Yes, now be patient. I can see Pride Rock."

Faith picked up her pace to a jog as she continued carrying Jem until they reach the bottom of Pride Rock where a brown lioness was stood waiting. The older lioness placed Jem down and the pair made their way up to Uru, Jem obviously, finally understanding the seriousness of the situation.

[Deleted]

"That's it... that's it... oh that's great. Just there. Just there. That's the spot."
Shay closed her eyes and took a deep sigh as Nguvu bathed her back, just above her tail, then sideways down her massive flank. If these rogues were good for anything, it was grooming the areas Shay could no longer reach by herself.
"Ah, goddess. You are so beautiful," Nguvu said in that lilting accent of his. The accent made her breath catch in her throat. "Your coat shines like the first sunrise, it shimmers like golden grass across the plains. It is as soft as a summer breeze."
"Did you see the first sunrise?" Shay asked, and the grooming paused.
"Pardon, goddess?"
"Oh, nevermind," she said, and glanced backwards at her suitor. Nguvu was a pale gold, quite handsome, but his cunning eyes held no love for her. It was nice to see them holding confusion rather than barely concealed contempt.
Nevertheless he shook it off quickly and said, "Goddess... I was wondering, if I have sought favour in your sight, would you allow me to accompany you to the meeting tonight?"
Shay looked away, resting her head against the ground, and hid her grin. That's why his affections had been so frequent this last week. "I would love to, my dear Nguvu, but I am not not going."
Silence, except for the sounds of cubs playing on the ledge below. "Not going? I thought the queen would want your attendance?"
"It's not my scene," She said, which was true, and rolled over. "Besides, I'd rather spend all night with you!"
The look of confusion turned to one of horror. "Another night?"
"Why not?" Sitting up, she put her nose against his. "We together, as the moon sails overhead. Nobody else for hours, and hours. Doesn't that sound delightful?"
Though his head was still, his light orange eyes were searching for an escape route. "That would be... lovely, my Goddess," he said, though did not hide his sigh.
"Wonderful. For my belly needs grooming," she said, "and it is EVER so big. I imagine it will take all night..."

***

Shys watched her younger sister with the male with dismay and affection. Dismay that she would base herself to draw the attention of such slimy individuals, affection that she was so loyal to her friend, the queen, that sh would spend so much time keeping them from bothering her. Not that it seemed like such a great effort, she thought. She wished she drew such affection.
It was odd that she didn't, she thought, for she was a lithe hunter, all muscle and claw, a coat that seemed to change colour depending on her surroundings and had not let her down as of yet. She was, by all intentions, a strong, healthy and capable female. In contrast her sister was a quaking ball of blubber that rippled to and fro as she lay about and was attended by her latest victim. Shimmers like golden grass across the plains indeed. More like rolls like the turbulence of the ocean. Shay did have a sort-of innocent cuteness about her though, something that Shys lacked. She squinted almost all the time, and found it difficult to smile on demand. Shay's smile beamed into the heart of all who saw it, and her wide, upswept green eyes enchanted every male and cub she looked at. That's how she became the runner of the creche. The cubs doted on her.
But it was time to go, so Shys stood up and cleared her throat.
Nguvu looked up, and backed away. Is it better to inspire love or fear?
Shay turned her head and said, "Hey! I was enjoying that."
"I could see," Shys said. "The meeting is about to begin. You are required to attend."
"Really?" Shay said, feigning disappointment. She rolled over into a sitting position and looked at her sister with a protruding lower lip. "I don't want to go."
"You don't have a choice," Shay said.
With a sigh, Shay heaved herself to her feet. "Well ok. I suppose you'd better invite someone with a sense of humour." Then, more quietly she added, "Plus there'll be travelers there. More rogues, handsome. Maybe one for my sister?" She nudged her sister in the ribs.
Finding courage, Nguru added, "My Godde-" glancing at Shys, he said, "My lady lioness, might I attend with you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Nguru," Shay said, "I did not book you a place!" Then turning, she held her tail high and waddled in the direction of the meeting, leaving the bewildered male all alone.
"That was cruel," Shys said, trying to keep her pace slow so she could keep in step with her sister, though she had to stand far enough away so she wasn't knocked over by her swinging belly.
"No: cruel would be letting him come and irritate Uru," Shay said. "That's all he's interested in, don't you know? He's always asking him to introduce me to the queen, or to invite me to events where Uru's in attendance. He's obsessive."
"And you keep leading him on. Why not simply say, 'I'm sorry, Nguru. I will never introduce you to the queen. It's best you go on your way and lower your expectations.'?"
"Then who's going to keep all this clean?" Shay said, stopping and waving her ponderous behind back and forth.
"You have other suitors."
"Who have tongues soft as feathers. Yuck!"
"So maybe you should tell THEM to leave and take Nguru as a mate!"
"He doesn't WANT me. He wants Uru! Sheesh, sister. You may be sleek on the outside but your brain is fat as me, I swear."
They kept walking. It was probably true. Shys could hunt, but lions and lionesses, she didn't understand. You weren't allowed to eat them after all.

Finally they entered the meeting place. Uru was there, facing away, out into the landscape to greet her soon-to-be-arriving guests. Shay waddled forward and threw her arms around Uru, licking her on the cheek and pulling her into the expanse of her soft belly. It was no way to treat a queen, but it was how Shay treated those she loved. "How are you, sweet sister?" She said. they weren't really sisters, but they had been raised together. Shys allowed herself to fall behind and then mounted a high stone and kept her head down. She had ordered the huntresses to put themselves in a spot where they could hear the meeting, but also keep an eye out for unwanted guests. There she sat, and waited.

[Leto]

War, war never changes; dust stirred beneath each trotted step, faded prints left in the dry sands while a pink tongue graced over dried lips as a pale blue gaze was locked on the horizon, and anything in-between. Chest rose and fell slowly as the orange-pelted felid form came to stop on the top of a shallow hill, dust whirling in the breeze tangling the dry grasses around him.

The land evened out at the bottom of the slope and carried for miles, miles of… absolutely nothing! Ears swirled backwards in mild frustration; he had been wandering the same lands for several days now, seeing nothing but dry vegetation, the odd vacant termite mounds, with the occasional dry waterhole here and there.

‘Leto, what possessed you to come here?!’ The words sounded loud and clear in his mind, though the thoughts were a question towards himself, a mild chastise for not having heeded the signs sooner and taken a different turn when he had the chance; specifically that night he had stayed by the river, though calling it a river was a bit of a stretch if anything it had been more a muddy barely trickling creek.
A soft exhale escaped his pale maw, followed by a gentle stretching of tensed muscles before he continued down from the hill and towards the flatlands below. Despite Leto questioning his own wisdom in coming here, he could easily recognize a land riven with war and strife and this was one such place; beneath the serene exterior was friction that would explode into violence.

This to him could mean opportunity, but then would it be worth the risk? As he continued he could not smell anything than dry plains in the breeze that blew stands of his light brown mane into his face. The landscape though bland was dominated by a peculiar feature of geography, Pride Rock, the stories of that rock formation travelled far beyond its own borders, shrouded in mystery and secrecy.

This formation was what had drawn him to these lands, rumors of the Queen’s plight had reached lands far beyond the neighboring kingdoms, though Leto was nothing of a local soldier, he was here on his own accord and whim, with a soft sigh the male headed towards the unmissable structure with confident strides.

[KanuTGL]

From the north came a group of three lions; two lionesses, led by a large, black-maned male. They had travelled far and could finally gaze upon that unmistakable monument in the distance - Pride Rock. A place shrouded in myth and mystery. Sorondi came to a halt and exhaled slowly, black lips curling into a smile. "Here we are, ladies. The Pride Lands. We've just passed the northern marker." Not far to their left, green steam oozed from what looked like a deep gash in the Earth. It was a valley held in shadows and legend had it that it was there that elephants came to die. Sorondi didn't know whether this was true; the only meaning the place held to him was that it marked the border of the Pride Lands, as his father had told them. As he looked out over the land ahead of them the smile soon faded from the young lion's muzzle. It looked nothing like the way the wondrous tales described this legendary kingdom. The plains were dry, the sky a pale grey, the Zuberi river nothing more than a trickle... And what was more, the herds of animals were next to non-existent. Sorondi's expression became one of worry. Yes, the monarch truly was in trouble. He scanned the horizon for any sign of the troublemakers they had been warned about, but saw nothing that seemed suspicious. They should be able to make their way to the great rock without trouble, though his voice none the less had a tone of seriousness to it as he asked his lionesses to follow him. This was where it would begin.

-----------------------------

Komani wandered about aimlessly. There was a lot on her mind recently... Poor Queen Uru. She didn't deserve all this. She most definitely did not! Why would someone spread these vicious rumours about her? The young lioness had seen it all happen. Since the untimely death of the King, things had only gone downhill. Mohatu had been a great ruler, beloved and respected by all. None of these animals would dare treat him the way they treated his daughter... Komani frowned, her frustration building. It wasn't fair. Uru was perfectly capable of carrying on his father's legacy, so why wouldn't her subjects even give her a chance? If she could only be given the chance... The young lioness sighed and came to a halt. It was those troublemakers' fault. It was all them... A band of dim-witted, shabby rogues... Komani gritted her teeth. Well, probably not that dim-witted, as now the Queen had been forced to call upon their allies to put a stop to them, because the pride was unable to do so by themselves. It didn't exactly make the Pride Landers look any better. Bad luck. That's what it was. That's all it was...

The yellow-eyed lioness looked up and realised once again that she had lost her way. Drat. That meeting was supposed to be today too, wasn't it? Komani groaned and looked around her, trying to remember the quickest way back to Pride Rock. Luckily for her, said rock was visible anywhere in the land and prevented her from getting completely off-track. Sense of direction wasn't really her strong point. Turning around, she started making her way back, careful to not come across any of the rogues. She was fairly certain that she would be able to shake one off, but she didn't want to test her luck...

-----------------------------

Pride Rock was getting closer, so the lioness could afford to relax somewhat and she picked up the pace to a comfortable trot; hopefully the meeting hadn't begun yet and she would still make it on time. She remembered Shys' instructions of positions and hoped no one would notice that she had been away... Suddenly the was a rustle in the shrub just ahead of her and a large, dark lion emerged, followed by two lionesses. Komani gasped and stopped in her tracks, ready to flee into the thorny bushes. The other lions must've noticed how frightened she looked and they also stopped, looking defensive, but not threatening. "Who are you!?" Komani yelled, a little too loud "What are you doing in the Pride Lands!?"

The male replied.

"I am Prince Sorondi of the Mkomazi. We have come in response of the call the Queen sent." Suspecting that the lioness was one of the local residents, he smiled warmly as to not appear too threatening.

Komani frowned, unsure of what to believe. Something about 'Mkomazi' sounded familiar, so maybe these lions weren't on the rogues' side, at least.

"We are looking for the way to Pride Rock." the male continued "Would you be able to help us?"

The yellow-eyed lioness nodded slowly and stood up tall, a stance more proper for greeting guests. "Yes. Yes, of course... I am Komani, one of the Queen's huntresses. Follow me."

-----------------------------

Led by the Pridelander, Sorondi and his company arrived safely at Pride Rock. He did think that the path they had been taking seemed a little long and unnecessarily winding, but on the other hand he thought that that was something to be expected. The poor lioness had had no idea whether or not he was on her side, after all. At the entrance of this great rock - it was even more impressive close up and Sorondi had to try to hide his wonderment - was a lioness whose posture and demeanour could make her none other than the Queen. She was a distant relative of his, but Sorondi had never met her before and was both curious and a little excited to get to know her. He thanked their guide, Komani, and approached her. "Your Majesty" he said, bowing down "I am Sorondi of the Mkomazi. We have heard your call and we are honoured to come to your aid." He nodded a respectful greeting to the lioness next to the Queen, a lady who could only be described as... large. "My father sends you his best wishes. He could not make it himself and wanted you to know how deeply he regrets this. He hopes you can forgive him." Sorondi gave another of what he knew were his dashing smiles and continued "I, Hadiya and Faraa," he gestured to each of the lionesses behind him "hope to assist you in any way we can."

[Artemys]

As Uru sat waiting patiently for the first lions to arrive, her ears flickered as she heard two lionesses approaching. One of them was undoubtedly Shay, having grown up together, Uru could recognise her voice anywhere, though it was not a rare talent to be able to locate the large lioness from a mile away the way she would chatter for hours on end. She couldn't hear Shay's companion but Uru had to guess that she was talking to her sister Shys, a brilliant huntress and complete polar opposite to her sister. It was hard for Uru, or anyone for that matter, to believe they were related. As Shay came and wrapped her paws around Uru, instead of returning the gesture, Uru's muscles tensed and though she managed a smile, it didn't reach her eyes.

"How are you sweet sister?" Shay asked her, seemingly untouched by all of what was happening to the Pridelands. Though Uru hadn't expected that she would anyway. Not whilst she was being kept busy by all her suitors, strange as it would seem, there appeared to be quite a number.

"Not now Shay," Uru shrugged Shay off and turned her head to look at her. "they'll be arriving soon" She referred to those who would arrive soon. Hopefully arriving.

She began to question whether anyone would come and for a moment she wanted to leave all of this and go hunting, be alone with herself and forget this was all happening. But it was happening. And she knew her parents would be disappointed that she would so readily give up their kingdom. She had to have faith. Someone would come.

As if the heavens finally decided to answer her plea, a group approached. She recognised Komani but the others were foreign and Uru didn't think she had seen any of their faces before. As the lion introduced himself as Sorondi of the Mkomazi, that at least was something she recognised and another piece of news she was glad to hear. She waited until Sorondi had introduced the rest of his group before she bowed her head in greeting.

"Welcome Sorondi and to both of you" Uru managed to give a small smile as she descended down to the entrance."I am eternally grateful for your help, these are dark times we live in here. I assure you, once we have disposed of the rogues, your help will be rewarded. Shahar will show you through to where the meeting will be hosted when you are ready."  She offered.

---

As Khal and Hasira made their way through the dead land, it was clear that his large and muscular build didn't give him the best of advantages when it came to stealth and remaining hidden. Hasira wasn't an expert in the field either. After all, these two were ruthless invaders and not spies nor scouts. Power was what Khal depended on. But even.so, neither complained as Ahadi chose them to go. It would be perfect for the two of them to familiarise themselves with the terrain. Ahea of them loomed Pride Rock, what a trophy that would make should Khal be the one to lay it to waste.

"Do you think the Queen's sunk so low to ask for help?" Hasira asked as they walked side by side. 

"She might as well already beg for mercy if what Nyamu says is true" Khal smirked, there was no experience that Khal could think of that was more satisfying than watching the face of a monarch as they watch their land fall apart and they lose it all. Khal would make them watch as his wanderimg tribe laid waste to their kimgdom before he finshed them off. But the thought of the Pridelands reduced to so little held a particular appea, after all it was his revenge of sorts; Mohatu had been the fool who had reduced his family to lowly state that Khal had grown up in and now his daughter would pay.

But he was brought back to reality as he sensed another presence. Khal let a low growl escape his lips, damn Ahadi's request to slip in and out, if he could get his claws in a Pridelander, then he wouldn't hesitate. Hasira already lay low, muscles tensed and ready to pounce on the lion ahead of them. A quick nod was all she needed from Khal before leaping into action andsprinting straight for the lion. Khal followed closely behind and he caught a glimpse at the lion. He was a solitary lion, a male, dark mane and a plain coat. This unfortunate lion would have to pay the price of Khal's pride having to stay put for days without anything to quench their thirst for blood.

[Zorayda]

The warm sunshine played along the white lioness's fur, soaking deep into her skin, muscle, and warmed her all the way down to the bones. Fadhila sighed luxuriously as she sprawled onto her back, letting her pale belly soak in some of the sun's rays as well. Her mate, a dark lion by the name of Mgodi, was similarly spread-eagled on his side, a soft smile on his muzzle. Cracking one gray-green eye to glance at him, Fadhila smiled warmly before reaching a paw up to stroke his silky dark mane. His smile grew at the touch and he flicked an ear.

"Had a nice nap, darlin'?" he asked in a slurred voice, not bothering to open his eyes. The white lioness replied with a positive hum. "Mm, that's good. Don't forget to go to that meeting with Uru today," he reminded her, though his sleepy voice held a bit of disdain for their new queen hidden in the vowels. Fadhila's brow furrowed a tiny bit but she let the tone slide. Grumbling, she got to her paws, unwilling to wake up from her glorious nap in the sunshine in their beautiful home. Well, it was beautiful... right now, a drought had hit the land hard, and the brilliant greens of the lush Prideland grasses had dulled to a lifeless gray...

Sighing, Fadhila stretched, bones popping comfortably into place, and she lumbered on to meet her queen and friend. Before leaving, however, she leaned down to give her lover a lick on his muzzle, making him chuckle with happiness.

"Love you, babe," he told her sleepily. She smiled softly.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

A few moments later she stood in front of one of her best friends--Queen Uru of the Pridelands. The poor lioness had had so much on her plate, and earning the respect of the pride was one of those things. Fadhila, however, was one of the lionesses who had stuck to Uru through thick and thin, believing that she could lead the Pridelands into a glorious future.

"Greetings, Queen Uru," the white lioness greeted formally at first, but paired the words with a warm hug.

[Deleted]

A little upset by Uru's rebuke, Shay nevertheless waited while Uru welcomed Prince Sorondi, then leaned over and whispered in her queen's ear, "You know, you should marry him. If you don't I will," then noticed a bit of hair poking up behind Uru's ear that Shay had ruffled during her fierce hug. She quickly licked it down, fussing for a moment, then stepped aside as a white lioness approached Uru and hugged her also.
The piece of hair poked up again.
"Fadhila, be careful. This is your queen you're hugging!" Shay said, and fussed over the hair again. Then she stepped away and, examining her handiwork, nodded in satisfaction. Turning to Fadhila, she nudged her shoulder with affection and said quietly, "How are you, Cloudy White? How's that boyfriend of yours keeping you? Quite well it must be, seeing as you're hardly around anymore."

___________________________________________________________________________

Shys listened to Shay's prattling with a hint of jealousy. How did her sister find it so easy to speak like that? How did she get away with it? She hadn't grown up with the queen. She was sure if she touched her, she'd likely receive some sort of rebuke. Nevertheless her eyes continued to survey the pridelands. A lone male lion was approaching, but something was approaching him with the speed of a lioness on the hunt.
Shys leapt down from her perch, landing beside Komani and saying, "Follow me." She then turned to Mlinzi and nodded at him: protect the queen, that nod said. Two other hunters followed her and assumed her stealthy approach: it would take a little longer to get there and may mean the male lion's death, but her real goal was protecting Uru and keeping trouble away from the meeting.
As usual, the other hunters held back to allow Shys to take advantage of her nearly magical coat. But they were never more than a few seconds away. This was their land, and they knew every dip and rut and log and bush: the enemy would not see them coming.

[Leto]

((I assume it was Leto, Hasira and Khal attacked? If so, bad mistake it's like attacking a special forces commando. xD))

----------------

The looming Pride Rock wasn’t getting any closer, was he taking the long way around? In truth getting there seemed to be rather straight forward, but he had been walking for hours now and the formation didn’t seem to be getting any nearer. However his musings were kept short as the pounding of paws reached his ears, lifting his gaze he could see the forms of two felines heading straight towards him, and they didn’t seem friendly.

A snarl escaped the soldier’s maw, claws unsheathed as he stood his ground; most of his extensive fighting training dictated that he’d best wait for them to make a move, so if one of them decided to outright attack Leto would counter it. The closest opponent was the female, but close behind a much larger male followed, this would required some tactics. Since the female was already had a high speed momentum towards him Leto decided to try and rush her, so he set off in a spring right towards her, yet always kept a tabs on the male following some ways behind.

Teeth bared, and claws exposed he rammed his form into the sprinting female, potentially knocking her to the ground a potentially chaotic manuver not just to your opponent but also yourself, yet Leto remained in complete control in this chaos and followinged his attack up with trying to land a force laden paw strike right in her face possibly leaving her with some new nasty additions of scars but he didn’t care; these fools had attacked him! While his other paw attempted to get a lock on her throat claws digging into flesh, a move that would normally disable just about any attacker. Should he succeed though the female’s life would be at his mercy, she’d be his negotiation ballot, if the male didn’t halt his advance he’d not hesitate to rip the female’s throat out.

His eyes landed on the male, who was twice as large as him and would prove a much more formidable opponent than this female, on account of the male’s seemingly greater strength. But lions working together usually cared for each other, in fact Leto was counting on this; if the male felt the female’s life was worth to waste on this pointless fight, then so be it; she’d die. “One more step, and your friend dies!” he growled eyes focused on the male, pressing his paw further down on the female’s throat, a move that’d no doubt choke her.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Faith reached Pride Rock with Jem just as groups began to gather. As she approached the front she pleased her brother down and bowed to Uru, "Queen Uru, we heard of your plea and so I have travelled for a week to reach you. My brother, even though he's a cub, and I are here to help you in anyway necessary." She bowed again and sent her gaze around the gathered lions as Jem ran off to explore, "Stay in sight Jem." She yelled after the cub.

[Artemys]

What was she to do? Uru sighed, letting her posture fall a little in a mixture of annoyance and despair as she sat with both Shay and Fadhila fussing over her. Here she was trying to make herself look like an independent and promising leader of the Pridelands, trying to replicate the spitting image of her father; strong, able, powerful and dominant air to him, which gave him an indisputable control over matters and respect from all creatures of his Kingdom. She had hoped to at least give the impression that she was a lioness who meant business, though right now she sat in a situation where she was being hugged, and having her fur licked by her friends... It wasn't exactly the first impression she had hoped for. And whilst there might have been plenty of times when she would have welcomed such comforting behaviour towards her, now was not one of those moments.

She managed a faint smile, so as not to offend either lioness, but she stood up and straightened herself in the process to indicate that this really wasn't what she needed now. Not in front of everyone. "Fadhila, Shay, if you'd please like to make your way inside. I shall wait for the rest of the guests and we'll begin shortly." She said as patiently as her voice would allow her to be.

She took a deep breath in in an attempt to relax herself or at least to be more at ease than she currently was, she looked over the horizon of a once great kingdom. She sighed inwardly but was sure that nothing was expressed on the outside. She turned her head and a sudden flurry of movement caught her attention and she spotted Shys and a couple of lionesses slip off into the distance quietly, clearly hunting or stalking someone. Was it danger? An attack? An issue? Why had the huntress gone without notifying her?

Though before she could inquire Mlinzi over the matter, her attention was dragged away from the action by the arrival of a lioness and her cub. They weren't the world's most impressive force but every little helped. Uru composed herself, focusing her mind on the pair before her.

"Welcome travellers," Uru stated in a voice she forced to sound confident "I thank you for your concern and your aid, if you will there is a meeting within Pride Rock. Your cub shall be kept under the safe supervision of our cub sitters, fear not."

---

Aww, well wasn't that was cute. This small, skinny, weed of a lion instructing him what to do? You might have thought that a lion with the skills and experience, that he had clearly demonstrated up against Hasira, would've known when he was out of his depth face-to-face with Khal. He actually fit very nicely under the Khal's paw. Khal may not have had the agility that the rogue had but

"Now, now. You see this is the mistake that a typical Pridelander would make." Khal said spitting as he mentioned the word Pridelander. He had slowed from his run and was now walking at a deliberately slow pace. "Assumptions." Khal gave a grin at the mention of the word. It honestly cracked him up the countless of times he had been in this situation. They only did it because they knew that they couldn't defeat him. Khal's pride was not like the others, he didn't care who lived and who died, all that mattered to him were that the weak never brought down the strong.

"I shan't deny Hasira's use in the past, but she's still replaceable" As Khal said the words, he noticed the glint of sorrow and frustration in the lioness' eyes. She didn't like to believe it, but she knew that what he said was true. "Though I think we both know that if you push down, then it won't end so well for you either..." Khal said, an idea forming in his head as he looked over the much more slender and agile body of the lion in front of him. "Allow me to make a preposition that makes my life easier and allows you to keep your life."

[Leto]

Leto wasn’t skinny, though he would certainly appear such in comparison to the brute of a male which apparently didn’t slow his approach. As the other male spoke, chiding him about his mistakes of assumptions the soldier had to admit that the brute did have a small point it was the mistake of a rookie, and despite the first impressions Leto was anything but a rookie. As it was made clear that this male had a lion-eat-lion view on the world, a rare perspective that Leto in many ways respected; the death of the female would not faze this brute, and in that respect she was frankly useless to Leto as well. In any other circumstance he would've just killed her then and there, and seen himself done with this whole charade, yet murdering potential allies was never a good way to break the ice of a first time meeting.

The soldier glanced down at the female, still at his mercy his ears twitched then as the larger male asked to make preposition, so he wanted to bargain? “I’m listening.” Leto answered curtly, brows narrowing while his tail giving an idle sway, shifting his position slightly but did not let go of the lioness. The soldier was not beyond hearing this offer, deciding to humor his attackers; perhaps he’d even agree to this preposition if he liked the terms.

[Artemys]

Khal gave a smile as the lion replied "Good. That's better now isn't it?" Khal carried on approaching with slow and deliberate steps until the lion was within his reach at which stage he stood over the pipsqueak before him, knowing not to sit as that may give the lion a window of opportunity to catch Khal off guard. All it would take would be one final lunge and the lion would be as good as dead. If he backed away, Khal was left with Hasira and if not then Khal would have the satisfaction of finishing off the little lion. Either way, Khal would get something out of all of this even if the lion did not want to take up his offer. He did not doubt that the stick of a lion held the advantage in speed and agility over Khal, after all with a body structured like Khal's, that was to be expected. But when strength was in question, the skinny and frail lion seemed ever so pathetic. And all it would take would be one massive swipe from the lion to finish the lion, that was the advantage the strong had over the flimsy.

However, the job assigned to Khal and Hasira was not one for a lion made of brute strength or force, it was for a more subtle genre of lion. The leader of the so called "Freedom Fighters" may have a way with words and might possess a small fragment of talent at combat but he most certainly didn't have a fully functional brain which he demonstrated through his inability to recognise and use the skills he was given to his advantage. Though as plainly stupid as the rogue may be, he was still headed where Khal had been waiting to get to since he was a cub and that made him a useful temporary partner whilst Khal lacked what he wanted. But all the same, when Khal saw the chance to give someone more suited to the job, the part of a spy Khal was happy to give away his role in all this.

"We need a job done, from a friend of ours. He needs information and he's willing to pay some big sums in terms of resources, food, shelter and can reward you with a position amongst his ranks if it interests you. With a war waging, even a smart boy like you knows that food can be hard to come by and an offer of such reward isn't to be taken lightly. Still interested boy?" Khal asked, not giving a second thought as to what Ahadi wanted to give or keep. Khal knew very well what he was doing and knew for sure that his pride at least could supply the young lion if he needed. He waited for a reply, staring into the eyes of the rogue.

[Leto]

Leto hadn’t moved from the female, still keeping her within grips although he watched each of the brutes moves carefully, never breaking his eyes off the other. In truth Leto had little interest in a fight, certainly not one he couldn’t win, that much was obvious. His tail swayed idly from side to side as he took in the other lions offer. As the other male fell silent Leto took his time to respond the offer was awfully vague in terms of what the job was gathering of information wasn’t a lot to go on you had to be specific with intel, who their friend were, the only thing that was clear was the potential reward.

“I might consider it, but first I’d want to know; what kind of intel would I be looking for and secondly who is your friend?” Leto spoke staring up at the larger male, the first rule of giving orders was to be precise, and make sure your assets have a clear goal otherwise you might just end up receiving poor sometimes even useless or outright false information. In this case all Leto had been served was that their mysterious backer needed intelligence and he was willing to pay for it, even with a position among his ranks.

Food had rarely been an issue for Leto; he knew how to squeeze the most out of the resources though this land was not the lushest he’d seen and given it was in the grips of war tempers would be flaring, and suspicion rampant. The soldier was considering to help these guys, despite the fact that the reception he had gotten was an outright attack, but that could just be fault of the two lions themselves and have nothing to do with their leader, though the fact that his men attacked potential allies spoke of poor command and bad troop morale and lackluster discipline.

Leto’s first impressions were not stellar, but then his first impression of all prides were rarely positive.