A Shadowed Past

[Deleted]

Amaiza waited for Zanders reply. It was all silent except for when there was a thud. Something had hit Amaiza's leg. Her head tilted down to look at the ground and saw Kiona sitting there.

"Hello little one."

[Sarafina]

From the distance, Sereana has been watching the Lion,Lioness and cheetahs. Sereana watches her cud Nadayshana play along the tree. ''If only your father was here to see how much you've grown.'' Sereana says while looking up to the sky then back down on Nadayshana. She picks up her cub and walks toward the others. They got kicked out of their pride because of her mate. They lived in the Savannah. I wish i was part of them. she thought while putting Nadayshana down to give a bath. She tries to stay low so they cant see her. Sereana yawns and her roar was kind of loud. Looking at the Lion nd cheetahs, she hoped they didn't hear.

[Deleted]

Bahreeka started to wander back over to Zander, who was now standing with Amaiza and Fire. Those two seemed like best friends. Although Bahreeka had been with the group for a little while now, she hadn't really notice their friendship until now.

The cheetah then heard a slight roar. Her head swivelled around to face the noise and she saw a lioness and a cub. She rolled her eyes. "I'll go greet them.." Bahreeka was finally starting to get sick of the sight of lions. Why were they all suddenly appearing and wanting to join their group?

The female cheetah trotted over to the pair and sat down. "Howdy! Name's Bahreeka." She greeted them with a grin as she waved her paw in the air.

[Sarafina]

Sereana was startled by Bahreeka. She didnt hear her come over. She sat up and put Nadayshana down. "Im Sereana and this is Naayshana." sh aid pointing to he wth her head.

Nadayshana jumped and ran under her mom. She looked at the cheetah. She giggled. "Your pretty" she said. Then she looed at her mom. "You too I promise mom!"

Sereana laughed at Nadayshanas remark. Then she turned to Bahreeka and asked "Are you part of them?" she looked at the others. " I was jut wonderng and you guys look like you have alot of fun." she said with a half smile.

[Deleted]

Bahreeka smiled. "Nice names..." Then she heard Nadayshana pipe up. She blushed slightly. No one had ever said that to her before, even if it was just a cub.

"Why thankyou Nad, you're quite the little beauty yourself." The cheetah grinned at the cute cub. Then she brought her head back up to look at Sereana, who was talking about the group.

"Yes, I am.. we are going on a.. sort of adventure quest." She smiled at the lioness. "I suppose you want to join us?"

[Sarafina]

Sereana never thought someone would ask her. Her ears perked up. "Well....only if you dont mind. Its just that Shanas father left only a couple days after she was born. I just want her to be protected while i hunt for something to eat." Sereana sais while looking at Nadayshana and back at Bahreeka. " I just want to make shes safe. Without her..." Sereana said nuzzling her cub. She picked her head up. ".... I have no one.

Nadayshana listened to her mum about her father. Her mum nuzzled her so she nuzzled back. Then she ran to the side of her mother and pounced on her back and sat up there like she was the queen. She grabbed her moms ear and bit it playfully. Nadayshana giggled. She jumped down and purred while rubbing against her mom. While doing that she said " I love you mother"

Sereana felt Shana walk away. A couple seconds later she felt her jump on her back. Then she felt biting of the ear. She kept talking to Bahreeka during this. "This is why i cant loose her." She looked at Nadayshana who was rubbing up against her leg. I love you mother she heard coming from Nadayshana. " I love you to". Sereana bent down and nuzzled her and licked her cheek. She looked up and saw Bahreeka. " Oh sorry. She is really playful and loves attention. " she said while sitting and bringing her head up so she was eye level with Bahreeka.

(( sorry i got a little posting happy and i love writing stories. So it might be kinda long. ))

[Deleted]

(OOC: That's quite alright.)

Bahreeka smiled at Sereana. "Well sure, why not, everyone else seems to be joining.." She then listened to what she had to say. "And you have a pretty good reason to want to be around lots of others.. protecting your daughter.." The cheetah nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, i'll make sure she is alright."

[Sarafina]

Sereana was relieved that Bahreeka said that she could join. " So where are we off to? " she said to Barheeka and pushing Shana a little with her paw.

Nadayshana felt her moms paw pushing from behind. She ran a little in front of them and looked at Barheeka " Is it an adventure?? I love adventures. But i really havent been on one." she said while sitting and waiting for them to catch up.

She saw Shana run ahead and laughed at her question to Bahreeka. " Yeah are we??" She said smiling.

[Deleted]

Bahreeka chuckled slightly. "Well i suppose it is... it would be quite an adventure, esecially for a little cub like you." The cheetah then started to speak about Sereanas other question, about where they were headed.

"Umm.. i think we are heading up to the mountains next... and we should be heading off any minute now." Bahreeka turned her head over to where Zander was still standing with Amaiza and Fire. "C'mon, come meet the rest of the gang."

[Sarafina]

" Oh thats cool! Mother did you hear? and ADVENTURE!" Nadayshan said shouting it to her mother.

Sereana laughed. "The mountains. Thats cool. " Sereana said to Bahreeka. When she heard others, she got a little nervous. Her big smile turned into half a smile. How bad can they be. I bet they are really nice. she thought to herself. "Great! I cant wait. If theya re anything like you...I will love them!"

[Deleted]

Bahreeka smiled at Sereana's reply. "Oh they are...Just.. not so energetic." The cheetah said as she trotted over to Zander, Amaiza and Fire.

"Our last two escorts have arrived!" She exclaimed with a smile. "Sereana and Nadayshana... this is Zander, Amaiza, and Fire.

----------

Amaiza turned her head as Bahreeka came over to them with a lioness and her cub. The cheetah introduced everyone and The grey lioness smiled. "Nice ta meet you."

[Sarafina]

"Nice to meet you too." Sereana said bowing her head to say hi.

Nadayshan was surprised to see all these different kind of animals together as one. "Im Nadayshana. It ncie meeting you." Shana said. She went to go greet the lioness but she tripped over a rock and rolled into her instead. " Ow. That hurt my head." She said holding her head and walking aver to her mother.

Sereana watched Nadayshana walk over to her. Sereana licked her head. No sooner was the little cub sleeping. " Well then on that note... How are you today?" she asked the grey lioness. She looked calm and kind. She has only known her for a couple seconds but.. you never kno.

[Kirsui]

((OOC: could I point out that Meri is near Zander at the moment. I moved her there in my previous reply. =3))


Meri sat in silence. Obviously this was why others didn't seem to notice her. It was fine with the white lioness. She was used to it - or more like that it had become part of her nature to stay un-noticed.
The white lioness looked at the ground. She was quite sure that she didn't need to open her mouth. Others would do the talking for her. She felt the wind push her hair to her fur on the right side of her face. Meri looked at the small cub, Nadayshana, who had arrived with Bahreeka and an older lioness. She was glad that her hair hid the scar and her blind eye, for she feared it would scare that small cub.

[Sarafina]

Sereana stood there. Really nothing to say. Sereana sat down behind Nadayshana.
Sereana listened to the others talk. Then she realised that there was one that wasnt talking. She stepped over Nadayshana making sure she didnt wake up. she walked over to her. "Hi....Im Sereana if you didnt hear. " She said to her.

Nadayshana felt a breeze. She woke up and her head still hurt. "ow." she said quietly. She found her mom talking to someone. She walked over to her."Hi mother" she said nuzzling her. She sat inbetween her legs. "I like you hair!" Nadayshana said to the person that Sereana was tlaking to.

"Hi." she said to Nadayshana and nuzzled her back.

[Lorien]

Zander looked to the newcomers and nodded a hello. His gaze then fell toward the mountains...were they ever going to get there? His eyes narrowed as his mind trailed into his thoughts. Suddenly, he stood up and looked at everyone. "We're moving. Now." He couldn't wait any longer. If his visions were true...they could be in danger if they stood around much more. Without anyone's leave, he began walking in the direction of the snowy peaks. They could follow or not...but either way...he was going to face his fate.

(OOC: Gotta get this moving again)

[Sarafina]

Sereana heard Zander talking. She waked over to Bahreeka. "Should we follow?"she asked her.
Shana followed her mother. "Mother are we going again?" she asked with a face that was so adorable. "I think i will be fun to move again. But I wish father was here with us. I loved cuddling wih him at night."
Sereana looked down and picked her up and put her on her back. "I know. I do to. " She nuxxled th part of Nadaysana that she coul reach.

[Deleted]

Bahreeka then noticed Meri there, who has been silent the whole time. "Oh and this is Meri, of course." She said with a smile as she looked at the white lioness. Then Zander mentionted moving. "Good, lets be off then!" The cheetah exclaimed happily. It seemed like she had been waiting forever to start moving on again.

She then heard Sereanas voice. "If you would like to come then sure." The female cheetah replied simply before turning to Zander to see which direction they would go in.

=================================================================================

Amaiza just watched silently as the new lioness and her cub chatted about with Bahreeka. She looked around at her surrounding as something to do while she was waiting for them to finish talking.

Zander then spoke up about them moving. "Finally!! I thought you would never say so!" Amaiza let out a sigh of relief after her words.

[Sarafina]

Sereana walked with Nadayshan on her back. She followed Bahreeka. She didnt really have anyone to talk to. So her and Nadayshana kept talking back and forth. They talked about all sorts of things. Like what they are going to do later, when Nadayshana can get a mate. When she brought up that subject, Sereana looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Lets just say you arent getting a mate until i approve of him. " Sereana said laughing and watching the expression on Shanas face change. "Dont worry. Ill go easy on you. Now..do you wanna walk or stay on my back?"

"Um..i wil walk but pretty soon i want to go back up." Shana said while jumping off. She stayed next to her mother and theytalked some more.

[Kirsui]

At last was the thought that raced through Meri's mind when she heard Zander's words. A somewhat relieved smile rose to her muzzle as she too got up to her feet. She nodded a greeting to Sereana and Nadayshana, realizing only now that Bahreeka had also mentioned her name to these two new lions.

The white lioness walked next to Zander.
"So..." she said on a quet voice. "How long do you think it'll take until we're at the mountains?"
She couldn't see Zander's expressions, for she had made sure that Zander walked on her blind side, allowing her to look around with the other eye.

[Lorien]

Zander had been walking proudly, not looking at anything but the mountains before him. When he heard Meri's quiet voice beside him, he looked down at the white lioness and smiled. "I'd say two days' journey, at the least." His eyes gazed back up at the tall, snow-capped peaks as a sigh escaped his muzzle. "I...I'm just not sure how we're going to get past them." He looked to the ground momentarily. "Maybe I'll pass out and have another vision when we get there." He smiled, looking back down at Meri. Thoughts of how to go over or through the mountains had troubled his mind of late.

[Sarafina]

Sereana didnt know what to do. She was following everbody. She felt a little tug on her leg. It was Nadayshna she wanted to et back on her back. She stopped and bent down. Shana got on her back. She had her paws around her mothers neck. "Shana. Do you ever feel lonely without your father around?" Sereana asked her. She wanted know.

Nadayshana listened to her. Her head was resting on Sereanas neck. "Sometimes I do. Like when you went hunting. Dad usually played with me and we had alot of fun. But when he was gone. I had to hide in the bushes while you hunted. And i just miss him." Shana said while slowly drifting to a deep sleep.

Sereana didnt really talk to anyone.She didnt really know anyone for that matter. She only knew Barheeka. Sereana just sang to herself while she walked really.

Shana could hear her mom singing softly and she loved it. "I love you mother"

"I love you too" Sereana said looking at her.

[Fire]

Fire saw both Sereanna and Nadayshan coming up with Bahreeka and nodded to them with his usual friendly smile. "Hello there..." They seemed nice enough to him.

(Sorry for being so short.. Just gotta get Fire back in. >.<)

[Sarafina]

(( thats ok ))

Sereana saw Fire and started to talk to him. Hi. How are you today? she said looking at the ground.
Nadayshana fell off of Sereanas back. She jumped and screamed. Oh its you! She giggled. So what are you doing later?? Well after we get t the mountains?? she asked while jumping on Sereanas back.

[Fire]

"I.. Well.. I couldn't be better, actually. Have a full tummy and I'm just hangin' around waiting for orders as to where to go." Fire said in a happy manner to the lioness. "Name's Fire. You?"

[Kirsui]

((OOC: sorry, it's longish... but I wanted to write something about Meri... =3))


Meri chuckled slightly at Zander's little remark of passing out again.
"Hey, lets get to the mountains before that" she suggested, turning her head so that she could see Zander with her only eye.
"I'm sure we'll think of something.."
Then the white lioness turned her head to look at the mountains again.
"You know..." she started.
"Our pride used to have an old tale about mountains. We rarely saw them, because young ones weren't allowed to leave the jungle area and the adults went to the savannah only for hunting..."
She smiled momentarily, but it faded away quickly.

"Anyway..." Meri continued. "The old hunters who had lots of experience but were too old to attend the hunts told a story to us young ones. They said that for a long time ago our pride had lived at the savannah. There had been a lot more of us, and everything had been fine."
She paused momentarily.
"Then the King and Queen of that pride had three male cubs. One black, one grey and one white. The black and grey got along with eachother well, but the white one was a loner. He was jealous of everything his brothers did.

Meri paused again, turning her head to look at Zander as she told the story. She was telling this all mostly because she had nothing else to do. Other reason was that she had never really had anyone to share this tale with.
"When the King died, one of them was to be crowned the new king. The old Queen loved them all equally."
Meri cluchled, turning to look at the mountains again.
"When it seemed that the black one was becoming the new King, the white one did something unforgiveable. One cold night he ambushed his black brother, thinking he had been alone. Unfortunately, their grey brother had been there with the black one, and the two managed to win the white one. The grey one never trusted his white brother anymore, and he along side with his black brother were furious, and told the old Queen and rest of the pride. By this time, the pride however was not as united as it once had been. Some of them were with the black and grey one, but some wanted the white one as their new King."

Meri let out a soft sigh.
"The old Queen decided to do something radical about this situation. She divided the pride in three, giving each of her sons a set amount of lions to control. Then she exiled the white one into the jungles, and sent the grey one to the mountains. The black one remained at the savannah, to keep an eye on the white male's pride. After this happened, the Jungle Pride has spent most of their time inside the jungle, and only got out to hunt food if needed."

Meri finished her story and her eyes still rested on the mountains.
"I just happened to remember the old tale about the three prides" she explained.
"I'm not sure if it interested you, but it has always had a certain meaning to me."

[Lorien]

Zander listened intentely as Meri told the story of the three lions. He then looked back to the mountains when she had finished. "Considering I don't remember any stories that have ever been told to me, it's very interesting." He smiled warmly, looking down at the young white lioness. Throughout this trip he had come to, at least to him, bond with Meri the most. Perhaps it was because of their situations. It seemed that she was trying to forget her past, while he was doing everything possible to remember his.

Zander's eyes drifted once again toward the mountain peaks. "Perhaps...perhaps we'll run into the grey lion's pride." He smiled at the thought of Meri's story coming to life. "I'm sure they could help in our passing..." He then thought a beat before looked back at Meri. "Unless you think they would be hostile..."

[Sarafina]

" Mines Sereana and...." Sereana was interupted by Nadayshana.
"And im Nadayshana" Shana said picking her up and looking at Fire. " He is sooo cute" Then she realised she said that outloud instead of thinking it. "Oops."
Sereana laughed. "Smooth little one" she said licking her daughter. "Im sure he hears it alot." Sereana said looking at him.

[Fire]

Fire looked down at the cub that was putting herself out there with her introduction, smiling down at her and then flickering the tiny bit of hair that was in his eyes out of the way. "Well... I don't know about cute, but I do appreciate the compliment, thank you."

He then chuckled as Sereana spoke to what appeared to be a daughter of hers. The reason he thought of this was because the little looked much too young to be a sister, and the cub had traits that showed in both Shana and Serena. He then smiled even more when Serena spoke of him, that being a boost in his pride. He puffed out his chest in a silly and playful manner, being his happy self. "I do get called it sometimes. But, it usually is overshadowed by my charm and talents that I didn't even know I had."

After he said this, he gave off a cheesy grin and then winked to both Serena and Shana. This was fun meeting the two newcomers.

[Sarafina]

Sereana laughed. "Wow. Your....cool" She said giving him a half, sneeky smile. Then she looked at her daughter who was jumping up and down. She knew wat she wanted. She picked her up by the necka dn put her on her back.
"Thank you mother." Nadayshana said looking at Fire. She layed on her mothers back and held around her neck. "So.... Fire.. how are ya'?"
Nadayshana said smiling and laughing a little.
Sereana looked at the corner of her and and watched Shana on her back. "Your so... cute!" She said laughing and making Nadayshana blush.

[Fire]

He looked at the cub and then exhaled his chest to sit normally facing the cub and the lioness. "Well, why don't you ask your mother? I'm sure a lioness like her would be glad to tell this 'cool' lion in her own sweet way." He says with a playful smile to Shana and then glanced down at Serena with a wink, waiting for the cub's reaction to his question and response.