The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Layla nodded. She thought Gamba to be very wise, much more than the average dim-witted lion that knew nothing more than to kill and to swoon. She scanned the horizon seeing nothing, however vultures began to swarm in the air, indicating that there was something dead lying around and it was likely that wherever there was death, there was something taking a bite of it.

"Vultures" she said gesturing to the sky with her nose. "I think I smell something too"

Layla was well aware of the danger of the heat and even at this point in the morning was being dried with thirst.

Gamba nodded, "Carrion, that should be a kill made by a predator, or maybe a creature in its herd has fallen victim to thirst. We should investigate, but proceed with caution. We do not want to encounter something dangerous, and be poorly prepared to fend it off." With this he lowered his head and slowly stalked into the grass, concealing himself in the dry brush. He fell completely silent, and moved as lightly as possible, trying not to crunch the plants underfoot.

Layla did the same as Gamba, crouching low a few feet away from him. The form of a carcass peaked over the grass many meters ahead. It looked like a jackal or two were feeding off of it.

"Jackal" Layla whispered. The two dogs kept digging in, their voices were talking to one another. "So lucky we found this" said one. "With this terrible dry season all the prey is moving north"

"It seems that the prey is already migrating, from what they are saying." Gamba said quietly to Layla. "I do not know what we should do. Perhaps we should ask them if they know Tabari. Maybe if we speak with them, we can learn something about this drought. Jackals rely on other predators to make kills so that they can eat the carrion, much of the time. They may be willing to assist the lions. They are clever, but seldom dishonest when giving information." Having known Tabari as a cub, Gamba knew much about Jackals. There were secrets each animal knew, and one thing Gamba had been told by the old dog, was that a Jackal, though shifty, was often true to its word.

"Alright, do you want me to go ask them or something?" Layla whispered, slightly lifting her head to see the jackals more quickly. She was confused and didn't know who this Tabari was. Nevertheless she awaited the orders of Gamba, and would treat him as the alpha male.

----

Moral kept moving throughout the camp of the Marsh Clan, all of the people were in panic and he cared not. "Shut up and gather your loved ones! We leave now!"

"I'll go first, but follow close behind. I have never been good with introductions. I need you to assist me, should I do poorly, and make the wrong impression." Gamba replied. With this, he slowly stepped out of the brush, revealing his location. However, he made sure to keep a neutral stance, his claws sheathed, and his tail held still, so as not to give the appearance of aggression or irritation. When he was positive that they were watching and had their full attention, he took the moment to speak, "Please, forgive us, sirs, if we startled you. That was not our intention, and we apologize for interrupting you. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Gamba, and this is Layla; we both come from the Ridge Pride. May we ask your names?" He asked. Although he was eager to know if the Jackals knew Tabari, he knew that it was polite to introduce himself and Layla, and ask their names in return. If they had intended to threaten the two, then they would not have asked to know their names. It was common knowledge that if something had a name you called it by, that you were more likely to develop an attachment. Lions that arrived with intentions of harming something did not give away their names, or speak so politely. The way it was worded, Gamba hoped, would be enough to tell the Jackals that he and Layla were not there with hostile intentions.

The jackals looked at each other, they didn't know what to think. They carried on with the conversation, yet were still cautious, however they couldn't think of a reason why a lion would trick them into lowering their guard instead of just outright eating them.

"I am Giron and this is Tobim" said Giron. "Is your mate nursing or something? We don't have enough food to go around"

Layla made an amused face. "We're not mates" she said, partly amused, partly flattered, partly embarrassed. "My friend here knows a Jackal and he wondered if you by chance knew him as well"

"A tiglon friends with a Jackal?" asked Tobim.

Gamba nodded, "That is correct. Do either of you know Tabari? He is the jackal that is friends with the Brushland Clan's leader, and carried our current king to the clan so that he could receive medical treatment from the hyenas, after almost being devoured by crocodiles. The hyena leader, Zanita, is my adoptive mother, and I knew Tabari when I grew up as a cub. He was responsible for teaching me how to negotiate in deals, and I was hoping that he could assist us. Our Pride, like you, is suffering from a food and water shortage. Layla and I were originally hunting today, but there is not any prey to be found. We were hoping that if we could find Tabari, he might be able to tell us where all the herds are going." Gamba saw no reason to not seek assistance from a jackal.

Giron made a confused face and looked over at Tobim. "You know anyone named Tabari?" he asked. Tobim thought for a moment after scarfing down one last chunk of meat. "Hmm..." he said. "I think so, it's been a while though. Haven't seen him for a long time"

Layla found this to be good news. She glanced around the area one more time to make sure no other predators where coming, as any lions or cheetahs or even hyenas that had not moved would probably try to hunt down this carcass and stop at nothing to get it.

Gamba nodded, "Thank you for telling us. That was all we needed to know. If you see him again, tell him that I was here. Again, thank you so much for your help." He turned to Layla, "It's possible Tabari already left and followed the prey, although he would probably mention it to Zanita beforehand." He flicked his tail, "Now that we have that cleared up, lets see if we can find any stray herd that might have stayed behind. Although at this point, even something as small as a meerkat would be nice." With this, he vanished back into the tall grass, heading further out. However, he continued to cautiously watch the sun's movement.

Layla followed, being careful to watch the time of day and her own surroundings. Her white underbelly was scratched and tickled by the tall dead grass. She was determined to help the pride at all costs and ensured she followed Gamba's orders. He seemed to know what he was doing quite well.

After walking a while, and finding barely nothing, the sun was beginning to reach into the airs of noon. It was desperately hot and everything slowly drying and withering away. It looked as though even the vultures couldn't take the heat, there were barely birds in the sky.

"I think we should rest" Layla said getting tired and hot as well as hungry.

"Yes, it appears to be noon, and still nothing. There's an acacia tree over there. That should provide enough shade until it cools down enough to keep moving. I think afterwards we should return to the Pride. I don't think there's anything to eat out here. We may have to return empty-handed, but we should report what the Jackals told us to Jali. It seems that the herds are moving north, and only scavengers and predators seem to have remained here. This looks like a severe drought. Even if the crocodiles return water, it may do us no good. The prey is simply not here." After saying this, he walked up to the acacia tree's trunk. It still had leaves on it, but they were withered, and rustled dryly. However, they still cast ample shade, just enough to shield the two from the smoldering heat.

Layla made her way up to the trunk and laid down a few inches from Gamba, panting and sweating. She was exhausted. "Jali might have to make some serious rearrangements if this heat does not stop soon. We need rain, and we also need food"

---------

The cheetahs began moving along the side of a mostly dry river, a large pride or clan of some sort was moving up north ways. Moral, the shady cheetah was leading them. A male approached him with its eyes sitting on tired ovals. "How much longer do we have to walk? We have to stop for a break, the clan members can't keep this on much longer, especially not the children!"

"They'll get over it!" Moral said walking violently forward. "C'mon! Keep up!" he yelled.

Gamba's tail flicked, "If it does not rain, then there is only one option that is left open to the Pride that does not end with starvation and dehydration. The herds will migrate to lusher plains to graze, because the grass here is of too poor a quality. Where there is green, there is water. We may be forced to leave this location, and follow the herds. I do not think that we will be the only ones considering that option, either."


Zanita and Unati trekked across the savannah, determined to reach the Ridge Pride, even if they had to travel at noon. "Tell me, why are we visiting a pride of lions again?" Unati asked. Being an ostrich, she was typically very nervous around predators, and had only recently gotten over her fear of hyenas. "I told you three times, Unati, the creek by the Brushland Clan is completely dried up. We have no water, and it's clear no other creature has any, either. We need to discuss this with King Jali." Zanita said. Unati was about to reply, when something bolted past and jumped onto her back. The ostrich screamed, "Get it off! Predator! It's going to kill me!" She cried. All the while, she began to run lightning fast, trying to sling the cheetah she was now carrying in front of her so that she could land a kick. Zanita, seeing no other option, also jumped onto Unati's back, and bit one of the cheetah's paws, not hard enough to break any bones, but just enough to make it let go. The two fell off of the massive bird's back, and tumbled away. Unati, free of her attacker, ran a distance away before stopping and looking over at the two.

The cheetah started to get up and growled in a familiar deep, bass voice, "Why did you knock me off of the ostrich's back? It was my prey!" However, when he turned to look at the hyena, his mouth opened with shock. "Zanita? What are you doing here?" He asked. "Kadir? Is that really you? Where have you been? You become king and I don't see you for 24 moons, and all of a sudden, you appear and attack my friend?" At first, Zanita had been happy to see the cheetah, but it was quickly replaced by anger. He never tried to contact her, and it seemed that he had no intentions of trying to speak with his old mentor. "Zanita, what are you doing here?" He asked, still disbelieving. "I was about to ask you the same question. You vanished, and had me worried sick! How could you do that to me? Do you not realize that you were like a son to me?" Kadir stammered, something that he seldom did, "But, I did not know that you were here, why are you so far from your clan, and why are you traveling with an ostrich?"

Zanita sighed with frustration, and shook her head, "Why Unati is with me is not your concern, but what does concern me is the fact that the land has not had any rain, and the creek has gone dry. The clan is barely able to scavenge enough carrion anymore, and we are dying of thirst. We are traveling to the Ridge Pride to speak with their king." Kadir then did something childish that he also did not do often. He tried to slip out of the situation, "Very well, then, carry on-" Zanita cut him off. "No, I we're not finished here. You're coming with me, and meeting King Jali. It's time you take the Skystone Pride out of whatever isolation you have cast it into." Kadir, being a full-grown cheetah, could have bolted and ran, but something, whether it was fear, or loyalty, kept his paws from moving. "Yes, ma'am." He said. With this, the three began traveling again, with Unati moving a slightly further distance away, and no one mentioning the incident of Kadir mistaking the ostrich for prey.

Making quick time by walking through noon, the three soon arrived at the edge of Ridge Pride territory, and entered the lion's camp. The oddity of the group, consisting of an oddly-colored cheetah and hyena, along with a nervous-looking female ostrich, was enough to make everyone stare. Zanita cleared her throat, it had gone dry, and she had not had water recently, "Pardon me for intruding, with such strange company in my wake. This is Unati, the ostrich, and Kadir, the King of the Skystone Pride. We would like to know if King Jali is present. If so, may we please speak with him? It is an urgent matter."

Taru was standing outside the cave when he saw Zanita, Unati, and Kadir arrive. He quickly zipped into the cave. "Brother, someone is here to see you"
"It has to wait" said Jali as he returned to his conversation with Mira and Kal which had been going on for many hours this morning. "I don't think it can, it's Zanita" Taru replied. Jali sighed and walked out of the cave, Sira, Mira, and Kal stayed behind as Taru and Jali walked down the ridge to meet them.

"Ah, hello Zanita. What brings you here?" Jali greeted.

Zanita nodded, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Jali, however, why I am here, it is a very grave issue. I am sure you probably are already aware of what my friends and I are here to discuss, and it involves everyone, regardless of species. However, before I go over that, I would like to formally introduce you to the two that now accompany me." She nudged Unati's leg, prompting her to step forward. "This is Unati, the ostrich. The day that you returned to the Ridge Pride after receiving medical treatment, several hyenas, along with myself, found her in our territory. Although it is somewhat complicated, how it occurred, she is now currently the oldest living resident in our clan, and has officially become a party that represents the prey. With her assistance, we were able to locate the grazing pastures of animals before they even arrived." The ostrich bowed her long, skinny neck, "Pleased to meet you, sir." She said, although there was still a nervous wavering to her tone. It was understandable, as she was in a camp full of unfamiliar predators. The ostrich then stepped back.

Zanita then prompted Kadir forward. "This is Kadir, who is currently the King of the Skystone Pride. Although he is 108 moons, he is not old enough to deny that I was present at the day of his birth. When he was a cub, I served as his mentor, under the consent of his father, and continued to advise him, even after he had undertaken the duties of a prince. However, upon his father's death, we seldom made contact, and then, the Skystone Pride stopped communicating with the Brushland Clan altogether, and we did not see one another for 24 moons. It was only because Unati was traveling with me that we ran into one another." She gave the cheetah a sidelong glance, as though she were scolding him. "Despite this, he is here, because the issues that I plan to discuss also involve his pride." With this introduction out of the way, Kadir stepped back.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, the issue of why we came. I am sure you are aware by now, that it has not rained for days, and all the water sources have begun to dry up." Zanita said. Unati picked up where she left off, "All the plants are beginning to die, there's hardly any food left for those of us who eat them. It has gotten to the point that I must eat solely grasshoppers and bugs, and even then, those are in dwindling supply." Zanita nodded, "What we're getting at, is that there is hardly any food at all, and all the animals that we normally see as prey are leaving the land, because they are trying to find better places to graze. Even the insects are beginning to vanish. Both my clan and Kadir's pride have begun to suffer the effects, and I suspect, so has yours. If something is not done, then we may be on the brink of starvation."

Jali nodded. "I am quite aware of the drought... In fact your son Gamba and a female named Layla went out to search for food early this morning. If they don't return soon I'll have to send out a search party..." Jali went back to the original topic. "It's... difficult to admit it, but I think we may all have to find new territory. Either that..." Jali turned his head, gesturing to a large patch of freshly dug dirt. Something bulged from the ground, it had to have been a dead lion or lioness. The heat was beginning to kill.

"We've already had one of youngest females die" Jali said turning back to Zanita. "-this morning" he said sighing. "Bottom line, our only bet is to move or die... I don't think we can wait on the spirits to give us rain much longer" Jali looked up at the sky which was clear and whitish orange. He was obviously in high doubt that the spirits would bring rain... today...

(I'm gonna hurry things along, sorry for the minor God-mod)

When the sun had lowered enough, Gamba nudged Layla, "Okay, noon's past. Let's hurry up and get back to the Pride, before the others start to worry." With this, the two got up and began trudging on, eventually re-entering the pride's territory.


Zanita shook her head, "I don't think waiting is an option. If a lioness has already fallen victim to the drought, then it will not be longer before others succumb. One of the females in my clan has already been unable to nurse her cubs. One of them died yesterday, and the other two are more like skeletons, barely alive." Unati chose this moment to add more, "Without grass and plants, the herds will have already left. I know I'm just an ostrich, but I know what the antelope and wildebeest think. They will travel for days, if it means finding greener pastures. I know that you may not eat plants, but I've learned that you can't survive without them, because they keep the animals close by."

It was then that Gamba and Layla arrived back at the Pride's camp. Gamba, who had originally intended to report to King Jali, stopped when he saw the strange trio who was visiting. There was a long, drawn-out silence, before the tiglon cleared his throat, "I was going to report on how the hunt went. It wasn't successful. There isn't any prey for miles. All Layla and I were able to find was a pair of jackals feeding on carrion. However, we did learn something useful from them. They told us that the herds appear to be migrating north."

Zanita's ears flattened, embarrassed that her son had to arrive and report during a moment such as this. "Well, then, I guess now we know where all the prey is going." She said. She turned back to Jali, "I know that the Ridge Pride is not my responsibility, but I believe that following the herds may be the only option. The Brushland Clan can't go on much longer, and neither can the Skystone Pride."

Jali gave a thankful nod to Gamba and Layla. "You two go get rest, but don't get too comfortable"

Layla nudged Gamba along, directing him to where the shadiest part of the camp was, and there were a few others there as well. Jali turned back to Zanita. "No clan should travel alone. We should go together. This is a very serious matter and I cannot afford the deaths of any more females or my warriors. The cubs are already nearly starved. We have a stash of carrion for along the way. We'll head north" Jali said pointing with his snout northways.

Zanita nodded, "Okay, then. It's settled. However, we still need to get ready. We can't go right now. My clan and the Skystone Pride must prepare. I suggest we all meet up tomorrow, and then go, let everyone get a night's rest, and then make a fresh start in the morning, before the sun even comes up. We might also prefer to travel at night, afterwards, but I don't really need to have a say in that, since I don't really know how lions and cheetahs feel about traveling after dark."

Jali reassured Zanita. "We'll be fine with hyenas helping us" he turned to Taru who was standing behind him. "Get everyone ready, have everyone say their goodbyes..."

"And from this day forth, we will never again be known as Ridge Pride... Our name must change to fit our new territory..."

Taru began calling all of the lions with loud roars as he walked down the paths of the camp. Jali gave a concerned look to Zanita. "There's something else I have to tell you..."

Jali approached Zanita and whispered so only she could hear him. "There is a gang of rogue lions after a certain female in this pride named Mira. She's expecting cubs and this leader of the lions is brutally insane. He believes they are his and is going to stop at nothing to make sure we accept him back into this pride because of it. We must be cautious when travelling"

Zanita's eyes narrowed, and she nodded, "Don't worry, you're traveling with hyenas and cheetahs. That practically triples our number, and we're going to look out for one another. You have the ears of hyenas, and the speed of the cheetahs, to aid you. It is almost impossible to escape the hearing of a hyena, or outrun a cheetah. There is power in numbers, and in each individual difference between our kinds." She then backed away, and said more loudly, "Well, I suppose it's time for me to go, I have a Clan to get ready, and Kadir needs to alert his Pride." She nodded to Unati and the Cheetah, and they began to walk away. Zanita gave Gamba a nod as they walked away, I'm proud of you, she thought.

Jali nodded as they walked away and began to turn the other direction. Taru was still calling the others, lions and lionesses began to gather in the heart of the camp.

A lion stood in the dried brush next to Jali's cave. He turned quickly and zipped back into the woods. He ran and ran and soon caught up to a large clearing where the Blessed Tree stood. His father stood amongst a gang of vicious lions.

"Father, Jali is moving the pride because of the drought, they're leaving their old camp and traveling with the Brushland Clan of hyenas and the Skystone Clan of Cheeahs!" Var said. Snake giggled. "Good, now we will follow them as they move along, but stay far behind so those hyenas don't hear us. We'll track them and when they settle in real good we'll make our next strike!"

The Skystone Pride was quite surprised when Kadir arrived late from his solo hunt, and announced the news. "Everyone, gather 'round." He called. The cheetahs formed a semicircle around the area where he was speaking. "On my hunt, I was horrified to discover that there is no food left. All the herds have vanished, and the plants have begun to die, for lack of water. While I was searching, I encountered my mentor, Zanita. Together, we traversed to the Ridge Pride, a group of lions a distance from here, and held a meeting with their king. All three of us have jumped to the same conclusion, that we can no longer stay here." There was a collective gasp, and Kadir waited for the shock to subside. "Yes, it is with heavy heart, that I tell you that tomorrow, all of us shall awaken early, before sunrise, even, and meet with the Brushland Clan hyenas, and the Ridge Pride lions. Once we have converged, we will all set out to migrate north together, where the herds are said to be heading." A beginning of protests arose, "Do not question me!" Kadir roared, startling them back to silence. "I will have no protests! We cannot stay here, there is no food or water to sustain us. We must say our goodbyes to the Skystone that gave us our name, and swallow our pride. I will not have any of you discriminating against the lions or hyenas because of their differences. We will travel as one, and assist one another, the hyenas and lions will rely on our speed for their protection, and us their strength and ears. I do not know how it will be tomorrow, but hopefully, you will learn to respect other creatures, like my father did." There was a stunned silence. Kadir had to be serious, to mention his father. He had never gotten over the old King's death, and it was still a sensitive topic. "Now, if that is all, everyone, say farewell to all here that you held dear, and go straight to your dens. Get as much sleep as possible, you will need it for the journey."


The hyenas came to greet Zanita and Unati as they arrived. A female who was in the higher rankings of the clan walked up to her, "Have you received an answer?" She asked. Zanita nodded, "Everyone, listen, please, I have news from the Ridge Pride. We have reached our conclusion on the drought." With this, the clan fell into a hush. "On the journey to the Ridge Pride, Unati and I encountered the Skystone Pride king, Kadir, I am sure all of you who are nine years or older are familiar with him." A few of the older hyenas nodded. Although nobody was older than Zanita, there were still a few old enough to remember the prince Zanita had once helped his father raise. "Together, we resumed to travel, and arrived at the Ridge Pride. There, we spoke with King Jali, and have come to a conclusion; that there is no hope of survival if we remain here. So, I must tell you, tomorrow, all of us will rise before the sun does, and meet with the Skystone Pride and Ridge Pride, the Ridge Pride having decided that they will change their name depending on their new territory. I will tell you, that the Brushland Clan for now will keep our name, and hopefully, it will not change, although if we cannot find a territory similar to the scrubs, we will alter it." There were more silent nods, "Tomorrow, we will travel with the lions and cheetahs, and I expect you to be on your best behavior. If anyone needs help, offer it. It is only proper that if we travel, we do not make enemies of our companions."


Gamba sighed, and stood up from his spot where he had been resting under the tree by Layla. "Just as well that we travel now. I have lived the life of a nomad for 36 moons, and have yet to truly root myself to this location. Plenty of sights up north, in Ethiopia, lots of things you don't see in Kenya. Although I wouldn't say that it's any safer. Lots of predators you don't find down here." With this, he walked off to join the other lions.

Layla stood up to follow Gamba. She quickly caught up with him and was on his side. Jali stood on a large rock only about twenty feet away from them, lions and lionesses were gathering there.

"Everyone, I have important news" he began giving a very serious look to the audience. Sira approached and sat on the rock behind him. "As Taru told you earlier, we have reached our final decision. The Spirits are not bringing water... Instead we must move, this must be what they are wanting us to do. We are leaving this camp soon, just before dawn which is a time that will be upon us in only a few hours. Three at most" he said gesturing up to the darkened sky.

"Now I assume that you have all said your goodbyes. I understand... that we will all miss this place" Jali said looking around the camp with a sorrowful glance. He turned back to the crowd. "It's hard, I understand. Many of us, including me, were born in this very campsite. A few of us in this very clearing..." Jali gestured to the large clearing they were standing in. "But we must go on, or we will die. Iana has already fallen dead from the heat..."

A few lionesses in the crowd began to cry at the mention of the dead lioness that had fallen earlier. Jali continued. "Be strong my people. We will meet up with the Skystone Pride and the Brushland clan in the valley where the territory borders meet. Once we have left our borders this place will be completely abandoned and free game for whatever idiot decides to come to this dried up wasteland..." Jali said looking over into the river. He then looked back at the lions.

"Behave while we are traveling. These are friends, even though they are not lions and their species are often portrayed as enemies of our kind, we will not fight them. They are friends and anyone who makes trouble on this trip will be punished severely when we find our new home. If you are ready, follow me"

Jali turned, walking down the hill and followed closely by Sira and Taru. Mira and Kal then behind them and the rest of the pride followed them. Many were crying. One lion, perhaps a warrior of Jali, looked back and scanned the crowd, making sure everyone was there. When he finally spotted Gamba and Layla, he went on with the group.