The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

The Brushland Clan and Skystone Pride had already gathered at the designated meeting place when the Ridge Pride arrived. Already, there was a certain degree of confusion, as the cheetahs and hyenas tried to get used to one another. Surprisingly, the cubs were doing much better than the adults. While the adults sat, shifting between their paws awkwardly, the hyena and cheetah cubs were playing with one another, those that still had the strength to do so. "I'm gonna get you!" One of the hyena cubs growled playfully. "You gotta catch me, first!" a young cheetah called, as they started to chase one another in circles around their parents. "Sure, go and run! You'll get tired eventually!" The hyena shot back. As it were, the young cheetah did eventually tire, and had to stop running. The little hyena cub tackled him and began tugging at his ear. Just then, his mother came in and grabbed the cub by his scruff, "Sweetheart, please, save your energy for the trip." She said, after setting him down. Zanita was the only one who didn't seem to be concerned about the cubs playing together. In reality, if they hadn't been about to migrate, she would have encouraged it.

Kadir walked up to her, "Zanita, the Ridge Pride is here." He said, nodding at the arriving lions. "Good, let's talk to Jali, so we can start moving." She said, as she approached the lion.

The lions quickly moved into the gathering. Most were a bit concerned about their traveling companions. "I'll keep an eye on them" one lion said to Jali. "No need, they have my full trust" The lion gave a confused face and departed from the king. Jali walked up to Kadir and Zanita who were approaching, Sira and Taru behind him. Layla and Gamba had finally came into the clearing, Layla was still very tired from the trip and the hunt earlier. It was going to be terrible, walking for miles...

Gamba looked over at Layla. She looked exhausted, but then again, she wasn't used to traveling, and hadn't really gotten a good rest after the hunt. It was clear to him that a majority of those around him would be miserable, long before the journey was over. He was used to traveling, and would probably fare quite well, but he could not say the same for the others. "Layla, are you all right?" He asked, somewhat worried.


Zanita came up to Jali, "It's good to see you, now everyone's here. So, before we start moving, do you think we should travel during the night, or during the day? We'll be traveling during the day for now, but we might want to switch, later, because it's too hot to travel at noon, and it's much cooler at night. We might also want to ask Gamba about this, as well, because he's been up north. He can tell us what to expect."

"I'm-I'm fine..." Layla said panting. Jali nodded upon Zanita's remark and turned his head viewing Layla and Gamba coming into the crowd.

"Gamba! Come here," he called gesturing with a motion of his head for the tiglon to come over to the group of leaders. Jali was both happy and mournful for leaving the camp. The camp held so many memories and also had its share of scars. Jali would feel releaved in the end and perhaps Snake would not find them when they left.

Giving one last, concerned look at Layla, Gamba walked over to Jali, "Yes, sir?" He asked. Although his tone was even, he was still partly distracted. He couldn't help but be worried. It wasn't good for anyone to start on a journey when they were already exhausted, and Layla appeared to be in a terrible state. He was afraid now that she might collapse, and he would feel responsible, as the hunt was his own idea. He feared that he had made an unwise decision, and put her at risk. He truly felt guilty regarding it.

Layla laid down for the moment she could, keeping an eye on the meeting Gamba was attending, although she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Gamba, you've been up north before. What do we have to expect?" he asked. Jali wanted to let some of the animals in the area rest, a few of them, especially Layla looked extremely tired. However he was quite fearful that if he waited, Snake would catch up and just follow them to their new home.

Which is what he had already done. Snake and his sons were hiding in the bushes in the valley, watching the meeting. "Father, shall we attack?" asked Barcal. Snake hit him hard in the shoulder with his one good paw. "Idiot! We wouldn't last a chance against all of them! We're going to wait to strike when the Ridge Pride is in their new home! Remember?"

"Oh yes" Barcal whispered.

Gamba nodded, "There are many things to expect. The land up north is referred to by natives as Ethiopia, and while there are creatures living there that you may recognize, there are also many more that you will find unfamiliar. I would mainly like to elaborate on the new predators that we will encounter. First, there is the aardwolf and the striped hyena, two creatures that are similar to Spotted hyenas, but are smaller, and much different. Striped hyenas are not very social, they might live in groups of two, but seldom more than that. Aardwolves may eat birds, but they prefer to eat insects, namely termites. If you wind up in a location where you find a termite mound, don't disturb it, as you will offend any Aardwolf that might have relied on it for food. They are usually solitary, but will live with their mates and work together to rear their young."

Gamba took another breath, "Next, there is the Wild Dogs. They can be found in a very small spot in Kenya, but unless you journeyed for a long distance, you have likely not seen them. Unati may be terrified of them, as they readily prey on ostriches, but they are actually a very noble species. You may be surprised to discover that the poor creatures are terrified of lions and hyenas. This is because, in Ethiopia, the native lion prides will intentionally invade their camps, and kill them and their cubs, with no other intent than to eliminate them. Physically speaking, they are inferior to a hyena, as well. I would suggest that we be kind to them, as they are a breed that is slowly dwindling away." Gamba thought for a moment, "The other species that you should never touch, is the Ethiopian wolf. They are exceedingly rare, and can only be found in the highlands. There are very few of them left in the world, and to kill one would be wrong, as they are not even a threat. They live in packs, but are solitary hunters, who prefer hunting mole rats and other small prey. Each pack only has one dominant female that has cubs. They work together so that the female and her cubs survive."

Gamba frowned for a moment, before he seemed to remember something else, "I forgot to mention, there is another creature you should be aware of. They aren't predators like us, but I would not recommend feeding off of them. There are many primates in Ethiopia, and while there are some in Kenya, you have likely not seen them before. They're unique creatures, and their paws are perhaps the most unique I have ever seen. They are capable of picking up things and holding them, and they are very clever and agile. Again, I would not choose to hunt them, but if you must, then do not target those who are considered to be Baboons. You can tell what they are because Baboons have more snout-like faces, and sharper or stronger teeth, while others have flat faces."

Gamba took another breath, "Baboons are dangerous, because they are extremely violent, even to their own species. Males are dominant, and quick to anger. The males keep the females from fighting, usually, but amongst themselves, the older, stronger males will bully the younger, weaker ones. If two bands meet, they may begin to fight, and the intensity of it is so savage, that many walk away, mutilated. The males will also in the process try to steal females from one another. Sometimes the females are happy to be stolen, because they might have a better social ranking, but other times, they try to sneak away back to their original band. I once witnessed a female who was caught doing this. The male tackled her, and viciously bit her on the neck. If a female even so much as takes a single step in a spot where the male does not approve, he will punish her. It would be very bad to lose the favor of baboons."

Gamba's tail flicked, the list was very large. "Finally, there is the matter of animals that could be considered as prey. There are many large animals that we can hunt, alongside the prey that is also found in Kenya. That would be the addition of wild donkeys, which are mainly a greyish color, with longer ears. They have white legs with black stripes, and are about the same size as a zebra. There are also wild hogs, and the Buffalo, which appears to be similar to the wildebeest. There are the large Eland, and the Gemsbok, both good prey, but much stronger than the average gazelle. There is also smaller prey, namely the variety of rodents, which can be eaten if large prey cannot be found." Gamba then stopped. "That's about all regarding the animals that is immediately important." He said.

Zanita's ears flattened, "Well, I know about the animals now, but what would you recommend for a good location to settle our camps?" She asked. Gamba thought for a moment, "Caves and forests are good places, but each has a drawback. Forests may run the risk of encountering a Yellow Baboon troop, and that is not ideal terrain for lions, cheetahs, or hyenas. Caves provide ample shelter from rain, but there are many kinds of bat in Ethiopia, and bats may inhabit them. They are famous for being carriers of disease, so you can rule out any cave you find, if it has bats in it. My best bet, would be a scrub location, with plants just large enough to provide shade, but not to support animals in their branches. The scrubs are also filled with a variety of valuable plants, such as cardamom, myrrh, and coriander. They can act as powerful medicines. When we get there, I can teach how to use the herbs. However, do not eat any random plant, as not all of them are helpful. Some plants, such as Khat, can cause irrational behavior, and have terrible long-term effects."

Jali's eyes slightly widened by both the fact that there were so many different animals and for the fact that Gamba was very wise. Jali nodded, his eyes relaxing. "That should do." He looked up at the skies, they were becoming lighter. "We need to get moving, the more time we waste, the hotter the trip will be..."

Jali began walking forward calling for the lions, he assumed the other clans would follow. Everyone who was laying down got up and began to follow. Layla got to her knees and took a side next to Gamba, she wasn't panting as hard, but she was still excruciatingly exhausted and even though it was night, it was still quite hot out.

Once the lions began to move, the hyenas and cheetahs knew it was time to go. They all got up and began to head north. Gamba, in all honesty, did not quite remember how long it would take for them to reach their destination. All he knew was that the journey's end would be marked when they crossed the river that separated Kenya from Ethiopia. He was a strong swimmer, but at the time, he had instead opted to cross over at a junction where the river was shallow, and filled with stepping stones. Everywhere else, the river was very wide, and he had been wary of strong currents that might be present.

Sira herself was becoming very thirsty. "Jali" she said brushing up against him, her bottom jaw hung slightly open. "Yes?" he asked. She took a gulp of air. "I'm thirsty" she said. "When should we be close to water?"

"It'll be a little while. Just keep walking. We'll rest when noon comes" the king replied. Sira nodded.

Layla found herself trying to swallow her own spit to keep her dire thirst under control. Of course this did little and barely made a dent on her she held her head up high with exhaust and then dropped it back down low. She grunted and wheezed. But she tried to act her best, she didn't want Gamba to see her like this.

As the journey dragged on, Gamba's sense of worry evolved into a constant feeling of alarm and anxiety. Layla looked terrible, as did many of the cheetahs and hyenas. He wanted to do something to help, somehow, but it wasn't physically possible. He could not control the weather, and he could not provide what everyone needed most. Everyone needed water, but there was not a drop to be found. Nearby, a young cheetah cub collapsed, and tried to get up, failing. His mother and father looked on in despair, as they were already trying to carry their other two cubs. They could not assist their own child. Gamba padded over, and wordlessly picked up the young cheetah by its scruff. The cub did not appear to like being grabbed by a stranger, but was too weak to try to struggle. Gamba nodded at the parents, as he was unable to speak through a mouth full of fur. They seemed to understand, and Gamba began carrying the cub for them. He would not force a cub that was too weak to stand to move an inch further on its own.

Jali looked over at Gamba, finding this effort of help to be a characteristic of a king. Jali made a mental note to give Gamba special rights, raise him up perhaps. He definatly deserved it. Layla looked over at Gamba as well, she put on her best smile. She found it sweet. She thought about this for many moments to come and realized Gamba was perhaps one of the nicest and wisest people she had seen in a long time.

"Your son is remarkable" Jali said to Zanita. "I am astonished with him every day" He looked over to his left to Zanita and Kadir and of course, Unati.

Zanita looked over at Gamba, "There is not a day that I am not proud of my son. Nobody can question the strength of his spirit, or the kindness of his deeds. He has learned to accept all creatures into his heart, even the prey that we hunt, and see the world as they do. Gamba has discovered that everything, regardless of what it is, serves a purpose. Nature is perfect, just the way it is, brutality, beauty, and all that it might contain. I have tried to see the world in such a light for many moons, but it is an active effort, to respect things even as they torment you. My son has surpassed me, in this regard, for he never loses respect for the world around him, and he never questions why these things occur. However, what may impress others the most, is that, even with all his knowledge and strength, he still remains humble. Many would have allowed their hearts to swell with pride, and then become blinded by their vanity, clouding their judgement. However, Gamba will never allow himself to do this, because he would never risk the safety of those around him, for the sake of personal gain." Zanita's ears flattened, and she shook her head, "Speaking of pride, I should probably stop doting, but it's hard not to, when you know the cub you raised has done so many great things."

Jali smiled. "Keep talking. Gamba deserves every word of praise" the king said looking back over at the tiglon carrying the cheetah cub. It was surely a strange sight to behold, but all the more sweet and proving that lions were not all bad. "He is... truly amazing. I cannot think of another lion in our pride as wise or as friendly as him... Only my father carried a spirit similar..."

Jali instantly became saddened by the memory of Star, instantly the face of Saber began to haunt him. He pushed it away to cheer up. Layla approached the group, walking next to Sira.

"Are you okay?" Sira asked, not feeling good herself. "I'm f-fine..." Layla replied. Layla looked over at Gamba and then back at the ground. Sira noticed and grinned. "So what do you think of Gamba?" Sira asked. Layla looked back up at Gamba then at Sira. "He's a good addition to the pride" she said. Sira laughed. "Layla you don't have to act like that in front of me. Tell me how you feel"

Layla slightly grinned. "It's nothing major... He's... cute" she said looking back again. Sira laughed, knowing it could just be Layla being modest. Sira, being older, but not too older, knew how the young Layla was feeling. "I'm glad you like him. From what Jali told me... he's been disgraced for his looks his entire life..."
Layla looked up at Sira with a shocked face. "That's ridiculous! Gamba doesn't look like that!" Sira nodded. "They called him an abomination"

"He's not ugly!" Layla protested. "He's quite handsome" she added. Sira smiled.

Kadir looked up at the sun, before looking over at Zanita and Jali, "I think it's noon." He said. "The sun is high in the sky, and it is becoming difficult for everyone to travel. We should stop and rest." He said. This drought was terrible. There was no water, or green vegetation that he could see. It was frightening, to think that had everyone chosen to stay, they would have died of starvation and dehydration. Many of the hyenas, cheetahs, and lions who had cubs were now carrying them, rather than having them walk alongside their parents.

"We should rest" Jali said scanning the horizon. "Do you see anything?" he asked with a catch in his voice, it was obvious he was getting worried. Layla was even more tired and suddenly, collapsed on the ground, a grunt coming out as she did so. Sira yelped quickly running to her side yelling "Layla!"

Snake and his cubs were far behind the group, yet they could still see the animals moving across the horizon. They were too far to smell or hear, and they were behind so not many would notice them. "Father, we have to rest!" Var whined.

"We will not rest until I have Jali's head!"

Zanita saw Layla collapse and ran over to where she and Sira were. "Oh, dear..." She said, alarmed. Gamba, who saw her collapse, gently set down the cub he had been carrying by his parents, and ran over. He gave her a quick glance, and his eyes widened with horror, "It's heatstroke." He said, "We have to cool her down, quickly!" Zanita looked over at him, and then saw Unati had stopped a distance away, looking concerned, "Unati! Come over here! We need you!" She called. The ostrich ran over, "What's wrong?" She asked. "She has heatstroke. Use your wings. If we provide some shade, and fan her, she might cool off." Zanita said, speaking very quickly. Unati, aware that she was the only creature capable of assisting the lioness, opened her large wings, and began to flap one, while holding the other still. Her still wing cast a shadow over Layla, while her moving wing created surprisingly powerful gusts. Zanita, meanwhile, aware that there was nothing else she could do, backed away a distance. "Everyone, give her space, bodies give off heat, huddling around her won't make it any better."

Gamba obediently stepped away, but looked extremely worried. Zanita then ran over to Jali, "Jali, we should have not tried to travel during the day, it is too hot. We must switch to traveling after dark, a lioness has collapsed from heatstroke, and all we can possibly do to help is have Unati fan her and provide shade with her wings. I don't know any other way to help her, we have no water, and there is not a tree in sight!"

Jali walked back and eyed Layla, not stepping close to her. "We'll have to keep moving. We'll have to keep looking for shade. If we stay in this one spot we'll all collapse eventually"

Jali looked over at Gamba and Sira. Sira gave him a worried glance. He returned his gaze back to the fallen Layla, who faintly mumbled. "We'll have to carry her, or something" Jali said to Zanita. "We have to move, we can't stay here"

Gamba walked over, "I'll do it. But if I carry her, who will carry their cub? I cannot lift both." He nodded at the cheetah parents and their three cubs. Kadir looked over at them, "I will carry the third cub. I am their leader. It is my responsibility to make sure that they survive." With this, the cheetah walked over, and picked up the cub by its scruff. Gamba, preparing to move again, carefully lifted up Layla, and shifted her onto his back. "Stay with us, Layla." He said to her. Unati, still trying to keep Layla cool, held her wing over the lioness and Gamba as they walked. "Okay, then, that's the best any of us can do. We have to hope that we reach Ethiopia soon." Zanita said.

Evening...

It was evening now. The sun was setting and the skies were red. Already Jali noticed that they were getting closer. It had begun to cool off, yet it was still quite hot out. Layla remained unconscious this entire time, however every now and then she would let out a mumble. Eventually a patch of trees came into view. Jali looked over at Zanita, he himself getting tired.
"We'll rest for an hour or two over there, then we must continue during the night" said Jali.

Zanita nodded, "Okay, then." She said. Gamba carefully set Layla down, and took a look around, while Kadir walked off to search for the cub's parents and return it to its mother. "We must be close," Gamba mused aloud, "There should be a river somewhere, that's the last thing we have to cross." Zanita looked over at him, "A river? But wouldn't the prey just stay on Kenya's side?" She asked. "The Kenyan side of the river is steep, too much to allow plants to reach the water. A wildebeest will cross that river, if greener pastures are on the other side. There is no need to swim, however. I found a shallow spot last time that we can walk through."

Jali, overhearing walked over to Gamba and nodded. Most of the others had gathered in a spot near a small pond they had found, everyone was going on a mad drinking spree. Jali had a dire need to give praise to Gamba.

"We could not have done this without you... Gamba" Jali said, his lips wet with some water he had drank. "I suggest both of you go get something to drink... And take Layla with you, help her wake up with some of the water" he said. He suddenly got called by Sira. "Jali!" he called. "I'll be back" he said and walked up a small hill, the evening sun nearly blinding him as he did so. He stood atop the hill and stood next to Sira.

"Yes?" he asked. "I have something to tell you sweet-heart"

Jali got a confused face. "What is it?" Sira leaned over and whispered something in his ear. "I'm going to have cubs! I'm with children..."

She stepped back looking at Jali in the eyes. His jaw nearly dropped open. "That, that's amazing" he said. Sira giggled, smiling and began licking his face. "I'm so proud of you..." he said. Sira blushed, smiling and grinning.

Gamba once more picked up Layla, and carried her over to the pond, setting her down near its edge. When she did not awaken, he splashed a small amount of the water onto her face with his paw. Nobody liked to be woken up in such a fashion, but it was effective, and most of the time, it would work. It didn't matter if she got wet, what he really needed to do, was get her to drink. "Layla, wake up, we've found water." He said, nudging her with his foot. He desperately hoped she would regain consciousness. She could not afford to go much longer without something to drink. She was badly dehydrated, and suffering from heatstroke. Water was the best cure for it, and he was glad that she had survived long enough for everyone to reach it.

Layla's eyes began to slowly open and before long she began to sit up. "Where, am I? Are we here?" she asked quickly getting a sip of the water in the middle of the sentence. Layla felt so soothed, finally finding water and having a hope in her heart. "What happened?" she asked, looking up at Gamba.

Jali and Sira had turned on the hill and stood watching the two. "So what do you think of Gamba?" he asked. "He's amazing" Sira said. Jali nodded with a smile. "He is... I've never seen anyone like him. Zanita must truly be a good mother..."

"Can you keep a secret?" Sira asked. Jali looked over at her, wondering. "Sure" he said. Sira grinned looking back at Layla and Gamba. "Layla likes Gamba"

"Hmm" Jali half-chuckled with a bit of a smile. "Good thing. He deserves someone in his life. It breaks my heart to know how lions treated him. I'm glad someone doesn't find him to be ugly or an abomination"

"You had heatstroke. You collapsed while we were traveling. We haven't crossed into Ethiopia, yet, but the sun is setting, and we plan to travel through the night after everyone has had a rest and a drink. I think, however, that we shall reach the border soon. The temperature here is somewhat cooler, and we have found a pond. We will know when we find Ethiopia when we reach the river." Gamba said. With this, he lapped some water, before speaking again, "Now, you should drink. You need water, more so than the others. You cannot go on in a constant state of dehydration, when your body has suffered such a major shock. Even then, I am not going to allow you to walk, until I am positive that your heart will not arrest." He spoke firmly, hoping that she would not try to protest. The body could be amazing, but after something like heatstroke, it could be incredibly fragile. Layla needed to recover, and Gamba would make sure that she was strong enough before she was forced to walk again.