The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Layla smiled, noticing how much Gamba seemed to have cared. She without protest, drank more and even laid in some of the shallow waters, drinking as much as possible. She stuck her head up a few moments later. "Thank you" she said, glancing at his eyes and then turning back to the water.

"You should get some rest" Jali told Sira. She nodded. "You too"
"I have to stay up, I have to watch over everyone" Jali said. "No," Sira said, "You're going to rest" Jali knew it was useless trying to argue with Sira and followed her down the hill and into the shade as the sun was finally setting.

Gamba, thankful that Layla did not argue, continued to drink the water. He knew that this rest, though longer than the others, would not last much longer. In this migration, to travel during the day would surely be like a death wish, after the toll it had taken on everyone involved. The night was now precious, because the moon seemed far more forgiving than the sun did. A few would try to get catches of sleep, but the amount of time it took to fall asleep would be most likely just as long as the break lasted. It would not satisfy. However, it was comforting, to know that in the end, soft green grass would greet them.

Suddenly from the bushes sprang about seven large spotted hyenas. They let out high whoops as they surrounded the lake. Layla screamed, almost about to spring up and run, but remained by Gamba's orders. Suddenly a large female emerged from the crowd. Her right eye was scarred and had a blue film over it... Scar.

"It's the witch!" Layla screamed, crawling as delicately as she could and hiding behind Gamba.

From the many hyenas that belonged to the Brushland Clan, there arose a chorus of grunts and fast whoops. These seven strangers were not welcome, and they were quick to let it be be known that if the new arrivals tried anything, they would fall under attack. Gamba, meanwhile, unfamiliar with these hyenas, sank into a crouch, ready to spring, and a deep, menacing growl began in his throat. He watched Scar, as she was clearly the leader of this band, "If you and your followers have come to drink, then do so, but if you come too close, I will not hesitate to attack, strangers." He said.

"What's going on here?" Zanita said, as she approached the front of the group, many of her own hyenas coming forth. They easily outnumbered the seven. Zanita looked over at Scar, and then recognition dawned in her eyes, "I remember you! You were that hyena that tried to convince Jali to kill me!" She exclaimed. At this, the hyenas around her started to growl. Zanita's own ears flattened, "What are you doing here, then?"

"Evading the wrath of the spirits, same as you I presume" she said stepping onto a set of high rocks alongside the river, tall enough to overlook everyone. "Miss me Zanita?" Scar taunted and began to laugh. The hyenas in the group began laughing as well. "You don't scar me" she said. Giving out more whoops, about four more hyenas came from the bushes. She looked over at Gamba, making a disgusted face. "And who is this monstrosity?"

The hyenas laughed and laughed. "I would easily like to take all of you down... However, I am willing to come to peaceful terms with all of you this time..."

Zanita stared at Scar for a moment, trying to figure something out. However, when she realized what had just happened, she took a breath to calm herself, and then spoke clearly, as coldly as ice,"I don't think you can beat me so easily, when I am assisted by a lion pride that loathes your existence, and the cheetah pride of a trusted friend. This old hyena still has a lot of fight left, and even with eleven followers, you are still sorely outnumbered by my individual clan, and I shudder to think of the odds you face against the combined number of this migratory group. If my hyenas don't scare you, what makes you think arriving with seven, and then having four more appear will frighten me? No, I think you're just trying to scare us, because you don't have the strength to fight because you're dying of thirst."

She sat back on her haunches, and looked up at the Witch Scar, "Regardless, nobody really happens to be in the mood to fight, and I really don't see how getting to higher ground makes you any safer. It's not like we can't jump." She said. Gamba heard this, and retained his position. He knew what Zanita was hinting. From where he was, a foe had once more put themselves in a vulnerable position. Higher ground might have stopped a hyena, or a lion, or even a cheetah, but not a tiger. If the negotiation deteriorated, he knew that Zanita had given a signal to prepare for the worst.

Zanita's ear flicked, "Now, with that being said, and my inner aggression being spent, what terms do you have in mind?"

"For one I have twenty more hyenas at the lake just a few meters away" Scar said rolling her eyes. She sat down on the rock, not showing any fear or aggression.

Jali and Sira suddenly entered the clearing, they had heard unfamiliar voices. "What's going on?" the king asked looking at Scar. His face was drained of blood. "YOU!" he shouted, growling. "HOW DID YOU ESCAPE??"

"Relax Jali, I'm not going to hurt anyone..." she said getting off of the rock and lapping from the pond, then looking up at Jali. "It seems we have a common goal. We must move to Ethiopia to escape the drought"

Layla was still cowering in fear. "You killed my sister!" she yelled. "And who was that?" Scar asked. "...Dyna" Layla said, bursting to tears, and sinking her head down, hiding her shame behind Gamba. Scar giggled.

Zanita rolled her eyes in return, and was disgusted by the pettiness of Scar's behavior, "Okay, then, so thirty-one hyenas in a group. You have broken a record for the largest clan to date. I'm actually surprised by that, considering that it's nearly impossible for that to happen, even when there's an abundance of resources." The Brushland Clan's leader's manner had gone from openly hostile, to cold and sarcastic, which she found usually worked well, considering that it got on everyone's last nerve and irritated them to the point that they didn't function as well. It also sent the message that she still wasn't intimidated. "Well, then, get to the point, already. This heat wave is enough to give everyone a short temper. I'm not exactly in a mood for this, and neither is King Jali."

Meanwhile, Gamba lowered his head by Layla's ear, and whispered, in such a fashion that it was silent, even to a hyena. He had learned how to do this, because Zanita had taught him how to deceive the creature's ears. "Don't be frightened; fear is only an illusion. She only seeks to intimidate you, nothing more. If she tries to hurt you, I will make sure you are safe. Don't be scared, she is just a hyena. Dyna may have been taken from you, but that does not mean that her memory is a weapon to be used against you. If you are afraid, stare the fear in the eye, because it is just a passing shadow."

Layla felt better and licked the Gamba's ear in return then turned to view the rest of the horrid encounter. Scar leaped from the rock and sat on her haunches on the opposite side of the pond. "Fine, we're trying to get to the border as well. I propose we travel together"

"NO!" Jali shouted stepping forward. "We don't trust you. Even if you do have as many hyenas as you say and even though we could easily kill all of you, I'm not taking the chance of having a few of us killed within the first strike you make. Not only that but we have enough mouths to feed and water and take care of. I'm not going to waste the materials we gain on your petty clan..."

Scar had a confused face. "Well, I've never seen this side of Prince Jali before" she said. "King Jali" Jali mocked. Scar recalculated the conversation, now realizing Zanita had given a remark about him being king. "What happened to Star?" Jali's heart sunk at the mention of his father's name. He remembered that last moment when Star was looking up at him and then the life was breathed out of him. Jali fought back tears and remained in a silence for a moment, then painfully looking back at Scar. "He... He was killed by Saber... the morning of the battle"

Scar seemed enlightened. "Ah... I see..." she continued. "I don't think I saw that. I only saw the part where Taru and Sira killed Saber and Nara. That's when I ran away and gathered myself a clan, then taking over three more and keeping all of their hyenas and enlisting them in our own line of warriors..."

Scar then looked over to Zanita. "Are you sure about your decision Jali? You seemed to not have cared what the other leaders of the clans that follow you think..."

Zanita looked over at Jali, "Jali, I am aware that it is very hard to trust Scar. She tried to convince you to kill me when we first met. That's a very quick way to lose my trust, considering that I like to see myself as a peace-loving leader. However, there isn't really much of a use in rejecting Scar's clan, considering that, even though she has committed atrocious acts, she is actually being rather reasonable. Besides, if you don't let them travel with us, we could start fighting, and even if we did fight them off, it would be excessive use of energy, and we would be too tired to continue the journey. We know the way to Ethiopia, and it is an apparently vast land. While traveling together would be very uncomfortable, I think, Scar and her clan do not have to claim territory close to ours once we reach where we're going. She can choose to take her clan far away, where we will not conflict with one another. It will not be difficult to travel, once food and water is readily available, and I myself don't intend on looking for a new home right on the border."

Zanita sighed, "Jali, there is also the fact that, despite everything, you and your pride have a very different view of hyenas than a most lions. In reality, most lions and hyenas are actually at a constant rivalry, and it can become extremely violent. These conflicts are very stressful on both species. Lionesses will chase off hyenas that come too close, and hyena clans will mob the lion prides. Scar is likely from a clan that was raised fighting lions, rather than one that tried to make peace with them. I know that she has killed many important members of your kind, and we could say that you were at war. However, I cannot say that it does not come without cost. Hyenas and lions who feud with one another have shorter life spans, and are often covered with injuries. It would be better to stop fighting and work together to reach Ethiopia. It is not just her, she has many followers, and just because we do not like Scar, does not mean that we must hate those who allow her to lead them. If she gives her word, and she truly values the honor of her and her clan, then she will not harm us." The black hyena's eyes glinted, "In addition, it would not be ideal to try to get away with killing, not when the Brushland Clan is present. Many of us know about corpses, and we can tell the cause of death. If it was dehydration or heat stroke, we will know, but even the slightest struggle will leave a tell-tale mark. If she travels with us, she must consent, if we find someone dead as a result of struggle, that we are permitted to seek out the murderer and deliver punishment. We must also vow we will not harm her own hyenas. If we did this, I guarantee we can travel without fighting."

Zanita's ears flattened, and it was clear she was not enjoying this, "Regardless of my opinion, Jali, it is your choice, however, I think we should take a risk, if only to preserve everyone's strength. We cannot waste it on fighting."

Jali sighed and nodded then turned back to Scar. "Fine. You can come along with us, but so much as one incident and you're all out of here" he said turning and leaving the clearing followed by the other lions. Scar smiled, which was unlike what everyone knew about her and she and her followers took short sips from the pond then followed Jali back to the resting spot.

Layla seemed to be relieved by her absence and slowly crawled from behind Gamba and back to the pond, lapping as much as she could. The memories of the news she was brought with when he sister died began to shoot through her head. She remembered the day after the battle when everyone was looking through the bone piles to find loved ones... She found the freshly killed body of Dyna...

She drank and cried at the same time, remembering that savage loss...

Gamba walked up to Layla, "Layla, are you all right?" He asked. He already had an idea of what the issue was, since her sister's death had been mentioned, but there was no way of trying to help without being subtle. His whole reason for asking, was because he wanted her to tell him why it disturbed her so deeply. He could not help her if she did not speak how she felt. However, he could tell that whoever Dyna had been, she must have been a loving sister. Grief was a terrible, yet powerful emotion. Somehow, no matter who it was, there was some sympathy for those who mourned. Gamba could not seal them out of his heart, because he would not allow himself to become unfeeling. He had a heart, just like all the creatures around him.

Layla tried calming herself. "I'm... I'm fine... It's-it's j-just that, before you came to the Ridge Pride, there was another pride called River Pride. One night my sister Dyna went out to hunt and Scar and her hyena followers captured her and took her to R-River Pride's camp. The leader of River Pride, Saber..." Layla gulped as she began to cry even more. "Thew her over a cliff and let crocodiles eat her... They did this same thing with Jali, only he survived... The next morning after the battle we had with them, everyone went to their camp to search for loved ones... and I found my sister... Dyna..."

Layla remembered the horrid image of seeing her sister mauled and ripped into shards and pieces on the shores, blood upon the sand and the rocks. It was a haunting image that cursed her mind forever and yet she had never moved on from it. Nobody had been there to comfort her and to help her move on. She had hidden away from the pride a few weeks afterwards and only came out to eat and drink. It was only around the time that Gamba had arrived that she decided to come out and socialize again. She wiped her eyes with her shoulder and paw. "I'm sorry" she said recklessly.

Gamba shook his head, "There is nothing to apologize for. I will not think any less of you for feeling grief. It is a powerful thing, and it can take a very long time before one can accept such things. However, a body is only a shell. When we die, we break free, and become a spirit, who I believe watches over the living. If she watches over you, then she is still with you, just in a different way." He sighed, "I cannot make you forget what you saw, and I know that it might never fade from your memory, but to linger on such things is not good for you, like probing a wound until it bleeds. I have seen many sad things, but through acceptance, I learned to see through the eyes of others. It matters not what the creature is. Whether it is a monkey, elephant, or lion, they all feel grief."

Layla nodded, trying a smile for Gamba as tears relentlessly poured down. "You're right. I need to move on... It's not good for me. Thank you" she spoke.

Scar followed Jali and Zanita into the clearing of animals that were getting their rest for the remainder of the hour. "Now Scar, you and your clan will rest with us for the time that we have left in this patch of forest. We'll begin walking again in an hour. Alright?"
Scar nodded, sitting down and finally turning to a laying position. Jali leaned over to Zanita and Taru. "Keep an eye on her" he whispered.

Zanita nodded, "Very well, Jali." She then turned to Taru, deciding that since they were going to be waiting for an hour, she might as well strike up a conversation to pass the time. "So, how what do you think it's going to be like in Ethiopia? From what my son said, it's going to have a whole bunch of creatures we've never seen before. I'm actually feeling a bit giddy, myself. Now that we've found a spot where a pond managed to survive, I think we're close. It's getting exciting, now."

"As am I" Taru said grinning. "It's quite exciting! My only worry is these Baboon creatures Gamba's told us about. I definatly would not want to make enemy with them. They sound rather tough to beat!" he added licking his paw. Jali and Sira walked back into a group of bushes and laid down, to sleep while they could. Layla on the other hand was still coping with her feelings, calming down, and trying to move on.

Zanita nodded, "It does sound awful, but knowing Gamba, he probably has an uneasy relationship with one troop or another. If we ran into them, we'd probably have to ask him to negotiate on our behalf, or at least ask him what the best option would be. I get the impression these things sit in trees and attack from above. Not exactly a fun way to explore Ethiopia." She said.


Gamba couldn't really help Layla calm down any more than he already had. He waited for her to stop crying before he spoke again. He didn't know how long that would be, however. He didn't really want to seem like he was intruding on matters best left alone.

After several more moments of sobbing, Layla finally breathed in and out and stopped crying. She sat there and ever so slowly lapped up a little bit of water, still feeling a bit dizzy from the stroke and crying and getting excited wasn't going to help her at all, perhaps make things worse. She sat with her chin slightly touching the surface of the water, and simply glanced at her reflection below and at Gamba's whose was next to hers. The sun was setting and casting a beautiful shade of crimson and pink behind the two. She turned her head, looking up at Gamba, and then returning to her former position, lapping up some and then stopping and doing it again and stopping.

Taru nodded. "Hopefully all will turn out alright though. I have confidence that our clans will not fail in this new land"

After awhile Gamba turned to Layla, "Are you ready for me to move you out of the water? I don't want you to drink the water if you aren't thirsty anymore." Gamba was positive that everyone would have to start walking soon. He had already drunk enough water to last, but he wasn't sure about others.


Zanita nodded, "I think that my hyenas will love it there. It sounds dangerous, but it also sounds like paradise. I can't wait to see these bat creatures, or the donkeys, or even that aardwolf creature that eats termites. That could only be a small description. There's probably more creatures than can be named.

Layla looked over her shoulder and nodded. "I'm ready... We can go..." She wanted to curl up somewhere and finally receive comfort from someone. So far Gamba was the only one who had given anything to her. During that day, that week... other people were dealing with losses of their own, they didn't have time to comfort Layla.

***



The dawn was rainy and the mud was thick. Star's body lay breathless on the grass of the camp. Jali and Taru sat next to him in tears. One of the leading warrior lionesses jumped onto a rock to speak to the crowd, she too had been crying but had shaken it off. "Alright, many people have gone missing. We're going to go out to the battlefield and to the River Clan camp to find and retrieve bodies to be identified and buried. Anyone who's noticed a missing lion or lioness please follow me" she said leaping from the rock as many felines followed. Layla had not seen her sister since yesterday, she never came home from her hunt. Layla in shaking paws went forward. She hoped that she would not see Dyna there...

After scavenging the battlefield, nothing, thankful was Layla. They soon made their way across the gray plains until they reached the clifftop that the enemy camp rested on. The grasses were high and dark, almost as if they were dead and mourning from the blood spilled around them. They found dens with cubs in them, their parents were all dead. The free-handed lionesses picked them up by their scruffs and took them back to camp to live a new life and to have another chance... As they made their way down to the shore, more ghastly sights were seen. Skeletons and bones were everywhere, some buried deep beneath the sand. A few fresh bodies laid splattered on the shores, Layla winced at the horrid smell of death radiating from this part of the world. She saw ahead a trail of blood, as if the victim had crawled and then been dragged away by something. Then just a few yards away from it...

....

...Dyna...

Layla's heart dropped. She ran up to the carcass, making sure it was her. The body was terribly mangled and mauled. Crocodiles were still feasting on the legs, she hissed scaring some off. "No!" she cried as she finally saw it was indeed her sister. The face was not harmed, only the lower torso and chest. Layla could not quell the sorrow and the rage she felt. The sheer terror of this loss boiled in her soul, bringing forth a new heart for blood-lust... She was glad that Saber and Scar... were dead... or so, at least one was, but she had been told that all of the hyenas died... One lioness ran over to Layla, trying to comfort her, but she was pulled away when she saw one of her own relatives and quickly ran over to its body. Layla screamed in terror as her sister... the one she shared her life with... the one she spent her childhood with... was gone...

***


"Indeed" Taru said. "Such a mix of different feelings. This place is arguable a mix of danger and paradise. I'm quite excited and these animals interest me as much as you. This bat sounds interesting to me" he said walking over and getting a drink from a small creek and then turning back to Zanita.

Gamba nodded, "Okay, then. Let's get you out of the water." With this, he shifted Layla onto his back, and carried her out of the water over to a shaded spot by a tree, which was dry. He then gently set her back down, careful to make sure that he didn't accidentally bruise her with a sudden drop. "Now, we'll have to start traveling in a little while. I want you to try to get some sleep, but you may find it slightly difficult. You drank water, which is good, but you lost a lot of important minerals as well when you had the heatstroke. You may have a few cramps, but when we reach Ethiopia, I will gather some Cardamom for you. I know we aren't really supposed to eat plants, but while I lived there, I ate them all the time, because they actually improve health over time. Although some of them were difficult getting used to, Cardamom has a rather pleasant taste that should make it easy to take."


Zanita thought for a moment, "Gamba said that bats were known to carry disease, but I wonder why you couldn't just clear them out of a cave if you found them. For some reason, I feel like I've heard of them before. Do you think they're creatures like the Painted Dogs, where they're just found in a place in Kenya we haven't been to before?"

Layla leaned forward and licked Gamba on the side of the face then returned to her laying position. "Thank you, I appreciate what you're doing for me. Most lions around here wouldn't bother with me, they'd just leave me behind to die... Thank you," she finished and laid down, closing her eyes and sighing.

Taru nodded. "I'm sure they are. I haven't seen many of these things around home, or at least I don't think I have. If I have I wouldn't have known it was what it was..." he rambled.

Gamba shook his head slowly, "No friend in need gets left behind." He said quietly. With this, he padded a short distance away and lay down, putting his head between his paws and slowly closing his eyes. He was not asleep, though. He could not fall asleep when there was too much urgency around him. Instead, he would have to settle for relaxing. To fall asleep, he did not really wish to do so yet. He had much on his own mind to consider. While he was partially happy to be returning to Ethiopia, he also felt a faint sense of dread. He did not know what had happened since he had left. Being uninformed could sometimes make others angry. Those that Gamba should have informed were not to be trifled with.

Layla opened her eyes slightly, looking over at Gamba, then smiling, sighing peacefully, and closing them again. She had never been cared for, not since she was a small cub, not like this. It was a major favor for Gamba to actually carry Layla everywhere in this time of need and she thanked him ever so much... her feelings growing as well...

Scar walked over and sat next to Taru and Zanita. Taru tensed as she did so. It was so hard for him to sit with her like she was a friend. She alone had caused so much destruction within the pride. She grinned, almost wickedly as she sat, looking at Taru.

"May I join?" she asked. Taru nodded, wordless. Scar turned to Zanita, waiting for a response out of the both of them.