The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Layla jumped out and quickly struck the neck of the Kudu, avoiding the legs. She gave out a low growl as she did so and then assisted in pinning it down and bit the neck.

Snake watched with interest, Nithili licked his lips. He wanted a share of food. Alas he kept to himself. "Do you smell that?" he whispered to Snake. The father nodded. "Someone else is here..."

Gamba at first had been about to congratulate Layla on the kill, but whatever words he had formed suddenly melted in his mouth, as a familiar scent entered his nose. "Well done, Gamba, nice of you to drop by, along with an entire pride, might I add?" The voice was deep and raspy, and although even in tone, dripped with contempt. The tiglon turned around and immediately took a defensive stance between Layla and the Kudu, baring his teeth, although he kept his claws sheathed. "My bad, did I surprise you?" The figure stepped out into the clearing, revealing a massive, pure white lion with dark eyes that looked like a gleaming black against his flawless pelt. Even his mane was somewhat different, seeming to be thicker than a normal lion's, less feathery, and more like wool, although not so much that it was curled and matted. The only interruption of his dazzling white fur was a scar on his left shoulder, which was only a faint ripple, but bore the distinct shape of claw marks. In the darkness of night, he appeared to be a phantom, but Gamba knew he was real.

There was a coldness to the white lion's eyes, which were as hard as his heart, although deep down there was good, it was very hard to see. "Ammon, I had not expected to see you here." Gamba said, keeping his voice neutral, although it was clear he was prepared to fight if it came down to it. "Do you think I have forgotten how you humiliated me in front of an entire pack of wolves? I still aim to make you pay for it." Ammon said, his voice remaining the same tone, but hostile enough to almost be a growl. "But we worked together to protect them from the baboons, surely you no longer see me as an adversary? Are we not friends?" Gamba asked. "Just because I protected the wolves does not make us allies. I didn't need your help." Ammon sneered, baring his canines, "I was going to challenge you, but at the same time, why now? You have different foes to worry about, and too many issues as of yet. When we have that rematch, I intend to make sure that you are not distracted by anything else." Gamba snorted, "Do you still think power is so important? You already have it, but you have allowed hate to govern your actions. What do you have when you have won? You do not have any desire to command a pride, or any wish to be among others of your kind. What do you have at the end of the day to turn to?" Ammon paused at this, but did not let the conflict in his thoughts show, "I have all that I require." He replied, and with this, turned around and vanished into the trees.

Once out of sight, the white lion gave a meaningful glance over at Snake and his sons, aware of where they were. He did not give away their location, but there was a warning in his gaze. They had been at his mercy the entire time, and he wanted them to know it. With this, he truly disappeared from view.

Snake gave a low growl as Ammon passed. Layla was startled by this white lion. She approached Gamba cautiously. "Are you okay?" she asked. Suddenly a mad howl came from the trees. three lions jumped out from a few bushes and went down a slope, coming right in front of Gamba and Layla. Snake, Nithili, and Barcal.

"Hello again, little tiglon..." Snake said grinning. "Who was your little albino friend? And who is this pretty little lioness?" he taunted. Layla was disgusted and hated seeing Snake. She remembered when she was small and young, he was one of the older lion boys that liked to take all of the hunt for himself when everyone went out to get food. She remembered how arrogant he was as a teenager, when he was still amongst the pride and she remembered how foul he was when he talked to other people. It wasn't until he abused several people in the pride that he got banished. Snake stood grinning and Nithili eyed the Kudu, wanting a snack.

Gamba kept his voice chillingly calm, even though his normal reaction was typically to growl, he did not. "The white lion Ammon's pelt is a great source of pride to him. It would be a shame if you were ungrateful to him for sparing you, he normally kills those that intrude in his territory." He said, "In fact, he is still watching, and considering you have attacked his sense of pride, I would not be surprised if he wanted to do just that right now, but as I do not interfere with his matters, so he does not interfere with mine." The tiglon's voice slipped into something like ice, and for a moment it seemed he might have been more similar to Ammon than he really was. Gamba knew that if anyone was a master of intimidation, it was his rival, and he was also an expert at remaining calm in a bad situation. He eyed Snake's paw, "Your paw is becoming infected, Snake, and I can smell it over the blood. If I were to simply tug that bone further out of alignment, I could make it puncture the skin, and then it would not be long before gangrene set in. Would you like to know what that is? I would hope you would prefer the verbal explanation, and not force your two sons to see for themselves."

The tiglon unsheathed his claws, "So, with this in mind, do you really think I shall let you take the kill you never worked to obtain? One of you is unable to fight, and the odds are in my favor, not yours. Holding down a Kudu is relatively easy for me, so do not think it has tired me out."

Snake kicked Nithili with one of his hind paws. "Stop!" he growled. The son stopped eyeing the food. "That's not my intention, little tiglon..." Snake answered. He narrowed his eyes. "I didn't disrespect Ammon by calling him albino. Being albino is a fact, not an insult if I say someone is colored that particular way. If he's an adversary of yours he is very wise. You deserve a good thumping..."

Snake growled, smiling. "Get them!" he howled. Nithili jumped forward at Layla and Barcal lashed out at Gamba, however something stopped them. A lion with a black made blasted from the bushes, tackling both his brothers and swinging them into his father.

"Go!" Var cried. "Now! Get your kill and get out of here! I can hold them off for a little while but Urathi is coming too!"

Layla wasn't afraid of the lions as much as she was Ammon, but she didn't like fighting like this. "Come on" she said picking up the Kudu in her jaws and running another direction. Var kept clawing and biting his brothers and his father and eventually... twisted Snake's broken arm, however the bone didn't puncture the skin just yet. Snake fell over, howling and holding his paw in the other in pain. The other two brothers stopped fighting and Var made a hasty escape to follow Layla and Gamba for he knew he couldn't stay with the family or they'd kill him.

"Come on, this way!" Gamba called back, waiting for Var to follow. He didn't understand why he would help, but he recognized a friend when he saw one. He followed behind Layla running towards the Sunset Pride, but always looked over his shoulder to make sure that the lion behind him was not captured by Snake and his followers. Eventually, the broke out of the brush and into camp, and even though he was fine, Gamba's entire body was tense, as though he were preparing to defend against a blow. He spun around to face the trees, but waited for Var to run past him. A growl rose in his throat, and his hackles were raised, his tail lashing.

Layla dropped the carcass down where a pile of them were slopped down for food. She turned to Gamba as Var came out of the brush, not running as fast anymore. He stopped in front of Gamba and Layla and caught his breath for a moment, then he spoke. "I'm sorry, my father has always been crazy... but I didn't actually think he'd go this far with it... He's lied to me and my brothers so much that the family doesn't even know what's good and evil anymore. I did my best, but he'll be back for the three of us as well as Jali..." he added.

Layla sat down next to where Gamba was standing. She glanced around seeing that everyone was asleep save for a mother and two cubs playing way down near the shore of the massive lake in the moonlight. She then looked back at the two.

"So, Snake and Ammon... I remember who Snake is, I remember him from when I was a cub. But this white lion, you'll have to explain that to me later Gamba. For now, who are you?" asked Layla.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Var. Snake is my father and those were my brothers" Var replied.

Gamba nodded slowly, seeming to calm down a bit, although his tail still flicked from residual tension. "I remember you from the last time. You didn't seem to approve of Snake back then, either, although you assisted him in kidnapping Mira, somewhat half-heartedly. Since you have aided us in escaping, though, I cannot hold anything against you, as you have most certainly saved us from what could have been a very nasty fight." the tiglon's eyes scanned the trees, "However, Snake is not in good condition. The sour smell of infection was overwhelming, and soon he will suffer from gangrene. No medicine can cure it, the rotting of flesh while it is still a part of you. If he does not try to rest and tend to his paw, he will lose the entire limb, if not his life."

"Well, if we're lucky, he'll lose his entire life. I know it sounds cruel, but that's how much I hate him" Var said. "And, that thing about Mira. I really didn't even help out in that, I just followed them around. I never liked that idea. I've tried to warn my brothers and my father that messing with Ridge Pride isn't a good idea."

"Well, we're called Sunset Pride now" Layla interjected. "Ah" Var said. "I wouldn't be surprised if my brothers are coming this way as we speak. You should probably wake Jali or Taru or somebody. But I'd probably better leave before they get up... Jali won't like seeing me here..."

Gamba shook his head, "If you truly attacked your father, then that should be enough proof to gain Jali's trust. Layla and I can vouch for you, and in addition, if you go out there, you will risk being jumped by Snake and your brothers. Snake does not appear to let any enemy go, he holds a grudge, and that much is clear to me, if he chases the Sunset Pride with a paw that is not fit for travel. He was willing to kill Mira and her unborn cubs. If you are found, he will try to take your life without hesitation." He looked over at the trees again, "Just stay here, and I will try to convince Jali that you are on our side. He might be reluctant, but he is not so hateful that he would immediately reject the notion."

Var nodded. "Alright, thank you. I managed to twist my father's broken bone before I left so that should slow him down even more, him at least. He'll send my three brothers here by tomorrow, this I can be certain for. They'll be here. You need to have all of your females guarded and your cubs watched very carefully. He always targets them first. That's what happened that created me and my brothers. My father kidnaps cubs and females. We were all born from the females he kidnapped, we're all just half-brothers... He tried to convince me that Mira's cubs were his own, but I seriously doubt it. The two of them haven't seen each other for years aside from that kidnapping incident."

Layla nodded. "Should we wake Jali now?" she asked Gamba. "I don't think we should take a risk. The other brothers might be on their way and I really would hate to be responsible for the loss of any more cubs or lionesses."

Gamba frowned, "It depends entirely on how long it takes for Snake to become angry again, which would not be very long. Most broken bones make you pass out from the pain, so I suspect we will be safe for a few hours, but if we do not alert the pride quickly, then there is the chance that all the females will be attacked, and the cubs injured. However, if what Var says is true, we only have three possible lions to truly worry about, and if Snake intends to do such terrible things to the lionesses, we must warn everyone." A darker glint flashed in his eyes, "There is a way to punish them, if they so much as touch anyone here, and it does not require any attack regarding teeth or claws. However, it is rather unpleasant, and requires the entire pride to rely on deception. If we were to use it, then the females and cubs would be safe, and would never be taken from the camp. However, what it will do to Snake and his sons, I would rather not describe it, except that I have seen a very clever monkey do this, and no predator has ever managed to kill him yet, and those who know of him would be foolish to try to make him their next meal."

With this, he walked over to an ordinary-looking shrub nearby, and cut a branch of it with his claws. However, he did not carry it in his mouth, but in his paw, which was known to be more difficult, although it was clear he had a reason for doing it. He walked back over to Layla and Var, showing them the leaves, "It all comes down to this plant, and what it does to anyone foolish enough to get it in their mouth." He showed it to Var, "Are your brothers and Snake familiar with Khat, and how to identify its scent? It only grows in Ethiopia, so it is unlikely, but I want to be absolutely sure before I try this, although it may work, even if they know."

"No, not at all. We have no knowledge of herbs or even how to mend wounds. We don't know how to identify many scents, only other animals. That's all Snake taught us to do is hunt and kidnap" Var replied. He thought Gamba was very wise for his knowledge of all of these things, unlike so many lions Var had encountered. "And any punishment is worth it. Give them the worst death possible."

Layla sat back on her haunches, waiting for the next response.

Gamba shook his head, "This plant is not poison. Poison would not work with what I have in mind, because it would hurt the ones we are trying to defend. I will tell you what this is, and why this plant is so powerful. Khat is a powerful stimulant, and when ingested, has a variety of side effects that will make defeating your brothers and father in combat quite swift. Eating it will cause hallucinations and nightmares. The heart will race, and their muscles will spasm against their will. However, they will not care, because their minds will be so clouded by the euphoria and manic tendencies it brings. They will taste it, and believe that they are invincible, when in reality, they will underestimate their foes and grow horribly weak." Gamba folded his claws around the Khat branch, "We are going to do the same thing the monkey did to his enemies. We will mash this plant into a paste, and coat ourselves in its juices, so that our fur is saturated with it. It will have no effect if it is placed in a cut, so even if injured, it cannot harm us. As long as we do not lick it off or get it in our mouths, we are safe. However, if Snake and his sons try to bite anyone, or claw them and then make the mistake of licking the blood off their paws, they will ingest it, and on an empty stomach, it works quickly. I will leave punishment to Jali, if they are not killed on the spot by warriors. Afterwards, we must use sand from the lake to scrub all traces from our pelts."

Gamba looked over at Layla, "Layla, you must especially do this. Snake has seen you hunting with me, and he wants revenge. You will be a prime target, and even though I will try to prevent others from getting hurt, I cannot guarantee anyone's safety, not even yours. He will likely try to do the same thing that he did the last time we fought. He will try to take you hostage, and use you as leverage against me, just as he did with Mira against Kal. If he does do this, then you must fight him, because he will not care if you live or die, he did not bluff last time. If you are taken hostage, one possible hold is to trap you in a headlock with one paw. If so, then you must bite your attacker's paw as hard as possible, enough to crush bone if you can, and twist it, to knock him off balance. Then, you must turn and aim an attack with your claws at his eyes, before he can retaliate with a blow of his own. If you cannot bite his paw, bite his snout. Do anything you can to blind them and get away." He took a breath, "If Snake does what Var says he does to lionesses he takes, then you must not freeze up if captured. Do not go with them, because it will not save you. They will just kill you later. It is better to alert the entire pride and die than to let them do such things to you."

Layla nodded getting a chill down her spine. She didn't want to end up like that. Var got a grin on his face. "This is a perfect idea" he said looking from the branch to Gamba, thinking then entire time how clever Gamba was. Layla got a concerned look. She decided she was going to get a lot of this stuff, she didn't want to take any chances of Snake getting her. She nodded as Gamba had given her his advice. She glanced around at the trees and from the words the two lions had spoken before her she began to feel creeped out. She scooted a little closer to Gamba and just sat looking at the branch.

"So, when are we going to do this?" asked Var.

Gamba nodded a little at the Jali's cave, "As soon as we can convince Jali that this is a plan that is safe to work with, and that they will not hesitate to attack. This plan, while effective, is still a guerilla tactic, and far different than traditional fighting seen in the savannah. However, the creatures of Ethiopia are so much different, if not in appearance, but in the way they think. Here, deception is a commonly used tool, as is the ability to conceal yourself in the shadows and set an ambush. We will have to start using trickery as well, because creatures in this land are far more clever. The poisoned pelt is only one of many forms of it, but that monkey is probably still alive today because of it. I intend to give Snake the official welcome to Ethiopia."

With this, Gamba gestured for Var to follow him and approached Jali's cave, carefully tapping a stone outside, so that it would wake him, but not anyone else. "King Jali, I apologize for disturbing you, but there is an urgent problem, and we must speak with you," He paused for a moment, "Also, I should warn you, Layla and I have met an unexpected ally in the forest, but you must not attack him. He is with us, I assure you." It was an odd way to wake someone up, but he didn't want Jali to immediately attack Var upon seeing him.

Jali awoke and listened to Gamba. Stepping over Sira, he came out the cave and met them outside. He recognized Var and wasn't very happy, but he heeded Gamba's words. "What is it?" he asked rubbing an eye with a paw and giving a yawn. Jali noticed Layla's tense and nervous feeling and assumed something was wrong. "Is everyone okay? What happened?"

Var was very nervous now. The last time he had seen Jali himself, Jali, Star, and Taru were about to kill he and his brothers and it wasn't a pleasant night. Var kept his head low and didn't look Jali in the eye, he kept a respectful distance.

"Jali, Snake and his sons have followed us into Ethiopia. They are obsessed with getting revenge, and they ambushed Layla and I during our hunt, shortly after we downed a Kudu. They threatened us, and then tried to attack. Var intervened, however, and distracted them by twisting Snake's paw, which is still broken, and appears to now be infected. Afterwards, he escaped with us, while his brothers were tending to their father. Snake has likely fainted from the pain, and should be out for a while, but Var believes they will attack very soon, maybe only a few hours from now, once he wakes up." Gamba took a slow breath, "Jali, Var is very remorseful for his past crimes, and he does not want to be associated with his brothers, nor his father. He wishes to help the Sunset Pride in eliminating the threat, and has nowhere else to go now. I am asking if you will grant him amnesty, for he truly regrets what has occurred, and if we force him to leave, then Snake and his brothers will kill him without hesitation for helping us, if he is discovered. He has told us that Snake will attack the females and their cubs, and together we have devised a plan to stop them from doing so, but we cannot do anything unless we have your opinion on the matter."

Jali paused and took a deep breath. He turned to Var. "If you really attacked your family to help my people, I forgive you. I actually expected this," Jali said turning to Gamba. "I knew Snake would follow us here, which is why I warned Zanita and Kadir about him before we left. I know what will happen if we do not act. He's stolen females from all of the prides that were in our area back in Kenya. That's how we came to know all four of you brothers" Jali said to Var. "I do not like the thought of Layla, Sira, Mira, or any other female around here being stolen and then killed after Snake's done with them. I don't like imagining the cubs being beaten and abused. So, what's this plan of yours Gamba?"

Gamba still held the branch of Khat in his paw, and he held it up for Jali to see, "In order for Snake and his sons to take any cub or lioness, they must handle them in some way, and that means they will use their teeth and claws, and if they use their claws, they will lick off the blood to clean them. All of these means that they are putting things in their mouths, without considering the danger that can be found on the skin of a victim. I know of a monkey who deters predators using a technique called the Poisoned Pelt, which involves mashing up the leaves of the Khat plant, and coating himself with the pulp. The juices soak into his fur, and anything that bites him, or touches him and fails to properly clean its paws, will ingest the Khat. It is useful for this strategy, because it does not cause harm if it comes in contact with skin, or gets into an open wound. It only works if you swallow it. However, once ingested, it has the effect of a powerful stimulant. It will cause hallucinations and nightmares, the heart races, and victims will suffer from muscle spasms as well. However, they will not know this, because it clouds the mind's judgement. It causes a sensation of euphoria, as well as mania. They become extremely weak, and lose coordination, but they do not know it, because they feel invincible." He took a breath, "We have many Khat bushes growing around our camp. What I am suggesting, is that everyone mash the plant and coat their pelts with it. Then, if Snake and his sons try to attack by biting, which they will surely do, they will fall victim to the plant's effects, which occur quite quickly after it is swallowed. However, we must do it as soon as possible, so we can prepare, and once it is applied, nobody can lick it off. Var has already stated this plan will most likely work, as neither Snake nor his three loyal sons are aware of scents aside from other creatures, and will not think anything of the plant's scent on our fur. Once they are confused by the plant, it will be easy to capture all four of them and deliver punishment as you see fit."

Jali smiled. He was quite proud of Gamba for thinking of this. "An excellent idea!" he said. "We'll have everyone put on the pulp tomorrow as soon as dawn rises. In the meantime I'll have all of the warriors awake and patrolling the camp. Taru will be up here on watch and I'll be walking around the camp. Now about my concern. What of the cubs? Some of them are so small, they won't know any better, they could lick the pulp right off even if we tell them not to. You know how children are," he said rolling his eyes.

Sira walked out of the cave, yawning widely and glancing at the three. "Snake, I always hated that guy when we were kids," she said, obviously she had overheard the conversation. "For what he's done to so many people, he deserves a pretty thick punishment. When we get them, what will we do to them?"

"Kill them!" Var interrupted. "Just kill them, just get them out of this world,"

"I hate to support the harsher punishment, but a death penalty seems to be the only option that is fitting." Gamba said, somewhat bluntly. Talking about death is never easy, but it was required at times. "As for the cubs, they would be given a different treatment, aside from the Khat. I am aware that they may be tempted to disobey, and so a different plant should be used, as well as a different tactic. Instead of giving them Khat, we will used mashed Cardamom instead, which also grows close by. It does not have any poison, but it gives off a sweet smell that can hide their scent. We should then hide them under the bushes, and tell them to be quiet. That is the best that can be done, aside from the fact that we should have someone watching them."

Jali nodded. "Sounds good. I'll go wake the warriors." The king moved and went down the hill, he went through some bushes and nearly immediately male lions began to pour out from them and spread out all over the camp. Taru came up to the cave's mouth and sat down with Var, Sira, Gamba, and Layla.

Sira gave a glance to Gamba. "Gamba sweetie, would you please come inside the cave for a moment? I need to talk to you alone for a minute or two," she said gesturing for him to follow her into the cave.

Gamba, not sure why Sira wanted to see him, got to his feet and followed her into the cave. His mind was working furiously to think of ways to protect the Sunset Pride. His life was a form of madness, in itself, the way things seemed to get better, and then how something awful would occur and ruin the whole picture. Then, the balance between his warrior and hunter side. He was feeling strained, although he did not show it. He was torn between trying to do the right thing, and the urge to slip back into the solitary ways that had helped him survive. In addition, Ammon had most definitely known Snake and his sons were present, but had done nothing. Was he testing Gamba, to make sure he had not lost his edge? It was very well possible.

Sira turned to face Gamba. "Well, I just wanted to talk to you about something important to me. It's about Layla. I know you two have as of this evening become... "mates" or started a relationship I should say. Anyways, Gamba..." Sira started, she began to get a fiery look in her eyes. A very serious face came across her. "Do not let Snake get her. Protect her, do your very best! You cannot let anything bad happen to her. I know what Snake does to lionesses and what I overheard... he'll probably be after Layla. Gamba... you cannot let that happen to her. Do you know how much she loves you?" she forced the question out. She was aware that it was a very awkward question and she was probably getting into business that wasn't hers, but she wanted Gamba to know exactly how much. Things Layla hadn't mentioned before.

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Nithili and Barcal leaned over their father who was unconscious at the moment. Urathi walked out from a row of trees. "What happened to him?" he asked. Urathi had a more golden mane, unlike most of the brothers who had black ones from their father. He wasn't as bulky as Var or Nithili, taking more traits over from his dead mother's. "That tiglon from the Ridge Pride came along with some little female of his and hurt father pretty badly. That arm of his is just getting worse, I can smell it. Whatever it is..." Nithili answered. Urathi gave an appalled look. "I can too. Yuck. Well, are we going back for another revenge?" he asked rolling his eyes.

"Probably, that's father's usual response to a situation like this. Of course, I'll have to warn him that it'll be too predictable to attack right now. We'll have to wait until tomorrow so the Sunset Pride will not be as alert. The night is our favorite time of day..."

"Hmm... Well, as long as it's taken care of" Urathi concluded. Snake mumbled something in his pitiful state. He laid down, his arm was in terrible condition.