The Pride Days (IC): Hurt

Zanita, deciding it was rude to leave Scar out when she had asked, decided to continue the conversation, "We were discussing what Ethiopia is going to be like. I actually have a feeling that it might be even nicer than Kenya, although there are so many new things there, apparently, that we can't be sure. There's a lot of weird creatures that I never knew existed. We're actually very excited about it, because it's definitely different than what we're used to." She cast Taru a sidelong glance, I know you don't like her that much, but be nice, Her eyes said.

Taru got this sort of message, glancing back at Scar. "Yes" he said. Scar nodded, the blue scarred eye seemed to glisten with the dusk. "My sister came from that part of Africa... She died from a baboon attack..."

Taru gave a concerned glance to Zanita, as if becoming worried about the baboons. "Nevertheless... we don't miss her" Scar went on. "She's always been worthless in the family. I'm the only one worth liking"

Zanita's ears flattened, and even though Scar had said something horrible, there was a bit of understanding. "I know how you feel, but on the opposite end of the spectrum. I had three sisters, and I was the runt. Everyone pretty much took one look at me and said I was going to die, and I almost believed it. I couldn't fight off my sisters, and they wouldn't ever let me nurse. My own mother didn't seem to really care that much. Of course, I survived long enough for my teeth to grow in, and then I was able to defend myself. I was able to eat carrion, and then I started hunting mice and such, long before my sisters even started to learn how. Now, I can say I grew stronger than my siblings, and I've outlived all three of them. I probably shouldn't dance on their graves, but we were practically enemies by the time we were all adults. It was hard to tell we were even related, and the fact that my fur didn't change color didn't really help. I still don't know what the omen associated with my birth means, either."

Scar almost giggled about the part about being runt, which was terrible. She actually thought it was amusing and Taru caught great notice. He scolded at Scar, and she quieted down. "Oh, we were not enemies. She was just worthless, she did not belong" she added, licking a paw. Taru wanted to claw Scar so badly... yet his better instincts told him not to. It's only a matter of time until we reach the new place... he thought to himself, trying to get over Scar's petty behavior.

Zanita did surprisingly well in coping with Scar's petty behavior. In reality, she got the feeling that this particular hyena enjoyed dark humor and the suffering of others, more than anything else. "Well, if you weren't enemies, then you probably didn't play the 'Which would you prefer?' game. Basically, you give someone two options, and they're both pretty awful, but you make them choose one anyway. If they choose neither, you give them the default, which is basically worse than what the options were. Most of the time, it involved foods that you probably wouldn't eat on your own free will, like acacia tree bark, or sharp rocks. Of course, my sisters enjoyed scaring people, so they would make you choose a form of death. One particular time they played it, they were really cruel, because they played it with a little cub, that was too young to understand. His mother threw a fit when she heard what they did. They walked up to the cub, and asked him which death he would prefer, to fall into a pit of venomous snakes, or to be stung to death by scorpions. The cub was scared, but he chose neither, because he had hoped they would go away and leave him alone. Of course, then there came the default." Zanita sighed, "My sisters told him that the default was to be eaten alive by ants. Now, normally, I wouldn't have been that upset, considering everyone was very tolerant of it, but I really got mad after that, because it was a cub and not another adult. We actually got into a fight with physical violence over it. Of course, I was able to mess them up pretty bad, but I couldn't hardly move for a few days, thanks to all the bite marks." She cast Taru a glance, trying to let him know that she wouldn't be offended if Scar commented on this.

Zanita giggled. "Sounds like fun" she said. "I used to play games like that when I was younger. Of course most of the time the targets were family members or clanmates" she rolled her eyes. "Which is what got me banished, and then I met another clan which took me in and admired my skills..."

Taru wanted to roll his eyes, but didn't. It was only typical of a creature this foul.

Zanita shrugged, "Well, I guess if it hadn't been for all the crazy stuff that happened, I wouldn't have the authority to command my Clan. You pretty much wind up desensitized from it, which is good, considering that you have to be able to think, regardless of the situation." With this, she looked over at the setting sun, "Hey, anyone know how long it's going to be before our hour's up?" Zanita had changed the subject, but considering that she was genuinely wondering, you could think she was easily distracted.

Taru looked over at Jali and Sira laying in a bush. "Jali!" he shouted. Jali raised his head and looked up. "Is it about time to leave yet?"
"Yeah" Jali replied. "It's been a little over an hour, let's go" he said getting up and calling everyone, loud enough so that Layla and Gamba would hear. Layla barely awoke, she opened her eyes faintly and awaited the next event.

"Okay, then, let's go." With this, Gamba once more carefully shifted Layla onto his back, although considering that she had fallen asleep, she was probably too groggy to completely understand what was happening. When your eyes were closed, you were limited to sounds, and when you were falling asleep, and you knew it, it often felt like you were half-dormant in your body. Gamba could recall that he had felt like that before the break was over. A feeling of heaviness had come over his limbs, and his eyes had then refused to open and stay that way. If the break had not ended, he would have also fallen asleep. In all honesty, though, he actually liked the feeling, to a certain degree. Your legs and tail felt like they didn't really matter, like they were just phantoms you didn't need, and even though a cool breeze could ruffle your fur, it would still feel like there was a warm, cozy heat in your very center. It was a bizarre sensation, but it was also incredibly comfortable, and it was easy to feel safe in that state.

Once Layla was securely balanced, ensuring that she would not slip off by accident as a result of being too tired to hang on, Gamba began following the others, keeping silent. He did not mind if she wanted to continue to rest. She was not to use her paws until he was positive her body had been replenished of the minerals it had lost. There was also the fact that, he did not want to speak. The quiet night called to him, and he felt that the best language for it would be that of silence. There was something mystical about the stars as they appeared above, and sound for some reason seemed to break the spell. When he saw the sky, Gamba was struck by a feeling of meaning little, as he was nothing compared to the vastness of the starry night. However, the smallness he felt towards himself was not a painful sort. It was thrilling, and soothed his troubles, as though a presence that understood all things had come to him. It filled his heart with hope, to see the stars, and all the beauty as it emerged.

Layla slightly opened her eyes, realizing she was being carried. She smiled, thanking Gamba for doing this for her. She would be able to sleep faintly during the trip, she purred and held on sure not to fall off. She wondered though if her wet pelt would make Gamba uncomfortable, she was still drenched in water from the pond, however it helped her. "Thank you, Gamba" she whispered into his ear.

Jali pushed Scar into a position in front of him, Sira stood next to him, she herself was keeping an eye on the hyena.

"Why are you pushing me way up here?" Scar asked. "Because you need watched" Jali replied. Scar rolled her eyes. "You don't trust me?"

"Not now, not for a long time..." Jali replied.

"Think nothing of it." Gamba replied, his voice so quiet that it was barely audible. It was getting dark, but he had no trouble seeing where he was going, as his eyes were perfect for hunting at night. It made the sky all the more vivid. Did anyone else notice how vast the night sky was? Would anyone look up towards the heavens as they walked? It seemed that so many had their eyes fixed upon the destination ahead. "Layla, look up at the sky. What do you see?" He asked. Although a simple answer would have been to mention the stars, there was much more. Flashes of blue and violet, and many other colors in between.

Layla looked up and finally replied. "Beautiful things... Such beauties that the spirits have given us in the sky... If only we were like birds and could fly high in the heavens and be with their highest creations..."

Scar turned her head, looking at Gamba and Layla. "Why's the weirdo carrying the shabby lioness?" asked Scar. Taru looked over at her, slowly growling. "She got heatstroke..." he said. After a moment of a pause, he whispered something to her. "If you ever make fun of him again, you'll be sorry!"

Scar growled, but decided against fighting and walked to the other side of Jali.

Gamba nodded, "I like the night sky, for how vast it is. It makes you feel small, but not in a bad way. I don't mind feeling small, because then I know there's so much in the world that I could never see all of it. Stars are also not just things of beauty, but they are also guides, telling you where to go. Just as the sun tells us by day which way is east or west, the stars can direct you. The one that you follow at night, to go north, is Polaris, the North Star. It is unique, because it remains a fixed point. The rest of the stars in the sky can only help you if you know where they are, around certain moons. They all circle Polaris, it seems."

Layla took in every moment, feeling at peace and feeling at home. "Interesting" she said. "You seem to know a lot..." Layla added, glancing from the sky to the back of Gamba's head, then back up again.

Scar looked forward, her one good eye zipped at every moving object on the horizon. Jali simply looked at Zanita and Scar, keeping a close eye on the witch and every now and then whispering something to Zanita about her. It was hard for him to trust, knowing that by extension, she was perhaps the main reason for Star's death.

(Forgive me for god-modding, I'm getting bored traveling)

"The knowledge is not my own. Each kind of creature has a special talent or skill that is not possessed by others. You can only know of it if you ask the creature yourself. Hyenas, for instance, know the body, and how it works. This is why they can identify illness, as well as provide medical treatment. I learned the navigation of stars from a variety of birds, although it took time to memorize. The birds that migrate were born with the ability to tell where north is, regardless of position. It was just a coincidence that a select few saw that the stars cycled the way they did. Birds are very good judges of direction and time." Gamba said.


Zanita's ears pricked up. "Scar, do you hear it?" She asked. She knew the lions and cheetahs probably couldn't, but it was no problem for hyenas. "I think I hear a river! It must be Ethiopia's border!" As she said this, the sound became audible to the cheetahs and lions. There were also various bird calls, some that sounded like nasal laughter, some the screeches and hoots of owls, and various other nocturnal birds. Although many were beautiful in sound, the calls had an eerie, forbidding nature to them, reminding the creatures that they were new to this land, and that it was far different from neighboring Kenya.

Scar and her hyenas ran as fast as they could forward, after cutting through some trees and zipping through bushes they finally found a long river. Soon the other prides met up with the small group of untrustworthy hyenas. Jali looked to Zanita. "This must be it"

Layla opened her eyes again, feeling less-dizzy. She smiled at the sight of the river. "Is this Ethiopia, Gamba?" she asked, sighing at how beautiful some of the structures of nature were here and it had been weeks since she had seen life, birds in the air, grass on he ground, and running waters.

"It's Ethiopia on the other side. Please, bear with me, I'm going to have to shout." Gamba said to Layla. He then walked up to the river, with her still balanced on his back. He then raised his voice to get everyone's attention. "Okay, I'm sure it's clear to everyone that we have reached Ethiopia's border! I know this river may seem small to some of you, but there is a strong current that will sweep you away if you try to swim! Even strong swimmers can't fight it, so we have to be careful where we cross! However, there is a spot where it is shallow enough where you can walk unhindered! Just follow me so we can cross safely! Everyone, do not permit cubs to swim, carry them! They cannot fight the current, even in the shallows!" With this, Gamba moved a bit to the right and jumped down the ledge to the shallows of the river. He walked along a bit further, before coming to a spot that seemed to be extremely shallow, with stones poking through the surface. However, the speed of the water made it obvious of the strong current. Gamba carefully placed his paws behind stones that broke the current, and soon was across. He turned and looked at everyone who was still on Kenya's side.

Zanita knew that hyenas would get wet without protest, but cheetahs and lions typically disliked water. She heard a few cheetahs beginning to protest to Kadir, "King Kadir, surely there is a better way?" One cheetah asked. Before this could continue, Zanita herself spoke. "Okay, people, let's not let a fear of water get in the way! It's perfectly fine to get your fur wet! Hyenas do it all the time!" With this, she and her followers began to cross the river. Soon after, the cheetahs, somewhat doubtful, also followed.

"We can't do this!" one lion yelled at Jali. This made him quite mad, that his people were like this. He turned around to the Ridge Pride lions. "Well what WILL YOU DO?? Would you rather get your paws a little wet or sit over on this side and die! Do you really want to dry up and rot? HUH?" he growled. Even Sira had to admit that he had a point. "Go across the river or you'll be sorry later in time"

The lions nodded, picking up their young and moving across the river. Jali guided Sira across. "Be careful" he said as she stepped across stone. "Jali, I'm pretty sure I don't have to be all careful right now. I just became teeming. I'm not fragile just yet" she smiled. "But thanks for your care" she added.Jali nodded, and let her follow him up the river along with the rest of the pride.

As everyone crossed the river, various small animals began to notice their presence. Owls in the trees screeched at them, and a variety of birds normally active in the daytime awoke, filling the air with the sound of their calls. A furry creature, which was small and tan, with large orange eyes, watched along with several others of its kind from high up in a tree. It was a family of bushbabies, a form of primate, although less intelligent than the other monkeys. After a moment, they vanished into a hole in the tree trunk. For the most part, the creatures were harmless, but when a loud cry sounded from deep within the forest, a growl rose in Gamba's throat. "We should move." He said. He did not like the sound of that call.

Jali looked over at Gamba. "Lead us" he said. "Everyone follow Gamba!" he shouted and everyone began to follow them. Layla got very nervous, her body began to shake and it was becoming quite apparent to everyone.
"What was that?!" she whispered into Gamba's ear.

"Baboons, a troop somewhere in the woods. Sunrise will be here soon, we have to get out of their home range, before they decide to go and find us. Be quiet, now, they may leave a large group be, but nevertheless, look in the trees, and tell me if you see anything that resembles one. Look for faces without fur, but make sure that they are drawn out into snouts, and are not flat. A flat-faced monkey is a friend, but one with a snout is a baboon." With this, Gamba hurriedly picked his way through the bushes, moving in an angle that leaded away from the calls. Meanwhile, the birds and other small creatures continued to make noise. He hoped that this would hide their presence.

Zanita had heard her son warn Gamba, and padded over to Kadir and Jali, "He says that that was the call of a baboon we heard. We need to be quiet, should we attract attention. I don't think he intended for them to be here. They must have come after he left for Kenya, he would have alerted us to them, otherwise."

Layla nodded at the words of Gamba, and Jali heeded everything Zanita had delivered unto him. Jali gestured for them to keep following Gamba. "Everyone quiet!" he said back at the crowd and the entire clans were shushed.

Not far away, perhaps half a mile, maybe less, a village of baboons sat in a tree. Naus sat at the top, his yellow eyes scolding a fruit which he bit into and devoured. He threw the remains away and looked to the others. "Go get some more food" he hissed. They nodded and slid down the trunk of the massive tree.

Gamba's ears started to flatten, and his struggle to avoid growling was visible. His pace quickened, as more howls were heard. He was visibly becoming alarmed, as the sounds of the baboons seemed to grow closer. Eventually, when it seemed they were right upon the group, they arrived at the edge of the woods. However, Gamba knew that it would not keep them safe, if the baboons decided to attack. One baboon by itself without the aid of trees was more likely to become prey, but a large group could still cause problems. He would just have to hope that the creatures did not want to give chase.

"Where to?" Jali asked Gamba, becoming a bit weary from the howls. He could only imagine what these things could do. He began getting nervous, Layla becoming just as stressed. She closed her eyes and sat her chin down, trying to push the badness out. This new place was already implanting a bit of uneasiness in her, it was alien to her. Jali himself was anxious.

"Further out into the plains. If baboons attack from the trees as a group, it will cause problems for all of us, but if they follow us out into the plains, we stand a good chance of frightening them off, or winning should a fight ensue. They're still smart enough to know not to attack if they have a disadvantage." With this, Gamba charged out of the trees a distance, and eventually, the sounds of howling seemed to stop, as everyone followed. Gamba stopped running, and was breathing harder than normal, but he still seemed to have endured the run better than others. The cheetahs and a large number of lions were panting, although the hyenas, with their natural abilities, had enough endurance to be fine. "Okay, I think that was it, they didn't like the plains, or maybe they just didn't want us in their territory. It's hard to judge the intentions of creatures you can't see." He said.

He turned to look at Zanita, Jali, and Kadir, "I apologize for all of this, I did not know a baboon troop was there. Physically, they are not as strong as a lion, hyena, or cheetah, but they have numbers that are perhaps twice as much as our three groups combined." He shook his head, "Regardless, we were lucky it was Yellow Baboons, and not Hamadryas. Those are the most aggressive, and they aren't nearly as reasonable as all the other kinds. I think it might be safe to rest, because they stopped chasing us, but from what I can smell, I think we accidentally ran into-"

He was cut off by a loud 'PAAAH!' sound. Gamba frowned, "Great, we ran into Mabel's territory, just my luck..." He muttered. "Gamba!? What are you doing here? What's the meaning of this!?" A voice angrily called, as a small ball of dark greyish-brown fur sped from a clump of tall grass and batted the tiglon in the face. The creature came to a stop, revealing a small feline with dark stripes, similar to those on Gamba's fur. The cat's green eyes, boasting elliptical pupils unlike that of the lions, cheetahs, or tiger, narrowed. "You'd better have a good explanation for coming in like this!" She screeched. Although the creature was much smaller than Gamba, he flinched at the sound of her voice. "Okay, uh, this might take awhile, Jali, Zanita, Kadir? May I introduce you to Mabel, the Wildcat." For the first time in front of everyone, Gamba seemed quite awkward. The wildcat made a brrrooo sound, and then turned and hissed at Gamba. "Mabel, please! Let us explain!" It was clear that Mabel, despite her small size, was bold enough to attempt to fight a creature much larger than herself. However, because she was so small, it was hard to want to fight her, because it was obvious that a lion or larger predator would win.