'Twas early in the morning when he departed. Light had not yet struck the land when he left, and it would vanish long before he returned. It was a ritual by now. His ritual. It began with a race. Who would awaken first? Him, or the sun? More often than not, Azfar won. He would proceed to slip away, creeping between the slumbering bodies of his own. Often, he would cast a single glance behind his shoulders at them, memorizing their faces before disappearing into the open.

In the beginning, he would announce his departure to Taranaki in a sotto voice as to not awaken the others. By now, he hardly bothered. It was simple enough to assume that, by the time the sun rose, he would be gone. This wasn't always the case. Some days, he would spoil himself by venturing out after the sun, though such an event was uncommon. He rose early, long before the cries of the first bird, so that more things could be done. He couldn't ensure the survival of the pride from within the walls of the rock. It was not of his character. He could not remain dormant and do nothing, no, that was not the way his mind operated.

And so he would often embark on a journey, though he never ventured far. Oh no, he kept near, lingering in the territory. This was all for them after all, this life of peregrination. Each day was different. Some days, he would remain mere seconds away, fixing what needed to be fixed in the vicinity. Other days, he would be minutes away, investigating a scent. Today was a day that fell beneath none of the two. Today, he would put a great distance between himself and the pride.

There was the mention of the great storm and the severity of it. Only during his most recent slumber did he hear it within the night, the soft rumbles of it in the horizon. It was what pushed him to embark on one last patrol before the rain and gale prevented him from doing so. He needed to ensure that no creatures would seek shelter within the pride's territory, but that was not all. Paired with the rumbles of the storm came the sound of hyenas. Given their lingering cries, he could only determine that they had found something to feed upon. Something near.

Their presence was one that he could be rid of. Like pests, they returned no matter how often they were tailed, stubborn they were. Sometimes it took days, other weeks, but they always returned. He had witnessed their young fight one another. Siblings killed siblings to establish hierarchy, it was no wonder him chasing them away did nothing. It was like a game to them, and he blamed it upon himself. He needed to be more hostile. A simple game of tag would not push them away, he needed to do harm; to taint them with a mark. However, today was a mere patrol. A simple journey to determine what the situation was and how severe.

He wished to see how close they were, and how many. So he had set out south, headed towards the lake. On most days, he would amble along, but with the speed of the approaching storm, his gait was that of a brisk one. There was fleetness in his steps as he made haste, determined to arrive before the rain and gale did. Often, he raced with the sun. Today, he raced with the storm.

Behind the distant rumbles, he could hear them still. The chirps and cries of the hyenas filtered through the air, but these sounds, they were different than the ones heard throughout the night. They consisted of yelps and growls, paired with laughter. These were no sounds of victory, but sounds of a battle, and in the distance, a cloud of dust.

There was indeed a fight. One between the clan of hyenas and.. he wasn't sure. Had they grown desperate and attempted to hunt another for a meal? No, it couldn't be. Whatever the creature was, it was large enough to create a cloud of dust. This should have been enough of a warning to make him turn back, but Azfar continued, his gait hardly slowing as he approached.

He was but a few meters away before he had realized his grave mistake. A male lion, a white one.. And wait.. his sight had failed him. As the dust settled momentarily before returning, he had espied another figure. A female, though she did not take part in the fight. She sat there on her flank, breathing slowly. She appeared elderly.. Tired perhaps, and slightly defeated. Given the white male's movements, he was protecting her.

If Azfar had been smart, he would have turned back for Taranaki, for the presence of this white male was the greatest threat of all. From where he stood, he knew that, if challenged, he would lose to the other male. It was not an option for him. He couldn't lose. He had worked too hard, and the other was larger than him, in both weight and height it seemed. However, if he simple awaited for the hyenas to do most of the work, his chance of succeeding would be much higher. It was simple, really. All he had to do was be patient and strike after the hyenas.

But that was not who he was.

While the male seemed to be handling it, having to multitask between protecting the elderly female and fending off the hyenas seemed troublesome. The hyena clan was large, and the elderly female at risk of being harmed if not killed, he understood that, which is why he had advanced. If this backfired on him, so be it.

Increasing his speed, Azfar broke out into a run, parting his mouth to release a low snarl to announce his presence. He had targeted the closest one, a smaller female, but a bold one nonetheless. Raising his front paws, he swiped at her, his claws meeting her sides and forcing her towards him with his claws. A sharp cry sounded from the creature as he dug his teeth between her shoulder blades, his paws preventing her from making an escape as he clamped down. He held down momentarily before releasing, this time, clamping down upon her side, to which he repeated the process upon her spine. Holding the flesh between his teeth, he began to thrash his head, yanking at the creature as she released a series of yelps before her own teeth snapped at the side of his face. Releasing, he watched her scurry a few feet away before his attention fell upon another at his opposite end.

Charging forwards, he lowered himself to the ground to gain momentum before pushing himself upwards, launching himself at the other hyena and swiping at her, sending her staggering to the side, but not before receiving an intense nip on his arm.

So much for his patrol.

Tala

The scent of an oncoming storm was heavy in the females nose, saturating the air and leaving her uneasy, concerned for the twinkling river they were approaching. The ground beneath her paws was dry and sandy, unused to moisture, and while not near enough to a water source to fully flood, it could turn the ground wet and treacherous to travel at the speeds they hoped to.

She'd given away her title, her crown, left her pride, her sisters, her cousins, her aunts, her nieces and her nephews. She'd left everything she'd ever known behind, and her daughter had followed her, ever dutiful and attached to her hip. She couldn't turn back now, she refused. They had given up too much and come too far to turn back and face those that they had left.

The bronze lioness had given up her crown in an official challenge, but the challenge had been organized on her own terms. The lionesses knew she would grow restless if she stayed, and so none she had spoken to blamed her when she talked of following the path her mate had carved before them. In fact, some had even agreed, wishing her and her daughter well. Her sister, Medea, a female the same age as her, had even offered to do the challenge.

Viyan, though, asked the daughter of her Lead Huntress, Ksenia. Her Lead Huntress, and her Second in Command, had been her cousin, Aroa. Her cousin had been very, very dear to her, oftentimes even more dear than her own sister. Ksenia had taken to referring to her as an aunt rather than a second cousin, and Viyan had felt no qualms asking Ksenia to challenge her and take over, the only condition being that Aroa would remain Second in Command and aid her in leading.

She may have been selfishly leaving the pride after her mate, but she would not leave them without a leader or defenseless. They were her family, first and foremost, her wards and pride members second.

"Little bird," she said softly, taking a side-step to brush her shoulder against that of her daughter, her tone fond over the petname, even if her daughter had long ago grown taller than her and no longer 'little', despite the name. They were approaching a lion territory, it was near impossible to avoid the smell in her nose of territory boundaries, patrolling males, although one males scent was stronger than the other.

"We must be careful from here on out, if we're found then respond accordingly to he behavior of the one that found us, but try not to be too aggressive. We are the intruders here."

Had Koen expected to start his day with violence? No, not particularly. What he'd expected was to walk on the outskirts of this random territory and then continue on his path, maybe stopping for water along the way, but otherwise leaving them undisturbed. What he'd expected was to leave their vicinity without so much as a trace.

Instead, he'd spotted a lioness, coat strangely brown and red, being approached by a mildly injured clan of hyenas. He'd known, then, that he couldn't just leave her there. Her broad head, her tattered ears, her hanging stomach and jowls, she was an elder, and she deserved a better death then what the jaws of those beasts would give her. And so, of course, he'd charged in, putting himself between the aging lioness and the hyenas.

At first, he tried charging at them and trying to scare them off, but found himself having to circle back to avoid them sinking their nasty teeth into the hide of the elder, who seemed to have collapsed onto her flank. Was it exhaustion, starvation or bloodloss that led her horrid condition? Her body was thinner than he'd have liked to see on an elder, much thinner, as if she hadn't had a full meal in weeks, and her coat may have been naturally tan underneath, but was covered in brown and red blood.

Koen's claws connected with the face of a hyena the got within his reach, and he walked in a tight circle around the elder, ending up in front of her, while her back was to the lake. Her pants were heavy and concerning when they reached his ears, and they distracted him for a moment and allowed a passing bite, where the hyena dove in quickly before lurching back, to hit one of his legs.

His growl rumbling lowly in his throat, and he was about to charge back at the hyenas, when another figure joined their little party. Another large male, smelling like one that patrolled the border, had joined, and was aiding him in attacking the hyenas. Koen made a low noise in his chest, swinging his claws at the head of the closest hyena, using the momentum to swing his head towards another, grabbing it by the shoulders and shaking his head aggresively for a moment before dropping it. Immediately, he turned and charged at another collection of them, managing to get his claws into the hind of another, dragging it to the ground.

He repeated the move and, with the aid of the other male, the hyenas quickly seemed to flee their presence, and Koen allowed himself only a breath before turning back to his newfound companions. He gave the other male a nod, before looking at the elder.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" He asked, giving her the breathing room he couldn't have while defending her.

"No," came the short reply, and she huffed, body trembling as if it were strained just keeping her upright. "Thank you for your chivalrous actions, truly, but I almost hoped to die."

Her eyes were exhausted as she scanned his face, before switching to the other male. "I hope you won't mind us minorly intruding upon your territory," she said, not sound all that apologetic at all, and not yet making a visible effort to stand.

Petrichor was all that consumed her senses. It had taken over, creeping through the land to foreshadow the coming storm. Had she not been trailing another, she would have been more welcoming towards it. But they were so close now, she and her mother. A storm would merely slow them down, and Kanoni refused. Not when they were so near, and they were near.

They had been journeying for three weeks, following after her mother's mate, and Kanoni's father. Albeit, he was not her biological father, but he was her father nonetheless. He was the one she chose, and that, she believed, was more special. So, when her mother announced her departure after him, she knew that she would leave with her.

While there was a part of her that would miss their pride and her family within, it was no home for her. Home was the individual beside her, it always had been. Her mother was all that Kanoni knew. She had no siblings within her litter, her true father not much of a father at all. For as long as she could remember, it had always been Kanoni and Viyan that is, until Mandlenkosi had come along. So long as she had them, she would be satisfied no matter where they were.

Ears twitching, the sound of her nickname had caused her head to turn. She had always loved the name, even if she had long ago outgrown it. There was a time where she would grimace at it, embarrassed at the sound of it, but now, she adored it above all else. She had grown more used to it than her true name, and would often mistakenly ignore others when they called her. She loved being her mother's 'little bird'. It was something of her own.

"I understand," she had responded, heeding her mother's words. Her eyes had scanned the land before them, taking in any movement made. "Do you think one is near?" She asked softly, referring to the scent stronger than the other. It appeared more recent. How recent, she wasn't entirely sure, but it was not something to be ignored.

She had yet to observe anything, a habit she learned from her mother. Her eyes were often darting around in action, her steps commonly light. Kanoni had learned to always be aware of her surroundings, and that didn't stop now. If anything, it increased. She was more wary of every little detail and sound. So cautious she was, that when a dried clump of grass shifted in the breeze, she had jumped, unsheathing her claws before retracting them.

"I don't like this place," she said, moreso of a murmur. Then again, did she truly like any place they had come across? No, not really.

She simply wished to pass through the territory, and quickly, too.

He circled a hyena, the two appearing to take part in a dance. As she made one step, so did he. When she stopped, he halted as well. He was mirroring her actions, and for a good while, it was working. But then another had joined in. Dancing with two was much harder to follow. It resulted in his steps being jumbled, his movements slacking. His opponents, having noted his struggle, began to team up. As one hyena circled him one way, the second chose the opposite. How was he meant to mirror that?

Mouth parting, Azfar remained unmoving. Rather, he was waiting for the hyenas to make the first move. When neither did, he took it upon himself to get them started. The hyenas had continued circling, but their movements had slowed, as if taunting him. Momentarily, it appeared as if he had given up. Rather, he was attempting to take them by surprise. He was awaiting for the right moment to strike, and when the hyena before him crept nearer, he lunged.

He advanced briefly, but made no contact. At the last moment, he had gyrated, taking the hyena circling behind him with surprise instead. It gave him a minor advantage. Swiping his claws at his new target, he allowed himself to use both his arms to strike at her. He continued, too, even as the second hyena proceeded to get him from behind. It didn't stop Azfar from continuing, arms outstretched as he propelled himself towards her, maiming her a little at a time. And when she spun to escape, he still continued, for he knew that the moment his back was turned, she would return to make a move. Hyenas were tricky like that.

Releasing a deepened growl, Azfar flung himself at her a final time, managing to grasp her flank with a singular claw. This bought him enough time to make contact with his teeth, the large snap unfazing him as her hind leg now dangled like a tail, broken. A high-pitched cry sounded from her, to which he decided to leave her, now focusing on the second hyena. This one was trickier. Larger and older, too.

As Azfar snapped at her, she dodged it. As he attempted to grasp her with his paws, she ducked. She was a dodgy female, one that seemed to enjoy getting on another's nerves. It was his own fault that she made contact with him first. His gaze had briefly darted upon the white male, watching him charge towards a collection of hyenas. As he did so, she made her move, snapping at his sides and drawing blood. Releasing a snarl, Azfar's teeth flashed as she latched onto his side, wounding him as she shook her head.

He would have minded more, had he not managed to bend his head in a way that allowed him to latch onto her back. The hyena had him, and he had the hyena. As he thrashed, so did she. It seemed as if she were the one mirroring him now. The more harm she did to her, the more she did to him. The only difference was that she had skin. Azfar had bone.

Rather than thrashing his head, he chose to remain still. Instead, he increased his bite, slowly at first. A hiss sounded from his throat as the hyena's bite upon his side also increased. By the end of this, he would lose a chunk of flesh without a doubt. However, how much he would lose was up to him. Remaining latched onto the female, Azfar no longer thrashed nor slowly increased his bite. Instead, he remained still, eyeing the hyena before crunching down suddenly. He felt the female's body shudder as he continued, no doubt impairing her spinal cord as he did so. When her bite upon him lessened in response, Azfar took it upon himself to escape. Jerking his body, he winced as he broke contact with her, a large gash in his side as a result of his movement.

The hyena's body shook, her hind limbs giving out from under her, as if paralyzed, and yet she continued snapping at him. It didn't take long for him to grasp her neck as a result, thrashing around for a final time until her body went limp. Letting her fall to the ground, Azfar's focus rested on a trio, to which he rapidly charged at, but made no contact with.

It seemed as if the lesson had been learned, and with the help of the white male, the hyena's had begun to retreat. Still, he chased after the small group before him, vocalizing as he did so to make the warning clear. Gait slowing, Azfar's run became a trot, and then a mere walk before he stopped. He nearly began to celebrate before remembering that he wasn't alone. The threat was not eliminated, at least not for him. There was still the matter of the white male that, although he had aided him, wasn't sure if that did anything. However, when he received a nod from him, Azfar felt more confident in his decisions. Granted, he was still wary, as most would be in his situation, but he didn't believe that he was a threat.

Rather than offering a nod in return, he took a risk. Approaching the two, Azfar's eyes studied the individuals before him. Given the way the male addressed the female, they didn't know each other. It appears as if he had stumbled across her being attacked before jumping to help, much like he himself did. Regardless, she seemed unwell. Thin and bloodied, he couldn't help but wonder what her fate would have been had they not arrived. He felt pity for her, but kept to himself. Judging her words, she was not a lioness that would enjoy sympathy nor pity.

When she turned to speak to him, Azfar blinked in response before cracking open his mouth, and then closing it. "I don't mind.." He had begun to say, before clamping his mouth closed once more. I don't mind, so long as you leave it this instance, was what he wished to say. However, the words fell away from him. How could he force her away? The female was elderly. Was he so cruel as to chase her out as well? The burden would be heavy on him. Besides, she was no threat. And the male. He didn't mind the thought of running him out as much, but like the female, he would feel guilty. The male had jumped in to help a stranger. Surely that counted for something.

A sudden, rather idiotic idea had entered his mind. It was an idea that he himself should not be entertaining. It was a thought that Taranaki should have a say in as well. However, Taranaki was not here at the moment, and so there was nobody to stop him from voicing this idea of his.

An awkward amount of silence passed as Azfar simply stared, until he finally cleared his throat. "There's a pride not far from here.. My pride, that is." Good. Strong start. "If you'd like, you can come with me. Those hyenas.." he motioned to the direction of where they had run off to, "..They have been bothering us for a long time. I'm sure that.. pretty sure, actually, that the pride will be more than happy to repay you with food and shelter for your help." He paused, glancing to the male. "Both of you." He was taking a risk, introducing this new male into the pride, but he was sure, so sure that he wouldn't regret it. If he did, at least Taranaki would be near.

"You can rest, especially with this storm coming."

Nkazimulo

Xhumo Pride | Pride Lioness | 5.5 Years Old | Mentions: Afzar [ind.] , Abidemi & Taraji [Her Cubs - NPC ] , Pride Lionesses [ Palesa, Katya, Tala ]

A young female lay by herself in the corner of the little sleeping area that the pride usually congregated together to rest. She was in a corner with her back to the other lions, she was almost in a shield-like position - and she had good reason to. Her gaze grew gentle at the small forms of her cubs, gods they were still small - nearing two months old in age. They slept comfortably against her frame, Taraji comfortably laying atop her older brother and the two curled against their mother's side. They were so precious to her, and she was glad to have brought such precious creatures into the world. She turned her head as she noticed some lionesses had arisen and were starting to exit the den to sunbate. Sunbathing sounded good right about now, especially since she was a bit cool at the moment, and she could feel her cubs shivering a bit even though they were sharing body heat. She gave a soft chuff to them, and she watched as the two sleepily opened their eyes.

"Morning my little ones," she said softly, "come, let's go outside and warm up. And you all might get to play just for a little bit if you wanted."

She then shifted, carefully as to not cause them any harm, and stood up, she watched as the two unraveled themselves and hid underneath her legs. They had only been introduced into the pride a little while ago, and they were still quite shy about meeting other pride members. She gave a teasing chuckle at their shyness, and began moving outside, noticing the pale lioness that was Palesa basking upon a rock and Tala and Katya were chatting. She flicked her ears at the sound of an annoying screech, her eyes narrowing at the sight of a lone buzzard making noises as it flew off. She huffed annoyed by the sound, and took the moment to find a nice, warm rock to lay on and she stretched her frame out on the rock to let the rays soak her thourougly. And she flicked her tail lazily, and kept an eye on her children who were wrestling and giggling with each other as they played together. And she gave them a soft look.

She then turned her eyes to the sky and hummed, and she listened to the chatter amongst her fellow lionesses saying, "It looks like a storm is coming today, it'll be nice to get some rain and the fresh scent of it." she said idly.