The cub walked beside her mother as the older told her she wanted to have an adventure with Nala who happily followed her with a bright smile on her face. And they did, and as both stood there while Nala waited for her mother to continue, the mother told her to stay there, to do so while she went to "bring a gift for her" and happily under a tree's shade she waited and waited and waited, but her there wasnt any possibilities of her mother was returning but as childish as her mind was, she wasnt worried and in a way she ignored the actual danger, this could bring. Her mother abandoned her, fooled her. And now as the darkness flooded the pass, the obsidian colored cub padded out of the security of the vegetation. And there is when a whooping sound echoed through the night's silence, a solitary hyena was patrolling the surroundings, looking for an easy meal and the small cub could easily be a good one. Calmly she walked and there is when the hyena spotted her and wasting no time started to run towards, quickly Nala ran and ran, but her short legs weren't giving her enough speed. @Kimagure

Stock | Code by me

The ivory woman has spent a long time thinking about what to do. Kimagure had weighed many options, considered everything from joining a pride to challenging for one, from staying on her own to hoping the fog would reveal an available territory. Her mind was still not made up. She had been too late once already to fight for a new pride. She could easily be again.

Kimagure had returned to the passage to think, the scent of countless others in her nose. Her colossal paws sank into the sand, claws half out seeking a grip. Her face was smooth as the pondered, her ears on a swivel as she scented the air.

Kimagure’s thoughts were interrupted by the whooping of a hyena. Instantly she began to search for it visually. What her eyes fell on first was not the source of the sound, but a black cub. The cub was in full sprint, her eyes tracked back to see a hyena closing in. Ears pinned back and lips curled instinctively, Kimagure had had hyena allies and hyena enemies, but here lions were the dominant species.

The lioness was in motion, her hackles raised and maw open as she hurried to intercept the hyena. If it was smart, it would pull back. A lone hyena didn’t stand much chance against her. She let out a roar as she closed in. Her perpendicular approach caused the hyena, a smaller male, to break off his chase to face her.

She snarled as she neared, aiming a swat at the male with her right paw. He danced back, cackling nervously but showing his teeth. While Kimagure kept him in her sights, her eyes also hunted for others. Hyenas did not often venture out alone. While she could not see or scent any others yet, she knew it would be unwise to let her guard down.

She lunged forward and swung at him again, this time snagging his cheek. The lioness wasn’t trying to catch him, merely drive him off. Kimagure didn’t want to risk injury. Finally, finally, he gave in and after giving a false lunge of his own turned tail and ran.

The woman was relieved, immediately turning her head to look for the cub.

@Nala

She ran and ran, small legs kicking as she raced for her life, for being able to live one more day. Even though she'd never seen a hyena nor being taught about how dangerous they could be, her instinct was the one pushing her to run, to run for her life. A life that hasn't started at all, she needed to live so her mother could find her. But as she ran, she quickly learned Hyena's had better stamina than a lion and even more than a cub her age. And a time passed she was starting to feel winded, tired as her young legs couldn't take no more and as she didnt watch her surroundings, her legs crashed against a fallen piece of wood, falling head to the sandy soil. With a stumble, she stood there for a moment but then away from the thought of this being her end, a white lioness jumped between her and the attacker. Eyes widened in surprise and when the Hyena ran and the lioness looked at her, she didnt know what to say. She just looked up to the larger lioness. "Arigatō" She said in Japanese with a big smile on her face, soon forgetting about how close her life almost ended. Translation: Arigatō : Thank you @Kimagure

Stock | Code by me

Kimagure Stagner

A beating heart of stone...

Kimagure turned her head back to look back and ensure the hyena would not attempt to sneak back before casting her gaze back at the child again. The girl thanked her in Japanese, a surprise. Kimagure did not often use the language, but it seemed fortunate that she could understand the girl.

"ご両親はどこにいますか？彼が他の人と一緒に戻る前に私たちは行く必要があります。(Japanese | Where are your parents? We need to go before he comes back with others.)" she replied firmly, her face taut. Though she had asked a question, the lioness did not wait long enough to hear the answer. Kimagure would flick her tail as a gesture for the child to follow her as she began to move deeper into Amaryllis.

Kimagure would alternatingly cast looks over her shoulder and scent the air, ears all the while strained for the sounds of approach. It took a little time for Kimagure to travel far enough to feel that it was safe to stop. Kimagure found a place she found at least defensible.

(Permission from Cloudy to PP Nala following.)

She watches. | "She speaks." | 'She broods.'

Art by Luyene

Her heart beat hard as she calmed down after the chance of her life, one that could easily have ended pretty bad. And there she felt thankful with the lioness who saved her, and she certainly would pay the debt and see her a hero for the rest of her life if they allowed her to do so. She looked upwards and saw her eyes were similar to her own, pink. And when she spoke in her own language she almost thought they could belong to the same clan as hers, for now, she wanted to also leave and like that she followed the lioness to a safer place. "私の母は狩りに行きました。" Or that was what she thought, but pretty well her mother was already gone. She was left behind and she wasnt aware of that. Translations 私の母は狩りに行きました。: My mommy went hunting. @Kimagure

Art and Code by cloudy

Kimagure Stagner

A beating heart of stone...

Kimagure felt relatively sure that they were safe enough, so she focused her attention on the tiny cub. The girl’s answer was that her mother was hunting, but any good mother hid a child they wanted to keep if they must leave to hunt. More than that they did not stray far. The lioness was skeptical that anyone was coming back for the charcoal cub, but she could not be certain.

She sighed, studying the child. What should she do with her? It was clear that something would happen to her if she left her alone. Thinking, she asked the child: “Do you speak English?”

She felt no need to ask in Japanese, as it would quickly become obvious id the child did not. It would complicate things if the child was not bilingual.

@Nala

She watches. | "She speaks." | 'She broods.'

Art by Luyene

Nala just sat there, eyes of pink resting over the white lioness face. She was huge and that alone made her quite amazed with this stranger who just saved her from certain death. Her tail moved around in excitement to find this individual. She didnt know what else to say, she was both a bit too happy and unsure. Not like she was afraid but she just couldn't come up with anything. The ivory feline asked her about something she didnt know. Her head tilted to the left in confusion about what they were trying to say. This was her first time hearing that unknown language so she didnt know what to say. "何？" Translations: 何？: What? @Kimagure

Art and Code by cloudy

Kimagure Stagner

A beating heart of stone...

Her eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation when the girl returned her question in Japanese. It suggested the girl spoke little or no English, as the question had been a simple one. She passed her tongue over her lips, studying the charcoal girl.

“ 日本語以外の言語は話せますか？” (Do you speak any language other than Japanese?) she asked again, hoping to determine for certain. Kimagure had just taken on Eina, which was already one child to watch and feed. Tamotsu was so near adulthood he did not often need her. But where could she take a child who might not speak any of the common tongue? Japanese was not unheard of, but it was not overly common either. It was a small blessing the girl spoke it instead of Norse, which was extremely rare in her experience.

@Nala

She watches. | "She speaks." | 'She broods.'

Art by Luyene