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The Quiet Before the Storm part 3

Ahadi was utterly confused. Why was Aunt Asili trying to take his throne and give it to Chache? Chache didn't want the throne, he'd told Ahadi so himself. So why was Asili trying to change things?

The cub was wandering aimlessly in the PrideLands. It was three mornings after Asili's challenge, and word still hadn't returned from the Great Baboon Tribe. Mohatu told him it would take time for them to come to a decision.

Suddenly a growl sounded behind him. Ahadi barely had time to hear it before a paw slammed into his side and sent him flying. The terrified cub lay winded, trembling as his attacker stalked up to him and pinned him down with a paw. Ahadi gasped. "Asili?"

His aunt leered down at him with a growl. "Pathetic cub." Her sneer turned into an ugly grimace. "You are the only thing that stands between my Chache and the throne. I cant let those idiot baboons take the throne from my son because of my father's stupid laws."

Ahadi tried to fight down his panic. "B-but Chache doesn't even want the throne!"

Asili gave a warning growl and pressed her claws down more firmly. "My son doesn't know what's good for him. He says that even if the baboons vote in his favor that he'll give the throne to you." Her grin returned to Ahadi's terror. "But with you gone, none of that matters."

Asali reached down to bite the cub's neck, but Ahadi scratched wildly at her nose. As she recoiled in pain the cub slipped from her loosened grasp and started to run, screaming his parents' names in terror. Asili lunged at him and hit him clumsily in the hip. Ahadi went sprawling onto the ground.

Asili pinned him down once more, her nose dropping red, fury blazing in her ice-blue eyes. "You won't get away from me you little brat!" She went to claw out Ahadi's throat, but the cub was squirming so much that her claws slashed across the side of his neck and down to his chest instead.

Ahadi screamed in pain. His chest burned like fire. The cub's sight began to blur and fade. The last thing he heard was the screech of a bird and Asili's furious roar.

Masilahi and Johari were walking with Queen Tamu in the RockLands some time after Hodari announced that Masilahi must leave. The atmosphere was gloomy among the three lions. Masilahi was brooding over her impending marriage, Tamu was trying to come to terms with losing her daughter so young, and Johari was overall affected by the moods of his companions.

Masilahi finally broke the silence. "I won't do it." Tamu and Johari looked at her in surprise. "I'm not marrying Prince Kilima. I don't care what Dad does to me."

Johari grinned, but Queen Tamu looked worried. "Your father won't take kindly to that, you know that."

The princess puffed out her chest. "I don't care! I won't let him boss me around anymore."

Tamu crouched down beside her daughter. "My little gem, I have done what I can to protect you from your father, but if you get in his way, he will kill you without a second thought." She straightened up. "I will talk to your father about waiting. The HighLands doesn't have much to offer us. I'll see if he can wait for a better offer. And this time I'll make sure a better offer doesn't come until you're ready."

Hoped flared in the Princess's heart. "Really?"

Before her mother could reply, there was a rumbling from above. The three lions looked up at the rock ledges above and saw parts of the cliffs falling away towards the ground. Towards them.

"Run!" Tamu screamed. She grabbed up Johari in her jaws and took off at a full sprint with Masilahi right on her heels. All around them rocks were crashing to the ground, some too close for comfort.

Without warning Tamu veered closer to the cliff face. There was a narrow crevice there, wide enough for the cubs to hide. But not Tamu.

The Queen shoved Masilahi inside and tossed Johari in after her. She looked at her children for a moment before taking off at a run. Masilahi screamed her mother's name, but the tumbling off the rocks drowned her out. The horrible roaring of the rockfall seemed to last forever. Days or hours could have passed before it finally died down.

Masilahi and Johari cautiously made their way into the open again. Dust hung ominously in the air and there were huge slabs of rock everywhere. One mound of crumbled rocks had a small pool of red liquid creeping out of one side, and a dusty paw hung poked out between the rocks, hanging limply. Masilahi turned her little brother away from the sight, fighting back her tears with no success. Even the cloud of dust couldn't cover the scent of death.

Johari tried to turn back and look as Masilahi led him away. "Where's Mom? Why isn't she coming?" A tear trickled slowly down his cheek, more out of terror than loss. He still didn't understand.

The Princess sniffled. "She's gone, Johari. Mom's gone." They walked in silence for a bit, each struggling with their misery. Suddenly, Masilahi stopped. "That's it," she growled. "I'm through with this. There's nothing for me here, not now that Mom's..." Her voice quavered for a moment, and the tears in her eyes threatened to spill over. But she kept it together. "I'm leaving."

Johari looked at her in shock. "Leaving?" He wiped his nose with a grubby paw, fighting back more sniffles. "Leaving the RockLands? But where will you go? How will you make it with a Pride?"

Masilahi lifted her head defiantly. "I'll go to the PrideLands," she decided aloud. "The Royals there adopted their heir, so they must be open to taking in orphaned cubs. And that's what I am now, an orphan. Mom's gone, and I sure as anything don't need a father like Hodari." She spat his name out hatefully.

Her brother still seemed worried. "But Dad's going to look for you. He has good spies, they'll find you."

"No he won't," she growled. "Not if I'm careful. I know most of his spies, and I'll stay out of their way. But I'll need a new name." Masilahi paused and thought seriously about what her life would be like from now on. Always hiding, never able to reveal who she truly was, always wearing a mask. But maybe she could carry her past with her, if only a little. Her mother's nickname for her. Little gem. She had called her that for as long as the Princess could remember. Masilahi sighed. "My name will be Uru."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And another part up. Two in the same day! I may even get another one up today. It all depends on how quickly I can churn out the pictures. The stories are simple enough to do.

And now Ahadi is wounded with his fate uncertain, Tamu is dead, Masilahi is on her own, and her name is now Uru. Yep, a lot can happen in a short time, and none of it good.

And I must say, I'm pretty proud of how the rocks came out.

Description
Prologue: [link]
Previous: [link]
Next: [link]

The Quiet Before the Storm part 3

Ahadi was utterly confused. Why was Aunt Asili trying to take his throne and give it to Chache? Chache didn't want the throne, he'd told Ahadi so himself. So why was Asili trying to change things?

The cub was wandering aimlessly in the PrideLands. It was three mornings after Asili's challenge, and word still hadn't returned from the Great Baboon Tribe. Mohatu told him it would take time for them to come to a decision.

Suddenly a growl sounded behind him. Ahadi barely had time to hear it before a paw slammed into his side and sent him flying. The terrified cub lay winded, trembling as his attacker stalked up to him and pinned him down with a paw. Ahadi gasped. "Asili?"

His aunt leered down at him with a growl. "Pathetic cub." Her sneer turned into an ugly grimace. "You are the only thing that stands between my Chache and the throne. I cant let those idiot baboons take the throne from my son because of my father's stupid laws."

Ahadi tried to fight down his panic. "B-but Chache doesn't even want the throne!"

Asili gave a warning growl and pressed her claws down more firmly. "My son doesn't know what's good for him. He says that even if the baboons vote in his favor that he'll give the throne to you." Her grin returned to Ahadi's terror. "But with you gone, none of that matters."

Asali reached down to bite the cub's neck, but Ahadi scratched wildly at her nose. As she recoiled in pain the cub slipped from her loosened grasp and started to run, screaming his parents' names in terror. Asili lunged at him and hit him clumsily in the hip. Ahadi went sprawling onto the ground.

Asili pinned him down once more, her nose dropping red, fury blazing in her ice-blue eyes. "You won't get away from me you little brat!" She went to claw out Ahadi's throat, but the cub was squirming so much that her claws slashed across the side of his neck and down to his chest instead.

Ahadi screamed in pain. His chest burned like fire. The cub's sight began to blur and fade. The last thing he heard was the screech of a bird and Asili's furious roar.

Masilahi and Johari were walking with Queen Tamu in the RockLands some time after Hodari announced that Masilahi must leave. The atmosphere was gloomy among the three lions. Masilahi was brooding over her impending marriage, Tamu was trying to come to terms with losing her daughter so young, and Johari was overall affected by the moods of his companions.

Masilahi finally broke the silence. "I won't do it." Tamu and Johari looked at her in surprise. "I'm not marrying Prince Kilima. I don't care what Dad does to me."

Johari grinned, but Queen Tamu looked worried. "Your father won't take kindly to that, you know that."

The princess puffed out her chest. "I don't care! I won't let him boss me around anymore."

Tamu crouched down beside her daughter. "My little gem, I have done what I can to protect you from your father, but if you get in his way, he will kill you without a second thought." She straightened up. "I will talk to your father about waiting. The HighLands doesn't have much to offer us. I'll see if he can wait for a better offer. And this time I'll make sure a better offer doesn't come until you're ready."

Hoped flared in the Princess's heart. "Really?"

Before her mother could reply, there was a rumbling from above. The three lions looked up at the rock ledges above and saw parts of the cliffs falling away towards the ground. Towards them.

"Run!" Tamu screamed. She grabbed up Johari in her jaws and took off at a full sprint with Masilahi right on her heels. All around them rocks were crashing to the ground, some too close for comfort.

Without warning Tamu veered closer to the cliff face. There was a narrow crevice there, wide enough for the cubs to hide. But not Tamu.

The Queen shoved Masilahi inside and tossed Johari in after her. She looked at her children for a moment before taking off at a run. Masilahi screamed her mother's name, but the tumbling off the rocks drowned her out. The horrible roaring of the rockfall seemed to last forever. Days or hours could have passed before it finally died down.

Masilahi and Johari cautiously made their way into the open again. Dust hung ominously in the air and there were huge slabs of rock everywhere. One mound of crumbled rocks had a small pool of red liquid creeping out of one side, and a dusty paw hung poked out between the rocks, hanging limply. Masilahi turned her little brother away from the sight, fighting back her tears with no success. Even the cloud of dust couldn't cover the scent of death.

Johari tried to turn back and look as Masilahi led him away. "Where's Mom? Why isn't she coming?" A tear trickled slowly down his cheek, more out of terror than loss. He still didn't understand.

The Princess sniffled. "She's gone, Johari. Mom's gone." They walked in silence for a bit, each struggling with their misery. Suddenly, Masilahi stopped. "That's it," she growled. "I'm through with this. There's nothing for me here, not now that Mom's..." Her voice quavered for a moment, and the tears in her eyes threatened to spill over. But she kept it together. "I'm leaving."

Johari looked at her in shock. "Leaving?" He wiped his nose with a grubby paw, fighting back more sniffles. "Leaving the RockLands? But where will you go? How will you make it with a Pride?"

Masilahi lifted her head defiantly. "I'll go to the PrideLands," she decided aloud. "The Royals there adopted their heir, so they must be open to taking in orphaned cubs. And that's what I am now, an orphan. Mom's gone, and I sure as anything don't need a father like Hodari." She spat his name out hatefully.

Her brother still seemed worried. "But Dad's going to look for you. He has good spies, they'll find you."

"No he won't," she growled. "Not if I'm careful. I know most of his spies, and I'll stay out of their way. But I'll need a new name." Masilahi paused and thought seriously about what her life would be like from now on. Always hiding, never able to reveal who she truly was, always wearing a mask. But maybe she could carry her past with her, if only a little. Her mother's nickname for her. Little gem. She had called her that for as long as the Princess could remember. Masilahi sighed. "My name will be Uru."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And another part up. Two in the same day! I may even get another one up today. It all depends on how quickly I can churn out the pictures. The stories are simple enough to do.

And now Ahadi is wounded with his fate uncertain, Tamu is dead, Masilahi is on her own, and her name is now Uru. Yep, a lot can happen in a short time, and none of it good.

And I must say, I'm pretty proud of how the rocks came out.