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Prologue: [link]
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The Quiet Before the Storm part 5

The days following Chache and Asili's exile were lonely. There weren't many other cubs Ahadi's age in the pride, and the few there were he wasn't interested in playing with. They were a tightknit group, and besides that they were all girls. And even if he did try to play with them, who's to say Mohatu and Safi wouldn't take them away from him as well?

The cub took to wandering the PrideLands alone, avoiding the others in the Pride. His parents didn't understand why he was being so reclusive. They would never understand. What it felt to always feel claws at your chest and see murderous eyes in your dreams. To lose your best friend.

It was on one of those walks that Ahadi heard wings beating overhead. He looked up to see a young purple bird descending to the ground. He halted and watched as she landed in front of him. "Hello," the cub said uncertainly.

The bird smiled brightly. "Greetings, Prince Ahadi." She gave a short bow then continued to grin brightly at him.. She seemed fairly young, some of her feathers still soft down. "I'm Zuzu."

The name was familiar. "You're the one who saved me from Asili," Ahadi realized aloud.

Zuzu's gaze darkened. "I still can't believe what Asili did to you. It's not right for family to turn on family." Then her bright grin reappeared. "But she's gone now, and you seem okey-dokey to me!"

The cub stated at the bird curiously, not feeling the hostility that was so common for him these days. He'd been expecting his saviour to be larger and stronger, not the cheerful little kid in front of him. "You must have been very brave to attack Asili like that."

Zuzu let out a trill of laughter. "Pff, she wasn't that scary. If they can't fly after you then they aren't much to worry about. The hard part was keeping her attention on me long enough for help to come."

Ahadi found that, despite himself, he liked the cheerful young bird. "Where are your parents?"

"Oh, my dad's out teaching my little brothers how to fly, and my mom's out getting food. Now that my brothers are learning to fly my parents don't need me to baby-sit as much."

Ahadi got to his paws. "Well, if you have some free time right now, do you want to hang out?"

Zuzu looked surprised, then broke out in a huge grin. "Sure!" As the cub got up and started to walk away, the young bird flapped up to fly beside him.

Several weeks passed before Masilahi began to feel safely away from the RockLands. The cub had lost weight, and her coat was even scruffier and dirtier than before. Not all the rogues she'd med had been friendly, and she sported a nasty nick in her ear. But her spirits had not been diminished. She was finally where she'd been meaning to go, and things could only get better from here on out.

From what Masilahi knew of the Pride Rock Pride most of the pride were friendly enough. A simple request to join should suffice to let her into the pride. But her mood darkened at the thought. As a rogue she had the freedom to be who she truly was. But once she joined the Pride Rock Pride she would have to permanently adopt the persona of Uru. Never again would she be known by her true name, or be able to complain about her father or share one of Johari's jokes. Her family had died with her identity, and she could never look back to them if she wanted to be safe.

One morning, the cub was eating some leftover prey from the day before when pawsteps sounded behind her. Masilahi turned to see a tan she-cub somewhat younger than her come crashing out of the bushes. "I found yo- oh." She looked surprised to see Masilahi, then looked down at her paws, embarrassed. "You're not Mommy."

The former princess looked at the cub with interest. "Who are you?"

She smiled shyly. "Nyonda. Me and my mom got separated during a storm and I've been trying to follow her trail." Nyonda scuffed the ground with her paw. "But I'm not very good at it."

Masilahi pushed her prey toward the cub with her paw. "Are you hungry? We can share the rest, and then if you want I can help you find your mother."

Nyonda gaped at Masilahi. "Really?" When the scruffy cub nodded she grinned shyly. "Thank you so much!" She tilted her head curiously. "Where are your parents?"

Masilahi opened her mouth to explain, but remembered that she could no longer identify Hodari and Tamu as her parents. She hesitated before replying, "Dead." Well, it was only half a lie. "They died in a rockfall. I'm Uru by the way."

Nyonda smiled. "Well thanks for your help, Uru." The two shared their prey in compatible silence. When the last of the food was gone, the two cubs started off after Nyonda's mother's scent. The smell had been mostly washed away by the rain so the search proved highly difficult. After going in circles for quiet a while the two cubs finally admitted they were lost and sat down to figure out a plan.

Suddenly a voice sounded behind them. "Nyonda?"

The two cubs turned to see a lioness very Nyonda standing behind them. The cub cried out, "Mommy!" and ran up to her. The lioness wrapped up her daughter in a tight hug. A hard lump formed in Masilahi's throat as she watched mother and daughter reunite. I miss you, Mom.

The lioness finally noticed Masilahi. "Who is this?"

Nyonda bounded to the scruffy cub's side. "Mommy, this is Uru. She helped me find you, and she shared her food with me."

The lioness smiled warmly. "Is that so? Well then, I must thank you for helping my girl, Uru. I'm Kupitisha."

Uru dipped her head. "It was nothing ma'am." Curiousity rose in her. "Where are you guys heading?"

"We're looking for a pride," Kupitisha answered. "We used to live with some other rogues but they all left to join prides. We just haven't found a place that will take us in yet."

Masilahi jumped to her paws. "You should come to the PrideLands with me!" She blurted out.

Kupitisha looked amused. "The PrideLands?"

"Yeah. They're well known for taking in outsiders, and they have a great territory. That's where my parents and I were heading before the died and that's where I'm going now."

The lioness looked thoughtful. "I have heard good things about their King. Yes, the PrideLands are probably the perfect place." She looked down at Masilahi with amusement shining in her eyes. "Since you seem to know so much about the PrideLands, may we ask the pleasure of your company on our journey there?"

Masilahi grinned broadly. To have friends to travel with... what more could she ask for? "Yes, of course!" She tried to keep from bouncing around like an idiot. "The PrideLands are this way!" She started off with Nyonda bounding after her, leaving Kupitisha to follow behind.

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

I finally introduced Zuzu! I tried to make her look like she matured enough to fly, but is still young. I couldn't find any good pictures of a young Yellow-Billed Hornbill so I made my own version of what it should look like. Her markings and multi-colored beak will come in later.

And yes, Nyonda here is the same Nyonda who trained the young lionesses of the PrideLands in my other fic Fall to Hatred. For anyone who actually cares.

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

The Quiet Before the Storm part 5

The days following Chache and Asili's exile were lonely. There weren't many other cubs Ahadi's age in the pride, and the few there were he wasn't interested in playing with. They were a tightknit group, and besides that they were all girls. And even if he did try to play with them, who's to say Mohatu and Safi wouldn't take them away from him as well?

The cub took to wandering the PrideLands alone, avoiding the others in the Pride. His parents didn't understand why he was being so reclusive. They would never understand. What it felt to always feel claws at your chest and see murderous eyes in your dreams. To lose your best friend.

It was on one of those walks that Ahadi heard wings beating overhead. He looked up to see a young purple bird descending to the ground. He halted and watched as she landed in front of him. "Hello," the cub said uncertainly.

The bird smiled brightly. "Greetings, Prince Ahadi." She gave a short bow then continued to grin brightly at him.. She seemed fairly young, some of her feathers still soft down. "I'm Zuzu."

The name was familiar. "You're the one who saved me from Asili," Ahadi realized aloud.

Zuzu's gaze darkened. "I still can't believe what Asili did to you. It's not right for family to turn on family." Then her bright grin reappeared. "But she's gone now, and you seem okey-dokey to me!"

The cub stated at the bird curiously, not feeling the hostility that was so common for him these days. He'd been expecting his saviour to be larger and stronger, not the cheerful little kid in front of him. "You must have been very brave to attack Asili like that."

Zuzu let out a trill of laughter. "Pff, she wasn't that scary. If they can't fly after you then they aren't much to worry about. The hard part was keeping her attention on me long enough for help to come."

Ahadi found that, despite himself, he liked the cheerful young bird. "Where are your parents?"

"Oh, my dad's out teaching my little brothers how to fly, and my mom's out getting food. Now that my brothers are learning to fly my parents don't need me to baby-sit as much."

Ahadi got to his paws. "Well, if you have some free time right now, do you want to hang out?"

Zuzu looked surprised, then broke out in a huge grin. "Sure!" As the cub got up and started to walk away, the young bird flapped up to fly beside him.

Several weeks passed before Masilahi began to feel safely away from the RockLands. The cub had lost weight, and her coat was even scruffier and dirtier than before. Not all the rogues she'd med had been friendly, and she sported a nasty nick in her ear. But her spirits had not been diminished. She was finally where she'd been meaning to go, and things could only get better from here on out.

From what Masilahi knew of the Pride Rock Pride most of the pride were friendly enough. A simple request to join should suffice to let her into the pride. But her mood darkened at the thought. As a rogue she had the freedom to be who she truly was. But once she joined the Pride Rock Pride she would have to permanently adopt the persona of Uru. Never again would she be known by her true name, or be able to complain about her father or share one of Johari's jokes. Her family had died with her identity, and she could never look back to them if she wanted to be safe.

One morning, the cub was eating some leftover prey from the day before when pawsteps sounded behind her. Masilahi turned to see a tan she-cub somewhat younger than her come crashing out of the bushes. "I found yo- oh." She looked surprised to see Masilahi, then looked down at her paws, embarrassed. "You're not Mommy."

The former princess looked at the cub with interest. "Who are you?"

She smiled shyly. "Nyonda. Me and my mom got separated during a storm and I've been trying to follow her trail." Nyonda scuffed the ground with her paw. "But I'm not very good at it."

Masilahi pushed her prey toward the cub with her paw. "Are you hungry? We can share the rest, and then if you want I can help you find your mother."

Nyonda gaped at Masilahi. "Really?" When the scruffy cub nodded she grinned shyly. "Thank you so much!" She tilted her head curiously. "Where are your parents?"

Masilahi opened her mouth to explain, but remembered that she could no longer identify Hodari and Tamu as her parents. She hesitated before replying, "Dead." Well, it was only half a lie. "They died in a rockfall. I'm Uru by the way."

Nyonda smiled. "Well thanks for your help, Uru." The two shared their prey in compatible silence. When the last of the food was gone, the two cubs started off after Nyonda's mother's scent. The smell had been mostly washed away by the rain so the search proved highly difficult. After going in circles for quiet a while the two cubs finally admitted they were lost and sat down to figure out a plan.

Suddenly a voice sounded behind them. "Nyonda?"

The two cubs turned to see a lioness very Nyonda standing behind them. The cub cried out, "Mommy!" and ran up to her. The lioness wrapped up her daughter in a tight hug. A hard lump formed in Masilahi's throat as she watched mother and daughter reunite. I miss you, Mom.

The lioness finally noticed Masilahi. "Who is this?"

Nyonda bounded to the scruffy cub's side. "Mommy, this is Uru. She helped me find you, and she shared her food with me."

The lioness smiled warmly. "Is that so? Well then, I must thank you for helping my girl, Uru. I'm Kupitisha."

Uru dipped her head. "It was nothing ma'am." Curiousity rose in her. "Where are you guys heading?"

"We're looking for a pride," Kupitisha answered. "We used to live with some other rogues but they all left to join prides. We just haven't found a place that will take us in yet."

Masilahi jumped to her paws. "You should come to the PrideLands with me!" She blurted out.

Kupitisha looked amused. "The PrideLands?"

"Yeah. They're well known for taking in outsiders, and they have a great territory. That's where my parents and I were heading before the died and that's where I'm going now."

The lioness looked thoughtful. "I have heard good things about their King. Yes, the PrideLands are probably the perfect place." She looked down at Masilahi with amusement shining in her eyes. "Since you seem to know so much about the PrideLands, may we ask the pleasure of your company on our journey there?"

Masilahi grinned broadly. To have friends to travel with... what more could she ask for? "Yes, of course!" She tried to keep from bouncing around like an idiot. "The PrideLands are this way!" She started off with Nyonda bounding after her, leaving Kupitisha to follow behind.

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

I finally introduced Zuzu! I tried to make her look like she matured enough to fly, but is still young. I couldn't find any good pictures of a young Yellow-Billed Hornbill so I made my own version of what it should look like. Her markings and multi-colored beak will come in later.

And yes, Nyonda here is the same Nyonda who trained the young lionesses of the PrideLands in my other fic Fall to Hatred. For anyone who actually cares.