Unlikely Adventurers

Under the revealing moonlight, the russet cub moved swiftly through her father's kingdom, hurrying away from the den where the rest of the pride was presumably still fast asleep. The last sound she had heard was her father's irritating, drawn-out and deafening snores, and Giza was happy to get away from the safe place she usually lounged about inside. Her twisted mind had conjured up a plan in recent days. Instead of getting her siblings into trouble, which was her usual goal in life and her greatest form of entertainment, she had decided to get herself into a bit of mischief.

Her father was as distracted as ever, and increasingly erratic in his behavior and regard for his fellow Pridelanders. Even his own cubs more often found themselves victims of his foul temper as the weeks passed by and the situation in the Pridelands grew more desperate. But little Giza, in spite of looking so much like her like-minded father, had failed to gain his attention even once. The others usually were being punished if their father ever noticed them at all, and so Giza had decided to try it for herself. Her mother had recently returned to the den a bloody mess, hurt by some unknown rogue, and tensions could not get any higher back home. Now Heshima had announced that she would be having another litter, and Giza would be getting even more siblings soon -- as if she didn't already have more than her fair share!

Giza's mother's attention would be spread even more thin, and Giza had had enough. Maybe if she was naughty as well, someone would notice her, though she wasn't certain what this would accomplish. It was getting to the point where even negative attenion was looking appealing. What was it that had changed in the cub? She had spent most of her life content with being overlooked, staying to herself in the shadows and preferring to be left alone. The prospect of losing any more of her mother's love to more annoying brothers and sisters was too much. Giza had never realized how lonely she felt deep down until her more caring siblings had tried to bond with her, and she found herself unwilling to accept this, as if she didn't deserve to be loved at all. Well, why shouldn't she be loved, like Ari was adored by both parents? Life just wasn't fair.

Giza had never attempted to leave the den before without her mother in attendance, but tonight was different. A full moon was perched directly overhead, shining brightly like a beacon in the night. She could see almost as well as she could during the day, it seemed, and it was the perfect opportunity to test and see what would happen if she was suddenly missing when the sun rose. Would anyone notice that the reserved, dark cub was absent? Would her father come searching for the little lost cub, or would he leave it up to Heshima to track their errant daughter down?

Having seldom strayed far from the shadows of Pride Rock, Giza had no idea where she was going. She had simply picked a direction and started walking until the stone structure was a mere dot on the horizon. The location she now found herself in was completely unfamiliar, with a huge, looming baobab tree towering over her head. Though she was not normally the type to get spooked, something about the overgrown tree was unnerving to Giza. She felt as if she was no longer alone, which scared her even more. Her eyebrows knit together in a concerned expression as she looked around. She had heard stories about spriits and ghosties, and by her childish standards, this place looked as haunted as any. The sound of a twig snapping close by alarmed her, but the russet cub tried to remain calm and look tough, in case someone had already discovered her missing. The cold morning air caused her to shiver inadvertantly. The temperature is always most chilling before dawn, and Giza had never experienced it before.

Nightmares had been plaguing Tasa more and more as life at Pride Rock seemed to only get worse. Scar’s temper was thin from the start, and thinning still. Their mother had adopted another cub and was going crazy with trying to keep up with all of her cubs as well as looking after the older Mheetu -- which obviously hadn’t gone well since both returned a few days back in a bloody mess. Tasa still wasn’t sure what happened, but couldn’t believe someone would hurt Heshima like that. While Tasa more than not felt angry at her mother, feeling rejected, ignored, and overall unloved by her mother -- she was still her mother, and it was not right for some lion to just come and attack her. Just the thought of it made Tasa’s blood boil, and she began day dreaming of the day she would be a big strong huntress, and maybe she could get back at whatever lion it was that hurt her family. But such thoughts and the arguments within the pride sent Tasa dark dreams, filled with fighting and roaring and crying and the overwhelming feeling of loneliness which still penetrated long after her eyes had opened.

It was such a dream that stirred her from her sleep in the middle of the night, a large lion that looked suspiciously like that new lion she had seen with Scar once or twice -- she couldn’t remember his name, but the lion had given her chills -- had come and attacked her and her siblings, chasing them all down until they were scattered, lost, hurt and confused. Tasa was backed into the den, the opening blocked, the lion turning into a large shadowy figure that moved to attack --

A loud snore jarred her from her dream, and for once the cub was grateful for her father’s snoring. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and was about to brush it off as the confusion of sleep, when she realized Giza was no longer beside her. A dark form slipped out of the cave, and it took Tasa about two seconds for her to realize her sister was sneaking out. She blinked, the course of action unexpected from her laziest sibling, who usually liked pushing others to sneak out so they would get in trouble. Giza hated anything that required work just as much as she hated being punished. So why sneak out in the middle of the night? Tasa’s curiosity got the better of her without any struggle, and she slipped silently from the den to follow after her sister. She already had a head start, but Tasa could still see her small form a short distance away. If she called to her, Giza probably would hear, but Tasa kept her mouth shut in case of alerting the other lionesses -- or anything else for that matter -- of their whereabouts.

Tasa was surprised how Giza seemed to manage navigating past Pride Rock -- she knew for a fact her russet sibling never wandered past the rock, but now she seemed intent on getting as far away as possible. Tasa herself has wandered off multiple times to multiple places, so the cub thought she knew the area pretty darn well, even at night. So she made it an excuse that she was keeping an eye on Giza, knowing where Giza might get lost, Tasa could figure out where they were. And really, the farther they travelled from their den, and the darker it seemed to get, the more Tasa was worried what trouble they could get into. She generally wandered during daylight hours, or right around twilight. But nighttime was completely different -- other predators came out to hunt, and even though she could see fine, if one was not used to moving in the dark along the savannah alone... it wouldn’t end well.

Tasa had strained relations with all her siblings, both her parents, and the entire pride in general. But that didn’t mean she didn’t still care for them, at least some of them. Out of all of them, Tasa liked Giza the best because they could keep up with one another. Even though they still annoyed each other, that’s just what siblings did, and deep down Tasa really didn’t want to see Giza, or any of her siblings, get into real trouble.

By the time they had slowed, Tasa still trailing a good ways behind Giza (too lazy to run to catch up and too uncertain of others in the area to call out), they were at the foot of a large baobab tree she had seen in the distance on her own travels, but never this close. This close it was rather strange looking, especially in the early morning darkness. If she was being honest with herself, the area sent chills down her spine, and not just due to the early morning chill. As she drew closer to her sister, Tasa noted the concern on her face. So, she thought, the great Giza was not so untouchable as she liked to let on. Her paw landed on a small twig, startling them both. But Tasa padded closer, now in Giza’s sight, “Don’t worry, it’s just me,” The creamy cub said, offering a small smile before straightening up and replacing it with a smirk. “So what are you doing out here all alone?” She said, trying to sound righteous and reprimanding, like their father. But her composure fell slightly as she tilted her head, regarding Giza curiously. “You’re usually the last to leave the den. Even Ari goes out more than you do. What’s goin’ on?” Her voice was softer than usual, the shadows of the tree and odd silence of the night making her feel the need to keep her tone down in case to startle surrounding spirits.

Giza waited on bated breath for someone else to appear. What if it was a leopard, or some other unfriendly foe? This was something the russet princess had not anticipated, and so she heaved a huge sigh of relief when her pale sister finally appeared. Her expression softened instantly, but then she realized that she had been followed. Things were already not going according to plan, and Giza's ears folded back in irritation when Tasa began to question her activities.

"I just..." she began slowly as her mind tried to conjure up a good excuse for her misdeed. But even her sly thoughts left her empty handed now, and she could only shrug feebly before offering the truth. Had it been any of her other siblings who discovered her, they would certainly have gotten one lie or another, but of all of Scar's brood, Tasa bothered Giza the least. The two sisters had more in common than Giza held with any of her other brothers and sisters, so it was somewhat of a relief to see Tasa instead of Kifu or Ari. Maybe it was because they both perceived themselves as being the most hated. Regardless, she came clean, her sky blue eyes cast upward to the tall tree. "I wanted to see if anyone would notice."

The explanation was brief but revealing. It took a great deal of effort to hide the expression of sadness that flashed upon Giza's features, but she quickly shook the useless emotions away. Feelings like sadness were worthless, so she kept a stiff upper lip as she turned away from her cream colored sister. "If you're going back, you better keep your mouth shut." It was the only invitation that would be extended, if it could be considered one at all. Giza wasn't going to fight if Tasa wanted to trail along. The night around them was still spooky after all, and maybe this once, there would be safety in numbers.

The russet cub had often daydreamed about escaping the shadows of her father's kingdom. She would imagine that wings had sprouted from her back, just like a bird, and that she was free to go anywhere she pleased. The life of a royal cub was far more limiting. They were always being told what to do, where to go, to save some food for their more timid siblings... Perhaps there was a big part of Giza that really intended to run away that night after all, even if she wasn't fully aware of her subconscious thoughts and hopes. Tasa was treated even worse than Giza, because she had made attempts to gain their father's attention, only to have it blow up in her face.

Casting one final look up at the huge baobab tree, Giza turned her body to skirt around it. Her pace now was slow but steady, in case Tasa decided to tag along on her little misadventure after all. She even glanced over her shoulder to see if her sister was following, half hoping that she would be right behind her now. If two of his daughters were found to be missing, than Scar had to go find them... And he wouldn't be able to punish just one! Tasa's appearance helped to further Giza's little plan, but naturally, she would never express any fondness for her family aloud, and she walked on in silence, further from their home.

Tasa blinked at Giza’s softened expression, a rare look on her sister’s face, but grinned in amusement when Giza seemed to realize what she was doing and scowled instead. “Oh don’t get your tail in a twist, no one else followed us, I made sure of that. You should be grateful I didn’t call anyone, or drag you back! You’ve never stepped off Pride Rock, and it’s my duty as your sister to make sure you don’t get in any trouble. You should be thanking me,” Tasa trotted around her, head up, “I know these areas better than you. So with me along, you won’t have to worry.” Tasa gave a teasing grin, though it fell as Giza shrugged, no excuses this time. Giza -- with no excuses -- telling the truth! Was the world ending? The russet cub revealed in a somewhat softer voice that she wanted to see if someone would notice her disappearance, and Tasa stopped in front of her, setting the back of her paw against her forehead. “Are you sick or something?” She said, half serious, half teasing, but offered a small smile and flicked her ear in affectionate tease before setting it back down in front of her. Tasa’s voice fell slightly, sincere, “Well I noticed.”

She glanced down after a moment, both their revelations a bit awkward to the cubs who were usually fighting with each other. Tasa wondered if Giza realized, despite the occasional annoyances and attempts to get one another in trouble, Tasa really did love her and her other siblings, as best she knew how. But love was difficult as on of Scar’s cubs, with most of their treatment being cold. Giza was lucky in a sense, since she was saved from Scar’s notice and therefore violent reprimands he had been dishing out recently, while Tasa seemed to be getting the worst of it. Scar liked Ari enough to tone it down around her, Kifu could only take so much before he slunk off, but Tasa would growl right back and make the whole thing worse until a few times she thought Scar may just decide having three children was enough. Briefly, Scar had seemed proud of Tasa’s tenacity a few weeks back, but with the tension building, it seemed like that was the last thing he wanted now, at least directed at him. And Tasa was generally quite blunt with the king, as she still struggled with keeping her mouth shut, which just made her life worse.

With that thought, Tasa frowned. “Do you realize what father will do when he finds out? You’re used to having it easy when it comes to him, but he’ll be really mad that you ran away, especially after what happened to Mheetu. You won’t be able to so much as pee without someone watching you then.” As Giza turned away to continue, Tasa trotted after her, falling in step beside her sister. “I’m not a snitch unless I need to be,” Tasa huffed, “And besides, why would I want to go back? This is far more interesting than listening to dad and Kifu snore.” She laughed.

As they moved around the tree, Tasa watched it and wondered what it would be like to climb it and make it all the way to the tippy top, looking out over the lands like a bird. “I bet you can see all the way to the Lowlands from up there.” The creamy cub whispered, wonder what it was like in the other kingdoms. She had explored much of the Pridelands, before Scar limited their wanderings (though she still snuck out here and there), but never been outside them before. The thought made her grin, blood pumping as she thought of what she might see or who she might meet and what they might look like and began snickering at the thought. “Do you think Outlander or Shadowlander cubs look like us? What if they had... like, two tails, or no tail at all! Or were funny colors!” She joked, hoping to lighten the air around them, which seemed heavy, as if it new something the cubs did not. Tasa shivered at the thought, but pushed the feeling back and spoke up again, hoping to run off the chill with conversation. “So where are you headed anyway? Or are you just taking wherever your paws lead?”

It was true that Tasa was more experienced when it came to roaming the kingdom, and the pale cub had always found a way to get home again. Maybe it was lucky that her sister had found her there, after all, and Giza smiled to herself under the moonlight, looking away so that Tasa would not know she was pleased with her presence. "If you must come along, then very well." She found it humorous that Tasa was looking out for her best interests, when Giza had made such an effort to get both Ari and Nuka punished recently. It seemed the russet cub had also inherited her father's dark tendencies to enjoy seeing their siblings in a tough situation. Then Tasa asked if Giza was sick, and she looked at her with a huff. Giza batted her sister's paw away with a playful growl, but her expression remained indignant. "I meant someone else."

She didn't want her pelt to be marred by scars like Mheetu's now was, but their father had promised the lionesses that the lion responsible for the attacks would be taken care of he. Questionable as his leadership was, Scar was not the type to make empty promises -- he simply offered no hope at all, no resolutions for the future that would improve their outlook, unless he really wanted something. Giza and Tasa themselves were the result of false promises made to their mother months ago, that she would deliver a 'litter of kings'... But this is what he had gotten instead. Sometimes Giza wondered if he was right to be upset, but what were they supposed to do? She hadn't asked to be created, and neither had Tasa.

At the mention of how upset Scar would presumably be, Giza laughed ironically. "That's pretty funny. I'll be surprised if he even knows I'm not there. In fact, I'd be surprised if he even knows my name!" She had occasionally wondered if other cubs, in other places lived the way that they did. They had no freedom, received no respect, and most were generally unhappy, for one reason or another. Had it always been this way for Pridelanders?

The Lowlands, the Outlands, all the other kingdoms sounded like the stuff fairy tales were made of to Giza. Their father's dying territory were all that Giza had experienced, and it was hard for her to fathom that something better existed beyond the borders of the Pridelands. Tasa's comments brought about a chuckle for the darker cub as she imagined blue and red lions with stripes like a zebra, but Giza was not the most fanciful youth. "I'll bet they look like us, only... nicer." Her imagination was limited to ways of getting her siblings into trouble, or ways to take more than her fair share after a kill was brought back to the den. "I've never been to the borders, so I guess I'm going there. How am I supposed to know when I get there, though? Is there a line on the ground, or something so that I know I'm at the edge of the Pridelands?"

When Giza laughed off the concern, revealing she wasn’t even convinced their father knew her name, Tasa frowned. Just a few weeks ago she had thought much the same, but when she followed him out to the precipice he proved she did know her name, at the very least. But Giza had a right to be concerned, and this was her first attempt to prompt their father into spending time with her. It had taken her much longer than the other siblings, but Tasa understood she was doing exactly what she had done weeks ago, just in a different manner. Probably a more dangerous one. The creamy cub gave a weak argument, though knew Giza had a high chance of being correct. “Well he knew my name. He probably likes you more than you think, since you don’t bother him like I do. He likes it when we do what he wants, but you know how horrible I am at that.” She gave a small laugh.

While Tasa did her best to please her father, their personalities simply didn’t always mesh (or perhaps meshed too much), and she was finding more and more that pleasing him was near impossible, unless you were Ari. Tasa and Giza had it worse since they were girls -- even if Scar liked them, it would’ve been a completely different matter if they were boys. Capable boys, at least, unlike Kifu or Mheetu. “I think we would’ve been better off had we been born boys,” Tasa admitted softly. “Though I guess then he would just be harder on us.”

It seemed no matter what Tasa did, she never gained the attention she craved. She didn’t know how to act to prompt her father and the lionesses to love her, as she secretly wanted, and usually failed magnificently and only managed to get them all annoyed at her. Maybe if she was quiet like Ari and Giza... but Tasa simply couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Her little head was full of opinions, views no one really wanted to hear but she couldn’t help herself. Of all the times she had wandered off, hid away, saved scraps of meat for her family, practiced her hunting skills, brought back captured bugs as gifts -- everything she tried, something still always went wrong and the cub was either ignored or reprimanded for something she didn’t do.

Maybe Giza had it right. Running away, farther than either had been... “We could stay out here a while,” She whispered, even though no one seemed to be around for miles. She tucked her head down, walking closer to her sister. “For days, and with us both gone -- then someone would have to notice. And together we won’t have to worry about things we would if we left on our own.” While the two had once said the same to Kifu, Tasa was being serious now. If they were going to run off for attention, why not make it a good one? Instead of just staying out until the sun got high in the sky, the two could surely survive on their own for days at a time.

When Giza figured foreign cubs looked much like that, Tasa raised her head and puffed her chest out, only semi-serious. “I think I -- we -- look just fine. Everyone else is probably strange. Funny colors, funny markings, even spots!” She laughed. It was true her views were limited to what she had seen along the Pridelands, but Tasa was not one to sell herself short. She had decided long ago she should be the best, and therefore would be the best. Appearance, skill -- anything. I didn’t matter that she didn’t know any other cubs or lions or creatures outside her pride.

Tasa paused to think over the question of boarders. She’d never been that far out either, and wasn’t really sure on the matter. “I think there should be a line, that would be the smart thing to do. Or like, the gorge or a river.” She shrugged, glancing over her shoulder to find Pride Rock still looming in the dark distance. “I thought I heard the lionesses mentioning scents and stuff. Maybe it’s marked like that? Once we smell someone we don’t know?”

"He is really bossy," the russet cub agreed; their father certainly liked to have his way. Maybe that's what being a king was all about: telling others what to do, when to do it, and that they're not doing it good enough. "Well, I'm still glad we're girls. Boys are smelly. Like Fufu, and especially Nuka," she giggled, still not fond of either of her younger brothers. Little Nuka had recently tried to reach out to Giza, to befriend her, but she had returned his concern and friendship with cruel taunts. It didn't matter how they acted towards her, Giza's heart was soured towards her brothers. Why where they more desirable to a king than a female cub? Giza didn't like it, and had recognized the inequality amongst the lions and lionesses at an early age.

Giza's smile widened as Tasa worked through the reasons why their misadventure was not a terrible idea. The two middle-born daughters of Scar were like-minded, which made Tasa the most likable sibling to Giza. The only difference was that Giza kept her mouth shut, while Tasa spoke up about what she saw or felt, which often caused her to get in trouble or be ignored all together. It had been better, in Giza's young but serious mind, to make no effort at all, and therefore never be disappointed when the attempts failed, as they were prone to do. But tonight would be different. Tonight, she would stand up for herself and make them all notice, and with Tasa accompanying her, the plan was sure to work! "You're right. Two of us are better than one out here! I don't care if our father gets angry. We're just proving that he needs to do more, be around more, or else!" For once, there was an enthusiasm in Giza's voice that was normally lacking. It would be more fun with Tasa along, and she was more grateful than ever that at least one of her family had noticed her departure that day.

The cubs had been taught that other prides were not to be trusted, and so it was not surprising that Tasa would guess that strangers beyond the Pridelands looked strange. Giza had never met anyone beyond her own pride, but held a fear of others due to her upbringing. Scar had warned them all repeatedly that unknown lions could easily kill them all if they were caught alone, and likely would if they had the chance. After Mheetu's attack and then disappearance, it seemed this was one thing Scar was being honest about. "I've heard there are other prides that live in places close by, but that this is the best kingdom of them all, so the others are all jealous. And that's why we should be careful." Sure, it was a dangerous game the cubs were playing, but Giza believed Tasa was right. There was no reason why the two couldn't survive for just a few days, before their mother came to bring them home.

Giza also figured that her sister knew the way back to Pride Rock, even if the russet cub herself had long since stopped paying attention to the direction they were walking. If one of them knew the way, then it didn't matter that the other had no clue where they were going! Still, she knew that Tasa had only ever traveled so far, and that she probably had never seen the borders, either. Her suggestion that the scents would alter when they drifted into a new place seemed reasonable enough to Giza, and she nodded in agreement. "Oh, that makes sense." Her head tilted back to take a long sniff of the air, but the familiar smell of their father was still strong, so she continued onward, aimlessly.

In spite of the full moon, the land was unfamiliar now, but Giza pressed onward, leading the way into unknown. Neither cub could have guessed how close they were to the borders now, but finally, Pride Rock was a mere dot, far off in the distance. It would still be a couple of hours before the sun made its appearance in the eastern sky. They were approaching a deep ravine, but the silvery light from the moon could play tricks on the eye. There were brambles near the area, and Giza's focus was on them, rather than the ground she was treading on. The last thing she wanted was to run into the bushes with thorns.

“Oh yeah, Nuka’s gross.” Tasa giggled in agreement. Luckily she had yet to interact with him much, but he was twitchy and itchy and unkept and smelly -- just like Giza said. And Tasa tended to judge people based on first glimpses, and no one had yet to prove her first impressions wrong yet, so she saw nothing wrong with it. But she didn’t quite understand why mere gender seemed to change things. She remembered the way Scar had looked at her back on the precipice. She had thought their father had seen, even encouraged her potential, her strive to be the best. He had said he was like her when he was young -- but was that not enough? She had to be a princess. And that fate was to hunt in lands that would not longer be able to be hunted soon, so serve a king who paid no attention to his subjects, and in the end amount to... what? What could she possibly do as a lioness in the Pridelands? Maybe Giza had something going for running away. Maybe they should just lengthen their disappearance from days, as she has suggested, to weeks, months... years. Tasa’s bright green eyes flickered to Giza, unsure, but the idea growing. “We could do it you know,” she said, forgetting that Giza couldn’t always follow her train of thought. “We wouldn’t ever have to care about father’s anger again.” Then again, she would probably miss Heshima, even if Tasa wasn’t fully convinced their mother cared for her only look alike.

But Giza’s enthusiasm to be found again, to prove their point that they father needed to do more than sulk off and blame it on “kingly duties” made Tasa smile, perking up herself. “Yeah! Or else!” Tasa pushed any worry back (such as ending up like Mheetu), instead encouraged by this immensely rare excitement in her sister’s voice. This would be fun! And adventure! Much more interesting that spending the day in the den, or wandering off on their own. Despite the warnings hammered into her and the other cubs to stay near Pride Rock, the stories of what could happen to cubs that wandered too far off, Tasa found it more exciting than anything. She hadn’t really believed the warnings either, at least until Heshima and Mheetu came back from their own attack. But Tasa tended to be wrapped in her own world, thinking she was bigger and better than anyone she ran into -- and now, especially with Giza along, Tasa was overconfident that any trouble they would get into would be fine. More than fine; fun.

”That’s what I heard too. But sometimes I wonder if dad just made other lions mad at him. I mean, that’s more or less why we’re doing this.” The cub shrugged, not really bothering to over think the motivations for staying away from boarders. As they padded farther and farther away from their den, Tasa being careful to keep Pride Rock directly behind her, the dry earth around them became unfamiliar to the tawny cub. But as Giza had found, their father’s scent was still strong so they kept forwards. She hoped she could distinguish each rock and root in the daytime too, as even the most familiar of landscapes could become alien in different lighting. Tasa ran over her mental map of the area, casting her green gaze from left to right as she tried to pinpoint their location. “I think... I think we’re near a ravine.” The cub said softly, no longer trying to one-up her sister with everything she could, as was her previous desire. So she no longer worried about being frank with Giza about the things she didn’t really know, including exactly where they were.

Still, it shouldn’t be hard to find their way back if need be -- just turn around and keep walking again. Simple enough. “Ow!” Tasa hissed as her paw landed on a bramble while her attention was away from her paws. She shook it off with a scowl, “I hope wherever the boarder is, it doesn’t have these stupid things.” While the cub was correct in her assumptions of the landscape, neither realized just how close the ravine was, and in the darkness with the moon casting strange shadows, it would be almost impossible to see the dangers growing near until it was too late.

Running away for good had never been Giza's intent, and though the idea was tempting, it was still not something she was willing to entertain. She looked as Tasa as if she had lost her mind. Brave was one thing, but crazy was another entirely, and Tasa's idea sounded like suicide to Giza, who believed there was no one but ruthless, bloodthirsty cub killers outside of the Pridelands. "We're just proving a point, that's all. We can't leave, we'd get eaten alive out there! Literally!" Then again, she thought to herself, maybe it would be better. Heshima was going to have even more cubs, on top of all the ones she already had to take care of... Would she miss one or two if they were suddenly gone? Giza knew in her heart that her mother cared, but how much love and attention could one lioness offer to so many little ones?

Giza laughed along with her sister, feeling strangely giddy the further the pair got from the safety of the den and the pride. It was as if she had come out of the shadows, finally, and the stress and rage that consumed all of them back at Pride Rock seemed far away, for once. Or else... Well, Giza wasn't certain herself what the 'or else' would be, but it sounded good enough. The russet cub's newfound sense of adventure was a surprise even to her, but now that they were out, it seemed like the right thing to do. She didn't know how it would help their situation, but there was no turning back now! Giza's head was held high, and she breathed in the air greedily. The scents on the air were now mingled with that of her father, and they were all so foreign and exciting that Giza couldn't get enough. She wondered who had passed this way -- or more importantly, when they had passed through!

Pride politics were lost on a cub like Giza, but she couldn't imagine what their father had done to make so many enemies. She wasn't one to defend him, but she didn't understand how his influence could have such an affect on places he didn't even go to. "I don't know. Dad never leaves the Pridelands, so how can that be?" Tasa's words echoed through her mind; Giza had never really considered what Scar may have done to the neighboring prides. Jealousy was a convenient excuse, but apparently it was much more than that. Maybe once Heshima came and found them, Giza could ask her for the truth. There was no point in asking Scar, Giza figured he would just walk away or make something up. Walking in silence now, her mind was swimming with the possibilities that their little journey to the borders would bring.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tasa start from the pain of stepping on a thorn, and Giza's natural reaction was to giggle, in spite of whatever closeness she felt towards her sister at that moment. There was a dark streak in the cub that she simply couldn't help. She turned her face to see if her sister was alright, but karma was swift and unkind, for in the same instant, Giza's own paw was pierced by a thorn too. Lurching backwards in pain, she cried out as she lost her balance, and Giza was sent tumbling back, directly into the merciless brambles. In a panic, she struggled to regain her footing, only to feel the soil beneath her crumble under her weight. In the blink of an eye, the cub went flying off of the ravine her sister had mentioned, much closer than either had anticipated. They had been walking alongside of it, after all, with only the brambles between them and a long fall.

When Giza hit the bottom of the ravine, everything all around her was black. Her face felt as if it was on fire, and she looked down to see blood trickling from the bridge of her nose to the ground. At the sight of the red liquid dripping, Giza began to cry -- and loudly. When she looked back up in the direction she had come, she could see the cliff illuminated by the moonlight. For a cub so small, the climb back up to where Tasa was looked impossible, and this thought only made the russet princess sob more noisily.

”What, are you scared?” Tasa couldn’t help but tease, but gave her an understanding nod. She was right, Tasa was probably just being to fanciful about solutions. It may not be worth it in the end. Still, was it really worth staying on Pride Rock? The tawny cub hadn’t completely decided, and instead let her mind wander through the possibilities as they walked. It was nice to be out like this with her sister, feeling unthreatened by one another -- even more, friendly, sisterly for once (not that she really knew what “sisterly” was supposed to feel like) -- and instead growing more confident and giddy in each other’s presence. Yes, Tasa was very glad she had woken up in enough time to watch Giza leave the den that night.

The cub scowled when Giza giggled at her pain, but giggled herself as the russet cub had a bought of karma. But her giggle faded abruptly as what started as just an annoying thorn to the paw sent Giza sprawling into the brambles. The tawny cub would’ve started laughing again and make comments of Giza turning into a cactus, except the karma didn’t end there. Giza suddenly disappeared, as if the roots of the brambles had sucked her down into the earth -- and for a second Tasa was sure that was what happened, until she found the ravine on the other side of the brambles.

Trying not to panic, Tasa found her way through the brambles -- wincing as several caught her fur -- to the edge of the ravine that was much closer than she had thought (Oh Spirits, was this her fault? It couldn’t be, it couldn’t be!) but was careful of her footing. Staring down into the darkness of the pit, Tasa paced a few strides along the edge, trying to find sight of Giza’s russet form. “Giza! Giza!” She called out, not bothering to hide the panicked concern from her voice. A bramble was one thing, even a coat full of pricklies was still amusing, but this -- this wasn’t fun anymore.

Tasa was relieved when she heard her sister crying, as it proved the cub was still alive. Wasn’t this how the last ruler had died? Maybe they should’ve stayed as far away from ravines and cliffs as they could’ve. “Giza can you hear me? Are you all right?” The creamy cub called, eyes moving between the small glimmer from the moonlight reflecting off of Giza’s eyes, to the cliff below her as Tasa searched for a path down. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ll get you out!” Tasa spoke mostly to herself as she tested the ground beneath her paws, trying to find a safe way down from the cliff, but the shadowy landscape made it near impossible. When she did manage to find a small ledge only a few inches down from the edge, she found it about as supporting as a leaf and quickly scrambled back up to the top, her paws skittering against the stony dirt, sending bits tumbling down the ravine which seemed even deeper now.

“Giza, I can’t find a way down!” She called mournfully, now turning her head between Giza’s small form to the dot on the horizon behind her that was home, her pulse racing. This was certainly not the kind of adventure they were looking for. “Can you see a way up?”

The cub had fancied herself to be pretty brave, if the morning's excursion could prove anything, but once she found herself utterly alone in the darkness, any sense of gusto quickly vanished into uncontrollable cries and terror. For a long minute, she just sat where she had fallen, as if the entire nightmare would disapepar if she only waited another moment. But Tasa's screams only frightened her more, especially once the pale cub soon learned that there was no easy way down into the ravine. The two cubs had thought themselves invincible for a brief moment, but now both were utterly helpless. "I'm not alright! Get me out!"

It was still dark down inside the ravine, but the cub paced back and forth below, looking for a path that might lead her back up. She could see the glint of Tasa's bright green eyes peering down at her from above, but she might as well have been a hundred miles away. "Don't leave me," she cried out, voice pathetic and weak from fright. How quickly their plan had gone awry! Only moments ago, the two daughters of Scar believed they could take on the savanna, but Giza instantly regretted her actions. There was no telling how angry their parents would be, if the two couldn't find a way out of this! Running back and forth, desperately looking for a ledge or a game trail, Giza's mind was clouded with the punishments she assumed she would soon be facing -- If something else didn't find her there first.

Her little chest heaved, panic already seizing the russet look-alike daughter of the king. Giza threw herself lamely against the cliff, attempting to use her sharp ebony claws to scale the sheer wall, but she failed. The dirt simply flaked away when she tried to use it for support, pebbles and debry filling the air and causing the cub to sneeze violently. Since she couldn't see her face, she did not yet know that the brambles had left a deep gash across the bridge of her nose. But she could feel it, and the loose dirt seemed to cling to the fresh wound, which only made it hurt more. "I-I can't see a way. I can't climb straight up." Her observation brought about another round of pitiful wails. As clever as she was, Giza could see no possible escape if she wanted to get back up to Tasa.

Now she realized that if she had any chance of escaping, it would be with the help of someone much bigger and stronger than herself. "Find someone who can help! Hurry!" She called up to her sister again, but a realization hit Giza, and her mouth quickly shut. There could be others out that night, predators just waiting to find a tasty little snack like a lion cub. If she was loud, she would rouse the attention of who knows what, so despite her panic, she fell silent now as she continued to search for a way out, in vain.

As Giza cried and paced and tried to find her own way up, Tasa did much the same up what felt like miles above. Her head was spinning with panic as she tried to think of ways to get her sister out, what her parents would do when they found out, what others would do if they found Giza before the Pridelanders did. Giza’s whole demeanor had shifted from her general reserved, confident, apathetic self to this panicked, crying, frightened cub -- and that made Tasa’s pulse beat faster. If Giza was this panicked, they were both doomed. “I won’t leave you!” Tasa cried back, her own voice shaky from fright and worry. As Giza tried to climb directly up the stone face, the tawny cub perched near the edge, paw hanging down as if ready to drag her sister up -- if only she weren’t so far away! Even a giraffe’s neck couldn’t reach so far! “C’mon, you can do it!” She tried to encourage, but both were realizing this wouldn’t work.

When Giza finally called for Tasa to get help, the tawny cub’s ears drooped. Giza fell silent, and for a moment Tasa’s worried mind figured something else had happened, until she realized Giza was just being cautious. Find help? The cub frowned. Where? Who? She didn’t know anyone from the other lands, which were probably closer to help, but could be another problem entirely. Pride Rock was only a dot on the dark horizon, and the punishment she would get when she returned would no doubt be immensely severe. The cub wondered if the two weren’t better off here, but brushed the idea back. Giza needed help, and since Tasa couldn’t, she’d have to find some! Their mother would know what to do, their father was smart enough to think up another solution. Reprimand or no, this was their only option, so Tasa nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Stay low! I’ll be back!” She called one last time before turning tail and darting over away from the ravine.

Ears back, tail trailing behind her, bright eyes trained on the almost unseen dot that was home, Tasa’s paws carried her over the landscape like a bird on the wind. She tried to think herself a cheetah, running as fast as possible until she couldn’t feel the pads of her paws and her lungs threatened to give up. The adrenaline of the fall and worry for her sister’s safety kept her going, as the little cub raced the morning light back to Pride Rock.