Little Cub Lost

Returning to the warmth and safety of Pride Rock seemed impossible, but Giza had made up her mind to at least try. Part of her was still hurt beyond words that no one had come to look for her, but despite her bitterness, she wanted nothing more than to be home. All of her siblings, the mother who had never noticed her brief disappearances, even her father, who she was certain would not even remember her name... All of the annoyances of the pride seemed hundreds of miles away, and now Giza longed for them all again. She would be nice to her brothers, even! She would be the good daughter that Ari always had been, and never complain again. If only she could find it...

If all else failed, she could turn right around and follow her path back to the Lowlands. The idea of a kingdom with two queens instead of a king was still novel to the russet cub, but Nyota had agreed to allow the lost child remain in the jungle. The Lowlander queen had never seen Scar before -- or at least, could not conjure up his image in her minds eye, and so Giza went gratefully unrecognized. Still certain that she would be dead meat if the pride found out, she had already decided that no one must know her true heritage.

The jungle was not a terrible place to live, really. There were lots of tall trees to climb, and endless shade to lounge beneath. The pride there was nice, taking pity on the errant cub, but a small part of Giza wanted to go back to the Pridelands. She had slipped away from Upendo, the cub she had befriended for survival's sake, to venture out into the savanna. At first, her entire body quivered with fear as the safety of the jungle trees disappeared behind her, but she took great pains to mark the earth where she walked with her tiny claws, a jagged pattern that would lead her back to the Lowlands, if her mission failed. The further she went though, the more her rage began to swell within her at the idea of being abandoned in the ravine she had been trapped in.

What if they left her on purpose? If she went back and that were the case, imagine the horrified looks on their faces to see the unwanted cub, come back from certain death? This thought caused Giza to freeze in her tracks, sky blue eyes narrowing at the dry ground. What was the point in trying?

The cub had not been aware of Imani's presence until it was too late. Her entire body froze in fear when she heard the sound of a throat being cleared nearby, and she was surprised to see the tan lioness gazing down at her. Giza's mouth fell open, she was so stunned to see another of her kind, but unlike Upendo, this was a big lion. This was no cub, and Giza was immediately scared out of her wits. It was too late to run, and she was too small to stand a chance of escaping anyway, if the lioness decided she was hungry.

All of her life, she had been taught that rogues are vicious lunatics who loved to gobble up lost little cubs for the fun of it. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she stared up at Imani, expecting her to snatch her up any moment and end her short existence in the blink of an eye. Then she noticed the scar that graced Imani's features, over her eye, in the same exact spot as her very own father. Now thoroughly terrified, the russet cub struggled to find her words.

"I don't have any parents." The second the words had escaped her mouth, Giza realized this was not the sort of information that should be readily offered to strange lions, even ones that appeared friendly. Quickly, she caught herself and her mind was reeling. "I mean, I live in.. In the Lowlands, just back that way." She shifted uncomfortable, gazing longingly in the direction she had just come. Giza was beginning to think she was the stupidest cub that ever lived, she kept finding herself in these awful situations with no way out, and it was only a matter of time before she was a goner. "If you eat me, they will definitely know and come looking," the cub added defiantly, backing away from the lioness wearily.

The cub's eyes widened to the size of a river rock and Imani quirked one eye open in amused curiosity while the girl gathered her wits. The fact that the cub openly admitted she had no parents showed how scared she was, every cub was probably advised against saying such things to rogues and this was confirmed when the cub hastily backtracked to pointing out where she lived. The lowlands. She hadn't realized she had been so close to them until just now and she spared a glance towards the trees, as of yet she hadn't ventured too far into that territory for fear of the pride there.

When the cub mentioned getting eaten, Imani's expression became startled before she laughed, her blue eyes closing and mirth clear on her maw. "I'm not going to EAT you" she managed to force out through her laugh before dropping down to her stomach so the child would feel less threatened by her. She stifled her laughs and fixed an amused crystal blue gaze on the russet cub and shook her head, her tail lazily flicking behind her. "Cubs are too chewy" she said making a face, her nose wrinkling but she winked to show that she was only teasing the young one, she could see this one had been clearly lead to believe that rogues were monsters which wasn't always true. The caution was good to have but to think every rogue she met was a killer was a mistake, most of them were just trying to get by like everyone else.

"Now tell me why haven't they come looking for you yet? Surely someone is worried about you, its not safe to wander around on your own" she advised and cocked her head to the side. She didn't think that right now a cub was safe simply wandering on their own and so she'd made up her mind already that if she could she'd be escorting the girl wherever it was she wished to go. She wasn't one to boss the cub into going back home if she didn't want to but a little logical chat never hurt someone if they happened to be running away.

Giza's dark rimmed ears folded back when the stranger seemed amused by the idea of eating cubs. "You can never be too sure," she replied gloomily. Maybe this rogue was nice, but she was probably the exception to the rule -- or she was just pretending to be friendly so that it would take less effort to make a meal of the cub. She had some sense to be cautious, at least, though she was still unprepared to handle the situation she now found herself in. If she ran, it would never be fast enough to escape, so she stood there awkwardly frozen to the spot.

Quickly, she shook her head in regards to someone coming to look for her. "No one is worrying about me. I do whatever I want, mostly," she insisted, putting on her bravest face. The cut she had received to her face had been healing for some time now, but had not faded. It would be a lasting reminder of how she got lost, even if she never shared the secret with anyone else. This lioness didn't seem too threatening or scary, but Giza still kept a safe distance between her and the unknown rogue.

Eyeing the lioness suspiciously, Giza's curiosity finally got the better of her. Manners were not her forte, and so the questions began to ramble on. "Are you looking for someone else? Is that why you're out here instead of in a pride? Are you lost?" In the cub's young mind, every lioness was a pride lioness, for she had never seen anything on the contrary. Sniffing the air, Imani's scent was mingled with all of the places she had wandered in her life of liberty, and this was confusing to Giza.

The bravado of a cub, a bittersweet memory for most lions these days, it was hard to simply put on a brave face with the woes that had befallen most. She noted the slash across the cubs nose with slight concern but it looked like it was healing nicely and she didn't seem sickly so the lioness let it go. The little thing still didn't seem to trust her but Imani didn't mind, she was only being cautious and they had only just met after all.

It wasn't long before the cub was rambling off her own questions, the lioness had never been good at small talk and she cursed herself for it but at least she could answer the questions. With a good natured smile she chuckled, "I'm afraid I'm not looking for anyone and I'm not lost, I don't have a pride, I've been on my own for a while. I myself left my pride as a cub and went wandering and I've been doing that ever since, the freedom is nice" she explained with a smile. She had been lucky as a cub though, she had found Mach, if not she probably wouldn't have fared as well as she had and that was when things were safer than they were now.

"I do miss my family though from time to time, it can get pretty lonely out here" she added and gave the girl a deep glance. She seemed brave enough but the longing with which she had looked back from where she came suggested that she wasn't as happy as she could be. Cubs were prone to rebellion, she knew that, so it was possible that was all that the cub had meant to do. Spite a parent perhaps or prove to a sibling that she was brave enough to be on her own. "Are you lost then? You're awfully far from home" she added nodding her head towards the Lowlands which were a fair distance behind her.

Why should this lioness be concerned for this random cub's well-being? They had not even exchanged names, and Giza was, as always, skeptical of the adult's intentions. When Imani claimed that she had left her pride as a cub, the russet female looked as her incredulously. "Really? How come you didn't die?" The idea that a cub could survive on its own was a novel one to Giza, but she was intrigued regardless. The Lowlanders allowed her to stay in their kingdom, but what if she didn't need them? But this seemed impossible. If Upendo hadn't discovered her lost, she was certain she'd be a goner by now.

Freedom was only a word to Giza, not a concept she had fully grasped, despite the circumstances. Her expression clouded when Imani brought up the subject of her family, and her nose wrinkled in distaste when her mind lingered on her own. "I don't miss anybody," she said defiantly, while failing to mention just what had happened to her family, if they were no longer present. Imani would probably just assume she was running away, and Giza wouldn't try to convince her otherwise. "They were all mean anyway."

With that thought, she turned back in the direction of the Lowlands. It seemed foolish now that she had wanted to go back to the Pridelands. When she stopped to consider it, wouldn't they just go on ignoring her if she went back? It seemed a pointless endeavor. "Nope. I'm not lost. I marked the trail back, see?" A paw gestured towards the ground she had tread, which was all scratched up. It was the perfect tracks to lead a hungry predator right to the helpless cub, but she had thought it was a brilliant idea.

Imani kept her expression light when the russet female asked her why she hadn't died, it wasn't her intention to give her the wrong impression. "I would have had I not found Machafu when I did, he cared for me until I was big enough to survive on my own without worrying about becoming someones food. The old geezer still treats me like a cub to this day but he has the best intentions" she said with a chuckle. Her tail was still moving at its lazy pace but it stilled and her expression turned to a sad frown when the cub said she didn't miss anyone and that her family had been mean.

"Well, I hope you didn't leave them for making you behave, sometimes what may seem mean to us at first is really for our own good" she said and nodded once before her tail started up its lazy rhythm of curling and uncurling behind her. The cub confirmed she wasn't lost and pointed out her markers, making Imani quirk a brow at her so to speak before she stood and gazed back where she pointed. The trail was distinct, anyone would recognize it as a cubs and she shook her head lightly. "Well a good idea in theory but I wouldn't have marked it like that, you see anyone can follow it right to you, someone willing to make you a snack even" she said appearing thoughtful.

"It doesn't seem safe to leave you out here on your own, if you're planning to go home, perhaps I could come with you? I'll answer any questions you like" she offered and hoped it was an enticing one at least. Maybe the little one would be more curious about what it was like being a rogue, not that Imani was sure there was much to tell her that wasn't harsh reality. It was lonely and hard being on your own but some relished the freedom enough that they didn't mind fighting to survive every day. She had certainly taken this life over oppression, no doubt if she had stayed she would have been bearing Scar cubs or something as equally absurd.

The thought of Scar brought her mind back to the cubs coat and she looked her over again, clearly the girl had bright blue eyes but that didn't mean that she wasn't Scars. That would certainly explain her comments about her family, she doubted the male was a loving father figure for any cub to have especially a female.

The cub watched the older female with a curious look, not quite believing that any cub could make it on their own, without their parents to guide and protect them. "Who is Machafu? And what's your name?" The cub fell silent for a second, considering whether or not it was safe to tell the unknown lioness in return. Not seeing the harm, she gave a little shrug and added, "My name is Giza." It was a name that suited the cub, whose thoughts were gloomy and sneaky from the moment she was cognizant of having them; from plotting to get her siblings into trouble to trying to get more meat than any of the others, Giza's mind seemed destined to be as dark and twisted as the father she had always loathed.

It seemed that the lioness truly had no intentions to make a meal out of her, and Giza wondered if it would just be easier if she did want to. She didn't like to be lectured by her own parents, and especially not this stranger, and her ears folded back. A frustrated sigh parted her thin lips. [color:0117=red!]"No! I told you, they're all gone now. There's a pride in the trees, but they probably don't really care if I go back or not. They're not my family." Her gaze shifted to the trail she had left, thinking herself rather ingenious for her efforts, but now that Imani pointed out the obvious, Giza only frowned. She made so many mistakes, it was no wonder she had gotten lost in the first place.

Feeling foolish and resigned, she uttered a little sigh before turning away from Imani. "Don't bother. I'll figure it out on my own." Giza just couldn't grasp why on earth a random stranger would be more concerned about her well-being than her own family had been. It was in her nature to push everyone away, and it bothered her that she was too little to survive on her own. How could she rely on strangers to watch out for her? Her own father had never even bothered to learn her name (or so she assumed). Maybe she was just too insignificant to matter, the once-princess thought to herself.

She smiled at the cub when she asked who Machafu was, "An old Cheetah, quite the grumpy fellow and my name is Imani, its nice to make your acquaintance Giza" she said with a soft laugh. She didn't put all her stock in names but the girl seemed aptly named if only because of her obvious pessimistic outlook on others and life in general. It was a shame someone so young seemed to be so sharp edged.

Her advice wasn't well received but she didn't frown even when Giza got upset enough with her to yell at her. She gave the girl a slightly disbelieving look her tail flicking behind her again as well, the girl seemed determined to seek out the worst in situations. It wasn't a good mind set for someone to have, young or old, but especially for the young as they couldn't exactly fight off all threats. The girl seemed put out when Imani pointed out the flaw in her plans and the lioness felt guilty, especially when she was rejected and the cub started to walk away.

She hopped to close the distance between them and landed at the girls side with a twinkle in her eye. "And what will you do if I follow you anyways Giza? Hmm?" she asked with a good natured smile on her maw and straightened to walk at the female cubs side anyways. If the girl ran she'd simply follow her, with her long legs she could keep up with the cubs small strides and she was sure the girl would just sulk or yell at her but her patience was long and Giza's safety was more important than any feelings the lioness might have.

"You shouldn't get so discouraged so easily, your marks were a good plan, but you must be sneakier. Maybe less obvious scratches?" she suggested her tail sweeping behind her comfortably, despite what she was sure would be a frigid silence.

She attempted to sulk away from the lioness, but Imani was persistent, and Giza saw that there was no use trying to run away. Her legs were too short, and Imani wouldn't give it up, so Giza sighed to herself. Dark rimmed ears were still pinned back against her skull, and her tail twitched irritably behind her to show she wasn't pleased. Since she wasn't exactly accustomed to anyone noticing where she was or what she was doing, she didn't seem to know how to react the situation. "I can't do anything to stop you. I'm just a cub." She had never seen a cheetah before, and was almost curious enough to ask, but it was still beyond comprehension that this lioness had taken an interest in her, for no apparent reason other than because she was small and alone.

In spite of the older female's friendly tone, the cub refused to look at her. She knew she was right, but wouldn't admit it aloud. Nothing in her life had ever gone right. She had even been born wrong, at least according to her father, who had wanted nothing but sons. Giza couldn't have guessed that Imani was familiar with her home as well, and she wasn't about to mention the Pridelands. She had set out to try to find a way back to Pride Rock, but now walked hurriedly back to the Lowlands. At least there, she was safe from hungry rogues, even if all of them weren't terrible, she was learning now.

Giza didn't want to say anything in response to Imani's advice. If there was no one around, then what did it matter how obvious the marks were? Her gaze was fixed on the ground immediately before her paws, and she dragged her feet in a vain attempt to erase the obvious claw marks she had left. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tree, and a thought came to her, which she immediately announced aloud. "Next time, I'll use the trees instead of the dirt! No one will know who did that, I'll bet." A faint hint of a satisfied smirk appeared, but she quickly wiped her expression clear. "I mean, there won't be a next time. Probably."

The cub was annoyed with her, that much was clear but it didn't bother the lioness one bit since she knew she was doing the right thing. A little one like herself wouldn't survive out here for very long on her own and herding her back to the Lowlands seemed the best course of action for now. Imani let the silence reign between them and simply watched the cub from the corner of her eye as the dragged her feet and pinned her ears back in a huff. Typical cub behavior and it brought a smile to the rogues face.

When the cub spoke Imani looked pleased and nodded her head at her use of the trees, "Very clever" she said softly. Though the girl covered her tracks quickly by saying there wouldn't be a next time the female rogue knew better and she gave her a disbelieving smile, "Oh I'm sure there won't be" there was amusement clear in her tone but she simply let her eyes drift to the sky and smiled knowingly to herself. The silence panned out again and she hummed softly for a moment, a lullaby she had heard another cubs mother sing quite often in the den. Something her own would never do.

So, Giza, if you don't mind me asking...where exactly were you headed? I've traveled quite a lot in my life but I haven't been everywhere" she asked curiously. She wanted to know how far the cub had planned to travel exactly.

Imani could not see the pleased smile that appeared on the cub's maw when she called Giza's plan clever. She had always thought herself to be rather clever too, even if none of the adults had ever noticed it before. The pair walked on in silence for some time, the younger of the two still baffled as to why the rogue was still trailing behind her so protectively. The little tune Imani hummed to herself made the cub think of her mother, which made her feel both sad and angry, but still, she said nothing. Finally, Imani inquired about where Giza had been headed before being discovered.

Naturally, Giza was not willing to part with this information, and once again, was quiet as a mouse after Imani asked where she had intended to go that day. She couldn't very well tell her she had been trying to get home, since in the rogue's mind, the jungle was her home. And if she said that home was really in the Pridelands, then there was no telling what Imani would do. Maybe she would decide to eat her at that point, or she would try to take her back to the kingdom. But Giza's mind was thoroughly made up now, there would be no returning to the family that had never cared in the first place. "Nowhere." Being difficult came as naturally to the russet cub as breathing, it seemed.

Instead, she tried to make it seem as if she was changing the subject all together, twisting Imani's words around for the benefit of her own curiosity. "You've seen a lot of places? Ever been to the Pridelands?" Her eyes remained locked on the line of trees visible in the distance, watching them growing taller with every step back Giza took towards the safety of the Lowlands. She wondered briefly if Upendo had noticed her absence, but would not hold her breath. Giza had a knack for slipping under the radar and going unseen.

The rogue quirked a smile when the cub finally answered her after a long silence, refusing to give up where she had been going. The female cub seemed to have a knack for being difficult, luckily for her Imani had a knack for being patient and determined. The questions that followed made the rogue look down and considering her words carefully, but it was also a clear answer to her earlier question, it was too much of a coincidence for the cub to bring it up just after she had asked her own question.

"Hmm, as a matter of fact I have been there...I used to live there in fact, when I was a very young cub. I left when I was two, my mother was a horrible woman, she gave me this" she said and motioned to her eye and the scar over it that contrasted so brightly against the chocolate fur. She didn't appear disturbed while she spoke, it had been a long time since those things had happened and she had let go of the anger and the pain of it. "She was an ambitious female, she thought giving them to me and my siblings would get her in better graces with Scar, I don't know if it ever did but I doubt it. I'm not even really angry about it after all, time heals all wounds as they say, the scar is still there on the outside but its all but faded on the inside" she said and smiled down at the girl.

She knew who this girl was, well not exactly who, but she knew that the cub belonged to Scar in some way. There was no way that she didn't and it saddened the female to know that even his own children had it bad enough to drive them away. It also saddened her that no mother had come looking for her, the girl reminded her of herself in so many ways when she was young but Giza was more jaded and her heart seemed more full of anger and grief. "The pain will fade" she said softly and looked away towards the ever closer trees, she wasn't sure if the girl would understand her or even trust her now but she wanted her to know that simple fact. The pain would fade.

For a second, Giza seemed to perk up with interested when Imani stated that she had once lived in the same place the cub had just abandoned for good. But then, she grimaced at the mere mention of her father's terrible name. She had always wondered why everyone called him Scar -- well, it was obvious why. but certainly the lion hadn't been born with his disfigurement and such a cruel moniker? But Giza only bristled as Imani spoke of her mean mother, and how she was no longer angry for what she had gone through in the past. For one so small, Giza's mind and heart were consumed with bitterness, and the idea of forgiving those she assumed had left her to die was the furthest thing from her mind.

Pain was a constant companion of the younger generation born into the Pridelands. Having a royal title meant nothing; if anything, it made matters even worse, for no one really liked the offspring of such a devil. She doubted the pain would ever fade, but still denied that it hurt as much as it did. More than anything, Giza was angry. How could her parents just leave her there in the ravine? They must have known she had little chance of survival. It was probably all part of their plan to rid themselves of a useless female cub with a bad attitude. Well, the joke was on them, for Giza was still alive, despite their wishes otherwise.

Still, youthful curiosity got the better of the little russet female, and after a brief pause she asked, "Why did you leave?" Her gaze was still trained on the ground as she walked, but Imani had her attention now. The rogue had information that Giza had never really thought to ask: Had the Pridelands always been so desolate a place? "What was it like back then?"

She could tell something dark lurked in the small cub, pain that had soured her poor heart, and the female felt saddened. One so young should not know hate so absolute, it could be damaging, and the one thing the world didn't need more of was hate and despair. She stared down sadly at the cub who's eyes were focused on the dirt beneath her paws as though it were the most interesting thing she'd yet to see in her young life. It was probably for the best since the female's eyes held only sadness and pity for the proud cub, and she looked away to hide it.

When the silence was broken Imani considered her answer to the questions carefully, perhaps a tale of hope was something Giza needed, or perhaps it would make her even more bitter. It was hard to know and the female decided it best to not lie to her, it didn't seem like she needed any more reason to distrust those around her. "My mother was not a very nice female, I simply had enough of her treatment and thought that on my own I could do better. I did what I thought was best for me" she answered hesitantly. The second answer would be much easier to give, for she yearned for the past like most others that had experienced it did.

"Before Mufasa died things were nicer, the Pridelands were a paradise that all the other prides would envy! Well maybe not but we thought so as cubs, there were so many cubs and waterholes to play at that were bright and green...but the lands faded when we lost Mufasa. A tragedy" she said shaking her head with a sigh. "I think everyone misses those days...but...we shouldn't dwell on the past" she said witha shrug and kept her pace moving with a glance to the sky.

Giza briefly considered sharing information about her own family life: how their father was absent and distracted, hardly concerned about his own offspring, how her mother was overwhelmed and noticed a moment too late when Giza slipped off to see if anyone would care. She didn't loathe Heshima in the way she hated Scar, but she didn't feel very fondly towards her either, since the pale lioness hadn't bothered to come rescue her. Instead, the cub stayed silent as Imani began to tell her about what the Pridelands had been like before, during Heshima's generation's younger years.

It was impossible for Giza to imagine her homelands as anything more than a dying territory, a prison of sorts, and she was surprised to learn that it had once been a paradise. This was not something the others in the pride had bothered to tell the cubs, and Giza instantly wondered why. At the mention of Mufasa, a dark eyebrow shot up questioningly. Simply uttering the name of the fallen king and his lost son was dangerous and ill-advised, so Giza had never heard of the golden lion, or Simba. The name was totally unfamiliar to her, and finally, she craned her neck to peer at Imani from the corner of her eye. "Who's Mufasa?"

By now, the russet cub was beginning to realize that Imani possessed valuable information that no one at Pride Rock dared to speak aloud. Why would the lands whither away simply because someone had died in some unknown tragedy? But for the time being, the two words she had posed as a question to Imani were all that she spoke, because the first mystery to uncover was the identity of this Mufasa, and why he was so important to the well-being of the Pridelands. Why had no one ever mentioned Mufasa before?

Imani smiled slightly when the girl finally decided to look up at her, apparently her curiosity outweighed her need to be difficult all the time. She let her eyes drift to the stars again and she focused on a star flashing brightly at her, she would tell this young cub Mufasa's story. She was surprised she didn't know but then again if she was one of Scar's own it was unlikely she knew anything about his late brother. The other families had only been able to whisper of him in guarded circles and even then there was very little talk because of all the risk involved.

"Mufasa was one of the greatest kings that the Pridelands will have ever known, he was King Scar's brother and predecessor before we lost him to a terrible accident. Him and his son Simba...Sarabi was devastated at losing both her mate and son in the same terrible swoop but such is the Circle of Life sometimes, we don't always understand it but there is reason for all things" she felt her assurances were hollow even to her. There seemed to be no reason for their Kings death, other than to watch their pride and home die, they had surely done nothing to cause such punishment.

"Back then a cub could get into much mischief, I played with the Prince for a time when I was young as well. It has been a while since I have been on an adventure but like yourself myself and my siblings used to roam all over, we often delighted in chasing the birds by the waterhole. We never hurt them of course but we had our fun, and they indulged us, I seem to remember swinging from an Elephants trunk as being quite fun" she smiled at the remembrances. Despite their horrible mother they had been cubs and had gotten in their fair share of play, she and her siblings had been extremely close and she missed them terribly out here.

"I feel old talking about such things, I'm sure you cubs do much different things for fun nowadays" despite that she had so many stories. She hadn't been without her mishaps as a cub, she and her sister Nuru had once incited the anger of a whole flock of flamingos but they had never had more fun being chased in their entire lives. Kata had worried herself sick over their bumps and scrapes and Chafu had envied them for weeks after, such a story that one was.

Sky blue eyes followed Imani's gaze as she glanced up to the star, a brow arching curiously. No one had ever taught Giza that according to her ancestors' beliefs, that is where all the great kings went after they died. She had never heard of the Circle of Life either, and her expression was clearly puzzled as Imani explained the mystery of Mufasa. Sarabi was not a stranger to the cub. In fact, Giza had wondered why the older lioness was always so down in the dumps and feeling sorry for herself, but now she understood why. "How come they only had one cub? My dad has lots of cubs, just in case," she said with a shrug. She had never really given much thought to what 'just in case' actually meant, but after her own disappearance, she had a guess.

Imani's description of a fun Pridelands seemed to annoy the russet cub, though. There were many words that Giza would use to describe her father's kindgom, but fun was not one of them. "It's not fun there now. Cubs are barely allowed to leave the den unless an adult goes with them, and the lionesses don't like the cubs." Giza never understood why most of the pride ignored the royal cubs, since she didn't realize how bratty most of them were, or that the lionesses simply didn't want to be reminded of their grim futures. Scar's legacy had been secured several times over, even if he was never satisfied with the outcome of his attempts to sire the perfect heir.

A sigh escaped before Giza could stop it. "Why is it so different now? And how come I've never heard of Mufasa before?" Who knew their royal family was once larger? It seemed like the kind of detail somebody would have mentioned before, and it was strange to even the young cub that his name had all but been forgotten in so short a time.

The casual way the cub said 'just in case' bothered the female, no parent should have their cubs just in case one was lost but it didn't surprise her that the ambitious Scar had done so and told his children openly. She frowned and her tail tuft flicked in agitation, "They loved their prince and some assume it was because the Queen had a hard time having cubs, that Simba was a blessing to them" she explained simply and tried to clear her heart of the anger at the new King.

The situation did indeed seem dire, how could cubs grow into happy strong lions without play? She snorted in disbelief when the cub told her that not even the lionesses liked the children, were their hearts that tainted? She ached for them but she felt disappointment in them, it was not the cubs fault that their father was a monster. They shouldn't be punished for something they couldn't control, she wouldn't have believed that her pridemates could be so callous until now. She couldn't completely blame them, resentment bred hate, which made one strike out to pass on the misery. She had seen it before among some rogues, and she felt saddened it had to happen to her old pridemates.

She had to consider her words carefully when she thought about her answer for Giza, it seemed the girl didn't have any love for her father but would she doubt herself because of him? Imani couldn't be sure but to lie would only make the girl mistrust her. "The lands are dying, they have been ever since Scar gained rulership when Mufasa died. Mufasa was Scar's brother and a far better, kinder, and wiser king than he could ever be. He forbade anyone to speak of him when he took over, such was his insecurity. Anyone who spoke of him would be punished, I imagine this is why you've never heard of him" she said sadly.

She looked down at the girl warily, she didn't want her to be angry, to be saddened by the truth but it appeared she hadn't gotten many questions answered since her birth.

By now, the russet cub assumed that the elder lioness had figured out her secret, and she no longer felt compelled to hide the truth about her parentage from her. They had only known each other a short time, but Imani knew things that inquiring minds wished to find out about, and Giza had no choice but to accept this new information as true. It made sense, after all, and the pieces of the puzzle clicked for the first time in Giza's mind. Her father had wanted so many cubs because his own deceased brother had only one. It also made sense now why Scar was more interested in her male siblings, but this she had already guessed. "Well, Scar is really different. He doesn't like any of his own cubs, not even the boys, 'cause they're small."

Thinking of Mufasa, the uncle Giza had not known existed, the cub felt a hint of sadness. She had been very much like her father in some ways; her concern was only for herself when she lived in the Pridelands, but now she was beginning to understand just how unimportant she really was, and how little she comprehended about her own existence. She knew nothing of her own family, her own history, and what she did know now had to be learned from a stranger. Regardless, Giza looked up to Imani. The new lioness had lovely light blue eyes that reminded Giza of her own, and this caused the cub to smile. "It was hard at first, but I don't ever want to go back to the Pridelands again, not ever. I'll be like you, and live on my own when I can!"

The idea of another king, someone other than her father, had never really occurred to Giza. Scar seemed immortal in her young mind, and she had no idea her cousin Simba was still alive, or that he would eventually take her father's place. She had no delusions about her father though, and everything Imani said only convinced Giza further. "No one can tell us what to do, right? Who needs a pride," she said with a laugh, though the Lowlands were in plain sight now. If only she was older and capable to survive on her own... But that would come, with time. For now, she had no choice but to accept the kindness of the strangers who resided within the safety of the jungle. She did have a certain fondness developing for young Upendo of the Lowlands, though she would never admit it aloud. Upendo would keep Giza returning, night after night, for the foreseeable future.

Imani could relate in her own way, her mother had never truly liked any of her cubs or cared for them all that much. They had found comfort in each other for the most part, she had to wonder if Giza had the same luxury or if all of her siblings were too jaded to really help one another. The question of course was too painful so she kept it to herself but resolved to do the most she could for the female if she was allowed, everyone needed a friend even if they didn't want one at first.

Imani smiled softly at the girl with a hint of amusement on her muzzle as she watched the girl finally let loose and smile genuinely. The cub had spirit that was for sure, despite all of the sadness and bad things that Imani had heard the female still seemed to be taking her life in her own paws and moving on with her young life. It was refreshing to see, it gave Imani hope that all of her blind faith meant something, that things really did get better sometimes. "When the time comes I'm sure you'll be a very strong rogue, maybe I could teach you a few things to prepare you. If your guardians are ok with that, though I'm sure they're all very capable" she was merely trying to extend a paw of friendship to the cub but she knew how protective some lionesses could be.

Imani laughed but shrugged her long thin shoulders, "So long as we stay in the free lands then no, we have no Kings or Royal families to tell us what to do. It can be lonely of course but there are other rogues" she agreed. She had been pushed into her life but it was hard to turn someone away from it, if the cub had been wanting to leave on her own immediately it would have been a different story but for now the encouragement seemed harmless. The young female had much to learn and experience, so maybe when the day came she would no longer feel the need to leave, Imani could of course only hope this was the case.

She could see the Lowlands border come into sight and wondered if she should venture there, there was of course an Oasis that the Lowlanders rarely went to. Maybe there would be prey there, she knew there was water which was a good enough draw itself plus a comfortable place to sleep under a canopy of leaves never hurt anyone. She could use that as a pretense to take the cub as far as she could towards the borders, she couldn't go all the way of course, the lionesses there might not welcome her but she wanted to see her safely there at the very least.

The two former Pridelanders had more in common than one would imagine. Giza had not even told Upendo, her only other acquaintance, who her real family was, but she trusted Imani. Perhaps she had no other option than to trust what the older lioness said. Her own mother had never paid enough attention, while she and her siblings had rocky relationships. Giza hadn't really had a true confidante or companion until she left her home and found the cub Upendo in the jungle. Thoughts of the siblings she had left behind only upset her, and she pushed them all from her mind. They were of the past; Only the future mattered now. This was something Giza had to accept.

The prospect of learning how to be a rogue, from a real live one, was as exciting as anything, but Giza laughed. "Guardians? I don't really have those, unless you count Upendo, but he's younger than me! I can leave and come back whenever I want, really." In truth, the Lowlanders were keeping an eye out for Giza, whether or not she realized it. Queen Nyota herself would be lurking near the borders upon the russet cub's return, just to be certain the young female was alright. Giza was assumed to be an orphan, and the elder lionesses of the jungle had taken pity upon her.

Giza was not a fan of any pride's royal clan, after her experience with her own robust family, and so the idea of living without one instantly appealed to the youngster. The life of a rogue wasn't as glamorous as Giza imagined, naturally, and it was inherently dangerous. What cub didn't enjoy a bit of danger, all in good fun? Giza had never been the adventurous type, but being lost was expanding her horizons. The idea of freedom was tempting, now that she had tasted it for herself. Imani was living proof that indeed, a lioness could survive on her own. It was inspiring to Giza, in some unconscious way.

Sky blue eyes stared at the verdant splash of color that she knew to be the Lowlands, now very close to the pair, and Giza remained silent for a long, lingering minute. Finally, she looked back up to her new found friend with a faint smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you around sometime. I'll probably stay here until I'm bigger. But I could use all the lessons I could get, in how to be a good rogue." Then again, the casual, slow paced atmosphere of the jungle appealed to Giza, and she liked the Lowlands and the pride that lived there more than she would admit.

Imani smiled knowingly, if there were lionesses in the Lowlands Pride that were willing to let the cub in then she certainly had guardians even if she didn't know it. It was just a females motherly instinct to watch over any cub, even if they weren't her own. They had quickly closed on the Lowlands territory and the dune colored lioness finally stopped short now that the jungle was only a few lopes away for the cub, she need not take any chances at angering the pride there by getting too close.

Giza seemed to stare at her new home before looking up with a ghost of a smile on her small face. Her words had Imani nodding, "I'll come back when I can, if you ever decide to wander off please do come find me if you want, I spend a lot of time at the Stronghold, I'm sure someone could tell you where it is. But do be careful around any males you see out there" she warned before nudging the cub towards her home gently. I bet they're worried about you, goodbye my young friend, maybe I'll wander back in a few days" she said in a chuckle.

There was no harm in chatting with the cub, sharing stories and knowledge at the fringes of a territory she couldn't fully enter. Surely the females wouldn't mind so long as she wasn't being a bad influence or up to no good, and she was intending to do neither. She turned when she was sure Giza was heading towards the trees and started her slow meander back to her 'home' the gathering of rocks wasn't really what one would call a proper home but it was better than nothing and safer than most places right now.

She only hoped with time that maybe the russet cub would find something to keep her from this life.

Today, the russet cub had gained a new perspective along with loads of information. She almost wished that Imani could return with her, if only to learn more from the rogue, but she knew she couldn't do it. That wasn't how prides operated, and for a moment, Giza felt a surge of annoyance towards the rigid rules that accompanied pride life. Prides were silly at times. But along with the regulations came safety, and companionship, and meals. All of these things were vital for a cub's survival, and as stubborn as she was, Giza wanted to stay alive as long as she could.

"Bye bye!" But before she dashed away, Giza said, after a moment of thought, "By the way," she called out, pausing for a moment to look over her shoulder. "Thanks for telling me the truth! No one else ever did." Now enlightened, the cub felt better than she had when venturing out of the Lowlands hours earlier. Perhaps, at the end of the day, her life was not quite ruined just yet. Maybe her existence was not as miserable as she had previously believed. This put a spring in Giza's step as she trotted back to the jungle in search of Upendo.

Once a safe distance away, the cub stopped again to look back. The older lioness blended in well with the dry savanna, and only her dark muzzle seemed to stand out. Giza's attitude now was a sharp contrast from the bitter, angry thing that Imani had met. She offered a slight wave of her paw before returning to her retreat.