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 Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:26 am
 INTRODUCTION
Elsewhere, a small group of lionesses went searching for Indovu, a grey male cub from Gakere's last litter in the pride. They faced several obstacles on the way, especiall Umoya, who lost her leg to a green mamba bite. Umama Simosihle personally was attacked by two hyenas, the same two that had been harassing Imbali before. During her fight, two lions joined in on the attack against the pride's Umama, but she was defended by Njalo'sasa, who defeated the large male in one-on-one combat, while a rogue male, who had been traveling with the Umzingeli, defeated a large lioness and the two hyenas. Supported by the Umama and the lionesses' present, the rogue male was named Umholi.
Now with the two groups merging back together, the two Abaholi meet for the first time.
Last ORPs:
Stormy Rescue - One of Ukuthula's cubs goes missing just before a severe storm. Umama Simosihle is attacked by two rogues and two hyenas, but is saved by Njalo and a rogue male name Bangizwe.
Blood and Rain - Ahluke Infunci was attacked during a hunt by rogue males. Umholi Andhaka and several other lions came to his aid.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:26 am
IC Information The pride is currently migrating east, towards the center of the pride. A small rainy season is upon the pride. Read more about changes here: link.
The pride was temporarily split during a specifically bad storm. Some of the pride went looking for a missing cub while the rest kept moving east. They have been apart for at least two days.
Andhaka has been made the new Umholi and not everyone is happy with this decision.
Bangizwe is now a second Umholi, with the backing of Simosihle and several others.
Ukwazi has been made an Umama with the backing of several lionesses.
Gakere and Surtak's battle scene was discovered about one and a half months ago. Surtak has been missing for close to eight months. Both are presumed dead.
Ukuthula gave birth about a month and a half ago to four cubs, two boys, two girls. Her cubs are growing strong, just as she said they would.
Litters have been scarce. Ukuthula just birthed one of the first litters in quite a while. Four cubs were born, two males, two females. Gakere is the obvious father. Ukuthula is also a daughter of Surtak, making these cubs rather special.
There have been a few lionesses joining recently. One in-particular is Imbali, who joined in the events that took place a month and a half ago. She's now a Cinga for the pride. Some lionesses aren't happy about this, but some appreciate the extra scout. A former Huria from the Firekin, Siantaidh, has also joined, which may make some uneasy as well. OOC Information There is no specific posting order, and you are free to post as many times as you would like. Interact with your fellow players!
This will be a primarily community-driven RP with only a few real plot-forwarding posts intended to come from the mule, Meepfur or Quaji.
There will not be open combat in this ORP. Your character is safe from harm.
You may plan as many SoA as you'd like in this ORP.
A character may jump in at any time. They can either have been silent while the others talked or be late to the party.
This RP is open to any member of the pride; adult, adolescent and cub. Familiars in the pride may join. Unlined may also join, but keep them small or else they might get eaten. Non-familiar rogues are not allowed to join for this ORP.
One post = one ticket.
The option for more prizes will be able to be earned throughout the ORP. Prizes She's an Umzingeli named Ikhophi (copy) with no existing family in the Bonelands.
Everything else about her is up to you.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:48 pm
It hadn't been all that long since Njalo and him had come across the sight of Simosihle being overwhelmed by two lions and a couple of hyenas. The two had intervened, but not without injury. There had been a number of lionesses and even another male in the group that the prey-colored lioness had been part of and it seemed that now Bangizwe was also now part of the same pride. Umholi is what they put in front of his name now. It would take some getting used to, but Simosihle and the others had been explaining a majority of his duties to whim while they moved across the now green plains, towards where it seemed the main body was.
Not all of them had healed yet, but two days was enough time to recover their strength and make their way back to merge with the pride. A smile grew on his face as Imbali came rushing back to the pride. Curving her approach, she rounded out to jog up beside Simosihle and Bangizwe who headed the party. She said something to the Umama. All he heard was that they were near. Perhaps that was what the group that rested beneath the trees ahead of them was.
"Is that them?" Bangizwe questioned quietly, tilting his head in Simosihle's direction, but not turning to look to her. The last thing he wanted was to appear distracted, or careless to the group as they approached.
Was this a typical place for the pride to rest? Likely not, but it was likely a half-way point for the migration they were on, at least that's what he had been told. These lands were unfamiliar, but the cool grass that tickled his still sore sides gave him hope that this place would be home soon enough. With the sun still rising, the clouds white and only dotting the bright blue sky, the day was shaping up to be a much better one than the day he had met these hardy lionesses.
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 7:09 pm
Andhaka had looked better. After all the rain, mud, and fighting, he was actually still a bit of a mess, even with some cursory grooming, but it was all fairly superficial. He hadn't sustained any serious wounds, but one or two would heal into scars, and he was fairly certain he had some bruised ribs courtesy of that wildebeest. But, all in all, it wasn't so bad. He'd killed one of the males and chased another off, which would perhaps go some way towards gaining him some legitimacy. Ifunci was in bad shape, though, which was unfortunate. He might not have been fond of the young male as a Lusizi, but once he'd sworn himself as an Ahluke, he'd become a legitimate member of the pride in Andhaka's eyes - maybe not quite on the same level as the females, but still far better than a Lusizi who'd be leaving as soon as his mane came in. Speaking of which, Gabedi had made an appearance. What he'd been doing so close to the pride's migration in the first place, Andhaka wasn't sure. He didn't like it, but he'd helped with one male of the trio, so he'd begrudgingly allowed him to follow them back to the pride, where he'd have an hour to visit with his mother and sisters with the understanding that when he left, he would leave. If he didn't, the Umholi would not be so lenient if he turned up again. The attack on the hunting party was far from the only thing that had happened, however, and on account of the distance both groups had ventured, the bad weather, and having to move at the pace of their injured, it took time for the three groups to all get back together again - hunting party, rescue party, and those who had remained behind. The hunting party had met up with those who'd stayed back some time ago, and now waited for the rescue party to meet up with them. As they finally approached, Andhaka narrowed his eyes. Something was...off. There was someone among the others who definitely did not belong, and was neither Enda nor Cabanga, he was certain. The red male rose and shook himself, the movement jarring bruises and sore muscles, and moved towards the approaching group, only to pause partway, a curious tilt to his head. Huh. This was going to be interesting. Very interesting. "Who invited you?" he said after a long moment of staring, his words honest question mixed with a hint of what might have been snark, the slightest of smirks curving his lips.
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:21 pm
 Namandla was watching very closely for the others to return. She might not be one of the females in charge, but really, she had to find some time to have cubs soon for the good of the pride. So she had to take some time to make herself known soon. Nama was not expecting to see a new male among the others. She blinked at him and backed away a little. His mane was not very dark now was it, but the rest of his pelt was much more attractive than Andhaka's red to her mind. Yes, the red was nice enough, but that brown of this new male was very nice. She never thought she would think such a thing about a male that was not part of the pride. Nama did have to wonder if perhaps this new male was brought back to be part of the pride. If he WAS, she certainly thought he was a good addition, but she would be sure to avoid him until she knew for sure. For the moment, she went to stand near Andhaka and welcomed him back to the main group. "Greetings, Umholi Andhaka." Nama was neither happy nor unhappy about the red striped male being Umholi. He would not have been her choice, but it was not really up to her, but to the Umama to decide. She would abide by their wisdom. Nama rather hoped that this new male was not another nanny. He was much too handsome to be wasting like that, but again, it was not her place to decide. One of the things that was hers to decide was that she should help with the cub shortage that the pride currently had. Thus she was trying to make herself known, but not get pushy with the male whom she knew was open for siring cubs. Maybe she would get lucky and her cubs would be more black and brown than red. Despite their good terms with the Firekin, Nama did not care for red that much. Quaji Nama is not ignoring your boy, just isn't sure what to make of him yet, so feel free to interact with her.
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:50 pm
 The slower pace the group had adopted over the past couple days had helped immensely in allowing their band of rescuers to recuperate as much as most couple. What injuries most had sustained had begun to crust over and were slowly healing, though for many soreness lingered. Simosihle certainly wasn't a spring chicken anymore, able to bounce back from a scuffle without a care, her hocks and forelegs were still sore where teethmarks lingered, but her discomfort was minimal.
The Umama worried more about Umoya and her snake bite. While she was lucky to have her life, Simo couldn't help but wonder if the Umzingeli's spirit was strong enough to sustain her when she could no longer use one of her four limbs.
At least they had almost caught up with the rest of the pride. Faint, familiar scents filled Simosihle with relief and dread in the same instance. Knowing they had made it back to the others mostly intact filled the slate lioness with elation. However, making it back to the others meant they would likely happen upon Andhaka before long and that wasn't a thought that brought anything but irritation. She would have much rather never had to see his face if she could help it.
With a quiet sigh her gaze followed Imbali as the Cinga fell in stride beside her, smiling faintly at one of the pride's newest additions, and admittedly one of Simosihle's favorites. Tilting her head towards the dappled female, her smile faded, brows furrowing though she nodded her gratitude for the update appreciatively. Thank you Imbali.
It seemed nothing in her life ever came easily.
Giving Bangizwe a sidelong glance, the Umama cocked her head wryly at the rogue she'd been grooming into a proper Umholi during the trip back. Ultimately she was pleased with herself, he certainly looked the part. Bang also had a natural inclination he didn't realize towards the proper outlook expected of a Bonelands protector. With her help, he was quickly bridging the gap formed by Andhaka's paws-on knowledge. It is. Are you nervous?
Flicking her tail with an amused sort of affection in her tone, Simo's attention reluctantly turned to the lion whose presence assaulted her vision unwelcomingly. It was hard not to look at him with all that red glaring at her. Imbali had let her know he was close by, but she hadn't expected to be headed off by him as they returned. Mouth drawing in displeasure as she kept her approach at a steady pace, head high and carriage proud.
Luckily, Njalo was there to make their return back just that much more awkward.
The closer they had gotten to merging with the rest of the pride, the more excitable the goofy lioness' gait became, until she was nearly prancing with every step. With so many familiar scents on the air, keeping Njalo composed was a chore no one was likely to wish to attempt--particularly given how futile such an endeavor likely would have been anyway.
Gathered clusters of natural colors all fusing together into an undulating blur from their current distance was the last ounce of encouragement Njalo needed. A giggle bursting from her throat as her heavy paws picked up into a ground pounding run, charging between Simosihle and Bangizwe. Hey everyone!! Njalo is home!
Andhaka, caught in the line of fire as he was, became the first to be assaulted with the Umzingeli's special brand of affection. Barreling into the striped male, Njalo threw her body against his side excitably, wrapping herself around the new Umholi as she rubbed herself along the length of him. Seemingly unconscious that her excitable actions continually caused her wounds to reopen. Dha! Dha, Njalo is home now! Njalo couldn't find Gakere for Sisi. BUT! Njalo brought home Bangi!! Sisi says Bangi can stay with us now! Isn't that great news Dha?!
Watching Njalo brutishly inflict her adoration on Andhaka made Simosihle's fur bristle along her spine. It didn't matter that her best friend would have likely cuddled with anything that stood around long enough to become her victim, it still felt like a betrayal to watch her with him. Drawing up short before Andhaka for a moment, her gaze regarded him coolly, first filling in Bang. This is Andhaka. He was elected Umholi by some of the other lionesses. He's no threat to you. Then Andhaka, since he seemed perplexed by the stranger in her company given the tilt of his head, though she picked up her pace once more, ready to continue walking right past him. I invited him. Bangizwe will be joining the pride as our new Umholi.
Either Andhaka accepted the assistance, or he faced a turbulent battle ahead.
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 10:44 pm
  Esasile came trudging in behind Simoshile and the others, her neck tired from holding the young runaway cub, who was much too big for his age, and making sure that Umoya received the support she needed as she was walking. She was relieved to have caught up with the others. The attacks from the rogues had been concerning, too say the least. Esasile could only hope that the others had not found themselves in a similar situation. But upon giving her pride members a quick glance over, she could see that she was wrong. Andhaka and a few others were quite beat up, the worst of the bunch being the new Ahluke, Ifunci, who was holding his paw up off the ground.
If both groups had been attacked by rogues, then it was painfully obvious that the pride was in need of two Abaholi once more. Who knew how many other rogues might try to attack? Though cubs were scarce, this was certainly the season for them. And with new Abaholi, it was likely new litters would be born in the upcoming months. They needed the extra attention.
Esasile placed her charge on the ground, curling one paw around him until his mother (only the bones themselves knew where that chit had been when her own son went missing) came to collect him. "Indeed. Bangi helped defend us from a group of attacking rogues, as well as those hyenas that have been lurking about." She sighed, tired. Esasile was not as young as she once was, and the excitement from the past few weeks had her wanting to do nothing more than rest.
At her feet, Indovu looked around Esasile's paw, trying to find either his siblings or his mother. He was grumpy, hungry, and tired. All he wanted to do was curl up with his brother and sisters and take a nap.  Ifunci stared at the strange new male with wide, fearful eyes at first. He'd had too many bad experiences with male rogues recently. The sight of a new one was not a welcome one. But...if Umama Simosihle vouched for him, then surely he couldn't be an enemy. And Esasile said that he had fought off some male rogues. The churning in his stomach lessened slightly, but it did not go away completely. It would take some time before he trusted Bangi, just as it had taken some time for him to trust Andhaka. The Umholi still intimated him greatly (though Ifunci supposed that was an Umholi's job), but the male had saved his life during the attack. The least Ifunci could do was put his trust in him. Perhaps Bangi would be a little nicer than Andhaka. The way Njalo was brushing up against him seemed to convey that.
The male hopped a little bit, trying to readjust his weight. His paw still ached and burned with pain. The Ahluke couldn't put any weight on it at all, and it was becoming evident that he wouldn't be able to for quite some time while the injury healed. Ifunci wobbled a little bit. He hadn't gotten a proper rest since the attack. Between his blow to the head, the vicious assault that had left him bloody and battered, and walking a long distance with only three legs, Ifunci could barely keep his eyes open.
Thola was perched on a rock nearby, preening her feathers and pretending not to be interested in the proceedings. She'd flown off to find food and and been blown away in the storm, missing all the exciting action the pride had been privy to. Well, no more. She wanted to see how these two males would react to each other.
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 4:32 am
Nama grinned at Njalo's energy. That lioness made her feel so alive and young. She rather wanted to bounce around herself now, but there were other things to catch her attention. Umama Simosihle had brought back this new male to be an Umholi! That was wonderful news, and got Nama stepping away from Andhaka to greet the new male enthusiastically. "Welcome to the pride Umholi Bangizwe. I am Umzingeli Namandla." She could not help but feel elated by having this handsome male here for a protector and cub sire. He was much better than what they already had! Nama turned to Simosihle and decided to take a lesson off Njalo, giving the Umama an affectionate nuzzle. "Thank you so much, Umama Simosihle. He is so wonderful!" She was most certainly going to back the Umama on this choice. How could she not when it was so much to her advantage. It might not be Nama's place to decide such things, but she certainly could back those that made decisions she liked. She gave Najalo a nuzzle as well in her excitement and practically pranced as she inspected the new male. "If you wish, I can help you clean your wounds." Nama certainly saw enough of them that it was not only a good offer, but it would give her some time with him to try to get on his good side. She had not expected such a grand outcome to all that had happened lately with the storm, the cub disappearing, the rogue attacks, and hyenas in the area. There was so little to make life in the pride pleasant at the moment, but this was a very big step in the right direction, a proper looking Umholi.
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Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 9:33 am
 She'd been sad to see Umoya lose a leg. After all, it meant the end of her hunting career. On the plus, her life wouldn't potentially be without meaning. In the face of many adversities, there was always hope. Imvula hoped the injured lioness might find a vulture and become a Cinga. She wouldn't have to hunt, as others could bring her food, and she'd still help the pride by both staying to cubsit, and sending out her vulture to track herd movement. It was just a matter of bringing it up...
The dust-brown lioness' ears flicked as she looked up, spying Andhaka. They flattened back a moment, half expecting him to attack. After all, they had a male he didn't know with them. Her ears then moved foreward as she offered a smile at the Umama as she spoke. Her gaze turned back to Andhaka. "They speak the truth, though I didn't see the attack myself, I certainly smelled them, even in the rain." Her nose wrinkled. "The stink of hyena doesn't go away with water and mud."
 For a brief moment in time, Mhisani had gotten to see one of her sons again. But it was just that - Brief. He'd been around long enough to see her and Zola, and then he'd been gone. Probably off to find his other sister before he fully left, but it was made clear he'd be gone for far longer and go farther this time. Even she'd made it clear to him. She would miss him, but maybe she'd see him again... Some day. Perhaps he'd come back and be an Inslelo, who knew. Only time would tell.
The tan lioness looked up with curiosity at the group approaching. Amid them was a strange male, who was, to her quiet delight, much more natural colors than red. Granted, she'd rather be with a desert redpelt over THIS redpelt... But her options had just become much... Better, from the looks of it. "Well, he's certainly handsome to look at!"
 Very unlike her mother, Zola's reaction to Gabedi making a brief return had been... Apprehensive. He should have been miles away, and while he said he'd been a good week's journey away when a rogue seer sent him back, the fact he'd believed some total stranger not born of their pride had been a horror to her. Even she, born to the pride with the gifts of sights unseen by eyes, hadn't predicted attacking rogues, and now hyenas! "I'm certainly happy to have somebody more protecting us..."
 As one of the few cubs, and in fact part of the only litter, in a while, Izinyathi had very few options for lions to play with. The only cubs were her sister and her brothers... And she'd been short a brother in the rain. Ice blue eyes peeked around legs, before... There he was! She spied the almost uniform light grey that was Indovu. Her lip curled back, and she went right over to him, jumping at his back. "Indovu! You're in trouble!"
OOC: I would like to request that all my tickets be assigned to Freodwyn heart
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2015 3:11 pm
Indovu growled at his sister, squirming out from under her and away from Esasile's paw. "I saw the elephants!" He exclaimed excitedly, swiping at Izinyathi. "They were big and huge and giant! I'm gonna be just like them someday!" He stopped his paws just like he'd seen the elephants do, pretending like he was going to stomp on his sister. Esasile unsheathed her claws and scratched at the dirt between Izinyathi and Indovu, giving them both a stern look. Playing was all well and good, but but now was not the time for it. There were still no guarantees that Andhaka would be accepting of Bangizwe's appearance, no assurance that a fight wouldn't break out. And if one did, Esasile was not going to let a few small cubs get hurt by accident in the process. They could play elsewhere, not in the middle of a bunch of arguing adults.
"Does the smell ever wash away?" Esasile muttered in good humour at Imvula's comment. Hyenas. Oh, how Esasile would have loved to have sunken her claws into those pesky scavengers.
But her mood was quickly soured at Nama's display, eyebrow raising in the most judgmental of looks. What on earth was she thinking, propositioning Bangi like that when the two Abaholi hadn't even comes to terms with the idea of ruling together? "Perhaps we could wait to raise our tails around the males until we're all in agreement that we can play nice with each other, hmm?" She said to the younger lioness with a disapproving tone. Honestly, had Nama thought that she was being subtle? Bah! Oh, what it was like to be so young and brazen. Of course, Njalo had done the same thing but...Njalo was Njalo. And obviously she'd gotten to know the male quite well during her absence.
"So, what say you, Abaholi? Can we expect you both to work together to protect the pride?" She asked, glancing back and forth between the two males. If she was being honest, and she usually was, Esasile didn't know how either of them would react. Andhaka had played nice with the other ruling males when he was an Inselelo, but what if he wanted to monopolize his new power? And though she was sure Njalo would only bring home a male sound of mind, what if Bangi did not want to share the position with a male he did not know?
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Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:54 pm
Suphi has missed all the excitement it seemed. Here was their current Umholi, all beaten up and looking rather grim, and now.. lo and behold, was that a new male she saw? The tubby lioness fluffed her fur a little and gave her chest fur a few good licks to be certain she looked her best. She was prepared to give their current Umholi a reassuring and flirty cheek rub as she passed him to meet the newcomer, but stopped dead in her tracks when Njalo accosted him. For a moment she stared, then broke into laughter. She found the strange lioness amusing and refreshing. Things tended to get too serious around here, and that crazy lioness was more than a breath of fresh air, she was positively a hurricane of it! It was swiftly clear that this new male was getting quite a lot of appreciative and speculative looks. Suphi took in the reactions of others with some mixed feelings. He certainly was a looker, but she rather felt sorry for Andhaka. It was plain to her that many of her pridemates didn't take very well to his red pelt, but she herself didn't much mind. His handsome dark mane and manly stripes certainly were nothing to sneeze at! She twitched her tail as she mused, then stepped over towards the red male. Time someone showed a little loyalty to what they already had, even if he wasn't typical or ideal by the standards of quite a few. Though raised in the pride, she tended to have a purposely open mind. She chuffed lightly to the red male and turned to observe the new male coolly. With all the females already drooling over him, he'd likely get a big head. She certainly wasn't going to throw herself at him like that!
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 3:50 pm
The golden male's chest puffed slightly as Simosihle vouched for him after the striped Umholi questioned his invitation. Suddenly after the Umama appeared, he had question after question thrown at him. Protecting the pride, sure, he could do that. He already had, sort of, right? Bangizwe look to Esasile, a lioness who he was becoming increasingly familiar with thanks to the trek back to the main body of the pride. Not so familiar, but he knew her name, her looks, but nothing about who she really was. The nuzzling around him and the offer to clean his wounds was...relaxing almost.
The tension lessened in Bangizwe's shoulders, the tight knots releasing letting him sigh almost contently as the pain of always being ready for a fight vanished. "I'd like that, Namandla. Some of these would be hard to reach by myself." Like the ones all over his back. The ones on his legs he could reach, but those pesky hyenas had done a number on him and somehow he was sure there would be new scars to prove his worth to the lionesses that were approaching him and the Umama.
[OOC Information]
Sorry for the delay. I've had like 0 muse to write almost anything for over a week now. :c It's still pretty dead, but I'll try to reply to things and keep this going.
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:11 am
 The frail-looking lioness had stuck with the group after the attacking rogues had been driven off, lingering close to the three pride males, Andhaka, Ifunci and the visiting Gabedi, as they made their way slowly back to the migration route. After the rush of blind anger had left, Dania had fallen back into the distracted, distant manner that had plagued her ever since her twin’s disappearance. Listless, she lay towards the back of the group, pretty head sagging wearily, muzzle nearly touching the ground. The few wounds that marker her hide hadn’t been tended to, though mostly inconsequential to most, with her weakened state they were not healing as they should.
As the rescue party slowly approached, Dania did not stir. Lost in the shadows of her mind. Ilanga padded along with the group though she walked on the fringe. As Cinga she was far more used to spending more time alone than with others, expect when hunting, and while she adored her pride-sisters, she was beginning to feel as if her fur was a little too tight. Casting her head back she sought the dark shape of Idla in the sky. Satisfied the vulture was behaving herself, Ilanga glanced to the side, grinning at the sight of Simo and Bang walking together. If nothing else, the past few days had been…. interesting. The injuries she regretted deeply, and still felt as if she were partly to blame. Not fast enough, not strong enough. Shaking her head she glanced back at Umoya and her companions. Too many had been hurt, but if there was anything good to be gained from their losses, it was the male striding along in front of the lionesses. A lot would be riding on Bangizwe’s broad shoulders…
Speaking of… she watched intently as Andhaka started towards them, only to be intercepted by Njalo. Chuckling she shook her head. Nja was a bundle of energy even after all that had happened, and her long journey. Ilanga wondered just how the bongo-coloured female managed it. She wouldn’t mind some of that energy herself.
Angling to walk nearer Simo and Bang, she observed the meeting, wondering if there would be trouble before they even had a chance to rest. Though knowing Simo, she simply wouldn’t give Andhaka the chance..High above the vulture circled lazily in a thermal. She of course had seen the main lion pride long before her small rescue group did, and had even flown over them several times, swooping low to get a look-see at who was around. Spotting that dark-baked female Ilanga had been watching lately, she made a mental note to let her bonded know Dania was safe.
Lifting up and away once more, wide wings spread and trembling with the force of the wind, she circled back over her own band possessivly as the big red male walked towards them. Silly lions, surely they were not going to fight again so soon? They all needed rest and food, especially that snake-bit lioness. Swooping low she settled on her bonded's rump, causing Ilanga to flick her tail against the back of Idla's head when the vulture forgot to loosen her sharp clawed grip.
"Oww.. alright alright..." Huffing she spread her feet against the natural slinky sway of her transport and started to preen, keeping one bright beedy eye on the males. Maditah had been resting on the outskirts of the gathering and so had a good view when the group appeared on the horizon. Rolling up onto her belly she watched their approach curiously. Still fairly new in the pride she nevertheless had been doing a lot of listening and watching, and as soon as she saw a male with the returning band she realised this was something unusual. Unless he was one of their.. what were they called.. Cabana? Or one of those scouts with the birds.. But a moment later Andhaka’s reaction told her otherwise. Well… according to her nearest neighbours who were gossiping quietly under their breath, this was an unusual situation. Not only had Andhaka been voted up into the top position, but now it seemed a rogue had been given the same? She was aware that this pride usually expected males to fight for their place, but she assumed this unusual situation was the result of having no current males to fight…
Still, it was hardly her place to have an opinion one way or another, so she lay still, watching with interest as the red male and the sandy newcomer met. Both of them were big and strong and currently both looked a little the worse for wear. If the pride wanted two strong protectors, these two looked like they fit the bill just right. Ears flicking she listened to the hushed voices all around as her pride-sisters started to murmur, offering every kind of opinion possible on the current situation.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 1:27 pm
 Kokumo's stress level had increased steadily the closer they got to the rest of the pride. She wasn't sure how well the news of a freshly appointed Umholi would go over, even if he was backed by Simo. She knew her mother wouldn't approve, but that was a safe bet when it came to Buna and anything new or unusual. The younger lioness wasn't quite as hard headed as her mother, but she wasn't entirely comfortable about the way Bangizwe had been appointed. She was still rattled over the loss of their former Abaholi. It would have been better to have a challenger win, the way it was meant to be, but the world didn't always work the way she wanted it to.
Bangizwe hadn't tried anything funny on the way back at least. Not towards the cub and not towards any of the females. As far as she knew, that was. But it was hard to conceal such things when travelling in a small group. So he could behave like a gentleman, at least for two days. Her ears moved nervously as they spotted resting lions in the distance. "Here we go," she thought.
When Andhaka met the group and questioned their new addition her heart sank. They'd fight now, wouldn't they? They'd fight and then they'll stand there with injured or dead males, no better off than before Andhaka was asked to lead them. ---  Jasiri had also spotted the foreign male. He followed Andhaka, leaving some distance to the leading male. When accepting his position as Inselele he'd promised to guard the pride and help chase away intruders. If Andhaka decided that the male was a threat he'd be ready to back the other male up.
However, a fight might not be necessary after all. According to the females of the group this new male, Bangizwe, had been appointed Umholi. They sure treated him as such, and he had one of the Umama on his side. Jasiri's ear twitched as if he was bothered by a fly.
He would love to know what had happened during the cub rescue, but he wasn't about to ask. By now he knew better than to mess with an Umama, and Simo had a dangerous edge to her voice when she spoke. ---  To say that Inkungu was enjoying herself was an understatement. She hadn't been with the pride for very long, and was still learning the lingo. So far she'd mostly picked up words associated with males. Her initial enthusiasm at the prospect of unrelated males to associate with had been somewhat dampened when she realized that not all males were fair game. The Ahluke were all lost causes, unless you already had cubs and needed a sitter. Disappointing, really... Especially since she'd had her eye on a particular one before she learned that she might as well try to woo one of the females of the pride. She giggled a little at that thought. Nice as her new sisters were they couldn't give her cubs.
The next lesson had been that the two males in charge weren't considered equals at all. Umholi Andhaka was the higher ranking one, and Inselele Jasiri the one below him. She hadn't been sure what word was the name and what word was the title, but that was what today's lesson was all about. There was a new male in the neighborhood, and it looked as if he was fair game!
"Intuthu," she whispered, loud enough for most lionesses close to her to hear. "Look, she called him Umholi."
She'd already spent a lot of times talking to her sister about the merits of the two available males. Would it be better or worse to have yet another option to chat about? Inkungu knew what she thought, and she grinned excitedly.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 1:41 pm
Intuthu gave her sister a patient smile. She knew how excited her twin was to finally manage to mother a litter of cubs, so this new development could be quite thrilling. A new male to choose from! She herself was more relaxed about such things. A litter would happen when it happened. Until then, she would mildly consider her options and see who it was she clicked best with. Looks were important, but so was personality. After all, her cubs would likely inherit some of his traits as well as her own. She herself had very little stake in whether the new male was accepted or challenged. She'd rather it didn't come to combat, but often that's what happened among males. It was what had happened with their own father, wasn't it? In the end, she could deal with whatever situation they were left with. As such, she sat to the side, watching the proceedings with interest and a calm serenity about her. She also took the time to note each of the lionesses in the approaching party, as she hadn't been able to meet them as yet. Life was certainly interesting at the moment!
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