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 Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:08 pm
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Ubele stared at the scene in her mind as it played over and over. She soon knew every detail by heart and she doubted she would ever be able to rid her mind of them. After several moments, Ubele felt her muscles slowly relax, gradually loosening. Her vision began to clear, the images fading from sight to be replaced by those of actual reality. She could hear her brother's voice and the concern. Her muscles finally loose, she sank to the ground, unable to stay standing. She took deep gasping breaths of air and tried to regain power of speech. She needed to tell Hifadhi and Ngao. She had to save her father.
Gazing around fervently, she could find no sign of Hifadhi. Where had he gone? She had not been able to see or hear him leave. Ufunuo was staring at her, obviously worried and concerned. She had no time to reassure him though. Ngao was still with them. Ubele struggled to stand and stumbled over to the lioness.
"Ngao! Please, listen to me. My father, Umoja, he's in trouble. That lion, Kitisho, he's going to try to kill Papa! He's standing on a cliff right now and he's planning to hurt him! Please, Ngao, we have to save him!" she practically screamed the words in her rush to get them out. She needed Ngao to believe her and save her Papa. There was no way that Ubele could save him alone. She was already hurt and exhausted. So was Ngao, but the adult female was used to fighting. If anyone could save her Papa, Ngao could.
"Please! Stop him! Help him! Please!" she begged.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:51 pm
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"Hifadhi!" Ngao shouted after him, furious. She was in charge! He was no longer the Captain. It was her responsibility, not his. Not his! It was all going so wrong...so much of it she had felt out of control for, felt forced into decisions by tough situations. She didn't need him making decisions for her too! She glowered as he left. It was only the children the kept her tense body from running after him. She could not leave them...she still had a job to do.
It took her a moment to redirect her attention. It was Ubele's shouts that caught her, and she turned her head quickly to look down at her. At first she was only half listening, still distracted by the commotion in the distance. But when she heard Kitisho's name her ears snapped forward sharply, her expression became severe.
"Kitisho," she growled. He was going to try and kill Umoja? No! She wouldn't have it. Not while she was still alive.
But could she leave the children here? It hardly seemed responsible. But she would bet anyone's life against anyone else except Kitisho. This was something she had to do. If she didn't, there was no mistake that Umoja would die. She might even die trying.
"Children, I must go to your father, but you can't be here in the open. Do you understand?" She urged, though her eyes were on the horizon, distracted, "You have to hide!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:13 pm
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Ufunuo's jaw fell, eyes wide, his horror growing with each word as Ubele spoke. She had had a vision, Papa was in danger, PAPA! They had to do something, had to do something now, his father was in danger, no!
"We have to help him! We have to go!"
He looked to Ngao, desperate pleading in his eyes, rearing onto his hind paws as if he would spring forward at any moment. They had to help him, they had to! He couldn't bear the thought of losing his father, knowing that he was alive now, how could that just be snatched away from him?
Ngao's words struck him, ears falling. The couldn't go, they couldn't help, Ngao was going without them. He might have felt anger, or perhaps it was fear, he wanted to go, to help his father, but he knew Ngao was right. She could not help if there were cubs to watch, and exhausted as they were, he and Ubele would only slow her down, and then she wouldn't get there in time.
"Okay."
He nodded slowly, his gaze turning to his sister to assure himself that at least she was still with him. He didn't like it, but they would have to trust Ngao, trust that she would bring Papa home safely.
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:15 pm
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Ubele nodded sadly. She knew that there was no way that she or her brother could save her father and she had accepted that fact already. The only chance to Umoja had was Ngao. And if the lioness would go to help her father, Ubele would do whatever she said and gladly. She could not lose her papa.
"Ngao, yes, we will hide. Please! Just go! You have to stop Kitisho. He's on the cliff right now and he's going to do it. Please! If you hurry, you can stop him. Please," she begged, pushing at the lioness with her nose. She could not keep the sound of despair out of her voice, but hoped that it might make the female guard hurry. Ubele hated to ask Ngao to do this after being injured, but there was no one else. Without her, there was no help.
Glancing around frantically, she spotted an outcropping of rock nearby. They would be able to hide there until Ngao or Hifadhi came back for them. Ubele quickly nudged her brother in the right direction. She pointed it out to Ngao.
"We will hide there and stay out of sight until you come back. But you have to go now!"
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Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:47 pm
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