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Gereh had not been a member of the pride for long. The memory of his battle to enter the ranks of the Firekin was still fresh in his mind, and no doubt his body was still tender from the blows that were exchanged. Never the less, all the members of the pride had been called forth to give their vote, and since he was a member, a vote he would give.

The situation was an interesting one. Coming from a home in the Mist Valley, growing up in the moist lands where water was in abundance, The black lion never imagined water could be so scarce, and yet it was, and the pride was suffering for it. He furrowed his brow as he thought of the appropriate vote to give, yet he was torn. He could see the argument for both sides, and they were both rational in their thinking, yet a part of him also felt it wasn't his place to vote just yet. He was still new, and felt that although he was a pride member, he did not have the right to decide on such an important issue when he was so new.

He stepped forth towards the Regents to offer his vote. "I feel it would be unfair of someone such as myself, one so new to the pride, to participate in something so crucial. I have therefore decided to accept whatever the decision is from the majority of the pride."

Gereh nodded, satisfied with his decision, before turning and heading back into the crowd to watch.

Kuzaliwa`Jpi padded stiffly up from the back of the gathered lions. Her restlessness had not improved even with the relief that a conclusion to her stormy thoughts had given her. So long had she spent agonizing over the trouble facing her pride, so many thoughts that had cluttered her mind, that now, with her choice made, she was still second guessing herself.

But she had been over it so any times, her duty to he pride and her duty as a soldier had never seemed more at odds as they did today and it was not a feeling she enjoyed. She liked to think she was a good soldier, strong, determined, resilient. But she was a soldier because there was someone to fight for and protect. Who was she, who were they without their pride?

Shaking her head she tried to dislodge the bitter taste of defeat from her mouth. There was no right answer in this situation, no correct response that would bring back the water to her people. Or the hope. Reluctantly she wove her way forwards through the crowd until she stepped out into the front, crimson head held high, yellow eyes worn and disturbed. When there was a lull in the discussion she took a pace forwards and presented herself.

"I am voting for priority to be given to those that require it, but that no one be left without entirely. Those with a high-activity job, that requires them to be out in the full sun most of the time, guards and waterseekers especially, should be given priority alongside the youngest members. Those that can afford to stay inside, under shade and move around the least will physically require less water than someone who is out walking in the heat of the desert. So I am proposing that we ration water according to the physical requirements of each lion's rank, and the cubs who are our future, we can not loose them."

She kept her gaze level and steady during her short speech, looking neither left nor right but between the two rulers. Only once she was done did she look to each of them, bowed her head in respect and then turned and wove her way back through the crowd. She had seen her mother, but left the elder lioness to her thoughts for she knew that look on her ma's maw and didn't want to disturb her. Nodding to the siblings and half siblings she saw, she made her way over to Uruloke, giving him a tired halfsmile and a gentle bump with her shoulder to his own. Silent, so as to not disturb those that were now speaking, she settled at her brother's side to watch the remaining lions voice their opinions.

They had come quietly as a group, but knew in their hearts they could not stay quiet for long. Kai looked to Ryujin, and he gulped, and Ka rolled his eyes. Ka knew this plan was never going to work with so many lions around. Ryujin seemed to realize this, and was trying to develop a way to get close to Kidondo, or let him know he wanted to speak with him privately.

Perhaps they could be vague with their suggestion?

"The Simo have housed us and taught us well, and the desert is harsh, we know, but everyone must have a chance to have water, young and old alike," Kai said aloud, breaking the small family's silence.

"It's true," Ka began, "everyone may think that priority is better, perhaps there can be more cubs born in the future, but they are Simo, born of the sand and fire and even hardships of the pride.Give everyone a chance."

Ryujin looked to his twins, who looked to him and he gulped, bringing his paws together. "I agree with them, everyone deserves a chance." Ryujin took a breath, steadied his words, and then spoke one more, "I know there are a lot of us here, young, old, and we need water. Digging has not seemed to help, and the water seems far off. Perhaps," Ryujin said, looking to Kidondo, "those who have family beyond the borders, may reach out to them, perhaps find ways to relay water back to the pride until this drought ends?" He had to keep it vague, he had no doubt No perhaps knew through Kidondo telling her, but he didn't need the whole pride knowing. "We could look to allies, friends, do water runs."

"But how will we know who is friend and who is foe besides family?" Rellik spoke aloud. Her striped red pelt was contrasted against the sand beneath her, her silver eyes narrowed, looking at Ryujin. "Family may be a possibility, but it is quite far from here to another pride or water source, I know, I wandered too far before I arrived to these sands." Rellik held her tongue, snapped it against the top of her mouth, "Priority, we must give priority to those that need water first and foremost, and those are the soldiers and guards, the ones who can protect these lands.."

"Mother," Fen'wei spoke, trotting to where the council had gathered. His eyes met his mother's, and she seemed to say 'I'm sorry' without words and turned away. Fen'wei lifted his chin and took his chance. "Ryujin has an idea, it could give us a chance, it might work. Veru and I traded for some of these," Fen'wei said turning to the side, showing the old canteen that was slung over his back and shoulders securely. "Along with jaws, shells. We could relay water, we need a system, but, as my mother said, we would have to be careful. If we work together, everyone can have a chance as they rightly should."

"The strongest need to survive," Badieh spoke with a spat towards Fen'wei. "Without soldiers and scouts, how will the pride be safe? We need the strong, not just the cunning, cubsitters or cubs."

Karana'Mzaana then took her turn, looking to all, not just the council, the regents, but everyone. "Some that are cubsitters, or historians, storytellers, or elders of this pride now were once strong and youthful as you," she spoke. "The Simo would not be the Simo if not for the strength that had aided in the rebellion, although it seems so long ago, it was not. If the Simo looked to outsiders then, those they trusted then for aid, why not now? Look to neighboring prides or aid, friends, family as the dark one said, and try what we can. Everyone deserves a chance."

Mwako'Damu then watched as his mother stepped aside, and he stepped forward. "There has been so much said already, but my decision is that equal water should be given, an equal chance, that is what's right. But, with any choice made, we need to seek alternate means of water, whether looking in other areas, or asking for help. We could even seek out those who could not stay, see where they've gone, and have them help their homeland." He was referring to his brother and sister, but her knew there were others, and that they might help too.

Naseera didn't particularly care about pride politics. Or, much of anything really! She had no grand notions of honor...although she liked to think she was a decent enough person. She certainly wouldn't want to see a cub suffer from the lack of water. But her heart was not easily motivated by empathy. Naseera was a cat unused to the whims of the pride, or concepts such as 'working together' and 'for the future'. Life as a rogue had taught Naseera one thing, and that was she needed to look out for herself first before anyone else.

At heart, she was a pragmatist. And as a guard, clearly one of the 'superior' ranks of this group... it seemed only wise to vote to prioritize water! After all, it had been her good luck to choose a prosperous rank! Why suffer if she was on the right side? She was sure the pride would even out in time. These things didn't last long. As a shrewd business-woman would know, sometimes being bold in a time of hardship could reap profits beyond measure. Naseera always liked to gamble with fate. And the way it sounded, she was getting water no matter what.

So, as she waited to approach the council she was rather set in her decision. Yes. Water for Naseera! All good, she could continue collecting. Unfortunately, she'd happened to taken her spot behind a rather large group of lions. And in that group was Fen'wei. And he voted for equality?! Why? The wild cat flailed.

Okay, so, she wasn't about to screw over a potential business partner. And maybe she had a little bit of a crush. Because before she knew it she was mindlessly rambling bleeding heart gibberish. "I think we should totally do what Fen'wei was saying with the jars and the equality and all the lions..."

She paused, as if considering her temporary bought of insanity. Nervously, she chuckled and started to scoot off. "I mean...I guess equality is good, and all that...hand holding...together...yes, we'll...we'll go with that!"

And the thief was off before she made a bigger fool of herself!

---

Which was just as well, because Armada was approaching. There was an audible hiss as she took center stage...which could have been traced directly to Ea, who had her back up at the sight of the strange-eyed cat. Armada hardly gave her a passing glance. With a look of pure stoicism, she lifted her head and observed the crowd. "I think my opinions are quite clear already," she said stiffly. "I won't bore you with recounting them again. If you have half a brain, you know them."

"But I will leave you with this. No amount of well wishing will fill your bellies with water. No amount of love will bring it down from the sky. No matter how noble, or honorable you think you may be...in the end, it's valueless. I know what it is like to live without honor or dignity. And I can assure you, this is not even close," her voice pulled in a low rumble. "When push comes to shove, all you can do is save who you can."

She arched her neck. "Those voting for equality offer you no feasible solution other than pipe dreams and well wishing. They offer you no numbers of who will be saved- only that your conscience will feel lighter in this moment. Prioritizing water is a plan. It is a necessary plan to save those we believe have the best chance of survival. That means we will be saving as many people as we can, with a clear strategy of doing so."

"Anything less is just a fool's game. This isn't a matter of what is wrong and what is right. If you vote with the idealists, you doom yourself to the fate of all idealists- which is to have your honored values ripped out from under you," Armada squared her jaw. "I vote for prioritizing the water. The vote that any good, sensible person would make."

Although Kasi'wakia could spot several familiar faces amongst the crowd, she stood apart - alone, amongst the crowd. It was not out of dislike for those she knew, no, but she had to cast her vote seperately. She would not allow herself to be swayed by any other voice other than her own, though she listened with open ears to the opinions of the pride.

The votes that made her think the most were that of her family, and of Azar. She could understand the logic behind both sides, both votes, but she had to make her own voice heard, or she would never forgive herself.

"I vote for equality," she said, stepping forward to make herself heard. Her jaw was tilted, her pose strong. She was just a soldier in the pride, but her opinion was still strong. "If we try to prioritize, we will end up splitting the pride. Who's to say who is more important than another? If we are equal, then when hardships strikes us, we will stand together as one, instead of the 'more important' standing for the rest."

She had voted against some of her family, but she would not silence her own opinion for the sake of standing with her family. She knew some would understand, though she purposely did not meet her siblings nor her mother's gaze, out of worry that she would see disapproval.

She made no effort to seek her family out, nor did she seek out Azar, she simply melded back into the crowd which had formed, glad that she had at least been able to make her opinions heard.

He'd missed the part where his sister spoke, but Rowtag did not miss Fia's actions. The apprentice tracker, having become burly with adolescence, narrowed his red eyes at the historian, before trailing after her. "You!" He didn't care who her parents were. A paw reached out and he gave her tail a hard pull. "You will NOT treat my sister like that! Not while I'M around!" He gave her a glowering look, a look born not of the happy cub he'd been, but a lion hardened by the desert and drought. "You speak of equality, yes, but that means equality in being able to voice our opinions! Is Elda's wrong just because it's not YOURS? Does she NEED to give a reason, or are you too wrapped up in your OWN little world?" He let go, squaring his shoulders and raising his head. "I vote with my sister - Priority to the military!" Ears folded, eyes blazing like little red suns, Rowtag backed up, intent to see to his sister and make sure she was alright.

Gobo's throat was parched and her tongue felt like a lump of dry clay. The drought had taken it's toll on her. She was not herself. She hadn't been for some time. Weak and tired and sick and hot and dry and thirsty...so...so thirsty...she wanted to swallow down a whole lake.

She remembered her cub-hood. She had always drank more water than most. That continued into her adult-hood, though she was more conscious of how much she drank. It was much more practical to drink only what you needed, after all.

But now...

The drought...

She felt it harshly. It was digging into her. More than anything it was weighing on her psychologically. She didn't know that it was, however, let alone how to deal with it properly. The level-headed warrior in her had vanished along with the water.

To ration the liquid and prioritize...

Equality was the absolute best choice.


Tanuri's blue eyes narrowed as he observed his surroundings. The pride was split on decisions about the drought, and the male was beginning to feel pressured. He knew that prioritizing was the smarter thing to do. Let the stronger have the water--let those who handle the security of the pride have the majority, for the safety of all. That was a no-brainer.

But the frenzied look in Gobo's eyes was changing Tanuri's mind. His teeth ground together as he weighed the situation. One by one, lions went forward and spoke their say. The male knew he had to, but what would he say? Vote for what he believed in, or vote for what would make Gobo happy? She had been one of the only ones who made him feel at ease in the pride, and he felt he owed something to her because she--...well, whatever the reason.

Tail slashing the air in frustration, the lion went forward with his vote.

He would vote for equal rationing.

Cutting a sharp glance to Gobo, he silently hoped that he would not be made to regret his decision.

Houjin did not like the tension and pressure the drought had caused within the pride. after hearing his aunt Fia's words, he had to agree with her. despite being a solder, he knew that there was no use for them if there was no pride to protect and if they didn't band together then they would get no where. " I vote for Equality."

Aodhfin looked over to Houjin as he was conflicted in what to decide. with his mother and siblings all taking different sides, it made it hard for him to choose. frowning, he then took one last glance at his mother, siblings and his mentor Houjin before speaking his vote. " I vote for Equality."