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Soleil could only sigh at the more blood-thirsty members, then flicked an ear at Kinja's words. "She has a point! And maybe we should separate this Nergui lion..." She had an idea now of who it was, from how others had skirted away from him. The young lioness then made a snap decision - She started shoving the lions who were more intent on attack aside, including her brother. "I don't think anybody... With their head in the sun..." She grunted. "Keahi, MOVE!"

Keahilani snorted, then moved aside, watching his sister tumble. He then turned his gaze to Miah, eyes narrow. "I think that one needs two guards... The rest would be fine with... Three or four between them all..." He then looked over at Ute. "Where do you want me?" He was ready and willing to help keep an eye on these new lions, and for the moment, Ute appeared to be the one to answer to... Outside Kinja, anyway.

For one suddenly surrounded by phrases such as 'kill him', and 'traitor', Miah remained surprisingly calm. He regarded the yelling female with a curious look, as though it were some trivial manner he was being accused of. Something a cub was scolded for. "Why would I be Hongshan?" He said in a low drawl. Was this really news to the group? This female accusing him notably hadn't mentioned seeing him- which was fine, one less thing he'd have to bother explaining.

Or not explaining. Miah was not a creature taken to explaining himself, particularly to the sort who hadn't the mind to even understand.

Nor was he particularly interested in being a prisoner, either. Despite the others swarming around him, a few beckoning him forward and the rest closing in, he simply sat down upon the hot sand. His black tail curled across his paws in a delicate fashion. "It seems to me I am no better off following than staying," he said curiously. "You're clearly quick to want to kill me."

"What is it you think I have done?" The strange looking lion, glanced out of the corner of his eyes, directly towards those who he had accompanied. And then, back to this female that had started the initial flailing from the get go. "Do you suppose this is some elaborate Nergui ploy? Rescue a group of Hongshan, follow them where they go, alert the others?"

Tarsa squinted his eyes. "Actually that sounds like a pretty good plan to me! If that's the case, then the whole group is trouble. They could have been leading the others here all the while!" He stopped short of saying what he was really thinking. Namely, these Hongshan were becoming a hell of a lot more trouble than they were worth.

"It seems a tad obvious of a plan," Miah quipped.

The large male snorted, and he snapped his head over to the ones trying to lead the group away. "I think bringing them into the pride is a bad idea! I say we just chase them out back where they came." They wouldn't find any water, and this problem would solve itself, Nergui or not.

Veru had remained quiet, gathering a general estimation of the situation. The two females seemed intent on leading them back to the group, but the rest of the crowd seemed just as content at tearing the strange fellow apart. Even his own people! The white lion snorted. That certainly didn't bode well, now did it! "They're here, regardless. I don't think its any secret that we're allied with the Hongshan. If they were able to find their way here in the first place, then it's not going to be spy work for these 'monsters' to find out for themselves," he strolled between the group. "In any case, I think the decision to kill anyone is a bit over what we're qualified to hand out! We'll take them back to the pride and hold them in the red quarter."

Miah leaned to the side. "Be that the case, then let me leave. I've done what I came here to do." He stood up this time. "If it is all so inevitable to discovery."

Nuria nodded at Ute, although her eyes flicked to the black skull-marked male in a suspicious glance. If he was Nergui, he was trouble, and if he wasn't...well, he could still be trouble. She took a place around the outer edge of the stranger's group, as much to keep them contained as to protect them. Maybe more to keep them contained...they weren't Firekin, after all. Her tail lashed slowly behind her, although she had retracted her claws for the most part. She couldn't completely relax her guard with these strangers--there was something that just didn't seem right. "You'll be safer with your...friends," she told Miah bluntly. "Nobody can be too stupid with a guard around you."

"It be an idea to have one who does not look like Nergui to be spy," Thabiti growled, eyeing Miah's every move for any subtle movements, any signal that his body would betray his facade. But he gave none. Miah was an enigma in every sense of the word; who he was, what he wanted, why he did things. "He free slaves, lead them back, find place of prides, tells Nergui, they attack." Thabiti scoffed. He disliked the idea of leaving the stranger on his own with a guard. If he was a Nergui, he might be able to overpower a single guard. In fact, he'd feel a whole lot more comfortable if they found out what he was all about.

A kind gesture he did to leading them to safety, but he did not clear any doubt among the group he led.

"What is 'Red Quarter'?"

Apparently, the plan was to hold the Hongshan of the group there... was it another prison like the Nergui's? A place to keep their slaves?... the thought got a disdainful growl.

Her words stirred the group, though their reactions were not as she expected. Did they not take the threat seriously? Would they simply stand back and let him go, or worse, let him into the pride? Under guard or not, the beasts could not be trusted. They were killers, slavers, monsters. Roho would not stand for it.
 
She heard Teketeza’s roar and drew herself upright, strengthened by knowing she had one ally on the Firekin. Her eyes glazed over Thabiti again, nodding swiftly. She wanted to speak with him—with all of them, but their reunion had been tainted and until this was dealt with, she could not even begin to express her joy at seeing them again. Under her breath she spoke quietly. “Ready yourself, Suditi.”
 
But as she stood and waited for more allies to gather behind her order, she found only Ute and Kinja rallying to keep the meeting peaceful. Roho was all for peace and friendship but not with Nergui. And even if he was not one of them, was it worth the risk? And to make matters worse, a lion – Xennek – was blocking them and the fury rose in her like a gathering tidal wave. When she spoke, her voice was kept purposely calm, though the anger seethed beneath, barely contained. “Your assumption would cause more trouble than mine.” And she side-stepped, bringing herself closer to the Hongshan, who seemed more confused than she would have thought.
 
To Kinja she offered perhaps a less curt response. “I hope you will forgive me but I cannot stand by and let this happen.” But the elder’s words seemed to carry weight and around them came words and murmurs of agreement and the red-pelted female bristled with frustration at what was going on around her. “I will not let you take him into the pride.”
 
Unfortunately, her accusation towards Miah seemed to have brought suspicion upon the whole group now and that riled her perhaps more than the thought of letting the possible Nergui into the lands. How dare they think badly of her brethren? Had she and the rest of Nawvlee’s group not proven themselves worthy? Who was to say that these refugees would not?
 
“Charity to allies is all well and good.” Roho snapped in response to Teketeza’s words. “But charity to the enemy is not.” Her eyes narrowed and cast about for any other sign of her kin, perhaps even Nawvlee himself. He would know what to do and he held far more authority than she did. “His plan may seem too obvious to be true but perhaps they were counting on that.” She had refused to speak to Miah directly. “Don’t be so quick to trust. The Hongshan trusted and look where that got us.” She growled. “If none of you are willing to do what must be done, then allow me. I am more than prepared for this.” She had been waiting too long to take her revenge for all those she had lost.
 
She gave no further warning except for the tightening of the muscles in her back legs. Her paws gripped the sand and then, with claws readied, she lunged for the gap between Xennek and Thabiti; her intent clear. If she wasn’t stopped, she would kill – or attempt to kill – the unknown lion.
 
(Permission to restrain Roho is granted.)

Ea'Pavlov had heard the call to arms. He had heard it and taken his time to answer to it. Normally he would have run towards the cries of the masses but he was feeling under the weather. Perhaps it was because of the lack of water or maybe it was the constant heat or maybe it was just that time of the month..wait..no he was a boy he didn't have that. Either way he was feeling under the weather so the call to action was not answered as swiftly as it normally was. In fact, he only now found himself at the perch upon which Veru had been seated when he spotted the group.

"Oh...bugger.." He mumbles flumping down on the vantage point. It seemed everyone was having a right royal scuffle in the distance but his head was hurting and his mouth was dry. If he waited here maybe they would come a bit closer and he wouldn't have to hot foot it across the shifting sands. Deciding that was the best course of action he lets out a roar, just to let everyone know he was there, if they needed him. Then without any sort of celebration he rests his chin on his paws and watches the proceedings from a distance. They would call if they needed him after all.

A pale snake slithers around one paw rolling its dark eyes "Arnt you suppossseddd to be over there?" The snake shakes its head. "You might as well have stayed in your den if you're going to sit here like a great lump."

The dark lion snorts "Shuttup Mog, if they need me they will call. Theres more than enough bodies over there already, I'd just get in the way. If they need an escort in, I'll be here to help them. Now let me watch there seems to be a lot of scuffling and dust going on."

Nobody had better be stupid with a guard around them. Ute smiled at Nuria as she took position and Ute started to feel things were going to go well. She then looked to Soleil. "They will come regardless if we want them to or not. They had to tend to what ever it was; they will return in their own time..." She said with a half smile; knowing that it was probably true. Her grandparents had a duty there to take care of. "I have confidence we can hold this up for now until they return."

When Teketeza reached the group and began spouting off; Ute turned to him, a furious look glowing in her blue eyes. "Take it up with the Regents Teketeza... There is no room for your tongue here..." She spat, stepping closer to him. "If you're going to be useless than leave."

She then turned back to Ukuba to hear her words but was startled into turning and spitting. "No..." Her words were haulted by Roho's response. When she opened her mouth to try to calm her; it all started moving like a flash. As Roho leapt forward, Ute was in movement. She stepped up quickly beside Moto'spaki; her eyes glaring at the loud mouth. "If you cannot still yourself you will not be needed here... Enemy or not, Soleil has a point. We cannot talk to a dead lion. Unless you'd prefer to explain to the regents your hasty intentions." She turned and looked to the rest of the crowd. "Can we get a few more around them... I don't want anyone attacking them unless it is needed. Is THAT understood!" She said sternly, looking to the lioness to make sure she wouldn't attack.

"Or we can sit here all day in the sand storms and see how long it takes to dry our eyes out."

"Yes, Soleil, we will have to send someone off to find the Reagents. Once we get everything in order here I'll make sure that someone is sent for them."

Things were escalating to a disaster. Too many different opinions, dispositions, and tempers were beginning to clash. Things needed to get moving, now.

"Roho! Things will be taken care of, but, as was stated, this is not your battle to fight now. We will take care of things once all stories and heard."

She turned her attention back to Miah, the lion who seemingly was at the center of the trouble. "I am sorry, but you will not be allowed to leave the desert. Not until our Reagents have spoken with you. Then everything will be take care of. I hate to be frank but there's really little chance of you leaving here without our Reagents permission." She then turned to the others. "Miah will be kept with the group. There is no reason to separate him right now. Should any problems come up, then more extreme measures may need to be taken, but for now, I see no point in splitting them up. Our guards will be able to keep as close of an eye on him within the group as out of it."

She turned to Ute. "We can't continue to stand out here. It's only going to cause more problems. The sooner we can get them all under guard the better off everyone will be." Ute's rank within the pride better suited her to getting the masses assembled and guarding their new guests. Kinja was no longer as formidable of a lioness as she once was. Words were more her weapon of choice any more. But, one should never completely disregard Kinja; Old she may be but her claws were still sharp.