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Military orders.

Agni switched fully into dity, the male rising and trotting to move out as he did. The young soldier maintained a brisk, rapid pace as he moved, his training in marching kicking in. He didn't worry terribly about protcting anyone but cubs, but he was awaiting orders, eyes flashing.

"Damnit damnit damnit...."

Huo moved himself, the guard picking up pace to stay near others, the male glancing for his captain breifly. No sign of Iirte-- this bothered him slightly -- however nut much, and despite the rain being the most vile thing he ever encountered, he ruffled up a bit, straightening as he trot to move out.

Mpeko just.. Panicked.

The female pulled herself close to the nearest fellow, the normally happy, lovey Firekin now a bundle of fear and nerves. She didn't like fighting, even if she could, and now she might have to-- and the idea terrified her. She tried to hide it, moving with as much confidence as she could muster, and she shivered, hoping nobody saw.

Oh, she did NOT want to die.

Fia nodded. There was nothing for it. "Go with them. They might need you. I'll stay here with the cubs."

"Me too." Vesta chimed. "We shan't let any harm come to your children, Brig--uh--Azar." The little female flushed and, covered in wet sand, padded over to the group where she cast her eyes across those who were remaining. Surely not everyone was abandoning them to go and see what the intruders were doing? What about the rain? The water? By now they were all soaked through.

Fia snorted, spraying rain from her nostrils. She couldn't go. The rage was still untempered. She was better off here, away from it all. She'd made a promise to Mii'ah, one that she intended on keeping.

Alya frowned, looking out over the dark scene before them. Something about it made her nervous. She couldn't say she was particularly skilled at crossing such terrain, let alone in the dark of the stormy night. But, regardless, she moved forward.

And on her second step, found herself with a face full of muddy water. Wonderful.

The lioness cursed under her breath as she regained her footing, hoping no one had noticed (a hope that didn't go far; there were enough in their little band to see all too well the lioness' lack of grace). She stopped for a moment, letting the rain wash the dirt from her face and to let her ego recover. This would take a bit to get used to.

(( oh, for the love of... ))

As the group set out, Morag was right beside Veru, her red eyes trained ahead to catch whatever glimpse she could of the intruders.

What she wasn't prepared for, however, was the sudden disappearance of the ground beneath her paws. She had enough time for a muffled sound before she was face first into the water, spluttering as she popped up above the surface again.

For a lioness who had never been in water deeper than her stomach, it was almost terrifying to suddenly feel it closing over her head. Clinging to the side of the trench, Morag surged upwards, scrambling back onto (comparatively) dry land.

"Fecking hell!" She hissed as she shook herself all over, spraying water. Not that it did much good, in this rain... "Everyone watch where you're walking! We don't need anyone drowning in the desert."

Thank god a certain male wasn't around... she'd never be able to look him in the eye again.

Admittedly, seeing the Spymaster also take a tumble made her feel better about her own failure. Determined, now, Alya pressed forward once more. Doing much better this second time, the lioness found herself on the opposite side. She glanced down and saw... tracks? Her brow furrowed. They were to worn by water and it was too dark (and she too inexperienced in tracking) for her to identify them.

"Tracks," she called back, trying to catch their tracker's eye to bring them to his attention. He could get more use from them than she.

"Oh, most definitely," Elcca oozed as she fell alongside Mpeko. Sometimes she couldn't help herself. "Why do you think we've gathered such a large group? Because when the time comes, it'll be all too easy to know whom to sacrifice!"

Letting her mull that over, Elcca laughed and stepped through the puddles and mud clumps. It would be unfair to say she took delight in the sounds of others falling in the mud behind her. She did however find it hilarious, no doubt adding to her rather large karma bank that was always in the red.

Elcca arrived at the oasis shortly behind Alya. The waters had risen here, covering up anything that had once been barren. A few of the sad looking shrubs that lined the edges of the parched pool had been uprooted by all the water. She watched them swirl by. "It seems we just missed whomever was here."

There were tracks, that much she could be certain. She leaned her head close, trying to get a better look at what it was. But with the water rising, it seemed like the footprints were filling with water as quickly as she could find them.

(( oh feck you Elcca xD ))

OF COURSE it would be mud that would trip the spymaster up next, making her bare her fangs at the world as she slogged through it. By the time she finally arrived at the oasis, most of the others were already there and she was breathing hard.

Covered in mud clear to her belly, she stomped up to the group and shook herself off again. Well, at least mud could be tolerated and she hadn't fallen again. Small favors.