Welcome to Gaia! ::

Well, this was it.

Kidondo rose onto all fours and stretched with the motion of one who is trying to contemplate the actions of the next few moments that would follow. He already knew what he was going to do, where he was going to go and who was going to be gathered. But what he knew had little value when compared to what he didn't know. Hopefully, before the day was out, the 'not knowing' would finally be over and they'd be able to put this whole mess behind them. It was a sad thing, after all, that such a thing had happened within the pride and he dearly hoped that none of his members were responsible for the hardships that the rogue band had faced whilst under their care as invited guests.

After all...he would be one of the group of lions and lionesses who would be deciding on a suitable punishment - alongside Regent No and the Magistrates, of course. And, what sort of punishment would befit a lion who had murdered in cold blood and then gone to attempt to kill another only a couple of days later?

He shook his head, displeased. Kidondo had always been one for justice but being a Firekin - and a leader at that - made these decisions particularly difficult. As he had always known, there was only so much change people like the Firekin could take and they would expect their leaders and the council to take strong and decisive action. There would be no place for words once the accused had been proven guilty.

He knew already what the action would be and, though it bothered him a little, he knew there was nothing else to be done about it. An accident was one thing, but murder was murder, and there was no excuse for it. Especially not in the lands of a warrior pride. He had to keep face. He had to remain strong. There were good times in leadership and bad ones too, but no matter what happened, he would battle through. Kidondo was not weak and he was prepared for what was to unfold. He would meet it head on and he would conquer it.

Besides, he wouldn't be alone in this. In fact, he had never been alone. He had No and she was his strength, a shoulder to lean on.

He moved quicker now, hastening his pace so that he might be among the first to arrive. They all knew the time and the place to meet and, whether they liked it or not, they would sit through the judgement that Kimacho would bring to pass.

Some might have thought it an unwise decision to allow an outsider to lead on this. But, in fact, Kidondo believed firmly that Kimacho was the best candidate for the job. He could be trusted to look at the situation through as neutral eyes as possible, despite having ties to the rogue group. Kidondo had always believed himself to be a good judge of character and he already had high hopes for the flame-eyed lion. What interested him, also, was the fact that Kenna had enlisted herself to help, even if it was 'unnofficial help'. He had to admit that he still found it impossible to trust the female, though he hated himself for it. Negative feelings such as mistrust always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He was closing in on the meeting place now and, when all were finally assembled, alongside him would sit Regent No, the Magistrates the suspects and of course, Kimacho himself.

All was in the paws of the outsider now but, oddly, Kidondo felt no apprehension about this. He was certain there would be a conclusion.

No one knew Kidondo better than his mate, No. No one. He knew that she would know what thoughts were running through his mind and that settled him somewhat. Settled him where it might have unnerved others. That being so, he did not have to share a single word with her for her to understand what was going on in that head of his when it came to situations such as this.

But what was this to what they had already been through? A grain of sand in the desert, that's what.

Even still, he wouldn't take this lightly. There had been death and...pain. Much pain and upset. This would end today one way or another.

He faltered a little in his hasty stride as he heard the steady rhythm of quick-paws approaching. He knew the sound of her step and rumbled a greeting as the gap between them closed, turning an ear to listen as she spoke. At her words a grim smile scratched its way across his face, but it seemed to put nothing but shadow in his eyes.

"The Firekin has always had its fair share." He grunted, thinking on what was to come. He was unsure, just as most others were, how this event would play out. He could only hope that it rain its course smoothly. But that was a high hope indeed.

"Patience runs thin. They'd better have something for us else things could end up getting nasty." He was certain that they did, however, else why call them for this meeting? No, he didn't think they had need to worry about what would happen if the murderer hadn't been found.

A few strides later and the meeting place appeared before them, a place where a lot of things could change for a lot of lions...

PART ONE (massive wall of text ho!)

Kimacho was as eager as the Firekin Regents were for this to be over. Half of him enjoyed the challenges that murders presented, pushing his mind to its limits and testing his ability to judge character. The other half of him thoroughly chastised the first for taking any kind of enjoyment in the end of another lion's life, especially this one's. Epesi had been one of theirs. One of his. No matter which way he looked at it, for pleasure or for duty, he owed it to Epesi to find his killer above all else.

And so he had spent the night in silent contemplation, piecing to together the facts he knew for certain and the hypotheses he had come to because of them. He agonized over every word spoken to him, ever flick of the tail he'd been quick enough to catch, and when the sun began to crest over the horizon he had come to his conclusion. The dark lion didn't smile or jump for joy. He merely rubbed a paw down his face and sighed. It was time to finish this.

He made the journey to the designated location with slow, measured steps, nothing about his posture suggesting that he had just solved the mystery of Epesi's death and Vlam's almost death. But that was his way. There would be time for his theatrics, as Nasiha had once called them, later. Right now, even as he walked, he was reviewing what he was going to say. How much to reveal, how much to keep secret, and how to make sure that the killer didn't escape before their turn came took a great deal of thought. Today, however, it was unlikely that the killer could get out unnoticed. Kimacho couldn't help a small smile at the sight of Kenna, the lioness already at their place of trial. No one would run under her watch.

There was time for a quiet exchange of pleasantries, nothing serious or particularly revealing, while the pair waited for the Regents to arrive. Kidondo and No did not disappoint. Kimacho gave each a small bow of his head before settling down on his haunches. The others would begin to arrive soon. Until then, all he had to do was wait.

~

At last, when all had gathered, Kimacho rose to his feet and stood before them. He cleared his throat to silence the murmurs of conversation, waiting until he had the group's complete attention before speaking, "I am certain you all know why you're here today, so I will try not to dwell too long on the fact. A lion has died in our midst, murdered by someone in this pride. It was neither an accident nor a result of self defence. It was, as I say, purposeful murder. Our murderer did not stop at one. Had they been successful, they would have killed a second lion. While the first to die was not of Firekin blood, the second target was, and thus it is the responsibility of all to bring the murderer to justice."

He paused a moment, and then moved to address each lion individually, "Mtenga, Nasiha, Siri'wasii, Tepe, Serafina, Kenina, Azar'bijan, and Vlam, who unfortunately could not be with us at this time. You are all suspects in the murder of Epesi, mate of Siri'wasii, and the attempted murder of Vlam. Whether you possessed the means, the motive, or both to commit both crimes has yet to be seen. If you are the murderer, you will be brought to justice. If you are not the murderer, you will be free to resume your daily lives. I will begin with those who others were quick to blame."

Kimacho met Mtenga's gaze evenly, holding it as he spoke. "Mtenga, you were the first to be suspected of the crimes due to your temper. With your strength and lack of restraint you could have easily killed Epesi and done serious damage to Vlam. You also have a history of violence so terrible that it frightened Nasiha into believing you were the murderer. However, despite your capabilities, there is no reason for you to kill Epesi, much less try to kill Vlam. Epesi travelled with us long before we came to the Firekin lands, and there would have been plenty of opportunities to kill him then. He had nothing that you coveted, he left you to your own devices, and even if Vlam had managed to anger you you would have done much more damage. Mtenga is not the murder." The dark lion's eyes moved to the next candidate, fixing Serafina with a similar gaze.

"Much like Mtenga, you Serafina possess nearly unrivalled strength and the capabilities to use it. You're powerful, even at a young age, and you had a grudge against Epesi for beating you in a duel. Those in the Firekin believed you were capable of murder, especially after your loss, and were quick to point their paws in your direction. While you had the motive and the means, the kills were not your style. You take a great deal of pride in your fighting ability, and therefore it's extremely unlikely you would have snuck up on your opponent to kill them. Furthermore, you would be equally unlikely to keep such battle prowess a secret. I believe if you had killed Epesi you would not have denied it later on. There is only one reason you would have killed a lion against your style and kept your mouth shut and that reason is your sister."

"Kenina has proven to be both cunning and controlling, able to reign in her sister and focus her energies. Despite this, however, she lacked the motive for killing Epesi and harming Vlam. Serafina did not kill Epesi and injure Vlam on her own and she was not asked to do so by Kenina." So far, three out of eight of the suspects were deemed innocent, two from Firekin and one from his own group. He would have to make sure to keep the numbers evenly weighted lest someone accuse him of leaving his own until last. The more he made it clear they were equally capable of murder the more likely the Regents would respect his neutrality in the future. Kimacho had to prove he was as willing to incriminate his own cousin as he was to incriminate a Firekin. With another pause to organize his thoughts, the lion pressed on.

"Removing those who had superior strength, we then turn our attention to those who have the most suspicion shone on them. Azar'bijan, the lion caught at the scene of the crime, and Nasiha who fled before judgement could be reached. Azar was quick to try and point me in another direction, making sure to scatter suspicion as far as he could reach. While he had no apparent motive, he also lacked an alibi for the time of the murder, and his discovery of the body was condemning at best. It was not until recently that a lioness came forward and confirmed his whereabouts at the time of Epesi's murder. His time down at the watering hole removes him from the pool of suspects, as does his relationship with the second victim. Azar'bijan possesses no motive to harm his brother and none to kill Epesi. He is not the murderer."

He forced himself not to hesitate, letting his gaze slide without pause from Azar to his cousin. She had made a stupid move, incriminating herself with all the rest. Kimacho would have dearly loved to remove her from the suspect list at the very beginning, knowing she wasn't capable of murdering someone like that. But this trial required that everyone's innocence be proven, and after her final stunt the lion was left with no choice but to point out her guilt. "Nasiha fled, as stated before, in what she knew would be perceived as a guilty act. While she is guilty, she is not guilty of murder. After revealing secrets told to her by Mtenga, it is my belief that she tried to flee the pride not only because she regretted betraying his trust, but also to bring attention to her in the event that Mtenga was the killer. Despite her prowess as a warrior, she is a kind soul. Both this and her loyalty would have made her unable to kill Epesi. Nasiha has committed no crime."

It had been with with only slight trepidation that Tepe had come to the meeting area earlier in the day. To finally hear the killer revealed was both thrilling and frightening...who would it be? As one of the suspects he knew he would be scrutinized...But what day went by when that was not the case? He was small, he was weak, he was an outsider. He would be met with stares and sneers regardless of his innocence, and though it grated on his nerves, he would bear it as he always did.

He'd risen a bit late, and many were already in the meeting grounds when he slunk up. His fellow rogues, some smirking natives...at the end of the line of what he assumed were fellow suspects sat his mother. Emboldened by her presence he walked towards her, greeting her with soft words of reassurance that the day would go well and fond nuzzlings. That she was a suspect herself tore at his heart...Hadn't she felt enough grief all this time without being blamed herself? He bit back his ire as he took his seat alongside her. This had better not take long.

He listened stoically as Kimacho went down the line, weeding out his or that suspect. A few times he frowned, perhaps indicating that one he'd personally suspected had been cleared. As the lineup shortened down to three he grew tenser, watching the flame-tailed lion with intense interest. Vlam was cleared, and he let out a low growl. Did he think it was his mother after all?! Silently he flexed his claws, dragging the tips through the dirt. If they blamed her, he'd fight by her side. She hadn't been the culprit, she'd been the...the...

...The motive. He blinked, and Kimacho was staring right at him. "I thereby find Tepe guilty of the murder of Epesi and the attempted murder of Vlam in a vain attempt to secure the affections of his adopted mother for himself." Stunned, he sat rock still for a long moment. Him? They'd blamed HIM?! They claimed he'd....that he...and his mother...

...They KNEW!!

Perhaps if he'd been innocent he would have protested, debated the points, argued conjecture...but Tepe WAS guilty, and utterly distraught that his covetous love had been revealed to all, his deepest secret laid bare, he panicked. Eyes wide and maddened, he lunged, slipping past his mother without looking at her. His teeth closed on Nasiha's neck, just tight enough to restrain her, and he wrangled her body between his and the crowd as he slowly backed up. He trembled as he glanced from person to person in the crowd...

"...I did it..." His words were muffled by Nasiha's fur, and he dared not loosen his grip on her lest she pull away. "I did it for YOU, mother. You couldn't see. You fought! You were unhappy...I knew. I knew I could make you happy. I loved you Siri, not just as my mother...YOU made me do this. You...you told me you loved me. I could see it in your eyes. You must have loved me as I loved you! But you couldn't be free to show it...not until I killed Epesi...And then...and then!" He choked on a half-sob, unintentionally biting down harder, drawing the slightest bit of blood from his captive. "Then you betrayed me! I thought, she's testing me! So I did what you wanted...but I couldn't kill him, he was too strong...And now...now you're going to make me kill again mother!"

He glared around at those assembled. "You will let me go. And Siri too! If not...I swear I'll do it!" He began to back up again, slowly, dragging Nasiha with him, and motioning with his eyes for Siri to join him.

For once, Nasiha was forcing her emotions out of her expression but she wasn't sure how well she was managing it. She was uneasy. Dragged back in her attempt to flee the whole situation after everything she'd done and feeling guilty enough in the face of her cousin and in line with her friends, she needed to keep a straight face. She avoided looking directly at anybody until she heard Kimacho say Mtenga's name. She felt a fresh rush of guilt and worry and couldn't help but look over to where Mtenga sat. As Kimacho explained why Mtenga was not the murderer she felt a cold twist in her stomach. She'd damaged, if not destroyed, her friendship with Mtenga and she'd weakened the trust Kimacho had in her and she'd been wrong.. Her eyes went back to the sand as the list continued until her own name came. She managed to meet Kimacho's eyes as he explained everything she had done, not feeling any better hearing it from someone else. She very nearly looked away again until suddenly the remaining candidates were made clear and she realized there were only two more lions and both were sitting by her.

Confused and now openly showing it, she looked at Siri and Tepe, unable to fathom any excuse either would have to have killed Epesi. She knew how Siri was but she didn't believe she would do it and Tepe was their son, adopted but still their son- and not much of a fighter. But she listened to what Kimacho said and she looked back to him at exactly the wrong time, just as he pronounced Tepe was the murderer-- and just as there was a rush beside her and a sudden hold on her neck. She didn't even have time to yelp. She didn't struggle, rather she moved to make the process easier on her throat. She was a fighter but she knew better than to test someone so panicked and with such a serious hold on her. Her teeth gritted and her ears turned as Tepe sobbed a speech through her fur. Tepe had done it. Tepe, the one she'd stood up for, the one who'd seemed so unlikely..

She dared to resist being dragged back as Tepe made his demands but it didn't last. Nasiha couldn't make a move, she heard Kidondo's words to Tepe and had to trust that somehow she would be helped. Her red eyes finally moved from her attacker and darted around the group- stopping at Siri, the next nearest and the reason this was happening now.

Seeing first one regent then the other move towards him, the already terrified and on-edge Tepe took another step back. He bit, bit harder...One tooth drew blood, and he barely resisted killing the female right then. He had to escape. He had to use Nasiha to save himself and Siri! She was no good to him dead...

"No! YOU stop! Let us go or else!" His eyes were wide and maddened as he stared at Kidondo. "The only grave anyone will be digging is hers if you don't back off...back off!" He nearly released his prisoner in his fit at No. Didn't she know that she was the reason he was doing this? And her mate! They ALL had driven him to this! If only they'd listened, if only Siri'd been able to be with him...THEY had kept her from him! He KNEW it!

He felt Nasiha's resistence give out as he moved her back...he didn't know she'd stuck up for him; maybe if he had known he wouldn't have gone for her or treated her so roughly...But he didn't know, and now he didn't care. If she resisted him now he could only take it as her resisting his efforts to bring himself and Siri together. And for that she would suffer with the rest of them unless he was turned free with his dear, sweet Siri!

"Moth--Siri...come on. We're going now...They can't stop us anymore!"


((Sorry about the shortness and the delay! heart ))