The savannah was almost lifeless as the two cubs raced through the tall grasses with only moonlight showing their path. Tears burned in the corners of his eyes but Tanabi pushed them back for now. He couldn't break now, he and Rudo had to escape.

Finally, with his legs buckling, the two came to a stop under an acacia tree. Tanabi greedily sucked in the air as Rudo glanced over his shoulder, his orange eyes scanning for danger even as he too sagged from exhaustion. Tanabi watched him, hoping that he saw nothing so they could rest, he had never run so far for so long in his life. There was silence now, no hint that they were being pursued.

"C'mon," Rudo said, bumping his head against his flank and urging him up even though only a moment had passed "we can't stay here."

Tanabi wanted to argue that he was tired, that his legs burned from running and that a few minutes more to catch his breath couldn't hurt…but he knew Rudo was right. If they lingered she would find them. They could rest when they'd put as much distance between them and the Pridelands as possible. Surely they must be near the border now, or past it even. Would they be chased this far?

Tanabi's paws were shaky under him, he felt like he was likely to collapse if he tried to walk but Rudo urged him on, forcing him to walk, nipping at his flanks until he ran once more. Whatever danger awaited them on the open plains paled in comparison to certain death if they didn't move quickly.

Onwards they went, occasionally Rudo urging him to run left or right in a seemingly random pattern. Tanabi didn't question him, the older cub knew better than he and his mind was filled with too much fear and heartsickness to truly offer up complaint.

Finally, they came to a river, Tanabi knew that this was the true boundary of the Pridelands, it's very eastern edge. Beyond lay unknown territory and beyond that lay the Disputed Lands where rogues ruled. Its flow was lessened now as the dry season began to make itself known but it would require swimming nonetheless. Tanabi threw once last glance backward as he followed Rudo, wading into the cool water until his paws lifted from the soft sand of the river bed.

Shaking themselves off on the opposite bank, Tanabi looked at Rudo expectantly "So where now?" he asked. If they followed the river south eventually they would enter the lands of the Bahari Pride, if they continued east then it was the Disputed Lands, north and east were not an option as it would just lead them back to the Pridelands.

"I don't know." Was Rudo's soft reply, his ears flattening as the pain he had suppressed began to weigh on him "Let's…let's just go."

Rising to their paws once more, the two cubs shook off the remaining water and darted into the grasses once more. Behind them, the shape of Priderock on the horizon grew distant.