"Wait for me Zira!" Vitani cried as she stumbled while trying to catch up to her sister.

Zira giggled.

"Come on you clumsy hippo! Last one to the tree is a warthog!"

Zira ran, easily outpacing her sister as she neared the dead tree on the far side of her pride's camp.

Zira weaved in-between the legs of the older lionesses but Vitani wasn't so lucky.

"Be careful!" Zira heard someone snap.

Zira turned around to see Vitani blinking confused after evidently crashing into an older lionesses leg.

"Sorry Amina!" Vitani squeaked scuffling her paws in embarrassment.

Amina's eyes softened as she bent down and licked Vitani on the head.

"I know young one, be careful." Amina sighed before padding off towards the stream.

Zira bounded over to Vitani and have her a playful nudge.

"If I had bumped into Amina, she would have torn my ears off!" She purred as Vitani giggled.

"I guess it's because I'm less smelly than you!" Vitani growled mischievously.

"Hey!" Zira laughed as she cuffed Vitani around the head.

"I hope you cubs aren't getting too rough." Came a voice from the other side of the clearing.

"Oh great it's Jahi" Vitani spat.

Zira turned to face him as he padded over "You're still a cub too!"

Zira knew she was technically right, Jahi's black mane had only just started to grow in small tufts on the top of his head but none-the less the much older russet coloured lion was still formidable looking.

His blue eyes sparkled. "You got me there Stripe. Nonetheless you are probably getting tired, you should go back to your mother."

Zira growled softly when he used the nickname he had made up for her. Stripe. Zira was proud of the stripe that she alone had inherited from her mother, Tishala, but Jahi always let out a slight sneer whenever he said Stripe.

"We're not tired!" Vitani said defiantly, before letting out a huge yawn. Zira rolled her eyes, Vitani could be such a beetle-brain sometimes.

"Go back to Tishala." Jahi ordered, he gaze hardening.

"You can't tell us what to do!" Zira growled.

"The hunting party will be back soon," Jahi growled

"we both know it's not a good idea for Vitani to be out when it's busy." He continued.

Zira felt rage build up inside of her

"There's nothing wrong with Vitani!" She snarled.

"Leave it Zira." Vitani said softly,looking embarrassed.

Zira lashed her tail and turned her back on Jahi's smug face.

She padded over to Vitani and nudged her in the direction where their mother lay dozing on the other side of camp.

Tishala was the same sandy colour as both of her daughters, with blazing orange eyes and a dark brown stripe down her forehead. Her face was soft and round like Vitani, Zira had inherited her long face from her father, Akida, king of the pride.

Tishala blinked sleepily as Zira and Vitani padded over.

"Had a good time my loves?" She purred.

Zira forced a purr. They did have a good time, until Jahi stuck his nose into their business.

"Yeah, it was great, me and Vitani played Beetle Catch and then we did races." Zira said cheerily.

Tishala looked up, concerned and spoke quietly so Vitani, who had just curled up in her mother's belly and was beginning to sleep, wouldn't hear.

"You know Vitani shouldn't be running around." She said, eyes sparking with worry.

Zira stiffened, she expected this from Jahi or Akida, but not Tishala!

Before Zira could spit out a reply, Vitani pricked her ears before she lifted her nose and began to sniff.

"The hunting party's back." She said sleepily before placing her head back onto her paws.

Zira saw the hunting party come over the ridge that lead to the camp,dragging an antelope behind them. At the lead was her father, Akida his wit and intelligence made up for his slim frame and he shared the same sandy coat that most the pride possessed and same piercing blue eyes as his nephew, Jahi.

The King traditionally didn't usually join hunting parties but since the death of his brother Obi, a few moons before, he had taken to joining the hunting parties to distract him from his grief.

The Lionesses stepped back to allow Akida to tear off the leg of the antelope and drag it over to where his mate and cubs were resting. Zira inwardly groaned as she saw Jahi scamper over and begin to talk frantically to Akida. Zira saw her father's gaze darken before he nodded to Jahi and begin to pad over to his family again, this time his muscles were more bunched and his tail tip twitching.

As he approached them he spat out the antelope leg and snarled.

"What is this I hear of Vitani running around camp?"

Tishala opened her mouth to reply but Zira looked up and defiantly stared her father in the eye, keeping her voice low, all too aware that Vitani was now fast asleep.

"You have to stop treating Vitani like she's different, there's nothing wrong with her!"

Akida bared his teeth and thrust his muzzle so close to Zira's face she could feel her father's breath on her cheek. Zira heard Tishala let out a horrified gasp as Akida growled

"Of course there's something wrong with her, she's blind!"