Escalation

"Ushindi, stop right there!"

Although he kept walking, he answered her call by slowing down a little and turning his head to her. They had nearly passed all the way back to the kingdom's border since the queen had thrown them out. Enraged, Ushindi had stormed off, giving Ruya a hard time to catch up with him. "What?", he hissed.

The lioness came closer. She had always thought of Askari being the more ill-tempered one of the two males, but now she wasn't sure of that anymore. Still, she saw it as her duty to at least try to get some sense back into this hothead and felt the desperate need to lecture him for his stupidity. "Would you please be so kind to tell me what in all the great kings' names that outburst was about?"

"Are you serious?", he growled back at her. "You were there too. That fat bitch gave us nothing. No, she even threatened us!"

"The queen listened to everything we told her AND ordered her guard to investigate, despite the way you presented us! Seriously, what were you expecting? That she would immediately point out Lisha's attackers and offer them to you as a gift? Actually, we got more from her than we could have expected or at least until you ruined it! With all your flaws, I've always seen you as a capable leader who is usually GOOD with words but now, I have to watch you turning into an unreasonable asshole just because you missed your opportunity to mount…" She stopped, a little surprised and shocked about the directness of her own words. Then she noticed that Ushindi wasn't moving anymore. He just stood there and looked at her.

"Are you done?" The lion's face was a mask made of stubborn indifference. "Good", he added after she didn't reply immediately and continued walking.

"I… no, I wasn't… Ushindi wait!"

He stopped again, this time without turning around.

"We should at least go back and apologize for your behavior."

Ushindi snorted in faked amusement. "Is this supposed to be a joke?"

"Do you hear me laughing?"

"Leave or regret it, remember?"

"I'm sure she just said that because you nearly jumped at her. We have to, we cannot leave like this."

"You think so? Then watch me…"

"Stop that, you idiot!", the female snarled at one of her companions. "It will all come off!"

"But it's itching!", he complained and once more scratched his neck with a hindleg. "Why do we have to wear this? Whose stupid idea was that?"

"Mine!", she snapped, closing her jaws only right Infront of his nose. "And you'll keep it on as long as you can't provide a better way to make us look like them!" She pointed into the vague direction of the great baobab tree. "Why can't you just go along with it like Ed? He seems to like it."

As to prove her words, the said hyena flopped to the ground where he started to joyfully roll around in the dirt, covering his wet fur with even more brown dust.

Banzai flinched in surprise, as Shenzi stepped beside him and gave him a watery lick at his neck. Startled and slightly embarrassed he looked at her. "Wh… uh, er… w-what was that for?", he stammered.

"Don't get any ideas, stupid!", the female growled and stared into his blushed face. Then without a warning she tackled him to the ground. "Now roll and don't dare to get up before that spot is covered again!"

Frightened by her anger, Banzai did as he was told, while Ed giggled insanely. Then suddenly, something else got the retarded male's attention and his voice changed into something that sounded like a faked hiccup.

Shenzi's eyes turned into the direction he pointed with his snout. "Hey! Quiet, both of you!", she ordered. "There they are."

In silence the trio watched a pair of lions passing by in the distance. They seemed to argue and stopped from time to time, until finally, the female turned around and headed back the way they came from while the male continued into the other direction.

"Guess we ain't gonna get a better chance", Shenzi declared, fixing her eyes on their target.

As quick as he could, Banzai jumped up and was by her side. "The girl?"

"Of course, or do ya think I'd try on a grown lion with no one but you two wimps as backup?"

"Was just asking", he replied, but the female was already moving out of their cover, so he hurried to follow her.

"Enough asking", she said, a hint of hunger in her voice. "You know the plan. Let's finish this!"

The attack had been quick and brutal. When they had first approached, Ruya hadn't noticed the hyenas' expression. She had called out for them, trying to explain her return, but then…

"For the queen!" Their shouts still echoed in her mind, as she ran through the savannah, crying for help. Tears both of pain and shock ran down her face. She didn't understand. She had been warned, yes and she hadn't expected to be greeted kindly after how Ushindi had insulted Siyogwaya, but this?

The nearly insane giggling behind her grew louder. She wasn't sure how she had managed to escape them. She remembered a well-placed strike of hers to the head of the slobbering one, but despite the strength her panic had unleashed, the hyena had jumped up again, simply looking a little dizzy. Then he had been at her again, laughing like crazy.

Suddenly, she saw them. Two large rocks, surrounded by a few acacias. Behind them lay the dry wasteland of the Outlands. She had reached the border! Spurred by the sight, she hurried up. They wouldn't follow her out of their territory, she told herself. If they really wanted to kill her, they already would have done so. They only wanted to make her regret it, just as the queen had threatened. Beating her up and chasing her out, that was it.

She had already passed the first tree, when she noticed something was different than when she and Ushindi had come through this place in the morning. There had been no guards in sight, but now… Through her tear-dimmed eyes she saw blurred figures laying in the shadows of the rock… spotted figures with brown coats. Hyenas. Some of them had already noticed her and jumped up, seemingly unsure what to do.

They wanted her out of their kingdom. Yes. Maybe they would shout and snap at her, but they would let her pass, she thought.

And then her hopes where shattered with a call from behind. It was the female, the leader of the group that pursued her. "She tried to murder the queen! Stop her! Kill her!"

"What the…" One of the hyenas in front of her fixed his eyes on her. "Get her! Take her down!"

"NO, PLEASE!", Ruya screamed as the hyenas met her. She never saw her pursuers quietly sneaking off into the Outlands. Instead, she saw the gaping jaws of the guards and felt the burning pain of their teeth tearing at her skin and flesh. She heard their growling, their giggling and her own voice crying for help and begging for mercy and suddenly a furious roar. Then, the world became dark and silent around her and she lost consciousness.

Askari wasn't sure what news he had expected to hear when his friends would return, but most certainly not this. Some of the others, especially Shauri had thought, with Ruya accompanying him Ushindi would manage to solve the situation without running into too much trouble, but now… He had been the first to notice them, as they returned and had immediately sent Teke – who had followed him on a walk along the border – to get help.

From the distance, it had looked like Ushindi was alone. Only when he had gotten closer, Askari had seen Ruya laying on his back. At that point, he had sensed something was wrong, told Teke to assemble the others and ran to help his friends. Now, as he reached them, he was shocked by the sight. Ushindi was covered in blood, his own and that of others. His mane was torn and tousled and he was limping both from wounds and due to Ruya's weight. The lioness looked even worse. Her body was covered with bleeding wounds. Her eyes were closed and she didn't move at all except for her legs and tail dangling with the rhythm of Ushindi's unsteady steps.

Immediately, Askari stepped beside his friend and pulled Ruya over onto his own back, releasing him from his burden, while Ushindi urged him not to wait for him and carry her to the shaman as fast as he could. There was no need to tell him twice. He knew where to find the old monkey thanks to some conversations with the Pridelanders, so he wasted no time. "Hang in there!", he gasped, as he raced through the savannah, unwilling to believe that maybe it could already be too late for her…

AN: Well, thanks to some help from Shenzi and her gang this already tense situation escalated, but Ushindi provided her with the perfect conditions for her plan to work... and Ruya payed the price...