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Fleeing

"No," Kinara cried.

Her two cubs and Gatu stopped suddenly as she did, causing them to fall over. Her body was shaking as she watched the lions devoir her loving mate. Something touched her back leg, and the lioness finally looked back at her young ones, expression full of regreting shock.

"What...happened to Dad?" asked Banjija, a look of pure terror on his face right then.

She nosed all three forward, proding them to go faster, but the other way now, and replied, "Keep going. Go to the west, all of you."

"But-but why?" Banjija coughed as he was pushed.

"Just go. You remember your old den?" Meersha and he nodded. "Good. Go there and hide. I'll meet you there later. And whatever you do," she hissed as the ushered them along. "Don't go outside."

Kinara turned back around, heading down the hill again, to the main den.

"Wh-where i-is she going?" Gatu asked.

Neither of the cubs answered, nor did they know. They just obeyed their mother's demands, and continued west, down the Great Knoll and into the flat plains.

Kinara frantically tore into the den, pushing passed the crestfallen lionesses and their terrified offspring.

"Mom!" cried Kasha as he looked up.

"My Kasha," she said, relieved, but she knew the escape wasn't over. "Hurry, Kasha."

"Where are we going?" he asked as she led him to the enterence of the den.

Kinara halted, though, seeing the two rogues heading over to the enterence, blood hanging from their flat muzzles. Kasha shyed back, behind his mother, as did the others. Kinara snarled protectively, just as the rest of the pride did, desperately trying to keep themselves between the new leaders and their cubs. Even Shashi joined. But, because there was half of the pride outside now, the one lion who looked like Scar stayed out of the den as his companion stalked in.

"Hello!" called the one who was now in the cave, almost happily, ignoring the stains on his own lips and fur. "I am Chaska, your new leader! And, as your new leader, no little cubs are allowed in my path...that aren't mine that is."

Right then, Chaska snatched a near cub and snapped its neck with ease, before even his mother could do anything.

"Bondu!" cried the mother. "My little...You!" She jerked her head from Bondu's lifeless body to the killer, and before she could stop herself, the lioness pounced, raking his face with her claws.

Every cub was now watching, innocent eyes wide, for they had not experienced this before, nor had they even expected this. The ones outside were having their part as well.

"Kin," whispered Bayna in fright. "What do we do?"

"Mom," mewed Kasha, just like a baby again, the leader in himself gone.

Kinara was now backed against the wall of the den, gaping at Chaska, who went after each cub, no matter how many wounds were added to his body. She had gone through this once before, and suddenly the memories flashed back. It was her second litter she had had with Tambi. Chusuka had been one of her cubs. In fact, Chusuka was the only one in her own litter who had survived the day Ashuma had taken over.

Suddenly, Kinara shook her head, before swirling around and pawing furiously at the back of the den, chunks of dirt and loose rock falling. She could not let this happen again.

"Where's Chusuka?" she finally asked Bayna, quietly, while she worked.

Bayna turned to her, tears in her eyes. "Outside," she managed to choke.

Lusala and Pashi were under their mother, fur bristling as they endeavored to, if anything, push themselves into her leg.

Finally, Kinara had made the hole big enough for Kasha and the others to climb through. "Go," she hissed at her son, and nudged her head under him, helping him through. His large body strained her neck, for over the months, he and the others had grown much, but she would do anything for them. "Go to the north, where your old den is and wait for me there."

The cub nodded when he had climbed out. As he began to run, Bayna and Kinara pushed Lusala through, only to have the female cub cry out. Right outside, the other rogue had pounced upon Kasha, easily breaking his neck, before turning to Lusala and padding forward.

"No!" Bayna cried, and the lioness pushed herself against the den wall, thrusting a paw through the hole and outside, claws extended as she slashed at nothing.

Lusala was able to pass right under him as he was destracted by the pathetic attempts. But Pashi had gotten through the hole much too soon and, instead of going after Lusala, who was now running west, she was raked in the face.

"Pashi!" Bayna and Kinara both yelled.

With anger and rage, the two lionesses tried to strike up at the lion through the den, who just turned around to stalk off to any other cubs.

"Kasha!" Kinara sobbed, seeing her son's limp and bloodied body, lying there in the cold night.

"No." growled Meersha firmly.

"But if we just peek..." suggested Banjija.

"Mom said t' stay here! No matter what!" Meersha hissed.

"But why? I mean, why did we have t' leave?" he asked.

"Maybe you didn't get it straight, but Dad died! Now...now who knows what's gonna happen t' us?"

At first, the cubs had been choked in their shock at the sight of their father dying, but it had not been as bad as it would've been if they had not gone on so many hunts. After all, they watched death almost every week...though not from their own family. It was the journey to their old den that let each think about Ashuma and the brawl that had led him to his early demise...Or was it early? Was it not fate that led him to it? The other cubs? The chase of every lion who had become a leader, and every cub born from him?

Meersha had kept her eyes forward, and all were silent. The bloodshed was being left behind at the Great Knoll while they had traveled out to their birthing den. She recalled the times when she was younger, when she felt scared from the night - a thunderstorm, perhaps a sound outside - and she and her brothers would always find relief in the warm saftey of that den, nuzzling deep into their mother's coat, listening to her purring lullabies. If she and her siblings had been in a fight, then they would seperate themselves from each other there, each one finding a place near the dirt walls to mumble angrily under their breaths. The main den at the Great Knoll was great, but their own birthing den was something very special. In fact, Kinara - who had given birth to every one of her cubs in that exact den - had been born there herself, carried out into the world by a lioness who was now gone from age. Nevertheless, memories would be held from the den each cub was born into from every pride...from all prides.

The mourning in Meersha's soul, had soon be soothed by that special den that she had not been to for months. It was in there, where the three huddled together, fighting the agony, fright and the cold. Now, it was morning.

"B-but," Gatu said. "W-what about M-mom?"

"Yeah, and our mom," Banjija said.

Meersha shook her head sadly. "Mom said she'd come back to us, remember?"

"B-but wh-what about m-my mom?" Gatu questioned with fear.

Banjija hissed and smacked him across the face. "You're lucky you're even in here with us!"

"Banjija!" Meersha was about to yell that, but instead, it wasn't her voice.

"Mom!" she and Banjija cried out.

Kinara came limping over to them, her fur matted in crusting blood and her left ear slightly torn. The two ran out, but she hissed, and so they climbed back into the den. Kinara climbed in after them. Now that they were bigger, the den was more cramped than it had been before.

"Banjija, don't you act like that," she grumbled, obviously not in the mood to put up with foolishness from her cub.

"Mom," said Meersha, rubbing up against her mother's leg. "What happened? And where's Kasha?"

"A-and my mo-mother...?" Gatu purred.

Kinara sighed and shook her head, expression now distant as she gazed at the floor of the den. There was silence. Finally, she laid down.

"We've been waiting here, just like you said," Banjija exclaimed. "All night!"

When Kinara looked at them, she tried to find the right words. What she said was, "I need you two - and Gatu - to stay here some more." though her mind was not yet made up.

"But- "

"No, Banjija." and she licked him.

"But we've been staying here forever!" he complained.

Meersha hissed, but Kinara just shook her head. "Yes...you're right, my son. So, actually, now," and she looked up, sniffing the air and her voice grew frantic. "Now you must leave."

"What?" they all yelled.

"Now. All of you. The three of you have to leave and never come back."

"But-" This time it was Meersha.

"Meersha, no. You, Banjija and Gatu have to leave." Yes. This was it. The lioness had made up her mind now.

"Why?"

"Because...We have new pride leaders now. They wouldn't want you to stay..."

With that, Kinara couldn't help a small tear trickle down her face as she whispered to no one, "If only they could've come later. Just a little later, then at least I would've still had my daughter."

Meersha blinked as she tilted her head, before rubbing against her mother again. "Mom. What are you talking about?"

"Things happen, my little Meersha. Now I need you to be strong...You shouldn't have to do this as well, like a male, but you haven't even started adolescence yet. There's no reason for you to stay if you're too young to breed...without being forced." she added. "Now, I want all three of you to listen to me. I love you very much," She nuzzled them all, even Gatu. "Gatu, your mother loves you, too. But you cannot be with her anymore. Don't ask why. When you're old enough and have your own pride - you too, Banjija - then you'll understand."

Banjija couldn't help a proud grin at the thought. Would he get to have a pride before Kasha? That would show him...

"Grow strong, all of you. You can't stay with us anymore. So, go off and find another life."

"But what about Kasha?" Banjija then questioned, tail swishing to a fro as he still imagined the look on his brother's face if he did get a pride first.

"Do you remember the stories I told you, about how the lions of the past are up in the stars?" Meersha and Banjija both nodded. "Well Kasha, and your father, and the other cubs are up there now."

Meersha gasped, as did her living brother. The color drained from Banjija's face, and he was once more struck in emotional pain. His brother was dead, and all he could think about was getting a pride? And his father as well was gone...Regret made him flinch inwardly.

Kinara licked her two remaining cubs. "Now, leave...But, Meersha," she then said. "You might be able to find another pride, once you're just another month or two older."

"Huh?"

"When one or two more full moons has past, then you can join a pride...a different pride." she added.

"Why can't I be with you? And Bayna, and Shashi and the others in this pride?" Meersha asked, vision blurred with tears as she swallowed the forming lump in her throat.

"Our new leaders came just a little too early," her mother answered, but knew none of the cubs would understand. Not now at least. "The White-Feather Pride doesn't need you anymore. Now, be off."

As Banjija and Gatu staggered out of the den, Meersha said, "But why did Chusuka get to stay?"

Kinara shook her head. "Fate has a different path for you, my little one."

She helped her daughter out of the saftey of the den. All her memories of cubs were being coerced from her - cubhood itself was torn from Meersah, her brother and Gatu.

"I'll lead you to the northwestern borders. Then you must be on your own...Quickly."

The four of them began northwest, leaving the White-Feather Pride behind...leaving their family behind. Soon, they came to the invisible borders. Kinara sniffed the ground, now smelling the scent of the new leaders instead of Ashuma's.

"This is it," she warily stated, before licking all three of them. "Goodbye..."

"Mom!" Banjija suddenly yelled, right as something came at them.

Kinara swirled around, calling over her shoulder, "Go! I'll stall him!"

With those words, Kinara pounced Chaska, snarling. Luckily he was the only one who had followed. The other was still back at the pride.