Icarus slept in, due to jarring awake the night before. Lana didn't so much as stir, despite being thrown off her father's head with his movement. He wondered how she could sleep through that happening, but he was just happy that she wasn't hurt. And when Lana woke up, she didn't even so much as show signs that he had caused her pain. To the point that she wondered what ailed her father enough to skip morning lectures on this day. Either way, this meant she could surprise Magnus with an early visit and a prank. However, as she crossed the border into the Goldlands, she was unaware of another feline presence.
And that presence, a leopard, quickly raced back into the Goldlands, making his way towards the Zebra Plains and sifting through the brush that coverend the entrance of the underground cavern that had, at one point, served as a den for Mato and his family. Now, it was a den for Blood's surviving family. And waiting for him was Blood's favored son Iago. "Iago? Hey, Iago!" He called out, not quite seeing where they were and unsure who, if anyone, was home right now. Until Iago stepped out of hiding, on a ledge just above him. "Are you alone?" He asked. And the leopard responded with a question of his own. "Are you?" And at that, the weedy cub smirked, a toothy leer that could have easily been made by Blood himself. "I take it that Lana strutted her sweet little ass back here, am I right?" The spotted feline laughed to himself. "You know it. So, can I eat her?" He asked, with all of the glee of a cub being shown his favorite meal.
Iago raised his eyebrow, his message being conveyed without his having to say anything. "Of course, I mean if she rejects you again." The leopard chuckled awkwardly, hoping that he doesn't decided to sic the wild dogs on him for infringing upon his interests. "Don't worry, Mercutio, you'll get to eat a lion cub, you can be sure of that." And I can be sure you won't tell Mato who sent you, either. Iago thought as the plan came together in his mind. "Tell me, is that tiger doing his part?" He asked, not quite sure if all loyalties were where they should be placed. Mercutio simply smirked. "Of course. Cano would do anything to stick it to a lion. He's already gained their trust, so now comes the easy part." He informed, bringing a cocky grin to Iago's face.
As the two young felines concocted their scheme, Lana had made it to Ivory Tower and marveled at how beautiful it was in the morning light. As she entered the den, she was surprised that everyone was already out and about, with the exception of Malka and the cubs, who were clearly discussing the games they were going to play, until they noticed Sefu looking at the entrance. "Hi, everybody." Lana greeted, and once she had hugged everyone she affectionately nuzzled with Sefu. "And hi to you, Sefu. How are you today?" She asks, pinching his cheeks as she did. Sefu laughed, mostly at the fact that Malka and Othello still weren't used to the scruffy cub's energy.
"Hi Malka. Are you our 'adult' chaperone?" She asked, mischief in her voice as she did. Malka picked up on it. "Yeah?" He said, and Lana turned to speak to the other cubs her age. "What do you say we pay a visit to Magnus?" At that, Malka remembered something… important. Namely, that Iago was talking to a certain leopard and a certain dog. "Umm, maybe that's not such a good idea. We should… umm…" Malka realized that he hadn't planned an alternative, but there was no way he was going to let Lana walk to the pack's cave. Not on this day, after the plan he heard Iago, Mercutio and Cobarte devising for her. Thankfully, Jezebel came up with an idea.
"How about we go see what Chumvi and his friends are up to?" She asked, missing the clear, if momentary, relief that her eldest brother had plastered on his countenance. Malka, for his part, jumped right on the chance. "Yeah, I hadn't seen him in a while." Which was the truth; the yearling has had to be the one to watch Iago more often ever since Mato ordered Choyana to lead the hunts more often or risk being exiled. And Malka really didn't want to be in the den when Choyana came back from the hunt and didn't find him waiting on Iago's every whim. With his concurrence, the rest of the cubs set off for the Pridelands.
Within an hour, they had crossed the northern border, and were in the border lands between two kingdom's when they heard footsteps. And then a rustle. "Anyone else… hear that?" Khari asked, as Malka engaged his ears to listen. Othello simply shrugged. "It's probably Iago, realizing that we're going to see the Pridelanders without him." Malka's face dropped at that idea. "All the more reason we need to move." He said, his mood plunging at the mere mention of Blood's favored son. Sefu, though he could not voice it, agreed with Malka's sentiments. For Lana's part, she was curious as to why Iago acted the way he did, especially since he was the one who was actually loved and cherished by both of his parents. Khari, however, wondered how Othello and Jezebel could deal with being related to him.
As they pondered that, they heard the sound of running. This time, Malka whirled around to face the origin of the sound. And found nothing once again. "Come out, Iago! Or is the 'biggest, baddest lion around' to scared to face his big brother?" Malka knew that would draw out the prideful cub, and when it didn't Malka knew something was up. "That… should have done it. We've got to get to the Pridelands. Right now." Malka said, suddenly very worried for the safety of his younger siblings and their friends. As they broke out into a run, approaching the borders of the Pridelands, the rustling grew louder and louder until finally, something leaped out at them, causing all of them to panic and scream in fright. That is, until they heard laughter and saw that what had jumped out of the brush was not only a cub their age (and in Malka's case, nowhere near the yearling he was), but was also a creamy, mocha brown shade. His green eyes were filled with tears of laughter, but what Lana, Khari and Jezebel noticed the most was the weird symbol on his left shoulder.
"I really got you guys good." Chumvi laughed. Everyone groaned and rolled their eyes, but they had to admit that he was right.