Kovanu || King || Ridge Pride || M: Crixus

He listened to Crixus's opinion, flicking an ear thoughtfully. His face scruched with obvious disdain as the other male mentioned the Desert Pride. With a short huff, the blond lion let his mind wander for a moment to how he looked forward to driving this... lesser pride from his lands -- well, from the lands that bordered his home.

They were a threat, and they were taking from the same herds that the Ridge Pride hunted. Sometimes, his lionesses would get to the food first, and they would be able to take down the weaker members. Other times, though, and it was becoming more frequent, the Desert Pride would get to them first. His pride would then have to deal with hunting healthier animals, and their success rate was declining.

Pesky, parasitic neighbors.

It took Kovanu a couple seconds to realize Crixus had finished speaking. He paused and looked over, the irritation he felt towards the other pride clear in his face and tensed body. "Yes... I wouldn't put it past them to be stupid enough to cross the river. I'd expect they have as little fear towards crocodiles as they do towards us."

Kovanu curled his lip as he continued forward, drifting ever so slightly towards the most direct path to the river. He slowed for a moment.

Right now, Kovanu was inclined to check the river. Even if his newfound paranoia was getting the better of him, at least he and the others would be able to know for sure whether their neighbors had been trespassing as brashly as they acted. The large male shifted his blue gaze in the direction of the camp, faintly wondering how close his own pride got to the river. Hopefully not closer than necessary -- the reptilian bastards that owned the waters were extra bold this time of year. A lion or two had fallen to their jaws more than once in Kovanu's lifetime -- male, female, and cub.

Cubs. Oh, how he wanted some of his own. It would happen one day, he was sure, and he looked forward to it. It just wouldn't be with Acantha. Frankly, he was fine with that. It wasn't the end of the world for a King and Queen to have different mates, but it was a bit of an eyebrow raiser, especially towards his ability to lead a pride. Well. Let the skeptics criticize; he was king and he was the defender of his pride. That was the end of it.

Adani || Desert Pride || Huntress || M: Ismitta, Hunting Party

The spotted lioness lingered at the back of the hunting party, staying low to the ground in order to avoid being spotted by their quarry. As the lionesses came to a halt, Ismitta continued for a moment before turning back to address them all. Adani listened in silence, making note of her role as Ismitta reached her in the plan, and the young lioness nodded to herself.

As they all began splitting into their designated groups, Adani prowled over to where Ismitta was stationed. After a moment of silence, she asked, "If we do bring down the bull, would you like me to find the patrol?"

She turned her large amber eyes to the unsuspecting creature and licked her maw. Her paws itched with anticipation and she directed her line of sight onto Palika and Kailani; her heart skipped a beat as Palika gave a nod to her companion, and Adani shrank down into a hunter's crouch, ready to spring out at the bull once he deviated from their plan.

Adani kept one ear focused on the Queen for a response and the other on the bull. Adrenaline caused her blood to roar through her veins, but she had trained herself to listen past the rushing liquid and maintain a good hearing range despite her nerves. The threat of their neighboring pride wasn't helping with those much.

The large brute walked alongside his King, eyes squinted against the sun. He would have preferred to go on a patrol at night, whether or not he was alone mattered little to him, but he had been ordered by his Queen to join Araali on the patrol--and who was he to argue with a lioness with Ismitta? He could deal with the sting in his eyes for now. The joys of being a white lion, most had blue eyes, and it made them sensitive to sunlight.

For a brief moment, Koen closed his eyes entirely, letting out a soft sigh of relief when the stinging subsided slowly. The world was terribly bright during the day, and he had no clue if other lions saw it the same way he did and simply didn't have their eyes hurt, or if his eyes made the world that much brighter.

"How do you think the lionesses are doing?" His baritone voice rumbled when he opened his eyes again, allowing them to remain as small slits against the harsh light. The lionesses had gone on a hunt, in the direction towards the Ridge Pride border. He'd suggested to his King that they do the other borders first, and then check the Ridge Pride border, so that they wouldn't disturb the hunt. So, currently, the pair were on the opposite side of the territory to the hunt.

Kailani and Onyeka, the cubsitter and the elder of their pride, had joined the hunt today to heighten their chances of success. Whilst that was good, it meant that the only current cub in the pride, Titilayo, his daughter, had been left entirely alone, completely unprotected. He trusted the small white lioness, a small spark of pride made itself known in his chest at the fact that she was a white lioness and thus clearly his daughter, but he did not trust the other creatures around them.

Izem || Ukufa Male || M: Coalition (Ind)

The tawny lion lazed in the shade of a shriveled acacia whose bark was stripped away in long gashes. The dead plant had become his scratching post as of late, since the coalition had relocated. Word had reached them of the Ridge Pride not too long ago, and Izem's leaders were determined to overtake it.

He, himself, was not opposed to it, but he was hesitant towards going up against an unknown force that many feared. Sure, the lions would scout before creating a good plan, but the more lions there were in an area, the greater the risk of getting caught. Izem wasn't the biggest fan of getting caught.

The male released a heavy sigh and twitched his tail, amber eyes moving languidly over the forms of Kumar, Reth, Hizaak, and Jareth. The two leaders had not given any orders yet -- actually, Izem didn't know where Gazini had gone. Ah, well. He'd return, eventually. Izem stood and shook the lingering dirt and sand from his coat, walking over to the edge of the water that the coalition had claimed.

He lapped up the liquid, pleasantly surprised at its relatively moderate temperature. Usually the water out here was... hot. Everything was hot. It made him irritable, but this small blessing was not overlooked. Izem released some purr-like rumble and took a final drink before returning to the shade. He would wait, now, to see what the kings had in store.

Shiva || Ridge Pride || Huntress || M: Others (Ind)

Speckles of dust drifted in the light breeze, catching the sunlight as they fell down, down, down past the lioness's nose. Through eyes so narrowed that her lashes touched each other, each refracting piece of earth took on an extra shine and blurred into a perfect golden sphere in Shiva's vision. The lioness exhaled sharply, sending those directly in front of her into a frenzied downward spiral.

With a small chuff, Shiva opened her eyes. Her dilated pupils instantly shrank into small dots as the full strength of the daylight hit them and she suppressed an irritated growl. Ah, well, naptime was over. Shiva brought a somewhat disdainful gaze to the two lionesses talking on the other edge of the camp. Their Queen always had to approach that one first.

Why, she asked herself, do I stay in such conditions, where my skills are wasted?

She curled her lip and sulked in her shady corner, resting her chin on her massive paws. Her long claws raked the earth beneath them in a small display of boredom and her interest shifted to the other lionesses of the pride. Her mind wandered, then, and she began considering all the places they could hunt. Depending on how much drama their neighbors put on, they could probably manage to snag a few decent carcasses. Even the kills of the other pride, if they were near enough to the border. Shiva wouldn't mind that.

If she couldn't display her prowess to her own pride, then she would force her dominance on another.

A large figure wandered, leaving a trail of embedded steps upon the dusted ground in his wake. His pupils constricted, eyelids batting in protection against the strength of the sun. Araali moved in silence, taking heavy steps at a singular pace while his head swayed, observing the horizon for unwanted guests.

Like Koen, he had wished to depart on a patrol when the sun was not at its peak. However, Ismitta had requested it, and even Araali, the King himself, knew better than to argue with her.. Not that he ever would regardless. The Queen had his respect and his heart. She could order him to embark on twenty patrols, and he'd do it in an instance without a moments hesitation. Besides, as far as he was concerned, he and Koen had the easy task while Ismitta had taken her lionesses on a hunt in the sweltering heat.

The mere thought of his Queen left a lopsided smile to remain plastered upon his muzzle like a fool. It was only when he caught himself did he release a small grumble, shaking out his mane to let some air flow between the thick fur. It was then when he paused for a brief moment, allowing himself to clearly inspect his surroundings before resuming his walk alongside of his pale companion.

Ears flickering ever so often, Araali would continue the same action. He would walk for several minutes, pause to inspect, and resume. It was a routine of his, one that made little difference besides making him feel more confident and thorough with his patrol. So, he would carry on with his little procedure in silence. Even when Koen spoke, Araali turned his eyes to him in brief acknowledgment before resuming; there was little that could full distract him from his task.

"I have confidence in them," he responded to Koen's question after several moments of stillness. "I believe that they'll be successful, regardless of how long it takes. If not, they'll simply try again. If one thing is for certain, they're determined." Satisfied with the small exchange of conversation, Araali held in the fact that he was rather nervous.

Ismitta was heavily pregnant with his cubs, thus, he worried for her during the hunt. A singular kick from their target could be fatal, though he knew that she was cautious. However, that didn't relieve his nerves entirely, and he knew that he wasn't the only one anxious. The only cub within the pride, Titilayo, was Koen's own daughter. She had been left behind, seeing as Kailani and Onyeka, who were typically tasked with looking after her, had joined the hunt alongside of the other lionesses.

"We'll be back soon enough." Speaking to relieve both himself and Koen, Araali now faced the direction of the Ridge Pride border, having finished checking their current one. Gesturing to his Second, Araali paused before beginning to head in the direction of where the lionesses would be. Granted, it would take a while to reach them, considering they were on the opposite end, so he figured that they would be finished by the time Koen and himself arrived.

"If you'd like," he began, "we could stop by camp briefly to check up on Titilayo before proceeding?" It was a simple suggestion, one that, even if declined, would make Araali feel better knowing he had offered it to Koen. He had yet to figure out himself the responsibility of being a father. While his cubs had not yet been born, he often worried already for their safety, thus, it was only reasonable to offer Koen the choice. He was his Second and close friend, Titilayo being like his own niece. If he wished to check up on his daughter, Araali would follow without hesitation.