Zion l Pride Male l M: Zefira, Nyota, Calisto

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Zion's eyes awoke to the sound of a young cubs yell. His brown eyes quickly adjusted to the African sun, as Zion rose to his paws. He let out a long stretch as he watched the young cub disappear, yelling to words "Got you!" His eyes scanned camp, he seemed to be the inly one awake for now, except of course to the King and Queen. It seems they either went for a hunt or for a drink, and they got ablittle suprise at that.

Zion was very content with the Pride, he felt it was under good leadership, as he felt Calisto was the best lion fir the job. He himself would like to be King, but he knew he could never pick a fight with him. Over the years since Zion was a rogue, he and Calisto had been on good terms. They were what you would consider friends, although not in a brotherly way. Nyota was a perfect fit for him. She seemed to always long for him, even in his couple years. She was a powerful leader, and he admired that. Always able to take command like I knew he never could. Together they made a powerful duo, one that was fair.

The young male began on his way to the watering hole, like he did every morning. Shaking his mane slightly to rid it of dust and twigs. As he made his way down, he saw the small cub, Zefira, clinging to the Queen's tail. He gave a small chuckle. "Nice hunting Zefira, but I don't think the Queen likes to be hunted." He said with a laugh, "Why dont you hunt me instead?" He said in a nice gentle tone, giving a warm glance to the King and Queen.

Asha slowly opened her eyes as the light from the morning shone right into them. She huffed quietly from where she was sleeping next to her brother, Kovit, and her mother, Inaaya. She lifted her head, letting out a small yawn. For a couple of minutes she just rested there, not bothered to face the day quite yet, but also knowing that she would be unable to get back to sleep now that she had awakened. She blinked her eyes a few times. A good few of the cubs and lionesses in the den where still asleep.

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A while later, Asha heard noises coming from outside of the den. She felt curious and so she carefully got up, making sure not to disturb her family members.

Asha poked her head out of the den. Most of the commotion was going on fairly near to the watering hole. She decided to kill two birds with one stone and get some water while figuring out what was going on. She reached the watering hole just after Zion left. The cub took in a good few mouthfulls of water, not really noticing how it was smaller than before. Asha then sat and watched with curiousity as Zefira attempted to play with the king and queen of the pride. From her prespective, Zion was inviting Zefira to play with him. How would it hurt if she joined in?

The cub stalked Zion like she had seen some of the older lions do when they where trying to hunt before pouncing at his tail with a grin.

"Got ya! You didn't even see me coming, did you?!" Asha asked eagerly, her tail swishing back and forward.

Spottedshade | F | Pride Lionness | M: Calisto, Nyota, Zion, Zefira

Spottedshade awoke to the sounds of cubs playing and lions chatting. She was never the first awake, it seemed. She thought about the last time she'd eaten, and how much smaller prey was recently. Even the watering hole was beginning shrink. Her stomach growled, but she figured it would be rude to ask the King and Queen for a hunt when everyone was still just waking (or still asleep).

Instead, she yawned and began to groom her spotted light brown pelt. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the King and Queen talking by the watering hole. She smiled. These were hard times, but she had faith that the pride's leaders could get them out of it alright.

Lionel | M| Cub | Mentions: Calisto, Nyota, Zion, Zefira, Asha

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Lionel opens his eyes tothe bright sun. He looks around to see some lions awake. He raises slowly and stretches. He listens to everything around him for a second before starting towards the watering hole. He sees the King and Queen talking and the smaller cubs playing with Zion. He looks at the water hole and sees its lower than ever. He shakes that away and starts walking over to where the cubs are. Lionel sits a few paces away watching Asha and Zefira pouncing at Zions tail and all three of them having fun. He listens into what the King and Queen are talking about and can hear the worry in their voices. He dosent endulge in that anymore. He focuses on the cubs again. They seem really happy. Though they are they are really young so they probably have not a care in the world. He turns around and watches they animals running all over the land and the birds flying in the sky. He enjoys getting up early enough to watch the sun rise. Its always a very nice sight to see in the morning.

Hemlock was one of the later ones to wake up, he always had that bad habit of sleeping in but he wasn't worried. How could the king get mad if he himself had only stared at a puddle so far that day. Hemlock thought to himself he would rather enjoy a few extra minutes of sleep.

He let his eyes pause on the Queen for a second, he appreciated the way her fur shone in the sun and hoped that Calisto did too. Among them was a young cub who made him think of his little brother. Hemlock had already planned to go for a patrol, why not bring little Lionel.

Spotting his brother he padded over giving a little swat at his ear before bending into a long stretch, his shorter but muscular legs flexing, mouth wide in a yawn.

'How about a little guard patrol,' Hemlock offered, the first couple words getting mushed up in the end of his yawn.

He looks to his queen and sighs, "If anything, we follow the herds. Blood can sustain for a little while, but water is what makes functions work. As much as I like to stay here, I'm afraid if there is no rain, the herds will move." He said and jumped a tad when he heard a cub announce his successful capture of the queen. He looks and gives a smile before turning to walk back towards the shade tree. Sitting down by the base, he looks around and saw the rest of the pride stirring and waking up for the day.

"Zion" He called and looked to the younger male, it seemed he was itching to get out for while.

Lionel | M | Cub | Mentions Hemlock, Calisto, Nyota, Zion

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Lionel takes a deep breath before turning to Hemlock. " Of course I do but, did you ask the King and Queen? I dont think we should leave without their consent." He twitched his tail nervously. He looked at Calisto and Nyota right behind Hemlock. Calisto called for Zion which made Lionel a little curious. He figured he mightas well listen to what their saying. "Actually it probably dosent mater they seem busy."

Nyota jumped as something landed on her tail. She whipped her head around to find a small bundle of fur attached to her tail. Zefria was her name, she remembered.

Nyota chuckled at the cub, "Good job Zefria, your going to be a wonderful huntress one day."

"Let's just hope it doesn't get that bad." Nyota responded to Calisto.

The rest of the pride was waking, so Nyota walked over and sat next to Calisto as he talked with Zion, watching the rest of the pride emerge from their resting places.

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Kovit sitrred pawing at the edges of the nested den that seemed to have been built just for the cubs and their mothers. A small raspy cough escaped him caused by the fire smoke they previously escaped from.

He felt as though he wasnt up for playing today still tired from the perilous journey though he wondered what Asha was up to her presence noteably absent from beside him. Perhaps she was already finding trouble without him? The thought of It gave him a pang of immeadiate jelousy like he was missing out on something fun so instead he hurled himself to his paws with a burst of reserved energy.

"Asha!" he called out into the bright and sunbeamed clearing his eyes adjusting quickly as he stuck his head out from the tall dry grass. "Ashaa!" his voice rung again this time with annoyance in his tone. 'Wheres mother?' he thought to himself as his gaze observed the lengthy field around him. He curled his ears and padded outwords on mission to find the both of them, kovit's body bobing up and down amusingly through the grass.

He searched restlessly for his sisters scent until finally coming across an easy trail of her dusty pawsteps that led straight to the watering hole. He anxiously walked near where the pride was gathered fumbling over his own paws and scowering for a familar face among them.

A few moments later he finally found who he was looking for, Asha was busy playing with Zion and zefira. Already feeling as though he missed out on some fun he carefully stalked Zefira and Asha from a distance. Kovit leaped at the perfect moment landing abruptly between the two cubs with a pounce maneuver, his tail and paws spun wildly in the air looking for a place to land in a hysterical fashion. "Did you miss me?" He chirped to the three.

Armani had woken up early to go for a walk or maybe a little hunt to catch a rabbit or something, she was walking back to the pride when she spotted a rabbit. It looked so good as it hopped out of It's den, Armani crouched down inching closer and closer until she pounced on the rabbit before it could move. Rabbits were the easiest to catch even though Armani was a skilled hunter, other larger animals might need another lion or the whole pride to catch.

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She was so excited and pleased about her morning kill that she skipped back with the rabbit swaying and dangling from her mouth, from side to side that she nearly dropped it. When Armani got back nearly all lions/lionesses where awake, she looked around for the king Calisto to offer him part or all of her kill. She knew she might get in trouble from leaving pride territory without asking or consulting the King and Queen, but she hoped the rabbit would make up for it.

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She heard voices near the watering hole and trotted over to see what was happening. Before she had time to get to the watering hole she noticed Calistos scent wasn't as strong as it should be, so she looked around and saw Calisto and Nyota under a tree in the shade. She trotted up to them the rabbit still in her mouth swaying so she put it down to talk with her paw over it and said, "Calisto, Nyota" Making sure they knew of her presence, "I know I should have told you I left the territory, but I caught a rabbit quite close to us, would you like it?