Chapter Text
Sahar’s paws ached as he picked his way across the dry, dusty ground. The desert had been relentless; cold and dark as Sahar followed the stars.The sand beneath his paws shifted with each step, and he couldn’t think of a better metaphor for the instability of the lives of his little pride right now.
He didn’t know where they were going. He didn’t care. His one goal was ensuring his mate was safe, and yet right now he wasn’t doing a good job of it.
Alika had been strong the whole journey; full of energy and hope and good spirits, but now even she seemed weary. The trek had been long, her belly swollen and growing with each day that passed. Sahar was going to be a father; and yet the thought of bringing his cub into the world without a place to call home had him restless for the last several nights.
It was the drought that had caused this journey. The wet season had been sluggish the last few years; and the home that was once lush and green had grown tired and yellow; cracked and bruised and gasping. Sahar remembered watching the seasons change with joy, green buds and new life and the rotation of herds…and now barely the Zebra dared to walk amongst the barren lands.
As a young King, Sahar had deliberated too long. Now his pride was small; the other lions had moved on, or were too weak and sickly to join him on his journey. Once, he had dreamed of returning to them, to guide them to a new home… but with how far they’d come, Sahar knew he’d never see his homeland again.
Alika was joined by another young female, Kaya. The lioness kept Alika’s spirits up; doting on and looking after her in a way that Sahar couldn’t while he was so focused on getting them somewhere to rest. He was glad to have his own brother by his side. Askari kept him in check, fierce and quiet and wise. Despite being the eldest, Sahar looked up to his little brother.
The small pride of four had been walking for almost a month. They’d been able to seek refuge with other prides; some more welcoming than others. The Marshlands pride had all but run them off, only allowing them to sleep in the Freelands at the outskirts, barely allowed to hunt. It hadn’t been easy. Sahar knew he couldn’t give up, but it was looking more likely each day. If they didn’t find somewhere to live soon; the alternative was splitting. The females would find homes easy enough, but Sahar would be separated from his brother and his mate; perhaps forever.
“Head up, Sar,” Askari bumped shoulders with him, offering a grim smile, “We’ll rest soon.”
“The sun will rise soon,” Sahar countered, looking skyward. Already the stars were starting to dim, “We can’t be out here when it does.”
“We’ll be okay.”
“How can you know that?” Sahar challenged him, “Alika-” he lowered his voice with a backwards glance to the lionesses behind him, “Alika will have my cub in under a month’s time.”
“And a month is a long time, Sahar,” Askari assured him, “There’s a place for us somewhere. I know it.”
Sahar’s raised eyebrow said otherwise, but they pushed on.
The desert was largely unchanging. White, yellow, red and brown sands greeted them over every small dune. Every direction was suffocatingly the same, all the way to the horizon. As for life, there wasn’t much that Sahar could identify. If he looked around too much, he could feel the anxiety slipping into his paws; the worry that the desert would never end.
Occasionally, Sahar would glance back to catch eyes with his mate, who had a smile that encouraged him onwards. His family would get him through this.
As dawn crested the horizon, the terrain finally changed, the sand giving way to dirt and luscious green stalks and grasses that poked their way out from the dunes. Sahar breathed a sigh of relief. The comfort of solid dirt beneath his paws surely meant that they were going to be okay.
Thirsty and tired, the small pride staggered to the top of the next ridge. Their first priority was water, and then they could finally rest.
“Sar…”
Askari’s voice was laced with disbelief. Ahead, he stood at the top of the ridge, sinking to his haunches as he looked around in wonder.
Sahar dreaded another desert as he dragged his tired paws onward.
… it wasn’t another desert.
All the breath left Sahar as he looked upon the lands in front of him. They stood atop a cliff face that dropped into a deep gorge. But beyond it… as far as the eye could see was the greenest grass Sahar had ever laid eyes on. Six or seven blue blurs of watering holes. Zebra, antelope, giraffe - the herds were vast in number, dotted figures spread out amongst the savannah.
It was beautiful, and almost in the middle of the lands sat a large rock formation. It jutted out from the ground like the snapping jaws of a crocodile, mouth open to the sky.
“Incredible,” Alika whispered as she came up beside her mate to see what the fuss was about. “That rock seems like the perfect place to rule the lands from,” she pointed out, “I wonder if they’re lions.”
“Doesn’t smell like lion territory,” Askari said, breathing deep, his ears flicking in every direction. Sahar glanced over at him suspiciously; wondering how he suddenly had so much energy. They could have been snuck up on and Sahar wouldn’t have even registered the sound.
They couldn’t rest until they’d asked permission, but Sahar wasn’t about to drag his family any further than he had to. Already, Alika had sunk to her belly in the grass, Kaya not far from doing the same thing.
“I’ll go and ask for permission to stay,” Sahar said quietly, glancing up at the rock with grim determination.
“I’ll go,” Askari said, shaking his head with a light smile, “You look like you might give up half-way there,”
Sahar gave him a frown, but he didn’t have it in him to argue. He really didn’t want to walk one more step.
“There’s a watering hole just a short walk away,” Askari tossed his head towards the aforementioned water, “I’ll meet you there.”
He didn’t stop to see Sahar’s confirmation, already on his way to where he could see a pathway down to the gorge. Many animals had taken this path before him, the path well trodden. Above him, the cliffs towered in multiple levels to the top, but he was having trouble locating a similar path that he could follow. He could always jump to the next level, but that wouldn’t be as easy for Alika when it was her turn.
Crossing the flat plain, Askari finally saw it. A collection of large rocks that lead to another outcropping, and beyond it a path to the top. It was an easy enough climb, and finally he found himself on the cliffs on the other side.
Now amongst the grass, he could smell the territory markers; it was certainly the land of a lion. But… not many of them, Askari found. Still, there was something about this place; something special. Every time he looked towards the rock formation in the centre, he felt a pull; as if something called him to investigate.
He walked slowly through the land towards the rock, taking it in. Askari could feel the tension from the zebra as he approached, but he simply bowed his head to them in greeting as he passed, showing he meant no harm.
Stopping at a nearby watering hole, Askari quenched his thirst, grateful for the fresh, clean water on his parched throat. Across the other side, a family of hippos were watching him, almost suspicious. He’d even seen some of the birds flying overhead giving him a double-take. It was almost eerie, but nobody approached. Nobody had said a word to him.
Finally he approached the rock. It was magnificent; far bigger than he’d understood from so far away. Slowly he took the rocky path up, on alert for any patrolling juvenile’s or huntresses… but nobody came to greet him. The scent was certainly stronger here though.
There were sprawling paths to different caves, and a path that ascended to the peak, but Askari ignored them for now, following the scent to the cave.
“Who are you?”
Askari startled in surprise at the young voice who spoke, whipping around and spotting a cub, staring up at him with nothing but suspicion.
“Hello little one,” Askari told her gently, hoping he appeared as non-threatening as possible, “My name is Askari… I was hoping to speak to your King…”
She regarded him critically, assessing the threat level, before she looked to the cave, “He’s sleeping.” she said, matter-of-factly.
Askari nodded with a hint of confusion; the sun was steadily rising. “And your Queen?”
“She’s dead.”
Askari considered the news, mulling it over, “When does your King wake for the day?” he asked curiously. Perhaps the pride operated differently here?
The young lioness shrugged, “It changes all the time. He’s- very old…”
Askari nodded, finally understanding a little more. An old King and a dead Queen…
“Do you have a Prince? Or Princess?” he asked, but her eyebrows furrowed and she shook her head.
“No. Just the King.”
Askari had a thousand more questions, but he wasn’t even sure where to start. The little lioness wasn’t particularly forthcoming with any further information, and questioning her didn’t seem to be the way to go.
“Izara!” a voice snapped from the cave, and Askari turned his head to spot another lioness, wondering if it was the cub’s mother..
“Easy,” Askari soothed at the piercing glare he was getting, her hackles rising. He took a few steps back for good measure, “I mean no harm…my name is Askari. I wanted to speak to your King- to ask permission for myself and my family to stay in your lands until we have enough strength to move on.”
The lioness’ expression changed from anger to surprise. He watched her eyes flicker, looking around him, inhaling gently to catch his scent. Her glare softened as she offered a small smile to Askari, tilting her head curiously..
“I’m sorry for the tense welcome. My name is Ifalma, and… welcome to the Pride Lands. Our King’s name is Gamal, but he’s- his mind isn’t always as sharp as it used to be,” she explained quietly, “He won’t be up for another hour…but I’m happy to wake him-”
“No,” Askari protested softly, “No, I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot. Let him wake naturally. But perhaps you could answer some questions for me?”
Ifalma glanced back to the cave for a moment, but eventually she nodded, “Izara, please go back into the cave.”
“But I want-”
“Now, Izara.”
With a well-practised pout, the little lioness skulked back into the cave. Ifalma watched her go, sighing quietly, before she smiled tiredly at Askari, “Come with me. I’ll take you on a tour.”
“You seemed very angry to see me,” Askari commented idly as they walked down the dirt pathway to the grass below, “Do you have a problem with visitors?”
Ifalma let out a quiet laugh, “I’m sorry. Visitors aren’t very common here in the Pride Lands,” she explained, ”There have been sightings of a rogue pride over at the Northern border. Seven or so lions patrolling the Freelands. A couple of them have come too close for comfort. We think they’re waiting for the perfect opportunity to take the Pride Lands from Gamal.”
“How can you be sure that I’m not here with them?” he asked, curious. Her anger had faded fast, somehow seeming to trust him without any further thought.
“Trust me. I’ve seen those lions; you’re not one of them,” she told him, “Plus, you came alone. So even if you are on their side, you’re also very stupid.”
Askari laughed, “That’s a fair assessment,” he murmured quietly, “Has Gamal always been your King?”
“His family has ruled over these lands for generations,” she explained, “Nobody knows how far back for certain, but he carries a long legacy he’s very proud of.”
Askari nodded, but he couldn’t help but ask the burning question, “Izara told me there was no heir.”
“There was,” Ifalma said sadly, “Queen Taiwo carried four litters to term… but none of them opened their sweet little eyes,” she murmured, “After four losses… It was too hard on both of them. They stopped trying, just to take a break, but… time passed and both of them became too old…”
It was an awful past, not just for the Queen, but the pride as well. With no heir, what future did they have? Clearly it had taken its toll. That was why the pride felt so small. That, and the threat of an attack from the enemy lions had probably weakened their morale.
“Gamal hasn’t named another?”
She rolled her eyes, “He’s a traditionalist. If they’re not of royal blood, he doesn’t consider a named heir worthy.”
“He’d destroy the legacy he’s so proud of just to stick to tradition?” Askari asked in surprise.
“Tradition is his legacy,” she said, sounding defensive enough that Askari didn’t want to push it any further.
Askari shook his head in wonder as they walked. She didn’t take him too far; just out to the main wateringhole.
“How many are there, in your pride?” Askari asked after a short drink.
“Five lionesses, including myself, five males, including the King, and three cubs. There used to be a lot more of us, but… we’ve been picked off lately.”
“The lions at the Freelands?” Askari asked, surprised still at how small the pride was, especially in a land so vast.
She nodded, “Gamal has us stay in the den as much as possible. It helps conceal our numbers. If the lions did attack, they’d have us without a fight, but while they’re unsure how many there are of us, they’re keeping their distance. We’re alive, but it’s no way to live.”
“It sounds like a real problem,” Askari murmured, frowning slightly, “None of your males have challenged the King? If he’s that old…?”
“They respect him too much to undermine him like that. He raised all of us. When he dies… it’s likely Tamu would take over… but he’s not the King type. He doesn’t want it.”
“And without strong leadership… your pride would crumble…”
Ifalma nodded slowly as she lead Askari back to the rock formation, “I’m not sure what our future looks like,” she admitted, “But I’m not asking for your help. You came here to rest, not hear about our problems.”
Askari chuckled, “At the very least, my family and I can provide you with numbers; to let your pride live in the sun for a little while.”
“How many are there?”
“My brother, King Sahar. His mate, Alika, and her pridesister, Kaya.”
“So four of you,” she pointed out sarcastically, “Yeah, sure, that definitely bolsters our numbers.”
Askari made a face, “It’s something. Six males and six females outnumbers seven males.”
“Six females? Last I checked you were bringing two with you. Not to mention one of our males is barely a year old. He might be a good distraction, if anything..”
“If not a distraction, then maybe bait,” Askari laughed, “As for Alika, she’s pregnant. She’s not worth much in a fight. Not that Sahar would let her anyway,” he chuckled..
“Their first cub?” Ifalma laughed, “Just wait until their second; she’ll still try and hunt the day she gives birth.”
“You sound like you have experience…do you have any cubs aside from Izara?”
She snorted, “Izara is my little sister,” she explained, “No experience, just what I’ve been told,” she said, heading up the dirt path, “Oh- it looks like Gamal’s awake.”
Askari lifted his head to the rock that jutted out, where an old lion stood, watching them with interest. He was much older than Askari had thought, stiff on his feet. Askari couldn’t see him patrolling the Pride Lands anymore, wondering how often he even made it to the wateringhole.
As humbly as possible, Askari climbed the rocks to greet him, bowing his head as he approached, “King Gamal, I am Askari.”
“Askari,” the old King echoed, “Where do you hail from?”
Even the way he spoke was ancient, and Askari smiled lightly, “Lands far to the North. I enter the Pride Lands with my brother; a young King from our lands, his pregnant mate, and another Huntress. Our lands grew barren and inhabitable, and we have been on a journey to find new lands to call home. We only wish to rest in the Pride Lands for a few nights, until we are strong enough to continue onwards.”
The silence that stretched was uncomfortable. The King was musing, humming softly under his breath as he considered. Askari wondered if maybe he was getting distracted.
Finally, he spoke, “None of you seek to rule this land?”
“We don’t wish to cause harm to an already developed pride,” Askari promised, “We will help with the hunting and patrolling, but we will move on.”
Gamal was silent once more, before he finally nodded, “You are permitted to stay, however that offer can be revoked at any time. Your pride may sleep in the caves with us, and are welcome to share and contribute to daily life.”
Askari breathed a sigh of relief. It had been the most welcomed they’d ever been, since they started this journey. Most of the time they were given timeframes, strict rules and prohibition from mingling. In comparison, this was a vacation. Askari bowed once more, “Thank you, wise King. We will adhere to all rules, and as soon as we’re able, we will leave you in peace.”
Askari shared a glance with Ifalma, who had sat and listened to the entire exchange. She just smiled; seemingly excited by the prospect of new pride members.
“My King,” she called, waiting for him to make the shift in attention, so he was looking at her, “Perhaps with the addition of new pride members, we can relax the laws on how often we must stay in the caves. Another two older males and two lionesses will surely mean the lions at the border wouldn’t attempt a coup…”
Askari smiled slightly. Unconsciously, both of them had changed the way they spoke to match the King’s way of speaking. Gamal took another long moment to deliberate, before he nodded as well. Ifalma and Askari followed him to the cave entrance, where he cleared his throat.
The five lionesses inside grew silent to listen, curious about the newcomer. They clearly respected their King, no matter his age, no matter how slowly he moved or thought.
“We have four new pride members joining us temporarily,” he announced, “Please make them feel welcome, and include them in your daily ongoings. Due to our growing number, I am allowing the law on cave-dwelling to be relaxed for the interim. You may linger and commune around Pride Rock once more; however please do not stray further unless on official business.”
“Yes, King Gamal,” several voices called, but the relief in their voices was obvious. Some of the lionesses had already gotten to their feet, stretching and making their way into the warmth of the sun.
“Where is the rest of your pride?” Askari asked curiously. He expected a little bit of tension as they were introduced, but the four males were nowhere to be seen.
“Patrolling,” Ifalma commented, “They walk the borders and antagonise the intruders, like idiots,” she grumbled, “But mostly they remind them that we do have the lionpower if they do come and attack.”
Askari nodded, excitement bubbling in his chest. Already the lionesses around him were exiting the cave, catching his scent and nodding to him in greeting. They were all older; Ifalma seemed to be the youngest adult by a wide margin. Being around a pride again, even like this, stirred something in Askari he didn’t realise he was missing.
“I’ll go collect my family and give them the good news,” Askari said with a wide smile.
“I’ll take you there,” Ifalma spoke up. Perhaps she too was missing the company of lions her age, “Izara is probably napping already, she’ll be alright for a little while.” she chuckled softly.
Askari didn’t mind the company, and together they set off. It was a good idea too; from this height, it wasn’t immediately clear which way the gorge was.
“You crossed the desert?” Ifalma asked in surprise as she took Askari along a path that lead straight to the gorge, “Without knowing how far it was?”
“It was a risk. But… we’d journeyed the lands on the other side. The unclaimed lands weren’t suitable for us… and Alika was getting closer and closer to delivering her cubs. We had to make a choice.”
Iflama nodded slowly, thoughtful as she walked, “I don’t know much about what’s beyond the Pride Lands. There’s the Outlands, and the Elephant Graveyard to the north. Beyond that… marsh and swamp. Further north are the mountains, but I haven’t ever been that far out.”
“I’m sure there’s somewhere,” Askari said softly, letting their conversation lapse into comfortable silence.
He took the silence to look around at the beautiful landscape. Every step he took, Askari found something new to marvel over. Whether it was the rich green of the grass, the bugs and the birds chirping away, or how bright and beautiful the sky was; Askari didn’t care; he wanted to take it all in.
The waterhole that Askari had told Sahar to meet at wasn’t far, considering how far it felt when he was walking towards Pride Rock. But his heart started to race as they neared, and he saw four lions squared off against his family
They stood in a line, the youngest with his hackles raised, though he wasn’t much of a threat. The other three were calmer, but still alert and suspicious of the intruders.
Sahar stood in front of them, defending his family. He was weary and exhausted, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.
Askari hoped it wouldn’t come to that, and he broke into a run, Ifalma following quickly.
“Hey!” Ifalma called as they drew closer, her familiar voice catching the attention of the males, ‘They’re friends; Gamal has accepted them temporarily into the Pride Lands. They’re not a threat.”
The eldest of the four was the biggest by a wide margin; surely not older than three years but still stood as tall and as wide as Sahar, muscles practically bugling beneath his fur. He looked between Ifalma, Askari and Sahar, before finally letting out a long breath. “Welcome to the Pride Lands, then.”
Sahar took a step back from where he’d risen to full height, but was still on guard. He had tried to explain the situation to them - that his brother was asking permission to stay - but they were still suspicious of him. Knowing what Askari did now, he didn’t blame them. They were lucky nobody had attacked on sight.
“What if they’re lying?” the youngest male spoke up, his fiery red mane barely fully grown, “What if it’s an act to get close to the King?”
It was a theory that Askari himself had presented, but the others brushed him off as well.
“Hush, Kifeda. Gamal has made his decision, and we do not question the King.”
Askari raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak. All he ever did was question the King. Being his brother probably helped, but… Sahar wasn’t always right. He needed to be challenged sometimes; to offer different points of view. Askari wasn’t complaining though.
“We mean you no harm,” Askari repeated himself for what felt like the third time, “Only to rest, hunt and help until we are ready to move on and find our own lands.”
The biggest one nodded, looking to the other four before introducing himself, “I’m Badru. This is Tamu and Jata, and the little spitfire is Kifeda.”
“I’m not little,” the spitfire protested, the other lions giving a chuckle.
“Gamal’s lowered the restrictions on cave dwelling, since we have more numbers,” Ifalma commented, and Jata looked to Askari in surprise.
“You’d be willing to protect the lands if we were attacked?”
“It’s the least we can do in return for allowing us to stay,” Sahar spoke up, turning and nudging Alika to her feet.
“How long until your cubs are due?” Tamu asked kindly, falling into step beside them.
“Another few weeks,” she replied, “Though I feel they’re ready to come out now. I fear one wrong step and I’ll be dealing with two newborns on our journey.”
“Not if Sahar can help it,” Kaya told them, “We’ll find somewhere to stay long before those cubs meet the world,” she promised.
Up ahead, Askari walked with Sahar, Ifalma and Badru, learning the rules and laws of the Pride Lands, and finding out more on the conflict between the lions at the Northern Border.
“I can imagine this would be a well sought after territory. Plenty of space and food… it’s a shame the pride has gotten so small.”
“We were unlucky when the seasons changed; a long drought stifled the herds and subsequently the hunting, and there were too many mouths to feed and no heir for the future. Some of the families lost their confidence in Gamal…” Badru explained.
“I know all about that, unfortunately,” Sahar lamented, “Our homeland overlooked the ocean. Beautiful views. But… drought. A similar thing happened, but… unfortunately the land didn’t bounce back. We had to leave.”
Askari paused, wondering if he should ask the question, but decided there was no harm, “You didn’t lose confidence in Gamal.”
“The same way you didn’t lose confidence in your brother,” Badru grinned, “The Pride Lands have always been our home. As loyal we are to the King… it’s also this land. Who would want to leave it?”
Askari nodded, “I’ve been here for only a couple of hours and I can understand that. But why don’t you challenge him?”
Badru scoffed, “No. I couldn’t be a King, even if I did summon the courage to challenge him.”
Askari knew that feeling all too well. The burden of leadership wasn’t for him either, “And the others aren’t interested? It’s not like there haven’t been younger Kings.”
“Uninterested. Maybe that would change with age, but…” he shrugged, “While they are my best friends, they’re not the leadership type. I’m not even sure they’re the ‘settle-down-with-cubs’ type,” he chuckled.
Askari and Sahar were quiet, but there wasn’t anything that could be done. They had promised not to interfere; to lay claim to the land, and they weren’t going to sever an alliance when it had only just been formed.
What would happen to the Pride Lands, Askari wasn’t sure. It wasn’t his place to wonder.
It didn’t take long for the four new members to start to feel at home in the Pride Lands. Their first order of business was a good rest. They slept for long hours, finally feeling safe for the first time in a month. Alika convinced Sahar to let her hunt, and she joined the hunting parties with Kaya. Askari and Sahar joined the patrols; spotting the dotted forms of lions at the border, always watching. Askari hoped that their presence meant that the lions in the Freelands would back down.
Almost a week later, they were strong and rested… but nobody wanted to leave.
Even in that short amount of time, they had built a routine, and relationships. They were safe and well-fed. Askari and Kaya would never raise the option of staying, but Sahar couldn’t deny it hadn’t been playing on his mind either.
“Could you live in a land where you’d never be Queen?” Sahar asked, seemingly out of the blue. He and Alika walked in the twilight around the base of Pride Rock, drinking in the last traces of warmth from the sun. It was especially beautiful at this hour, the fireflies just starting to emerge, other animals were tucking in for the night with a dim glow on the horizon to light their way.
“If it’s this land, perhaps I wouldn’t mind,” Alika admitted quietly after a surprised beat, breathing in the clean, fresh air, “The thought of leaving this place… it feels wrong, somehow. Do you- do you feel it too?”
Sahar closed his eyes, letting the wind ruffle his mane. He felt it; of course he did. Something had pulled them here, and it was telling them to stay.
“Could you live in a land where you would never be King?” Alika prompted softly, “It’s your birthright, after all.”
“My birthright is to a land that is lost to us,” Sahar told her gently, leaning in to nuzzle against her, “I am no more a King than Badru.”
There was a heaviness to the air; a conversation that felt so obvious that nobody spoke about it, even with the rest of the pride. It sat in whispers through the den, as if bad luck would rain down on whoever brought it up first.
Here, with her mate in the quiet of the hour, Alika was not so afraid, “Gamal will die one day. This land will no longer have a King. If this land goes unruled, this pride will fall. I’ve spoken to the other lionesses, but like the males, none of them would take over as Queen.”
Sahar let out a long breath, contemplative. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t already thought of it as a possibility, “I would not want them to think that it was my intention, Alika. If Badru- even Kifeda laid claim, I would honour that. This is their land. But if nobody rose to take over… I would gladly be their King.”
“I understand,” Alika murmured, “Could you imagine our cubs growing up here? Never knowing hunger. Wanting for nothing, in the safety of the Pride Lands?”
The thought brought a smile to Sahar’s face. He could see it. Tiny cubs, learning in a land that welcomed them, “I’d give everything to see them happy, my love.”
The month had been hard on all of them, but maybe Sahar hadn’t seen how much of a toll it had taken on his mate. All she wanted to do was settle down. He couldn’t blame her for that.
“I’ll talk to Askari and Kaya, and Gamal, of course. But… this feels like home, no matter what our titles will be in the future.”
“Will your brother accept us staying here?”
“Askari wants to be with his family. There were plenty of opportunities for him to leave… but he’s always wanted to be close.”
Alika let out a quiet breath of relief, “Kaya will stay with me. She loves these cubs more than we do, I think,” she teased.
Silence fell over them, and Sahar wondered about their new life. A life where he would never be King, in a beautiful land. He glanced up at the stars. They winked back at him, and a calm settled over him, quiet and serene. It was the right decision.
Sahar sighed contently, getting to his feet and nuzzling her gently, “Come along, my love. It’s time to get you back to the cave.”
“Just a few more minutes,” she said, nuzzling him back and taking another few moments to look at the stars, breathing in deeply.
Several moments later she finally struggled to her paws, and together they returned to Pride Rock; their new home.
“Of course we want to stay,” Askari spluttered, indignant that anything else was an option, “We were just waiting for you to suggest it.”
Sahar laughed, looking to Kaya for confirmation, “I can’t believe we settled for the first place we found, but…this place is perfect.”
“Feels right,” Sahar echoed, “I don’t know how or why, but it does.”
“Have you spoken to Gamal yet?” Askari asked.
“Spoken to me about what?”
For an old King, sometimes his hearing was uncanny. Sahar often wondered if he put it on, and there was still fight left in him.
Sahar turned to greet him, bowing his head lightly with respect, “Ah- your majesty,” he stumbled over his words for a moment, collecting himself and trying again, “My family and I humbly request to join your pride… permanently. If you would have it, we would fall under your rule, and continue to serve the pride as we have in the past week.”
Gamal laughed, an odd sound to hear from the King. He was rarely seen, often sleeping as he was the day when they arrived, “We were all wondering when you would ask,” he explained softly at their surprised faces, stepping over to the tip of the overhanging rock. Sahar and Askari followed him curiously, “In merely a week, the pride has… become more unified. New blood in our midst has livened up the lionesses to no end. The hunts have been more successful, and there hasn’t been a threat of attack. I have you and your family to thank for that.”
“No thanks is necessary,” Sahar assured him, “We were just as lucky to have found you,” he said, “And I couldn’t imagine anywhere else I would raise my cubs… if you would allow that.”
“Of course,” Gamal confirmed, “And Askari, you are welcome to find a mate in our lionesses, if you wish. You are members of the pride now, and you shall remain for as long as you don’t pose a threat.”
“You’re too kind, Gamal,” Sahar told him gently, resisting the urge to lean in and rub his head against him. He wasn’t sure they had the kind of relationship for that yet. Instead he shared a grin with Askari, padding down the rock face to give the good news to Kaya and Alika.
“You’re really staying?” Ifalma asked as she approached, ready to go hunting with Kaya.
“We’re really staying,” Askari confirmed, “Gamal has given us his blessing.”
Ifalma smirked, “I knew it,” she said smugly, “Knew the second you arrived that you wouldn’t be leaving,” she chuckled.
Askari nudged her with a laugh, “Izara will be pleased.”
The little lioness had adopted Askari as her big brother, following him around and imitating him. Askari didn’t mind his little protege, taking her on patrols when she wasn’t out taking hunting lessons from Ifalma.
Sahar had watched his family grow close with the rest of the pride. Kaya had formed a close bond with Badru, and while he suspected there was nothing between Askari and Ifalma, the two had grown close as friends. The lionesses were friendly, including the new pride members in on traditions and celebrations, and introduced them to the animals of the Pride Lands.
It had been a miracle that they had found the Pride Lands, and even more of a miracle that King Gamal had welcomed them. This was their new family.
They were Pridelanders.