Chapter 3: Lion's Fury (Canon)

[Sabre]

"They were caught. Blaze wants them out." Sabre whispers back, turning his gaze to the other lions.

[Coral]

Coral let off a low growl, "Kinda surprised.. but they did look a little suspicious from the moment I saw them." she spoke quietly with a shrug, "As long as they leave quietly, I am sure things will go okay." Coral then glanced back to Rendarian, eyeing him with suspicion.

[darkrose283]

<sub>Ana shook her head no.
"Not really no."
She rose a brow as Ishana burst into the den, holding onto her brother tightly. She glanced to Frost, confused.
"I wonder what's going on....?"

Nikita watched as her best girl friend ran away. Eyes wide, she watched the tunnel, hoping that she was just kidding and went to get her brother. But no. As she stood there, tears spilled down her eyes.
"Ishana...?" She whispered sadly.

Sacha and Elder Tatiana disappeared into The Chamber. The rest of the pride watched the entrance curiously, hoping the barbary lioness would be greatly punished. Rosemarie moved to stand beside Kawaida, her eyes worried.</sub>

[Ishana]

It was too much for her, Ishana charged back and lept at her friend. "May I go out for a little ways with them?" She looked at Blaze, tears still streaming down her face. Not waiting for an answer, she hugged her closely and cried out, "I wish Peke had never done this to us! Then we could stay here together again!" Although Ishana knew better, she often listened to the adults talking, and now it all spilled out. Her front paws latched her to Niki as she held her friend tightly. She had never really had many friends.

[Sabre]

Sabre's ears droop as he looks at the young cub, memories of his dark past surfacing and faint tears forming in his eyes. He turns his head from the scene and tries to fight off his painful memories.

[Blaze]

Blaze looked at Nikita, a pang of guilt striking at him. His eyes closed solemnly. "Of course... there is an alternative. Renounce the Bolshevik pride. Defect here. And perhaps we can see a more peaceful end to the war by asking you to relay what truly happened, and of Ana's condition. We will treat you better, that you can be assured of."
Isaak stared at Blaze, stunned by the latest words to leave the red lion's mouth. He turned his golden eyes to look at Matylda and Nikita. "Why would you offer us this? We are the enemy."
"Because of the fact that the Bolshevik pride is clearly a harsh, abusive one. Strength without compassion does not a good ruler make. That is something that Vladimir would do well to learn," Blaze quickly answered.

---

Kawaida looked to Rosemarie. In his eyes concern could visibly be seen. His emerald eyes were trained on the entrance. Please be all right Sacha, he mused.

---

Dhahabu looked to Brownie, a small smile on his face.

---

Frost watched as Ishana ran in, distraught. The flavescent lioness' brow furrowed, and she bent her neck, her head level with the cub. "What's wrong little one?"

[darkrose283]

<sub>"And there she goes again... What on earth is hap-"
Anastasiya was cut off as a more intense cramp began. Squeezing her eyes shut, she put mind over matter and forced the pain away.
"I think I'm going to go lie down for a nap now. I'll see you later Frost."
Swiftly standing, Ana moved to leave and trotted through the tunnels, quickly returning to the den she shared with Sabre. Laying down, she groaned as yet another cramp began, but then it was over, she felt no more pain. Furrowing her brows, she glanced to her belly, but the sight of blood caused alarm to spread over her face. Carefully standing, she gasped, horrified at the sight that awaited her. Limbs shaking, she collasped onto her belly, tears brimming in her eyes as she gazed to the fetus. Eventually, her voice returned to her and she let out a wail of despair.

Nikita clung to Ishana, sobbing, not wanting to leave her best friend behind. She didn't pay attention to the adults.

Nearly an hour has passed before Sacha emurged from The Chamber. Head bowed low, she walked along toward Kawaida and her family. Behind her, Elder Tatiana appeared and roared the lions to attention.
"Let it be know that I, Elder Tatiana, have passed judgement upon Sacha Belikov. The verdict is.... EXILE!"
And with the lioness's words, the lions of Belikov went crazy. Lions cursed her name, flung rocks and dirt at her. Some cubs even ran up to kick her or bite her. Sacha just kept moving along until she stood before Rosemarie and Kawaida. Pale eyes confirmed the defeat. She then wordlessly picked up Kafeel, turned and began to leave the lands she had once called home. Dimitri and her brothers had arrived to see this all go down, her father moving to stand beside Rosemarie who sobbed as she watched her daughter leave. Misha glared to the others, holding his head high and following after his sister. If she were to be banished, well so was he.

On a happier note, Vladimir and his army kept marching along. [xD]</sub>

[Ishana]

Ishana just held her friend, she had made up her mind. "I'm at least going with them for a little, sir! I can't just sit here and watch them leave!" She jumped hearing Ana's wail. Although 'Shana didn't know her personally, she admired her beauty. The sound only made her cry harder, "I love you Niki! I won't forget you! Y-you were my first friend!"

[Blaze]

Kawaida seethed when he saw the look in Sacha's eyes. He could see the despair, the defeat, reflected clearly in those eyes that he had come to admire. Angrily he padded to the entrance of The Chamber, standing in clear view of the Belikovs who had heckled the lioness he had come to know and love, to cherish as his mate. A roar of anger escaped him. "Chto znachit bytʹ Belikov? Stoyatʹv storone i stradayut nespravedlivostʹyu i neblagodarnostʹyu, nesmotrya na prokladke svoyu zhiznʹna liniyu dlya gordosti? Vy dumaete, chto vy tak zamechatelʹno, chto u vas tak mnogo energii, chto vy stoite vyshe vse. Sacha eto bolʹshe, chem lʹvitsa-nibudʹiz vas. Tolʹko Belikovs kotoryh ya derzhu s uvazheniem, i kotorye ni malyeĭshih chesti, te, kotorye ya prishel, chtoby uvidetʹ, kak semʹya, rodstvenniki Sacha. Gordosti ona levye dala ponyatʹ, chto ona dolzhna kogda-nibudʹ vybratʹ, chtoby vernutʹsya, ona budet vstretili otkryto. Potomu chto oni na samom dele tsenitʹyee. Vy? Vy obrashchaetesʹso svoimi 'opekunami', kak musor, lishaya ih lyuboĭ schastʹe, kotoroe oni mogut stremitʹsya. YA nadyeyusʹ, chto chuma postigaet vas durakov, A takzhe zapchasti tolʹko semʹi Sacha. Mozhet bytʹ, togda vy uvidite smysl." As he spoke, his gaze turned to those gathered. His eyes were narrowed in outrage.
With nothing more to say he walked down the retinue, passing by Sacha's family. He looked to Dimitri and Rosemarie and nodded. "Goodbye father. May we see each other again at some point. You too, mother. It's... a shame. And here I was growing attached to Sacha's family. My family.
"I promise you, I will look after her. I will protect her. I vow on my life," Kawaida said. With his eyes closed solemnly he departed after Sacha.

---

Matylda looked at Blaze. She stared into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. Something that had long been absent from the eyes of her own king. "Niki... would... would you like to stay here?" she asked.

---

Frost ran immediately to the den that Ana shared with Sabre, having heard the lioness' distraught cry. Without thinking, without announcing her presence, she ran inside and looked at Ana. "Ana, what's wrong?"

---

Translation: "What does it mean to be a Belikov? To stand by and suffer injustice and ingratitude, despite laying one's life on the line for a pride? You think that you're so wonderful, that you have so much power, that you stand above all. Sacha is a greater lioness than any of you. The only Belikovs whom I hold with respect, and who have any shred of honor, are the ones I have come to see as family, the relatives of Sacha. The pride she left has made it known that should she ever choose to return, she will be welcomed back openly. Because they actually appreciate her. You? You treat your 'guardians' like trash, denying them any happiness they may seek. I hope a plague befalls you fools, and spares only Sacha's family. Maybe then you'll see sense."

[Sabre]

Sabre hears Ana's cry and takes off at full speed for the chambers he shares with her, he arrives on the scene, his face filled with fear. "Ana?! Are you ok?" He says, slightly panicked.

[Ishana]

Ishana glanced up at Matylda, shocked by her gesture. Although 'Shana already knew what Niki would say. She knew Peke was a better friend, so as painful as it was, Ishana let go of her and slipped away from her. She could hardly refrain from sobbing again. "No. Niki, you need to go to your home." A single wail escaped her, "I love you, but you like Peke better and I know it." Before she could change her mind, she fled the scene sobbing again. This time she just wanted to be alone. Once she found a good spot, she laid down and just let everything go.

[Hero58]

Just then though Wedger gives a light groan "Oh great...I spoke too soon" she says in a growl of pain.

[Brownie]

Brownie purred quietly, rubbing his head against Dhahabu's slightly as he sat up from his lying down position. Eventually he stood up and stretched his paws out in front of him before turning his attention to Dhahabu. "When do you think we should tell them?" He asked, head tilted to one side slightly.

[Blaze]

Mkali had been walking through the tunnels, wanting to get away from the chaos at the entrance of the complex of the Mlinzi caves. As he wandered through, his steely grey eyes glancing about, they fell upon the cave that Brownie had been given to stay in. As he walked past, he noticed that they were next to each other, the light brown male standing and Dhahabu laying down upon the stone floor.
"When do you think we should tell them?" Mkali heard Brownie say.
Casually he stepped into the cave, looking at the two. "Tell us what?" As he waited for a response, a scent reached his nose. A mixture of scents. One of which was unmistakable to Mkali. A low growl escaped him as he looked at Dhahabu, his grey eyes narrowed in outrage. "You treacherous... my daughter wasn't enough for you, you had to go rolling around with Brownie behind her back!?" he rhetorically asked. He noticed Dhahabu open his maw to speak, but quickly silenced him with a harsh movement towards the gold-pelted male. "Don't try to deny it. The act of mating's scent is still fresh between you two, and your scents are mixed together. Frost is going to hear of this. How do you think she'll respond to this betrayal!?"
Before anything could be said, the aged male walked out, furious more with Dhahabu than with Brownie.

---

Blaze stood next to Coral now, looking down at the ground at the sad exchange between the two cubs. His head perked up, however, as he heard footfalls come his way. He noticed his father walking toward them. And he noticed the cross expression on his face. "What's wrong? You look furious."
"Dhahabu has been going behind your sister's back... with Brownie," Mkali grimly said.
At this Blaze's eyes widened in shock. They then narrowed with anger, directed at the adulterer.

---

Huruma swallowed hard, his eyes resting on Wedger's face. He wasn't sure if it was just kicking or if it was actually starting. "It's... it's starting now?

[Asani]

Aina rose up and toddled around trying her best to gain her balance on her small legs, unfortunately ended up falling over. She looked around trying to find something to do or play with and was content with trying to catch a small fly that buzzed around her head until spotting her Uncle by her grandfather. Curiousity got the better of the little cub and she pulled herself over to them, staring up at the duo once she arrived over and pawed at thier paws smiling up at them.