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Teketeza raised a brow as Kaanga went on. Even the way she talked was similar to one of her stupid riddles. She then went a step further, insulting his intelligence! He snarled in the direction of the group, but he held his tongue. The former Princess was still highly regarded within the Pride. If Teketeza was to rise through the ranks like he wished, this was the kind of annoyance he would have to put up with occasionally.

Deciding that they were getting no where fast, he flopped into a sitting position with a thud. A couple more answers were thrown out, one of them coming from a Hongshan, but he didn't know or care whether or not they were correct. If the Firekin needed information, they took it. If someone was in the Firekin's way, they killed them. These war games were doing nothing to teach him how war was really fought, not really.

It seemed that the group had come to a complete stand still. There was hardly any confering now either. What could be going on?

[Super apologies for the delay, had a ton of work to finish today!]

Kaanga smiled, rather impressed with the responses. In fact some of them were even better than what she had been thinking of! "It is indeed energy! But I also like patience. That's a good answer! Life, also a good answer although I might have to add a few lines to that..." her voice trailed off, as though considering.

A long pause stretched out. It seemed Kaanga really was mulling this over! "Marvelous. She is pleased. It is a simple riddle, but simple questions can throw you. If I could tag myself out twice for good answers, I would!"

The princess turned her head towards her mate, and gave him a small nudge. "Now is Mpaji's turn to tell a riddle! But the angry grey one is very busy today, it seems, you'd better make it an easy one for him!" Then, making a sudden hacking noise, she fell over dead.

Mostly dead anyways because she occasionally opened her eye to watch.

At first Soleil let out an alarmed sound, then noticed Kaanga's eye opening now and then. Ah, a good show of playing dead. She gave a bemused snort. "Drama queen..." She paused, then gently prodded the pale lioness, as if to 'confirm' that she was really 'dead'.

Keahilani simply snorted. "Drama indeed... And a ham..."

Singh covered his mouth with a paw, hiding a laugh at Kaanga's act. Well, at least SOMEBODY found comedy in her antics. He'd have to congratulate her on the most dramatic 'death' in the games yet later! For the moment, he settled to watch, entertained as he listened to the riddle and answers. Why had nobody really thought of vision...? One could take it but not give it, after all... Though it couldn't be spent but could be stolen. No wonder nobody had said vision. He shook his head, more to himself, at such a silly notion. It was a good thing he wasn't answering riddles!

Riddles? Really? Xefo angled his wings for a slow descent to make sure he heard everything. He didn't get why the game of war had turned into a game of riddles, but it was an amusing twist.

"Energy," he mumbled to himself, and decided to try to remember the riddle and tell it to Xatu later, just for kicks. He rather hoped that his young lion companion wouldn't get it at first, making him feel old and wise. Well... He didn't usually need help feeling old. "Not stolen... Can be lost... Not given... but spent..."

He had to stop chanting and catch his breath. He was starting to run out of energy with all the maneuvering he had to do to see and hear properly, so he landed on a rock again. It happened to be a rock very close to the one where the little skink was enjoying the show, but the vulture didn't seem to notice the small lizard at the moment.

6

"I see you have felled my companion," Mpaji began. If he seemed alarm by Kaanga's great display, it was shown through a large smile.

"Now, now," he clicked out towards Teketeza. His voice was a deep, booming chuckle from the center of his large gut. "Patience is also a part of war."

Mpaji's eyes sparkled as they turned from the large, impatient male to the rest. "But, your last response has earned you this next riddle. I have made it easier, since some of you have much learning to do on patience and thought!"

"Name it and you will break it. What is it?"

Keahilani let out a bemused sound at the eager lioness. "I don't think there's any other answer t othat..." He paused. "Though, wouldn't one say that silence is golden...?"

"Then you should stop talking." Soleil reached up, swatting her brother on the nose. Then she turned to Mpaji, eyebrow up. "I don't suppose there's MORE riddles to be had somewhere along the way..." She hoped not. Riddles just weren't her thing.

Actually, I do have one more. . ." The yellow lion began to say. Mpaji opened his mouth, but before he could utter another word, he suffered a fatal heart attack.

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Kaanga smiled, barely able to contain a laugh as Mpaji fell over dead. They guessed the riddle right! Marvelous! They wouldn't have any problem at all facing Azar, would they? Kaanga was quite proud of her fourth-favorite nephew and his rather volatile squad! Even the angry one who continued to keep moaning and groaning rather than assist the group.

Once Mpaji had tagged himself out, and presumably there were no more riddles left, Hraga was feeling a bit impatient himself. "Wait, if you are both dead now, how are you going to tell us the information?" he asked. This hadn't been the trick of the whole game, had it?

Kaanga sat up, a broad grin on her face. "I have risen from the grave to tell you!" She looked rather forlornly at Mpaji's body, pressing her paws together respectfully. Then, she turned her attention back to team 1. "Roho came through here not long ago, and met up with Azar and a small force. They have this entire line held strong, but he broke off a few men to call the others to this place. He presumed we'd keep you occupied long enough for the forces to reconvene."

"But, she thought, he was not specific enough as to how long. So Kaanga has timed it well that we have delayed you long enough to be honorable, but short enough that you will still make it to him before the bulk of his troops get here. That is, if you dally much longer anyways."

Kaanga looked down the slope, past where the cubs played and down towards the old throne area. "You'll find Azar and his small guard down that way. But it won't be easy, and if you wish to capture Azar you'll have to do it fast."

"But I am afraid that is all the time the spirit world has allowed me!" She said regretfully, before dying again.

Hraga tensed. "Alright, you heard her. Lets move."

Morag was late to the event, of course. It had taken some doing to get here, but she'd made it, finally, trailing along behind the rest. Her face gave away her sullen attitude, as though she dared anyone to say she should wait on the sidelines. With half her face covered and only half her sight to use, anyone could have said she was a liability... but the dark female refused to sit on the sidelines without at least trying.

Now was the time for testing... did her ruined sight equate to being ruined herself for anything but the most menial tasks? She felt a burning in her heart at the very thought. She would prove to herself, and to the rest, that she was not useless. She might not have been raised to be a warrior, but this new threat to her homeland had awakened the heart of one in her, and she refused to be less than she felt she was... even if it was just a game.

Looking around, she took stock of the situation, looking for a way to introduce herself into the melee.