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 Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:54 pm
Change was in the air.
Cam had felt it for a while, but it was only beginning to manifest itself. His mane was growing in thicker, his legs growing longer and stronger, his mind sharper. He still wasn't particularly large, like Tain, but he had come to accept the fact he would never be very big.
His body was not what occupied his thoughts the most, though. As soon as he had started growing again, the escape was what he thought of morning, noon and night. They were big enough now to make it on their own, and the very thought sent shivers of excitement down his spine. They were almost free.
The night was cloudly, the moon shrouded in mist, and Cam was slowly making his way towards the knoll where Tain was trapped. Kai would be there soon, and then everything would be underway.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:18 pm
 Kaihdin sniffed the air. The fog was rolling in slowly but surely, and Roho was asleep with the other cubs inside the den. Lately, Kaihdin had been doing most of the hunting for her lazy siblings, but she saw it as an opportunity to practice anyway. Not that Roho disagreed: she pushed Kaihdin to her limits, both physically and mentally, to where Kai was ready to snap at her mother.
Damn that lioness.
With a last backward glance toward her siblings, Kaihdin stepped outside the den for what she hoped would be the last time. She felt sorry for her brothers and sisters, for theirs was a life chosen for them, and not filled with the love and care it should have been filled with. Hers could have been better. Everyone's life could have been better.
Especially Cam's.
Her heart ached for her eldest brother, who had had it hard since the day he was born. Being firstborn meant nothing to Roho, and he paid the price every single day.
Her paws made no sound on the soft, dew-tipped grass. Years and years of training had created the instinct engraved into her mind: now, she planned to use it only for good. But walking quietly wasn't necessarily a bad thing, so she kept that in her mind anyway.
Her legs had grown longer as well: sleeker, faster, and stronger. Her mane had thinned, her bangs had lengthened, and her entire body had grown in size and shape.
Her heart had grown, too. It had begun to include Tain in her circle of friends, of those she cared about. Even Ishida began to edge into her chosen ones, and for that she was grateful.
Her shoulders hunched in thought as she continued her way to the knoll where Tain had been moved to. As she had grown, so had the captured cub, and they had been forced to transport the growing lion into his own hill not too far away from the main den.
She thanked the Gods everyday for that one blessing.
A lone figure near the hill caught her attention: his black form blended in with the dark shadows. It could only be Cam. Her mouth turned up in a smile and she started jogging faster, towards her brother and towards the freedom they had been aching to taste for so long.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:47 pm
"Kai!"
There were very few that Cam trusted with all his heart - his sister, Tain, and his Pridelander friend Siri. Ishida, too, was getting close to having his full trust, now that the two shared the desire to leave. But Kai was the one he had been close to since cubhood, who he had shared his earliest desires of escaping with, and for a while he had almost an obsessive fixation on her, clinging to the lioness like a cub would to it's mother. Now that he had others to confide in, he was not nearly so clingy towards her, but he still felt deep gratitude and affection towards her.
"I found a branch." He motioned to the fallen piece of wood beside his feet. Tain's den was so deep that it was impossible to get out without some sort of assistance, like that of a tree branch. It was hard to find in the barren part of the Southlands, but he had not given up.
"Are you ready?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:01 pm
Kai's smile widened and she butted her brother's head with her own in an affectionate gesture.
"I'm ready when you are. Is Ishida coming soon or will he come later? We might need him to help pry Tain out; you boys are a bit stronger than me," she teased in a quiet whisper. For as much as she had trained, the majority of her education had been focused on stealth, being sly and sleek and subtle with her words and actions, as Roho had been.
So, when it came to pure, brute strength, her brothers tended to out-do her. And she was fine with that.
"Is Tain ready?" She couldn't help but be nervous. He had grown up as a captive; she hadn't seen his face since they were cubs. Her heart twitched in anxiety: would he still hold a grudge? Would he accept her as he had Cam?
Would he be as handsome as she imagined?
Kai instantly shooed that thought from her mind, blushing in the semi-darkness and thankful for it. Lately, feelings for the 'captive' had changed in her mind. Now, she wanted to be his friend--no, his best friend, and wanted him to see her the same way.
It was a simple infautation, that was all. It would go away as soon as they were out of the Southlands and on their way to the Pridelands.
At least, that's what she hoped.
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:25 pm
"I dunno," he said, shrugging. "If he doesn't come, then we'll meet him down by the outskirts of the territory, but he might show up. He didn't really say." Puffing his chest out, he added, "We'll be able to do it either way."
He scraped at the dirt around the branch. "He should be. I told him that as soon as the sun went down and the moon came out, we'd be here for him. He'll be ready, I'm sure of it. He wants to get out of here even more than we do, after all." It was true... Kai and Cam might have wanted to get away, but Tain was away from his family, held as a captive in a little den, given barely enough food to keep him alive.
The young adult leaned over, scooping the end of the branch into his jaws. He had to tilt his head into an awkward position just to be able to drag it up the slope. "Mrm'n," he tried to say, beckoning her with his tail.
But he trusted Cam, and Cam spoke so fondly of her, so she must be decent, right? Tain had a hard time believing that he'd defend his sister if she truly was wicked. After all, he had listened to the black-furred male talk about how horrid his mother was, and his other sisters, so why would he lie about Kaihdin?
He flicked his tail, pacing anxiously. The sooner he was out of here, the better. How he longed to stretch his legs properly and feel the wind in his fur!
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Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:54 pm
Ishida had had a little trouble in leaving the cave that the family slept in. For one split second he feared that he had ruined their whole plan. Sure, he was into it late, but he still felt like he was something worthy in the whole thing. And all he did was snap a stick and nearly wake up the rest of the siblings and their mother. Once he was clear from the cave, he had ran as fast as he could to where Cam and Kai were waiting for him. The fool, late for something so important.
He soon caught sight of the light indigo that was on Kai's coat, the blank blending in quite well with the dark cover that the night provided for their escape. He panted as he tried to catch his breath, stopping just short of Kai's side. "I...I'm sorry," he huffed, his breath slowly returning. "Sorry for being so late."
He didn't say anything more, giving one large huff before his breathing returned to normal. His grey eyes studied the situation before them, turning towards Cam expectantly.
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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:26 pm
Kaihdin nodded solemnly. It was true: with or without their 'traitor' brother, the three were leaving and never looking back.
She followed Cam obediently, padding softly beside him. She was just about to pick up the other end of the stick to help him carry it when Ishida scrambled up to her side, stammering an apology before his breath evened out with a huff.
Kaihdin smiled at her other brother and gently butted his shoulder with her head in a strangely kind gesture, one that she only gave Cam. She felt like Ishida should be included in whatever touches or affectionate gestures and looks that the other two gave each other. Not only because he was now included in their scheme, but because he deserved to have some love in his life--from his family, at least.
"You're not late. We were just about to go up to the hill and start to pry Tain out. Are you ready for this?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:35 pm
Cam nodded to Ishida, his eyes warm. He dropped the branch so that he was able to mumble, "Don't worry about it, you're just in time."
He scooped the branch back up and began dragging it back up the hill, slowly but surely. It was incredibly long, much longer than his body, so that it would reach the bottom of the den. That was good for the escape, but didn't make the ascent any easier.
Finally they were by the open hole that led into his 'prison cell', and Cam looked down, calling out, "Tain? Are you ready?"
There, it was another scent! This one was a male, and it wasn't particularly familiar to Tain. The fur on the back of his neck stood up. Had they been followed? Was the whole thing about to be foiled? He unsheathed his claws nervously, digging them into the loose dirt.
"I'm ready," he growled nervously. "Cam, there's someone else there. A lion." His friend did not seem worried, so while it still seemed strange to him, he did not question it. Once, he would have, but he had grown to trust the black-furred male.
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Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 12:00 pm
Kaihdin followed her two brothers up the hill, finally reaching the point where the hole had been made for Tain's ever-increasing size. Originally, it had been a simple crater, not more than Cam's length in height. But her brothers had been 'summoned' to dig it deeper, wider, and completely escape-free.
That was why they needed such a big branch: long enough to reach down to the bottom and strong enough to bear Tain's weight.
"It's just Ishida, our brother," she called down in a hesitant reply, giving a glance to her brothers. "He decided to join us after all, and we're rather intimidating as a group of four rather than a trio, don't you think?"
It was her first time talking to Tain since the trap of "Hide and Seek" game all those years ago. As hesitant as she was about seeing him again, she wanted to get out of here.
Before she could do anything else that would possibly jeopardize their position (how, she didn't know, but it could happen), she scooted backwards and to the side to wait while her brothers pulled the other lion up from the hole.
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Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:37 am
Ishida was curious on the words being exchanged, since he wasn't totally paying attention to what was going on. Instead, he darted over to help his brother drag the very large tree branch that they were going to use to fish out Tain.
The going seemed smooth, if a bit slow. Once they reached the side, he picked up the nervous words of the male they were rescuing, and he stepped back to give room, just in case. He knew that Tain would probably not trust him, so he wanted to make sure that no big incidents developed.
He couldn't help but slowly wander sideways towards his sister, feeling a bit of warmth in his chest, mixed in with nerves. Oh, what would happen if they did get caught. It must not happen. Even with the group of them, they still did not match their battle experience that their mother had. He slowed his breathing to help calm the butterflies, drifting back towards his brother again out of nerves. Could he help? Or should he keep some space?
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:51 am
"Okay, Tain," Cam called. "Move out of the way, please. The branch is coming down... now!"
He used his jaws to move it again, slowly extending one end down. If it tipped over and fell, they'd have to find another one. The white lion wasn't strong enough to put it back up.
"We'll hold it up here, so don't worry. Just climb up."
"Ishida, huh?"
He still sounded wary but Tain relaxed a little bit. Though he was used to Cam, having heard the transition from a squeaky cub voice to a more smooth adult voice, Kaihdin's words came as a surprised. She sounded so... grown up. It struck him as odd that they had both met so long ago, when they were so young, and hadn't spoken a word since then. Now they were almost adults, and they met again.
"I'll try," he said. It was a pretty steep climb and he wasn't sure of his own capabilities. After all, how long had it been since he had climbed something? He moved forward, unsheathing his claws before tentatively placing his front paws on the branch. His sharp claws dug into the bark and, after a deep breath, he hoisted his meager weight onto the branch. It wobbled but held him up.
"Okay, I'm coming," he said, his voice strained. He lifted a forepaw, placing it higher up, and managed to get his back paws onto the branch as well. Tain's entire body felt uneasy and weak. It had been so long since he had done anything other than pace around the den.
About halfway up, he steadied himself, taking in a deep breath. Carefully he started back into the rhythm he had created - forepaw, back paw, forepaw, back paw. But on the fifth step, he felt the branch begin to splinter beneath his claws.
"It's breaking," he gasped, caught between the urge to jump down and the urge to scramble to the top. His paws wanted to drop, but his mind told him to hurry up, and so in a few more reckless movements he clambered towards the top, of of the hole. Seconds later, the branch broke, both ragged pieces falling down to the ground.
Tain did not even bother to look at his three new accomplices, instead flopping down, panting. His whole body felt weak with the (fading) panic.
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:44 pm
Kaihdin could do nothing but pace a few small steps while the long branch was lowered, Cam backed up, and they waited for Tain to join them. The end could be seen slightly from their position, and she watched it wobble with the lion's new weight.
Her ears flicked backward as a rustle of a wind reached her ears: her head soon followed, whipping over her shoulder to stare at the calm, peaceful surroundings. She could see the edge of their old den, one she would not miss in the slightest. But that was all...nothing else was there.
Warily, she turned her head back just in time to hear Tain cry out an alarm and scramble to the top of the hole, spread out and panting heavily on the solid ground.
At last.
Her eyes went straight toward him, and lo and behold, Tain had grown up. She remembered vividly, in her mind, what he looked like as a cub. White, brown, and a lightish brown: that was Tain. But these scars, outlined by the dim moonlight, were new. Her tail fell to the ground between her legs in guilt. Did she do that to him? If they had never met, would he never had been hurt?
He looked bigger than Cam, a bit. Or maybe it was the lack of light that caused the white shape to seem larger in her mind than the black one of her brother. Tain's mane was lengthening, his body was growing, and his muscles were increasing. But his eyes...those blue eyes. She remembered them well.
And she couldn't look away.
But finally her mind seemed to unfreeze; she glanced down to the ground, at the rocks, her brothers, anywhere but him. Eventually she trotted over to the edge of the hole carefully, looking down below. It was so dark that she couldn't even see the splinters of what used to be a good-sized branch. She was so, so very thankful that it was just broken wood at the bottom and not him.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:43 am
Ishida's insides were twisting when Cam had begun to slip the large branch down the hole, hoping that he really did have it since he didn't feel like he could be much help. WIth all the activity going on, he was startled when Tain and clambered up the rest of the way with the stick slipping to pull himsef on the ground in front of Ishida. He instinctively shifted away in the direction of his sister, mostly to give the strange lion air.
He took this moment to scan over Tain with his grey eyes. So this was who they were rescuing. He lightly knew who Tain was, but never was really able to know him. Honestly, he wasn't completely aware of what his mother had done, either, but that was something that he had chosen to overlook; something now that he regretted, especially when he noticed how his sister's attention flew to him, and then flew away. He was no fool, but he would not mention it. There were too many emotions flying into the air, as well as the tension that they were still not yet in the clear. Yes.
Ishida's attention switched towards the cave, letting the old friends meet again. That was fine with him, he wanted to make sure that everything carried out without a hitch. THey couldn't afford to get caught now, not with Tain out.
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:56 pm
"Tain," Cam said, his heart pounding so heavily that he was almost afraid it would wake everyone up. The young male, who was indeed smaller than the former captive, trudged over to his friend, pressing his nose against his shoulder. "Look, I'm glad you're okay, but... we really need to get moving." He chewed on the inside of his lip, not wanting to be rude or demanding, but knowing that it was urgent now. "Are you okay now?"
He turned to his siblings, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I've been to the Pridelands more recently than any of us..." he did not stop to explain why, "..so I guess I should lead. Kai and Ishida, I think you two should take turns staying in the back, so that we can make sure that no one is following us. Once we get closer to the Pridelands, maybe Tain can take the lead to get us back to his home, and I can switch with you guys too." It was strange, being the de facto leader, but he didn't have any time to worry about it. "It isn't all that far away, so I think we can be there around the time the sun comes up."
Tain was too jittery to be annoyed by Cam's urging. It was true, anyway. "I'm fine, thanks."
While Cam gave them instructions, he took a moment to look at his friend's siblings. Kaihdin... looked the same, just bigger. And sleeker. And prettier, too. He supposed that all girls looked prettier as they got older, but that didn't stop the thought from striking him as odd. He had hated her for so long, and in fact still held some resentment towards her, although he had put his trust in her. And Ishida, well, as far as he knew, he hadn't seen the lion before. It made him a little uncomfortable that he looked quite a bit like Roho, but if Cam said he could be trusted, then that was good enough for Tain.
"Err, I might be able to find the way, once we get into the lands," he said hesitantly. "But I don't know. It's been so... long."
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Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:33 pm
Kaihdin's attention was brutally drawn to Cam as her older brother began to list instructions. Normally, she would have taken the stand and step into the leader's place, but it was nice, for a change, to let someone else give directions. A smile tugged at her lips at seeing Cam take charge for once in his life, and not being shot down with cruel words and insults because of it. He deserved it, more than anyone she knew.
Except Tain, but he would get his chance once they got farther into the Pridelands. Speaking of the ex-prisoner, he seemed a bit wary now that he'd had a chance to view his surroundings and traveling...companions.
"I'll take the back shift first, if that's okay." She spoke up after Tain's reply. She figured that covering their backs was the least she could do: this entire situation was her fault. "I'll cover our tracks and make it look like we went a different way. Because she will find out, and when she does, she'll send Uovu and the others after us."
The fact needed to be said. They were all thinking it, but she just said it. It was a reality they could not afford to ignore, or put off, until it was inevitably right behind them, breathing down their necks.
It was inevitable.
It had been inevitable since the moment the idea popped into Cam's and Kaihdin's minds.
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