The fly on the wall [Nyonda, Ukweli, & Haja][Finished]

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Ukweli's movements were slow as he made his way to the cave where Nyonda lay recovering, the energy having been sapped from his recent encounter with Kitisho. It was sad, in a pitiful way, that he was already so taxed despite the fact that he had done nothing but run away. Though Ngao's bird companion had already returned to him to confirm her safety, the attack weighed heavily on the old lion's mind. Why would Kitisho do such a thing? What were his motives? Was it a planned attack or had the large lion simply grown bored? It seemed too precise to be merely boredom, a thought that was incredibly distressing. This was why he had made a beeline for Nyonda, eager to speak with her about what had happened. She would provide him with her own opinions on the matter, not to mention this attack could be a warning. The next attack could be directed towards her.

Knowing that her companion was deep in thought, Viza sat alert on his back, unwilling to let them be caught off guard again. There would be no Ngao to save Ukweli from an attack this time. The old lion already owed the Captain his life. "We're here," she said, when they arrived together. Ukweli slowed his quickened pace to his usual shamble in an effort to conserve his energy for speaking with Nyonda. She would, no doubt, have many questions to ask him and he wanted to answer them as best he could.

"Nyonda?" He called softly, as he ducked his head a little to see inside the cave. Was she awake? The answer was clear enough as he met her stare, and the old lion made his way inside the cave. Viza hopped off of his back to settle on the ground, sharp eyes still darting around warily. She had still not recovered from the sight of a large lion jumping for her and her companion. Ukweli's eyes swept across Nyonda's healing injuries as he settled himself with a sigh, inwardly hoping he would not stress the lioness too much with his news. "I hope I did not wake you. May I speak with you for a moment?"  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

"Do not strain yourself, please." What a pair they made. An ancient lion long past his prime and a recovering lioness. If either of them were every trapped here in this cave the result would be nothing short of horrible. Ukweli did not wish to think about such things. If Nyonda were ever in trouble, surely Hakiki would find a way to get help. He had to put faith in the bird who was so utterly devoted to her companion. She would find a way if worst came to worst, and if she could not, Ukweli prayed he would see the danger before it was too late. Though the cubs were so far safely out of harm's way, there were still many members of the pride the needed protection from the dangerous future. The old lion had to have faith in his abilities and the strength in those around him. It was all he had left.

The old lion dipped his head to her when she told him she was listening, wishing that he did not have to be the bearer of bad news. But to say such a thing sounded pathetic even to his own ears, and so he kept the thought to himself. "A vision came to me yesterday, a worrisome one that made me fear for the safety of one of the cubs in the pride. The exact extent of the damage was unclear to me at the time, so I sought council with Ngao and Hifadhi. Hifadhi and the cubs are now safely on their way to the other side of the valley, where I hope they shall be safe for whatever danger might have befallen them." He paused for a moment, weighing his words carefully. Working Nyonda up into a frenzy was not something he wished to do. He simply needed to keep her informed and wary, and thus he would have to be cautious with what he said. She needed a restful sleep more than anyone in the pride, and he would not have two lionesses up with worry every night. Having Ngao now on constant alert was enough.

"It seems, however, that someone has other plans. For reasons I have not seen nor figured out on my own, I was attacked this morning on my way down by the lion Kitisho." He could not help the tightening in his throat at the words, though Ukweli was doing his best to tell the story as if it had not happened to him just this morning. "Ngao was much sharper than I, and I was lucky. She has made it out alive, though not without injuries. I do not know if this was a deliberate attack on myself, or if Kitisho was simply out of control. I fear, however, that it was not the latter." Ukweli watched Nyonda now, to gauge her reaction.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

"I can only hope so," Ukweli murmured to her first comment, as it was something he hoped for as well. Sending Hifadhi off had not been something he took lightly. Though often their opinions differed on many things, Hifadhi was one of his old friends, not to mention the only lion who was practically as old as he was. That in itself helped their friendship, which had remained strong over the years as the pair watched the pride grow up around them. The old lion had wished he did not have to send Hifadhi away, but there had been no choice. They had someone who could step up for him should the unspeakable happen. Ukweli was not in the same position. He had found no seer to take his place yet, and with the two other pridal seers gone his options for a replacement grew slimmer as he grew older. He could not allow the pride to be put in such a position, not when the threat seemed to come from other lions. It was too risky. In this time of desperation sacrifices had to be made. Still, it did not make being the one to make the decisions about what to sacrifice any easier. Ukweli hoped with all of his heart that Hifadhi would return safely, cubs in tow.

The expression on her face reminded Ukweli that he had perhaps been a little too callous when bringing up the cubs, forgetting that Nyonda would care about them deeply. She seemed to be able to hold herself together, which made the old lion feel a little better. He would have a hard time forgiving himself if Nyonda's cubs returned harmed in any way from their little "day trip." Her hissed words made him tense, and he tried hard not to frown at her. Nyonda would not appreciate being fathered by a lion old enough to be her great grandfather, nor did he need to point out the obvious. Ukweli settled instead for holding his tongue, knowing well that she was only aggravating her injuries with her temper. He would have to be more cautious with what he said. The seer did not wish to injure her further.

"I was unaware of my surroundings, too lost in thought to notice him. Still... I see no reason not to agree with you. I have not been able to shake a feeling of unease about them since my last vision, though I have yet to See them do anything that would suggest to me that they are our enemies. Ngao seemed to distrust them even before I brought it up." Ukweli was confident that she would know which "them" he spoke about. She had no doubt heard the news of the outsiders, and seemed to share Ngao's opinion of them. "What remains to be discussed is what to do. I am hesitant to leave you here unguarded if you become the next target."
 

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Trust was a fragile thing. Though Ukweli could not deny that there was a definite danger to his life, the seer had inwardly debated the worth of keeping the outsiders around. If they continued to let them stay here, it was very possible that the cubs, Nyonda, and he would all continue to be in danger. He was not absolutely sure that his visions could stop everything, especially if multiple things were to happen at once. There was only one Ngao, and now she was injured. That left Hisia, who could not be left near the cave, Haja and Elea. Elea was permanently injured, and while Ukweli was sure her mind was in tact it was physical strength that the pride needed. Haja was strong, but he doubted her skills as a warrior. There were not enough lionesses to protect everyone from attack. If the outsiders stayed, he would have to face the reality that someone was going to die. At the same time, sending them away would only further stress the pride's limited numbers. Even if they did send away only Kitisho and the witch, there was no guarantee that the outsiders remaining wouldn't still communicate with them. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Ngao is quite sharp. Hifadhi must be very proud," Ukweli agreed, as he moved cautiously into the next topic. "However, we need their strength to boost the hunting parties and provide for the pride. I doubt by removing the troublemakers we would solve the problem. No doubt, those within and those outside would still communicate with each other. Perhaps we would make it worse by putting our enemies far away from us." The saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' was painfully true. "I suppose we must trust that they will be more cautious now that we are more aware." And hope that they didn't start attacking in groups. Though Ukweli knew that the interlopers had traveled together, how closely bonded they were was still up in the air. If they were merely traveling companions who simply tolerated each other then the pride was relatively safe. They would have a hard time co-coordinating a group attack if they barely got along. If they were closer, however... Ukweli shuddered inwardly at the thought. The situation just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

The old lion put on his best patient face when Nyonda resisted his idea, though the look was somewhat ruined by the underlying worry in his eyes. He should have known she would put up a fight at this one. "I have never questioned your usefulness nor your importance, and neither should you. If they seek to get rid of me, there is a good chance they will come for you next. Though I am no longer strong or fast, I can run. I will not allow you to become trapped here." His face had moved from patient to stern as he stared at her. It was his job to ensure the protection of the pride by watching the future. That didn't mean he couldn't set things up to avoid a threat he may not have seen yet.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

"Of course they will. And they are no doubt charmed by Msiba, as I'm sure we all were in the beginning." Even now, Ukweli was having a hard time placing judgment on the male lion. He, like Hifadhi, would love to give anyone the benefit of the doubt in an effort to keep the peace. But with the way things were looking now, not to mention the unease his vision had brought with it, the old lion could not help but be untrusting of all the interlopers. Until Msiba proved himself to be worthy of their trust once again, he would unfortunately have to be lumped in with the rest of them. He was now a threat just like his traveling companions. "If we really needed them removed, it could be possible to convince the others of the necessity. Though Kitisho is both large and strong, I am sure that he frightens many of the lionesses despite his help. The others would be harder to get rid of without some sort of backlash from the pride."

So she was going to be stubborn about it. He has suspected as much. Ukweli did not wish to use his cub-lecturing voice on one so old as Nyonda, though he was hard pressed to keep the tone in check. It often came out of its own accord, and he did not wish to offend the cave-bound lioness any more than he wished to aggravate her wounds. She was extremely important to the survival of the pride and they needed to be on good terms with each other. "It would not be a waste, as the hunting parties are not required every hour," he countered, as firmly set in having a guard here as she was denying a need for one. The seer had opened his mouth to continue, however Nyonda cut him off with her tirade. He frowned when she started on a subject they had not spoken of since the beginning; however he could not keep the expression on his face for very long. There was no denying that the words were painful to the both of them, more so to her than him. But there was no denying the truth.

Ukweli gave a deep sigh, and closed his eyes in thought for a moment. He had not wished for her to take the place of Nyonda, but things had to be done in order to keep the pride functioning. He was going to have a very guilty conscious if he survived this in time for either Umoja to return (providing he was alive) or the heir to grow old enough to take the throne. When he had composed himself, the old lion opened his eyes, looking about as weary as he felt. "Ficha, I know that you suffer for the charade, however you must consider what it would look like to those on the outside of this cave. If word gets out that a lion is attacking pride members, whether they know it is Kitisho or not, the pride will expect to up the guard around the queen." He kept his voice soft as he spoke, almost as though even speaking her name would give away their secret to the whole pride. "Regardless, I will speak to Ngao about it. If I have a vision of your imminent danger, I would like it very much if you could tolerate a guard until the threat passes. I do not protect your life only because to those outside this cave you are their queen; I protect your life because you are a part of this pride." He fixed her with a stern gaze at the final words, as he rose to leave. If she had anything else to say, this was her time.
 

[Basil Brett]

Haja shouldn't have been spying. She really shouldn't have. Her conscious, propriety, and good manners all were against it. And yet there was that niggling feeling of curiosity that Haja felt that always won out in the end. It was said that curiosity killed the cat, but so far Haja's luck had held out.

Truthfully, the day's venture had started out with good intentions. She, like the others of the pride, felt worry for Nyonda, and if not really to see her personally, Haja wanted to find out how she was doing. So off she went with her ever patient companion in tow.

It had appeared to be great luck that she found herself at Nyonda's cave just as Ukweli was going in to visit her. For a moment, she wanted to stop the old lion to inquire as to Nyonda's health. But then that voice in her brain told her that this might offer an even better opportunity for information. It wasn't technically spying.... More like, 'fulfilling her need to know about the well being of the pride by ... unconventional means.'

With that delightful justification in mind, Haja crept toward the cave's entrance and nestled herself where she could be within earshot. Nearby on a branch sat Maboya, an expression of weary patience on the fish eagle's face. Perhaps he should have said something to deter Haja. But seeing as how that had never worked before, and was likely to never work, it seemed a bit of a waste of breath. So there the two sat, one listening in and the other reluctantly playing lookout.

At first it was general inquiry after health, and though she was glad to hear Nyonda up and speaking, she was anxious to get to the important stuff. Ukweli wouldn't disturb Nyonda with anything less than important and OH YES! The old lion had had a vision! This was getting interesting!

It seemed the cubs might be in danger! They had been sent off with Hifadhi to the other side of the valley for safekeeping. So that's where they had gone off to. Haja scolded herself silently for not keeping up with things and then returned her attention to the words of the two nearby.

Ukweli had been attacked?! By Kitisho!! She had always wondered about him. You had to look out for the quiet ones. Often times, they're the ones not to be trusted. But if Kitisho had attacked Ukweli, and the old seer worried for Nyonda's safety, did that mean all of the rogues weren't to be trusted? Msiba was charming enough, but Mchawi had always worried her.

Haja was puzzled at Nyonda's response and listened carefully to see what Ukweli would say. It might make things more clear. It did. As Haja suspected, Ukweli really didn't trust the outsiders and wanted to watch over Nyonda.

Nyonda's words confused the spying lioness even further. She felt she was useless since she was injured. That was understandable, as Elea felt the same because of her leg. But to say she was unimportant?! How further for truth could she get? As mate to the heir, Nyonda was very pivotal to the pride!

Afterwards, Haja would find that she had forgotten Ukweli's reply to that statement. Much of everything that she had heard dwindled in comparison to what Nyonda said next. For once, Haja found herself speechless. Even when that speech was limited to her own head. Her thoughts sputtered as she worked furiously to get the cogs in her head to work again.

NYONDA WAS FICHA? Could that really be true?! It couldn't be! This had to be some sort of charade. But Ukweli's words confirmed it. Not only was he not surprised, he knew. He had helped planned it.

But why? Upon contemplation, the reasons would become clearer to Haja, but right now, the initial shock masked all reasoning. One question became prominent in her thoughts.

Did Hisia know? As Haja thought about it, she couldn't recall Hisia visiting her injured sister. Ukweli had kept everyone at bay, not wanting Nyonda's condition to worsen. It had all made so much sense at the time, how could they question it?

But if Hisia didn't know..... She had been mourning the loss of one sister, when she ought to be mourning the other. For that's all that could have happened. Ficha wouldn't have taken Nyonda's place unless the heir's mate had perished.

Haja sat, her mind reeling. She looked up at Maboya, wide eyes full of questions. Her bonded looked back, and though neither spoke a word, the glance itself said much. The two had a lot to think about. For now, though, they needed to move, as it seemed Ukweli was about to leave. Silently, Haja crept away to a safe distance, Maboya perched on her shoulder. Her pace slowed gradually, her mind too preoccupied to enforce continual movement.

"What should I do, Maboya?" Haja asked quietly, her voice oddly hoarse. She cleared her throat as she waited for a reply. The fish eagle shifted slightly and paused before speaking.

"It's quite a situation we have, Haja. I can't sugarcoat it. This could be devastating to the pride. And we don't know who all knows."

Haja nodded, a lump in her throat. Normally she rejoiced at news of this caliber. It wasn't often she learned of something this important. But a secret affair, a daring fight, and even the presence of a 'witch' didn't compare to the news she had heard. It occurred to her that this news might spell danger for her and the whole pride of the wrong person were to find out. One look at Maboya confirmed that he knew this as well. It was he who spoke next.

"We need to tread lightly. And we can't tell anyone of what we've heard."

The words were casually given, but the real meaning was implied. Maboya didn't want to patronize her, but he had to be sure Haja understood the dire consequences this would have if it were leaked. For once, Haja's silence on something meant possible life or death.

Normally, Haja would have felt affronted, but she merely agreed softly. Something was still troubling her.

"Mab, I think we have to tell Hisia. I know that this is really really dire, but she needs to know!! This is her sisters we're talking about, and if anyone can be trusted, it's her. I just can't live with the guilt of knowing this when she doesn't."

She waited for Maboya to scold her. Of course she wanted to immediately tell someone, he'd say. But he surprised her.

"You're right. If I were her, I'd want to know."

Haja nodded, biting her lip. This was deep water she found herself in, and she'd have to tread lightly if she didn't want to sink.