The going was slow. Terribly slow.
Three times already, Naar had stopped to rest her paws, lifting them each in turn in a lame attempt at easing the prickling pain in them. Even Nur’yu, who had promised to wait, was starting to get impatient now, pushing against her hindquarters in an attempt to get her going again. She grumbled at him but complied, staggering forwards through the pain.
Kaharabu, meanwhile, seemed to enjoy the breaks, basking in the sun whilst the slow lioness gathered her strength about her. Even still, as time ebbed on, the serpent’s patience started to fray.
“Do we even know where we’re going?” The serpent asked.
“Yes!” Nur’yu replied instantly, trotting up alongside the snake. “Into the desert!”
“We’re already in the desert.” Kaharabu continued. “Now what?”
Naar seated herself again whilst the cub and snake discussed their next options, shifting her weight from side to side to give her paws a brief respite from the sting of sand, she cast her eyes out across the dunes. Her head felt slightly muggy now and, with the sun beginning to dip in the sky, she wondered whether the others had found Zii already. In a way she hoped they had, but it would be even better if their small group was successful at the task. Then people would look at her in admiration. Even still, with the hours passing by, their chances of finding her grew ever slim and even though the young male remained enthusiastic, Naar was not.
“Any further and we’ll be in the jungle.” Kaharabu was saying. “I didn’t think you Firekin liked those lands.”
“Only scaredy-cat Firekin.” Nur’yu explained. “But I’m not scared and neither is Naar. We’re braver than most!”
“And was this missing cat brave?”
“Uh…” The juvenile trailed, giving a small shrug. “Don’t know. Maybe.”
“I say we turn back.” The snake continued. “I’d rather be home before nightfall and the temperature drops.” She turned her head as if to do just that, only for Nur’yu to jump in front of her. “You want to go home empty-pawed?”
“I don’t have paws.” She replied easily, moving around him.
Naar growled. “Let’s just go home. We’re not helping.”
Nur’yu gave a low whine. “You two are such quitters! Come on; let’s just go over to that ridge there.” He waved a paw in the direction he was speaking of. “It’ll only take a few minutes to get there. Then we can head back.” And, not waiting for a response, he whirled around and headed straight for it.
Naar, with a groan of pain, followed slowly after him, the snake watching them go before begrudgingly following. She had a feeling that if she abandoned them there and then, she might never see them again. She couldn’t afford to have that kind of a reputation hanging over her. Not when she had plans of grandeur!
Fortunately, Nur’yu’s insistence was about to pay off…well…sort of.
The youngster crested the ridge and peered down across the sand. From this height one could see right to its edges where gold became green and the jungle dominated the skyline. Having never been so far away from the pride territory before, the youngster was awestruck. Even Naar, in fact, was a little taken aback by how weird the world looked on the outside. Strange to think that her sister and brother lived somewhere out there…amongst all the green.
“Wow.” Nur’yu breathed. “It’s like a whole different world out there.”
Naar nodded silently, feeling strangely intimidated and frightened by it. Drawing back a step, she staggered and fell, sliding sideways down the slope. The youngster and the snake watched as she struggled to regain herself, whimpering in pain as he wounded paws grazed across the ground, coming to an unhappy halt near the bottom of the incline.
“Careful you don’t trip!” Nur’yu jested, bouncing down the rocks to join her.
Naar looked about ready to burst into tears, her eyes burning, her face screwed up from both the pain and her shame. Then, all of a sudden, the expression lifted and her eyes widened; fixed on a point somewhere to her left. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“That.” She gave the cub a tap across the ears and pointed.
“Hmm…” The dark male padded over to where she’d indicated, sniffing curiously. “Looks like…”
“A paw print!” Naar hastened to stand by Nur’yu and set her paw alongside the mark, lifting it up to prove that they were indeed, similar. The shelter of the ridge had protected it from being smoothed away, though by the looks of it, the mark would soon become nothing more than an unrecognisable mar in the sand. “Looks like…the lion was walking that way.” She pointed towards the trees.
“You think it was Auntie Zii-Zii?” Nur’yu asked, turning his head back up to call across to Kaharabu. The snake was dithering on the ridge, her head swaying as if she were in some sort of trance. Her tongue rapidly tasted at the air, seeking scents that the lions might have missed. Eventually, she slipped down to join them, brushing over the paw print as if jealous that they had found it and not her.
“Let’s go then.” She continued in her clipped tone. “The cat is not too far. The scent is…quite fresh.”
Naar and Nur’yu regarded one another somewhat sheepishly before moving after the serpent, happy to let her lead the way.
“If we find Auntie Zii-Zii, do you think we’ll get a reward from the Regents? Like…best tracker award! How cool would that be?” Nur’yu was clearly convinced that they were going to be successful. “We’ll be heroes!”
Even Naar brightened at that. “Yes. That is good. I want to be a hero.”
The boy grinned across at her. “Careful. Don’t smile too much. Your face might crack.”
--
Her paws started bleeding again perhaps half an hour later, forcing her to slow to crawling pace, slowing their progress even further. And, even though she pushed herself and tried to ignore the pain, her body was set to give up and she stumbled and collapsed a moment later. A small paw nudged at her and she opened an eye to glance across at Nur’yu’s face. Both he and the snake had retraced their steps to help her back up.
“Just leave me.” She muttered miserably.
Nur’yu’s ears folded back against his head. “We can’t do that.”
“Su would not be impressed.” Kaharabu added. “We are almost there, I think.”
Naar shook her head from side to side. “Can’t. Just…pick me up on your way back.”
“You will let a child go off alone with only a snake to defend him?” The golden cobra snapped. “You lions are not as strong as you make yourselves out to be.”
Naar growled and tried to stand when, suddenly, she caught the sight of movement behind them. Her eyes flared with panic and, from deep inside, she found strength enough to drag herself to her paws, shoving the cub behind her. “Rogue!” She hissed, preparing to defend herself from a flash of claws.
No claws came, but he male did stand very still, watching them with some wariness.
“Who’re you?!” Naar demanded.
The lone male lion hesitated a moment. His fur was black. Just black. No markings, no lighter shades. Even his face was set with two dark eyes. These eyes glimmered with the red light of the setting sun.
“Well?!” Naar bristled, almost collapsing again as she took another step.
“Are you…alright?” The male asked; his voice surprisingly soft and gentle.
“This is the one we have been tracking.” The cobra informed, though needlessly.
“So you were tracking me.” The male’s body tensed. “Why?”
Naar grumbled. “We thought you were someone else.”
“Oh.”
“What are you doing here?” Naar continued.
“Going…home.”
“Home?”
“To the jungle.” He indicated the trees with a paw and seemed slightly taken aback by the disgust on the red female’s face. “You are…one of the desert cats?” He asked. “You’re far from home…and with your cub no less.”
Nur’yu pushed to the forefront. “She’s not my mum, and I’m not a baby.” Why did he keep having to say that to everyone? He was almost an adolescent! Practically an adult! “We’re looking for my Aunt.”
“All the way out here?”
“Yes.” Naar snapped irritably. “Now go away. You wasted our time.”
Kaharabu intervened. “Don’t be so hasty, huntress.” She stressed the title in a mocking fashion, sliding away from Naar’s angry look. “This lion may still be of use.”
The black lion still seemed a little wary, but did offer them a brief nod.
“I am Kaharabu, familiar of a future Magistrate of the Motoujamii.” Of this, she was very proud. “These are my compatriots; Naar and Nur’yu. We are seeking a lost member of our pride and have come a long way in search of her. Have you, per chance, come across any lone females on your recent travels.”
“Zili.” The black-pelted male returned the introduction. “What does the female look like?”
“She’s white.” Nur’yu piped up. “With a little black mark just here.” He patted his neck. “And gold eyes.”
The black male’s shoulders relaxed a little as he considered this, his dark eyes half-closing. Then, after a long moment, he exhaled slowly and shook his head. “Sorry. I did pass a white female, but she had brown eyes and some stripe markings on her legs. Do you really think she would have come so far as this?”
“We don’t know.” Nur’yu replied. “But others are looking, too.”
“I do hope you find her. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how merciless the desert can be. The nights are cold.” He shuddered and glanced yearningly towards the shelter of trees.
“Someone will find her.” Naar muttered. “But not us. Never us.” She gave Nur’yu a shove and turned away, limping heavily as she did so.
“Good luck…” Zili trailed. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help.”
Kaharabu dipped her head. “Our failure will mean another’s success.” Then, with that, she moved on after Naar, leaving Nur’yu standing alone with the rogue. A moment later and the juvenile realised he was being left behind. Casting a glance up into the dark lion’s face, he gave a wide grin and, with a small chirp of goodbye, took off after the girls.
“You reckon my Aunt is back in the dens by now?”
“Don’t care.” Naar huffed. She was clearly suffering and now, with hope of heroism truly gone, the road back home seemed long and torturous.
They wouldn’t reach their dens until long after the moon had risen.
