[PRP] Make It or Break It (Jazua, Rasima, Asmar)

[Talencia]

The sun had gone down in a welter of black, threatening clouds, and night had closed quickly about the pride. All the sensible folk were hurrying to finish tasks and get inside, piled together warm and dry in their dens. Kajira did not have dens. They were not allowed to cuddle up with the rest of the family for warmth. But for once, Jazua blessed this, for it meant noone would suspect what was going to happen.

The rains would come tonight. From the electric tension in the air, it was likely to be one of the good, heavy downpour kinds, a great monsoon that would swell the rivers and make swamps out of the flatlands. It was the perfect time.

She waited until the clouds let loose with a crash of thunder, and had let fall their burdens. When she was deafened by the sheer amount of water hitting the ground, she crept to the den entrance and tossed a pebble in. That was their signal. After all the time they'd spent preparing, and with all that rode on this, she had no doubt her daughters were ready.

Rasima had seen the clouds, and knew that the time was at hand. They had been waiting for a huge storm, one that came in the night and would assist them. It had taken all of her will power to slowly go about her normal tasks as the clouds had built in the sky and the sun had set so darkly. She was anxious, worried, a little frightened, and very energized. The crackly feeling in the air did little to help soothe her as the family had settled in for the night. She'd taken care to choose a spot at the outer edges of the pile of bodies, barely touching anyone at all, pressed up against a wall.

The deafening thunder made her jump, but she'd still done her best not to even look at Asmar, for fear her feelings would show and give them away. Instead, she'd laid her head on her paws again and fretted that the noise would mean she wouldn't hear the signal that it was time to go. She'd gotten herself into a froth by the time the actual signal came, a rattley sound of a tossed pebble. Someone nearby her stirred, yawned, stretched, and settled down again with a soft purr. Fur on end with fright and energy, she rose carefully to her paws and threaded her way towards the den entrance.  

[mouselet]

Asmar was much calmer than her sister. Rather, she refused to worry about what they were about to do. The striped lioness had spent the past few moons learning vital skills to survive outside the pride...and observing the Kajira she'd been encouraged to overlook. She was resolved that should this escape faill, she would take her own life. She refused to live here a moment longer than necessary.

She waited while her sister left the den. They didn't want to arouse suspicion by leaving too close together. So when Asmar judged enough time had passed, she yawned and stretched before getting to her feet and shaking herself, as if trying to wake up a little more. Then she padded out of the den, heading towards the necessary.

Once outside and out of sight of those within, she looked to see where her sister and mother were waiting.  

[Talencia]

Jazua stood in the entrance of an empty den, her dark coat only visible briefly in the flashes of lightning, her dark brown coat blending into the deeper darkness of the unoccupied den behind her. At worst, their scent would be found here, but everywhere else it would be drowned away by the waterfalls of rain. She'd taken pains to choose a den that was neither in the direction they had planned for the girls to leave, nor was it in the opposite direction.

She waited tensely for her daughters, but without the fluttery nerves that were evidenced when Rasima appeared. She looked as fluttery as a mother bird when a snake is seen near her nest. "Calm yourself," she chided the younger lioness, her voice low but firm. "You need your wits, not your worries." It had become a common phrase to say to Rasima, who, for all her fire and spirit, was rather flighty and prone to spells of ditziness. Jazua hoped that Asmar would look after her sister, as she had for her silly twin Jazi. These were sisters, though, and not twins. Who knew what path they would choose individually? "Look, here comes Asmar."



Rasima was indeed a fluttery riot. She nearly bit her tongue to keep from jabbering senselessly in her anxiety. She tried really hard, truly she did, to be what her mother wanted her to be. It had been difficult for her these months, though. Asmar did much better at the lessons than she, but often in her excitement, Rasima would say something, or skip a step, or just stop paying close enough attention. She felt rather ashamed that her mother could not be properly proud of her, but kept on trying.

She also was becoming aware of Asmar's exasperation with her. It was never overt or obvious, but was there in the little things. Faint expressions, patient sighs, silent tolerance. Part of what had Rasima worried was that she was certain Asmar would go and leave her and mother, haring off on her own to who knew where. She supposed that was the whole point of this, but it wasn't something she looked forward to. Saying goodbye was hard enough, when she was doing it to family who didn't know she was leaving. But to bid goodbye to her fellow escaping sister? She wasn't sure what she'd do at that point. But leave tomorrow's woes for tomorrow. Right now, they had to win free first. Swallowing hard, she waved a paw as the sky lit up, hoping to catch Asmar's eye.  

[mouselet]

Despite the heavy rains, Asmar did not race to meet her relatives, even once she was certain of where they waited. To do so might be to attract unwanted attention. Even so, she did not plod beneath the water, because every second before they were discovered was precious.

Finally she arrived and ducked just inside the den, where the rain wasn't a constant beating against her hide. The striped lioness looked from mother to sister and back again.

"First step," she said softly. Next would be much harder. Nothing they had done up until now was truly dangerous, just acts that could be viewed with suspicion.

From here on out, though, they would be in serious trouble if they were caught.  

[Talencia]

That Asmar was one cool cat, deliberate and unrushed. Even Jazua was about to snap at her when she finally arrived. Nerves strung tight, they all three looked at each other as that first portion was acknowledged. This was it, no turning back. Jazua had no regrets, and thus pressed on eagerly. She nodded for the younger lionesses to follow her, then waited until it was dark, between lightning. Then she slipped out of the den and aimed for the outer edge of the den area. They weren't heading straight out, but around the edge, then off at a different angle than any of their previous movements might have implied.

It took longer to lay down this deterrence, but it was worth it, or would be eventually. Much as she wanted to slick her ears back away from the falling rain, she kept her ears up and forward, pivoting to catch every sound possible. All it would take was one scout, one latecomer with a meal, and things would get hairy. She believed she could bluff their way out if such occurred, but she didn't want to have to try it. Luckily, they met noone until they came to the point where they left the dens and began heading outwards.

One of the advantages that she discussed with them was that the snide males, like their father, tended to think of females as lesser, and thus of little intelligence. The smarter they played it, the more successful they would be at leaving no trace. She had taught them about water sullying the trail, as well as how to use skins of other animals dragged behind them, or draped over themselves. Even just hare hides wrapped around the paws would help mask their trail. She wasn't sure how much Rasima retained, but Asmar was so determined that Jazua had non question that the girl would remember.

Once out of sight of the dens, they all three broke into a run. It wasn't the panicky, sprinting sort of run, but the steady, rhythmic, ground-eating sort that she'd taught them, and that they had practiced faithfully. All three passed the border, and kept going, alternating between walking and running, until the storm began to lessen. The night was more than half gone when Jazua called a halt. "It is up to you now, my daughters," she panted. Her stamina wasn't what it once was. Poor feeding and lack of long-distance exercise had stolen it from her. But Asmar and Rasima were fit, and would still be able to travel long into the coming day. "The time to part has come."



Rasima had followed, sandwiched between her mother and Asmar, since they did not trust her to keep close without help. She chafed a little at the lack of faith in her, but said nothing of it. Instead, she obediently circled the dens, then followed Jazua towards and beyond the border. It surprised her to realize just how much endurance she had achieved with all those hours of determinedly practicing the run-walk technique, as well as the slower but more steady trot. Mother was out of breath, but she felt nearly as fresh as when they'd met in the abandoned den.

When Jazua first spoke, Rasima assumed she'd misheard. Mother was just out of breath, she didn't really say that, did she? But her next words were clearer, both to the ears and to the heart. She'd gone along happily, content that they'd all three escape. Now she was pierced with grief, realizing it had been a falsehood. "Mother? Mother! You have to come! They'll... they'll kill you!" She had no proof that Raja would indeed kill her, but in the heat of the moment, it seemed the likely thing. "You have to come!" The rain slackened above them, reducing to just an average rain, rather than the buckets that had been drenching them. Her voice rasped on a high note, carrying further in the lightening rain. "You have to!"  

[mouselet]

Asmar was not entirely surprised at Jazua's words when they had stopped to catch their breaths. It wasn't just that their mother was so out of shape in comparison...it was that if there was to be a hue and cry raised...the males had to catch someone in order to justify the entire exercise. With any luck, they would put Jazua to death and out of her misery.

The striped lioness had no patience with her sister's whining and nipped at the other girl. "If she doesn't want to come, that's her business!" Asmar hissed. "Ours is to get out of here. Now come on!"

The striped girl turned to look at her mother, fixing this moment in her memory. Whatever happened next, she doubted she would ever see Jazua'dania again, and this was how she wished to always remember the older lioness. Then she nodded to her mother and turned to n** at her sister again. They had to be gone from this place.  

[Talencia]

The sweet feeling that washed over her when Rasima clung to her was astonishing. Was this what it felt like to be a mother? To cradle this young life she'd brought into the world close... she wrapped her paws about her emotional daughter, nuzzling her gently. When Asmar nipped her sister, Jazua pinned her ears at her bossy daughter. "That is true, but it is also her right to mourn my choice." She put both paws on Rasima's cheeks. "Darling daughter, I wish we had more time. But Asmar is right. You need to go. I have to get myself on the other side of the pride's lands before this rain lets up."

Seeing the realization dawn on her youngster's face was almost too much for her. She gave a single lick to Rasima's forehead, then shoved her away. "Now go, both of you. Asmar... you take care of her. She'll need you, at least for a time." Rasima wasn't the only one who noticed how impatient or annoyed Asmar could be with her sister sometimes. "Go! Don't stop until after dark this next night!" With that admonition, Jazua turned from her beloved daughters and began loping at an angle back towards the pride's lands.



The fires of spirit were dampened by tears as Rasima was embraced by her mother, then kissed and pushed away. The second n** from her sister, however, fairly reignited them. She spun on her sister and bit back, lips drawn back and ears flat. "What's wrong with you? She does this for us, and you treat her like yesterday's bones?!" She was outraged, her damp coat heating with the fuel of her anger. "How can you be so ungrateful?!" She spun back again to watch their mother's form fading into the curtain of rain. "And now she is gone, without a thank you or an I love you!" She glared at her sister, clearly blaming her. "Bah. Let's go." With this snarl, she turned and bounded away, stewing angrily, shoving her sorrow aside in favor of the hotter, more sustaining emotion.  

[mouselet]

Emotions...ugh. Why Rasima needed to bring them to the forefront of her every waking moment was something Asmar couldn't understand in the least. Emotions created weak points in your self that allowed others to hurt you deeply. That was why while the striped lioness deeply appreciated everything her mother had done for them, and refused to allow herself to speculate on what their lives could have been like. What could have been...wasn't. And there was no reason to dwell on it therefore.

So even if Rasima was pissed at her, Asmar was just happy that her sister was putting her anger into running so that they could get out of here.

She wouldn't look back. She wouldn't try to find the single dark shape out there that was Jazua. She would look forward, running until dawnlight and then looking for shelter as her mother had taught her.  

[Talencia]

The rain gave out before dawn, when light was just beginning to streak softly across the sky. Rasima hadn't said a word to her sister since her final outburst, and was only angrier, knowing that was how Asmar liked it. As the last of the sprinkles pattered down, Rasima threw herself in a mud puddle, as she'd been taught, and thickened her coat with as much of the stuff as she could, then got up and ran on without waiting to see if her sister was ready or not. She was so stinkin independent, let her do what she liked!

By the time full morning came upon them, Rasima was flagging. Asmar was still with her, though the spot-and-stripe female had no illusions about it being due to their mother's command. She'd never be so sentimental as to obey that charge if she didn't feel it suited her own escape. And how could it? Two different trails were harder to track than a single trail, even Rasima could understand that.

So as they found a den and she threw her dirty, tired, aching body down, she glared at her sister. "Go ahead," she finally said, her voice hoarse over the unshed tears and angry knot in her throat. "I know you want to. Go ahead and leave me." The tears began to tumble and she turned away. "Leave me and be done with it." Shaking with her sobs, feeling utterly alone and abandoned, Rasima closed her eyes and sank into troubled sleep.



Meanwhile, miles away, the rain had lingered a little longer over the pride's borders. it allowed her to get around to a different side of the borders by dawn. The storm rolled off as the suns' first rays shone brightly across the clean sky. With a heavy heart, she stopped to watch the clouds go, silently bidding her daughters speed and safety. From now on, storms would remind her of them, the promise they represented, that things could go right even here. Bravely she raised her head, squared her shoulders, and marched back into the territory of the pride that imprisoned her. She let as many people see her as she could as she marched back to her den, where she would sit and wait patiently for something to be discovered.

Then her fate would come roaring to her, and she would meet it with a clear conscience and a buoyed heart. No matter what he did now, he couldn't take this victory from her. Not if she had anything to do with it!  

[mouselet]

Asmar snorted softly at her sister's words. Trust Rasima to find something to complain about even now. But the most important thing was sleep, and that was precisely what the striped lioness intended to do. After she awoke, then she would choose what to do.

When she awoke, her life would be her own, to do with as she pleased. Then perhaps she'd abandon her whiny spotted sister. For now, the lioness curled up next to her sibling and felt swiftly asleep. Her lips, for the first time in a very long time, bore a faint smile.

She was free.