It had started small. Spring was coming early this year and the melting snow had caused a minor mudslide, making a good third of the dens unfit as sleeping places. Luckily no one was injured at all, and the only damage done was a few surprised and very muddy pride members. Everyone agreed that it was lucky that no minors had lived in those dens and that no one got buried. No one wanted to do anything about the muck before it dried up, so those dens were evacuated. Some shared sleeping places with other pride members while others decided it would be a nice opportunity to go camp in the forest and look for more pleasant signs of spring.

At first no one thought much about the buzzing. It was just a low hum, part of the ambiance. It wasn't until Paean went to check on his mud-flooded home that the first wasp nest was discovered. Well, "stepped on" would be a more accurate description than "discovered". The poor lion was badly stung, but managed to escape to be patched up by the Medics. The wasps were aggressive and a few other pride members suffered one or two stings by the wasps following Paean.

Feeling rather responsible for her brother's condition, Esteryti went with those who were charged with looking into how much of a problem these wasps would end up being. It weighed heavily on her that her people had been hurt by something right within their home areas. She tried not to fret as they walked cautiously into the muddy den area. The hum was unsettling and malevolent, setting her fur on end. Still, she refused to turn aside, and stayed with the search party.

A careful investigation revealed several wasp nests in and around the dens, and the exposed dirt from the mudslide hummed ominously. It looked as if some of the wasps had burrowed in the hillside, making it near impossible to get rid of them. The hanging wasp nests could perhaps be destroyed, but with a great risk of injury. It was decided to wait and see if they left on their own. Esteryti left the area with a troubled heart and a heavy sense of foreboding, going to seek out her mate to share with him the unpleasant news. For now, they had arrangements to make to see that the pride was provided for and protected.

---

The shared sleeping arrangements wore on the pride, leading to short tempers and sudden arguments. It was one thing to live close to each other while waiting for mud to dry, and something else to do so while waiting for wasps to relocate. Everyone was on edge, eyeing the hillside warily and twitching at every little irritation, for fear of being stung.

Things devolved further when people started to get stung even when they stayed away from the wasp nests. A sense of building tension began to form a pall over the pride until a minor was stung while playing near the supposedly safe dens. That simply was the last straw, and the more outspoken members of the pride began to call for something to be done. The general unrest rose, forcing the King, Queen and Royal assistants to gather and make the decision to relocate to the forest temporarily. Or so they hoped.

The difficulty was that the Bouncers were ill equipped to handle rowdy wasps, and no amount of military training could have fixed that. Brawn was no good against small feisty opponents that were too fast and numerous to make any sort of attack on. There simply was no way to prevent the spread of the nests, so for now the Bouncers and Criers simply monitored movement of the colonies and tried to make sure the pride members avoided those areas.

The Medics had their work cut out for them too. No matter how careful the pride members were there were usually at least one seriously stung animal to take care of every day. Supplies for tending stings were swiftly running low, without enough replacements arriving quickly enough to keep up with the aggressive nature of the wasps.

Entertainers and performers did their best to keep spirits high, difficult as that task was. The Festival of Luck was coming up, and although the King and Queen hoped that it would help rally the pride's morale, a joke started to spread that they might as well rename it the festival of bad luck if this unlucky streak kept up. No one took credit for the sentiment, but many spread the joke around. How could they not? It was entirely too apropos, under the circumstances the pride currently suffered under. It reached Madakata's ears several days before the festival was supposed to start and she brought it to the attention of the King, the Queen and the other Royal Assistants, sparking a meeting about the current situation.

---

The council that gathered carried a mixed air of weariness and deep worry. Esteryti felt like she had permanent worry lines folded into her brow, and her fur was looking a little less tended than she usually kept it. She cast a look to her mate, catching his eye to try and offer reassurance, though her expression looked just as stressed and anxious as his own did.

Haddi crashed the council meeting, though his presence was far from unwelcome. Goofy and frivolous as he seemed, he was after all a god. Surely there was something he could do to help? However, he very nearly ruined his welcome with the first words out of his mouth. "It's funny because it's true... Sorry, it's just..." He looked around for some positive reaction to his amusement, but found none. He trailed off, looking discomfited and a little ashamed.

"It's not good." Esteryti tried to soften her words with a sympathetic look at the boyish god. "No matter what we do, they keep spreading. It's almost like they are chasing the pride away... or chasing us out." She gave a great sigh, shoulders drooping. "We can keep relocating a little further off, but...," she trailed off defeatedly.

"This doesn't work," Heimdall said, "I'm sure you have noticed that the Criers are very eager to be away from the pride, even on their off seasons... I'm not sure they're actually working, but who can blame them really?"

"I agree," said the Royal Assistant of Summer. "At least half of the Kaskazi Criers have volunteered to help spread the word about the festival."

The other assistants nodded, having similar experiences with their clans.

Haddi cleared his throat humbly, feeling mortified for having joked at a time when clearly they needed solutions, not light-heartedness. "I have an idea," he offered quietly, though his big voice still rumbled loudly. He glanced at the royal couple for permission before continuing on. "There is a pride I'm familiar with," he began, and filled them in about Kwa Kikombe.

Esteryti listened close as Haddi spoke, trying to clamp down on her feeling of despair. Had it really come to this? Were they going to leave their homes in order to save the lives of the pride? If they went to this game pride... Sikukuu would likely cease to exist as its own entity. She swallowed around a lump in her throat and kept her chin up as he kept speaking. Heimdall looked grim, but nodded and listened as Haddi spoke.

"I could go and ask for asylum," Haddi went on soberly, all hint of his earlier teasing gone. "I'm reasonably certain they'd be willing to help us, but we shouldn't assume that until I can speak with their leader." He was actually quite sure that they would be welcomed, but seeing the leaders' reactions to this suggestion made his heart sink. It was a solution, yes, but not one anyone savored. "For me, it would be a quick trip. I can go and be back in two days time for the start of the Festival." He paused, then added reluctantly, "But for the pride, it will be a long trip." He stopped to look around for an indication of what he should do. Was this what they'd choose?

"We'll cross that river when we reach it," Heimdall said, using an old Sikukuu saying, "We're grateful for any help at all at this point. If you're willing to make the trip and talk to their leader we'd be in your debt."

And like that it was decided. No one brought up the subject on everyones minds. What would they do if the other pride wouldn’t help them?

------

The day dawned bright and sunny, but it was overshadowed with the constant hum of those dratted wasps. Esteryti did her best to ignore it as she stepped onto the stump that provided a place to speak to the pride as the Festival of Luck opened.

"Welcome all! We are so glad to see your smiling, beloved faces." She paused with a weak smile, clearly not at her best. She was too shaken by what they had to do. It cut her deeply to have to tell them all that they would have to move, that their way of life would soon be a thing of the past. She gulped and cast a look to her mate for support. She got a warm, reassuring look, sucked a breath, and went on. "Today we celebrate the luck of good things, growing things, and beautiful things. There are contests of luck, charms to be had, and plenty of food." That at least was true... in fact, they probably had too much. Too many willing paws to leave the living areas to go hunting for the feast. She swallowed hard again, feeling her chest tighten as she moved on.

"But before we start we need to talk to you about some serious matters... The wasp situation has gotten completely out of control, but we have a solution." She gave everyone a sad look, pleading with her eyes for them to understand. "Our home is no longer safe enough to live in. This... this will be the pride's last celebration as Sikukuu." She choked off a sob, lifting her chin and firming her stance. "Your safety means more to us than our own lives," she told the gathered crowd. "That is why we must do something before more people get hurt."

Heimdall stepped forward, joining Ester on the large tree stump, "Haddi has been kind enough to find refuge for us in a pride he knows well, the Kwa Kikombe. From what he's told us they also love games, and they're willing to give everyone a safe haven. We can't force anyone to come with us there, but we also can't provide enough safety here. It is time to put the needs of the pride ahead of our own desires. Those who wish to join us... we will be leaving in the morning to go to Kwa Kikombe."

You could have heard a pine needle drop from the trees. After a silence that spanned many heartbeats the pride members started to talk among themselves. The reactions ranged from shock and disbelief to anger or relief. After giving some time for the news to sink in the king cleared his throat in a bid for silence.

"Criers of my seasons," Heimdall said, "I'm going to call on you for a very important task. We need to make sure our visitors know where to find us, and that they don't stumble upon this mess. I'm sure you can help any Criers out there find our new location too. I trust you to figure out among yourselves the best way to divide the work. Next moon the criers of autumn and spring will take over responsibility, and after that we'll decide how to continue."

The council had argued for a long time before finding this solution. Those away from the pride needed to be notified where they'd all went, and any visitors shouldn't have to be greeted by wasps or empty dens.

"The Royal assistants will coordinate our journey and count in everyone tomorrow," he continued, "Hopefully with good help from the entertainers of their season. As we said earlier, we can't force anyone to come. Sikukuu has always been an open pride with freedom to come and go, and that's not changing now. However, we believe it would be best for the pride to stay together through these hard times, if you can find it in your hearts to come with us."

He had thought about adding something hopeful about someday returning to these lands, but on a whim he decided against it.

"Have fun today, find what joy remains in our home. We will start our journey tomorrow morning."

With little else to be said, both King and Queen stepped down, moving off to the side to deal with the tide of questions and arrangements that still needed to be made. A new chapter had begun, for good or ill.


((Co-written by Annchen and Talencia. More info about the pride's disbanding can be found over here.))