Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Please bear in mind that this is still Iris' plot in action! This happens at the very tail-end of the "A series of Unfortunate Events *MATURE*" RP. No one should have their SOA running off ahead. Mufasa is going to be brought to Pride Rock, so there's no need to go look for him. smile ))

Pride Rock finally came into view, much to the relief of the mother who was well spent by now from her run. Fearing that there was no time to waste she didn't even stop by the family den to drop off Xu, instead climbing the steps to the Royal den in a hurry. Only once she was at the entrance did the female settle the cub down between her forepaws again, panting hard. Still, she forced her voice out past her need for air, the scent of Mufasa and the stranger and their battle still lingering in her nose.

"Sarabi! Sarabi, there's trouble!"

The night was cold, as soft breezing ruffling pale fur to send a shiver down an old, frail spine. Sarabi, sickly, elderly queen of the Pridelands, was not in her usual sleeping place, but sitting at the mouth of the den to watch the slow dance of the stars. Her bones and joints ached, the chill from the stone floor having seeped up into them during the night, despite the thick layer of sweet-smelling grasses the pridemembers tended to use as bedding. She'd woken to find the familiar, comforting warmth gone from beside her, her whole body sore and lethargic. Unwilling, maybe unable, to sleep like that, the queen had risen to sit and wait for her mate's return, wanting to fall asleep at his side rather than alone. She was curious as well, as to why he'd left her in the middle of the night. Maybe he was just restless, and needed to take a walk to calm himself?

The stars were so bright tonight... she could almost hear them singing to her, and despite the chill, it was almost pleasant to sit here for a time. Warm darkness at her back, filled with the sounds & smells of sleeping lions; cool, clear darkness before her, filled with the light of the stars and moon. It was beautiful beyond description, and a strange sense of peace prevaded, much at odds with the happenings that were unseen.

Sarabi turned at the sound of her name being called by a familiar voice, all sense of calm shattering as a sickly kind of dread seeped into her old heart. It fluttered in her chest, squeezing painfuly as she rose and revealed herself, padding from the shadows to the soft clicking of wooden beads. "Ausi? What's going on?" Red eyes flicked from the distressed lioness to the cub between her paws and back again. Her voice turned weak, her heart squeezing harder as she forced out the words. "Where is Mufasa?"

Oh, sweet circle... she knew. With the instincts bestowed by such a close bond of love, she knew....

Panic clawed at the queen's chest, demanding she do what she no longer could and rush to his side, maybe even trounce the rouge with in an inch of his life for hurting her mate. But even as she stepped forward, closer to the black lioness, weak muscles protested the movement, weariness pulling at her body. Much as she wished to, Sarabi could no more run to her mate's side than she could fly there. Even if she tried, she'd end up collapsing less than half way there, and be no good to the king for days after.

"Are they coming back now? Is anyone injured?" Her ruby eyes pleaded with Ausi for more information, craving any news of what was going on while she'd kept her night time vigil. "Are they still fighting?" Her voice quavered just a little, to her distress, to make her sound as old and pitiful as she often felt. Damn her weakness, in times like this.

Sighing in frustration and worry, the queen turned from the pair with a flick of her tail, padding towards the edge of Priderock. "Ausi, I think you should take your daughter home for now. I'm sure the poor thing is tired, and its very late for her to still be up. I'll keep a watch for the three of them." Sarabi's voice was firm, but gentle, infused with her authority as Queen. Through the turmoil she felt, she remembered that she still had a responsability to care for and rule this pride. There was nothing the two could do, and it was better for them if they rested now, incase some sort of measure required them to be up and ready later.

"Get some sleep, but keep an ear open for a call from Priderock. The pride might need to be called together, if there is more than one of those rogues out there."

Letting the tired pair go, the queen turned at the sound of paws and a soft voice. The pale green lioness nearly glowed in the darkness, and she was a welcome sight indeed. Much as she wanted Ausi and her daughter to get their rest, she yearned to have someone to hold the vigil with her. Worry gnawed at her heart, making it squeeze painfully in her chest.

"I would greetly appreciate the company, Palesa." She sighed, her tail swishing with her anxiety. "Its rather cold out here without another body to warm the night." The cream lioness carefully kept any mention of anything wrong from her words, not caring to jinx herself incase the situation really wasn't as bad as she feared.

Mufasa... Red eyes swept the night as the queen turned and padded towards the edge of the rock to take her seat, brown tipped tail swishing again. Please be alright...

The queen sighed softly where she sat, red eyes showing her worry clearly. Drawing out of her thoughts enough to answer, she turned to give Palesa a soft smile. "I'm afraid I can't take much credit for that, dear. The pride was strong when Mufasa came to rule and took me as queen. All we've done in our long lives is maintain it and care for it. It has always been my dearest wish to see the pride flourish under our leadership, and to be able to do right by them. Each day is a blessing, precious in itself... but..."

The soft, tired voice trailed off for the moment, her thoughts turning dark as those red eyes were once again drawn to the shadowy lands that spread before them. "Everying must come to an end, so that it might give birth to something new... It is part of the Circle of Life..." Sarabi's faith had always been strong, unwavering even when confronted by the crueler parts of life or by the gods that had begun to appear. Never before had the thought of just what the Circle ment weighed as heavily on her as it did now, at the end of it... The time when she must part with everything she held dear drawing close enough to send chills through her body.

A soft smile pulled at the queen's face, her eyes cast still towards the dark lands. "I do not doubt Kamilika's ability to do what is right... She has been trained long and hard for this, her entire life spent on gaining the knowledge she must have to rule. My little girl... so sweet and soft. I can only hope that the burden of ruling doesn't quash that sweetness. One must be strong as stone..." She sighed and shook her sleek head as she turned her face towards the green lioness.

A humm slid from her throat as she thought for a moment, finally turning back as she spoke again. "It is a rather long story, my dear... Though I suppose now is as good a time for long stories as ever." She smiled as her tail flicked gently. "A long time ago, when I was quite young, two rouge brothers came and took over the pride. They killed the old king, Mufasa's father, and drove him and his brother Taka from the pride."