The King of Grass Walls [Private: ImaniFaith and Amadeus]

[ImaniFaith]

Tinashe's brow furrowed in concern. So, if rogues didn't show themselves until they challenged the current ruler of the land, then there could possibly be one out there in Grass Walls right now, waiting to challenge his dad....

He looked over to Usugu, to see if he was nervous too. However, he didn't look anything but excited. Tinashe didn't understand why he always get so hyped up on seeing rogues, especially with Bahari and Zuzu around. It wasn't like Usugu was even going to have to worry about living that sort of life-- he was the eldest, and the future king of the land. It was Tinashe who would have to leave when he grew older-- as all adult males must-- in order to find a pride of his own.

The thought of losing contact with his family crushed him inside, so he preferred not to think on it; though his father had told him that he would have to face his lot in life someday.

Sighing, he opened his mouth to reply to Zuzu, when suddenly he saw another face smiling over the scrawny rogue's head. "Mom!"

"Shhh!" She grinned, "Don't wake the others up! Your father will be ready soon, so let's give you two a bath before you go."

Tinashe groaned as she began to administer her care upon him, "C'mon, Mom-- not in front of Zuzu!"

Imani merely laughed, and when Tinashe's bath was done, she set him down and reached for Usugu, "Your turn, kiddo."

[Baya]

Usugu snickered as he watched the embarrassment his brother had to go through before his eyes widened in horror at the fact that he was next. "Mom! I don't need a bath!" Usugu struggled slightly, but to no avail. She began to give him his bath, and he held a grumpy look on his face.

Zuzu laughed quietly. "You should be happy! Alot of cubs don't get baths from their mothers. Then again, alot of cubs lose their mothers. Of course we are taking into account that the cub survives long enough to get a bath from the mother." Zuzu said as he began to ramble. Usugu frowned as his bath was finished and he was let go.

Of course he felt embarrassed, but he was also very clean. He turned around and smiled towards his mother. "Thanks mom! Where's dad?" Usugu asked, now getting quite impatient.

"What's the hurry Usugu? The land will not change if I slept in a couple minutes more." Tenga said with a yawn as he emerged from the den. The first thing the king did was nuzzle his queen.

"Remember. Roar if you need help while I'm away, ok?" Tenga whispered to Imani with a lick on her cheek. Usugu made a face of disgust and Tenga chuckled.

"What's with the face? You are going to have a queen too someday Usugu. It'll be difficult to think about it now, but you will probably be far more romantic then I will ever be." Tenga pointed out as he walked so that he was alongside both his sons.

"As will you Tinashe." Tenga pointed out with a grin. "Now here are the rules boys. If we run into trouble, you have to run back here, or hide if the enemy runs after you. Also, try to avoid angering the rhinos and buffalo. I'm on a bit of...strained alliances with them at the moment." Tenga explained to his two sons.

[ImaniFaith]

'Strained alliences?' That didn't sound good to him, but Tinashe attempted to put the thought out of his mind. His father was a great ruler, and he would make sure everything worked out in the end.

"Thanks for taking us out, Dad." He said as he padded alongside the king. The sun was shining off his father's normally pale pelt, making it glow a light gold, and the silver hairs in his mane were nearly glittering. It was an awe-inspiring sight, especially for a young cub, and Tinashe secretly wished he could be as strong and smart as Tenga. He didn't feel like he would last two seconds on his own in the wild; and he didn't want to end up like Bahari, seeking refuge from another male.

Usugu looked so much more like their father than he did, he thought, so he would have no problem taking over the throne. Also, Usugu was better at fighting, which meant he could defend the land properly....

Tinashe shook his head, trying to will away feelings of defeat, self-doubt... and even jealousy. Usugu was his brother, and he loved him; he should be happy for him, and accept his own lot, as his father said. "So, where are we going first?"

[Baya]

"First we will be going to the outer flat plains. This was near where I met your mother. Few trees, alot of grass, and some water drinking holes." Tenga explained as he remembered the day he and Imani met. He figured they had fallen in love the moment she pounced on him, considering he didn't leave her after meeting her. A smile grew on his face as they approached the now much more lush plains.

"This is one of the most important parts of the kingdom. The heart of it. Without these plains, no animals would come here and feed. If animals don't feed, neither do we. We must thank the great kings above for what we have now, as this was not what it was like not too long ago." Tenga murmured.

Usugu looked in awe at what he might be ruling one day. The grass, the water, the scenery in general! It was all so beautiful! It made him far more excited about being king. "Dad. What's beyond that cliff?" Usugu inquired as he pointed with his nose towards the cliff that over looked the dead infertile lands.

"The barren lands. A meeting place for hyenas, vultures and even rogues at times. This land is not ours, and therefore we can't do anything with the intruders if they are there. Though if they step on our land, they became our problem so this part of the land is monitored closely by the birds." Tenga explained.

"Your mother and I actually had a bad run in with hyenas there you know. Your mother fought greatly." Tenga said with a sigh of content. What did his queen not have? She was beautiful, strong and wise. What more could he ask for?

"Dad, mom said you helped her that day. You also hurt yourself!" Usugu pointed out. Tenga looked to Usugu.

"Some things are more important than your own pain Usugu. Like protecting those that you care alot about." Tenga said quietly as he looked to his other son, whom was being very quiet.

"How do you find this scenery Tinashe?" Tenga asked with a proud grin.

[ImaniFaith]

"Oh!" Tinashe jumped at the sound of his own name. He had been thinking about what his father was saying-- how protecting your loved ones was more important than the pain you had to endure. A small spark of warmth ignited in his heart at those words. What could be more honorable than suffering for someone you loved? "It's amazing, Dad. Usugu's gonna' have it great someday."

He grinned at his brother, who didn't seem to notice. "I hope I can find a land as good as this one someday, Dad, and be as great a king as you."

Truthfully, he doubted that would ever happen. His dad was the best, and Usugu was a close second. Both were proud and fierce, two things he would never be. Still, his mother said he was gentle and kind, which were also important qualities. For now, he satisfied himself with that.

[Baya]

Tenga smiled at his son. "Why go looking for another land, when you won't have to leave this one Tinashe? I never even stated that you'd have to go. That is the normal tradition, but not our way. Should anything happen to Usugu, you shall be king. However, I don't want either of you to be thinking about being king just yet. It's not right for a cub to be thinking of grown up matters." Tenga murmured as he began to lead the cubs across the kingdom.

Tenga showed them the many areas of the kingdom, including the grazing land of the buffalo and the rhinos. Tenga warned the two young boys about angering either of the two creatures. The final part of the tour was of course showing them all the boundaries of the land. First, was the one that was outlined by the sands of the deserts. Tenga told both Usugu and Tinashe that what lies beyond the desert was suffering and death. They should never cross the boundary if they wanted to live.

The next boundary was of course the barren lands. Tenga was extremely stern about them not going there, but Usugu got a mischievous look in his eye at the sight of the barren lands. It looked too cool!

Tenga's final destination was quite unexpected as they visited a small dirt mound where normally the cubs would dig into for rats or small prey. "Within this den is a great witch doctor, and mystic. He strayed into these lands only a bit before you were born, and he predicted exactly what you'd look like and how you'd be. I asked him what your future holds, and he said that was beyond prediction." Tenga explained to his two young sons.

"Would you like to meet him?" Tenga asked with a smile. Usugu nodded eagerly, wanting to meet this powerful mystic. Usugu looked to his brother for an answer.

[ImaniFaith]

"Yes!" Tinashe answered, deeply intrigued at the thought of meeting the witch doctor. He was already glowing with the knowledge that his father wanted him to stay in the land; now he was also uplifted by the fact that Tenga had actually cared enough to consult the mystic about Tinashe's fate as well as Usugu's.

'Beyond prediction'. What could that possibly mean? How could his life be beyond the prediction of someone so wise? He didn't feel all that special....

As they neared the mound, Tinashe felt his heart begin to pound excitedly. If the witch doctor had been able to tell his father all there was to know about his and Usugu's personalities and appearances before, what would he tell them now?

[Baya]

Tenga cleared his throat. "Daktari my friend! Are you there?" Tenga called through the den. Only echoes returned, and Tenga frowned. He knew if Daktari was there he would quickly come to the entrance, especially since it was the king summoning him. Tenga sighed after a little bit of a wait. "It seems he isn't in right now Tinashe. You'll have to see him when you two are of mating age." Tenga murmured quietly.

"Why dad?" Usugu asked with a look of confusion on his face.

"He will simply perform a ritual of good fortune so that what ever happens, neither of you will run into many difficulties." Tenga replied simply as he began to walk away, back towards the main den. Usugu meanwhile walked at a slow pace alongside his brother, with his father out of earshot.

"Why don't we go check out the barren lands later huh? I'm sure it's totally awesome! That's why dad says its dangerous!" Usugu replied. They'd need to be extremely careful, if they did go anyways because should Tenga find out they would both be grounded UNTIL their ages of maturity.

[OOC: BTW, I was thinking of adding a girl into this whole mix so that Usugu becomes even more spiteful of his brother later on. I will play her if you wish]

[ImaniFaith]

Tinashe opened his mouth to protest, but then paused. He wasn't Imani's cub for nothing, after all, and the desire to explore was in his genes. The idea of checking out the barren lands secretly thrilled him.

"Well... no. No, we can't. Dad would be mad and-- " Usugu's irritated expression belied what a wuss he thought Tinashe was, and the cub frowned at the sight of it, "... but, maybe... I mean, if we don't actually go over the border... if we just look...."

He was fighting a losing battle, he knew, but he feared their parents' wrath much more than Usugu seemed to. After all, being grounded wasn't the worst thing that could happen....

"I just don't want to get in trouble, okay?" Tinashe groaned.

[Baya]

"Oh come on Tinashe! Trouble? What kind of trouble could we get in if dad doesn't know huh? Not like the rogues are gonna tell on us." Usugu pointed out with a snort and a roll of his eyes.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure alot of the creature there died already. Remember, dad said he was there last when he was protecting mother?" Usugu stated, trying to use logical reasoning to get his younger brother to comply to his wishes. The honest fact was, he was far too afraid to go alone.

Usugu said nothing more and followed his father's foot steps towards the den once more. It was only the early afternoon but some lionesses were napping now. It sort of annoyed Usugu how all of them could be so lazy and boring!

Tenga meanwhile laid down next to Imani, and put his head down over hers. "We're back." Tenga said quietly, figuring she probably knew already, but he felt the need to tell her anyways.