[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Umeme grinned. "It's the least I can do," she answered, "but hey, I think that even you can say that this benifits both of us." As if to prove her point, she gently pushed Muroki on his side so that she can get into a more comfortable position against him. "In the end, I'm glad you're here. And I think that we can settle with that now that you're here, neither one of us want you to leave."


((Skip some time?))

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki became slightly confused when Umeme pushed him onto his side, but his smile soon returned when Umeme again cuddled up against him. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." he said softly, placing his head down next to hers and closing his eyes. Right now nothing beside her seemed important to him.

(( Sure ))

[DGFone]

several weeks later, late at night

Delano felt something quickly nudge his shoulder, but he didn't feel like waking up yet. Was it morning already? With their usual morning runs, he never had a problem of sleeping in late. So that meant that it was still night. But he didn't want to not sleep and then get up early the next morning. So sleep it is then. He didn't check to see who nudged him.

But whoever was nudging him was determined, and they didn't let up. Delano smiled playfully. "Knock it off, Lina. I'm trying to sleep here," he complained. He sent a paw in the direction of the nudging, but stopped, because he felt Lina's rhythmic breathing right next to him on his other side. Opening an eye, Delano looked at who was trying to wake him up. It was Kasi.

Groaning, Delano lifted his head. "It's late at night, Kasi. This better be good..." he said, only to finally see his cousin's face. Like he had seen a ghost. "What happened?" Delano asked.

Kasi just shook his head and went over to Muroki, who was sleeping peacefully next to Umeme, and proceeded to wake Delano's brother up in silence as well.

Delano sighed and moved next to Kasi. "Really, Kasi, what's wrong?" He demanded, but Kasi still didn't answer, still trying to force Muroki awake. Now both he and Muroki would be losing sleep, and Kasi wasn't explaining why. "What are you doing up so late?" Delano tried, but still didn't get an answer. Next to him, Muroki groaned. Maybe he would be able to get Kasi to talk.

[TheWhistlerify]

Soon enough after Kasi woke Delano up Muroki felt the same nudging, and he too first suspected Umeme had trouble sleeping or something. When he opened his eyes he saw that Umeme was sound asleep next to him, and that the one nudging him was actually his cousin Kasi. "Kasi?" he groaned, raising his head from his paws, "What's the matter with you?" Kasi however didn't say anything, and Muroki then saw that Delano was also awake. "What's going on?" maybe Delano knew what was up with their cousin.

[DGFone]

Delano just shook his head when Muroki asked him if he knew anything. "Come on, Kasi," he demanded again, "What's wrong? Why are you waking us?" But Kasi still remained silent. Instead he made a soft, whimpering noise and urged them outside.

Stepping outside, Delano blinked in surprise. The stars were bright, as was the moon. Morning wouldn't come for a while. He felt the air move next to him unusually and he turned and saw Kasi running away. Grunting in confusion, Delano bolted after their cousin, Muroki next to him. "Kasi! Where are you going? This isn't funny!" Kasi didn't seem to notice, and kept on running.

Quickly catching up, Delano looked at Kasi, hoping to figure something out, but and saw that Kasi looked bewildered and scared. Something was not right.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki frowned as Kasi made no reply and they had no choice but to go ahead and follow him outside, that is if they wanted to know what was the matter with him, and Muroki was rather curious if not upset at him waking them up at the middle of the night. "What does he want?" Muroki asked his brother, more as a complaint and not as an actual question. While they were no longer the early risers they used to be, it would still annoy anyone if they were woken up in the middle of the night.

[DGFone]

"Beats me," Delano replied. "I'm just in the dark as you are."

They continued running until finally, Kasi stopped running. Delano and Muroki also stopped next to him. "So," Delano breathed out, "mind telling us why we're here?" Kasi just made the whimpering sound again and pointed with a paw off into the distance.

Frowning, Delano walked over to where Kasi pointed. Through the darkness, he was just able to make out enough detail to know that he should be worried. Walking a bit further, he saw the outline of a lion lying down in the brush, and Delano walked over cautiously. "Muroki! You need to see this!" He called out. The lion was dead. Just like the one they came across while on patrol. But why would Kasi react so badly to this?

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki, who was following close to his brother, came to a halt once he was able to figure out the shape of the dead lion in front of them. He too was unable to realize why would Kasi be so nervous about a dead lion. Despite the bad memories it was giving him, Muroki walked over and took a closer look. It was dark, but Muroki was able to spot two teeth marks on the lion's neck which resembled a snake bite, which caused him to bare his teeth and growl.

Snakes didn't go out during the night, and even if the "bite" happened before nightfall there was still no way that this was a coincidence. Muroki pointed at the fake snake bite and said to Delano, "Deja vu." that still wasn't explaining how exactly did Kasi stumble across the body in the middle of the night or why he was so upset about the whole thing, which is why Muroki looked at Kasi next, hoping to finally get an explanation from their cousin. [b]

[DGFone]

Delano looked over the body, feeling sick. Finding this body must have scared Kasi stiff, otherwise their cousin wouldn't have brought them here in the middle of the night. "Kasi," Delano said softly, "we need you to start talking."

Kasi gave out another whimper, but opened his mouth to speak. "I - I know him," he finally said, barely above a whisper.

Delano's eyes widened in surprise. "Know him? Who is this lion, Kasi? You need to tell us." As much as he appreciated the fact that Kasi regained some of his ability to talk, it still looked like they would have to get every phrase out one by one. "We're your cousins. Your family. You can trust us."

Kasi looked away from the body. "He's my friend," he whispered, "His name's Tango. And now, look at him!" Kasi turned and stormed off.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki looked at Kasi as their cousin stormed off, not even heading in the direction of the den. Whoever killed their parents now did the same to Kasi's friend. How would Muroki feel if the same thing would happen to Kasi, or Delano or even Umeme? The very thought made him even angrier. "We should get Kasi back to the den." who knew who Kasi might ran into? He ran in the direction Kasi did, Delano closely following behind him.