Tear My Heart To Pieces (DGFone and AmyMarie)

[UncoordinatedPisces]

(OOC: What should Delano's problem be? Seeing as Amy is hiding something from Toro, but not in that way. Maybe he could like Lyra? Or he's worried about the fact he could become leader?)

Amy smiled happily,
"Oh that'll be alright then, looking forward to stretching my legs". In her old pride, she was trained how to hunt in a group effectively, as well as hunting the smallest of prey on her own. Before she found the Kiburi Pride, she caught small rodents, lizards, birds and fish to keep her going, and it worked.
---
Rakaia felt just a hint of guilt, but pushed it aside. She wanted Toro.
"You know...the 'secret lover' look. You must of seen it before Toro". Listening to him put all her lies together made her smile just slightly in success. "Exactly...". Lyra decided to ignore it all, no good could come out of it.
---
Meanwhile, on the boders of the pride, Taalo was patrolling. The large, middle aged lion was making sure the boders were ok. He was the leader after all. He took his role of leader seriously, and the roles of being a father and a mate were important to him. He glanced behind him, his mate Malkia was just talking to their son, Delano. He smiled slightly, he loved them both very much, as he did Aisha and Hashira. He knew the time to pick which one out of the 3 to become leader would be hard. Maybe he wouldn't even choose one of them.

Continuing his stroll, he smelt something foul on the breeze. Head lowered, he followed the scent until he found a severed carcass of a impala, it was already rotting. No lion or leopard would do such damage to the carcass,
"Malkia, come look". He turned around to her, "Hyenas maybe?". In his experience, hyena's meant bad news, they were a danger. Especially to younger members of the pride. This was a vital moment for training as well, this was just the experience Delano needed. "What do you think son?", he asked him.

[DGFone]

Aisha grinned at Amy's enthusiasm. "Just wait for the hunt," she suggested, "it won't do you any good to tire yourself out simply waiting for it to begin. But it seemed like Amy would rather not sit down now, so Aisha got up herself. "Actually, come with me."

---

Toro was growing furious. "Yes, I've seen that look before," he growled. "And now Amy is with him?" As he tried to think, Toro began to pace around Rakaia and Lyra. "I will need to talk to her then," he growled, "but she told me that she doesn't like him that way. She told me!"

---

Delano looked at the mutilated body of the impala and then at his parents. "Well, it looks like hyenas," he said nervously, afraid of getting the wrong answer, "but... hyenas don't come here often. And why would they simply leave a body like this behind?"

Next to him, Malkia watched her son with amusement. Most of the time, Delano was proud and confident. But as soon as he would be asked a question that he might get wrong, he would right away turn hesitant and uncertain.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Amy grinned back and chuckled at her friends comment. Tail swishing the flies behind her away she replied,
"I get restless you know". Amy saw Aisha get up and she did the same, wondering where she was off too. Smiling, she nodded, "Okay then".
---
Lyra was watching Toro, a little nervously in fact. He was getting so fired up over lies. All Rakaia could do however, was spur him on.
"She's obviously keeping something from you...", she gave a mock sigh, "She really doesn't look like one to lie, I suppose...nobody can be an angel. I think you should talk to her Toro, give her a piece of your mind...". The lioness had never felt so evil, but to say she wasn't enjoying it would be a lie.
---
Taalo raised an eye brow, even he didn't think about that. Of course it would of come to him, but he was impressed with his son's quick thinking. However, he sensed his nervousness, that wasn't a good quality but Taalo was willing to over look it.
"Agreed...however, they could of been quite easily chased off by another predator after they had ruined the carcass. I guess we'll never know the full details. I'll get one of the pride members to check this area day to day, we'll soon find out".

[DGFone]

Aisha looked back at Amy. "I don't really know where to go," she said, "but if you are restless, I am kind of too. So let's go somewhere!" Without any real destination in mind, the two lionesses walked off into the woods.

---

Toro nodded in agreement with Rakaia. "Yes, I need to talk to her," he said, "but when? I can't just walk to her and demand that she tell everything, I won't know what is real and what's not..." He stopped, getting an idea. "But if I wait and see if I can find anything, I will be able to come to her knowing that I saw..." He turned to Rakaia and Lyra. "And what if the two of you help me?"

---

Delano frowned. "But if the hyenas were chased off, why would the kill be left behind like this?" Not knowing the answer, he liked Taalo's suggestion of posting a lookout. "Wait, dad... a pride member will be too obvious," he said, "if we really want to see what is going on, shouldn't we get someone else to help? Like some kind of bird... something not to conspicuous."

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Amy somewhat felt like a cub again in the woods, walking around investigating tree's, even managing to climb a few. It was nice to spend time with Aisha, for she was often busy with her mother and father.
"It's nice out here, I've always liked being surrounded by tree's, not sure why though".
---
Rakaia listened to Toro and realized that his idea meant spending more time around him, but spending more time around Amy. Frowning ever so slightly, she decided it was to her eventual benefit and it had to be done. Lyra however was angry at the idea, she growled lowly and turned to Rakaia,
"I'll be no part of this, if you want me, come and find me". She walked off, tail swishing angrily behind her. Rakaia gave Toro a look to say 'I don't know why she did that' even though she damn knew the reason.
---
Taalo was pleasantly surprised, his son was thinking about things he had forgotten about.
"I'm getting old son, what you thought about there didn't even occur to me...yet. Sure it would of come sooner or later, but I'm impressed with your speed and your ideas". Giving Delano a pat on the shoulder, he looked at Malkia, "Would you mind finding a suitable bird for the job, I'm sure one of them around here wouldn't mind. Mention my name to the vultures if you speak to them, they'll soon agree".

[DGFone]

Aisha grinned when Amy would hop around and even climb a few of the trees. "I think this is why," she answered, climbing up to a low branch herself, "you can see so much more from up on these branches. It's not even that much higher, but just enough to make such a difference..."

---

Toro noticed Lyra walk off furiously and looked at Rakaia, confused. "What was that about?" he asked. Choosing between them, it appeared that Rakaia would accept it if he would go and help Lyra, who looked like she needed someone to talk to. "Lyra! Wait!" He called out, chasing after her.

---

Delano nodded. "Alright dad, I'm on it." He turned and ran off, looking for a suitable look out. Vultures would be the best, as they hang around carcasses anyways, so it won't be unusual to see a vulture or two next to a dead body.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Amy nodded, she also climbed a low branch near to Aisha's, she sighed happily.
"Yeah...in my home land, we used to have these really tall tree's around the waterhole, I remember me and my younger brother getting caught up one once. My father was furious, but he laughed about it after, as did my mother". Memories of her family graced her mind, she knew there was no point getting upset, she tended to visit them every few full moons.
---
Rakaia growled angrily when she watched Toro run after Lyra. She thought to herself,
"She better not tell him they were lies...". She sat herself down in the shade, wondering what would happen if Toro did find out. Lyra however, had reached a rock formation and lay herself down behind one. She needed a moment. The lioness could hear Toro call after her, it was a matter of seconds before he caught her up. Sighing, she thought of what to say.
---
Taalo watched his son run off intently, he was so keen. The lion looked to his mate and smiled,
"He's doing well...he has a good mind. I wonder where he got that from". He grinned before taking himself seriously again, "But then again, he got nervous when I asked him a question...Aisha doesn't do that, but she hasn't got his mind...and Hashira may be the youngest, but she really does have a pure heart". Sitting down, he continued, "I'm dreading the time we have to pick...what do you think Malkia?".

[DGFone]

Aisha found the prospect of Amy stuck in a tree a rather amusing one. "You? Stuck in a tree with your brother? How did that happen?" She grinned. "I'm taking it that you don't get stuck anymore... By the way, where's you brother? Back in your old pride?" She was used to Amy disappearing from time to time to visit her old pride, so she knew that Amy didn't exactly miss them.

---

Toro ran over to the rocks where he saw Lyra run off to. "Lyra? What's wrong?" he asked, looking around for her. "Why did you run off? Was it anything we said?" He couldn't see her, but knew that she was close. "Please, Lyra, I don't want to make you feel bad. Especially if it's because it's about something that I don't know."

---

Malkia licked Taalo in the cheek. "Relax, you know who to choose when the time will be right," she said, "don't worry about it for now. They all have a long way to go before any of them will be ready."

[UncoordinatedPisces]

Amy laughed,
"I can't remember exactly...I think we dared each other to climb it and it just happened". She leaped down from the branch and lay down underneath the tree, preferring the slightly softer ground. "I've learnt not to climb the high ones now", chuckling for a moment, she later continued, "And he's back in my old pride, Lakeside Pride. Because I left, he's becoming the heir to the throne. I always knew he wanted desperately to be King, but he was never jealous of me".

She sighed slightly, rubbing the back of her head with her paw. "Will be probably visiting again soon, mother misses me. I'm her only daughter after all. Father met Toro last time...he said he wasn't sure about him. He said as long as I was happy, he was fine with it. If you want, you can come and meet my family? There's quite a bunch of us. I've got 2 aunties, 2 uncles and 6 cousins. And there's about 4 other pride members as well". She ran a check list over her mind, and then nodded, "Yep, definitely 17 of them, not including me".
---
Lyra sighed unhappily when Toro reached her. Looking up at him, she finally replied,
"Toro...all I have to say is this. I'm not saying what Rakaia is telling you isn't true, but I honestly think Amy wouldn't cheat on you". She hoped her words would have a little impact, even though Toro was probably blinded by jealousy, and Rakaia would slowly make him believe her lies.
---
Taalo returned the affection with a nuzzle,
"I suppose...anyway, no of them are jealous or angry at each other. Let's hope it stays that way". Pausing for a moment, he realized his throat was quite dry, "Fancy coming for a drink with me?".

[DGFone]

Aisha liked the sound of meeting Amy's old pride. "Go with you? Yeah, I would like that," she said, smiling. She tried to think of how a pride with 17 members would be like, because it's slightly bigger then their current pride. "Lot of new faces to meet then, huh?"

---

Toro frowned. "Lyra... why would Rakaia tell me something that is not true? I am sure that she has her reasons for telling me all of this." He thought of what he can do while still trying to keep all three lionesses happy. "Tell you what? I will give Amy the benefit of the doubt, and if I will see something with my own eyes, then I will talk to he about it. How does that sound? I am sure that Rakaia is simply trying to warn me so that I won't be shocked by it as much should I see it."

---

Malkia smiled. She hoped that they won't have to deal with jealousy, but they didn't bring up their offspring to fight each other over who would lead them later. So Malkia knew in the back of her mind that things would work out well.

She grinned as Taalo started to walk away. "Why, I thought you'd never ask," she replied, and followed him as well.