[Private] Initial Rivals

[SnowyCheetah]

Dixon thought hard for a moment, looking around but seeing nothing. But then he remembered a certain place. Climbing up the tree they'd just taken refuge on, Dixon clung to the very top and looked around the flooded jungle. Then he saw it; a hill surrounded by water in an old lakebed. He couldn't tell if there was anyone on it, but it was the only hope for Snowy's surviving location.

Dixon climbed back down and led Tanga and Kopa to the edge of the lakebed. Far from the hill, he couldn't make out if anyone was on it. There was an immense length of water between the hill and the shore.

[AustralianChaos]

Kopa sighed as Dixon lead them to the edge of the lake, and pointed out the island in the middle of it. The amount of water between them and the island was large...too large to risk swimming unless absolutely necessarry. "If there is anyone over there, how long do you think it would take for the water to lower enough to let them across?" he asked, deading the answer.

Relistically, Kopa expected a few days, possibly a week...but that was far too long. They needed this lake to drain...fast...but that was only if Snowy was out there.

But Tanga already had a plan for finding out. Like Dixon and Kopa, he could not make out if there was anyone over on the island, but Tanga knew that there was one thing he could do that would cover the distance. "Cover your ears, you two," he said simply, waiting for them before turning back to the lake, sucking in a deep breath...and unleashing the loudest roar he could possibly muster up.

He did not try to form words of any kind, rather just roared, trying to get his sound to carry as far as possible, praying it would reach the ears of anyone that was on the island, as he sat back, listening and waiting for a reply that he prayed was coming.

[SnowyCheetah]

Sitting on the opposite side of the island, the stranded lioness and snow cheetah heard a faint sound from across the lake. Running toward the other side and hearing the echoes, they realized it was a lion's roar. Standing halfway in the water, Snowy realized that someone was looking for them - probably Tanga, Dixon and Kopa. Excited and seeing rescue in the near future, Snowy roared back his loudest to let them know he was there. Unlike cheetahs, snowy could roar as well as his other unique traits. Kiburi roared as well. Perhaps Tanga might even recognize her roar.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga listened for a response, praying he would get one. Time passed, and just as Tanga was about to send another roar off, he heard a returning one. "Snowy!" he cried, turning to the others. "He's there, he's out on the island, we..."

Tanga's voice faded away as Kopa hurriedly shushed him, before the brown-maned lion perked his ears up, listening intently. "I can hear two voices coming from the lake," he said quietly, causing Tanga to listen in as well. Sure enough, Tanga heard a second roar accompanying the first. It sounded strangely familiar, like he had heard it somewhere before...but Tanga could not quite place it.

In the end, Tanga cast the unusually familiar roar aside as he turned to Dixon. "Is there any way over there?" he asked.

[SnowyCheetah]

Dixon looked at the water and shook his head in dismay. No way I know of. he said, looking around. It was too far to swim, there was no way to go above, and it seemed that the two creatures on the island couldn't get off themselves. But then he noticed something. Some of the trees were floating in the water, having been swept away as it rushed through the jungle. The trees... he muttered, looking at how they floated on the water. Then he had another brain spark. Running to where a few trees had been left on the ground, he tied them all together with vines and looked at his creation. A crude, but functional, raft. Help me push this into the water! he said, beginning to push the raft toward the lake.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga sprang up, gald to be able to help in same way as Kopa also came up to the side of his two new friends, the three of them working together the shove the makeshift raft into the lake. Tanga had absolutely no idea what this was Dixon had created...nor how it would help their cause, but since Dixon seemed to believe it would work, Tanga just trusted in his friend.

The moment the raft was in the water, Kopa jumped on it, giving a couple of quick paddles to steady it and stop it from floating out into the lake without Tanga and Dixon. "Come on," he said to Tanga, noticing the smaller lion's confused look. "We can float across the river on this!"

Hesitant, Tanga nevertheless trusted Kopa, leaping up onto the raft, promptly stumbling and falling flat on his face as the craft rocked underneath him. Getting himself to his feet unsteadily, splaying his legs wide to avoid a repeat of his humiliating fall, he looked from Kopa to Dixon nervously. "Are...are you sure this thing is safe?" he asked quietly.

[SnowyCheetah]

Dixon nodded to Tanga and slowly climbed onto the raft, causing it to float signifigantly lower than it was before. But it didn't sink, and he was able to paddle with his large paws toward the island. Care to help? he asked, noticing that only paddling from one side was causing the raft to go in a circle. If you two paddle on that side it'll go straight. Tanga could see the island and imagine the raft pulling up to shore.

Before long it was dusk, and they were a little over halfway to the island. Dixon was getting tired, but wasn't going to abandon his friend.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga and Kopa put in their best efforts, paddling hard towards the island, Tanga putting in a particularly large effort, both in an attempt to overcome his size, and the physical limitations that went with it...and because he was desperate to save Snowy. By dusk, everyone was exhausted. As Dixon got tired, Kopa looked ready to fall over, and though determination shone in Tanga's eyes, his paws were numb and cold, and his body was shaking from exhaustion.

But, as the raft approached the island at long last, Kopa finally flopped onto the wood, his body finally having enough. Panting, sweating, and feeling like he was about to collapse, Tanga forced out a couple of slow, exhausted strokes, bringing the raft in at last. As the lashed-together trees grated against the bottom of the island, Tanga only took the time to leap off the rocking craft before he collapsed into the rocky bank of the lake, completely spent. He had never thought helping Kopa and Dixon paddle that across the water would take so much effort, but here was, gasping for breath, barely able to keep his eyes open.

[SnowyCheetah]

Dixon, being so big and powerful, had forgotten to factor in Tanga and Kopa's less tolerant bodies. When he saw Tanga, the smallest of the group, having collapsed onto the ground, he realized his oversight. I'm sorry, I forgot to allow for exhaustion... he said as he pulled the raft onto short to keep it from floating away. Dixon was about to suggest they sleep a bit, when Snowy came running to the group. You guys! he exclaimed, placing a paw on Tanga's shoulder. I thought we were both doomed. he didn't realize that he'd just given away the presence of one more creature on the island. Dixon cocked his head. There's somebody else? he asked. Before Snowy had a chance to reply, Kiburi emerged from the shadows. I am here as well. she said, before giggling a bit at Tanga, laying on the ground.

[AustralianChaos]

Kopa looked up at the newcomer, cocking his head to the side at the rather young lioness that was with Snowy. Her dark, muddy brown fur was accentuated by her tan undercoat, and her golden eyes held a certain allure to them. If it weren;t for the fact that this lioness seemed to be looking at Tanga with a certain sense of familiarity, he might have had a go at trying to win her over. But he held himself back, since she seemed to know and like Tanga.

"Excuse me, but who are..." Kopa stopped as he put the facts together, and realised this was the lioness Tanga had talked about back before he had been exiled from his home pride. "Wait, you're Kiburi, aren't you?"

Tanga meanwhile, was trying his best not to nod off, panting in exhaustion as he listened. A smile formed as he heard Snowy's voice, and vaguely saw him through his bleary vision. But then he heard the lioness that was with him, and his mind grew confused at how familiar her voice sounded. but when Kopa said her name, it all snapped into place, Kiburi was here!

managing to summon the energy to turn and raise his head, and focus his vision, he looked up the lioness, surprised disbelief evident on his muzzle. "Ki...Kiburi?" he asked faintly.