[PRIVATE] A Rogue's Light

[VitanisMate]

Mufalfa was laughing in the distance knowing that they all suspected Kamau and not him. He saw the devastation he wrought and laughed. He knew that if Kamau was gone Kioja would be his---to get his revenge on if need be! He knew what she did to him.

Mufalfa knew they would ask why the smell of ash was on him so he did something very painful. He burned himself to make it look like he was running away from the fire. He ran back to them all and started to hyperventilate making sure they saw his burns. "Imani, Tanga, Auni I barely escaped from that horrible fire."

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Imani looked at Mulfalfa and instantly her temper was as red hot as the flames. Something in his eyes...they screamed that he was the cause of this. "I'm sure you did..." her voice hissed, growling low at him while she tried to regain her balance. "So, where's your mate, Mr. Innocent?"

Kioja darted off, looking for the lion she knew well as her best friend and the leader of her pride. Sure enough she found him, looking around almost just as much as she was for him. Once they both made eye contact, they rushed to each other and lightly embraced in thanks that they were both alright and not harmed. "We need to get out of here" Kioja ordered him. Not like Kamau had any objection to her and so he darted off behind her.

"Where are Ra and Imani?" Kamau questioned, looking towards the Kioja in front of him whom looked back at the male.

"Imani is with Tanga and Auni. I don't know where Ra is" she replied. Without any warning, Kamau darted off and attempted to find his younger sister. "Kamau!"

"Go tell the others to run! I'll find Ra". Kioja knew she couldn't argue with him when he had his heart set on something so she only headed back to the others. Mulfalfa had joined them and she looked at the mark on his fur and narrowed her eyes. Intentional marking, and his posture is completely wrong. Too guilty, and his mark is too planned out, she thought. I'll deal with him later, she thought. She didn't hesitate to give him a look that she knew he was up to something and she wouldn't let it go.

"So sorry to see that the burn got you, Mulfalfa" she gave him a smirk and an eyebrow raise, "why didn't you just let it get the rest of you while you were at it?". There was a moment of silence before she sighed and looked down at Imani, "Kamau is looking for your sister. We need to get to higher ground" she turned her body to where there was more water.

Imani looked from Kioja to her mate and then out to where Ra might have been. She was worried beyond belief for her older sister and she was tapping her tail on the ground in fear that Kamau might be harmed as well. None the less, she followed Kioja and looked back at the others to make sure they were following.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga quickly followed the others, so focused on making sure Imani was alright that he did noticed the signs of Mufalfa's guilt as well as the others. He saw Kamau go off to look for Ra, and felt so powerless in that moment. Noticing that Imani had a fearful look about that obviously had nothing to do with her own safety, he came up beside, their incident from earlier causing him to avoid nuzzling her in case she did not want it. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Imani," he said as soothingly as he could through his own fear. "Ra's strong...and I'm sure Kamau knows what he's doing."

Looking back to see the flames engulfing the area they had been at just before, Tanga gulped fearfully, before turning to Auni. "Auni...are you alright?" he asked. He just wanted to make sure that everyone was okay, and that the shock of their situation was not effecting them too terribly...it made him feel like he was at least doing something, and not just becoming an unnecessary addition to the group.

[Skittakallista]

Auni blinked through the smoke, coughing slightly as they got out of the panicking herd and into a clear area, looking over what had been their territory. Flames engulfed it now.

He turned around to see Tanga asking him if he was ok. "I'm fine, thankyou Tanga." He smiled at his friend. Then he looked over the territory again. It looked as though it was completely engulfed. "Do you think this was an accident Tanga?" He asked, Swishing his tail in agitation. "Because it's not dry enough for a savannah fire. Do you think... No." He shook his head. He refused to beleive someone would be so evil as to purposefully endanger so many lives...

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

For some reason, Imani felt safe with Kioja in lead so she stuck close to the dark lioness that was almost a color like hers. While they migrated away from here they were standing before, her eyes scanned for any sign of her sister or brother, making sure they were alright. Kioja caught the nervous nature behind her because of Imani and sighed out. "Just relax". She couldn't believe she was trying to soothe a lioness who was older than her like she was a child, but she kept on going.

Kioja was surprised that not even Tanga, her mate, was trying to make her feel better but she moved on. While the pride moved, she kept a sharp eye on Mulfalfa in case he tried something. Finally, they got to the water and stuck close to it. Lying down with some of the other animals around there, she settled down where Imani had come and glued herself to the lioness. Kioja looked down at Imani, who hid her head in Kioja's chest, looking up at Tanga and then back down at the scared female.

Oh boy, she thought to herself. The flames had already spread to Pride Rock so she was sure the royal family was trying their best to take care of it. A noise shifted her head to look and she saw a herd of elephants take water in their trunks and spray it over the fires. Smart creatures, those elephants are, she thought.

[AustralianChaos]

Tanga frowned at Auni's question. "Someone deliberately light a fire?" he asked, shocked, "But who could even think of...what could they possibly gain from doing such a thing?"

As he thought on this possibility, he looked over at Imani, he was currently hiding her face in Kioja's fur. "Imani..." he called softly. Again, their earlier incident was leaving him hesitant to get too close to her, but he loved her too much to just stand around and watch her break down like this...it was tearing him apart.

He slowly approached the two of them, watching Kioja as well in case she wanted him to back off and give them both some space "Imani, it's okay, we're all okay. Ra and Kamau are going to be fine, I'm sure of it...and look, the elephants are already trying to drive back the flames...it'll all be over soon." Giving in to his instincts, he came up to Imani and put a forepaw comfortingly on her shoulder, trying to help her calm down.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

Imani stayed quiet while her mate soothed her. She had to admit that even through the harshness of her fears, he always had this way of making her feel better. Though she hid her face in Kioja's chest to make sure she didn't lay one glance on the increasing flames. She could already feel the heat starting to rise and it scared her to the very core to know that they were soon going to have to migrate elsewhere to live until the Pridelands were plentiful and peaceful once more.

Kioja, seeing that Tanga wanted to be near his mate and wanted to comfort her, eased off of the troubled Imani and let her head float freely in the air while she cleared her throat and looked over the scene they were facing.

[AustralianChaos]

As Kioja backed off, Tanga took his paw from Imani's shoulder and held her close, aware that she was steadfastly looking away from the flames, and knew that his mane would be able to keep her vision from going where it did not want to go. He, too was scared, and found himself comforted by the feel of Imani's fur against him, sighing softly as he looked out into the raging fires, watching as the land he had called home for two months was slowly destroyed.

"How could this have happened?" he asked softly, unaware that Imani was already aware of the cause of the flames. He thought on the comments Auni had made, and realised that they were true...the savannah was not dry enough for a fire to have started all on its own...and there were no lightning storms in the area that could have started one spontaneously...someone had caused this!

[VitanisMate]

Mufalfa heard Tanga's and Auni's conversation. "What could they gain? Well nothing in the conventional sense. The real question is what could they gain in the spiritual sense. A return of their own land perhaps from a group that is still on their land after all this time. Revenge for their death? Perhaps Neru's ghost did it. You know he hates all of you from your killing of him. Usually when something dramatic happens the one who was killed comes back to get his revenge. Have you ever thought of that?" Mufalfa laughed and said to Kioja, "As for me burning myself I am not far from that trust me."

He looked toward Imani, "So you think I started the fire. Well if I did such a thing would I painfully burn myself on purpose like an idiot?" He then looked at Tanga and said, "This act is for desparation of the one who made it." He then stopped talking and went toward Kioja and said, "Is there some reason why you hate me?"

[Skittakallista]

Auni watched Tanga and Imani longingly. If only he could have a relationship like that.... Tanga knew just how to comfort Imani. He smiled at his two friends and looked back over the lands.

The elephants were indeed beginning to put out the fire and successfully. The flames were already begginning to calm where most of them were concentrated.

He jumped as Mufalfa spoke. He had seemed to come out of no where.... Could it be the vengeful spirit of Neru causing us harm? He thought. He had heard of instances where a restless spirit caused prides annoyance but never on a scale such as this! Then again, Neru was evil...

He didn't, however beleive that Mufalfa had done it. He's changed, He thought firmly. Though something about the lion had changed slightly. And only in the last few hours. Maybe it was the way he held himself or the look in his eyes but he was a bit more... Menecing then he had been in the last three months.