[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

The trainer sighed again. "And you are certain about this decision?" He asked. Both Delano and Muroki nodded their heads. "Because as much as I would like to, I can't force you to stay." Delano was confused with this statement. Hadn't the trainer wanted them to leave initially? "The two of you are some of the best we had," the trainer continued on, "Individually, both of you are just more recruits, but together, you are..." he nodded his head, "... Unique. Special. Tough."

He looked back at them. "The point that I'm making is that, whether you like it or not, we need you. Now, as I said, I can't force you to remain with us. But I really recommend that you do." He looked away from them briefly. "Remember the body we found on that patrol. We have only started to get down to who is responsible, and we need lions like you to help out." He turned and began to walk out of the cave they were in. "I'll give you some time to decide." Ha said. "Make sure you won't regret your decision."

Delano watched the trainer leave. But he knew what Muroki wanted. "Still leaving?" He asked, although implying that he wasn't really concerned with the answer. They both knew what it was.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki sat there rather speechless after the trainer left. He made it sound like if they decided to leave they wont be able to change their mind, which didn't really make sense considering that they could just walk back to the cave system if they wished. "I... I don't know... What did he mean exactly? How can we regret leaving? Wont it be possible to just come back here if we change our minds?" then again, how was he going to cope with being there for the rest of their lives, if they were to stay there if they decided not to leave.

[DGFone]

"I think he's just messing with us, trying to get us to stay," Delano said. "I already know what I want to do. The question is what about you?" He grinned. "But judging from how you were acting the past few days, I think that you need to see Umeme right away." Muroki turned red, but Delano ignored it. "It's settled, then?" He asked. "We're leaving, right?"

But before Muroki can answer, Delano noticed that, with the trainer away, the'll have to wait for him again for some more time. "I mean, if you really want to continue, we can," Delano told Muroki, "But I don't remember you liking that idea." He peered around the entrance of the cave, but didn't see anyone. "Like I said, I only think that the trainer wants us to stay. We don't have to."

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki sat still and quietly for quite a while. "I... Let's go home..." he said, sighing. This place was suddenly giving him the creeps, and every moment he was spending there was for whatever giving him a very unpleasant feeling. "It's not like everybody here will die..." he was also feeling very tired, and thought that maybe once they were back he'll go get some sleep. He couldn't believe that he was thinking this, but he was actually considering saying yes. But no, he wanted to just leave it all behind already and to live a normal life as part of a pride for once.

[DGFone]

Delano nodded. "Alright, let's go home then," he agreed. He ignored how Muroki's mood seemed to change suddenly. Delano just figured that Muroki had enough as well, and now truly realized it. Now it looked like it was Muroki's turn to feel tired and annoyed.

Delano grinned slightly and nudged his brother. "We'll be out of here soon," he said. "We'll be gone before you know it." He hoped. There was still no sign of the trainer.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki looked at the tunnel where the trainer left into, trying to figure out whether he was anywhere near coming back. He might be checking the hill for any of the other trainees, but it didn't really matter. He just wanted to go home already, and the trainer was going to have to understand that maybe they were both just not mentally built for this.

[DGFone]

Finally, after a long time, the trainer returned. Delano quickly looked up at the entrance when he heard noise that signified the trainer's return. "So," the trainer said, looking over them as he walked in, "Have you decided?" He kept a neutral tone, but his disdain was still evident.

Delano held back his uncertainty. "Yes we did," he replied. "We want to go." Just saying that to the trainer's face was exhausting.

The trainer nodded slightly and turned to Muroki. "And you?" Either he missed the 'we' or he ignored it.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki nodded, "Yes, me too." well, that was it. They could go home and see everybody now. He wondered how would they all react to them once they came back, but figured he'd find out once they got there.

[DGFone]

The trainer let out a long sigh. "Well that's it then, isn't it?" He asked the brothers. Delano nodded slightly. "Which means that you want to get going," the trainer continued, "And I can't keep you from leaving, but I have to tell you something." He paused a little, meaning he was about to say something important. "We will try and continue on without you two, but the matter of the fact remains that you did complete the training," the trainer said. Delano felt that this was not good news. "But if we find that we will need more help, we will come to you," the trainer said, "And if that happened, you won't have much of a choice, because we will only do that if things are dire."

Delano nodded, but hoped that it would never come to that. "I understand," he said.

"Look, I don't think that will happen," the trainer said, "But you must understand that in a way, you two offer us a great opportunity. If we lose too many of our own, we will be able to get your assistance faster than having to train a fresh set of lions." He looked at Muroki and Delano again. "As I said, you won't have a choice with this, but it's the only way I can allow you to walk away now."

Delano hoped that Muroki wouldn't get aggressive about this option. If it was the only way out, he would take it. "Alright. I accept." He said, purposefully only referring to himself in order to give Muroki a chance to object.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki was silent until both his brother and the trainer have ceased talking. He didn't seem to have much of a choice with this, "I accept too." but at least they could leave, and like the trainer said the chance of them ever being called weren't too high. Right now he didn't want to dwell on the matter too much, he just wanted to go home. Again he wondered how would their friends and family react to their return, especially he was more nervous about Umeme's reaction.