[ORP] New Arrivals [Done]

[Mogami]

Baie's entire demeanor changed in a second. Wodi's family, huh? So that meant that some of those females might have the blood of Surtak running through their veins, a Umholi's blood. Even if they had been born outside the pride, there was nothing more important than blood.

The orange lioness moved forward leisurely and sat down a few steps behind Wodi and the males. She kept keen eyes on the intru-... visitors but kept her body language neutral. There was no need to cause a fight with those who sought none.

-----------

Thuli followed Baie's silent example, looking conflicted. Sure, there were a few younger lionesses amongst the new arrivals and the Ithambo lionesses outnumbered them, but this was still a large group that had come unannounced... then again, Baie was right. The males seemed to have been expecting them.

"Are you sure they're not a threat?" She asked quietly, though perhaps not quietly enough. Wodi's blood or not, she wasn't willing to trust blindly. "Look at the size of that one, she's like the Firekin. She actually looks like the grumpy one who visited the Outpost once."

Meepfur

*winks* Aali siblings <3

 

[Meepfur]

Wodi chuckled at the look on her great-granddaughter's face, and at the girl's aunt's response. "She comes by it honestly, I'll give her that," the Busisa said with a cheerful grin, sitting back on her haunches to give the shocked adolescent a tad bit more space. "I'm Wodi, or Ibala. One serves as well as the other."

Khazine, who had finally shut her open mouth so that she could at least use it to scowl, was caught between offended and intrigued. Her father had told her stories of his family, so finally meeting one of them was actually rather exciting, she just...hadn't expected to be smacked in the head right off. Somewhere behind her, Sinir snickered at her, and the dappled adolescent shot her cousin a dirty look. "I'm, uh, Khazine. Khazine bint Aribak."

With the introductions off to an amusing start, Nesf nodded and added to them. "And I am Nesf bint Adala. And there is Nur bint Yeki, Baysan bint Tasheen, Nkiruka, Sabit, and my daughters: Kasirga, Sinir, --, --, and --*." She indicated each in turn. "And we are the Qyrhyeshti, or what's left of it. We've come in search of a new home."

Though she continued to keep a careful eye on the cousins - they didn't need the rowdy, fight-hungry youths to make a scene, whether that involved picking fights with the strangers or just with each other - Sabit took a moment to survey those of the pride who approached. Her gaze quickly passed over the posturing males to focus more on the lionesses, from the feisty little one, to an orange one, to a leg-stripey one who was staring at her. Could that be one of Umkhombo's apparently numerous relatives? Sabit simply stared back, silent.

((Since a few of them don't have names yet, just pretend Nesf provided them. XD))

--

Andhaka had known at least some of the lionesses were sure to butt right in, although he was certainly not expecting Wodi to up and hit one of the new arrivals over the head; then again, this was Wodi, so it wasn't entirely surprising. Fortunately, Ukuthula seemed to be elsewhere at the moment, so they were spared the presence of the Busisa's considerably less agreeable daughter. "I am Andhaka, one of the Abaholi here. I can make no promise of refuge, but the pride may consider your request." He was careful to stress that the pride would consider, hoping that that might mollify the native lionesses. "Resources are thin of late, and a dozen extra mouths to feed is no small thing to ask."

All of this was exactly the sort of stuff that gossip-loving Ukulambile would ordinarily want to be right in the middle of, but between the effort required to move and the fact that she was receiving some much-needed grooming, that wasn't going to happen. Still, she stared intently, ears swiveled forward in hopes of catching any sounds whatsoever. She hardly even noticed when Inkungu stopped grooming her. "What is it? What's going on?"

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Annchen

SilverLutz

Quaji

Mogami

Long lost family, hooray!

AstoriaFallen

If she's only just starting to show, if she were to go into labor they would be way premature and probably not survive. If it helps timeline-wise to know, in the next ORP Ukulambile will either be away having her cubs or only just returned with them.

 

[Quaji]

Staying unusually quiet up until this point, Bangizwe had simply allowed Andhaka and the other lionesses to do the talking. It was clear though from the rage that mounted underneath his pelt, in the way his muscles flexed and how his tail wildly swept at the dry earth that the Umholi was far less than pleased by the appearance of this some dozen lionesses, some even apparently being related to a former Umholi if Wodi's words were anything go by.

If less of the pride had been present, he likely would have just told Andhaka to send them on their way, or rather do it himself. As the scarlet lion mentioned, the pride was stretched thin, they hardly had meat of their own, let alone any to share with outsiders no matter how their blood tied to the Ithambo's.

"The outskirts--" came Bangizwe's stern voice as he approached Andhaka's side, his amber eyes glanced over the gathered group. "--let them live on our outskirts. Theirs will be the first to be picked from by vultures, hyenas, and rogues, leaving our own cubs safer for it. In turn they receive safety within our borders and water, however, little remains of it, as well as the ability to hunt from our thinning herds until they have earned our trust."

Though they were lionesses and prized for that, they were outsiders who came during a time of extreme hardship. If they had arrived during the rains and plenty, maybe he would have been more lenient, but there were pregnant lionesses present whose cubs took priority, daughters of his own and of Andhaka's who needed protection. He--they could not jeopardize the pride based on what some ex-Umholi's son promised these lionesses.

Meepfur

Ahhh sorry I've been out of town! ;;

 

[Mogami]

“Umkhombo… that’s Gakere’s boy…” Baie said, suddenly, as Wodi’s words sunk in. Yes, she could see the resemblance, she’d babysat the brat enough times to leave a lingering impression and this adolescent was the exact same shade of brown.

She did not speak against Bangizwe but his words had her bristling from head to tail. It was true that resources were getting scarcer, they had many mouths to feed and more to be born soon but the orange lioness didn’t like the idea of turning away their own kin, no matter how diluted the bond that tied them. They should not turn them away as if they were all strangers, even if the Umholi was asking only for temporary distance.

“Khazine has the blood of Surtak, Gakere and Matifu. More importantly, she is Wodi’s blood.” Even if Wodi was a Busisa. “Prey and water may be getting harder to find, but she is family.” Ours, her instincts told her but she wouldn’t claim the young lioness as such before hearing what Wodi had to say. Soft and quiet as her voice was, it would be difficult not to notice the sudden tense frame and bristling hairs.

---------

Umkhombo, Umkhombo… wait, that was her… nephew… half-nephew… so this girl was…

“I’m a great aunt?!” And she’d never even had cubs! She eyed the chocolate adolescent with wide eyes. Oh, the nerve of her nephew to go off and have cubs before her… Nope. “Oh no, no no… I am not that old!”

Bangizwe’s words silenced her, mind working furiously. She knew when to keep her mouth shut but if he thought she was just leaving her grandniece like a stray in the outskirts, he was so wrong. Thuli would take her own food to her if she had to but her family would not starve!  

[SilverLutz]

A movement behind him made Tawa look over his shoulder. Bangizwe had decided to join the group, it seemed. He shifted on his paws, still not completely comfortable around the other two males, but he knew the three of them were there to be a sort of rock for the lionesses to lean on for support in situations like this. He honestly couldn't see a problem with the group joining them, but as Bangizwe spoke he realized just how limited the pride's resources were.

Having come from the Firekin were resources were always drawn thin he was used to this sort of rationing that had been going on, and a slew of new lionesses while cubs were on the way could pose a worry, he supposed. He kept his mouth shut, though. It wasn't his place to speak in cases like this. The lionesses of the Bonelands would have the final say and so far it seemed there was resistance to the idea.

---

Nur kept her light eyes trained on the lionesses that interacted with her pridemates. She had no blood in this pride and had simply come along because she knew the other females around her were strong and capable. The males here seemed a bit scared of them, though, she thought with an amused smirk on her scarred muzzle.

"What a warm welcome," she drawled, not at all afraid of a fight. "I think we'd be better off elsewhere if this is how the males act around here." She gave a little snort of distaste at the brown male that had spoken, her tail swishing behind her excitedly. They were a scrappy bunch, they could deal with the rogue lands. And perhaps they'd find a more plentiful place than this pitiful, dry land Umkhombo had led them to.

AstoriaFallen

I think towards the end we can have them chat, Tawa's too focused on staying quiet right now XD

 

[Meepfur]

When Bangizwe finally decided to grace them with his opinion by making that opinion an official pronouncement, Wodi's demeanor changed in a flash, and she rounded on him with flattened ears, a lashing tail, and a posture that made it evident that she was considering doing to him what she had just done to Khazine...possibly harder or with the addition of claws. "You're lucky Ukuthula isn't here to hear you deny her granddaughter, or she'd flay you," the little lioness snarled, not the least bit phased by the difference in size between them. "I've half a mind to do it myself."

She was glad that Baie spoke up as well, though a couple of lionesses seemed to agree with the tawny Umholi, albeit silently. "Why should the decision be yours and no one else's?"

Were Andhaka not one to so carefully school his expressions, he would have winced when Bangizwe said his piece.  They had not previously agreed upon this course of action.  His partner's behavior had been off lately, and though it had been of some concern, it had yet to have any ill effect on the pride, so Andhaka had been willing to write it off as stress and for the most part let it be.  But they, moreso than any other Abaholi before them, served at the discretion of the lionesses; to alienate them was to risk both their positions.

The striped male remained composed, however, and allowed his tail to casually swish and brush against his counterpart; a much more subtle gesture than the shoulder-check he wanted to give. "That is one possiblity," he attempted to amend in a diplomatic tone. "We are, of course, willing to consider others."

---

Khazine was no more prepared to become the center of a debate than she had been to get cuffed by the tiny, speckled lioness who was her great-grandmother, and could do no more than look back and forth from one party to another.

Her cousin Sinir, however, had plenty to say about the situation. "That's bullshit," she complained loudly, "They can't just take you and not the rest of us!"

"No one's saying that," Khazine assured her. "And even if they did, I wouldn't leave everyone."

Sabit bristled along with other lionesses from both sides, claws kneading the dry ground.  She did not appreciate the golden male's tone, and was rather inclined to agree with Nur.  Umkhombo was their Bey, though, and they were sworn to do as he bid.  In his absence, and with Khazine not yet of age, she looked to Marmar and Nesf as having the most authority, as children of the previous Bey, although that was tenuous at best.  The rank structure of the Qyrhyeshti was simple, and the only real authority belonged to the Bey and Hatun, which at the moment was a bit of a complication.

Nesf was no more pleased than the others, but she schooled her expression and tone, and remained seated, her tail calmly brushing the ground behind her. "We are not helpless cubs incapable of pulling our own weight, nor did we earn our scars by sitting idle," she asserted.  "If you are caused such troubles by rogues and hyenas and lack the strength to deal with the problem yourself, perhaps we could come to an arrangement."

She couldn't resist slipping in the subtle insult, her one eye focused on the larger of the two Abaholi.  She couldn't for the life of her imagine how Umkhombo had lost to him.

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Quaji

SilverLutz

Mogami

 

[Quaji]

"One of our options?" Bangizwe asked, his tone almost accusatory as his eyes turned to look towards Andhaka. "If they eat from our kills, your cubs will grow hungry. Our herds are thin, Andhaka, and it will be months before the herds return. The lionesses can only hunt so much with the numbers we have, with the competition the pride has. Are you willing to risk the lives of your cubs for the lives of these lionesses? I for one will not, not for the children of Umkhombo, not for the son of an former Umholi."

His eyes flared as his attention was torn away from Andhaka by Nesf's words. He had half a mind to incite a fight right there, but Andhaka's eyes begged him otherwise. "If you have a deathwish as Umkhombo seemed to have when he challenged me, by all means, deal with the hyenas, deal with the rogues that plague our borders." Bangizwe knew this hyena clan, he had fought them before, but it seemed every time one of them fell, two more came up.

A spark, an idea, something at least. He knew the look Andhaka gave him, it was one that silently, possibly even unknowingly, begged him to be civil, but there was something about these lionesses that rubbed him the wrong way. Umkhombo had some ********' nerve showing up, challenging him and then sending these lionesses here, putting the pride in a spot. One one hand they had familial relations, but on the other side, that relation was through the old Abaholi.

"Kill them then," Bangizwe started, pausing for only a moment to give Andhaka a sideways look, "--the hyenas that is. Do your part to prove your good intent on joining the pride. Do that and you'll have me on your side." Without the hyenas as competition, maybe they would actually to feed these extra mouths. That and he just didn't like this clan one bit for other reasons.  

[Mogami]

“Careful, Bangizwe.” Baie said, so very quiet and hopefully for his ears alone. She was standing now, her tone deadly even though it was difficult to speak in such a way when Baie was so used to having nothing but respect for the Abaholi - with very few exceptions in their history.

She didn’t remember the Abazingeli ever chasing off an Umholi but Baie wasn’t above leading a mob if Bangizwe was starting to feel a little too… entitled. Obviously, she did not like the idea of sending a proven male who’d fathered strong Abazingeli away (they hadn’t even turned on the flea-bitten Kamal!) and, looking back at the pregnant lioness that had recently begun showing she frowned, tying to remember who would be the happy father of that particular litter. But if she had to choose between any male (even Gakere, who she’d favored greatly and whose calm and composed demeanor she greatly missed) and a child of Ukuthula and Wodi’s line, there was no contest.

“The herds will return eventually and anyone who joins us, will pull their own weight. As always.” Baie said before stepping forward to join Wodi’s side, turning slowly to Khazine. “That said, when prey is scarce and we’re expecting more cubs, we don’t always accept new blood. Khazine, I welcome you and any others related to us by blood but I share the Umholi’s concerns. As for who gets to stay – if that really is your intention – I’d like to hear the Omama first.”

-------------------

“My grand-niece will not be pushed away as if she’s nothing to us.” Thuli said, spitefully, now fully determined to claim the younger lioness as kin even though she wasn’t really showing much interest in what said lioness had to say or any of the introduced lionesses – with the possible exception of Sabit, because she was just so big. Her half-brother had been the very best Umholi the pride had seen as far as Thuli was concerned and she was drawn to anyone who was even remotely related to him so she moved forward as well, completely ignoring the pale Abaholi. “As for the others… it is a large group. I don’t disagree they should prove their worth and intentions.” She looked up at the sky, glaring at the sun. “It’s not exactly rain season, right now.”
 

[Annchen]

One of Bangizwe's daughters snatched up the small black cub before he had to force her to go back. What was her name again? They were close in age but being the daughter of a leading male she had been one of the many who always got to eat before him. He watched her return the cub to her mother, and then looked towards the roguelands again. He didn't look at the gathering lions, but he had an ear trailed that way.

---

"I'm not sure Ukulambile," Inkungu said, "Some lions arrived, no... lionesses. I think they're talking. Bangizwe looks mad... Look at that tail go."

It was hard to see from here, but the Umholi's temper was evident just from seeing him move. He had been moody lately, and whatever this was hadn't improved his attitude. She was getting curious, but it seemed rude to leave in the middle of a grooming. Hmmm... That young lioness was still lounging around when there was much better use for her young paws.

"I can't hear what they're saying," she said, "Intuthwane, why don't you see if you can find out what's happening? Just don't go too close. Come back and tell us!"

---

Intuthwane looked as if she was going to say something, but Inkungu had gone back to grooming Ukulambile. Meh... Better do what they wanted then. The young lioness scratched her ear and then started walking towards the group of newbies. She was curious too, it wasn't that. When she got closer she could both see and smell the tension. She sat down where she had a decent look at what happened and where she could hear what they all said.

---

Marmar sat beside her sister, trying to look as calm and collected, but she couldn't help bristling a little. What was that guys problem? She didn't know what to think about all this bickering back and forth. They were here now, and this pride's reluctance to take them in just made her stubbornly wanting to stay.

"Hyenas?" she said when the male made his demand, "Well, we could use some light excercise... the girls are getting restless."

Hyenas could be tricky animals to fight, but they were all skilled muharip. She was pretty sure they could take on a clan of hyenas. It couldn't be much worse than a clan of filthy Burkuteshti.

Meepfur

 

[Excited Apathy]

Baysan's mood lightened a touch in amusement as one of the Ithambo lionesses swatted Khazine--family relations were similar everywhere, it seemed. But her mood darkened right back again as the golden male set forth their conditions for staying, and she scowled thunderously, hard muscles shifting under her pelt as she bristled. Scavengers were nothing when compared to the war the Qyrhy had been living, but the sheer disrespect! Her eyes flickered to Nesf and Marmar--like Sabit, she saw them as the closest to authority they had with their Bey absent. If they called for battle, she would bring battle. Their group was smaller, but far more skilled and experienced, and she had every confidence in her clan.

It didn't seem like that would be the case. A smirk crossed her muzzle at the jab, one that only spread as it hit home. Yes...they could make that work. If the Ithambo wanted to do it like this, the ex-Qyrhy would meet their challenge and make these males look weak in the process. How the hell had one of their own lost to either of them?

"We could use some action," she said easily on the tail of Marmar's comment, forcing her muscles to relax with a long stretch that just so happened to show every claw for a moment.  

[SilverLutz]

As Bangizwe and Andhaka went back and forth between each other Tawa shook his large head with a little sigh. He wasn't opposed to the new females joining, but he could see why there would be reservations. Still, having them 'pass a test' when other joining females didn't need to seemed a bit harsh. The scrappy group before them and the females behind them seemed okay with the idea, though, so he remained silent still.

He did move, however, shifting his weight to sit rather than stand. There wasn't a threat of violence in the air so he felt no need to play the extra muscle any more. Now he was a mere observer.

--

Nur snorted softly. A challenge to see if they were worthy of food and water? Please...as if taking down a few hyenas was a worthy task. She was starting to like the looks of this pride less and less.

"When we get rid of these hyenas we'd better be getting more than just meager rations," she said with a snort. "If it's a problem they can't take care of and we send them packing it'll look pretty bad on them huh?"  

[Meepfur]

Nesf struggled to maintain her composure in the face of the golden male's hostility, wanting for all the world to open him up then and there, promises to Umkhombo be damned, but if there was to be a fight, this was not the time and she knew it. If they were denied outright, they would reunite with their Bey before doing what had to be done. If. Fotunately, however, he seemed to find some small shred of sense in his thick skull. The one-eyed lioness' lips peeled back to bare fangs, an aggressive expression that found its way into a savage grin. "We were born to war. Killing hyenas will be sport." Nesf stood and turned to face the remnant of the Qyrhyeshti. "Did you hear that? There's fighting to be done!"

"And it's high time you lot had some scars on your hides," she added for the younger members of their party. She swiped a paw at Sinir, who ducked and snapped reflexively, her teeth closing on air. The spotted adolescent growled and lashed her tail, not in anger but in excitement. Though she and her sisters had trained their entire lives for battle, they had never been in a real one, never fought anyone but each other and their teachers. The generations-long war for the desert they had been born to had ended when they were only just old enough to walk, long before they had any chance to seek glory and earn scars, and Sinir for one was eager for her due.

"Then let's get out of here and get on with it," Khazine snarled, casting a dirty look at the Umholi who didn't want them, who didn't want her. She hated to hear him even speak her father's name. She didn't know why he had lost, what had happened, but she was sure that he was stronger than this old, insufferable excuse for a male. That he would do as he had promised, and one day come back and send him on his way. She looked more softly on her grandmother, who even now still bristled and snarled, and on the other lionesses who had spoken up in her favor, and dipped her head in acknowledgment of Baie's words. More family, whatever the branch or distance, who spoke for her despite the fact that until today, they had had no idea that she even existed. Some empty, hungry part of her ate it up and was desperate for more.

Sabit grunted her agreement with Nur, muttering an aside to her under her breath, "Well, they'll have plenty of hyena to eat soon, if they're not too squeamish."

--

"She is not just related to an old Umholi, or two for that matter!" Wodi spat, infuriated that Bangizwe had the nerve to ignore her in favor of bickering with his partner. "She is related to me, to my daughter. We've been here longer than you, and we'll be here long after you're gone!"

Andhaka seethed inwardly, his eyes hardening as Bangizwe challenged his approach. There were ways to do things, ways to achieve an agreeable outcome - even the outcome Bangizwe wanted - that wouldn't anger the females to whom they owed their rank and power, but instead he had chosen to bludgeon his way through the matter. Had he really expected that they would all just do as he said because he said to do it? Since when had they ever been content to simply do as they were told? He tensed visibly, the muscles in his paws contracting, and clenched his jaw. For the first time, he vehemently disagreed with his partner - not necessarily about his goal, but in the way he was set on achieving it. Bangizwe was the one person in all the world that Andhaka had any attachment to or affection for, but at this particular moment, he was furious with him.

He didn't want to argue with him, not in front of the lionesses - not the natives or the refugees - but it took every ounce of the usually-composed Umholi's self-control not to do so. Instead, he said nothing to the other male, and looked back to the new lionesses to give them a terse nod and a lingering glance. Then he stood and walked away, purposely shouldering into Bangizwe as he went. The message was clear: We need to talk. Now.

((I realize an hour later I forgot Ukulambile. I'll get her in the morning.))  

[Quaji]

He had done enough damage, he knew that by the look Andhaka gave him before he left but part of him didn't care, not when he had cubs to watch over, a pride to watch out for and if Andhaka was too passive, too diplomatic to see the priorities that pride had to face, then he would show him. They were Abaholi for a reason and while the lionesses gave them their rank, they held the rank for a reason, a reason that Bangizwe was not shy with showing them again.

A flip of his tail and Bangizwe followed after the scarlet male, leaving only a glance at the lionesses who did not seem to see him, instead choosing only seeing their blood, only hearing names of familiarity. The pride's lands could not support these lionesses and yet they would sign their own lives away for them, for those they did not even know based on a promise that Umkhombo had no right to make. He had left, his blood be damned. It didn't matter, these lionesses would do as they wanted and they would learn the hard way soon enough that life was not always as kind as it had been in the past.

They knew where he stood though as the golden male left the scene.