Okavango

[epppe]

Sefu saw from the corner of his eye that the cheetah followed him. When Jabari demanded a decision from him though, Sefu winced from the annnoyance. He wanted to turn to the cheetah and tell him to buzz off but decided to just smile and give Jabari an answer.

"Fine, if you want my vote, it's the opposite of whatever your vote is."

He didn't want to try getting any information from the snake while the rest of the group was there. Turning away again, he started to go to where Karensha was at.

"Now that you got my vote, you can stop annoying me about it."

Making his way to the leopard, Sefu saw that she was just relaxing and watching the sky. He took a seat by her and looked up where she was looking.

"Do you mind if relax by you? The others are annoying me with some voting thing"

[Kirsui]

"I want both of your opinions as to what should be done ? are you willing to have karensha stay, now that snake has manoeuvred itself amongst us.. are you willing to risk those weaker than oursleves.. and most of all, do you trust the snow leopard?"

Sera glanced at Jabari, then at Sefu and Basilisk. When Sefu informed he shouldn't really voice his opinion, Sera turned to look at Basilisk. From what she had gathered, the dreadlocked lion had become somewhat friends with the snow leopard. Sera wasn't sure what to think of that, for if Karensha was a cold blooded murderer, like Sera thought she might be, she wasn't very comfortable leaving the one being that had been kind to her with Karensha.

Unless she had been wrong about Basilisk as well... In which case...

"Well if he's going to walk away, we will follow and take our vote to him.. come on."

The cheelion was startled when Jabari spoke again. She stared after him, but didn't move an inch. Instead, she turned her eyes on Basilisk, listening the cheetah speak with Sefu.

"you are here amongst us now, you need to decide what should be done, walking off isn't good enough."
"Fine, if you want my vote, it's the opposite of whatever your vote is. Now that you got my vote, you can stop annoying me about it."

She ignored the two for now and spoke calmly to Basilisk.
"I take it you'll want her to stay."
It wasn't really a question, more like a statement.

---

"So what brings you here snake? You come here to relax or do you have some business with the leopard like the lion did."

Kabechet turned her gaze from Karensha to Sefu. She stared at the lion, and amusedly noted that he was keeping a safe distance to her. She flicked her tongue out, but before she could answer, the cheetah came around, demanding Sefu to vote. With a small shake of her head she turned her gaze back at Karensha, but turned at the cheetah when Sefu joined the leopard. She didn't say anything, just watched and waited for the cheetah to either move or speak.

[blaqknoise]

Once Basilisk sat down, the cheetah started to talk. When asked about what everyone thought about letting Karensha stay, Sefu walked off.

"Well if he's going to walk away, we will follow and take our vote to him.. come on."

Basilisk let out a slight smile when he heard this, and began making his way over. As he was walking though, he stopped when Sera asked him a question.

"I take it you'll want her to stay."

"Yes, I do. I think she needs all the help she can get at this point, and I would hate it if she had to go off alone."

[Kirsui]

"Yes, I do. I think she needs all the help she can get at this point, and I would hate it if she had to go off alone."

Sera watched Basilisk when he replied, then nodded faintly. She had thought this would be his opinion. She perhaps didn't quite agree with him about Karensha needing all help she could get, but she thought better than to voice that particular part of her opinion.

"If that is what you think", she started, "then I don't mind her staying."
She hesitated, wondering how much of her thoughts she could share with the dreadlocked lion. For a moment she had the look on her face like she wanted to tell him just what she was thinking, but she shook her head and laid it on her paws, turning her stare once again on the large snake.

[dakota]

Jabari stood there amazed at Sefu's silly answer
"Fine, if you want my vote, it's the opposite of whatever your vote is, and now that you got my vote, you can stop annoying me about it.".
Watching the lion as he walked over to where the snow leopard lay, Jabari let a sigh slide through his lips and the his gaze fell on the snake, taking in the smug look on her face.

"And you... you'll be the first to go if you've come here with some sort of plan for reteliation against karensha, this place is one of refuge, not for paybacks.. so have a think about that before you do anything impulsive."

Jabari turned, giving the snake a wide berth, while having another quick peek at where sefu and karensha lay, before he made his way back past where Basilisk and the cheelion were talking.
"I give up, you two make the decision, I'm looking out for Meri and the cub.. perhaps we'll just take each day as it comes and deal with whatever may happen."
Moving on the cheetah came to where the lioness was curled up and the cub nearby.
"Meri.. things ok with you..would you like to go down to the water or somewhere.. I would be happy to keep you company till you get used to the others that seem to be wanting to stay here as well.?"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

karensha lay there watching more and more dark clouds move in starting to form one huge covering, a smile playing across her muzzle, hopefully it would be dark before it all came alivea nd she could go enjoy herself without anyone watching.
Hearing the foliage cracking under someone's paws getting closer to her, she tilted her head slightly and peeked thru the curtain of the fur lying over her face, it seemed the one with the hooked scar was paying her a visit.

"Do you mind if I relax by you? the others are annoying me with some voting thing"

All karensha did was nod her head at him, giving her consent and then looked past him as he lowered himself to the ground, seeing Jabari moving back to the small lioness and Maji, while the cheelion and Basilisk were almost whispering to themselves.
Moving her eyes back to the lion she looked him over, he seemed in pretty good physical shape, nice and lean, she wondered how he kept in shape when he didn't seem to do much or exert himself, but she did like how his cream skin contrasted nicely with the dark fur of his mane.

"So.. did you decide to send me packing like the rest of them, or am I allowed to bide my time here, where I want to be ?"

[blaqknoise]

"If that is what you think, then I don't mind her staying."

Basilisk couldn't help but notice the look on her face as she spoke, and he wasn't so sure that those words reflected how she felt about it.

"I'm not so sure about that. I can tell that it isn't what you actually think... whats on your mind?"

Basilisk then sat on the ground and waited for a reply.

[Kirsui]

"I'm not so sure about that. I can tell that it isn't what you actually think... whats on your mind?"

Sera cringed visibly, then turned her head on her paws so that she could look at Basilisk. She cursed herself for letting her thoughts show so visibly on her expression. But, what was done was done, and now she could only attempt to find a suitable explanation.

When she couldn't think of anything, she thought she might just as well spill out her thoughts.
"Truth to be told... I don't know if I trust her."
She paused to think for a moment before she continued.
"She and I didn't have a very good start to begin with, and I can't say I'd know how she's really like. She is fairly rude when she speaks to me, and, me being me, I only retaliate as I won't stand around being spoken to like that."

The cheelion sighed, glanced at Karensha's direction, then turned to look at Basilisk again.
"The way she spoke when you returned... She had just killed another being, a being that was not prey. She was too calm, and that just sent chills down my spine. Normally, if I felt like this, I would leave."

She paused, trying to read Basilisk's expression to see what he was thinking. When she failed, she continued.
"However, I don't want to leave Maji and Meri unprotected. They could've already gotten killed because of that cursed snake. I owe them for letting the reptile sneak past my guard. If I leave now, I can't repay to them, and it'll haunt me for who knows how long."
She sighed once again.
"If I said Karensha needs to go... It would crush Maji. I don't think she realizes it, but the cub is very attracted to her, and he trusts her without question. I can't let Karensha go, as that would only hurt Maji. And I can't let Maji go with Karensha, until I'm sure she's more than..."
She hesitated, flattening her ears.
"Basilisk, to me she looks like a cold blooded murderer. I'm scared, and I don't know what to do or who to trust. It's just all so..."

The cheelion shook her head and left her sentence unfinished. She turned her gaze away from Basilisk with her ears flattened, and her expression clearly showed that she wished she had not spoken so openly, for now she was afraid to hear what the dreadlocked lion would say.

[dakota]

As Karensha lay there waiting for sefu's reply, her eyes flicked past him to where Basilisk was in deep conversation with the cheelion. Frowning a little she wasn't sure if she trusted her, she'd done nothing but use her mouth since she arrived,and now it looked like those two were forming some sort of alliance.

Turning her head away, for some reason Karensha felt impatience at the situation and she didn't know why that was so, she thought that Basilisk was beginning to trust her, but watching those two, it made her wonder.

[Genie]

Maji had decided to hop around on the ground, playing a imaginary game of leaping the cracks, like he was high up and it was a life or death situation, he did't really get what the others were fussing about, but he wanted to play.

[epppe]

"So.. did you decide to send me packing like the rest of them, or am I allowed to bide my time here, where I want to be ?"

Sefu let out a small laugh when Karensha asked the question.

"Well, my vote depends on what the cheetah's is since he annoyed me with it. So if he chose for you to leave, then I guess my vote is for you to stay."

He looked over at Karensha to see that she was looking over at where the lion and cheelion were at. She looked sad when she saw that the two of them were whispering to each other. Looking back at the sky, he saw it was getting darker and more clouds were gathering.

"I'm sure the one kid voted for you to stay." Sefu said trying to cheer up Karensha. "I don't know about the female though, but I'm guessing she wants you to leave."

[blaqknoise]

"She and I didn't have a very good start to begin with, and I can't say I'd know how she's really like. She is fairly rude when she speaks to me, and, me being me, I only retaliate as I won't stand around being spoken to like that."

As Basilisk listened to Sera speak about her first encounter with Karensha, he thought back to his first meeting with her. It seems her reaction to meeting both of them ended up with Karensha acting in a similar manner. A small smile crossed his face as he thought about it, but he quickly got rid of it in case Sera though that he found what she said amusing or something. He then continued to listen as she carried on with her thoughts about Karensha.

"Basilisk, to me she looks like a cold blooded murderer. I'm scared, and I don't know what to do or who to trust. It's just all so..."

"Yes, I know that it seems that way. I think if you talked to her though you would think much differently. After hearing about her history with Naheem, the one she killed, her attitude after killing him seems justified. It's like a weight off her shoulders I think. Anyway, I can tell you for sure that she isn't a cold blooded killer."

Basilisk paused for a moment and thought about what else he could say. She said she was going to stay, so he didn't have to worry about that, but he wanted her to feel more comfortable about being here.

"As for the not knowing who you can trust part, I'm sure after a while you'll start to relax a bit. I may be sarcastic at times and joke around, but I can be serious when it's important. I think you can trust me, but I guess that's up for you to decide."

[Kirsui]

"Yes, I know that it seems that way. I think if you talked to her though you would think much differently. --"

Sera snorted faintly, but allowed a small smile to tug the corners of her lips upwards.
"But Basilisk..." she began with a slightly sad tone.
"How can I talk with her, when she wants nothing to do with me?"

She then caught Karensha looking at their direction, and instantly her ears flattened against her skull. The way the leopard was looking at them made her feel uncomfortable.

"As for the not knowing who you can trust part, I'm sure after a while you'll start to relax a bit. -- I think you can trust me, but I guess that's up for you to decide."

Sera chuckled, and turned away from Karensha's stare so that she could look at Basilisk. Unlike before, this time she seemed truly amused.
"Oh I do trust you, Basilisk. More than I trust the others in this group anyway."
She paused to think momentarily, shook her head and then grinned, looking still very amused.
"It's strange, really. You're a lion, and generally lions are the ones I trust the least."

She glanced at Karensha again, noticing that the leopard wasn't looking at them anymore.
"She looks... anxious", she said quietly, all amusement gone from both her voice and expression.
"We should go tell her."

---

Meri watched as Maji began to pounce around. She chuckled quietly, glad that the cub had at least for now recovered from the snake's arrival.

The white lioness glanced around the group. She wasn't sure what was going on, everyone had pretty much retreated to their own little groups. She could feel it, however. Something was happening, and it was somehow significant how Sera and Basilisk were discussing with eachother.

"Meri.. things ok with you..would you like to go down to the water or somewhere.. I would be happy to keep you company till you get used to the others that seem to be wanting to stay here as well.?"

She was startled when the cheetah spoke to her. She turned to look at him, trying to remember what he had asked her. While she was thinking, her gaze fixed on the damaged side of his face, and as it did her expression softened. They were alike, yet very different. Both of them had scars, but unlike him, she was trying to hide them from the world so that they would not know what she had gone through.

She blinked, then realized the cheetah had asked if she wanted to go to the water, or anywhere else. She gave a hasty glance at the large cobra, and was already about to nod when she remembered Maji. The lioness frowned, looked at Jabari and motioned towards the cub with a questioning expression. Who would look after the small one if they left?

---

Kabechet found she quite enjoyded the situation that was going on. Karensha was giving pointed looks at everyone, most likely thinking they would cast her out now that she had gotten rid of Naheem. She had thought she would wait for a while, let the group get used to her being around before she would go and do what she had come here for...

But the way things were coming along, she thought she might as well get it over and done with now, especially so since Karensha was with only Sefu now.

She gave a small sigh and reluctantly slid down from the rock and on the cool grass. From there she headed towards the snow leopard, making sure not to make any sudden moves so that she would not seem hostile. She stopped when she was close enough to Karensha, but still far enough so that she would not make the leopard and the lion feel uncomfortable.

"Karenssha?" Kabechet began with a hesitant voice.
"I do not believe I told why I followed you. If you wissh I may try to explain. If it doess not pleasse you, I will leave you and your group alone."

[blaqknoise]

"But Basilisk... How can I talk with her, when she wants nothing to do with me?"

"I think if you just went to up to talk to her she would talk. Just give her a chance, I think you'll be surprised."

"Oh I do trust you, Basilisk. More than I trust the others in this group anyway. It's strange, really. You're a lion, and generally lions are the ones I trust the least."

"Well I'm sure you'll relax later, once you figure out that Karensha isn't what you think she is."

Basilisk took a look up into the sky again, it seemed that the clouds were moving faster and the storm would be here soon.

"I'm getting hungry again." He announced randomly.

[dakota]

As Jabari stood there waiting for a reply from the lioness, he tilted his head a little so he could watch her closely, her face was expressive when she wasn't trying to hide behind her fur tuft.

He saw her look around noticing where the others were and weren't, and then her glance locked onto his face, her eyes staring at his ugliness. Quickly he turned so she was't put off, and she could only see the good side of his face.In doing so he caught the cub jumping around playing, a small smile came to his face at the picture of innocence Maji made taking him back in time.

Shaking his head to get rid of useless bygone thoughts, he looked back at Meri and caught her looking at the snake and then she was frowning.
"I told you I would protect you, the snake will have to get through me first to get to you."
When she didn't answer him he moved a step closer and caught her look towards the cub.
"oh you're worried about the little one...lets see now"

Jabari moved over to where Maji was and quickly lifted him by the scruff of his neck and placed him on his back.
" hang on tight little one, we're going for a small walk"
Smiling at Meri, the cheetah inclined his head towards the water.
"well lead the way your majesty"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karensha was just bringing her gaze back from where Basilisk was with the cheelion when she caught Sefu's words, which made her laugh.

"You sly thing, seems there's some fun under that 'I don't care' exterior after all. I have decided that if they want me to leave I shall, but the cub will come with me, simple as that, and anyone who objects...well they will find themselves with a fight on their hands."

The snow leopard trailed off and looked over the lions head watching as Maji was carried by the cheetah and accompanied by the frightened lioness, everything seemed to be ok as they just headed down to the water.
From the corner of her eye she saw Kabechet start to uncoil herself, making Karensha stiffen, unsheathing her claws as she stretched out her front paws and unconsciously move a little forward of Sefu so she would be the first one to take a strike if that was what was going to happen.

She watched as the snake left a gap between them, thinking it was a very wise choice to make in the circumstances, and her eyes met kabechets.

"Karenssha?.... I do not believe I told why I followed you. If you wissh I may try to explain. If it doess not pleasse you, I will leave you and your group alone."

"I wondered how long it would take you to say what was on your mind...please go ahead, you may say what you need whatever the case maybe without fear of retribution, Naheem is no longer around to enforce his brand of rules.. a new beginning perhaps for you Kabechet."

[Kirsui]

"I wondered how long it would take you to say what was on your mind...please go ahead, you may say what you need whatever the case maybe without fear of retribution, Naheem is no longer around to enforce his brand of rules.. a new beginning perhaps for you Kabechet."

The cobra smiled in faint amusement.
"Perhapss", she replied.
"But then again, I wass never bound to follow your fatherss orderss the ssame way ass the resst of you. I did do ass he assked, in the beginning. I ssaw you grow, Karenssha. And I too grew. I wass but a ssmall hatchling when I and your father crossssed pathss. It wass an opportunity for me. Uss cobrass eat our own kin sshould they be ssmaller, and ass long ass I did ass your father commanded, I wass fairly ssafe."
She paused.
"I no longer need that 'protection'. There iss nothing more he can give me, thuss it wass time I left."

Again she paused, this time staring at Karensha with a thoughtful expression.
"Perhapss curiossity wass the reasson why I followed Naheem. I wanted to know what he wass up to, and quite coincidently, he led me here."
A small smirk spread on her lips.
"But, of coursse, you do not need to believe me. You never truly did, did you? For all you know, I could jusst be another of your father'ss sspiess."

She would have shrugged, had she had the shoulders to do so.
"Ass I ssaid, you can keep me here, or I can go and never bother you again. It iss up to you."

---

Meri blinked slightly when Jabari turned his face away from her, hiding the scars he had. She hadn't minded, but apparently the cheetah had thought she did. She sighed quietly, but smiled faintly when Jabari lifted Maji on his back.

"well lead the way your majesty"

Meri smiled back at the cheetah, then slowly began to walk towards the water. She didn't really feel like going for another bath right now, but it would be good to get further away from the others for a while.

---

"I'm getting hungry again."

Sera laughed at Basilisk's comment.
"Then we need to get you something to eat", she said with a grin.
"Do you want me to come with you? Maybe this time we won't be disturbed... Or get our food stolen."
She paused to think for a moment, and glanced at Karensha. The leopard was still with Sefu, and was now talking with the cobra.
"I still think we need to tell Karensha our 'decision' anyway. We could go hunt after that if you want."

[dakota]

Karensha lay there, her body tense as she wasn't sure what kabechet was going to say, she needed to know in case it affected the others that she was now around, but at the same time she would rather just ignore everything and take each day as it came.


"Perhapss curiossity wass the reasson why I followed Naheem. I wanted to know what he wass up to, and quite coincidently, he led me here."
"But, of coursse, you do not need to believe me. You never truly did, did you? For all you know, I could jusst be another of your father'ss sspiess.
"Ass I ssaid, you can keep me here, or I can go and never bother you again. It iss up to you."

Blinking, karensha stared at the cobra, why did she have the feeling that there was more to be said, but it was held back from her.
" All I know about you Kabechet, is that you were one of my fathers confidant's, he might have listened to you.. you saw and heard what Naheem was upto among the pride, and I know you saw things that were done to me, I can still picture you ..right now.. staring at me when I was forced into that pit."

Stopping for a moment to gather her composure, no one was going to see her weak let alone the one in front of her, and then the leopard carried on.
" I truly don't care about you any more, you can stay, or go and report back to my father. If he sends anyone, which I doubt, seeing it was Naheem that wanted me not my own flesh and blood, they will end up with the same fate as Naheem, I promise you that. Oh and kabechet.. another promise from me to you.. you hurt anyone here deliberately, I will bury you in the pit that Naheem now lies in."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jabari was sure that the lioness was going to turn down his offer and just retreat back into herself, but it seemed that all she was waiting for, was for the cub to be looked after, and now that was taken care of, she had actually smiled at him.

Standing waiting, Meri then actually surprised him by moving past and heading to the water. Jabari shook himself and followed, making sure he placed himself on her right, so the snake was blocked from her view, one less thing to worry about for now.

"Hang on Maji, we're going to the water where you can play, and maybe Karensha will decide to come and join you."

[blaqknoise]

"Do you want me to come with you? Maybe this time we won't be disturbed... Or get our food stolen."

"Sure, maybe we'll get lucky."

"I still think we need to tell Karensha our 'decision' anyway. We could go hunt after that if you want."

"Alright then, lets go."

Basilisk made his way over to where Karensha was a stopped in front of her.

"Sera and I voted in favour of you staying, and seeing as Sefu is going to vote opposite to Jabari, I think that the majority of the votes is yes. also, Sera and I are going to go get something for all of us to eat, we'll be back soon with something, hopefully anyway."

"You ready to go?" He asked, turning his head to Sera.

[Kirsui]

" All I know about you Kabechet, is that you were one of my fathers confidant's, he might have listened to you.. you saw and heard what Naheem was upto among the pride, and I know you saw things that were done to me, I can still picture you ..right now.. staring at me when I was forced into that pit."

Kabechet watched the leopard closely when she paused, but she said nothing. Indeed, she remembered... However, she also knew that commenting on that would do no good now.

"I truly don't care about you any more, you can stay, or go and report back to my father. If he sends anyone, which I doubt, seeing it was Naheem that wanted me not my own flesh and blood, they will end up with the same fate as Naheem, I promise you that. Oh and kabechet.. another promise from me to you.. you hurt anyone here deliberately, I will bury you in the pit that Naheem now lies in."

The cobra hissed a slight laugh.
"I would expect nothing more", she replied. She looked like she was about to say something more, but Basilisk and Sera's arrival made her shut her mouth.

---

Sera followed Basilisk when he headed towards Karensha. She eyed the cobra suspiciously, it seemed that the snake had been discussing something with the leopard.

"You ready to go?"

The cheelion blinked, then nodded with a faint grin. She glanced at Karensha, but wasn't sure what she should have said to the leopard, and so she turned to head towards the plains where prey usually was.

[epppe]

Sefu just kept relax while Karensha and the snake spoke with one another. It seemed that the two were talking about

their past together, which made Sefu not really want to get involved. He was getting bored quickly until he saw that

the other lion and cheelion made their way to where he was at.

When the lion said that he was going to go hunting, Sefu wanted to say something sarcastic to him but instead kept

quiet since the the snake was there.

"Well that was unexpected I guess, I would have thought the female kid would have voted for you to leave."
He shrugged his shoulders after saying that to Karensha.
"Whatever though, it looks like you get stay here."

Stepping to the side of Karensha so that she wasn't in between him and the snake, Sefu just looked at the snake.

"Now about you, are you going to stay here too or are you going back to whatever place you came from?"

[dakota]

Karensha stared at Kabechet trying to guage her reaction, but again couldn't read her, as her face was kept free of any emotion, until she then laughed at her, finally answering.
"I would expect nothing more"

Her eyebrows raised a little, the leopard waited for more, as it wasn't really a satisfactory answer, but Basilisk and the cheelion were now standing before them.

"Sera and I voted in favour of you staying, and seeing as Sefu is going to vote opposite to Jabari, I think that the majority of the votes is yes. also, Sera and I are going to go get something for all of us to eat, we'll be back soon with something, hopefully anyway."

Karensha started to move towards the lion, but stopped in her tracks when Sera stared at her with a strange expressio. Not sure what to say or do, she just lowered her head a little and looked towards Sefu, as the two then moved away.

"Well that was unexpected I guess, I would have thought the female kid would have voted for you to leave.
"Whatever though, it looks like you get stay here."

"Tis a bit strange, I thought she would love to see the back of me, for different reasons..oh well."
Karensha ignored Kabechet a while longer and grinned at Sefu.
"I really think this time you should stay here, and not get involved in what those two call hunting.. a better outcome for all, plus I don't want to have to fix up any wounds on you, because they won't be by mistake."

As she stood there, Sefu stepped around her 'protection zone' and faced the cobra.
"Now about you, are you going to stay here too or are you going back to whatever place you came from?"
Grining again Karensha nodded at him.
"You know.. I couldn't think of a better question."