Veni Vedi Vici [Closed to Juli Skywalker]

[Baya]

The sky was still dark after the events that had taken place near the gorge that led down to a rushing river. Most of the lionesses were walking back towards the pridelands, as their principles died with their lunatic leader. Some of them scampered off, preferring the status of rogue over pridelander. Others joined Vitani in the little circle of friendship she got going on.

One lion sat at the edge of the gorge, looking down at the rushing water. A dark furred and lean lioness was standing not too far behind him, her messy tufted cheeks dripping with the rain that was pouring down on them before any battle could take place. Her blue eyes were fixed on the back of the male, his own fur dripping wet from the rain.

"What are you sticking around me for?" Baya said silently, without turning his head.

The lioness snorted. "Vitani does not rule me, and neither does Kovu."

Baya chuckled grimly. "Figured you'd be the first to jump at the chance of peace and quiet. No more fighting for the pacifist." he pointed out as he turned his head, a wicked grin on his wet muzzle. "Bidi, get lost. Go to the pridelands."

"Oh yeah, that's what I want to do. I want to leave the father of my cub out to sulk in the rain, and probably scamper off into the desert. When are you going to stop fighting, you idiot?" Bidi asked with a growl. She wasn't one to get irritated quickly, so Baya raised an eyebrow at her sudden anger.

"Fighting is my life. Fighting is what I live for." he said with a cackle following after his simple words. Bidi sighed and her ears flattened slightly.

"Don't you even care a little bit about me?" she asked silently as she approached him and sat next to him. "If not me, then what about your cub?" Bidi asked further, pushing her nose against his, and forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Don't ignore me, Baya." she warned in a cold tone. "Answer my question."

"What are you trying to do? Make me stay there with you?" Baya growled with a slight frown. He was irritated now, which was something rare for him as well. He was irritated because he did care about her, and the cub she carried. He was irritated because for once in his life, he didn't feel like fighting his problems away. That's why he wanted to move on and just leave all of this behind. He hated his love for her. He absolutely hated it.

"I'm not making you do anything, Baya. Vitani would like it if you stayed too. You are pretty much all she has left after Kovu...and he just...he's not like you, Baya."

"Heh. You think he'd keep me around? He's terrified of me as it is...why on earth would he let me live near his family, and companions?"

"If he rejects you Baya, I promise I'll come with you to the desert." Bidi said silently as she moved her head away from Baya's and looked down.

"I've realized why you fight by the way, really." She said on an off note. Baya smirked as he looked to her, amusement dancing in his emerald eyes.

"Oh please! Do tell!" he said sarcastically.

"You hate yourself, Baya. You hate yourself because you couldn't help the ones you love. It's different now...you can fight when it's necessary. Rogues still scamper here, and there... and -"

Bidi's eyes widened as Baya rested his chin on her head. "Shut up. You don't need to convince me. You are all that matters to me. I will always fight, but from now on...I'll have a reason." he said quietly. Bidi let a small purr rumble in her throat as she nuzzled into her mate's neck, though she did glare at him at the corner of her eye.

"Don't you tell me to shut up ever again Baya. Soon it won't just be me you should be worried about slashing you up." she mused silently as she continued to nuzzle her mate.

//

"Well. Isn't that...weird." Kovu said as he looked from a distance. Vitani stopped walking alongside her brother, and looked back to the couple that sat at the edge of pride rock. A small smirk spread on her muzzle.

"He's finally happy."

"Tani, you don't...think...he's gonna stay, right? I mean...he's Baya and the pridelands aren't like the outlands."

Vitani's eyes narrowed slightly as she puched her head against her brother's. "Don't you dare send him away Kovu. He's protected you since you were a cub, and was ready to die for you to become king."

"He was ready to kill Tani, not die." Kovu pointed out. He looked again to Baya and Bidi in the short distance, embracing one another. The king to be let out a sigh and looked to Simba.

"What do you think?"

"I think you should give him a chance, just like everyone else here. Even if he's got a troubled past, there is always room for change." Simba pointed out with a small grin. Kovu nodded and looked to Vitani.

"I guess our broken little family won't have to seperate."

//

~ A Few Seasons Later ~

Baya was asleep outside the main den, as he did not enjoy resting with the others. Bidi would occasionally sleep outside with him, but after today's hunt she was feeling a bit too chilly to be out in the cold all night. It was a tough transition for him, and yet a not so tough one. He was able to keep rogues off the lands with great success, which fed his desire for battle.

The main issue he had now was his little girl, Ukame. She had her mother's fur and tufted cheeks, but his emerald eyes. She also seemed to resemble Vitani with the scruff on her head, but he knew for a fact that Vitani messed up her fur to be like that. She was energetic, adventurous and curious. On top of all that, she didn't really like following the rules set out by Kovu or anyone really. Even when Baya got stern with her, she rarely listened. She also had quite the little tantrum.

His love for his mate had not faded, as only she could ever truly understand him. Now he had a little cub to love as well, but his fears around her grew with each passing day. What if he failed her as a father? What if a rogue snatched her, just to get back at him for their personal vendetta? What if she got lost, and he could not find her? These thoughts kept him up well at night.

[Carl]

A sinister wind preceded everywhere the dark "pride" went. A band of rogues, united by their bloodlust and thirst for conquest could hardly be called a pride in Stoker's opinion. In fact, he wasn't sure how many of the lions in this pride weren't mercenaries like himself, whose loyalty had been temporarily bought by the promise of a great reward. They were led by a lion known as Mrithi, whose ultimate goal escaped the mercenary at the moment. All that mattered to him was that he was expected to fight in exchange for a reward.

They had been marching on for a long time, and Stoker had rarely spoken to any of them. He didn't trust them and they didn't trust him. Besides, he really didn't need to talk to them, none of them besides Mrithi of course, the lion with whom he'd made his contract. Most of them he didn't even know the names of. However, he seemed to have caught the interest of one of the lionesses in this "pride."

If he remembered correctly, her name was Nafsi. She sported grayish fur, except for a tawny tuft atop her head and the tip of her tail. Her eyes were harlequin green. Her ears were darker than the rest of her pelt, and if the tawny tuft on her head was blown to the side, you could see a brown stripe beneath. Aside from her appearance, Stoker knew nearly nothing about her, but he caught her eyeing him often enough. Even now, her eyes were cut in his direction.

Noticing his gaze, she briefly stopped. Then, wearing a scowl, she trotted over to march alongside him. Her green eyes burned with an intense curiosity as the stared into his deep bluish-gray ones. The rest of the misfit pride kept marching, apparently oblivious to the change in the formation.

"Stoker," Nafsi hissed, "You're a mercenary. How are we to know you won't turn on us." It was a statement rather than a question.

"You aren't," he replied flatly. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you planning on it?" she growled.

"Not even I know if I will or not. It depends on who hires me next, and what they want me to do. As long as your leader promises a good enough reward, I will do as he asks."

"What's it like?" she asked suddenly sounding enthusiastic rather than disapproving.

"Excuse me?"

"Being a mercenary. Owing your allegiance to no one. What is it like?" she elaborated, her eyes twinkling. Stoker shrugged. What was it like? It was lonely. It was tiring. It was difficult. It was unpleasant. It often meant he went hungry more often than he'd like. But it left him free to do whatever suited him, with no obligations to anyone or anything else. That was why he did it. That, and it was all he knew.

"It's alright," he said simply. The lioness huffed.

"What kind of answer is that?" she groaned, glaring at him again.

"I'm sorry if that doesn't satisfy your curiosity, but I don't have much to say about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to march in peace here," he said sternly. The lioness growled and swatted at one of his paws as they walked. He ignored her "attack" and continued trekking across the cracked desert ground as if she weren't there.

"You could at least tell me something!" she snarled, "'It's alright. It's alright' What is that supposed to even mean..."

He rounded on her, his snarling face merely centimeters away from hers, "It means exactly what it sounds like. It's. Alright. It's not a pretty life, but it could be worse. Now would you stop pestering me?"

Excitement trilled through her. He could be scary. She liked that. Not backing down, she snarled right back at him, without a word. For a moment, she thought he was going to attack her, but instead he snorted before turning around and resuming his march. As the grayish lioness fell back into the ranks of the marching pride, her eyes followed the muscular mercenary away. To live like he did was an idea that fascinated her to no end. A life with no rules, no allegiance, living only to do what was the most rewarding. It was a life she thought she'd like. No matter how un-pretty a life it may be. She wasn't exactly interested in a "pretty" life anyway.

---

Kiara lay in the den on Priderock, snuggled up between her mate and her mother. It was a cozy life they lived here, and they hadn't really had any problems since allowing those of Kovu's pride to join them. She'd known they wouldn't. In fact, despite the way Kovu sometimes talked about him, not even Baya had been much trouble. Not everything was as complicated as her father might think. She smiled, purring a little.

As she did so, Nala absently licked her muzzle. The princess started to protest, but decided against it. Her mother was merely being affectionate. She closed her eyes and was about to drift off to sleep when her mother spoke.

"You should have some cubs of your own soon, Kiara," she said quietly, without even opening her eyes. Kiara reopened hers and looked at her mother in surprise. "Your father is looking forward to having a grandson, and you'll need an heir one day."

"Geez mom, we don't need to worry about that so soon do we? I mean I'm not even queen yet," Kiara protested. Was she even ready to raise cubs? How could her mother suggest such a thing? On her other side, Kovu moved agitatedly, but didn't let on that he was awake. The lionesses' discussion interested him, but it also made him uneasy.

"Your father and I won't be around forever. When that time comes, though he may not talk about it, it will ease Simba's mind if he knows you have an heir. Just think about it. Talk it over with Kovu. Do this on your own time, but keep in mind how it will please us whenever you do," Nala said.

"Don't talk that way. It's not like you're going to die soon," Kiara said uneasily, rolling over towards her mate. Nala chuckled slightly. She knew full well that just because someone was expected to die soon didn't mean they wouldn't, but she didn't want to worry her daughter too much, so she responded more simply.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't think about it."

"Yeah okay, I'll talk to Kovu about it, mom," the princess consented grouchily, "Couldn't this have waited until morning?" Kovu nuzzled his mate, trying to comfort her into sleep without letting on that he was awake. She noticed though, and with a sigh said, "Please tell me you slept through that."

"I didn't," he said, but-"

"We'll talk about it in the morning," they said together. Kiara purred and snuggled up against him to sleep. His eyes cut over in the direction of Nala. The lioness had a point, and besides, as it stood, the only cub in the pride was Baya's girl. That in and of itself made him uncomfortable, but more troubling was the thought of birthing their own cubs while she was still young. She rarely listened to anyone, not even her own father, and Kovu would hate to face Baya's wrath should he have to punish the cub for harming one of his. He sighed. This would be a long night.

[Baya]

The sands danced around their paws as they made their way through the desert. Most of them were scrappy looking lionesses, and two males. One of them was the mercenary, Stoker. The other male's fur was grey and his mane was black with a few grey streaks. His eyes were amber, and they glowed in the darkness that he and his pride travelled through.

One of the lionesses growled as the sand blew into her face, and she let out a snarl shortly afterwards. "When are we going to get there? You promised us food, and water! I warn you Mrithi, our patience runs thin." she warned angrily.

The one known as Mrithi rolled his eyes as he walked. "I doubt you had any patience to begin with. Jumping at the chance to mother royalty, then jumping around, barking like a mad hyena. Tsk tsk tsk my dear." he cooed with a raised eyebrow. She let out a roar as she stepped in front of him, her ears pinned back and her fangs bared.

"Don't you DARE mock me!" She snarled. "You promised me more than cubs you sly talking snake! You promised me food, warmth and water! Where is it?! You best give me an answer you -"

"If you get your muzzle out of my face, and turn around for just a moment." Mrithi pointed out with a blank stare into her vicious amber eyes. She slowly turned and her ears were no longer pinned back. There it was, the promised land. Grass that swayed in the breeze, an oasis of water not far off, and sleeping animals...many different kinds. The lionesses mouthes were agape. The one that challanged Mrithi licked her own muzzle in anticipation of a hunt.

"Let's go! Now!" She snarled, but was held back by her tail.

"Don't be a rash fool. You think this land is uninhabited? I told you we'd have to fight for it."

"Fight who? I'll tear anyone apart for this." she growled.

"We kill the king and his family. Though we can't charge in...no no no. A little birdy informed me that they have a savage killer among them. Baya..."

"Of the desert." a female growled behind Mrithi. She was scratched up really bad, and her fur was very dark brown, even under the light of the moon. One of her eyes was cyan blue and clearly no longer functional. The other eye was a beautiful lavender.

"Oho. It seems you are familiar with him?"

"More than familiar. He killed my mother, and left me for dead in the desert. I've been fighting and staying alive to extract my revenge on him. Send me in...I'll kill him." she snarled. Mrithi looked at her, and began to laugh. His laughter grew, and grew. The lionesses looked to each other in great confusion.

"You silly girl. There are two other males down there at LEAST, and those lionesses wouldn't let you near Baya. Though I think we should pay a quick visit. The rest of you make your way down to the barren lands. We cannot step onto the pride lands...not yet." Mrithi explained. "Your name girl?" he asked silently.

"Vishindo." the gruff lioness snarled, her ears pinned back.

"Such a fitting name. You live for vengeance, I like it! Now. Stoker, Nafsi and Vishindo will come with me. We are going to send a quick message to the king before joining the rest of you in the outlands." Mrithi said with a grin spreading on his muzzle.

"What kind of message will we spread?" Vishindo growled.

Mrithi cackled again. "A very clear one." he replied.

[Carl]

Stoker unquestioningly stepped forward to follow Mrithi's lead. Though as he looked over the lush lands before them, the "Pridelands," he began to wonder if he might be able to get a better deal from the land's inhabitants. Not that he was scared of this alleged vicious killer in their midst. He had faced down several "vicious killers" in his time and as yet, he was unimpressed with the title. He was thinking only of the potential for increased reward. A mercenary went wherever greed took him, after all. For the time being, however, he would honor his arrangement with the male ahead of him.

Nafsi however, was surprised and intrigued. She hadn't been surprised when her leader had called Stoker forward, the mercenary was intimidating, and he was obviously ready for battle. Meanwhile, she had expected Mrithi to leave her behind. She wasn't the best fighter in their pride, she wasn't the cleverest thinker, and she wasn't even the most intimidating lioness. But when she thought about it, it wasn't like she was really any worse than the rest of the lot. Proud for being chosen and eager to participate, she let a cruel grin part her lips ever so slightly as she joined them. Sending a "very clear message" sounded like fun to her, even if she was a bit confused as to what exactly her leader meant by that.

"What's your plan?" Stoker asked Mrithi in a level tone, his eyes scanning the horizon. Nafsi perked her ears, very curious as to what his answer would be.

---

Kiara had fallen asleep some time ago, but Kovu remained restless. Aside from the fact that his thoughts were already troubled, he was uneasy for an unknown reason. He stared out of the den, his eyes resting for a moment on Baya. The rough lion had been doing a good job of keeping rogues at bay, so what was there to fear? He didn't know, but he couldn't shake that feeling of unease.

Reluctantly, he rested his chin on his paws. Should anything come up, Baya would handle it. With that thought, he closed his eyes and succumbed to a light slumber.

[OOC: Sorry it's shorter. :c]

[Baya]

"It is just that. There is no way to misinterpret it. I plan on telling the king my intentions...and giving him a fair warning. To simply attack would just be barbaric..." Mrithi cooed with a chuckle.

"With an attitude like that, Stoker will probably kill you and take over after everything is done and over with. We must hold the element of surprise, and attack-"

"We do this my way, or you can all get cut down. These pride landers have the upper hand. At their kings whim, we'll be dead within seconds. You must trust me my dear, I'm aware of the strategic value of a surprise attack...but sometimes...you must incite fear and doubt amongst your enemy." Mrithi mused. "Besides, it ruins the principle and joy of revenge when you just gut your enemy." he added with a sly grin.

Vishindo could not deny that obvious fact. Within a few minutes of walking, they stood before pride rock. Mrithi let out a loud roar to signify his arrival, waking the other pridelands. Baya's eyes narrowed as he stepped towards the edge and looked down at the rogues, his eyes narrowed. Vishindo let out a roar as she glared up at the demon of the desert.

"What is your business here?" Baya growled.

"We come to speak with your King." Mrithi called up, his eyes wide. The lionesses, Simba and Kovu stepped out. Ukame was still asleep inside alongside her mother.

"What's going on out here?" Simba asked looking down at Mrithi and his caravan for protection.

"Ah. Simba. It's been so long. I've almost forgotten your unscathed face." Mrithi cooed from below. Simba's eyes widened slowly.

"Mrithi? You survived banishment?"

"I did more than survive dear cousin, I created a pride of my own. I've come here to tell you one thing. You best refrain from having cubs this season, because it'll make my job alot more simple. I'd hate to have to kill them when I take over." Mrithi mused. Simba let out a roar, and Baya snarled down at them.

"Those are very dangerous words Mrithi. I can see my father was not wrong in banishing you. You've grown up to be just like your father."

"Who was twice the father, and king your father ever was. Let me cut this conversation short. I'm going to kill you, and all the lionesses behind you. My pride is taking my birth right...and you? You will be a forgotten memory as your corpses feed the grass we walk on." Mrithi said in a cold tone, glaring up at Simba.

"I say we kill them now." Baya murmured from the side, his eyes fixed on Mrithi.

"You don't get the last word, Baya. Get off my land Mrithi, and if I see you again..."

"You will see me again, false king. You murdered my father, and they all lined up to bear your cubs for it. You'll definitely see me." Mrithi said with a sly and sinister grin. He turned and began to walk away, nudging Vishindo roughly to follow along.

"I'll be killing you all by myself Baya." Vishindo snarled up at him. "You should've killed me when I was a cub!" she growled as she trotted off.

Vitani cleared her throat. "Well. That was awkward. Seeing my older brother under those circumstances."

Kovu raised an eyebrow and looked to Vitani. "That lion...?"

"He was Scar's first born to a different lioness. She is not with us anymore, but she did not side with Zira. Mrithi tried to kill me when he was younger to please his father...when he was caught in the act, my father banished him. Scar didn't even speak up to help. I guess he heard of Scar's death, and now he's fixed on taking the throne."

"We should've killed him right now. There's no telling what he'll do now!" Baya snapped. Vitani growled as she pawed Baya roughly.

"Don't be stupid. We are supposed to be better than them Baya. Killing isn't the first option anymore."

"It'll be the option when my daughter is dead then?" Baya growled in response. Vitani's eyes widened and she looked down slightly.

"No. We won't let that happen. Right?" Vitani asked looking hopefully at Kovu.

[Carl]

For a very brief moment, Kovu stood there, unsure of what to say. Then he answered firmly, "Of course we won't. No one will be killing any cubs in these lands. Simba, we have to do something about him. We can't just ignore this threat."

There hadn't been many of them here, but Mrithi had claimed to have a pride of his own. The ones he'd brought with him and been tough enough on their own. How many more did he have? Even though he had brought a small group, it wouldn't be safe to assume his pride was small as well. That could well be a ploy.

"Kovu's right, Simba. We have to do something," Nala said, looking deeply into the eyes of her mate, "If we don't prepare for their attack some way, he'll take you down just like you took down Scar."

Kiara remained silent as she watched them. She was now even more concerned for the well-being of her parents, and even more glad that she and Kovu had yet to produce heirs. She didn't know what she'd do if she had to protect herself and cubs. The very idea of a cub killer chilled her to the bone. How could any lion be so coldhearted as to even threaten a cub, much less actually kill one? She shuddered. Just when she'd been so used to peace again, too.

"We need to send out scouts, find out how many are in his pride," Kovu was saying, "We need to have guards on the alert all night from now on. We need to make plans for our defense. We need to prepare for a war."

"No!" Kiara protested, "We can't go to war again. There has to be a peaceful way to resolve this!"

They were starting to all talk at once, each raising his or her voice to be hear over the others. The chaos was ended when a loud roar silenced them. All eyes turned to the lion who'd let out sound.

---

Nafsi lay on the ground, kicking at fleas. As Stoker happened to walk past her, she looked up at him.

"Where are you going?" she asked. They had just made it back to the rest of the pride, and she wasn't sure when they were going to be making their next move. She'd seen the things the Pridelanders had and she figured he was going to offer to aid them instead. He was walking in their direction.

"Right here," he replied, laying down on a patch of grass not far past her. She snorted. As if a tough merc like him cared about the relative comfort of a patchy clump of grass. "You don't believe me? Fine. But does it look like I'm going anywhere?"

"So what do you think of our opponents?" the lioness asked mildly.

"The three males could be a problem, and the lionesses looked pretty fit too. I'd say our chances are about 50/50."

"Don't underestimate us!" the gray lioness growled, leaping to her feet and narrowing her eyes at him. "We may not be as weighty or as numerous as those 'Pridelanders,' but we don't need to be. We're stronger, faster, and smarter. We'll use our wits to take them down, just you watch. This conquest won't take long."

Stoker scoffed, "Underestimate you? No. But I won't be a fool and underestimate your enemies either."

"Why not our enemies?" she asked.

"Because I have nothing against them, and I'm not one of you. I'm just here to do a job. It's a shame, they don't seem half bad."

The lioness growled lowly at him before turning and moving closer to the rest of her pride and farther away from him. She settled back down where she could hear anyone else in the pride.

[Baya]

"Quiet! We cannot resort to war, but we cannot idly sit by and wait to die either! We will do what's best, and stay vigilant. We will double our patrols, we will try to get the Swallows to give us information whenever they can and warn all the other animals. That is all we can do now." Simba explained with a look of worry on his face.

"We will die, if we wait for a reason. He just threatened you and your pride. Isn't that grounds enough?"

"He's trying to incite us into attack. It is the principle of it Baya. We won't be any better than him or his pride if we just cut them down if we don't attack first."

"Politics." Baya snorted as walked out of the group of lionesses and lions. He made his way into the den and looked at the figure of his sleeping mate and cub. Bidi had pulled her cub into herself in her sleep, probably feeling the tension instinctively. He sighed slightly and sat there, waiting for one or both of them to wake up.

Vitani frowned slightly and growled to herself. "This is stupid Kovu. You know Baya has a point. Even principles aren't worth dying for...and if he loses his little girl...he might just start killing us too." Vitani pointed out silently. In all the years she knew him, she never saw Baya show so much restraint. He wanted the best for his family, and that's why he even dared to agree to staying in the pride lands. The old Baya would've just cut them down before they could finish speaking, instead of letting them utter their threats.

"I worry for him sometimes." Vitani murmured.

//

Before Stoker could make his way away from the camp Vishindo stopped him in his tracks, and pushed her paw against his cheek. She traced her claw along his muzzle. "I know what you are going to go do, Stoker. Your kind don't know loyalty. A poison to any pride. Part of me wants to kill you and the other part is interested to know what happens after all this is over." she said quietly. She drew a bit of blood with a quick flick of her paw and stepped back.

"You are free to go rogue, but don't expect any mercy. My eyes will be on you always. Don't take that the wrong way mercenary. If all this is over and you survive, you might still have a place here." she mused with a grin. "For the right price." she added as she walked away.

[Carl]

They all expected Stoker to turn on them, it seemed. He wasn't surprised. After all, they'd be stupid not to suspect that he might. But the more they seemed to accuse him, the more he wanted to actually do it. He rubbed a paw against his muzzle where Vishindo and drawn blood. He stared at the smeared drop on his paw for a moment, before licking it away.

He rose on his paws and walked away from the "pride," not concerned in the least bit if they saw him leaving. He wasn't going to turn on them just yet, but he wanted to scout out the Pridelands and see what all he could ask for if, when, he did. If they accused him of turning on them when he returned, he could always leave then. It wasn't as though they had much to offer. All he could get from them would be after they won, if they won. Which he wasn't entirely confident they could do.

Nafsi watched him go, her eyes narrowing. How exciting it must be, to be able to give up one's loyalty so quickly. How nice it must be to let oneself be bought by whoever had the most to give. She couldn't live that way, as she owed her loyalty to Mrithi, and so she felt a little bit of dislike and anger swelling within her. She was jealous of the mercenary. Though she was sure it was obvious to anyone with eyes, she spoke her thoughts.

"He's going to the Pridelanders."

---

"I know, but what can I do? It's Simba's decision, and he's made up his mind. I know Baya's not exactly stable, but I promise nothing will happen to his daughter," Kovu said, looking after the lion into the den. "If I have to, I'll take her away from here myself. That cub will not be harmed."

While her mate addressed Vitani, Kiara strode away from them. She needed to think. There had to be a peaceful way to resolve this, there had to be! She padded down Pride Rock and wondered off into the grasslands. She walked on for a while, her mind desperately trying to figure out something they could do. She stopped on a rock near the waterhole, staring at her reflection.

'We can't just leave. We've nowhere to go, and Mrithi is out to kill Father, so even if we did he'd hunt us down,' she thought. Upset by the thought, she jumped off the rock and sprinted a short distance away. She couldn't think of anything that would work, but she needed to. She had to prevent anymore violence. She stopped again, and laid down on the savanna grass, looking off to the side. She lie there for sometime, lost in thought. Nothing she could think of seemed like it would work.

"You can't prevent bloodshed," a voice said out of the blue. The princess looked up, alarmed. Her eyes landed on the rough looking male who had been with Mrithi earlier. She sprung to her feet and growled at him.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Whoa, calm down, sweetheart. I'm not here to fight," he said, "The name's Stoker. I'm here to offer my assistance." He hadn't expected to find one of them out here away from their den, but since he had, he'd decided to snatch up the opportunity that had been given to him.

"Why would you offer to help us? You're from his pride," she asked, lifting an eyebrow quizzically. Stoker chortled.

"I'm not from his pride. I'm a hired hand. See, the thing is, you lot seem like a nicer group than those scoundrels I came in with. And, well, you've got more to offer one such as myself than they have. I'd like to make an arrangement with your king. Tell him I can provide inside information on Mrithi's pride for the right price. Tell him I can do more than that if he's willing to share enough."

"Why should I?" Kiara asked, though she was already thinking this stranger might be right.

"Because you'll gain the upper hand," Stoker answered cockily, "Speak to your king on my behalf if you like. Then meet me back here tomorrow night if we have an arrangement." With that, the lion turned and walked back the way he'd come, returning to Mrithi's pride. Kiara watched him for a moment or two, but then she turned and sprinted back towards Pride Rock. As she reached the mark, she bounded up to the top.

"Father!" she shouted as she approached the king, "Father, I just ran into the lion that came here with Mrithi. He offered to help us."

[Baya]

Mrithi sat outside the massive termite mounds that the lionesses now occupied. His emerald eyes gazed up at the moon, and he sat upright. A short wind blew his black mane a bit. He turned his head slowly as Vishindo approached him.

"He left us, just as you predicted." Vishindo murmured.

"Excellent. This is how it all begins. First, I strike fear in their hearts...then....I plant a little seed of doubt among them. When everything is sent to chaos, that is when we swoop in and claim what is rightfully ours." Mrithi mused with a snicker.

"I just hope Baya gets to be mine." she growled in resentment.

"Ohoho. So much anger swelling inside you my dear. I've never seen someone so obsessed with vengeance..." Mrithi mused. Vishindo raised an eyebrow.

"You are kidding, right? We travelled for miles just to kill your bitter rival to the throne. I think you know what it's like to want to rip someone apart for taking someone you love away from you..." Vishindo murmured, looking down in slight anguish.

"Well, truth be told...my father never loved me. He saw me as a pest...a nuisance...a burden to be supressed and denied..." Mrithi explained as he looked back up into the sky.

"That is why I tried so hard to please him. I wanted him to call me son, and show me the affection I deserved as a cub. Nothing I did worked. The least I can do is finish what I started and kill Simba. I am his first born...I should have the spoils of his death." Mrithi growled silently.

"I will follow you through and through, Mrithi." Vishindo murmured bowing her head courtly.

"I would hope so. After all...I'd hope to produce some strong and determined cubs to protect our newly acquired lands." Mrithi mused as he gave her cheek a pinch with his paw toes.

"Don't get sweet with me snake, I will fight for you, but you won't be keeping me as some sort of...personal cub maker." she snarled.

"That is how a pride works my dear. Your king brings you security and order...you give him strong cubs to take over later on."

"You get near me after, and I'll make sure you never have cubs...sick freak." she snapped, her ears pressed backwards. The young lioness knew all too well the process, and by some miracle after all her encounters with rogue males, she had yet to bare cubs. Not by lack of their trying, and her pain. She wasn't about to submit to someone like Mrithi, never!

//

Simba came out of the den quickly at the mention of one of Mrithi's lion and he looked down to his daughter with concern. "Are you ok? He didn't do anything did he?" Simba called down to her. She seemed alright, didn't smell of anything suspicious, and she didn't look like she was in any sort of pain.

"Kiara, you must be kidding...I mean...how could we allow one of Mrithi's among us? He's threatened to kill us, and for all we know...it could be with the lion that's offering to help."

"If we get help from any of his pride, we are playing with fire..." Baya commented from the side where he was laying down.

"Daaaaaaaad. Are we going to war with some mean old rogues?" Ukame asked as she trotted out of the den. She ran up to Baya, trying to head butt one of his paws. She ultimately achieved it, but she tuckered herself out and sprawled herself next to Baya.

"Gah! I can't wait to fight them with you!"

"You won't even be outside when we are fighting. You will be inside, with your aunt and uncle..." Baya mused silently. Ukame's ears flattened slightly.

"But dad! Come on! I wanna learn how to fight! I wanna beat them up as much as you!"

Baya gave his daughter a stern look, which bid her to growl slightly. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm gonna stick back here and pretend like nothing is happening."

"It's not because you are a lioness. You are a cub...you are MY cub. I grew up fighting so you wouldn't have to." Baya said sternly.

Bidi sighed as she listened to the father-daughter dispute. "Kiara...is it the wisest thing to consider? Help fom a former enemy?" Bidi asked.

[Carl]

'Well, well, well, he returns,' Nafsi thought at the sight of Stoker returning to his patch of grass. With a growl, she leapt to her feet and scampered over to glare down at him. He looked up at her boredly, calmly; as if he'd done nothing. As if she wasn't staring angrily down at him.

"Yes?" he asked when she didn't speak at first.

"What exactly are you trying to pull?" she asked.

"What do you think I'm trying to pull?" he replied levelly. She cut her eyes back towards Mrithi. She'd heard what he'd said earlier, and knew that he'd expected this. Not surprising, many had suspected it. Since the leader hadn't seemed too concerned talking to Vishindo, she decided to cut this confrontation short.

"You're playing a dangerous game, mercenary. Be careful you don't get yourself hurt."

Stoker laughed, "Whatever you say, sweetheart. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, well, you may be tough, but you won't do so well when you're outnumbered," she threatened.

"Oh, are you worried about little ole me?" he cooed.

"Of course not!" she snapped, enraged by this point. She lashed out, striking his cheek. How dare he talk to her like that when she'd been threatening him. How dare he try to act like some kind of smooth-talking super lion. He would regret it if this pride turned against him. She would make him pay herself if he made the wrong moves. It didn't matter to her what Mrithi's plans for this rogue might be anymore.

Stoker rubbed his cheek, and looked at a smear of blood that came away on his paw. Then he smiled. She was fiery, alright. He wondered if this one was flirting with him too. She had been eyeing him for quite a while. The thought disappeared quickly as he met her gaze.

"Look, I don't care what you think, alright? I haven't violated my arrangement with your leader, and I haven't attacked you or your pride... yet. If you don't want me here, I'll gladly remedy that," he said quietly. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Do you take me for a fool? I can smell the scent of a Pridelander on you, I know where you've been!" she snapped.

"So go whine to Mrithi. I can assure you, I have come to no arrangements with the enemy."

---

Kiara sighed. She should have thought this through a little more. This didn't sound good at all anymore. It sounded too good to be true. But what other options did they have? If he was trustworthy, he could make this easier on them. Thinking of recounting the male's words to her pride, she certainly felt a fool for believing him, but his help would give them the upper hand if the offer were true.

"He said his name is Stoker, and that he's a mercenary. He asked me to speak to the king on his behalf. Father... he said if the reward is great enough, he can provide us with inside information on Mrithi's pride. He said he can do more than that if you're generous enough."

"Simba, how can we trust this lion's words?" Nala asked, "It sounds suspicious."

"Daddy please, just consider meeting with him. Don't pass judgement too soon. You were wrong about Kovu, and you were wrong about the rest of Zira's pride. You could be wrong about this lion, too. Give him a chance. We are one," the princess entreated, "Kovu, tell him!"

Her mate looked from Kiara to her father, not sure what to say. He didn't trust that lion either, but Kiara had a point. Not everyone who was in with a bad crowd was bad. He'd been brought up by Zira, trained his whole life to kill Simba, but he had chosen not to. He had risen above that. But he'd had help, Kiara's love. This mercenary didn't have any connections to any of them. That didn't mean that they should just assume the worst about him though, even if he was here with the enemy.

"Kiara has a point. We should at least hear him out," he said, making his way over to stand beside Kiara. She nuzzled him briefly in thanks. He looked imploringly at the king, hoping he was choosing the right side.