Summitfall Pride | Writing | DNP

[Kitten-Girl-500]

This thread is for all Summitfall Pride writing. Please do not post.


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Yang

B7
B10
B14
B12
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Tanger

D2
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Rank Guide
Leader = Governs the pride
Leader's Mate = Mate to the leader
Member = Hunts and patrols
Cub = Young lions too small to hunt
Kunze = The 'omega' of the pride

Tupelo

D2
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Azure

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Pebble

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Sekhmet

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Pride Prompts

A30
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[Kitten-Girl-500]

How he discovered and claimed Summitfall Pride's territory:

Yang has always been a strong and commanding lion. Even as a cub, he would try to boss his two siblings around. But when he got older, and started to try and take control of his home pride, Okame, the pride leader, sent him on his way. "If you want to order others around, go start your own pride," he huffed as he kicked Yang off the territory.

Disgruntled, Yang held his head high as he walked off. Okame was right. If he wanted to lead, like he knew he was meant to, then he had to start his own pride.

Yang started off across the savannah. He knew that to found a pride, he needed a place for them to live.

A few days later, he thought he had found the perfect place. There was water close by, and plenty of prey. He strode into a small ravine, staring up at the caves dug into the walls. It looked like it would be just the right place to start a pride of his own.
As he peered into another cave, Yang saw yellow eyes glaring at him from the shadows. Yellow feline eyes.

"Get out of my territory," Yang said, puffing out his chest. He was a full-grown lion, able to take on anyone who threatened him.

The owner of the yellow eyes padded out of the darkness. Yang gulped as he saw that it was a huge male lion, with nicks in his ears and a scar across his nose. "And why would a little upstart be trying to tell me what to do in my territory?" he demanded.

Yang quickly tried to backtrack. "Well, you see, I didn't know this was yours, exactly. I'd be happy to go on my way right now!" He bolted down the ravine, adrenaline giving his paws strength. He heard a roar from the huge lion, then answering roars. Oh, shoot, I've really done it now! he thought.

Yang scrambled up a log pile at the end of the ravine. The logs were slightly wet, as though a storm had carried them here not too long ago. As he reached the top, he shoved the front one down with his hind paws, causing them all to tumble and crash to the bottom of the ravine.

"There he is!"

Whipping around, Yang saw the male lion racing toward him, with his pridemates to his left and right. Yang took off like a rocket, speeding over the savannah.

When he was over a hundred tail-lengths from the ravine, he heard his pursuers slowing behind him. Yang slowed down to a trot, breathing hard. Looking back at the rise behind him, he saw the huge lion stare down at him, then disappear behind the rise.
The next time he stumbled on a 'perfect' place, Yang made sure to check it out for signs of life. It was at the base of a cliff, where chunks of the cliff had broken off overtime and tumbled down to form boulders. There were caves in the boulders, some big enough for one or two lions to fit in, others large enough for an entire pride. There was a stream running through the center of the clearing, and trees surrounding the place offered some shade from the scorching afternoon sun.

After a thorough check for any other prides living there, Yang pronounced the place empty. He leaped to the top of the main rockfall and stared out at his new territory. It was perfect. 593 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang: A Born Leader?
Yang was started off as a leader right from the beginning. From the moment he could walk, his mother, Subira, instructed him on how to be a leader to the pride. Yang spent hours practicing his 'royal walk', as he called it, prancing from one side of the camp to the other over and over.

Subira was set on her son knowing everything he'd need to create his own pride someday. Deep down, she knew that he would never be able to comfortably submit to Okame, not with his personality.

Yang learned the Lion's Code, a set of laws and guidelines that governed all the prides in the savannah. He had to recite them to Subira every morning before he could eat.

Every time Yang and his two siblings played Takeover, a game where a trespasser came in and tried to overthrow the leader of the pride, Yang would always play the leader. He was great at battling, too. Even though his brother tried his hardest to beat Yang, Yang always managed to come out on top. He just seemed to have an instinct for where his opponent was and what he was going to do next. 197 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang's Greatest Regret
Yang didn't have many regrets when he left his home pride to strike out on his own. But the one thing he remembered was how he had caused the death of his brother.

It had been a particularly dry season. There hadn't been much rainfall, and all the grass was as dry as tinder. Okame had cautioned the pride about wildfires, and what to do if one ignited in their territory.

But when the lightning came, and struck the ground, Yang had been out hunting with his brother. They were both young and foolish, and had ignored the warning signs of the approaching storm. Only when thunder rumbled in the distance did Yang realize that they were in trouble.

Lightning flashed right next to them, igniting the grass. Crying out, Yang raced away. Glancing back, he saw that his brother was keeping up.

Then things got crazy. Prey fleeing everywhere created such a stampede that Yang lost sight of his brother. Sadly, his sibling fell behind and was devoured by the flames.

When he showed up to the pride's camp, and he realized that his brother wasn't with him. Yang folded in on himself, refusing to eat for the next week.

Even now, when he had the start of a pride and a place to call his own, Yang had doubts that he wasn't good enough to lead these lions. After all, how well had he led his dead brother? 240 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Tanger stared out blankly at the savannah. Everything was varying shades of gray, from the pale gray sky to the dark gray shapes of hunting lions.

He sighed and shook his head. No one ever let him hunt.

Ever since he was a cub, and had accidentally mistaken a black and white lion rump for that of a zebra, he had been banned from hunting. Yang, the tribe leader, had told him to stay close to camp and help their healer instead.

But that hadn't worked out either. It turned out that color was a major part in identifying herbs, and when he had almost fed a lion a poisonous flower that he had thought he was supposed to cure their bellyache, the pride healer had forbidden him to ever help him again.

Tanger sighed and watched as a lion, tiny in the distance, brought down some prey animal.

The grass beside him rustled, and there was a small mrrow as the cub of the pride, Tamba, leaped on him. Tamba climbed onto Tanger's head and bit down on his ear, growling.

Tanger shook him off, and Vidoki landed on the ground, letting out a small huff. He quickly jumped to his paws, staring up at Tanger with bright eyes. "Can we play?" he begged.

"Go play with your mother," Tanger said gruffly. "I'm watching the hunters."

"You always watch the hunters!" Tamba complained. "I want to play with you!"

Tanger rolled his eyes, but looked down at the small cub. "Fine. What are we playing?"

"Chase!" Tamba scampered away, dodging rocks as he went. "Can't catch me!"

Tanger heaved himself to his paws, then ran after Tamba. He found he was enjoying himself as the day went on, and when the other lions returned from the hunt, he was sad when he saw Tamba go to join his mother, begging for a juicy piece of meat from the kill.

He padded over to Yang, who was directing who got which parts of the kill. "Yang," he meowed. "I've figured out how I can help in the tribe."

Yang flicked one ear, his amber gaze intrigued. "Go on."

"I know that I can't hunt, fight, or heal, but I know what I can do: watch the cubs for the lionesses while they go out to hunt. They love to play with me; Tamba's proof of that. And I feel like I can actually make a contribution to the pride!" he finished, almost bouncing on his paws with excitement. Finally, he had a purpose.

Yang tipped his head to one side thoughtfully, then nodded a moment later. "Yes, that sounds about right. I'll go tell the lionesses."

Tanger puffed out his chest with pride. Finally he was going to be useful. He wasn't just going to sit and watch the lionesses; he was going to have responsibilities. I can't wait to get started!
488 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Draw or write about your founder’s relationship with their (NPC) Parent(s) (one or both)
300 words

Yang and his Mother
Yang rocked back and forth impatiently. His paws worked the ground beneath him, kneading the dirt until his paws were covered in filth. Come on, he thought, letting out a small huff. What's taking her so long?

Finally his mother emerged from their den. Yang scampered around her, grinning. "Come on!" he shouted. "We have to be the first to get to Okio!"

Her pawsteps quickened until she was jogging across the savannah. Yang ran ahead, paws beating against the ground. To think, after all this time, he was finally old enough to join the pride and do pride things! When he was promoted to a member, instead of a cub, he would be allowed to hunt, patrol, and fight off bad guys. Today was the best day ever!

Just then Subira darted in front of him. "Stop, Yang!"

Yang skidded to a halt, tumbling head over paws. He got to his paws, shaking out his black and white-spotted coat. "What is it, Mom?"

Subira gestured to the river in front of them with a flick of her tail. "We must wait to cross with the rest of the pride."

He let out a snort of dismay. "Oh, come on!"

Subira lowered her head and looked him straight in the eye. "Do you want to survive your first crossing to Okio?"

"Yes," he muttered. Yang stared out across the river forlornly. How he wished he could be the first one to cross! The first cub to brave the dangers of the river!

Yang tiptoed closer to the water's edge, staring as the current slowly tugged stalks of dried grass downstream. It looked so peaceful there, so gentle and calm and-

"Yang!!"

A crocodile lunged out of the water. Yang squeaked and scurried back, but the beast snapped its jaws shut around his tail. Yang let out a wail as he was dragged slowly back by the crocodile. "Help!" he screeched.

Then Subira arrived. She slashed the crocodile's shout with her claws and it opened its mouth to roar. Yang pulled his tail free and darted up the bank, into the safety of the grass.

Subira and the crocodile wrestled, at a stalemate until she gave it a smart kick across the face. It sank back into the depths, leaving a trail of bubbles behind it.

She sank to the ground, breathing hard. "Mom!" Yang cried, racing forward. He pressed his nose to hers, shaking with relief. "I thought you were going to die."

"I thought you were going to get eaten up by that crocodile," Subira panted, grinning.

Yang nuzzled into her neck. "I'd never get eaten by some dumb croc!" he boasted.

They both laughed, and Subira nuzzled him back.
457 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Tupelo pawed the herbs into separate piles. Rosemary goes there, dock there, horsetail over there, he thought.

He glanced up to see a black and white lion make his way over, holding up his forepaw. Tupelo recognized him as Yang, the leader of the pride.

"That last kill was harder than it should have been," Yang growled, sitting down next to Tupelo. "The gazelle got some big idea in its head and speared my paw with one of its horns."

He held it out for Tupelo to see. Tupelo almost cringed at the sight of the torn flesh.

"That should be pretty easy to fix," he said, ducking into his den. Reaching for his storage cleft, Tupelo brought out a swath of cobwebs and trotted back over to where Yang was. He chewed dock, marigold, comfrey, and horsetail into a poultice, then secured it on with the cobweb.

Yang flexed it. "Thanks, Tupelo."

Tupelo flicked one ear back and grinned. "No problem."

Yang padded away to where the lionesses were dishing out that evening's meal. Tupelo picked up the herbs in his jaws and put them back inside his den. There was a specific spot for each one, with the tansy next to the wall, the juniper berries almost touching the ground, and his supply of watermint in the corner.

By the time he had finished, the sun was almost touching the horizon. Tupelo stared at it for a moment, then started off into the forest that surrounded Summitfall Pride's camp.

A lioness darted in front of him. It was Hera, Yang's mate.

"And where do you think you're going?" Hera demanded.

Tupelo tried to slip past her into the trees. "There's still some light left. I was just going to see if I could gather any more herbs before dusk."

Hera snorted and used her tail to bar his path. "Not now, you're not. You're going to wear yourself out if you keep going."

"Oh, come on. I haven't done that much."

"Right. You've only trekked halfway across the savannah and back to get herbs, put Kimzi's shoulder back in place, helped Aster with her cough, saved that cub from drowning, and treated Yang's paw. I'd consider that more than enough work for one self-respecting lion, don't you?"

Tupelo's tail twitched irritatedly. He knew that he had done all that, but wasn't there still time to do more? He wanted to be the best healer he could possibly be for the pride, and that required doing everything he could to help them.

But he knew that Hera had a point. If he kept up this breakneck pace, he would soon tire himself out and injure himself.

He sighed and allowed her to lead him back to camp.

Hera stopped him at the entrance to his den. "I know that you don't think you're worth all that much, since you can't hunt. And I know that all this work is just your way of trying to make it up to us." She laid her tail-tip on his shoulder. "But you don't have to prove that you're a capable lion, Tupelo. You're already incredibly important to the pride."

Tupelo gave her a half-grin. "If you say so."

She bid him goodnight, and he stepped inside his den. But as he took out his borage stores to go through them again, Tupelo was already plotting how he could work harder than ever tomorrow. 573 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang lay in his den, pawing at the dirt. The small motion helped him think things out.

He faced a great question: What should romantic relationships in his pride look like?

Back in his home pride, lions had temporary relationships, staying mates just long enough for their cubs to grow up. Then they would move on. Any couple that wanted to stay together would be cast out; the pride leader had said that their devotion to each other got in the way of their devotion to the pride.

Yang threw a pawful of dirt toward the wall of the cave. His father had been the one to institute such a rule. He would not allow that terrible practice in his own pride.

He thought of what he would want any romantic relationships of his own to look like. His mate would stick with him throughout his leadership, and not leave his side for any other lion. He straightened. And in his pride, when lions mated, they would mate for life. 170 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang shook out his mane, letting out a contented sigh as he padded through the savannah. All was peaceful within the Summitfall Pride, and there hadn't been any battles for moons.

His young daughter, Sekhmet, let out a squeal of delight as she pounced on a grasshopper. It flew away, leaving her with empty paws. Sekhmet gazed up at her father adoringly. "I almost caught it!"

Yang nuzzle the brown-speckled cub. "You're going to be the best hunter in the savannah when you're older."

Sekhmet drew herself up and did her best imitation of Pebble, the pride's only lion who insisted on being proper. "Well, I can't very well be the best huntress without any practice, yes?" She collapsed into a little ball of laughter.

"We can start lessons right now if you're interested," Yang said, dropping into a hunting crouch.

Sekhmet bounced back onto her paws. "Oh, yes, please!"

"Alright. The first step is getting ready to pounce." Yang flicked his tail toward an overhanging grass stem. He sank even lower, trying to press himself down to the ground as much as he could. "You want to make yourself invisible."

He crept forward, setting his paws down lightly. "Keep your steps slow. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast."

Yang waited a moment, then pushed off with his hind paws, leaping to land squarely on the stem. "And then you pounce!"

He lifted his head up, ears twitching. "Sekhmet?'

The little cub was nowhere to be seen.

"Sehkmet!" Yang parted his jaws and tasted the air, searching for her scent. There! It was faint, but that was Sekhmet, all right.

Yang followed the scent at a run, trying to locate his daughter. She had gone way farther than he had originally thought; apparently her running lessons with the cheetah cubs were paying off.

He leaped over the grass barrier and his paws hit sand. The Akmat Desert, which lay to the east of Summitfall Pride's territory, was nothing but a wasteland. Sekhmet's scent trail led into the sandy place.

Yang squinted his eyes and made out two small shapes on the horizon. "Sekhmet!" he roared as he ran forward, paws sinking slightly into the sand at each step.

As he drew closer, he saw that one of the figures was indeed Sekhmet. The other was a small cub collapsed in the sand. Grit was matted into its pelt, and its eyes were closed.

"Daddy!" Sekhmet said, her voice concerned. "I found this cub asleep, but I can't wake it up!"

Yang stiffened as he drew close enough to touch the small creature. He placed one paw on its flank and was relieved to feel it move up and down.

"It's still alive, but barely," Yang said. "I'm going to have to carry it home, Sekhmet. Can you run okay?"

Sekhmet puffed out her chest. "You save him, Daddy!"

Yang picked up the small cub delicately by the scruff. The poor thing barely weighed more than a feather.

He turned and broke into a lope. Sekhmet kept pace, her little paws working twice as hard to match her father's speed. They made good time, getting out of the Akmat Desert in less than five minutes. Once they entered pride territory, Yang looked around wildly. He spotted a small den curled into a hill.

He bounded over to it, Sekhmet beside him. The brown-speckled cub was breathing hard, winded, but her eyes were bright with determination.

Yang set down the cub. "Mepesi," he called into the den. "Are you there?"

A cheetah poked out, followed by a couple of cubs. "Yang? What's wrong?"

He gestured to the cub at his paws. "Sekhmet found this cub out in the desert. I need to get him back to Tupelo as quickly as I can, but I need you to guide Sekhmet home. She can't keep up, and I don't want her left alone, even if it is within my territory."

Mepesi dipped her head. "It'd be my honor, Yang. I'll be sure that she gets home before dark."

Yang nodded to her. "You're a good friend, Mepesi."

He picked up the cub again and sprinted like his life depended on it. Well, it wasn't his life; it was the cub's.

Yang pounded into camp. "Tupelo!" he shouted around the cub in his mouth.

The brown lion appeared out of his den. "Yang? What's the matter?"

Yang quickly trotted inside and deposited the small cub on a small moss pile in Tupelo's den. "Sekhmet found it out in the desert. The cub isn't looking too good, and I didn't know how to revive him."

Tupelo nodded, then ducked outside. Yang registered the healer calling for water and other supplies, but they didn't really sink in. All that mattered to Yang was keeping this new charge of his safe. 806 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]