History wrote:[Taken]
The night was cold and silent. Four cubs huddled together beneath a rock for warmth. All seemed well and one would think the world was a peace, for all four cubs appeared to be asleep - until one of the cubs were roused from slumber. The small orange cub slowly opened her eyes and looked over her siblings. Tanith - the cub, wore a frown upon her small face. Tanith had been looking for something, and had not found it.
Another of the cubs began to stir, a dark brown male covered with even darker spots. He raised his head from off the back of Tanith and yawned.
"Momma and Papa said that . . said that they would be late." Iniko grumbled out to his sister. Their parents always served on night patrol for the rebels. Every night was the same for them - there parents would see them off into sleep and vanish for three hours. However, tonight was different. Their parents had been asked to patrol out a litter farther, which would take them longer to return.
Tanith sighed, and looked out upon the desolate world around them. She appeared to be ignoring her broth. Iniko huffed softly, and lowered his dead. The young cubs began to feel sleep over take them, and their eyes grew heavy. That was until they noticed movement. Instantly, the two cubs sat up and looked around, but the found nothing.
Iniko felt to heart pounding madly within his ribcage, and he flinched hard when his ears picked up the sound of paw-steps. Tanith tensed next to him, over come with fear as four large shadows cascaded over them. For a brief moment, Iniko caught his sister's eye and saw a flash of hope. But at the figures walked closer, it was very much clear that it was not their mother or father.
Two lions stepped closer; one was a ginger lioness and the other a pale brown male sporting a warrior's mane. All of a sudden, Tanith expelled a yelp as she was grabbed by the maw of a third lion. Iniko gasped as the pale brown male plucked him from the ground.
"For the pride! For the alpha!" Roared the ginger lioness as she picked up Iniko's brother.
Iniko's entire body was frozen with fear and the icy realization dawned on him. The pride was stealing him and his siblings!
[Abandoned in the Unknown]
They rythmic swaying of his body as the pale lion walked with him in his jaws had lulled young Iniko into sleep. By the time he awoke the run had begun to rise. It was just then that the party stopped. The four lions dropped the four cubs down into a hollow tree trunk. Iniko grunted as his bottom his the ground, but he thing quickly scrabbled over to his siblings.
"You two! Watch the cubs but keep out of sight!" Hissed the ginger lioness as she and the pale brown warrior ran off. The other two lions gave a nod before finding places to hid.
Iniko looked at Tanith, he didn't find any sign of harm to her. When he looked at her, he saw the same realization - again they had been taken.
"Don't worry. . . Momma and Papa will come for us. They . . they always do." Iniko whispered to his siblings.
Time slowly passed and Iniko began to get bored. He decided to peek out over the edge of the tree trunk, and it was then he saw the silhouettes of lions in the distance. Their armor shown bright in the daylight, making it very clear to the cubs that it were pride lions approaching. Iniko began to shiver with fear as the pride lions drew closer. However, all of a sudden, out sprang dozens of rebels.
There parents hard arrived! They would be safe!
[In the Paws of the Enemy]
The battle lasted for hours, elements were hurled every which way. It was all Iniko and his siblings could do not to get injured. Suddenly, the rebels began to retreat to safety. Iniko was confused. Where were they going? Where were his parents? And why were they leaving him and his siblings behind?
Iniko didn't wonder long as fear over took him, soon he found himself and his siblings surrounded by strangers. Some glared and growled at them while other shook their heads and cast sympathetic looks - but all were bloodied and bruised.
"Make way friends." Spoke a lavender lioness as she descended from the sky.
"Hello little ones…" her consoling voice cooed.
"Do not be afraid. We are not here to harm you." she said, drawing ever closer to Iniko and his siblings.
"W-where are our parents…" Iniko asked, stepping forward to shield his siblings behind him.
"My poor child… Your parents they…" Her voice paused to collect the emotions that had flooded her thought.
"They have joined the spirits young one. I am so sorry." she finished with a stern voice.
"B-but they can't be, they just can't! My parents were the strongest of the warriors! Papa said so himself!" Iniko cried, he felt hot tears began to burn at the edges of his eyes.
"I know they were my dears. They fought valiantly for you all, I promise you. And still, they are not gone. Their hearts and strengths are in you. Always remember that." she told them, a tear escaping her eyes as she spoke.
Iniko couldn't help but look around, he was completely lost. His parents were gone, him and his siblings were now orphans in the paws of the enemy.
"No harm will come to you, I promise you that. I will make you a home and you will be loved." she said softly,
"Let's bring you home."
All Iniko could do was whimper, as he was picked up by a flame-colored tracker.
[Truth]
"I am so sorry for this, my dear little ones, but we must talk." Spoke the sweet lavender lioness that had spoke with them before. She had seen to it that the cubs were taken directed to the grand chamber, and saw to it that Arcturus was sent away.
All four cubs sat cuddled together, tears still occasionally spilled from the corner of their eyes. They had fallen silent as Valkyrie began to speak. Iniko sat close to Tanith, trembling slightly.
"While your parents might not have been aware of it, the Rebels were using you to bait us into battles. As peace keepers, we can no ignore the cries of a cub - not matter the circumstances." Iniko gasped in shock as Valkyrie revealed to him and his siblings the treachery of the rebels.
"I do not blame you for the part you played in the rebel's plot. You are cubs, to young to know such violence." Valkyrie attempted to reassure the cubs.
"This - the pride - is now your home. I can not promise you that life will be easy for you. But I will do my best to see to it that no harm comes to you. I am sorry my dear, but I must leave you now. I have pride-mates to tend to." And with that, Valkyrie left the four small, shaken cubs alone. She hoped that, because they were still so young, that they would easily accept this truth and loose their loyalty for their parent's faction.
Iniko instantly began to reflect on what he was told. If he had been used as bait, it would easily explain why he and his siblings were stolen so easily multiple times. His small mind raced as he curled close to his siblings.
"I. . I don't think that. . that she would lie to use. . ." Iniko whispered.
"It has to be true. It makes to much sense." Tanith spoke.
"If you think so too. . .then it must be so." Iniko decided.