Summitfall Pride | Writing | DNP

[Kitten-Girl-500]

How does your founder handle disrespect? 150 word minimum

Yang, enjoying the sun after a meal, found his attention was drawn to Azure and Tanger. The two were lying under an acacia, talking. He listened in, curious.

Azure rolled his eyes. "Yang isn't all that great. He's just a power-hungry lion that wants other lions under his control."

Tanger looked uncomfortable at Azure's bold words. "I'm sure that's not it," he said. "Yang is a good lion. He'd never want to control others just for the sake of controlling them."

Yang felt his fur bristle at Azure's words. How dare he talk like that about his leader?

He stood up and strode over. "Care to repeat that to my face, Azure?"

Azure looked startled. "W-what is it, Yang?"

Yang thrust his muzzle into Azure's face. "You know very well what I'm talking about. And if you can't own up to your own words, then you may as well leave the pride."

"It wasn't just me!" Azure protested. He whipped his head around to face Tanger. "He started it!"

Yang regarded Tanger thoughtfully. "Did you?"

Tanger shook his head. "I would never do that, Yang."

Yang turned back to face Azure. "Tanger knows he's always on thin ice, but that wasn't his motivation for standing up for me. Tanger is a true lion because he's loyal to those who care about him, something you wouldn't understand."

Azure lowered his head to the ground. "Yes, Yang."

"Now, I have two options for you. You either take over the role of kunze for the next moon, or you leave the pride. Your choice." He turned to Tanger. "And Tanger, I'm sorry that I ever made you a kunze. You're brave and strong, and you don't deserve to be treated like a lesser lion."

Tanger stood up, looking like the loyal lion that Yang said he was. "Our leader gave you a choice," he said. "Which option are you going to choose? Abandon your pridemates, or own up to your mistake?"

"I want to stay with the pride," Azure grumbled. "I'll be a kunze for a moon."

Yang lifted his chin. "Good." 342 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

How does your founder feel about their pride members? Are they friends, family, subjects? 150 word minimum

Yang always has had close bonds with his pridemates. They've become like a second family to him, and he appreciates just how hard they each work to contribute to the pride.

Each member has their own special bond with Yang. For Tanger, he's always stuck by Yang's side and been a true friend. They are warm with each other, though they're not close enough for 'family' status.

Tupelo was the first member to join the pride. Yang had found the brown lion trotting about his territory, searching for particular herbs. A cut on Yang's shoulder had gotten infected, and Tupelo was able to heal it. Tupelo hung around until Yang was completely healed. When Yang saw how crucial healing skills were, Tupelo accepted his invitation to join the pride immediately. They became the best of friends, with Tupelo teaching Yang to heal, and Yang teaching Tupelo to hunt.

Yang's relationship with Azure... is a little complicated. Yang took him in because his home pride kicked him out, knowing the feeling himself. Now Yang can see exactly why his home pride did so. Azure is very boastful and doesn't care what other lions think, except for Sekhmet. He only has eyes for Yang's daughter, though Yang is not too keen on Sekhmet hooking up with this jerk of a lion. He would have kicked Azure out long ago if is wasn't for his hunting skills. Azure can take down an entire crocodile by himself. They keep their distance, though Yang always has one eye on Azure when the brown lion is around Sekhmet.

Pebble and Yang are good friends. Pebble was originally from Yang's home pride, Okame Pride. They were both raised there and were the best of friends. When Pebble wandered into Yang's camp over a year after Yang had founded Summitfall Pride, Yang was so shocked, he couldn't say anything for a long moment. Then they embraced, and Pebble joined the pride. Ever since, they've been closer than ever.

Sekhmet is probably the most important lion in the pride to Yang. Ever since her mother Talulah was carried away in a flood, he's been extra protective of his daughter. Sekhmet doesn't mind her father hovering over her, though. She's gotten to create some special relationships of her own with her pridemates, especially Pebble. As she's grown, she and the gray-spotted lion have gotten closer than ever.

Yang has a special relationship with Ibis. Ever since Sekhmet first found the gray cub out in the Akmat Desert, she's been like a daughter to him. And of course, Sekhmet was thrilled with her new sister, ever since she lost her brother to the flood that claimed her mother's life. Ibis has blossomed into a beautiful young lioness, and it looks like she and Tanger might become a thing. Yang is so proud of how his foster daughter has grown, and they have a special father-daughter relationship that will never be broken. 490 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang let his head rest on the ground. Tupelo had done a fantastic job of patching up his shoulder wound, and now there was a mixture of herbs smeared into the cut.

Tupelo surveyed it for a moment, then nodded. "You'll probably be all healed up in a few days," he said before turning back to the wall of the den. He stuffed herbs into the cracks, with berries going into one niche, stems in another.

Yang thought hard. He didn't know the first thing about healing. And with this pride he was starting, it'd be hard to care for them when he couldn't even take care of a cut, let alone a virus or infection.

He tipped his head to the side. "Tupelo, how'd you like to join my pride?"

Tupelo stopped his herb cataloging, shocked. "What?"

"I'm the founder of Summitfall Pride. I'm the only member so far, but I think it'd be a good idea for you to join. You'd have a safe place to sleep at night, reliable prey and water sources, other lions who care about you."

Tupelo thought for a moment, then grinned. "I'd love to! It means I can use my skills to help even more lions that I could as a loner!"

He nuzzled Yang. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Yang!"

Yang blinked at him affectionately. "Of course. Can't let the best healer in the savannah get away, right?" 239 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Tupelo squinted his eyes shut as snow whirled into his face. He forced his way through the thick snowdrifts, shoving his paws into the snow.

He had been out hunting when the blizzard had suddenly struck. Leaving his catch behind, Tupelo had struggled to make it back to his pride's camp. Of course, the only day when he wasn't prepared for a blizzard, one happened to strike. His pride lived in the northern mountains, where prey was hard to catch and the weather harder to withstand.

Tupelo, seeing the dark shape of a cave ahead, pushed forward. Just a few more pawsteps, and he would be out of the storm.

The ground beneath his paws changed from snow to stone, and Tupelo sank down onto the rock, breathing a sigh of relief.

His mother, Ayir, came over. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said, nuzzling Tupelo. "When the storm struck and you were stuck out there, I thought you surely wouldn't survive a blizzard of this scale."

"Well, I'm fine now," Tupelo said, nuzzling his mother back. "But I had to leave my catch behind. I couldn't make it through the snow while lugging an eagle around."

He turned to stare out into the whirling snow. Tupelo had been born and raised here in the mountains, but was he meant to stay here? He didn't believe that lions were truly meant to live in a world of ice and snow. He longed for the open savannah, where he could run without worrying about crevasses or avalanches. He longed for abundant prey, for nights where he wouldn't go to bed hungry.

"I... I don't want to stay here any longer," he admitted. Tupelo hung her head; he knew his mother was fond of him.

Ayir blinked slowly. "I figured," she said after a moment of silence.

Tupelo jerked his head up, shocked. "You did?"

"I knew you weren't a mountain lion since the moment you were born. You always were a better hunter in the open meadows; and when you saw sunshine, your face lit up like it never had before." Ayir touched her tail tip to Tupelo's shoulder. "I wouldn't have you stay here if you're not happy."

Tupelo stared at Ayir. "But aren't I more important here? Don't you want me to stay?"

"Of course I want you to, but you and I both know that's not what your heart wants." Ayir touched noses with her son. "I don't want you to feel tethered here just because I live in the mountains. You deserve the right to set your home where you want to."

Tupelo's heart swelled. He was going to live in the savannah, where the sun shone every day and where lions never went hungry. "Oh, thank you, mother!" he said, nuzzling her. "You don't know how much this means to me."

Ayir eyes shone with love. "No matter where you live, I still love you."

"I love you too." 493 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Azure nervously worked his paws as he waited at their meeting place. He has asked Anamosa to meet him that night when they had run into each other at the border between their prides.

He glanced up at the moon, which was just barely coming up over the horizon. Anamosa should be there by now, right? Had she been called away on business? Gotten caught by the pride?

He blushed. That wasn't an issue; Anamosa had already talked to the leaders of her pride, the Pride of Wikimak, and they were completely okay with her being mates with a lion from a different pride. Azure hadn't found the courage to speak to Yang about it, though. He knew he wasn't his leader's favorite lion; having a mate from a different pride might push Yang over the edge.

There was a rustle in the grass, and a lioness pushed her way out of the undergrowth. Her brown-dappled pelt was bathed pale in the moonlight, turning her fur to prickles of starlight.

Azure rose to meet her. "I'm so glad you made it," he breathed, nuzzling her.

"As am I. I had to help one of my pridemates settle in before I could get out," Anamosa said.

She raised one eyebrow and gave him a wry smile. "Now, what was that surprise you were dying to show me? I remember you saying it was breathtaking."

"Not as breathtaking as you," Azure said. He started off through the savannah, with Anamosa following close behind.

They came to the cliff that marked the Summitfall Pride's camp. Motioning for her to be quiet, Azure crept silently up the fallen boulders. He kept glancing back, making sure that Anamosa was okay, before continuing upward.

Azure hauled himself over the edge of the cliff. "Come on," he urged Anamosa, who currently had all four paws planted on different stones.

She glared up at him, but her legs trembled. "I'm fine," she said stubbornly. "I can make it by myself."

"No, you're not." Azure lowered himself to stand next to her.

Anamosa rolled her eyes, but after a few moments, she sighed. "Alright, mountain goat, what now?"

"Well, if you were a mountain goat," Azure said teasingly, "you would put your left forepaw next to mine."

Anamosa did as he suggested, and with a little help from Azure, she made it off the boulders and onto the lip of the cliff. As she clambered onto the plateau, he gave her a boost from below, pushing her up with his head.

"See?" he said, pulling himself up beside her. "That wasn't so hard."

"Says the lion who does this on a daily basis," Anamosa shot back, but her eyes were gleaming with excitement and mischief.

Azure started trotting off across the plateau. "Come on," he said.

The two lions padded through the undergrowth until they reached a small clearing. The trees parted to reveal a small pond. Mist wreathed around its edges, while the water itself was turned a pale silver by the moon's glow. Stars twinkled overhead, and a small chorus of crickets chirped nearby. The entire scene had an ethereal beauty about it, as if it had been painted by a divine hand.

Anamosa gasped. "It's beautiful," she breathed. "I understand why you called it breathtaking now."

Azure lowered himself down to the ground to lay down. "I usually come here to think. Peaceful, isn't it?"

The brown-dappled lioness nodded, laying down beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder. They sat together in silence for a few moments, enjoying the peaceful night.

"I wanted to ask you something," Anamosa said, breaking the quiet stillness of the evening. "I know this is sudden, but..." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Would you want to have cubs?"

"Cubs?" Azure echoed. He'd never really thought about having cubs of his own before; Anamosa had distracted him from all other thinking.

"Yeah, like a litter of our own?" Anamosa nuzzled his mane. "I think you'd make a great father."

"I'm not sure I can agree," Azure said jokingly. "I know I'm not the most disciplined lion in the savannah."

"Discipline does not equal capability," Anamosa said, looking him straight in the eye. "I've known you long enough to know that you are plenty capable of taking care of yourself and others. Especially me," she added in a softer voice.

Azure thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I guess you're right. And besides, if you do have my cubs, we'll find out soon enough whether I'm a good father or not, right?"

"So that's a yes?"

"What do you think it is?" Azure nudged her with one forepaw. They both laughed, then nuzzled again and sat back to watch the beautiful scene that was spread before them. 767/500 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang always felt confined by his father's status in the Okame Pride. Since his father is pride leader, he felt like he couldn't try and take his father's place; that would make him a bad son. But he couldn't stay here; if he did, he would end up accidentally usurping his father in the first place. Most of the pride's members were wholeheartedly loyal to Okame, but some were starting to believe that it was time for Yang to take his father's place.

Of course, Yang didn't want to decide between family and status. He was faced with a tough decision: stay and try to remain loyal to his father, or strike out on his own. Both had pros and cons, but neither seemed to gain favor in his sight.

After a conversation with his brother Cotillo, Yang finally made up his mind. He was going to have to leave. 150 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang... had a bit of an issue when his pridemates started peppering him with questions after a rogue pride attacked them. As a new leader, he didn't know how to put his paw down on his decisions.

"We have to strike back!" Azure shouted, leaping to his paws. "We can't let them bully us into rolling over and letting them hunt on our land!"

"But we have to think of the cubs," Tanger had shot back. "What if they lose a parent?"

"We can't let them go unpunished!" Yang's young daughter, Sekhmet, cried. Her short tail stuck straight up in the air, and her yellow gaze was filled with determination. Her adopted sister, Ibis, hung back, shrinking under the pride's angry yowls.

"Enough!" Yang let out a roar that echoed over the clearing. Everyone was silent, though tails flicked agitatedly.

He sighed and stepped forward into the center of the gathering of lions. "I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Yes, we can't let them get away with it, but we can't just strike back. We have to drive them away, not kill them in cold blood."

"But they stole from us!" Azure protested.

Yang glared at the blue-and-yellow-eyed lion. "I'm well aware of that," he replied tersely. "If we drive them away, they won't be an issue anymore. Do I make myself clear?"

Azure growled, but dipped his head under Yang's amber gaze. "Yes, Yang."

"Good. We leave at once." 248 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Sekhmet and Ibis sat in the shade of an acacia tree, getting out of the blazing sun. They both enjoyed the times when they got to sit down and talk; with how busy they were with their new duties in the pride, they rarely got to see each other anymore.

Pebble and Tanger were talking with Tupelo at the entrance to the medicine den. Sekhmet and Ibis were out of earshot, but they watched as Pebble flexed one forepaw, then dove forward, as if trying to catch an invisible piece of prey.

"Pebble and his hunting stories," Ibis said, shaking her head. "He acts as though someone in the pride actually wants to hear a play-by-play of how he managed to take down an okapi."

"I think it was impressive," Sekhmet replied, lifting her muzzle. "And besides, he doesn't exaggerate that much."

Ibis scooched a little closer to her sister. "Ah, so it's like that now, is it?"

"What?" Sekhmet distractedly leaned her head over, eyes on Pebble.

Ibis gave her a knowing wink. "Oh, don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your secret love life."

Sekhmet scowled and pushed Ibis away. The gray-striped lioness giggled, rolling over onto her back.

She sighed as she watched Tanger and Pebble engage in a mock battle. "Tanger sure is something, though."

Sekhmet pounced on the opportunity for payback. "Oh, so it's like that now, is it?" she said slyly.

Ibis nodded. "He's a really nice guy, and I like him a lot," she admitted. "I'm just lucky that I'm not in another pride like Anamosa."

Sekhmet tipped her head to the side thoughtfully. Anamosa was lucky to have a mate as loyal as Azure. He traveled halfway across the savannah to visit her every few days to see their fast-growing cubs.

Would I do that to see Pebble? she wondered.

Immediately she knew the answer. If she had to travel across a thousand deserts, she would to see Pebble.

Sekhmet looked up at the sky. Puffy clouds rolled through a clear blue expanse. Feeling a cool breeze sweep by, she reflected that the warm weather wouldn't last much longer.

"I'm considering asking him to be mates," she confided in Ibis. "I think I'll ask him the question at this year's Northern Lights Celebration."

"Sekhmet, that's so exciting!" Ibis sat up and nuzzled her sister's shoulder. "Maybe we'll both be mothers at the same time! Wouldn't it be cool for our cubs to play together."

Sekhmet nodded. "Yeah. It would." 425 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Pebble and Sekhmet have a very understanding relationship, though it can get a bit rocky. Sekhmet, for one, will always state her opinion-- even when it doesn't want to be heard, while Pebble will bottle up his feelings if he feels like the waters are too tumultuous to address them at the moment. Unfortunately, this leads to him carrying around emotional baggage; and while Sekhmet would love to help her mate out, she's a bit dense when it comes to feelings. Pebble feels a deep desire to protect Sekhmet from everything... even when she doesn't want to be protected. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself... until she's not. Of course, when Pebble swoops in to save her, she's grateful and all but still wishes she could have done it herself. Sekhmet and Pebble are able to communicate when they sit down and try to work things out.

They say opposites attract; that was certainly true in this case. 160 words

[Kitten-Girl-500]

Yang carried over some of his home pride's legends when he founded the Summitfall Pride. The most popular one is of Sekhmet, a warrior lioness who defeated the evil lions in the savannah and founded the first pride. She was a mighty warrior, able to take on any number of enemies with her bare claws. She was also compassionate and took in those seeking refuge from the evil forces around her lands. Yang naturally wanted to name his daughter after such a famous and influential lioness. The living Sekhmet often strives to be as great as she can to live up to her namesake's glory.

Another lion was Aker, Sekhmet's mate. He fought side by side with her to vanquish the evil in the savannah. His tale has a tragic end, though, as he laid down his life for the lions under his care. Sekhmet grieved him, and she put him among the stars as the constellation Leo. 158 words