Username: minifun990
Lion name: Glayva
Lion gender: Female
Pride: Mystic Isles Subpride Kathros Kingdom
Pride status: Hunter (and secret resistance member)
Prompt:Its late, darkness smothering the land, quieting all but the most wide eyed prey. It is no time for a lioness to be awake, especially not one from the Karthos pride.
They have structure after all, a routine. Wake up, lower females hunt for the king’s breakfast, scouts are sent to observe neighboring prides while the king, warriors spar and higher females and cubs are allowed to relax and watch as the sun rises.
One can not be tardy or sleepy while doing their duty. Therefore a curfew is imposed to make sure every lion and lioness gets their rest.
Glayva scoffs to herself. She knows that's not the true reason for curfew. This pride isnt the cute happy family pretends to be. She has seen it for herself. The lower females live in fear for themselves and cubs, the scouts are spies, the warriors? Bullies and assassins. The king and his consorts are the worst, the masterminds behind the ploy.
She can't let them know that she sees the dark underbelly of this cuddly pride. Secrets and masks becoming her only defence. She felt helpless. Watching as horrible things occurred and all she could do was pretend everything was alright.
What else was she supposed to do? Run and leave others behind? Stand against them and be ostracised or worse?
She couldn't do that.
So wrapped up and involved in her own secrets she didnt notice the dark shape in front of her until she tripped on it. Glancing down she found herself met with the terrified eyes of Haro’s cloaked cub. There was no reason it should be outside right now either, unsupervised and after curfew.
Glayva had seen the cub around before, sometimes scurrying like a mouse while other times adventuring with the sureness only a cub can have. Always wearing that cloak. Now in the light of the moon Glayva could see why.
This cub was against pride code.
In tripping over them Glayva had removed their cloak and their flaw was revealed. She knew what she should do, take the cub and their father Haro and reveal their secret to the king. Prestige and recognition was sure to follow.
Instead she bundled the cub up, back in their cloak, hushing their whimpering and pleading. This was perfect. She wasn't alone in disagreeing with the pride's rules. There were others who could see how wrong everything was here!
That was her stumble into a secretive group. One who saw Kathro’s flaws and seeked to fix them. They weren't many, but they were determined that others shouldnt suffer from the harsh ideals the pride had. They just had to be careful, not one whisker out of line. (449/500)