unquenchable.

            The pair hesitated. "Not exactly," admitted the lioness. "But we're looking for him."

            "They're going to get attacked," said the lion.

            Adwin and Timira looked at one another. Attacked?!

            "It's not a gray lion, is it?" inquired Adwin, recalling their faint encounter from not long ago.

            The pair exchanged glances. "No, no, Judas is the gray lion," said the lion.

            "No, we're talking about King Abel, of the Pridelands," said the lioness. "I'm Adanna, Kiara's daughter. This is Gunju."

            Gunju grunted his greeting.

            Oh, now Adwin had an idea who he was talking to. When Mheetu was rehearsing with him on knowing who ruled what before Adwin led the Savannah pride, he had mentioned Kiara when he brought up the subject to the Pridelands. But that had been a long time ago...

            When neither spoke up recognition at the name, Adanna continued, "Well anyways, we're looking for Judas. He wants to kill him, but we want to beat him there to help him. He could help us."

            Help? Why was Judas in the threat of being attacked? What did this Abel want? Needless to say, Adwin was confused about the whole ordeal.

            Timira, however, had no care for the additional information about the Pridelands. Her focus was on Judas. "He wants to kill Judas?"

            "We don't know why, but we can use his help."

            "Well we're looking for Judas too. About his daughter, she was with a large gray lion."

            "There was this big ugly lion," said Adanna. "Had scars on his face and everything. He's with Abel now."

            "That's him!" exclaimed Adwin. "He attacked the Outland pride, and almost attacked us except..."

            "Except he didn't," Timira finished for him.

            "Look, obviously we're all on the same side here," said Gunju. "Maybe we can help one another out?"

            Adwin liked the idea of that, and it was pretty obvious that Adanna and her companion felt no kinder towards the situation than he and Timira did. "Okay, what do you propose?"

            "Find Judas," said Adanna. "We find Judas and we can maybe get his help."

            "I'm King of the Savannah pride," Adwin boldly declared. "I can gather my pride to support you guys."

            Adanna smiled. "Thank you."

            "Then you'll need to go home, Adwin," said Timira. When her mate whirled on her, frightened, she clarified, "No one's going to listen to them unless you're there. I can find Judas on my own."

            "I'll go with you," offered Adanna. "Gunju, go back with Adwin."

            "But where should we meet up?"

            "We'll find you."

            Adwin gazed into his mate's eyes, concerned. "Are you sure this is a good idea? You haven't been feeling good either lately..."

            But Timira tilted her head and smirked, "Now I feel better than ever."

            "You'll be okay?" inquired Gunju.

            Adanna snorted with pride. "Shouldn't doubt me, Gunju."

            He chuckled, "You're right. You're too annoying to die out there."

            "We'll be back before long. And we'll have a pride of lions behind us."

            And that was it. The goodbyes were short and brief - Adwin wanted to linger beside his mate, his heart torn as she pulled away to run off with Adanna to find Judas while he stood alongside Gunju, who looked just as lost as he did.

            But he had a mission, and he couldn't forget that. If the gray lion had allied himself with Abel, then that would mean trouble, and the other prides would need to know about that. This was just as important, if not more, than Timira's mission to find Judas.

            So he turned his head to Gunju and said, with a bark of command in his voice, "Let's go find the pride."

~ * ~

The next morning, in another lion pride...

            Basking on top of a slim rock, only big enough for two, a pale lioness with colored ears gazed out at her pride, who were up to their own antics. They weren't her own, that is to say that they were her cubs or brothers or sisters, but she thought of them just the same. They were all rogues, needing a home, and Ari was more than happy to offer that to them.

            She cradled in the hold of her mate, a lighter pale lion with a dark mane, who was still asleep, his head laying comfortably on her shoulder. Ari nuzzled into him, smiling at the warmth that came off his body. Who would've thought, after Kayode's death, that she would end leading her own pride and falling in love? She wondered if her older brother was proud of her.

            Feeling movement behind her, Ari leaned her head up as Maalik turned towards her, sleep still in his eyes. "Mornin'," he mumbled, pressing his nose into hers.

            "Morning sleepy head," she greeted. "Did you sleep okay?"

            "Great actually. You make a nice pillow."

            "Haha, funny."

            He smirked at her, pulling back and stretching his body. "Anyone kill each other yet?"

            Ari rolled her eyes as she half-rolled onto her backside, watching her mate. "I hope for both our sakes that that doesn't happen."

            "Haha, yeah I know. But seriously, any drama while I was sleeping?"

            "Not that I saw."

            "Lutalo?"

            "Rhaenys has him taken care of."

            Maalik sighed. "Oh good, I'm glad that he hasn't gone back to being bloodthirsty again."

            Though Ari cast him a look, deep down she agreed with him. When Lutalo and his adopted sister, Samanya, had shown up, Ari didn't believe she had seen anyone so violent since Zuri, and even more so than her insane sister. While Samanya had been doing better at being rehabilitated, Lutalo had still been a threat, and Ari and Maalik had often discussed what they could do with the lion. They had no doubt that the unstable lion could hurt someone, and as much as Ari didn't want to agree to the idea (because her intent was to offer a home to all rogues, of whatever background), if Lutalo didn't change, they would have to banish him.

            Jamil, an older lion in the pride, had offered to help, but his attempts to help only made Lutalo's behavior worse. Then came Rhaenys, who had been a blessing in disguise. She had become a