Pallat opened her eyes and let out a long yawn. Around her, family were just beginning to wake too. The morning sun was harsh and made it hard for eyes to adjust after hours of almost peaceful sleep.

‘Frea move! Frea get out the way!’ came a small voice from behind Pallat.

Pallat turned around slowly and growled. ‘Its two early little ones. Please, go rest you have been playing almost all night!’

She was looking at four small bundles of fur moving around behind her. Each one crying out as they played or basked in the early morning sun. Tumbling over each other the four cubs screeching with delight, they failed to notice a figure standing over them.

Pallat slowly stood up as did the other lions in the pride. They were all looking warmly at the huge male standing over the four cubs, still oblivious to their fathers presence.

‘Kear, please forgive the little ones. Play is a natural part of a young cubs development. They mean no harm.’ pleaded Pallat lowering her head as Kear stepped towards her.

Kear chuckled. ‘Pallat, Pallat! It is fine, after all, they take after me with their playfulness. I could never keep still when I was a young cub either.’

Pallat and Kear met amongst the pride and nuzzled each others fur.

‘Im glad your home, those males have been coming closer and we have had to shorten our hunting trips.’ growled Pallat lovingly.

Kear nodded and stepped to greet the other females of the group. ‘Why shorten hunting? These males provide more competition for us, it makes it more fun. We haven’t had much competition in all the months we have been in this territory, why not have a little game for a while?’

Pallat looked on as Kear greeted each female the way he had greeted her, and felt a smidge of sorrow in her heart. She looked to her cubs now lying laughing in the dirt. Softly padding over to them Pallat was overcome with a sense of jealousy. And yet she forced it away and lay down to suckle her four strong bundle of joy.

‘Pallat, may I sit by you, we haven’t spoke much since you had your cubs, we have so much to catch up on!’ smiled a small female stood not far off.

‘Tareth, you are my sister! There is no need to ask whether you can sit with me, nothing has changed between us since the cubs were born.’ Pallat smiled sweetly at her younger sister.

‘Ouch! Dralforth, be careful that hurt!’ grouched Pallat as she licked her sisters nose.

One of the tiny cubs peered up at his mother. ‘Yes, mother. But please, may you tell Rolin to stop being greedy and ask Frea to move over? I am being squashed and I do not like it very much.’

Tareth chuckled. ‘Such manners he has! Isn’t that just adorable?! Did you teach him to talk like that, Pallat?’

‘Im afraid not, Tareth! Dralforth, in that case, move over. Rolin is not doing anything wrong young cubs such as yourself need such nutrition, and Frea is not in your way she is no where near you Dralforth!’ Laughed Pallat.

The smallest of the cubs looked up. ‘Mamma, I cannot see in this sunlight. It burns in my eyes and hurts my head.’ She mumbled between suckling.

Pallat shook her head playfully and smiled at Tareth. ‘Gemirin, in that case. Do not look at the sunlight. You see the big orange thing in the sky that provides light? That is the sun, and yes it hurts to look into it. It is very dangerous to look directly at the sun. It impairs your vision.’

Rolin looked up now. ‘What on earth does impairs mean?’

Pallat sighed. ‘Impairs means harms. It makes you less able to see clearly. Makes it harder for you to play, and to hunt. Makes it harder to do anything as a matter of fact. Do not look at the sun. All Im going to say on the matter.’

Tareth gazed in wonderment at her sister. ‘You know so much! I never doubted for one second that you would be the first to provide cubs for the pride. Not as you are so pretty, smart and not to mention you are one of the most skilled hunters in the group. What wonderful things you have to pass on Pallat!’

Moving the cubs from her and sitting more comfortably, Pallat smiled at Tareth. ‘There is no need to say things that are untrue!’ She laughed. ‘For one, I am not smart, I only know such things because mother was kind enough to enlighten me with her knowledge.’

Tareth looked fondly at her sister. ‘I have no idea what you just said. But lets go with that!’

Pallat pawed her sister playfully. ‘You never were the brightest’

Tareth gasped. ‘And what is that supposed to mean, dear sister?’

‘Oh nothing… Only that your not the smartest of lions that ever lived’ replied Pallat chuckling softly.

Tareth stood up slowly, turning towards Pallat. She crouched low and pawed at Pallat’s muzzle softly. ‘Well do you know what… what the jugular vein is?’

Pallat too crouched playfully. ‘Yes as a matter of fact, I do! It is the very large vein in the neck of any animal and when it is penetrated the animal dies within seconds due to lack of oxygen and blood.’

Tareth looked shocked. ‘Okay, I knew you were smart, I only knew what it was and where it was.. How did you find out why it was there?’

‘Pallat, Tareth. Bring the cubs, we have visitors not far off from here.’ growled Kear.

The females hurried over to the rest of the pride, the cubs in tow. It was obvious something was happening.

Pallat stepped towards one of the females. ‘I cannot see anything, what is it Frel?’

The female to which Pallat had spoken to nodded to the hills. ‘The males that have been following us. There are more than we expected.’

Pallat gasped. She had never seen so many males grouped together in her life. ‘That’s not natural, they must be hunting something! Frel the most a group of roving males ever has would total at least three! I can count over seven of them in the distance!’

The cubs crouched around Pallat’s legs They were shaking at the feeling in the air. ‘What is it mamma?’ squeaked Gemirin.

Pallat looked towards her litter. ‘Danger.’

Kear stretched his body and raised his head. Pallat stepped forward and raised a paw in protest. ‘This isn’t natural, Kear. They are searching for something, and they are starting with this pride. If they hear us, don’t you think they will quicken their pace and come after us? Kear whatever they are searching for, its powerful. There wouldn’t be so many males grouped together if it wasn’t. Just lets lay low for a while, we can hunt in the short grass. If they are coming closer and are looking for us, don’t you think the first place they would look is by the river or the long grass? Prime hunting spots equal areas in which they can find hungry lions. And maybe even what they are searching for!’

Kear looked sternly at Pallat. He nudged her paw out of the way and closed his eyes heavily. ‘I am not letting them coming any closer without knowing that there are lions to protect their prides. And I am definitely not giving up prime hunting spots for something so meagre as a large group of males.’

He let out the territorial growl. It echoed throughout the land, and each lion could feel it on their pads.

‘Very well, Kear. But unlike you, I am not giving myself or my cubs as a sacrifice. And any lion in this pride willing to be a sacrifice can stay with you. But I am not staying for my cubs to be made into a trophy.’ Snarled Pallat walking away.

The four cubs stayed close to their mother. They knew she was right, that something big was happening, and that she was going to do her best to protect them.

Kear let out another of his growls. ‘Pallat, don’t be so stupid! You are walking away from the protection of your family!’

Pallat spun round. ‘My family are stupid, not me. This pride will not protect you, and anyone who thinks so does not know the meaning of freedom. I have had enough of being shot down because I am female. I may be smaller and not have a mane of fur around my head. But that doesn’t make me any less able to fend for myself. It does not make me any less brave. Hasn’t any lion here noticed that many males flee when faced with danger. They leave their home, their cubs. They leave everything to save their own lives, they let others perish just so they can spare their own lives. It may seem like Im doing that now, but I am not. I am not fleeing in danger for myself, but for my cubs. For all that I care about. If nothing that I have said has got through to any of you, then so be it. We’ll just see who ends up better, shall we.’

Tareth growled. ‘Pallat is right. We do not have to sit here and be made killed for some little game. If any of you have sense at all, then you will follow Pallat.’

Frel stepped forwards. ‘I see the point in both sides. And I see the dangers in both too.’ she turned to Kear. ‘yet I agree with Pallat. I am not unable to defend myself, though I may be female and old. I still have warmth left in these bones, and I still have life left in my soul. Im not letting it go to waste.’

Pallat greeted her sister and her friend with warmth. She turned her back on the sun and made her way down the cliff on which she had lived for many years.

Above them another female stepped away from the main group, as did a young male who was born not a month before Kear took over the pride.

Kear turned his back. He let out more territorial growls and lay down in the shade. He was followed by the seven remaining members of the pride.

Pallat growled as she descended the rocks. She knew what she was doing had risks. But her cubs were more at risk staying in the one place. She was not going to sit back and watch as the enemy came ever closer and only act at the last minute. No she was not fleeing the danger. She was only embracing it.

Frel padded towards the two new comers as they reached the end of the cliff. They spoke together in hushed tones and Pallat recognised a hint of regret in the females eyes. She stopped. ‘I know some of you may have regrets about what you just did. But don’t you think that by staying up there on that cliff that you are leading the danger to you? We all know how Kear likes to act at the last moment, we saw that when he first tried to take over the pride. He does still not know the land around here well, and the longer he waits to figure it out, the more trapped on that cliff he is becoming. We will return, I promise. But we must return prepared.’

The cubs huddled together and nuzzled Pallat’s legs. They were tired, they were still young and it took little to exhaust them.

‘But first, me must find a place to rest for the little ones.’

The young male nodded and stepped forward. ‘on my wanderings, I saw an abandoned cave not too far off. We can each carry a cub, and you may look out for the cave.’

Pallat smiled sweetly. ‘Thank you for your suggestion, Kar. However I do not want my cubs being carried by anyone who they do not feel comfortable with. And at the moment they are only comfortable with Frel and Tareth. You may look out for the cave, as you are the only one here who knows where it is. And I will look after the cubs. I am sure they wont mind walking a little further if they are so full of energy through the night. It will make them finally sleep easy.’

‘Very well’ said the female beside Frel.

‘Hush Reath, please. We must travel in almost complete silence. It makes for a quicker journey and gives us less chance of an ambush.’ mumbled Tareth.

Pallat chuckled and followed Kar to where he said the cave was.

Frel, Reath and Tareth walked together to make sure that no cub wandered off, and Kar walked slightly ahead to show the way.

There was a low growling from behind. Pallat was the first to react and padded in front of the females and her cubs. The figure now standing before them was a large male lion.

Frel gasped in delight. ‘Jaurt! I thought I would never see you again!’ she nuzzled the males fur and licked his nose fondly.

Pallat smiled at the familiar figure, while Tareth, Reath and the cubs cowered in fear of the new comer. Kar stood stark still.

‘Grandfather? Is that you?’ he growled uncertain.

Jaurt looked up at Kar. He nodded meekly and looked towards Pallat. ‘I always knew you were a strong character, Pallat. And, oh young Tareth! You wont remember me, I left the pride shortly before your father was killed. It was such a shame, he was such a wonderful lad.’

Tareth shook her head. ‘No…No I remember you, its just. I never knew why you left us when we needed you the most. After all, its your fault that father is dead.’

Frel growled. ‘Take that back! It is not the fault of Jaurt in any way. He left when he did, because your father asked him to. Your father believed that he was to blame for the loss of his first litter. He never forgave himself for what happened. And when he saw that it was Kear who was trying once more to take over, he let Jaurt go. Jaurt is not to blame for what happened. No one is.’

Jaurt stopped Frel. ‘That is enough, please. It is a horrible thing what happened to your father Tareth, and it is even more horrible to look back on it. Lets leave the past in the past. It is better off that way. Now where has that Kar gone now?’

Pallat snarled. ‘Coward! Worthless coward!’

‘Mother, where are we to go now? We are awfully tired, and we do need a rest. If Kar cannot show us to the cave, then where are we to sleep?’ asked Dralforth.

Jaurt gasped. ‘Such manners! But what is more astounding, is that the young cub of two years named Pallat now has a litter of four joyful cubs! Yet on more important issues, you are looking for a place to stay. Well follow me. I am sure my females will have no objection to new members, not with that large group of males on the horizon!’

Frel and Reath followed Jaurt hurriedly. Pallat rounded up the cubs and ushered Tareth forward.

‘Come, we need somewhere to stay, or would you rather be eaten alive on someone else’s territory!’

Tareth sped up, she ran as the cubs tottered around her paws, and she playfully pawed at Rolin as he nipped her legs. Pallat chuckled at the sight. She could hear the low growls of females greeting Jaurt, and she hurried Tareth and the cubs.

She reached Frel and Reath as Jaurt was introducing them. They were each greeted by three older females. Pallat felt at home here, she was surrounded by a feeling of love and yet she could not help but feel a little uncomfortable. She did not know these females, and her cubs were still very vulnerable. She lay down with her cubs and let them suckle, while Frel and Jaurt sat amongst the females and Tareth and Reath groomed each other in the shade.

They were safer here, and Pallat wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity of help with hunting.