Tareth crept forward silently. She was accompanied by two of her new family members, Loakli and Yourt. They were hunting. It was more difficult in the short grass, they prey could see them more clearly. Tareth locked her eyes on a large male impala not too far off. Loakli and Yourt parted from Tareth and went to their separate positions. Tareth crept forward, and she was now in clear range of the impala if he fled.

A figure slunk through the grass.

Pallat too had her eyes set on the male impala. She was the main hunter in the small pride, and she always made the first move. Silently she came closer to the prey and she licked her lips as she thought of the meat.

Behind Pallat, Frel, Reath and the remaining female, Preas were crouched low in the grass, watching the rest of the impala. Jaurt remained behind with the cubs, he was the oldest in the group and being blind in his right eye the females felt it was easier for him to watch after the cubs.

The male impala pricked his ears up and sniffed the air. His eyes darted around him, and just as he was lowering his head to graze, Pallat made her move.

She jumped high from the grass and pounced on the impala. Behind her the rest of the impala began to run, and the three females caught sight of an injured impala.

Now, Tareth picked up speed. She got in close range of the impala and to her right Loakli began to chase after the impala too. Pallat pounced once more and caught the impala in the rear, while Tareth and Loakli caught their claws into its sides and grabbed hold. The female lions pulled the impala to the ground, and as it lay struggling Yourt took her chance. She grabbed the prey by the throat and bit down hard.

The male impala was dying, so Pallat and Tareth let go and ran to the other hunting party. They reached the females as they caught the impala and they decided to try for a third kill. The singled out a small impala that couldn’t keep up with the herd. They took chase, and as they reached the point where they gained speed, Pallat stopped.

She shook her head and padded back to the second party who were struggling to keep the animal under control. Tareth pushed Preas out of the way and grabbed the animals throat. Pallat once more put her weight on the animals rear end and punctured its hind legs to stop it struggling as much.

Frel let her grip go as the small impala stopped struggling. She padded softly over to the large male impala that was now being dragged along the grass to where Jaurt and the cubs waited. She joined in the effort and the carcass was moved more quickly.

Pallat and the others lifted the second kill and followed the other females.

The first group of females reached the long grass and let out low growls to notify Jaurt they were coming back. The smell of the meat was becoming overpowering for the females and the longer they carried the meat the harder it was for them to stop themselves from eating it there and then. Pallat growled as Tareth loosened her grip. At once Tareth grabbed hold of the carcass and lowered her head. Pallat waved her tail and let out her own growl to Jaurt.

Frel and Yourt emerged from the grass and helped with the impala. The sound of Jaurt greeting the females was clearly heard and the cries of the cubs as they jumped around sped the females up.

Usually they would have called for Jaurt and the cubs to come to the kill, but over the past few days the males had been coming closer and more lions were appearing near their territory as they fled the danger. The kills were safer in Jaurt’s territory than out in the open.

Pallat lay the body down at her paws and ran to her cubs. She nuzzled them each softly and they let out growls of joy at the love given to them.

Pallat smiled sweetly at Jaurt. ‘Thank you, Jaurt. You took good care of them, I am grateful for everything you have done for us these past days.’

Jaurt smiled in return. ‘No need to thank me, Pallat. it’s the least I can do after all that time you spent looking after me, even as a young cub you were there for me!’

Frea let out a short yelp. ‘Rolin! What was that for?! That hurt!’ she nipped Rolin on the back and ran around Pallat.

‘I will get you, Frea!’ laughed Rolin.

‘Im afraid you wont, Rolin. After all, I am after Frea too for what she did earlier!’ growled Dralforth playfully.

Gemirin just yawned. ‘Mamma, I’m hungry!’

Pallat shook her head and pawed at Gemirin. ‘I must eat first, or there wont be any milk left for you.’

The cubs hushed up. They lay together in the shade as the adults ate their fill. They wanted milk, they loved it.

The two impala that had fallen victim to the lions were almost picked clean. There was more than enough meat for everyone on the male impala, but Pallat had an idea on what to do with the female after the adults had eaten. She got up and walked over to the cubs.

‘Now, I know you don’t think that meat is the nicest thing, but that little impala there, I want you to try the meat, see how you feel.’

Dralforth stood up and trotted over to the carcass, but when he reached it there was a disgusted look on his face. ‘I do not like the looks of that. There is far too much blood for my liking.’

Pallat shook her head. ‘Come little ones, there is nothing wrong with it, all lions enjoy meat. Come on!’

Pallat nudged her cubs forwards. She was trying to take them off milk, they were getting older now, they couldn’t live on her milk forever. Her milk wouldn’t last forever either.

‘Mamma I don’t want any meat… It looks disgusting. Cant we just stick to milk?’ questioned Gemirin.

Pallat sighed. ‘No Gemirin. At one point, you have to come off the milk. Meat has more nutrition than milk, and no matter how disgusting it looks the taste is most satisfying.’

Frea coughed and looked dazed, blood on her muzzle. ‘It tastes good. But I still prefer milk. Mother, why did you give up milk? Its really tasty!’

Pallat lay down beside her cubs who were taking tiny weary bites at the meat. ‘I gave up milk, because meat is more satisfying.’

Rolin gazed at his mother, his small head covered in red, he had been playing with his food. ‘Why doesn’t Jaurt, Kar or Kear give up milk?’

‘Don’t play with your food Rolin. And they don’t give milk, because they are unable to provide it. They do not have teats that let cubs suckle.’ chuckled Pallat.

‘Will I be able to provide milk?’ quizzed Rolin.

Pallat laughed. ‘No, Rolin. And neither will Dralforth. Males cannot produce milk, and do not have the teats to provide it either.’

‘Well why not!’ gasped Rolin.

‘Mother nature wanted it to be that way Rolin.’ replied Pallat shaking her head at such a question.

Gemirin pulled a face at her brother. ‘Will I have teats mamma?’

Pallat nodded. ‘So will Frea.’

‘Why don’t you drink your own milk? Its delicious and if there is milk there why not drink it!’ asked Frea.

‘As you grow older Frea, you will stop drinking milk and move on to meat. And milk isn’t always there, it is only provided when a female has given birth to cubs!’ said Pallat smiling sweetly.

‘Well that’s silly, I’ll drink my milk when I get older.’ sighed Gemirin.

Pallat laughed and lay her head on the ground. She let the cubs eat the meat or suckle. It was their decision, but from now on they were getting less milk and more meat. She closed her eyes lightly, and twitched her tail as the flies became engrossed with her warmth.

‘Mamma don’t sleep now! Its time for playing!’ yawned Gemirin.

Pallat opened her eyes. ‘No, Gemirin. After hunting and eating we must all sleep or rest. And it seems you are too tired to play! All of you.’

Rolin yawned and lay against Pallat. He shut his eyes and began to dream. Frea protested, but couldn’t force herself to move from the warmth of her mother. Dralforth was already asleep beside the kill, he had fallen asleep while his family were talking.

‘Well I am not tired. I am wide awake!’ yawned Gemirin. ‘I am going to… I am going to… Going to sleep….’

Pallat smiled. But her ears pricked up, someone was standing over her. She looked up into the eyes of Tareth.

‘Need anything?’ she grumbled forcing herself to stay awake.

‘Im scared. Jaurt is dreaming and he keeps growling and moving in his sleep. Can I sleep by you, Pallat?’ she jumped as Jaurt let out a long low growl.

Pallat chuckled slightly. She nodded her head and closed her eyes as Tareth lay down beside her. She felt comfortable for the first time in this new territory. She had her closest friends and family with her and she had the protection of a pride that new of the danger to come.

But when she dreamed, she saw her old pride. She saw Kear standing high on his rock, with a female at his side. Pallat growled. She couldn’t believe her eyes. There were two cubs beside Kear, and below them in the shade, three more females were heavily pregnant. Kar was sitting in the shade with a young female around his age. They seemed unnaturally close. And as Kear and the rest of the pride around them began to fall asleep, the female lay low in front of Kar, letting out low purrs and pawing at his muzzle lovingly. The pair slipped away in the dark, and somehow Pallat skipped time. She heard the growls of Kear when Kar and the female returned. And then she could hear the arguments between the pair as the female began to show signs of pregnancy.

Pallat was shocked. This young female was her youngest sister, and she felt hurt that she had lowered herself to Kar.

Light filled Pallat’s dream once more. Kear was standing amongst his pride, with six young cubs at his paws, and not far off, Kar and Pallat’s sister sat nuzzling each other. The female then set off with the female that Pallat had first saw with Kear.

And then the vision changed.

Kear still had his cubs, and Kar now had a cub of his own. Yet he was no where in sight. He had fled once more, frightened of what would happen to him if he stayed. Pallat took her young male cub by the scrub and carried him down the cliff. Her eyes were wet with tears and as she placed the cub at her paws, Pallat realised just how young he was. He was barely three weeks old.

Pallat’s sister let out a low growl. ‘Pallat… Where are you, I should have trusted you… Where are you Pallat.’

Pallat opened her eyes. She knew how long it took for a female to get pregnant and then to have her cub. And if the cub was now three weeks old, Pallat had been away from the pride for that long. She stood up slowly and addressed Tareth.

‘Stay with the pride. If they wake up, tell them I am not too far off. That I just needed a little time to myself. And if the cubs wake, please comfort them. I wont be long, Tareth. I have someone I need to see…’

Tareth nodded now wide awake. She knew this was important.