Kion and Rani: Warriors

~Chapter 10~

Kionroar yawned. He stood up and stretched. Ranileaf lifted her head and smiled at him, "Morning." Kionroar yawned again, "Morning."

They both walked out of the Warriors den.

"Ah shit. We slept in," Kionroar growled, looking at the sun that was almost in the center of the sky.

"Kionroar! Language!" Nalapool said firmly as she walked up to them. "Sorry mom. Hey how's Kiarastream?" Kionroar asked.

"She's fine. She has three cubs, Jaycub, a male, Tigercub, also a male, and Lilycub, a lioness," Nalapool explained.

Kionroar nodded and smiled. Nalapool sighed, "Pytrostar keeps wanting to talk to her. But she doesn't have the strength yet. I don't understand what's more important than taking care of cubs."

"Pytrostar thinks anything is more important than cubs. Unless they're his own," Kionroar stated.

Ranileaf left to the fresh kill pile.

"I wish Pytrostar would just go away. Or die," Kionroar admitted. "Never wish death upon any lion. That wish will come straight back to you," Nalapool said calmly.

Kionroar sighed and nodded.

Nalapool nuzzled him, "Why don't you go hunting. It might take your mind off of everything."

Kionroar smiled, "Sure. I'll bring back the biggest gazelle anyone has ever seen!" Nalapool chuckled, "You sound like a cub again."

"Well, it's good to go back to the old days once in a while," Kionroar replied. Nalapool smiled, "Yeah. It is."

Kionroar walked out of camp, and started to hunt.

Kionroar lifted his muzzle into the air, and smelled a rabbit. He got into a hunters crouch, and slowly crept forward. The rabbit was nibbling away at a berry, unaware of Kionroar.

Kionroar tucked his hind paws in, ready to pounce. He pulled himself a little closer to the rabbit, and jumped. The rabbit could hardly react before Kionroar snapped its neck.

Kionroar scooped dirt over the rabbit to collect later. A weird smell made his nose twitch, but he ignored it.

Kionroar started to stalk a gazelle. It wasn't anywhere near its herd, which made this one easy game.

Kionroar roared loudly and jumped out of the tall grass, claws unsheathed. The gazelle looked up and started running. Kionroar landed hard on his paws and chased after the gazelle.

The gazelle was kicking up sand and dirt that got into Kionroar's eyes. He growled and ran to the gazelle's left. Kionroar slammed his paws harder onto the ground and ran faster.

Kionroar started to gain on the gazelle. His eyes widened as the gazelle was about to cross into TailPride's territory. Kionroar jumped and time itself seemed to slow down.

Kionroar landed hard on the gazelle's back, making its legs buckle. Kionroar bit hard into its neck, blood dripping down his muzzle.

The gazelle collapsed. Kionroar grabbed its neck in his jaws and dragged it back to the hollow. On his way, he also grabbed the rabbit.

Kionroar once again twitched his nose. That weird smell was in the air again.

Kionroar threw the gazelle and rabbit onto the fresh kill pile. Then, he took a piece of Antelope for himself. He laid down by the Warriors den and started to eat.

Kionroar looked toward the nursery. He wanted to see Jaycub, Tigercub, and Lilycub, but they were too young, and Kiarastream needed to settle in, and make sure her cubs were well fed.

Whispers spread through the camp, wondering who the father of Kiarastream's cubs were. She refused to say, just stating that there was cubs in the pride and that's all that mattered.

Kionroar had seen Pytrostar smirking evilly then, but the leader hasn't talked to Kiarastream since the birth of her cubs. The lionesses got very defensive because all their cubs were dying by Pytrostar.

Ranileaf laid beside Kionroar, "Nice catch." "Thanks!" Kionroar swallowed the last of the piece of Antelope.

Kionroar watched Nalapool take the rabbit he had hunted off the fresh kill pile. She started eating it.

Ranileaf sighed as the bright sun started to slowly set. She leaned against Kionroar's shoulder and closed her eyes. Kionroar licked behind her ears and she purred.

Eelblaze walked up to them, "Oh sorry, am I interrupting something?" Kionroar smiled, "No. Nothing. What's up?" He asked, standing to his paws.

"It's...err..." Kionroar could tell again by Eelblaze's face he didn't want to call his mate Half-face.

"It's my mate. She's not herself," Eelblaze admitted. Ranileaf instantly stood up, "How so?"

"It's hard to explain really. I want Wishbounce or Dapplepaw to check on, her, but they are exiled and who knows where they are by now!" Eelblaze growled and unsheathed his claws.

"Hey, calm down," Kionroar said. Eelblaze took a deep breath and sheathed his claws again, "It's just. I'm scared. What if something's wrong with her, like, she's sick, or...I'm not sure, but it bothers me when she doesn't accept my help."

"She's independent Eelblaze. Most lionesses are. She loves you, I know she does, but she's been through a lot in her life," Ranileaf explained.

Eelblaze sighed and nodded, "Yeah I know."

"Let me talk to her. Maybe I can convince her to tell me what's wrong," Ranileaf suggested. Eelblaze smiled, "Yeah. Okay."

Ranileaf nodded and walked to the Warriors den.

Kionroar looked at Eelblaze, "Don't worry. If anyone can help...err...your mate talk, it's Ranileaf."

"Yeah. Ranileaf is pretty good with words," Eelblaze replied. He looked back at Kionroar and smirked, "She's perfect for you." Kionroar's face reddened in embarrassment and he looked away.

"I saw you two when I walked up. Just become mates already. It's not that hard," Eelblaze chuckled.

"But, I don't know. What if we do become mates. What if Ranileaf gets pregnant. I don't want our cubs to die because of Pytrostar. That's why I'm holding back. I don't want to lose Ranileaf, or our cubs, if we have any. So I'm just going to wait untill Pytrostar is defeated," Kionroar explained.

"Love always finds a way Kionroar. If it can come to me, it will come to you," Eelblaze walked away.

Kionroar was thinking about what Eelblaze said, when he heard a scream from Shinetail, "Nalapool!"