Chapter 10

A few days had passed. I didn't dare show my face in the inner territory. I hung around on the outer rim of our huge territory. I didn't want anyone to see me. My face had a big ugly scab going across it, the cut wasn't deep, I was sure it wouldn't leave another scar, but it was horrible and made me look uglier than I already was. I was weak from loss of blood.

So, I tried to recover. I spent my time sitting in the shade of a big boulder. I wondered if anyone was worried about me. If they wondered where I was. But, today I had the strength to go back. I had debated it in my head, weather or not to go back to the inner territory. In the end, hunger made me head back.

I couldn't survive on my own. That was the grim truth. I was walking back when I heard a roar, not far from me. But it wasn't directed at me. I recognized the tone. It was a challenge, to our Mane. To Quickmane. Curiosity fueled me to go and watch to see what happened.

When I arrived where the sound had originated I found two lions there. Quickmane, who was cowering in a submissive stance, and the No-Mane that was in Fire and Sixtoes' bachelor group. Proud. He was looking down at Quickmane. "What says you to my challenge cripple?" he asked coolly, his voice in the same eerie monotone as before.

It made me smile to see Quickmane there, like a frightened cub, being called a cripple. I wanted to cheer Proud on. "I say take the pride, and the territory! T-take it!" stuttered Quickmane, lowering his head even lower in submission.

"Why?" Proud studied Quickmane smirking. He wanted to hear Quickmane admit he could never beat the big lion. "B-because I only have one eye, I cannot defeat you in a battle, so just let me get out of here alive. Take the pride…" "You realize I will have to kill your cubs, and I do know you have cubs, and your females will belong to me."

"I don't care. Just don't harm me." Quickmane didn't even seem to care at all about Feather, or his sister, or how about my mother's unborn cubs? No guilt showed on his face. "You're pitiful. You don't care about the well being of your cubs at all do you? Or your females. Look into my eyes Mane."

Quickmane looked up, and as he did Proud whipped out his paw, claws unsheathed and tore Quickmane's neck out. Blood squirted all over the grass, pale pink veins and arteries exploded from the lion's neck, and got caught in Proud's claws. Quickmane's eyes were huge and wide, his pupils tiny slits in his head.

He made a gurgling sound as he hit the ground. Or maybe that was just blood bubbling out of his fully exposed neck. His head was barely attached.

"Oh great. Veins are stuck in my claws." mumbled Proud, unsheathing his claws to the extent, and picking the thin bits of Quickmane out of them with his teeth. He took a glance at Quickmane's bleeding corpse, "Hah. That was all too easy. Well done Proud. No go introduce yourself to your new pride."

He congratulated himself, and headed away, looking for the inner territory. Once he was gone I stepped over to Quickmane's body. As much as I had wanted this lion to die for so long, and even after the brutal beating he had given me only a few days before, I felt no joy. The cold satisfaction that I was sure would be there when he died was absent. I felt sick. His blank eyes trained on nothing. Never to move again.

His jaw hung limply, the fur on his paws blew in the slight breeze, his black claws hanging out. The smell of blood was overwhelming. And it was terrifying to see the inside of his neck falling out.

The pale pink and dark blue veins and arteries were all cut at the same place, and hung out of his neck, they looked like worms, but so many…blood still poured out of him, it looked like it would never stop. I jumped backwards when his body flinched. Horrified I ran back to the inner territory. When I got there, Silentsneak was the first to greet me.

"Hobbs! Great Savanna! What happened to your face? And, all those cuts, and, why is there fresh blood on your paws? I'm so glad you're back, I thought my father had killed you and-"

"Silentsneak, your father is dead." "What!?" "A No-Mane just killed him." "A-" "I'm not a No-Mane anymore. Call me Proudmane." His deep, single toned voice sounded behind us. Silentsneak saw the blood on his paws. "YOU KILLED MY FATHER!" She roared, tears welling up in her dark eyes. "That I did my dear. Gather your pride. I must survey my new property." He said calmly.

Going and sitting on top of a fair sized boulder that lionesses often used to warm up on. Already the pride was gathering, even though no one had summoned them, they knew something had happened, that something was wrong. Within minutes everyone was there.

"Good day. I am your new Mane. Proudmane. Your old one was weak. Let me look at my new property. Each lioness step up and tell me your name." First was Deathstrike, (my aunt, and Stealthspeed's mother.)

"I am Deathstrike." She said trying not to make eye contact with the young Mane. He jumped off his perch on the rock and circled her. "When is the soonest you can bear cubs?" "As soon as you wish it of me. My other cubs are grown."

She said, she had a strong voice, that radiated across the overly silent place. "Very good. Next." Shadowstrike stepped up next. "I am Shadowstrike, I-" "You have cubs with you don't you?" He asked. She remained silent. He narrowed his eyes. "I will find them, and dispose of them. After I do that, you will bear my cubs. Understood?"

Shadowstrike didn't say anything, but stepped back into the line. She didn't deserve this. Golden's siblings had died when she was trying to find a new pride, and now Feather and his sisters were going to die. Her eyes stared down at her paws unhappily, and she looked like she was holding back tears.

Golden stepped out of the group. "Hey! My mother has been through enough! I'll leave, and take the cubs with me." "It is the LAW to kill the cubs of the former Mane." "If I leave with them, it will be the same as them being dead to you. So what difference does it make?" "No."

"If you don't let me take those cubs, I'll challenge you for control of the pride. Do you think you can beat me in a fight Proudmane?" Golden held his head high, as if he was certain he would beat Proudmane if they fought, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he felt a lot more uncertain than he sounded.

He had never fought a battle in his life. Proudmane looked uncertain. There was a long silence then, "All right. Fine. Take them. Take them and go." Golden nodded. And went to say good-bye to his mother. She shook, then wailed.

My heart went out to her. All her cubs were leaving. Everything she held dear was gone. Golden went and collected the cubs from their hiding place in the baobab tree.

Under Proudmane's dark yellow gaze he said good-bye to all of his friends. He came over to me last. "Bye Hobbs…" He stopped. Was that all I got? Of course it was. I didn't know why I expected more. I couldn't bear to think this was a good bye.

That his gold gaze would never warm me again. "Not goodbye. How about, until next time?" I said quietly. I saw a flash of affection in his bright eyes, and nuzzled me then licked my cheek.

"Until next time Hobbs." He walked away. Followed by the three cubs. I wanted to scream after him that I loved him, I wanted to go with him, I wanted to chase him, to follow him to the ends of the earth. "Golden! I'm coming with you!" I called, ready to take off. He stopped, looking back at me. "Hobbs, don't. You need a pride to live. I can't hunt enough for you, the cubs, and me. Don't worry. One day I'll be back. I promise. I'll be the mane of this pride. Then…"

"Get out already!" roared Proudmane. Golden clenched his teeth and took off. Disappearing into the pale grass. "Now, next." Proudmane watched as Speedykill and Nighthunter introduced themselves. Now it was my mother's turn.

"I am Swiftspring." She said. "You are with cubs?" "Yes sir."

"Will you be able to have more once after I kill these ones or are you too old?"

"I-I don't know sir." "Right." Proudmane paused for a moment, and lightning fast sliced open my mother's bloated belly. She screamed and fell to the ground. Half formed cubs fell out, along with guts. Blood gushed even heavier than it had from Quickmane's neck when he had died. She was still alive while all this happened, and was screaming.

Proudmane slit her throat, and the screams were cut off, replaced by quiet gurgling, just like Quickmane. The pride was dead silent. No one dared to speak, or move, or even breathe. Proudmane looked unshaken by his actions and kept the same, apathetic expression.

"There. I've killed the cubs, and taken the weight of an old lioness off the pride. Next."

I felt hollow. My mother was cruel to me, she never cared about my well being, but I cared about her. I loved her. She was my mother. And now she lay dead, and so did my unborn kin. I felt like I would faint from pure fear. Next was Silentsneak.

It was her, then me, I realized with horror. What if he ended up killing me because I was an extra 'weight on the pride' as well?? Sure there was the curse that Powerstrike had set, but he didn't look like he would be afraid of some 'curse'.

"I am Silentsneak." She said, her voice shaking in fear. He circled her. "I'm trying to decide if you are young enough to be considered a cub, and weather to kill you…Hmm you look old enough not to be a cub. How long until you can bear cubs?" "What? I don't want to have cubs with YOU!"

He struck her face, leaving a bloody line across her nose. "You will not address me so disrespectfully!" Silentsneak stared at him, and without a word, made a break for the outer territory and beyond.

Proudmane let out a frustrated roar. If he chased after her, he would be leaving the rest of his pride unattended, and what was to stop us from plotting against him, all newly appointed manes had to be careful of the wrathful fury of lionesses, especially larger prides like ours.

He let her go. "Next." I stepped up timidly. "I am Hobblestep." I struggled to get the words out of my throat without my voice cracking, and failed.

"Yeah, I remember you. You're Fire's sister right? Oh, I can't kill you. Go find your brother. He was always talking about letting you into his pride anyway. Tell him I spared you. Go on. Out." He stepped closer, "Out." His teeth were bared. I stumbled out of the line.

Running at my full speed out of there. Once I was far enough away, I slowed down, looking back at my pride, I saw that no one was looking to see me go. Not even Hover. I sighed, my life as I knew it was over. I may as well be dead.

I knew that I couldn't survive without a pride to feed me. I shut my eyes. Appalled at the brutality of the world. It was then that I decided that I had to stop feeling sorry for myself.

I knew if I set my mind to it I could do anything. My father had always thought so. I was going to live, no, I was going to show them all. I COULD be something. I WOULD survive, not only that but I would live. My life would mean something. I swore it would.