Tau was standing on the other side of the thorn bush staring at the other three animals, "Well, are you coming or not?" he smirks at them. Bunga steps forward which caught the lion's attention, Oh? He thought. "This is easy!" Bunga said to the others, taking a lead headfirst into the bush screaming, "Zuka Zama!"
Making it to the other side where Tau was waiting, he tried to hide his amazement at the honey badger's courage or stupidity, but one thing was clear to him, the guy has guts. Looking back at the other two on the other side still struggling to find a solution to make it pass. Bunga calls out to the others, "Come on, it's easy!" to which Fuli grunted, "Easy for you maybe, but the rest of us aren't as thick skinned as you!" she complained.
Beshte was looking around and when noticing a flat boulder that looks great to use; he started to push it using it to mow down the thorn that blocks their path, "Twende kiboko!" he shouted pushing it, Tau was intrigued by the strength the hippo was showing, both he and Bunga stepped out of the hippo's path as he and Fuli managed to make it through, "I guess that can work." Tau spoke to them and started to continue walking.
Fuli questioned as to what that was about, it felt more like he was testing them or something, "Was this really to help us get back home?" she thought to herself getting ever more suspicious of the lion. Fuli looked up where Ono was and motioned in silence so Tau couldn't here to give a report on the situation, "What did you see up there Ono?" she asked.
Ono looked a bit puzzled giving an answer, "I've noticed another path that leads the same way we are heading, only.. That was didn't have any thorn bushes as far as I could see." This didn't make Fuli all the more trusting of the Lion thinking that he may be scheming something. Glaring at the Lion, she whispers to Ono to continue watching and the group continues to follow Tau.
The sun was past the mid and was starting to slowly set with each moment, shadows were starting to grow from the cliffs. Tau looks at the shadow and grew anxious and nervous even, "We'd better move the pace if you want to make it back!" he spoke up to the others, Fuli catching the tone was off with Tau. Maybe it was because she had more interactions with him than the others, but she found to be the only one questioning what was wrong with him there. Bunga was to break the ice with Tau by asking him some questions.
"What do you do for fun in the Outlands?" he asked; Tau looks over at Bunga a bit confused and ponders a moment on speaking of this matter, letting out a slight sigh, "Nothing much really, I spend more of my time making sure the Outlands is safe for everyone." He looked a little sadden saying this like something was missing.
"Maybe that's your problem, you need to relax." Bunga advised Tau who was not happy to hear of, "Relax?! Maybe you Pridelanders have the luxury to relax and have fun, but us Outlanders don't!" he snaps at Bunga enraged. Bunga flinched back nervously at the outburst with Fuli jumping in between the two, "Alright Tau, back off!" she snarled at him.
Tau looks at the Cheetah just as annoyed before taking a deep breath of fresh air, "That's enough of that, let's just get you back home so I can get you out of mine." Tau growled under his breath and picked up his pace, so he is no longer next to the honey badger.
Beshte caught up next to Fuli and Bunga who were both at a loss with Tau for different reasons, "What was that all about?" Bunga asked gesturing his paw to Tau who was leading them, "Sounds like he had it rough." Beshte said worried. Fuli questioned if it was even safe to continue following Tau, he obviously didn't like Pridelanders if his shouting it out a few dozen times didn't give that away. But it was like there is really a deep hatred for them that burns inside of him.
Tau glances over at the group following from time to time trying to get the moment out of his head, something from the back of his mind starting to surface.
Staring a hyena pup fallen off of a cliff lying on the ground motionless, dead. Blood was flowing out and its neck twisted with a few claw marks scratched against its pelt, "Murderer!" he heard crying, turning to see a paw come swiping down onto him as everything goes blurry.
Tau looks over at where the sun is, "I had better hurry before she starts making her move again." He thought to himself picking up the pace again with the others noticing this sudden change too picked up their pace to keep up with his.
They continued their journey when they came to a ravine entrance; Tau came to a stop with an annoyance groan, "Why did you stop now?" the group asked Tau to which he looks back at them, "We're in Jackal's territory now, I need you all to stay close to me; if you do, I promise you'll make it back safely." He asked of them.
Fuli came up next to Tau looks a bit cautious of the lion, "And why should we trust you on that?" she asked him, grunting under his breath he looks over at the cheetah who was giving him a stern look, "Jackals are cunning creatures, they will say anything to get what they want." He informed her with eyes steel with resolve to see this through.
The cheetah was a bit taken aback by the looks of his eyes, despite his snarky attitude, she saw compassion and concern, the thing he asks of her was something she found truer than all the other things he said, "Trust me." She was about to answer when a voice rang out to them, "What have we here?"
They looked to see a Jackal coming out of the Ravine, she has tan fur with black markings across her back and legs. An adult Jackal to which Tau took defensive of, "Tau, and to what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden visit?" she snark. "I'm only wanting to pass through to help these Pridelanders get back home, so I would appreciate it if you would let us through Reirei!" he spoke with pride.
The jackal than look over at the guest he was mentioning, to see only three others unaware of an egret still soaring above watching everything that is happening, "My, Pridelanders in the Outlands?" she said looking to be intrigued by this development, "You're awfully far from home, I know! Why not let me take you the rest of the way back home? It would be my pleasure." Reirei offered with a smile to which Tau refused her offer.
Reirei wanted to growl at Tau who's already aware of her tricks, "Since when have you ever cared about Pridelanders Tau? Last I heard, you couldn't stand being around them." She said to put him on the spot knowing that he resents his past being brought up.
Tau lowly growled at Reirei giving a stern at the Jackal, "You know full well that it's my job to make sure Pridelanders are safely brought back!" Tau spoke to her which the others now questioning, why would Outlanders care about bringing Pridelanders back home? When did any of them cared about doing that? And why Tau?
Reirei chuckled a bit, "Still following that old fool's ideal? You know if it wasn't for Scar, he wouldn't have gained the respect he and the others have gained." She mocked to which Tau was enraged at, "That's enough! I don't care what you have to say about me, but I won't let you make fun of my grandfather!" he growled at her ready to attack if have too.
Reirei approaches ever more to Tau, "'Grandfather'? Still think of those Flea mutts as family, makes sense you would seeing how you resemble Scar." She mocks to which angers Tau ever more, "I am nothing like Scar!" he yelled giving a swipe at the jackal only to miss, his breathing is heavy, and his fur was on edge, "I am nothing like him!" he gave another swipe to which she dodged giving a smirk.
"You had better try harder than that if you want to ge-" she was saying before being sent with a headbutt from the lion, Tau came towering over the jackal with a scowl looking down on her trying to get back up, "Never call me that name." Tau warned the jackal who snarled at him.
"Fine, have it your way Tau. But don't go thinking you'll ever make it out of here alive after what you've just done." She said heading off giving an ominous warning to the group with a chuckle thrown in there.
Tau continued ahead into the ravine and the group follows close by wondering what might await them on the other side, or even what might await them inside for that matter.
A/N:
Hey Everyone, sorry for all the slow progress before and now that I am at the hotel on vacation, I should start being able to work again on things for a few days while I'm here. I'll post more really soon (Maybe tomorrow if all goes well) but I'm glad to be getting support for my stories, it really means a lot hearing people wanting to read my story.
I might have thought of an idea how Tau will meet his real parents though I'll keep it a secret, but I will first need to get the group through the Outlands first before we can work on that part anyway. That was the biggest problem I've been having with this story.
See you all really soon, but while we're at it...If you have any idea if I should add a relationship with Tau (Kion) to anyone in mind, please tell me so I can get an idea. I'm tempted to do Kion x Jasiri but DeadlyCodes is growling at me saying I'm being too predictable like always and all that.
My next choice would be Kion x Fuli or I could just not do a relationship at all. Anyways, I'll be working on pt 3 of Out of the Outlands and getting things for the other stories ready now.