Uchenna's Pride Rock mission

[Nyigakali]

The disappearance of the pack pups could not be kept a secret for long. Day after day, week after week, Uchenna took many desperate measures trying to find them, fearing Lulu and the pack would question his leadership if he failed to find and bring Chukizo, Athari, Bwakia and Gondi home safely. A lioness at the waterhole mentioned something about a shadowy place ... a vague and indefinite clue, but one Shahidi's usurper could not ignore for it was the only clue he had.

---

Approaching the base of Pride Rock, the leader of the Wahamishi African Wild Dog pack, Uchenna, was on a mission. For the first time since taking his place as Alpha after defeating Shahidi, Uchenna was alone with none of his packmates brave enough to follow him to the heart of the lion territory; not even his loyal brother Hlelile nor the seemingly fearless original heir to the throne, Chakua, would follow him here. Although the Pridelands pride and Wahamishi had been peaceful, with the pride allowing the Wahamishi to take up temporary residence in their territory, it was rare for any of the dogs to come so close to the lion's den that is the Pridal Cavern. Uchenna was not ignorant nor foolish enough to be ignorant of the danger; he knew he would have to rely on diplomacy more than anything else to accomplish his mission of climbing to the top of Pride Rock to have a look around and find the shadowy place the lioness had mentioned. He paused for a minute to sniff and listen for who might be around and visible to challenge him; perhaps King Ahadi himself or his Queen, Uru?

[Ajenti]

Or perhaps a presence much smaller, but no less potent. The only sound to be heard as the wild dog leader rounds the path to the promontory was a single female cub, playing with phantasms, for all it appeared. She pranced and lept, striking dirt with both forepaws, and cried out in a childish giggle with adult overtones. The cub twitched as the canine came near; her game was interrupted by a real visitor who brought real challenges. It was the very cub Uchenna had met upon the southern road--the one who had been so eager to help search for the missing pups, but had been talked down by the queen. As she recognized Uchenna, her eyes came alive.

[Kesh]

Spotting the canine was not limited to the young one. No, another pair of eyes is alert to things here at Pride Rock.. those eyes that serve to protect the very youth that takes interest in the approaching canid.

While it's not entirely unusual for animals to approach Pride Rock for diplomatic or pleading reasons, there have been enough events where the intent was malicious for there to always be an air of wariness surrounding such an approach, especially when it is something that might strive to eat feline young under the right circumstances.

As such, the spotted one, holding not much more heft to her than the cub herself and less than the approaching visitor, Kesh, alights herself on the rock she was perched on, making herself known with an added cry, 'mreeee!' "Who goes there?"