Bravelands #4

by Erin Hunter

  “That may be so, Mother,” said Berry, with gentle sternness. “But I will not risk your safety. So I do not give my permission.”

  It was the kind of tone no baboon would dare challenge. Berry’s already a leader, Thorn thought with pride.

  Pear Goodleaf nodded. “All right, Berry. Tendril’s actions make me sad, but I accept your decision.” She backed respectfully away from her daughter.

  Things were developing so fast, thought Thorn. Berry had been their leader for only a heartbeat, yet already she had a crisis to face, with the troop plunged back into war and danger and doubt. He swallowed hard, and as he turned away, he caught sight of Viper once more.

  She and Creeper were still muttering together, and they cast sidelong suspicious glances at Thorn. Oh, why had he ever hinted at his last vision, however obliquely?

  The vultures on the mountain had told him he could have control of his strange dreams, that he could use them for the good of Bravelands. Accept your responsibility, Thorn Greatfather. Accept your power!

  The visions did not feel like power, not right now.

  So far, all they had done was get him into trouble.

  CHAPTER 14

  Fearless knew it with a fierce certainty: he could not leave Ruthless to the brutal fate of his father’s paws. He might be Titan’s son, but he was also Fearless’s friend—and if Fearless didn’t save him, who would?

  The shade beneath the acacias was quiet, the pride sleepy in the afternoon heat, but Fearless couldn’t relax. His gut tightened as he imagined how Titan might already be punishing his firstborn cub. Titan had no tolerance for any lion who did not give him full and unquestioning loyalty; how much worse might it be for his own offspring? Mother and Father have only got time for Menace now. . . . That blood-bond would not save Ruthless: it would only make Titan’s wrath worse.

  Fearless could not rest, could not sleep. The sun was too hot. Leaping to his paws, he shook his head to dislodge the flies.

  “I can’t just lie here,” he growled to his pride. “I have to help Ruthless Titanpride. Come on—we’ve got to get him away from his father.”

  “What?” Valor blinked at him, then shot a bewildered look at Mighty. The other lions stirred and half rose, looking perplexed.

  “He needs our help,” said Fearless curtly. “You’re just going to have to take my word for it. I saw him earlier and he’s in trouble with his brute of a father, and I haven’t got time to explain.”

  “You can’t just spring this on us,” rumbled Tough, twitching her ears.

  “It’s a pride leader decision,” said Fearless haughtily. “I’m telling you, the cub’s in trouble. Bad trouble. I’ll explain after we rescue him.”

  Valor stared at him in disbelieving silence.

  Hardy flicked his ears and gently pushed away the tiny cub that was clambering on his shoulder. “That’s crazy,” he growled. “Why would you do such a thing? Titanpride isn’t even threatening us right now. We have no reason to go into their territory.”

  Valor and Mighty both sat up, silently facing Fearless. Gracious exchanged an apprehensive glance with Tough.

  Keen sat up on his haunches, his expression anxious. Quietly he murmured in Fearless’s ear: “I told you, Fearless. There was nothing you could have done for Ruthless.”

  “Not at that moment, maybe. But I can help him now.” Fearless lashed his tail in frustration. Maybe he did have to explain, at least briefly.

  He raised his voice so that the whole pride could hear him. “Ruthless is a friend to Fearlesspride. He is my friend. He’s been risking his life to bring me information about his father’s movements, and now Titan has found out. Ruthless has risked everything. For us.”

  The startled pride stared at one another, making growling sounds of surprise and confusion. Valor simply gaped at her brother. She looked as if she’d been run over by a charging hippo.

  Fearless cleared his throat, feeling his blood run hot beneath his hide. “That’s why we have to save Ruthless. We owe it to him. Fearlesspride takes care of its own!”

  “He isn’t our own,” grumbled Hardy, but with less confidence.

  “I don’t know,” mused Mighty, rising to his paws. He stared thoughtfully at Fearless. “Maybe this isn’t such a bad idea, Hardy. Fearless is our pride leader, and we should do as he asks—but also, it might be useful to see for ourselves how Titanpride is faring. What they’re up to. After all, if what Fearless says is true, and now Ruthless is in mortal danger, we won’t be getting that information from him anymore.”

  Recovering from her astonishment, Valor rose to stand at her mate’s flank. “I agree,” she said.

  Of course you do, thought Fearless irritably. You agree with every word he says.

  “I guess Mighty has a point.” Keen shrugged. “But we’ll have to be careful.”

  “Of course we’ll be careful,” snapped Fearless. It rankled that the pride was coming around to the idea because of something Mighty said. Not that it mattered, he reminded himself sternly. What matters is helping Ruthless.

  “If we want any chance of success,” suggested Mighty, “we should go when Titanpride least expects us.”

  Reluctantly, Fearless nodded and glanced at the midday sky. “And that means now.”

  One by one, the pride padded after Fearless as he set off from the camp. The sun was so high, the file of lions cast barely a shadow; its heat beat down relentlessly on the parched savannah. Far away, a blurred, shifting line of gold was visible: it was a herd of gazelles, drifting idly eastward as they grazed, but there was no time for hunting. Heads low and eyes firmly ahead, the lions strode toward Titanpride territory.

  Fearless felt a powerful, urgent determination, but he couldn’t help a flutter of unease as they came in sight of the Misty Ravine. No mist hung over it right now—the fierce sun had burned it away—but the ragged slope of rocks that marked the ravine’s edge was instantly recognizable. The fur on Fearless’s neck rose, and his blood pumped faster.

  “We should slow down,” growled Mighty behind him. “We have to be stealthy about this.”

  Fearless snapped his head around in irritation. “We’re downwind.”

  “Not that there’s much wind to speak of,” pointed out Mighty. “And besides, it can change in an instant.”

  He was right. Much against his will, Fearless slowed his pawsteps and lowered his shoulders to take advantage of the grass’s cover. They were almost within roaring distance of Titanpride now; he could see the outlines of dozing lions, shimmering in the distant heat.

  Paw by paw, Fearless crept closer, his pride silent behind him. The lions of Titanpride sprawled in the patchy shadow of some scattered thorn trees. Titan himself lay sleeping against Artful; the mean-faced lioness was on her flank, suckling a small cub. That must be Menace. Fearless halted, his muscles quivering.

  In the heart of the Titanpride camp, flies buzzed above the torn remains of a zebra, blackening in the heat. So they’re hunting well.

  A movement caught Fearless’s eye; an adolescent, maneless cub was creeping toward the zebra carcass. Fearless recognized Ruthless at once, despite his terrible condition. His golden hide was matted, scored with claw marks, and a wound had been torn across his jaw. One ear had been tattered by savage fangs. Fearless drew in a breath of rage.

  Titan sprang suddenly to his paws. “You, Ruthless! Misbegotten cub of my blood! Stop!” In the calm quietness of the midday, his bellowing roar resounded across the grassland. “Traitors do not eat!”

  Ruthless froze, trembling as he glanced back at his father.

  “They’re starving him!” whispered Keen in horror. Fearless gave a sharp, angry nod.

  “We’ll have to rename him.” The amused snarl came from Resolute, who had lifted his head to sneer at the cub. “He’s getting pathetic. I suggest Useless.”

  Barking laughter rippled around the other lions of Titanpride as Ruthless slunk back to his place in the blazing sun; he hadn’t been allotted any shade, Fe
arless realized with angry pity.

  “Those Titanpride brutes,” growled Valor under her breath. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, Fearless. We could be getting into something we can’t handle.”

  “We can’t abandon him,” muttered Fearless. “Especially not now. Look at him! We’d be leaving him to his death, that’s obvious.”

  Mighty padded forward to his flank. “On reflection, Fearless, I think Valor’s right. This is Titanpride business, and we have no real right to interfere. Challenging them would be an unnecessary risk to all of us.”

  Fearless turned on him. “Like the unnecessary risks Ruthless took for us?” he hissed.

  There was silence for a moment. At last Mighty nodded, reluctantly.

  “All right.” He lowered his eyes. “This is Fearlesspride, and you’re its leader. I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”

  “Good,” grunted Fearless. “Besides, I have a plan. Mighty, Hardy—both of you go far over there, upwind.” He nodded into the distance. “Once you’re in place, roar, really loudly. The sound of two invading male lions will draw Titan’s attention, for sure. Gracious, Valor, and Tough—you’re the fastest, so you create another distraction on the other side. Any Titanpride lions who aren’t busy chasing Mighty and Hardy—they’ll come after you.” He nodded at the grassland. “With two separate distractions keeping them busy, Keen and I will dash in and get Ruthless.”

  “That plan sounds complicated,” whispered Gracious nervously.

  “And a little unpredictable,” added Mighty, narrowing his eyes.

  “It’s something I once saw cheetahs do,” said Fearless irritably. “It worked perfectly well for them. They ran rings around Titan. Distraction and speed, those are the elements.”

  “Cheetahs,” said Keen slowly, “are a lot faster than us.” His anxious eyes met Hardy’s, and the stocky cub licked his blunt jaws uncertainly. Both of them looked at Mighty.

  Not at me, Fearless thought with a surge of rage. At Mighty, rot him!

  But the big lion was nodding. “It might just work, Fearless,” he said. “It’s a good plan.”

  Fearless shook himself. Pride discipline could wait. “Right. Let’s get going. Keen, you come with me.”

  The two of them slunk through the grass as the others set off briskly, following Fearless’s directions.

  “Perhaps Mighty isn’t so bad,” murmured Keen, glancing after the big lion. “He makes a lot of sense, and when you make a final decision, he’s pretty submissive to you.”

  Fearless said nothing. Keen’s opinion of Mighty didn’t matter, he decided: all his attention had to be focused on Ruthless now. Prowling closer to the camp, his paw pads placed soundlessly with each step, he sank his belly as low as he could. His heart thrashed so hard in his rib cage, he could only hope it wasn’t audible.

  From far across the plain came a bellowing roar, joined at once by another. Mighty and Hardy, just as planned. Perfect timing. The heads of every Titanpride lion jerked up, and their black-maned leader sprang once again to his feet.

  “Strange lions!” snarled Titan. “Resolute! Take the others and investigate!”

  As Resolute and three younger males bounded off, Fearless risked lifting his head to check that Valor, Gracious, and Tough were in position. He spotted them straight away, golden streaks already racing across the grassland.

  With a bellow of fury, Titan spun around.

  “It’s an attack! The rest of you, come with me! Kill the intruders!”

  His breath in his throat, Fearless watched the remaining lions and lionesses leap into the chase. He could only hope that Gracious, Tough, and Valor were fast enough to outrun the enraged pride. But their work was done: just Artful, Menace, and Ruthless remained in the flattened grass beneath the trees.

  “Go!” he growled to Keen. The two of them rose and bounded into the heart of Titanpride’s camp. Dust flew up as Fearless’s paws pounded the scrubby grass.

  “You!” Artful sprang to her feet, protecting little Menace between her paws.

  Fearless ignored her. “Ruthless. You’re coming with us.”

  Ruthless was on his paws too, staring at Fearless and Keen in disbelief. “Fearless?” He took a hesitant step toward them.

  “Don’t you touch my cub.” Artful curled back her muzzle to display vicious yellow fangs.

  “We’re not going to,” snarled Fearless, swinging his head to glare at her. “Not the one you care about, anyway. Come on, Ruthless—there’s no time to lose.”

  “Don’t you dare move, Ruthless!” Artful snapped.

  Ruthless gave her a sad, sidelong look and took a pace away from her. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

  Glaring at her son, the lioness gave a snarl of fury. Then she spun back to Fearless. “You’ll pay for this, Gallantbrat.” She hunched her shoulders as Menace stared at them from beneath her forepaws. “When Titan finds out what you’ve done, he’ll kill you all.”

  “Let him try.” Fearless gave Ruthless a swift nuzzle as the young lion limped to his side. “Let’s go, Ruthless. We’ll keep you safe.”

  “Of course you will. Until Titan destroys your pathetic pride,” snarled Artful. “I warn you, Ruthless. Walk away from here, and there’s no coming back.”

  Ruthless swiveled his wounded head to face his mother. There was deep sorrow in his eyes. “I won’t be coming back.”

  Fearless nudged him gently. Together they turned, and he and Keen flanked Ruthless, leading him in a lurching run from the pride of his parents.

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” Ruthless murmured as he limped into the Fearlesspride camp. “I would have died there.”

  “It was the least we could do,” growled Fearless, nuzzling his neck. “I’m just sorry I didn’t come for you sooner.” Raising his head, he nodded approvingly to his waiting pride. “Well done, all of you. That went perfectly.”

  Mighty and Valor stood side by side as always, dipping their heads in greeting; Hardy, Rough, and Tough stood a little apart, with Rough’s cubs squirming at their paws. Gracious lay with her back to them, her head resting on her forepaws.

  Keen bounced forward. “Titan was livid, Hardy! Were you close enough? Did you see his face?”

  Hardy did not laugh. His eyes were dark and angry. “Have you seen Gracious’s?”

  Fearless sucked in a breath, and Keen’s whiskers drooped. They stared in horror as Gracious rose with a wince. As she turned toward them, Ruthless gave a guilty, whimpering growl.

  Four claw marks were scored across the beautiful lioness’s face, from cheek to jaw. A flap of skin hung loose beneath her eye. Her muzzle was stained and clotted with blood. Fearless made a strangled sound in his throat.

  “Gracious . . .”

  “Titan caught her,” said Hardy curtly. “She’s lucky to be alive.”

  “Hardy. Really. It’s all right.” Gracious’s words were distorted, and it was clear that speaking caused her pain. “I knew what I was getting into, and it was worth it. I’m glad you’re safe, Ruthless.”

  Fearless could feel a hard stare; it made his fur prickle. Sure enough, when he turned, Valor was glowering at him.

  “Was it worth it, Fearless?” she demanded. “Was it really?”

  “Yes,” he croaked. “We owed it to Ruthless.”

  “The cub’s your friend,” sniffed Valor curtly, “but he doesn’t look much of a hunter.”

  Ruthless cleared his throat. “I’ll do my best, I promise,” he murmured, shame-faced. “I owe you all my life. But I’m sorry this happened to you, Gracious. I’m sorry my father is such a vicious brute.”

  Fearless swallowed hard. The looks he was getting from Valor, Hardy, and Rough felt as if they were biting into his heart. Mighty simply looked disappointed, and a little sad. Poor Gracious, ironically, looked guilty and awkward. Only Keen glanced at Fearless with any sympathy.

  “You’re not responsible for your father, Ruthless,” Fearless muttered. “And I know you’ll make a fine member of this pr
ide when your wounds heal.”

  Ruthless was safe, and free of Titanpride.

  But it seemed that in saving him, Fearless had thrown away his pride’s respect.

  CHAPTER 15

  The valley that lay before Sky was a treat for her tired eyes after the arid desolation of the plains. It sloped gently down in undulating steps to a broad, green bowl that was dotted with flowering trees. Cool shadows striped the lush grass; though the ground wasn’t wet, the damp shade had protected the valley from the worst glare of the sun. Sky stretched up her trunk to snap a young branch bursting with leaf buds.

  “This is beautiful,” she murmured.

  “It feels good to be off the plains,” agreed Rock, chewing on a mouthful of green leaves. “This was worth the long journey, just for the shade and the browsing.”

  As he shambled forward, a ground squirrel’s tail fluffed up in alarm, and it skittered into a burrow. Far across the valley floor, Sky could make out a small herd of gazelles, and closer by there were other, different antelopes: white-spotted bushbuck and shy little duikers browsed beneath the trees, their tails flicking at flies. The grass-eaters seemed so peaceful and contented. Rock was right—this was a beautiful place to rest. But perhaps she had come to the wrong place entirely? It seemed a refuge from the very predators Sky sought.

  Then she spotted them: a coalition of three male cheetahs, hunched on a cluster of rocks, observing the gazelles at a distance. As one of the cats turned his head, whiskers twitching, she recognized the pattern of the black tear marks on his face.

  “Fleet!” Her heart in her throat, Sky ambled toward him, keeping her movements easy and unthreatening.

  The big cheetah tensed, ears pricking and tail bristling, but as his eyes found Sky’s he seemed to relax. He gave her a small nod.

  “Sky Strider. I remember you. Great Mother’s granddaughter.” He glanced at Rock, then back at Sky. “I am sorry for Bravelands’ loss. Your grandmother was a fine leader.”

  “Thank you, Fleet,” murmured Sky.

  The cheetah was staring at the ground between her feet. “What in the name of the Great Spirit—”