The cold bit at you with deadly intent, frost beginning to gather on your whiskers and fur. You had long ago passed the canyon path that had shielded you from the intense winds, now finding yourself at the mercy of Mother Nature herself. You had been in pursuit of a young male warthog. The prey surely would have benefited your pride, every little bit counts. Even now, you were still tracking it, your breaths forming small wisps of mist in the air.

The painful squeal of dying prey startled you, before you became angered. Someone was stealing the prey you’d spent so long tracking! You raced forward with a challenging roar, but there was no one there. At your paws laid the slaughtered warthog, its bloody neck dyed scarlet from its violent death. Who would kill their prey in such a torturous way?! There was no need for it! You were lions, the spirits blessed you with means to make their deaths quick. But this...

You had been so focused upon the butchered prey, you hadn’t noticed you were being approached from behind. You were knocked off your paws before you knew what hit you, lying on the ground for a few heartbeats while your hindquarters stung from the attack. A fearsome growl greeted you when you scrambled up, whirling to face your attacker.

A large, dark lion was what stood before you. His white muzzle was stained with red, revealing him as the killer of YOUR warthog. His fur was a deep blue, streaked with swirls of ice that blended him into the night. Upon his glorious elysian mane rested a glimmering moonstone crown. His fur was painted in white with swirling patterns, giving the mysterious lion an important look to him. Yet his eyes are what stood out the most. Glimmering with the light of dawn, they looked almost magical. The amount of malice they held within them forced you to shake off your awe. “You are trespassing on Tornclan territory.” He spoke, his voice demanding respect. “What reasoning could you have to be here?”

Your ears grew hot with embarrassment, but your eyes narrowed right back. This lion was all talk, he attacked you from behind instead of agreeing to your challenge. He was a coward, and you would not be intimidated. “I was tracking a warthog for my pride.” You spoke, tail lashing with irritation. “The one you killed. It rightfully belongs to me. I’ll just take it and leave your pride be.” You kept an eye on the dark lion while you passed. His eyes followed you, but he did not make any other movements. You bent down to receive your prey, only to see him shift with great speed out of the corner of your eye.

You dropped the warthog, quickly jumping to the side as the lion’s mighty jaws closed where you neck had been moments earlier. You roared, his own bone chilling one answering in response as the two of your met mid pounce. Your claws scrambled for a hold as the large male forced you to the ground.

You found yourself on your back, his sharp claws digging the slightest bit into your neck. Your growls died down, lying limp as the lion’s paws flexed, pressing the claws in a little further. A crowd of lionesses had surrounded you both during the fight, their dark gazes all shining with the anticipation of blood being spilt. The lion above you didn’t seem the least bit concerned, this was his pride.

He stared down at you with a cold, calculating gaze, his teeth bared threateningly. You stayed limp, completely at his mercy. The full moon above you seemed to shine brighter before the lion finally pulled back. He released you, his gaze uncaring while you got to your paws, sucking in air greedily. ”Consider yourself lucky I have more important matters to attend to. Otherwise, you would have been dead like all the other thieves who passed through here.” He growled. The dark lion turned to one of the lionesses, nodding his head in a silent greeting. “Take them to the Great Gorge Path. Then they are on their own.”

The lionesses obeyed, surrounding you on all sides as their leader disappeared into the night, just as mysteriously as he had came. Their tight formation led you to follow the leading lioness. They left you by the same canyon path you had entered through previously. As you began the long trek home, your mind was on the dark lion. He was a powerful male, perhaps your pride would benefit from his cubs...