I Need My Pound of Flesh

{February 12th, two days after the princes are born. Open to Scar & Lady for now, unless Lady has others she wants in here.}

Two days had passed since the sun princes were born. Two days of pure bliss from the psychotic female. Two days of purring against her tiny little warm balls of success and love. She'd finally pleased her king. Finally delivered onto him the prince he wanted. The princes in this case. The little creme balls of beauty. Though now this got her thinking. She had something to deal with that she couldn't put off any longer.

She descended the hills, sliding her tawny paws along the termite encrusted ground. Her single ear flicked downwards. She had to handle this NOW. Leaving the cubs with their father, Zira left the cave and went to the jail. To the place where Lady had been lying since the train went bust. The dawn cradled the sky, beautiful cracks of red and blue blending together into a savannah sunrise.

She entered the cave and smile, extending her claws to their lengthiest and dragging them along the side of the cave. "Wakey wakey little Ladyyyyyy," she sang, planting herself at Lady's cage door, "I've got a marvelous surprise for you...you're free to go."

Lady raised her head from her forepaws. Soft brown eyes, long devoid of tears looked through the bars of her cell in apt confusion. The cocker spaniel had been left to rot for what felt like an eternity. Dragged back to the cell and roughed up, her once soft and beautifully groomed fur was unkempt and hung in tangled knots from her legs and belly. Her long ears hung like Spanish moss on each side of her head, and her paws where dirty and pads cracked. She had been shoved, kicked, and threatened by her hyena guards upon the disastrous failure of the attack on the heroes supply train. She felt lucky that they didn't kill her on the spot. For days afterwards she fretted and feared. Knowing something was just around the bend for her.

Then, it suddenly got silent. It seemed anyone who drifted by the cells only greeted her with spit in her direction. She was unaware of the birth of the princes, only that something big had happened. There seemed to be a sudden uplift in morality among the Outlanders. She had wondered if a battle had gone in their favor, or (sadistically for her, it had to be said) someone had overthrown Zira and Scar.

Standing to her shaky legs, head held low enough that her neck and back where in line, she slowly marched towards the door. About half way there, she stopped and took a deep breath that caused her chest to expand and deflate. Then, raised her head high, muzzle pointed to the earthen ceiling. Her mouth a thin line set against the honey fur of her muzzle. Lady steeled herself. Whatever Zira had planned for her she would meet it with dignity.

"Free to go?" Her snout twitched. "After all you have done to me, do you truly expect me believe that I'm suddenly just free to go?"

Her eyes narrowed and eyebrows furred as she stopped before the cage door.

"What sort of pain do you plan to inflict upon me for your pleasure?"

Oh the sight of her was lovely. All matted and horrid while she herself practically glowed with the light of motherhood. She'd been properly fed. She'd been taken care of. Lady was...for lack of a better term, a hot mess. She chuckled to herself and breathed in the disgusting smell of her for a brief moment before letting out a contented sigh.

"Oh, am I that predictable?" She purred, sliding towards the cage door, "If I say you're free to go, you're free to go." Her eyes narrowed, her teeth gritted in a sadistic grin.

"You're no longer worth our time," she said, "And what am I supposed to do? Kill you? Have the whole hero army rain down upon us because of the carcass of one little mangy mutt? Never. Not now." She would never let those disgusting heroes hurt her precious sun princes. NEVER. Never would hero claws or teeth end up hurting a hair on her babies' heads. "I know a mother's pain," she sighed, "I know how you felt seeing your tiny child on the ground of our pit. I don't apologize...but I pity you."

She pushed her paw towards the door but she didn't open it just yet. "I say what I mean. You're free to go."

Scar had always been a deadbeat dad. He tried to take the infant Nuka to the outskirts of the Pride Lands and leave him there to die of exposure. He allowed Zira to savagely beat his 'daughter' to a bloody pulp for running away to the Pride Lands. He disowned Kovu the second he found out the cub was not his. And he sired several bastard cubs by fucking just about every lioness in the Pride Lands - including his niece. 

So taking care of two newborn cubs was quite an experience for him.

Zira had an important errand to run, so she asked Scar to watch the cubs for a couple of hours. Well, Scar had better things to do than watch two lumpy 'potatoes', but he had already been slocked that morning for nicknaming their sons Hatimaye.*

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

About twenty minutes in, both Jua and Nyeupe began to cry. Scar guessed they were feeling peckish. But the cubs were way too young to eat meat, and Zira was not coming back anytime soon. So there was nothing Scar can do about it except offer moral support.

"Hmph. Good riddance. You two are fat anyway," Scar huffed, covering his ears.

---

* hatimaye = swahili for finally

Pity? The word didn't even register within the spaniel’s mind.

Lady stood before the door, feet spread, head raised, body seemingly rigid. Her heart had moved up to her throat and she released a bit of tension in her body as Zira spoke. The spaniel took a gentle step forward. Raising one delicate fore paw high and holding it folded before her. She was close enough to the cell door that she seemed posed to place the paw against the bars and push.

Where she had initially held herself as if ready to face whatever the Queen had in store for her, a hint of confusion could be read into her features. What brought on this sudden turn of events? After the events of the botched raid on the supply train, she had fully expected to be killed. Should she remain suspicious? Of course. But for now, the chance was too great to ignore.

“I don't need your pity, or your sorrow. They mean little to me.” She finally answered. Her voice cracking. “I regret nothing that I have done. Your kingdom will come crashing down around you one day. With or without this mutt.”

Lady closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She didn't feel anger, or really much fear. She was just exhausted.

Zira raised her claw to emphasize her speech before a familiar pair of wails entered her ears. "WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Oh for petes sake," she groaned, "Can't leave the cubs alone with their father for more than two seconds. But I'm sure you understand that feel, don't you Miss Lady?" She smiled, eyes narrowing darkly at the female before her. Matted and torn, smelly and dirt, Lady still was keeping her head up. Zira couldn't blame her. It was a stupid action she was taking but she couldn't blame her.

"One mother to another in this war," she said, "I understand how you'd let your heart guide you and all that absolute nonsense you heroes are spouting. I understand but I don't agree." She growled, turning his back to Lady as if she was giving a long speech to a listening crowd. "It's survival of the fittest in this war, Miss Lady. And if your pups aren't fit they won't surviv-SCAR! SHUT THOSE KIDS UP! I'M TALKING HERE!" She groaned, rubbing her temple.

"Well, as I said," she said, turning back to Lady, "You're free to go. But I'll walk you to the border. If you run, I'll have my hyenas rip your throat out before you take one speedy pawstep." She opened the cage door.

"Come. We can walk and talk. Mommy to Mommy."

Brown eyes widened and her maw slid open in realization. So that was what had happened. The queen had given birth. Had she really been imprisoned for that long? It did explain why Zira was practically glowing.

Lady quickly scampered through the door once it was opened. She lowered her head slightly and averted her gaze as she passed under Zira' reach. As if ready to deflect an attack should the lioness strike at her once she was out of the cell. One out from under the queen's shadow, the spaniel brought her head back up and rolled her shoulder blades. As if finally awakening from a deep slumber.

“It would seem you have a new litter. I suppose that explains why your army has been acting so pleased as of late.”

She began to walk alongside the Outlander queen. She seemed high strung, still keeping her head proudly held and her pace prim and proper. No matter what she would always be a little lady. No one could ever take that away from her. Still, a since of unease could be read in the way her eyes continued to dart across the landscape. Wincing slightly in the early morning sunrise. She wasn't sure where this would lead. While the queen claimed she didn't want to kill her due to the repercussions from Simba's Army; it seemed said repercussions where not valid enough to prevent her death should the cocker make a run for it.

“I hope for your cub's sake your mate is a better father then he is a leader. A true family is only as strong as it's weakest link. It may be survive of the fittest, but a lullaby of anger can only go so far.”

She kept talking, her voice steady and spoken with a slight edge to it. As if speaking with authority to one of her pups. Or telling the Tramp exactly how she felt about some matter of their life. Honest, but kindly. Even though the words she spoke dripped with cynicism.

“A family that stays together survives. I should know. My biggest failure was in allowing mine to fall to ruin. But even at the price of my life, such shall not come to pass. That is why I am strong. I am fueled by my love, and nothing is stronger then love.”

She was walking on thin ice for sure. But she was hoping the threat of action from Simba's army would keep her safe. It wasn't as if she was not speaking the truth. She loved her pups, all of them. Ones from her litter, and from others. Her promise to herself that she would give her life for their protection should it come to it still held true. To Lady, the love of a family was real strength.

Zira's walk was much slower than Lady's. Her long slender legs striding ever so gracefully next to the Spaniel's brisk walk. Her head was lowered as her ears soaked in all of Lady's speech. Her lecture more like it. She was amused, still floating high on the birth of her children. She chuckled low in her throat. Did this dog think that the mercy she was showing her came with the free pass to say whatever she liked? Apparently so. Zira tilted her head towards the younger female, ear flicking back slyly as she stepped gingerly at her side.

"Such elegant words from a common house mutt," she huffed, "But I suppose motherhood can transcend even the smallest and most common of hearts." She chuckled.

"I may not have been the best mother to my other children," she grumbled, "However, perhaps it takes another litter to fix our little mistakes, hm? Also I'm highly offended you didn't offer me your congratulations." Her last words were stretched and slithered out of her mouth.

"No, you're right," she admitted, "Nothing is stronger than love. I will indeed love those little kings until the ends of the earth. Come to think of it...so will you when you come to worship them as your kings." She didn't need to add that would be when she and Scar won the war and little Jua and Nyeupe would rule over the pridelands with an iron fist.

Lady's ears fell forward, and she lowered her head slightly. Averting her gaze from the lioness. She thought about Zira's comment about another litter to fix the mistakes. Casting her mind back to Cash, and the litter she had been prepared to raise alongside him. How each and every one of the pups were stillborn, and how the one survivor. Little Reba, had perished in the wilderness. What would life had become if things had been born differently. Would she now be raising her young alongside the hound dude?

She had made her peace over Reba's death. But the mistakes that had been made where something that would fallow Lady to her grave.

Still, she brought her gaze back up the lioness and raised one eyebrow, eyes narrowed and mouth cocked as if saying "Really?" when the lioness requested some sort of act expressing joy or acknowledgment to the birth of her princes. Lady almost wanted to say something about how giving birth was easy, it was raising them that would be hard. Anyone could go out and get pregnant. Lord knows between the Tramp and Cash, the cocker had no problem with that achievement.

She rolled her eyes and lowered her gaze again, focusing on the ground around them. Her iron collar clinking slightly against her shoulder blades. In fact, she could swear she could see a bit of rust on the device. Only when Zira insinuated how the newborns would one day be her king did Lady's ears perk and her eyebrows arch. She raised her head and wrinkled her maw. Before she knew it, her mouth was open and her thoughts where being made vocal.

"Does Scar love them for who they are?" Her words where spoken not in distaste, but in general curiosity. "Or because you think they will one day sit upon a throne?" 

"Does Scar love them for who they are? Or because you think they will one day sit upon a throne?"

She snorted. "You try so hard to make me hate my beloved," she hissed, "It will not work." Her ears flicked as she listened to the sliding of the collar and the clink-clink of the chain along her body. It was indeed delicious.

"The fact they will one day sit upon a throne is part of who they are," he huffed, "They're perfect. Perfect little angels." She almost sounded loving, sweet...albeit a little bit delusional as she padded along Lady's side. She smiled softly, red eyes fluttering in the darkness under her long lashes.

"Alas, you're a bit right," she purred, "Their father can be a bit of a handful. But I'm sure you know the feeling with that bastard Tramp of yours, hm? Tell me, how did you fall for a mutt of such low caliber? Weren't you concerned your children would be sub par?"

Lady almost stopped in her tracks, one paw on her chest and her mouth hanging open in silent astonishment. More at the lion's way of thinking then the words she spoke. She had seen some questioning from fellow house-pets about why she would let her purebred blood be tainted by a litter with a mongrel. But the simple explanation that she loved him and that it was what she wanted usually answered any questions. But Sub-par? She closed her mouth and shook her head, quickly setting herself back into motion and catching up with the lioness. Her second of stillness only having allowed Zira to lank her whole body length past the smaller cocker.

“I fell for him because of who he is. Sure he has rough edges, but that is all a part of his character...he dose not...hide...anything....”

Her words slowly drifted apart, and she averted her gaze. A year ago, she would have been able to spell out just all the things that made her Tramp wonderful. But the shadows of his mistakes still drew across the spaniel’s brain. Lady took a deep breath, then raised her head again before jumping ahead of the lioness so that she could walk simi-sideways and face Zira. Her voice strong and ridged, her words spoken almost as much for herself then for the Queen.

“No, I was never worried. No matter what problem arose, we worked together to solve it. Because that's what parents do. That was why I fell for him. Because I saw a wonderful man who was strong enough and dedicated enough that no matter what happened, be it his fault or another's, he would see fit to protect his family,” The ends of her mouth drifted up in a confident smirk. “Even if it means wrecking a train to protect one...tell me Queen Zira...does it still hurt where he struck you across the face with a coal scoop?”

(Lady is getting snarky! XD)

Zira paused in her march to the border. If Lady looked closely she'd see a break in the facade, a crack in the mask of diplomacy that she was showing Lady. Her lip curled and contorted, her eye twitched visibly. Every muscle in her body wanted to rise up and rip the face right off of the dog in front of her. However she just chuckled, swallowing her pride. She'd have the last laugh yet. That was for certain.

"A little," she admitted, "I must say...my pride is more bruised than my face..." She flashed a toothy grin as she stepped over Lady, making sure to hit the dog with her tail as she crossed over her. She was so much smaller than her. Zira wanted desperately to make Lady remember that.

"Your mutt-like husband would probably be terribly chewy anyway," the female coughed, "All...stringy and what not. Disgusting. Bleh." She snickered, shaking her body. "The queen was a terrible insult, I know. Look at this land. Disgusting. And this is where your so-called-king banished us too." She spotted a discarded antelope carcass and lept to it. She picked up the head behind the antlers and the skull, ripping it from the spine and holding the head towards Lady's face.

"How does that look to you? You think he's happy to die here?" She shook the thing and lifted her claw moving the mouth and hiking her voice up. "Save us, Lady! This could be your children!"

"Oh dear, mister antelope, that's so terribly rude," she said, returning to her voice. She tossed the thing to the side, laughing as she sucked the black blood from her fingers. Sadistic? Maybe. Zira wanted to give Lady pure nightmare fuel for when she returned to her husband and children.

The fur on the back of Lady's neck rose and she felt herself tense up at the sight of the not so subtle twitch that flashed across the queen's face. The spaniel took a step back. Bowing her head and lowering her body as the lioness stepped over her. She may have been small, but she was agile. The canine maneuvered her own paws so as to not at any one time impede the feline's passage. She turned her head and caught the side of Zira's tail across her little black nose.

She wrinkled her muzzle as the queen described consuming the Tramp. The little spaniel’s heart thundered in her chest, and an overwhelming feeling of dread washed through her tattered body. But the way Zira crackled on, the glee she seemed to obtain over taunting the canine. She made the cocker feel very small, and very frail. While her spirit may have been strong, there was no contesting that Zira could easily overpower her should it come to it. A fact that was being driven home.

"And you think that waging a useless war will end your banishment? You're no closer to winning then you...wh...ere..."

Suddenly, Lady felt her stomach churn as the lioness leaped over and plucked the head off a rotting antelope corpse and began...playing with it. Her words ending mid sentience. She watched, mouth agog and eyes wide at the spectacle, pulling her shaking body back as the corpse was shoved at her nose. The queen had always seemed a bit...off. But right now, she seemed to have reached a new level in crazy. The falsetto voice as the creature's dead lips where manipulated and the dark blood that had gathered on Zira's paws would be ingrained in the spaniel’s mind for some time to come. Words where literally ripped from her mouth and she struggled to find her voice. Her body involuntarily shivering.

They where close to the border. She could make a brake for it. But there was no way she could physically out maneuver the longer legged feline.

“You're crazy...” It came out more as a high pitched gasp then anything else. “You must be mad! Stark raving mad.”

“Just a bit.” She pulled up her paw, showing a small bit of air between her ‘fingers.’ She chuckled softly to herself, sucking one last bit of blood from her paws before starting off again. Oh she’s done her job. She’d spread fear through the spaniel. She hoped that the dog would run home and tell her Tramp and her pups they had to leave. For fear of the stalking queen of the outlands. How delightful, she mused to herself.

Finally, over the cracked hills and between heaps of bone, the lioness lead her prey-friend to the border. It was almost as if an entirely different artist had painted the picture. From cracked earth and ash to leaves and water. Zira smirked. That would be hers. One day it would be hers.

“Well, here ends our little…chat,” she purred, “How upsetting. Perhaps we can meet for tea in the future.” Her ear flicked to the wind. “I’d like you to remember why you were here…” Her voice took a violent curl. It was dripping, wet with poison, anger and blood.

“I’d like you to remember me…remember this broken land you tried so hard to KILL.”

In a swift movement, the female stuck her claw into Lady’s metal collar. She hooked the female and tugged her back, hugging the girl close to her chest. “I want you to remember what brought you to me in the first place…” She whispered into Lady’s ear.

Lady's paws scampered against the earth as she tried to dart away, but Zira's claws quickly had her by the collar, and the spaniel was yanked back with a resounding “gulk” Held back and hugged close to the lioness's chest, the cocker sat down on her hunches and held her forelegs splayed ridged. Fear spread through her canine form, and Lady couldn't help be shake slightly, a soft sort of whimper escaping her throat. She knew it would come to this. The idea of being let go scot free with no reproductions other then a “chat” was almost nill.

She didn't know what the queen's intentions where, only that they would not end well. The words whispered into her ear only served to heighten her fear. Zira's voice cut into her mind, the spaniel could feel the hatred, the poison, dripping from each syllable. She took a deep breath through her nose, attempting to settle her out of control heart rate. She swallowed hard, and held her head erect. Proud, mouth set firm across her muzzle. Whatever punishment Zira had in store for her, she was not going to give the lioness the pleasure of seeing her grovel.

Lady closed her eyes, choosing instead to imagine a scene long ago. Of Collette, Annette, and Danielle frolicking in the backyard while Scamp chasing butterflies through the garden. She chose this image to focus her mind on while whatever punishment Zira inflicted was executed. If she was indeed to be killed, or be harmed beyond recognition, she wanted this to be her last focus. She could feel the hint of a tear at the corner of one of her eyes.

“Do what you must. As long as you have darkness in your heart, you will never win. My love and my loyalty will always glow, and that's what brought me here.”

(I now open this thread to Cash and/or Tramp. If you guys feel like popping in and bearing witness to this.)