[AU Solo] Lion's Quest

[Lutz]

Rise to the Challenge stood at the mouth of the den, nose twitching as he breathed in the coming storm. This wasn't ideal for the task he and his companion were about to undertake, but they had little choice. The cub had to be retrieved tonight or there was no nope that it would survive another night with the hyenas.

"Moon," Rise called out as lightning flashed and thunder rolled over the savanna. The lion stood unflinching in the face of the storm as a lioness padded forward from the depths of the cave, her ears pinned back against her head, a look of apprehension on her face.

"Yes, Rise, I'm here," she said softly, not looking at her companion but out at the storm. It was bending the blades of grass in front of them and swirling the dead leaves in the den despite the clouds being miles off.

"We must move now," he said quietly, finally turning to look at his more meek companion. "It's the last day of the bargain, if we don't retrieve the cub-"

"She'll die," Hang the Moon said quietly but resolutely. Though she looked nervous about the storm there was a determination in her eyes. "I understand. We can go."

The storm proved to be worse than either of the lions anticipated. The ground was muddy, almost to the point of impassibility, and as they neared the hyena's territory they were both dark brown from the wet earth. The fierce storm helped them as much as it impeded them, though, and Rise was thankful for the natural cover. The wind was keeping their scents from blowing to the enemy and the mud was helping to cover their unnatural blue coats, helping them blend in. They made it to the edge of the hyena's territory with little issue, other than being soaking wet and covered in mud.

"She's there," Moon said, hearing the soft cries of the cub coming from a ditch not far from where they were. "Why would they leave her unguarded?"

"Because they are cocky," Rise growled, his claws digging into the mud. "They don't think any of us lions have the courage to come into their home. They think they have us where they want us. We must move quickly," he added, sliding down a ledge into the ditch. Before Moon could say or do anything, he was climbing back out with the cub in his teeth by the scruff of her neck. She was thin and weak, so much so that she barely protested the act.

"Quickly," Moon said, just as a brilliant strike of lightning hit the ground before them. Despite the rain, the grasses and bushes blazed to life in a terrible fire which quickly began to spread through the dead vegetation.

"Quickly!" Moon repeated, her voice terrified as the heat from the blaze made her close her eyes. Rise ran forward, trying to outrun the spreading blaze, and Moon followed as best she could. The lions managed to get around the fire just as the yips and laughs of the hyenas began to reach their ears, finding their hostage was not where they'd left her.

"The fire will cover our tracks!" Moon said with relief as they ran, leaving the hyenas and the blaze behind them. Rise gave a grunt of acknowledgement, relief rushing through him as they ran. They'd done it. It had been harrowing but they'd done it.