EBC: To Play or to Cause Mischief...

    Zamirra bounced out of the nursery early during the day so that she could see of the patrols leave before she looked around the camp to see who was left here. The Empire leader Avita padded from the nursery, her belly round with unborn cubs; Valon emerged from the Gladiators den and hurried over to his mate with a ready smile for her; and Kestrel followed him out, a little slower, and paused outside to stretch. Zami glanced from Valon and Avita to Kestrel and back before she turned her paws towards the caracle, bouncing over to him with a little smile. "Hi!" she said when she was close enough.
    He turned and met her yellow eyes with his bright blue ones. He offered her a small smile and turned to face her, sitting down. "Hello, Zamirra, right? You are up early."
    Zami smiled and nodded. "I wanted to watch the patrols leave!" she told him with a wave of her tail stump. "You're going to be watching us cubs today right?"
    "Yes I am. Do you have any plans for today?"
    "Well, I'm gonna--" she broke off as she heard soft pawsteps in the grass and she turned to see Arisu emerging from the nursery entrance, looking bleary eyed and ruffled from sleep. "ARISSSUUUU!!!!!" she squeaked, dashing at her adopted sister, tackling her to the ground and grinning down at her. "Good morning!"
    Arisu let out a startled squeak as she was hit, and Avita had to step quickly out of the way of the two flying cubs. After a moment Arisu smiled, a little tentatively and said, "Good morning."
    Zami let the other lion cub rise to her paws and did a little spin. "Today is gonna be so fun!" she said with a delighted bounce. "It doesn't get much better than being watched by the leader," she said with a bit of awe in her voice.
    Arisu smiled and nodded agreement, and Zami gave her a nudge.
    "We should go talk to her!" Arisu became visibly nervous and she shook her head. "Oh come on! It'll be fun!" she said before tottering over to the servel. "Hi miss Avita!" she squeaked brightly.
    The leader turned to her with a smile. "Hello little one. Did you need something?" she asked in a motherly tone that soothed Zami a little.
    She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Is it hard to be a leader?"
    Avita looked a little surprised for a second before she composed herself and gave a soft smile. "Sometimes. But it can be very fulfilling too," she told the little cub.
    Zami opened her mouth to ask another question before she felt a soft tug on her tail and turned to see Arisu. She looked back at Avita and said, "I'll be back," before scampering away with Arisu. "What is it? Do you wanna play a game?"
    Arisu laughed a little. "Maybe after I eat. Do you want something?"
    Zami shook her head no. "I'm okay for now. I'm gonna see if the others are awake yet," she said, turning and padding into the nursery. It was warm, and the rock walls felt sheltering and safe. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed a shape in one of the nests moving, and she crouched. As the shape started to rise from the nest Zami leaped, tackling her second victim today. She looked down and saw Lefki and she giggled. "I caught a lynx!" she said with a smile and a snicker.
    "You're done for now!" Lefki said with a laugh, and Zami scrambled away from him, dashing out of the den with him hard on her heels. She ran a lap around Avita's den before she tripped over her paws and rolled through the dirt. Lefki pinned her with a triumphant laugh. "What does it say when a lynx catches a lion?" he asked.
    "The lion let herself get caught!" she retorted, although she couldn't break free.
    Lefki snorted. "In your dreams maybe!" Zami flailed her paws around but to no avail, and she eventually admitted defeat. Lefki stepped away from her and she rose to her paws. The rest of the cubs were awake now and gathered around the three older cats. Lefki and Zami joined them just as Arisu sat down, licking her lips.
    "Okay, it's time to play a game!" Avita announced
    "What game would you all like to play?" Valon asked.
    A chorus of voices started and he had to raise his tail for silence. "One at a time," he laughed.
    They went around the group, and ended up with the most votes for Gladiators and Hunters. Kestrel went around and numbered them in twos. Ones were Gladiators and twos were Hunters. Valon and Avita moved to sit near the entrance to the nursery while Kestrel ushered the "Hunters" over to one area of the camp and got them to start counting while he dashed back to the "Gladiators". "Okay, you guys hide," he whispered. If you get found you have to try and run to the safe zone which is the nursery. If you get caught you are out, and you're a Hunter next game, okay?" When all four of them; Zami, Finneas, Iole, and Arisu, nodded understanding he gestured with his tail and they all dashed off in different directions. "No hiding in the Blacksmith or Healers dens!" he called after them before going back to the "Hunters" again.
    Zami dashed over to the tree near the entrance surrounded by big rocks and bushes. She squeezed herself between two rocks and crouched down, trying to keep herself from bouncing. She wasn't sure how long she hid, but she heard squeals and the patter of paws running across the camp and knew the game had begun. She heard a sniffing noise and backed up closer to her exit, her eyes wide. A black nose poked through the bush and Zami leaped over the cat, Kreios, with a cry of delight, landing on his back for a second before bouncing off of it, and racing for Avita and Valon sitting outside the safe zone. She ran as fast as she could, but she heard the thundering paws of the older cat catching up to her, and she was soon tackled, the two cats sending up a cloud of dust as the skidded across the earth.
    Zami giggled, pushing at Kreios's chest with her paws. "Get off you big furball," she said teasingly, rolling to her paws. "I'll find you next round," she promised with a mock threat, her eyes shinning with joy before she padded over to wait for the other cubs to be found.