[PRP] When the Sky Falls pt.1 (Ban'ma/Mel'Tamu/Tahj)

[Painted Moose]

It was with the rising of the sun that Ban'ma found herself awaiting her companion. She'd know of the lioness for some time, had watched her learn and grow, much like the others of her station. The delicate lioness rose her wisened eyes to the skies above. What a glorious day it was, and yet, she couldn't find a reason to smile.

She wasn't depressed; or at least, that's what she kept telling herself. Her standing with Achal was good, as she'd been strengthening it since Tsubame's passing. He needed her, even if he didn't say it sometimes, and she needed him just the same. In the eyes of her peers, it had only been a matter of time until he named her Beybanu, but when the time came she had taken it with a frown, not a smile. Her place had never been at the lead. It was Tsubame who held his favor, Tsubame who lead the family, and without her...

Ban'ma stepped around to place her paws upon a stone, and stretched. "Stop your worrying," she told herself, her voice ending on a yawn. Early mornings had never been her forte. "You'll scare off the prey."  

[Mogami]

Was she late? Perhaps she was. Mel saw the other lioness in the distance and wished she could hurry to meet her but a quick glance to the her side told her the little cub walking merrily next to her with his little head held high would not be able to keep up with an increase in speed at that point. Normally, being late would be a terribly rude gesture on her part and Mel would feel mortified to do it to another Beybanu no less. Still, that one look at her son’s happy face, one of the two boys from her very first litter, was enough to fill her with pride and ease.

“My apologies, Beybanu Ban’ma.” The brown lioness said with an apologetic smile as they drew closer to the striped lioness. “My son wished to join us and I underestimated the time it would take us to get us here. Tahj…?” The day when she would expect her son to speak first was soon approaching but for now Mel still considered her boys too young to take on those responsibilities just yet.

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The young cub followed his mother happily, utterly delighted that she’d agreed to bring him on this hunt. It was the first time he’d been so far away from the densely populated areas of the pride. Spending a little time alone with his mother was rather nice as well. His brother and sister were going to be so jealous!

“Good morning, beybanu Ban’ma. I’m Pesar Tahj.” He introduced himself politely, visibly restraining himself so as not to look too pleased and excited.  

[Painted Moose]

Ban'ma had certainly expected to see the familiar form of Mel'Tamu in the morning light, but not the young Pesar at her paw. Still, when the newly appointed Beybanu padded to meet the two she was all smiles. "Oh please, call me Ban'ma, and don't appologize. Who better to watch out for us than such a strong, handsome Pesar?" She looked at Tahj and chuckled. The boy already had more manners than her own sons when they had been old enough for Banu of their own! "It's a pleasure to meet you, Pesar Tahj."

Turning her attention back to the younger lioness, Ban'ma tilted her head to the hunting grounds, not bothering to hide her excitement. "Shall we go? My daughter told me that a herd had moved in, though she didn't say what kind." She laughed. "Meats meat, though, right?"

Mogami

 

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Despite knowing that he wasn’t quite big or strong enough to look after two adult banu just yet, Tahj beamed proudly. He sat down and then quickly stood up again, eager to begin his first real hunt adventure.

“I hope it’s something big.” Like a zebra! Or a buffalo! Oh, he’d love to see one of those massive creatures being taken down by his mother and wished that there was something he could do to help. Mel had told him he would have to be very quiet and still for a good while but he wasn’t bothered by it. Boredom was a small price to pay to be the first one of his siblings to see a real, live hunt.

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One might think it impossible but Mel’Tamu glowed with even more pride when her son was complimented. She quite liked Ban’ma. Achal was known for being a good and kind Pad who hadn’t deserved the terrible loss he and his harem had gone through. Achal wasn’t related by blood to anyone in the pride apart from his own children and some of his sons weren’t really that old. Perhaps she should consider arranging a match between their families.

“Anything would be fine.” She agreed with the other beybanu but laughed when her son spoke again. “We wouldn’t be able to carry something too big back alone without help, Tahj. Let’s go. Quietly now.”  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

"I'll have to agree with your mother on this one," Ban'ma laughed. What an ambitious young Pesar! "I'm not the strongest lioness in the pride, and I would hate to have your mother carry such a heavy burden." Wouldn't that have been something to see, though? A little Pesar leading two Beybanu, each supporting pieces of some massive beast.

Achal would laugh for days.

The further they walked, the quieter the striped lioness became. She found a little spot near a shaded bush to lay her wrap and head piece, two such items that she was never usually seen without. They had been gifts from Achal, and she suspected had been influenced by Tsubame, long before her passing.

Little tremors rattled tones near her paws, and a shockwave of awareness raced up her spine. Ban'ma look to Mel'Tamu. "The herds on the move." But which way...?  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Mel joined Ban’ma and removed her bracelets near the bush, adding her necklace to the pile shortly after. She decided to keep her earring as it was too troublesome to remove on the spot and then followed after the other Beybanu.

“Something must’ve spooked them. A small predator, perhaps.” The brown lioness replied. “Once we have eyes on them, I can cut them off and move them your way.” She looked down at her son and spoke seriously. “You will need to be very quiet, Tahj. You must stay exactly where I tell you and you can’t move from there, do you understand?”

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Tahj watched curiously as his mother removed some of her usual trinkets and nodded firmly when she spoke to him.

“I understand.” He said with a very serious expression, following after his mother for a few steps before he turned to the other lioness. He whispered, already prepared to take his role as the quiet observer. “I don’t see anything. Where are they? Can you see them, Beybanu Ban’ma?”  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

"Or another hunting party." Who else would have been aware of this herd? Ban'ma turned her head to listen, but when no accompanying sounds answered her questions, she merely shook her head. "There's a small embankment on the South end. I'll move to that area, since it will be easier to keep the herd together moving down hill." And they would also be able to keep more of the weaker ones in line.

Looking down at the small Pesar, Ban'ma smiled and nodded. "Just glimpses. They're very large, and they won't remain hidden for long. I'm sure you're mother will place you somewhere safe, where you can watch the whole thing." After straightening, she nodded to her fellow Beybanu and made her way to the sloping back, as quiet and low as she possibly could.

The land was drier than she remembered it being, which would only make the herd move faster. Timing would be everything in today's hunt.  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

I'm guessing "the shape" is either a pregnant wildebeest or a bull who don't have the patience for lion shenanigans.

“Agreed.” Mel replied to the other beybanu’s plan before giving her son a quick nuzzle as she pointed to a small rock formation with her chin.

“You can sit there and stay very still. If anything comes your way, just hide behind it.” The thought of leaving the cub alone was starting to make her slightly nervous but she stepped away from Tahj anyway. “If you need help, call for me but don’t run away. Just stick to the rock, alright?” Once she’d received a quick nod, the brown lion smiled proudly and walked away, lowering her body to a crouch almost instantly.

She started circling the herd carefully, first being guided by their sounds alone until she finally could see the entire herd. It was large, mostly consisting of wildebeest though there were a few zebras mixed in with the rest. Mel didn’t like zebras. From her experience, they always seemed to be the first to raise the alarm and they weren’t that easy to take down either. She could see Ban’ma moving into position undetected and when she felt the timing was right, she rose from her position and starting moving towards the herd quickly. It seemed like a success. Over the infernal noise of frightened beasts that were moving in Ban’ma direction, Mel failed to notice a large shape rising from the tall grasses behind her. Nor did she notice that same shape suddenly making a run for her.

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Tahj nodded at Ban’ma and then his mother, his barely restrained excitement quite obvious now. He jumped to the rock and sat down obediently, trembling a little. He could barely believe that he was about to witness a real hunt! He grew even more excited when the two lionesses moved into position and he lifted his head as much as he could so that he could see the moving herd. As Mel showed herself to the beasts and lead them towards the other beybanu, Tahj growled nervously under his breath. It was difficult to see his mother now that she was moving at the tail of the herd when some of the slower animals were left behind or swerved away from her path. There was one, however, that moved in a very different direction… towards… his mother?

“Mom…?” Tahj whispered, eyes filled with worry. Something felt wrong but this was his first hunt and he didn’t quite know what to expect. Maybe that was normal... maybe.  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

Ban'ma looked over her shoulder with a smile. While she couldn't hear what was being said between the pair at this distance, she could clearly see the concern on Mel's face. It reminded her so much of Tsubame that an ache developed in her chest. She hoped that somewhere, out there in the vast space and stars, that she was happy. She deserved that much.

Dipping down into a natural crevice, Ban'ma awaited the arrival of the herd. She had long since gotten over her fear of public outcry over her methods, and had resolved to do the best she could as a declawed lioness. If Mel made fun of her, well...She highly doubted the lioness would, at least, in front of her face, which just meant she needed to keep it as unseen as possible.

The herd was on the move. Her paws shook with the earth as a great mound of Wildebeest became visible, with what looked like Zebra thrown into the mix. When she felt the timing was right, she would- Bright eyes found Mel, and behind her, the large bull. She didn't waste time panicking, or even trying to hide her presence. All Ban'ma could think about was how dangerously close that bull was coming to the young mother, and how very slow her paws felt, even though she was practically flying across the ground.

She roared to frighten it off, which only served in causing the bull to bellow and attempt a charge at Mel. Seeing her mistake, the Beybanu placed herself between the two, fully intending to clasp her fangs on it's great snout when she was gored; one horn sliding into place through her shoulder and the other into her chest.  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Everything seemed to be going well up to the point when Ban’ma came into view and began startling some of the wildebeest closest to her. Honestly, what was she thinking?! Mel had heard that the beybanu wasn’t particularly good at hunting but this was ridiculous. Why would she come running in Mel’s direction of a sudden, so fast that it almost seemed as though she had wings? As Ban’ma roared and a terrifying sound answered RIGHT BEHIND HER, Mel turned and backed away in one fluid motion just as Ban’ma rushed to protect her. Her first thought went out to her son.

“TAHJ, STAY WHERE YOU ARE!” She shouted over the deafening noise when she realized the cub was about to leave his safe spot. When she looked back at the scene before her, the worst had already happened. “BAN’MA!”

The brown lioness jumped at the bull’s lowered neck and tried to topple him over which only caused the beast to flail frantically. Its blood and Ban’ma’s mixed and the gruesome sight only got worse as predators and prey (hard to see which was who at this point) fought for survival.

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No. It was clearly not how the hunt was supposed to have gone. For Ban’ma to suddenly make a run for his mother meant that something was horribly wrong. When the bull got so close to Mel that the worst seemed to be inevitable, the cub started moving to the edge of the rock. It was dangerous and he would probably be trampled by the frightened herd before he even managed to reach Mel but his instincts told him he had to get as close to his mother as possible. His mother’s command froze him place and the cub looked up fearfully just as Ban’ma was pierced. Despite the distance, he saw it. And his body went cold.
 

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

I really never thought about how this was going to scar that poor boy!

When she felt the horns pull out of her flesh, Ban'ma's body sunk to the ground with a sickening thud. Somewhere within her mind she was screaming in white hot agony as blood coated her fur, and the surrounding terrain. The larger part was too numb to care. She barely heard to Mel's voice over the bull, who was still so very close to her, until it tried to trample her, and changed course at the last second.

Tahj.

Was he alright? She needed to get to him, she just had to. Even as she watched the bull was losing too much blood to be able to stand for much longer, and Mel had a better hold on it than she could ever have. That boy, he needed her; needed someone...

Ban'ma attempted to rise to her feet, and felt her body contract as a fresh wave of blood came from her. She stumbled, only able to use three legs, though she couldn't figure out why, and before she fell once more she was able to make eye contact with the little Pesar.

 

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Me neither actually… o.o
I only thought about Azhar…

The bull was bleeding but its wound was but a scratch in the grand scheme of things. The beast wasn’t stopping and it wasn’t easing up. Mel was thrown to the ground and watched in fear as the bull lowered its head to impale her. One well-aimed paw struck its head across the eyes and the beast groaned in pain and finally backed away, thrashing dangerously in furious circles. She spared only a quick glance at her son this time and encoraged by the fact the the little Pesar was still safe, she felt some of her usual confidence returning to her. Mel moved towards the other beybanu, hoping the blood around her was mostly the bull’s but knowing that it was probably not the case.

“Ban’ma. Ban’ma.” The brown lioness called softly. She didn’t know what to say. She wouldn’t dare to ask if the lioness was alright.

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Tahj was shaking as if he’d just immerged from a frozen lake. His mother’s fight with the huge beast was terrifying and for a moment there he was certain she was also going to be injured. Even as things seemed to be going better and his mother reached the fallen beybanu, Tahj’s heart kept racing as if he had just ran for his life. Ban’ma eyes seemed to pierce him even from the considerable distance and the cub breathed deeply, finding both comfort and a silent scolding in the blue gaze.

It’s alright, little one. It’s okay. Everything is fine now. Pull yourself together. You’re a Pesar of the Ukuucha’Wafalme.

That’s what he heard as if his mother’s voice was speaking directly to his mind in her usual calm and collected way and he remained in place until told otherwise, his mind strangely blank as he met the pale beybanu’s eyes firmly.  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

So much mental scarring!

Ban'ma's breathing came out in labored huffs, and tiredly she turned her head to Mel. "You're...alright?" She coughed, and the sound was as wet and painful as the wounds she bore. When she turned back to face the other Beybanu her lips were stained red. "I don't...I don't think I can walk. You should get Tahj out of here...and please, get help."

Her fall had reactivated her senses, and the pain was enough to make her moan and hiss, despite her efforts not to. She couldn't walk her own, and Mel wouldn't be able to carry her all the way back by herself. Achal. Yes, Achal! Achal would be good, but then, so would anyone. Anyone to help stop the pain...  

[Mogami]

Painted Moose

Omg, I know!

Mel was glad for the older beybanu’s clear words of guidance in a moment where she had been dangerously close to panicking. Ban’ma was right. Tahj. She lifted her head and let out the loudest, most desperate roar she could muster.

“At least one of the Pads is bound to have heard it. I’ll come back with help right away.” She eyed the other lioness for a brief moment, fighting to keep her voice composed. “Ban’ma… don’t close your eyes.”

And with that she was off , running towards his son and picking him up by the scruff without a word before she sprinted towards the heart of the pride.

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A small sound like a whimpering sigh escaped the young lion when his mother cried out in the most disconcerting way he’d ever heard. Tahj kept his ears pinned back as he was grabbed and spoke in a very small voice.

“Is she going to be okay?” he dared do ask, feeling even more troubled when his mother didn’t answer. The young Pesar shut down and remained quiet after that.  

[Painted Moose]

Mogami

Despite herself, Ban'ma closed her eyes at hearing Mel's cry, and found it harder to open them. She took as deep a breath as she could manage, and nodded. "Be careful," Even now, Ban'ma was a mother first, and since Mel was indeed younger than herself, she couldn't help wondering if this was the kind of lioness her daughters would become. If it was, then the family would be blessed.

Instead of arguing the point, or saying anything to further distress the other Beybanu, she just nodded. "I'll try not to."

She watched with baited breath as Mel gathered Tahj and bolted. She wanted to scream for her to come back; not to leave her alone. She hated being alone, but she needed help and Tahj....he couldn't see this.

Despite her orders, Ban'ma found her eyes drooping, and with a determined grit, she started to hum a familiar song. It was one sung to all cubs when they were young, about a fair Sultana and her handsome Sultan.

It was the only thing that would keep her going until help arrived, if ever would...

Fin!