“Good morning Nombuso, Awiki.” The strut of a growing male lion was one of leggy awkwardness and clumsy footing, yet Ukhozi’s mental image of the stride would beg to differ. He’d likely compare it to that of his father’s! Like a real Umholi! And would meander puffed up and pleased with himself throughout the busy pride.
“Who is it, Awiki? Tell them I’m busy!” The elder lioness muttered from the back end of a sedimentary boulder. Lounging before him, and simultaneously in the shade of their post, was the Busisa Awiki. Her bright blues had since followed the boy’s path leading up to his arrival, and were hooded as they met with his orange gaze.
“…It's Ukhozi!” She said through a smile, feigning surprise.
“Ukhozi? The squawker?” Nombuso sounded peaked with interest, and looked quickly around the corner before shuffling to stand at the younger lionesses side. "Ahh, yes. And so it is. "
To this, Awiki hiked a single peach brow and looked to the young male expectantly. Her ear would twitch to find the Umzingeli before rotating forward, while the thump of her tail rhythmically against the ground began to sound off in the absence of words spoken.
In a moment’s frustration his groan came unexpectedly, and was far louder than he would have liked. The pair of lionesses looked equally surprised, but did not share similarities in their expresson of it, and because of this Ukhozi exchanged wide-eyed and fearful looks between the two. “I--I...”
Awiki was the first to acknowledge, looking down her snout at the male while the curve of her lip suggested she might have humored him more then she was letting on.
Nombuso was less then enthused, and naturally more vocal about it. “He certainly is the son of Ulaka.” She returned his dodgy glances with a squint.
Ukhozi scrunched his features and let his tail slash to one side in tempo with Awiki’s beat. He sensed the passive aggression, but was thrown by it immediately. What looked to be a chivalrous gearing up turned quickly into a solid confirmation of facts. “Yes I am.”
He was a smart kid, just not a genius. Unlike his mother, and perhaps the majority of his siblings, he had yet to master the recognition of insinuation; and for that matter the difference between a truth and a mockery.
"The pride is readying for a hunt." Awiki chimed in quickly, breaking up the tension. "Soon you will be asked to join them. Are you prepared?" She spent little time with the cubs, and often wondered what their thoughts were on being out with the rest of the pride... before they were old enough to actually experience it, that is.
"Awiki, he is far too young for that." Nombuso interjected, a back-handed response from the Umzingeli whose intentions were, in truth, very pure. Brutal, but pure.
The peach lioness seemed unfazed by the forwardness of the other lioness, and went on after a respectful pause. "As a son of the Umholi, you must know how to fend for your own someday. It is never too early to learn how." Her head turned then to face the Umzingeli, whose own features seemed to soften some in a sigh. Words of wisdom. She taught the Busisa well.
Meanwhile, Ukhozi did what he could to follow along. The male wasn't known for any thrill seeking tendencies, but couldn't deny himself the cub-like curiosity when overhearing talk of a training ground with foreigners. And having sought out the pair of lionesses specifically to ask for their escort, he had only been paying half attention and completely missed Awiki's question. When the moment arrived that the lionesses were silent, he was quick to seize it.
"Since the others will be away on a hunt, I was wondering if we could go to the outpost." His tail whipped in the other direction, while Awiki's stopped dead against the ground.
The Busisa was out of philosophy to dish out, and looked to Nombuso to provide the answer.
And she was happy to oblige. "And what does your mother think of this?" Her tone was firm and her eyes dared him to lie.
Fortunately, lying was also not one of his known habits. Deflection, however... "I just want to see it. I hear the red lions get bigger the closer you get!" He couldn't shake the nerves that shot his ears back, but fought the quake in his knees as best he could.
The Umzingeli laughed, which in the moment seemed to be a rare and welcomed gesture. Ukhozi knew enough of the elder lioness from talk overheard, but had met with her on few occasions. He took this as a good sign.
Ultimately, however, it wasn't.
Nombuso rose shakily to her feet, stretching in the process, before stepping toward the male. She was barely smiling, but her eyes were pinched some at their ends so it was likely in true form. Awiki watched from her place near the rock, the sun gradually rising and thus drawing its shadow nearer to her stretched out form.
Once close enough to Ukhozi that the gray hairs of her maw could be all but counted individually, Nombuso replied in a whisper. "Once you have permission to go, I'm sure Awiki will gladly take to you see the barbaric red-pelts." Because she herself had no interest in going near the outpost. Nombuso would then lift her head high and finish with, "Until then, you ought not stray too far from your sitter." Before winking, and taking off at an easy pace to meet with the rest of the hunting party.
Ukhozi, obviously distraught, watched Nombuso leave for but a milli-second before turning his sights onto the remaining lioness. Awiki had already found her footing and was in the middle of shaking off debris when the adolescent loped toward her, eyes large and pleading.
"I just want to see it! We don't have to stay long!"
The Busisa hesitated to reply, looking off in the direction her companion had ventured before returning to Ukhozi. "Why not just ask your mother?"
"I don't know..." He muttered, shifting his paws against the soil. "I just thought of it today..."
"You should ask her. Maybe she will take you herself. Wouldn't you like that?" Awiki was growing increasingly less wise and more awkward, which was often the case when not in the company of Nombuso. This also led to faster speech, and typically things said that shouldn't be. He nodded and the peach lioness, quite satisfied with that, began to stride past him.
But then he sighed. A long, disappointed breath that forced the Busisa's ears to flatten against her skull. Damn cubs. Damn them.
"Look." She shot over her shoulder a bit rougher then intended, and after exhaling a sharp breath herself. She knew of Ulaka. She knew just how proud the mother was of her children. And she certainly didn't want to step on the other Busisa's toes... but... "...Perhaps we can arrange something... Sometime... in the future I guess. When the others have gone off for the hunt." Her head dipped some, a weak grin revealing her canines. "It could kind of, sort of, be a... secret. I'll find you when the time is right."
And with that Awiki was off down the trail Nombuso had paved, leaving the thrilled adolescent to fumble over his 'Umholi' gallop, racing to catch up.
(1241 wc)