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Total: 6 pts
Shan Furen's name was that which Iaana'damu aspired to live up to. She knew in her heart that as a lion she would never be in the Goddess' good graces. It simply wasn't meant to be. However, if she could prove her merit by showing just how strong her bloodline was despite all of the hardships it face, surely she would bless it once again.
And then they would be cheetahs once more.
It was all Iaana dreamed of. The day when she would birth a cheeton capable of creating a pure blood cheetah that would wipe away their past sins. Had her grandmother still been alive Iaana might have strangled the female herself, but the Goddess had taken her before she'd had the chance.
These days Iaana spend her time meandering the hunting grounds for pelts. They were the easiest way to prove she had value, and the merchant she went to had been kinder to her than most. He wasn't outright receptive, but he hadn't turned her away, either. Shan Furen had created the leopards, and so they were her chosen followers, but beside her had been a cheetah. One day her line would not be snubbed; no, they would have their seat of decency once more.
A few other Servants had asked to assist her, but she had turned them away with a few vulgar phrases. What did she look like, a charity case? And if they wanted hand outs to save their own skins, then they had come to the wrong lioness! Iaana'damu snorted as she dug through the thick terrain, searching until she found a pelt. Jackals, jackals, and more ******** jackals. Would the Goddess never show her favor?
All she wished for was the pelt among all pelts. One of those b*****d hyenas, dead in the snow, with a fat hide that she could take back. They would all smile then. Of course it wouldn't be cause for a huge celebration, given her status, but at least they would smile.
She shifted her paws through a few brush piles and came across a few more jackal pelts. Some had passed and others she killed herself. It didn't matter as much now that she had the things; no one was stopping her from killing them to serve the pride. The Queen had asked for assistance, and Iaana'damu was far from squeamish. Let the Nobles and the Ladies in Waiting worry about touching dead creatures. It was her job to remove that element form their minds, and to make sure they had the best of everything.
Umsindisi watched over her as she hunted. The great mountain held more mysteries than she was ever to truly know, and the thought pleased her greatly. It would be something to tell her children, and grand-children. Maybe someday they would know, and it would all be thanks to the efforts she made this day. That thought warmed her as she worked. After the pelts had been collected Iaana'damu placed them over her back, and made her way back to the merchant.
A more selfish side of her also wished for a warm meal to come out of this. A truly large, chunky piece of meat and a warmer place to sleep. As it stood, she really couldn't complain about her living situation, but a treat now and again wouldn't be amiss.
When she returned to the merchant she was a little more than dismayed to see that he had been replaced with a surly leopardess. The merchant looked over her critically, and frowned. "Alright, hand 'em over and get on your way."
Iaana'damu wasn't convinced. "So you can claim them as yours again? You haven't hunted in years, Wynne."
The leopardess gasped and hand a paw over her mouth. "You dare to talk back to me, wretch? When you stand there, sharing the blood of the usurper?" She made sure her voice was loud enough for the others to hear before leaning in to whisper quietly, "If you don't keep your damn mouth shut, Iaana, I can guarantee you'll lose more than pelts today."
Not wishing to cause more damage for herself than she already had, Iaana'damu begrudgingly laid her pelts out for the "merchant" to "fairly" assess. When they were deemed unfit to turn in, she sent Iaana on her way, but the lioness knew. She could see the way Wynne stashed them back for later. At some point in the next few days the old b***h would turn them in for herself, and claim the glory.
Wynne was the only one of respectable birth that Iaana'damu chose to be rude to. And that was only because they were related by marriage. Not only had her grandmother slept with lions, but she had a legitimate leopard mate. Her mate had a single child from a first wife before she passed, and they had been fully grown by the time he "settled" with Iaana's grandmother. Wynne being that very cub. She was beyond lucky to have been born as she was, but was too blind to see her blessings.
She was smart enough to keep her tongue in check. Iaan'damu wanted nothing more than to lash out at her "Aunt", to reclaim the glory of her hunt, but she was not a stupid Servant. Her scars had taught her invaluable lessons; lessons that would not soon be forgotten. Some day in the near future Shan Furen would take back her blessing from Wynne, and catch her in the act of sleeping with her own Servant. Wynne was elderly, had lived through her own mate, but wasn't beyond cub bearing years. Something the crass leopard seemed to forget all too easily.
What a scandal that would be. Old widow impregnated after years of 'celibacy'. And leopons on top of that? Iaana'damu couldn't wait for the day.
As she moved back to the hunting grounds she noticed a few pair of eyes staring at her. Then she heard the whispers. No doubt what little of a reputation she had managed to scrounge up would now be ruined thanks to her Aunt's outburst. It didn't enrage her like it should have; rather, she felt undeniable sadness. What had her family been reduced to? When one branch was in Servitude and the other was so heartless?
Save us, Shan Furen. Save us soon.
(WC: 1064)