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 Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 11:22 am
There was nothing special or out of the ordinary today. It was like always, the sun rose and Ylva woke. The hyena usually spent most of her time alone, away from most others. It was how she liked it. Nice and quiet. At least thats what she kept telling her self trying to fool her mind into believing the lie.
She strolled through the tall grass plains, in no hurry. She'd get to the creek when she got there. Thats how Ylva tended to be, taking things at her own pace. The hyena had never heard the catch phrase, 'slow and steady wins the race', but shed probably disagree. Slow and steady was just more scenic and peaceful with out the worry of being the best and making it there before anyone else. The hyena could care less.
Something sweet smelling filled the air. Blood. Was something hurt or dying or dead? Ylva turned her route towards the direction of the smell. What ever was behind that smell she would find, and possibly eat.
The smell got thicker and thicker as Ylva approached. Yup, what ever was emitting that stench had to be dead, and fresh. She was right too judging from the vultures that hung over head.
And there it was, a perfectly dead half feasted zebra. Full grown and ready to be eaten. Ylva approached.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 1:32 pm
 Today meant everything to Asadaki... because it meant that he was still breathing when he opened his eyes. His whole body ached from the jump, and from where his body had been smashed up against the rocks from the river. He was alive. Gods, why was he still alive? He just wanted to be dead and gone... anything, he would have given anything if he didn't have to breathe anymore. And every gasp for air hurt.
He slowly opened his eyes. He could feel the water lapping at his sides where he had been washed onto the shore. He didn't even think he would survive the fall when he had lept towards his death. But there he was... and the words still rung in his ears from what had happened only the day before. Maybe even a few hours. He didn't know how long he had been out. He didn't want to know.
"You're so much better than your sister, Asa..." Asa very nearly broke down when those words managed to sneak their way into his brain. Kavu. Still alive. Still out there. And there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't strong enough. He had lost everything just because he had met one person. "Everyone's dead because of you Asa. Everyone you know, everyone you care about... dead and gone because you're so damn selfish."
"Damn you Kavu..." He whispered under his breath, trying to gather himself, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even stand. He was too weak, just too damn weak... He couldn't protect his sister. He couldn't protect his pack. His misjudgements had lost him everything he had ever cared about. His sister... "Oh Biku I'm sorry..." He let his head fall forward into the sand. "I'm so sorry..."
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 1:55 pm
Ylva was right there about to take a bite when she heard something. Other scavengers possibly. No, it was to far away and to faint. Ylva shrugged and took a bite of the zebra. If she had been a more curious soul, she'd have gone to see what the sound was right away, but she wasn't and she really didn't give a damn who or what it was.
That was until she smelt it. Wet, hyena. Yick, that scent was enough to make her stop eating. Wet animal in general was not pleasant but she hated the scent of other hyena's more than anything. Ylva spit out what she was chewing. The hyena had lost her hunger and was now irritated.
The dominate female hyena went to go do what any other dominate female would have done. Stalk off after to find the source of her distaste and b***h at them, possibly, beat them for the injustice. As soon as she left the zebra's body, the vultures swooped in taking their pick. Just as well, Ylva wasn't very hungry anymore.
When she reached the side of the river, she saw it. To her surprise it was alone and it wasn't moving much. The only reason she knew it was alive was the soft up and down motion of the lungs as what ever it was breathed. Ylva slowly walked up to the nameless hyena and softly pushed its back with her paw.
"You ain't dead yet. Get up."
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 2:25 pm
Someone touched him. Almost reflectively, he curled up in a ball, trying to avoid it. But he couldn't. He couldn't do a damn thing, and for one horrifying moment he thought that it might have been Kavu who found him there, scared and alone... but it wasn't. He didn't hear a male's voice... but that of a girl instead. Someone else. Not Biku either. Biku whose voice was quiet that sometimes you had to strain your ears to hear a thing she said...
He slowly forced himself to straighten out and look, but it hurt to move. He could taste blood in his mouth and see it on the sand. The wounds Kavu had given him in the fight were still fresh, and he could feel each of them. What had happened when he hit the rocks wasn't really helping a whole lot either. Everything felt wrong. Everything was wrong.
"I..." He strained to find his voice again. Maybe he had swallowed too much water. "I can't..." He said quietly, trying to make his limbs move, but they simply refused to obey. He didn't have the strength to stand, though he wished he did. Instead he looked over at the woman who had spoken to him. Another hyena... an angry looking hyena. "I don't have... anything worth taking..."
He didn't have anything at all. No more dignity. No more happiness. No more sister. No more family. No control... what was left for him in the world now?
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 2:36 pm
Ylva sighed watching how pitiful the creature before her was. It was more then the flesh wounds, his spirit seemed also smashed. It was a shame and if he stayed on these rocks he would die. For one, he was easy prey, and second he clearly couldn't hunt for him self.
The female looked around him, studying him. "Im not after anything you can offer..." She stiffed at his tail and then started doing a clean sweep of the surrounding bank. This could be a set up and Ylva didn't fully trust this situation.
After a long while of sniffing the female looked up over at the other,"Your gonna die if you stay here, and I think that's exactly what you want," Part of her really wanted to leave after saying that but she couldn't, "Im taking you with me and since you seem indifferent about life, I'm taking your life under my own. You got that? And if you wish to challenge me about it, please do so. You don't seem like your in the shape to even stand." In the back of her head she was hating her self for this. She didn't want to take care of some sap by the side of the river. Why was she doing this, why hadn't she just turned her back and left him. Something inside her wouldn't let her. She didn't trust this.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 2:46 pm
Asadaki listened to what she had to say when she came back. She wasn't after anything he had... the first time in a long time that someone had said that to him. Biku wanted him to kill her. Kavu wanted to take everything he had and destroy it. He wanted... he wanted to die. And he hadn't. Was it some cruel trick by the gods? Who could say for sure. A cruel trick that they would send someone to take his life in their hands when he knew he would have done the same if he had seen another creature's life in danger. He had been his sister's keeper after all... hadn't he? And he had let her down...
He didn't ask her why she was going to help him. He knew, in the back of hid mind, why you did that for another person. Because you never wanted to see someone with nothing. You wanted to give them something to live for. He had done it for Dabiku. Oh... Dabiku... his sister... he had let her down. If only he had sacrificed her she wouldn't have had to live in such fear... She would die without him.
"I won't challenge you..." He told her quietly, staying where he was without moving. He couldn't have even if he had wanted to. She was right, he couldn't even stand. And he would have died a slow and painful death if she hadn't found him. Maybe he could have shoved himself back in the water... But she had found him. And she had said his life belonged to her now.
He was honor bound to such things... he had always been a gentleman. That was part of why things went so wrong...
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 3:16 pm
Ylva had almost wished for him to challenge her so she could just leave, but a bigger part of her was glad he hadn't. Ylva snorted and arched her neck out in a posture to slide him on her back and did so slowly, keeping in mind that this stranger was weak.
He was heavy, even though Ylva was a big dominate female, he was heavy. The female didn't show that it bothered her though and kept a straight face as she started back, slowly, to her home.
"So, you insult a lion or somethin'?" It was meant to be an ice breaker. Something Ylva was terrible at.
The hyena continued on at a slow steady pace through the morning sun. She caught a glance at the zebra carcass as she passed by. Now a small pack of jackles were fighting over it. The hyena rolled her eyes and continued onward. Of course that meal seemed to good to be true.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 3:27 pm
The most Asa could do was make a small embaressed noise as the female took him on her back and started to drag him off. He hadn't known anyone in his whole life that forward... even Kavu had hidden what he really wanted very well. Never too forward... always saying exactly what Asa wanted to hear... damn him. Damn him for all he had done! And not a thing Asa could do to stop him... Kavu had been so ready and strong. Just waiting for Asa to attack him. "Asa... I'm so glad you're here. Why the long face?" Every word made it so much worse. So much harder. "How does it feel to know everyone you've ever loved is dead, all because of you?"
"I..." He found his voice after a moment. "I trusted the wrong person." Was all he could think to say. The simplest way of putting it. He had placed the fates of himself and his sister in Kavu's hands... and it was a gamble he had lost in a way that was so much worse than anything he could have possibly expected.
He spotted the zebra as they walked past it. Perhaps she had been intending to eat it before she had smelt him... but the meal was long lost now. The jackles and the vultures would fight over whatever they could find. A fate he himself had just narrowly averted.
"I just trusted the wrong person..."
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 4:34 pm
Ylva frowned at the betrayal comment and licked her chops as she padded. She couldn't wait to get back to her crystal den, her treasure.
"Betrayed 'ey?" The hyena frowned, she was not one to laugh ever. Unless it was at the stupidity or the expense of another, then she'd laugh. But not at something so close to home to her self. Betrayal. Such a bitter word , such a true word, such a terrible word. A growl echoed from the bowls of her throat, how she hated those that took advantage of the trust of others.
"Its a shame.... this damn world we live in, can't trust a soul," The bitterness tinged her voice as she rambled on, "You know you can't trust anyone. I can't trust you, you can't trust me. The whole world is full of lies," The hyena had to take a breath, all this carrying was getting to her. She'd never willingly carried anyone before.
The hyena licked her chops and continued onward, other things on her mind now. For one, now she was going to have to get something for the two of them, and second, this might all have been a trap of some sort to get to her treasure.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 5:36 pm
Asadaki listened to her quietly, almost too exhausted to reply. He could tell he was tiring her... he had never been carried before... he himself had been the one who carried him on his back away from his old pack... Biku... He had always trusted and loved Biku. And she had trusted him, and he had lied to her... so desperate to save her. And he had let her down. Maybe if he hadn't sheltered her... if he had warned her.
He closed his eyes in a desperate to hold back tears as he thought of his sister. He was such a coward. Too afraid to face her after what had been done to her... what had been done to him. "Maybe..." He whispered, his voice shaky as he spoke, lost when he thought about his sister. "But I... I always had someone who I trusted... and I..." He hung his head, "You shouldn't bother helping someone like me."
He didn't deserve to live. After all he had done... he had lied to Biku. He had left her innocent and naive... he had let Kavu get her, blinded by someone who was kind to them after all they had been through. He had made the biggest mistake in his life when he trusted Kavu... and his family... his family all dead because of him. It was all his fault. He had failed in every possible way.
He lay shame to the name Asadaki. But in the end... he had just wanted so badly for Biku to live... He just wanted to save her.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 5:48 pm
The hyena's ears flicked, she was not amused by the self pitting male on her back. Ylva was more concerned with getting him back to the den so she could take a rest.
"Look kid," Even though the two probably were about the same age she used the word kid, "Whats done is done. Your alive for a reason. I' m pretty sure normally I'd let you die but not today. So don't go self pitting your self on me Or I'll have to bop you." She was to tired for this.
Onward she went , the cave was in sight, thank god. A normal animal would have never seen it , hidden behind green lush terrain. Ylva knew right where it was and had lived there for some time. It was her favorite treasure of hers that she guarded.
"Alright kid, hold on. Were almost there. Think you can put your heart in your pocket til then?" It was a joke. She was actually trying to be pleasant and she wasnt sure why.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 6:11 pm
He didn't answer for a moment. Self pity. Yes, there was self pity... a great deal of it. His future had been supposed to be great. To do great things and change the world for his pack. And his sister... he had to kill his sister... if he had just done it... if he had just killed her like he was suposed to... But then her smile would flicker into his brain. The way she would dance in the moonlight. She had been his best friend. He had trusted her with his life, and his soul. And he had completely let her down.
"Alright..." He said quietly, doing as she said. He would keep it to himself then. He had never been very good at turning down a woman's request. Besides, she had gone out of her way to help him. It was wrong of him to question her motives. "I'll do whatever you want..." He mumbled under his breath. After all, what else could he do?
No more purpose. No home to go back to. No one left... there was no one left for him. He had let Biku down... and if she ever found out what had happened to him when he tried to avenge her... she would never forgive herself. She was better off without him. All he had done was lead her into one disaster after another.
If only he had never been born...
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 6:21 pm
Ylva sighed, but it wasn't relief. Still something didn't seem right. He had given into her orders way to easy for her to be happy. A fight, not fully aware she had wanted to argue, was what she had expected. She was right on her money, unfortunately, his spirit was shattered.
"Look kid, you need to look up. Someones looking out for you and it aint me. Trust me, Id have let you die on those rocks normally but something about you is making me feel the need to carry you on my back like a freaking mule. So liven up abit your stories still being told you twit." Ylva snorted with content. There she had said it.
He legs were starting to ache and her back was hurting, but here they were so close. She could smell her scent thick in the air. Home was just a few pad steps away.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 6:29 pm
Asadaki didn't really know what to say. And frankly, even if he had, he wasn't sure he would want to. She had saved him when all he wanted to do was die. Either someone was looking out for him, or someone really, really, really hated him. Perhaps his offence to the hyena God had been greater than he had ever anticipated. He wasn't even allowed to die and be with his family. He just had to keep on living like this.
"The only one looking out for me seems to be you." He mumbled with a long sigh, "Believe me when I say that no one else is... so thank you... for showing me that not everyone is so cruel." For although the other hyena seemed to frown on herself... she was the first person on his journey who he had actually felt cared about him.
And her smell was beginning to get over-whelming... they must have been getting close to her home. What an odd twist of fate. With his luck, she was really just dragging him home to eat him. He half expected it to start any time soon...
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 6:39 pm
The hyena smiled, "Look, I might not be who you expected to find you but I'm not the worst that could have found you." She mumbled something grumpily under her breath that sounded crude and a little rude. It was hard to tell with this one.
They were at the door step of the small hidden cave. Ylva nuzzled away a little of the green and looked back at her companion , "Were gonna have to slide down. I'll make sure you stay on my back," And with that the hyena scuffled onto her belly and went down a slide like tunnel hidden behind the flora and foliage.
The two landed right side up in a cave that glowed. It was apparent that Ylva was used to the trip down. Crystals every where emitting a dull blue light that matched Ylva's coat. It was breath taking to most, to Ylva, this was home.
She made her last few paw steps to a soft looking bed for one sliding the injured onto it.
With that, her face finally showed how tired she was from the trip. Specially on an empty tummy.
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