'Riyya was excited. Today was the day she'd perform her initiation hunt and graduate into the ranks of the lionesses. She headed with the other lionesses of her family toward the hunting grounds. They were a traveling, and wandering pride of lions. She had waited for this moment all her life. Prancing proudly among the older lionesses she talked nearly nonstop.
“I can’t believe this is finally happening. I couldn’t sleep last night at all I was so excited. Did you find the speech Boeg as boring as I did? I thought he’d never stop! What do you think we’ll find there? I hope there’s plenty to pick from, I like a wide variety choice.”
The chatty lioness didn’t seem to notice the smiles, smirks, or rolling eyes of the other females in the group.
As the group approached the area where the hunt would take place, it took several harsh whispers to shut the young, untried lioness up. Now she was starting to get nervous. ‘Riyya had been bragging all week how she’d take down her pick of large prey the first try. If she didn’t, then she’d lose face with her fellow lionesses.
She felt her haunches wriggle with tension. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tracked different prey animals. It seemed there was a good selection here today. The other lionesses waited for her to indicate what prey they’d try for today.
“Lo-ok it.” She squeaked before clearing her throat and trying again. “Look at the wildebeests. They seem to be a good choice today.” Despite the groups seer’s warning to her privately last night, she’d chosen to hunt wildebeest. The seer’s words rang in her mind as the other lionesses split up.
“Do no hunt wildebeest tomorrow girl. It will end in tragedy. Your best is to try for impala or, as a last choice, zebra. Good luck child.” That had been it, and then the seer departed.
Well ‘Riyya would show that old bag of bones. She wasn’t afraid of any stupid prophecy. The signal that the other lionesses were in place hadn’t yet come, but the tension was just too much for the inexperienced huntress. She started her run toward the wildebeest. The animals soon began to stampede with Shukriyya among them. Her job was to find a young or weak animal and latch onto it. The others would then come in and help her take it down.
The young lioness looked left and right through the rising dust. There! She spotted an adult with a limp. ‘Riyya changed her direction and leaped strongly. Landing on the back end, she dug her claws and teeth in. The wildebeest bucked and nearly dislodged its attacker.
Where were the other lionesses? ‘Riyya couldn’t see them from her viewpoint. She growled and clung on. The wildebeests were really starting to panic, and hers began thrashing around as it ran. Suddenly an opening appeared in the ground before the two; prey and predator locked in mortal combat.
‘Riyya sensed the maw of the ground open below her and her prey. There was nothing she could do to prevent what was to come. They began to plummet together. Down, down, down they went; her prey was ripped from her grip. The lioness tumbled end over end. She felt rocks hitting and scraping her body; multiple times rocks rapped her roughly on the skull.
Mercifully, she blacked out.
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A throbbing headache slowly drew the young lioness from the black abyss. It was several long moments before she rolled onto her belly. ‘Riyya felt as though she hurt everywhere. She slowly blinked her eyes. It was dark in the ravine; the sun had set while she was unconscious.
Checking all her limbs, it seemed as though she’d gotten lucky and nothing was broken. The light of the moon shining down gave her just enough light to see by. Gingerly she rose to her feet. She needed to get of this place. ‘Riyya began her long climb to freedom as a slow and painful process. The rocks repeatedly threatened to collapse under her weight. Several times she barely saved herself from another fall by scrambling with her claws.
It was many hours later that she pulled herself back onto top ground. She panted and rested. Surely her family was looking for her. They wouldn’t leave her. All she had to do was call. Several weak roars attempt to call her family; no response. She decided that she’d rest tonight then go searching for them in the morning. In her mind she kept telling herself that they couldn’t be far. ‘Riyya settled down as best she could to sleep.
Morning came and ‘Riyya found that she’d stiffened up during the night. It would be sore moving today. Determinedly the young lioness started out. She struggleed to avoid the dangers she so easily passed yesterday, and cover the long distance she so easily ran before. A day seemed to pass like several.
When she finally reached the location she’d last seen her family, she stared in disbelief. No lions greeted her. The place was absolutely deserted. Her family was gone. ‘Riyya began to wander aimlessly searching for them. They seemed to have vanished without a trace.
She searched for two day before she noticed that she was having trouble with her vision. It progressively became worse and worse, until one morning. The warmth of the sun on her coat awoke the young lioness. She knew the sun was up, but her eyes revealed nothing but the pitch black of night.
It was then she truly experienced fear and desperation.
“Hello!! Somebody! Anybody! Answer me!” She started to cry. Secretly wishing deep inside herself that she’d listened to the seer and her advice.
There was nothing she could do now except to try and find her own way. It wasn’t easy. The young lioness had to rely on senses other than sight. Her ears twitched at each sound. She seemed to notice every scent even more.
Walking was another matter entirely. If she went too fast ‘Riyya found she was liable to run into stuff. She compromised by feeling with one paw before putting weight on it. In this way she was able to move around, but ‘Riyya found that hunting was impossible for her. If she couldn’t see prey, she couldn’t catch it. If she couldn’t pounce on it right away, she couldn’t chase it.
After days of little water, and less food the young lioness was on her last legs.
