Erling wasn’t on a raid, but he was still a captain. Still a warrior, a force to be reckoned with. The powerful lion narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t about to let a potential thrall escape just because he had no reavers at his back. Hyenas could be fearsome opponents, but Erling wasn’t intimidated. He liked a challenge. If he won more scars to show off, it would be even better. He grinned, his teeth gleaming. Erling was a good tracker, but it was difficult to follow this one. She must move lightly. Erling would never even have noticed her trail if he hadn’t caught a whiff of her.
The dark hyena had carved out a little den for herself in the tall grasses. She was curled into a natural dip in the ground, with fallen grasses pulled over her to shield her from the sun. The day was crisp and cool, but she still needed the shade. The sun was unforgiving on her dark pelt. Lilah hadn’t seen a soul all night, but she still slept uneasily. Lions were nearby, she could tell. Lilah had no argument with the big cats, but they could be dangerous. The slight crunch of a heavy paw crushing grass startled her from her light sleep. She lay still, eyes wide, wondering where the sound had come from and hoping it would go away and leave her be.
Aha. There she was. Erling peered through the high grass, looking into the little clearing. Clever. The hyena was hiding, burrowed into a heap of plant matter. It wasn’t enough to fool someone who knew what they were looking for, but a casual observer would never have noticed her. Erling’s smile grew broader. “Come out, little hyena,” he purred.
The voice was low and rough and terribly, terribly menacing. Lilah’s eyes darted from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of her stalker. He must be behind her. Ready to pounce. It took all of her courage to stand, turning to face the danger, but the alternative was to sit and wait for him to attack. When Lilah saw the creature her heart sank. It was a lion all right, a huge one. This grizzled, graying beast was a far cry from the sweet little lioness that Lilah had chatted with not long ago. He certainly didn’t look sweet, not at all. He looked like he wanted to eat her. She stood still, meeting his gaze, steeling herself to run.
Erling laughed. She wasn’t a big hyena, but she was pretty. She would be an exotic, interesting thrall. She would look very nice waiting on him. Erling smiled as he thought of it. A hyena, of course, could never be a priestess, but she did have a spooky look to her. Perhaps she could help his sweet Brynja read the entrails for his Vikings. Yes, she would be a perfect accessory. He had to have her. Without another word to his new thrall, Erling leapt at her, claws outstretched.
There was no doubt about it: this lion was NOT someone she wanted to spend any more time with. Lilah scrambled away, frantic. The lion was huge and old, but he was also fast. One of those paws caught her on the flank and sent her tumbling. She scrabbled at the ground, pulling herself up. She was dizzy, but at least she hadn’t been torn to shreds by the lion. “Stop,” she wheezed. “I don’t mean any harm!” Something told her that her words wouldn’t do any good. This lion didn’t look like a typical border guard, just trying to defend his pride. This lion looked … monstrous. Her balance regained, she turned to run.
Erling wanted to roar when the hyena moved. His reflexes were good enough to swipe at her in passing, but his paw didn’t do any more than smack her to the ground. Landing heavily a little distance away, Erling paused to gather himself for another mad charge. He laughed aloud when she called to him. “You think I’m afraid of you?” Erling bellowed, delighted at the absurdity of the notion. “Stop running, fool hyena!” The hyena seemed like too much of a coward to stand and fight him. He could probably frighten her into giving up. That would be good – he didn’t want to put too many scars on her and ruin her interesting looks.
Stop running? Even if she had wanted to, her feet had a mind of their own. Lilah didn’t know what the horrible lion wanted with her, but she doubted it would be pleasant. She couldn’t get up to top speed in the grass whipping in her face, but the lion wouldn’t be able to either. Lilah zigged and zagged as she ran. If the lion made another one of those crazy leaps, she didn’t want to give him an easy target.
The hyena was light on her feet, but once Erling got up to speed he had a lot more momentum. He powered after her, working up speed into a full charge. He wanted to roar with pure joy. This was fun, the most fun he’d had in a while. Erling wasn’t interested in the politics and bickering that often reigned at home. Things were so straightforward out here. He wanted the hyena, and he would catch her. Simple. Simple … but maybe not easy. Every time Erling lunged at her she streaked away in another direction, making him lose speed. Growing somewhat frustrated, Erling put on one last burst of power.
Lilah’s energy was flagging as well. She traveled widely, but she moved at a calm pace. She didn’t often make life-or-death dashes across the savannah. She heard the lion draw in a great breath and knew he was about to jump. Thinking a quick prayer to any gods (or souls – thank you, Pumzi) that might be listening, Lilah threw herself to the ground. The massive lion sailed overhead … and crashed to the ground with a resounding thud. Without waiting to see if he was injured, Lilah bounded to her feet and whirled, fleeing in the opposite direction.
