It was late afternoon before Jani finally awoke from her slumber. It took her a moment to remember where she was before recalling the night before. Thanks to the kindness of the black lion, she'd had a good feed, and after some troublesome thoughts, a decent night's sleep. The good fortune of the previous twenty four hours had left her feeling more energised than she he had ever felt before. Golden eyes looked about for the other lion, but for the moment he was nowhere to be found.
She looked over to the Zebra carcass, still in the corner of the cave that it was yesterday. It was still somewhat fresh, and although she had eaten quite her fill last night, it was still not enough to satisfy the hunger that had been building up inside her for the past weeks. With the black lion nowhere to be seen, the green lioness decided there would be no harm done if she had a little bit more to eat. If he could take down a zebra of this size, he was no doubt a seasoned hunter, and it would not fuss him much if a little bit of meat was gone, she reasoned to herself.
Gereh was out when Jani awoke. He'd decided it would be better if he wasn't around when she awoke from her reverie. He didn't want to startle her and send her out before he even had the chance to learn about her. He'd never seen a lioness so desperate before, what made her that way, he wondered to himself.
He wasn't too far from his short term den, close enough that he could hear her stir and return. There wasn't much to explore around these parts anyway, he'd already scouted most of the area in the previous days to make sure it was a safe place to camp. He was a cautious lion, and thought a lot before putting anything into action.
Eventually he heard her rustle from her spot and decided it was time to return. When he walked in he did not seemed phased at all that she was eating once more. "Please, there is plenty, you shuold eat." He commented before sitting some distance from her.
"I'm Gereh."
Jani did not hear him come in, but his words startled her and she froze mid bit, a small chunk of flesh hanging from one of her teeth. As she had thought, he did not mind that she was eating, so, she continued to do so. The rogue lands had taught her to take what she could get, and right now she was going to get as much food as she could.
When he introduced himself it was a few moments before she replied, her mouth to full with meat to produce anything vocally more distinguished than some mumbles.
"I am Janikiwiti," she said in between mouthfuls. There were days when she used her old title, hoping that it might get her something out of respect for a Lady. This was not one of those days, she'd already been given a lot, and she felt a title would have no effect on him.
"Pleased to meet you," he nodded, studying her tone. She spoke well, there was a dignified style behind her words. She must have been high born, he assumed. Gereh had always loved to study others. They interested him so, the way that they came to be who they were. The green lioness was no different to any other, and he was slowly piecing together the pieces that made her.
"What brings you here, Janikiwiti." He asked, wondering if she would tell him much, or anything at all.
Jani wasn't sure what to tell him. Why was he interested anyways. Nevertheless, he had been kind to her, so in return she would show him the same respect. It was what a lady would do, after all.
"It is a long story," she started, still feeding all the while. Just because he had asked to her talk did not mean she was going to stop eating. Who knew how long it would be before she came across another free feed like this? No, she was not going to let it go to waste.
"I'm from a pride, well I guess it was a pride, but it is no more. We were struck by a plague and it plunged us into chaos. I've been living alone ever since." She did not tell him that it was her own fault she lived alone, that her attitude towards most was of the unsavoury kind at best. Even though she was lone, she couldn't help but feel like she was above others. She had been a lady after all.
Gereh listened with interest. So, he had been right about a couple of things, she was from a pride. He wondered how far she had travelled then, away from the plagued homelands, to be where she was now. He imagined there was much more to the story than she was letting on, but he did not want to push her.
"Yes, you look quite worn." It was meant to be a statement of empathy, and his toned conveyed as such, or so he hoped. He knew just how hard it could be out in the rogue lands.
"Worn?" She shot him a look. She was a lady of the court! How dare he make statements about her. He had no idea what she had been through. She was far more than worn, but still, that did not mean this black lion could show her some respect. She soon found her old feelings coming back, the way she'd felt as a lady, commanding and controlling the other ladies in the court.
"You should hold your tongue in my presence." She snapped, before going back to her meal.
"It was mearly an observation," he started, but when he snapped he wondered just how high born she might have been. In her presence? What did she mean? He wanted to know more but did not want to press her. Gereh sat in silence, wondering what to say next. The lioness was obviously regaining some of her old strength, and with it her stronger personality traits no doubt.
"I am still a Lady of the court!" She snapped back, taking the wrong thing out of his words.
"You would do good to remember that." She finished, speaking quieter than before, but still with the same aggression. The same aggression that had caused many to disown her in the past, not that she had known it. It didn't matter how worn she was, Janikiwiti demanded respect. Suddenly, she decided that the meat no longer satisifed her, in fact, this whole place was below a lioness of her status.
"I will be leaving now," She declared to him. "Don't you think about following me."
Gereh's face remained emotionless as she spoke, wondering what he had said to cause her outburst. So she was a lady. That definitely explained the attitude she was having now. No doubt it was this same attitude that had caused many of her own kind to turn their backs on her when the pride had been lost.
It did not faze him that she was leaving. He had done his best to help her, and she had decided it was enough. He watched as she left. Sure wondering how she had managed to make it so far with an attitude like that.
- FIN
