Chora had wandered farther out than normal from the center of the Graveyard, getting nearer and nearer borders that she preferred to avoid- at least while she was by herself. She wasn't the most adept fighter, though she was fair as part of a group, so she was not looking for a fight. No, the Bone Reader of the Mava'Bunda was looking for bones. She considered herself an expert, especially since she had no competing readers, and she decided there were no useful bones available to her right now. But this was the right way to go, she just knew it.
Her nose was to the ground but her eyes were searching for something very particular and the old bones scattered around were not it. But she still had patience left to search, so she continued along slowly. She had no idea she was nearing the dwelling of anybody in particular.
Ibada had spent much of his solitary life guarding a hoard given to him by a lion that had long ago left him and, even without ever coming back to check on it, the pile of old bones had value for the old hyena. Too much value, in fact. The older he got, the longer he was alone, the worse he got. The lions were gone, there was nobody to watch near here. He hadn't seen his mother in some time and he couldn't remember the last time he saw his brother. The only entertainment outside of collecting and guarding was keeping an eye on the odd hyena that passed by. They had been busy for a while but it was much quieter now.
He was laying in the shadows near his den, watching the quiet graveyard.. when suddenly a pale lady caught his attention. He stayed where he was, watching silently until she started getting too close to him.
Then he was on his feet, growling.
Her ears twitched before she really registered that there was a strange growl coming from the shadows. Chora's green eyes lifted before she straightened herself up at the sight of the brown male as he came into the light. He was not even a little bit familiar, his nose would surely be recognizable even after a brief meeting- and he was quite old, much older than her.
Standing straight and confident, she didn't look the least bit put off by the appearance of an apparently aggressive male. She was careful, though. He already made the first move, she was attentive but standing her ground- he could speak first.
Ibada was at a loss when the strange lady just stared him down calmly, he didn't know how to react except to escalate but he wasn't trying to get into a fight. He just wanted to scare her off, send her on another path before she stumbled onto his treasures. He took a few aggressive steps towards her but his growl slowly became quiet as he engaged her in a staring contest. He didn't know what to say but his body language was clear enough.
Clear indeed. Chora couldn't help but be intrigued by the male's aggression. He was smaller than her, as males tended to be, and his scruffy, dusty fur made him look too ancient to be much of a threat even with size aside. He had to be guarding something and she doubted it was territory, the Mava'Bunda would know if another hyena pack was this close by. Perhaps this was why she had come this far.
"What's your secret?" she asked, deciding to fight crazy with crazy and hoping to throw him off.
"..."
Ibada straightened up, looking her over suspiciously when she asked what his secret was. She wasn't threatened by him, that was obvious- and why should she be, she looked young and healthy and plenty bigger than him. She was obviously from the pack here, he didn't know for sure how they fared through their battle with the lions. He had seen some of it- it was hard not to when it was in your neighbourhood.
"No secrets," he said, his voice was scratchy, "Your pack has been quiet lately, did the lions tire you out?"
Chora returned his suspicious look, though she couldn't hide her curiosity. He was, apparently, a regular inhabitant of the graveyard. She had to wonder if her sister knew he was out here by the borders or if her father had known. So he was guarding territory, even if it was just a small, overlooked area hidden away here.
"You could say that," she admitted, knowing it would be a lie to say they didn't need some time to regroup after all that had happened during their battle with the Pridelanders.. though she personally felt the worst of it was the fault of Mbezi. They got better of the lions than the lions got of them, she would never say otherwise.. except she wasn't going to take his bait, either. It was an irritating balance.
Her noncommittal response was not a surprise and still, someone, he found it funny- and he made no effort to hide it. With a cackle, he brightened up considerably, taking a couple steps closer.
"Don't feel bad," he said, "I was watching. Lions are tough enough without taking on a pride that size, it's impressive you weren't wiped out."
The Maziko had been so small, they would never have stood a chance- and he knew the rumors around the graveyard that the hyenas took the credit for their dispersal. He didn't know what the truth was and the rumor was enough to keep him alert through his lifetime here at the edge of their land.
Chora's nose wrinkled and she stepped back when suddenly he was skipping closer, looking manic. She prided herself on being level-headed but this fellow was very strange.
"We did more than just scrape by," she said defensively, puffing her chest out but losing interest in chit-chat but becoming more curious about what his initial aggression was about, "How long have you been at our border?"
Her voice was demanding but her posture was conflicted. She didn't have enough experience with this kind of personality.
"Always," he said, straightening his back in response to her confidence but still smirking like he wasn't taking it so seriously, "I've lived here my whole life, always have."
Ibada spoke in purposeful repetition, he could tell she was uncomfortable. It made it more fun- which was important when you so rarely had conversations. His voice was getting tired, though. This was a lot more effort than mumbling to yourself all day.
Chora raised an eyebrow at his answer. He seemed so old (though she couldn't be sure) and he had been here his entire life? His story was only making him look crazier, even if you ignored the manic laughter and smiles.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you, then."
She didn't sound convinced.
"Ibada," he introduced himself with a grin, taking another step forward.
"Ibada," she repeated, "Nice to meet you."
She took her own step forward but then changed her path to walk around him. Mental note taken of his presence but for now she didn't know what to do with that information so she was ready to move on. She was curious to know if he was going to stop her, though, she wasn't exactly headed away from the direction he seemed to be guarding.
Ibada stepped back when she stepped closer, watching her go by him for a second before narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He didn't bother stepping in, she was closer to his den than she realized and she wasn't headed directly for it so she could continue.. but he wouldn't slink back into the shadows until she was gone. Just in case.
She didn't let her surprise slow her down and continued on her way, not daring or caring to look back. What a strange find.
Fin!
