Days had passed, and Sukari was sure the male had never quite left the pridal lands. Granted, he kept to himself for the most part, and the General had only caught but glimpses of him, and small snips of his scent. It was unnerving though, to remain on a constant outlook; she was beginning to disregard the other members, spending more time patrolling the termite hills, making sure all was well. She would take no chances this time.
This, of course, meant she was spending less time with the cubs, which was odd, taking into account the General was known for spending as much time with Bazi, and lately, Nuka, training the cub even at such a young age. Bazi hadn't minded, really, and kept to herself, rather content with the situation at hand, Nuka on the other hand... The general wasn't sure if the boy was pleased he had no General breathing down his proverbial neck and smacking him on the head when he did something stupid, or if he was, in fact, angry over the fact.
The latter was closer to the truth, though it wasn't something that Nuka would have ever expressed in his own words. The past days had been spent in ever increasing isolation, however, even when there were other cubs nearby to play with (or torture.) Though the cub had his mother's attention... on occasion, Sarafina was far too busy normally to pay as much mind to him as Nuka required. Sukari had always been the female he'd come to the most for attention of any sort, even berating, and thus her sudden absence was quickly noted and despised. And he'd tried everything..
Nuka had left field mice, freshly caught from the grass by the river, in Sukari's section of the den. He'd brought her maimed crows and had even thought to paint her a lovely picture in blood on the cave wall. In a final act of desperation, he'd thought that learning to patrol as she did would win her back over to him....
So it was that the young male was actually not in the termite mounds that morning. He'd snuck off, threatening bodily harm to any of the other cubs that dared to tell on him, and gone off into the wilderness to see... well whatever it was that adults saw when they patrolled. In all honesty it was pretty damned boring.
Around midday found him stalking a snake. He'd seen them before, of course, as one of his cousins had a penchant for the little buggers. It'd never occurred to him that they might be dangerous in any way, and so he circled the serpentine creature sprawled across the hot rocks. It saw him, but he didn't know that, assuming that just because he was 'behind' it meant the creature had no idea there was anything here. They were blind, weren't they? The cub lowered himself to pounce.
Granted, Sukari had seen the crows, and the mice, but it'd never crossed her mind these were acts of desperation. Rather, the older lioness had thought it was Nuka merely doing his so called 'homework'; showing her he could hunt, and was gearing up to be a formidable opponent. His efforts had been noted, and she'd pondered praising him. Later. After the skull-painted male was no longer a 'threat'.
Tell truth, the general didn't think the large male was a real threat. Not on the physical side anyhow, but she felt over protective, and with the need to keep an eye out on things. No one would miss her THAT much for a few days. At least, that's what she'd thought.
It was with these notions that the General patrolled the outlands, till a particular scent caught her attention. It wasn't God's scent, but rather, someone else's. A pause followed as she frowned, because there could be no way.... and yet, there it was, clear as day. Rushing towards the scent, she found the rowdy cub about to pounce a snake, whom had was obviously watching. Now, any other time she'd have let the serpent strike the cub, but her time spent with Bazi had taught her which critters were, in fact, poisonous, and this, one, if she recalled correctly, had a particularly nasty bite.
Moving swiftly, the lioness launched herself and aimed to snatch the cub mid-pounce, before the serpent striked.
Nuka 'oofed' as something he'd never seen had come from the side to attack him. The cub cave a measly roar, the best one his size could manage, and set his claws to attempting to hurt the beast that had him in its jaws. Not that it would do much good when he was already in its teeth but.. well. He wasn't the kind to go down without a fight--besides, he liked the feeling of the teeth poking into his side.
Without so much as a hiss, Sukari allowed the cub to claw at her maw, perhaps adding to the scars that already adorned it, turning her head to glare at the snake, offering it a guttural growl. A pause, then she sniffed haughtily at the reptile and padded away from it, "Nuka," just the single word from the lioness, muffled by the cub's pelt before he released him, a small distance away, "That thing was poisonous."
He dropped to the ground and found... his mentor. Well her knowing his name should have tipped him off, really, but he hadn't been thinking much about that. The cub laid on his back, paws curled to his chest, and stared up at her with his scar-green eyes. "... Sukari?" he scrambled up and then grinned, as if nothing had happened between them. "Sukari! Did you see the size of it!! I bet I could have taken it. Bazi does it all the time, she showed me herself! I was sooooo close too!!!" He paused, then his voice took on a faint whine as he frowned up at her, ".. heeeyyy why did you stop me?"
She refrained from mentioning the first thing that came to her mind; telling the cub that Bazi was just slightly crazy and that snakes REALLY should not be touched. Instead she let out a sigh, "Do you know why Bazi likes them?" she arched a brow, watching as the cub practically exuded happiness; she had no idea why, but the fact he looked so... energetic, was rather pleasing, "Because the buggers bite, and they have poison, and I rather much not have to explain to Sarafina why her son was in the middle of the outlands territory, alone, and snake-bitten, do you?"
"... it wouldn't have bit me." He frowned, ears sinking back. The cub sniffed, but in a more derogatory way than a tearful one. He rubbed one paw at his muzzle. "I was careful. Dinnit even see me."
"Honey; those things don't have eyelids. They can sense your warmth. It knew you where there," dropping herself to the floor, she let out a sigh, the adrenaline simmering away as she lifted a paw and groomed it. Taking care, she tended to her maw, for though Nuka was still young, his claws were sharp, and she had to admit she was training him well, "Besides, those things strike faster than we do. Ever wonder why we don't eat 'em? Too much bloody trouble. That's why, now come 'ere, you're all ruffled," she extended her other paw, expecting the cub to come willingly for a bath.
".. i cudda taken him," He mumbled, sulky at being berated. Nuka knew better than to go against a direct order, though, at least from his mother's general. Any other adult may have gotten another face full of claws, but he passed into her arms for a bath quite willingly. "Whadda you care, anyway?"
The question made her frown, "Why shouldn't I care?" there was no real answer offered to him, because in a way, Sukari herself did not know. Why did she care what happened to him, or what happened to Bazi? In a way they were what she'd been denied, long ago. A second chance, and she was willing to grab the proverbial bull by it's horns, "Sometimes it's smarter to pass up a challenge, even if you can take on it," she snorted slightly. In a way, she wasn't doubting he could take on it, "Ain't worth the trouble."
He looked away from her, though remained where he was because he knew he'd be in for it if he went against her orders. Still, it didn't mean he had to look at her. "You always leave. You like Bazi's God more than us, cuz you always come out here to see him." Ohhh how well misinformation worked.
A brow arched, and for a moment the lioness did nothing else other than lick at the cub, grooming him away till she was pleased. It wasn't till she was finished with his mane and ears that she pulled back, looking partially offended, partially amused, "What'd give you that idea?" a pause and a frown, "Since when is he of Bazi's property?"
"Cuz bazi said that's where you were! And you're always out here, and you never say nothin' an' y'don't like my presents!" Where other cubs would have cried, it didn't occur to him to do so. Instead, he just struggled against her legs so he could get to his own four paws and sulk more openly. "An' she said he's her brother now--i don't know!"
"Presents?" she hadn't caught herself before saying the single word, however, the moment it'd been uttered, she mentally kicked herself, "Bazi wasn't misinformed, but I think YOU are misinformed as to WHY I'm here," despite the struggles, Sukari did not let go, but rather, held the cub firmly against her, narrowing her eyes just a tad, "I don't trust the guy," she told the cub, "He stolen Bazi away once, and I've yet to figure out what the chit even sees in him. I rather have his movements watched as often as possible," finally letting him go, she arched a brow, "Now, what's this about presents? You mean the small game you left for me? Was that not you showing off your skills?"
Nuka still struggled, but only weakly and every moment or so. He would go still for a minute or two, and then try and struggle quickly to catch her off guard. "... SO! so what if he stole Bazi away, she can defend herself!"
Even as he said it, Nuka knew that was wrong--He liked Bazi, at least, unlike some of the rest of the disposable members of the pride. Still, from how it looked to him, Sukari cared more about Bazi's safety than Nuka's happiness and that just didn't do to the male's mind. "I thought you'd like them! I even painted you a picture!"
"She shouldn't have to," she told him instantly, "That's why I'm here. That's why the adults are there," it was clear that Sukari was not upset over the ordeal due to think the cubs could not fend for themselves, but because, in her mind, they shouldn't HAVE to, "Do stop the struggling, you're messing your fur up, Nuka."
In all truth, she'd thought Bazi had done the picture, but this time, the adult stopped herself before she said anything, a sigh escaping her maw, "I been horribly busy, and on my toes," she hadn't had time to look at anyone lately. Not Bazi, not Nuka... and then a thought crossed her mind, "Are you lonely, Nuka?" she arched a brow then, the word jealous crossed her mind, but she did not voice it.
He snorted, but he did stop struggling. For now anyway. The cub flopped down upon the ground and glowered at a nearby insect, his head laid with a sour expression between his paws. That didn't deserve an answer and he wasn't going to give it one.
"I'll take the silence as a yes then," another pause as she watched he cub glower, and then she lowered her head, "Since you've proved to be smart enough to catch all that prey, would you fancy patrolling with me from now on? Just till that damn ******** leaves the place," she didn't trust him. Not one bit. The way he'd looked at Bazi, and what little Sarafina had told her of the conversation she'd overheard had left her unsettled, at best.
".... can i really?" He perked up a little, ears and tail rasing slightly off the ground. "... can we hurt him?"
"Yes, you can," she told him, raising her as he raised his ears, then snorted slightly, as if amused, "We'll just look for now, but if he makes one wrong move, yes, we can hurt him."
"Good." Nuka grinned and got up, then, assuming he was allowed to. "Lets go get the ********!" The cub bounced a few paces away then paused. "... sukari.. what's a ******** style="color: green">
Sukari, too, stood, and smirked, amused at the cub, "I'll tell you when you're older," she nudged the smaller male with her maw, guiding him forward before she followed him.
