Tope was on the prowl, searching for prey that he could easily catch for him and Jini to feast on-as a meal they would eat for their final day here at the Kusini-before they left on their long quest. He walked, his bulked frame large and proud-his fathers blood ran through him like they all had hoped. His father was big and bulky, his mother lithe and sleek. He had always hoped to be big like his father-and now he was happy to see his paws were his-his mane was his. To bad, he had all but torn the bond they had together... He lowered his head and smelled the air. He could almost smell the swamp-a figment of his past now-but still there. Haunting him-the marsh child that he was. He sighed, padding along-his forepaws silent against the ground. The night was quiet and he savored it-savored the feel of the grass on his paws... Jini said there would be sand? Was that like Mud? He hadn’t ever met sand.
He sighed, looking around the quiet night. The moon shone full above him and it was round-full and delightful. He could not help but want to sing to it aloud-frolick in its beauty.
Baka padded along, her long black bushy tail wagging as she went. Of all her sisters, her tail was the fluffiest and most beautiful-in her opinion. She stopped and gazed over her shoulder at her brush-smiling. She wagged it left and right. She held it straight out and curled it over her back like a question mark. She rather liked it-sitting there over her hind quarters. Beatuiful like a feather. She let out a yip of glee-her brown eyes shut tightly.
“Oh tail... I wish I could find a fluffy like you-so full and pretty... you would make such a beautiful feather.”
She sat down and attempted to groom her tail with her pink tongue-barely touching all but the tip.
“And then it would be connected to me always and the wind won’t be able to make it go away... Or I wont lose it... or I won’t eat it on accident. Or no one would steal it.”
She stood and spun in a circle.
Tope’s brown ears perked as he heard someone’s voice but he chose to ignore it. He padded along-wishing who ever that would would shut up already. He lifted his nose and scented-he could smell a canine type creature-probably the one babbling. He found they did that alot-he met one that talked with such franticness that he had to leave it. Perhaps it had rabies. He shook his head, his pink eyes lifting to gaze around.
This may be the last time he was home... well, in this home. He hoped that if they made it-they would make their homes here. Perhaps, they’d have a family here. That would make his father happy-he had once been a member of the Kusini Mwenzi. He looked around.
Jini had grown up here-without a mother. He couldn’t even think of how she must feel. He shook his head-sighing. He had to find something to eat... Jini needed her strength.
After all, it was her leg that would give them problems. He hoped she would make it okay... he would carry her if he had to. That was what being a mate was. He smiled-oh Jini-he’d savor when she would feel better.
Baka’mru sat and groomed her chest-her licks over zealous and frantic. She was never really ‘that’ good at cleaning. But she was black-that was her reasoning. She sat, her paws patting the dirt in a rhythm. She decided to chew on her front paw, making sure her pads were clean and chew her toe nails down to a proper size. If they got to long, she would have a hard time walking around wouldn’t she? She hummed to herself happily.
“Chew chew chew chew...” She proceeded to sing this little chant-though it sounded muffled and more like ‘new new new’. She licked both her front feet and when she found them appropriate-gave herself a good roll in the dirt. She stood up, shaking the lose grass and pebbles from her ebony fur. Suddenly, her ears perked and she looked around wide eyed. A lion. Oh no! She went into alarm mode-her fur puffing along her back and her tail looking like a fox brush.
“Who’s there!” She shouted as loud as she could. Sound big look big.
Tope spotted some running creatures far in the distance and decided that they would be his best bet for dinner tonight. So on he started-when the creature he smelled before spoke. He lifted his head above the high grass he was trekking through and spotted the black and white she dog. He sniffed, not really caring what he was seeing or not. He didn’t like killing other predators... or eatting them for that matter-but if he had too.... he’d kill her. She was small though.
He decided to ignore the little black wolf and began to head back into the tall grass-his body hidden again. What a night, if only he hadn’t been interrupted by her. Not like she was horribly in his way... just an inconvenience. He lifted his head to scent the air.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when the lion lifted his head and spotted her. OMIGAWD. She startled, spiraling in a complete circle until she ran into the tall grass-hiding from him. He was going to eat her. No doubt. She shook in fright-listening for him to follow her... but all she could hear was him-going away? She stood up, standing on her hind legs to see over the grass. He was going away. She felt like she had beaten off a foe.
“Thats right! YOU BETTER RUN!” She shouted, ready to make him want to run away from her. She ran towards him, barking wildly.
“Yap yap yap yap
She ran through the grass, no sure where he was actually. She sort of was-blindly running like a lunatic.
“Where are you!” She shouted.
Suddenly she ran straight into him-her black legs sprawling in all directions. “Ooooof.”
Tope could almost feel the taste of the fresh meat sliding down his throat. He had to save strength-he would most like make alot of moves... and the trek may mean no food for a while. He was a bit large and bulky now-but he would no doubt lose alot of weight if they found nothing to eat. He would feed her first. He lifted his head to see where the creatures where-when suddenly something ran straight into his head, sending them both reeling. He fell, though just thrown off balance. He could hear her calling out in either fright or pain-other wise he was angry. Not only was she making a lot of noise-but what if the prey heard.
He reeled and grabbed hold of her with his paws-letting out a very muffled/angry yowl.
“Stupid wolf!” He said, pressing her muzzle into the ground. “What do you think you are doing? I am hunting!” He stepped off her and sat down, glaring at her. “What the hell in your head made you think you had to attack me!” He shook his mane out, reaching up to rub his cheek-where a newly chewed claw has scratched him.
“Stupid little black she-dog!”
She was going to die. She flailed her legs and she snarled and loud and angry as she could. She didn’t want to die now... she wanted to live and be happy forever. She wanted feather and frogs. She kicked and fought-and before long found her muzzle pressed into the ground. She muffled a squeak-breathing in the cool dirt smell. She coughed, as he removed his paws from her and she scrambled up, wiping her muzzle on her paws. Stupid lion... she had just cleaned herself up nice too.
“I was making sure you know who was boss...” She said, sticking her chest out. “You were obviously intimidated by me and decided the best course of action was go to away.”
She fluffed up her tail and wagged it proudly. as if her tail was what had scared him. “You don’t have to act like you weren’t scared. I know you were. YOU WERE SCARED!” She added.
Tope could barely believe his ears. He was... running away from her... apparently. He sniffed his nose. Like he’d ever be afraid of a maned wolf. They were small.
“I am not afraid of you...” He said sternly. “I would never be afraid of a small-pathetic-black-she-wolf who doesn’t know when to be QUIET!” He lunged at her as she shouted-swatting at her with sheathed claws. “I am hunting darn you to the gods...”
He swatted at her again. “Shut up!”
He turned away from her and started to pad away angrily. He lifted his head and in doing so-saw the antelope doing the same. One stopped him and gave a bleat in alarm. He shot back down with a curse. “Damn you to the gods... they did hear me!” He glared over at her. “They heard you and now I won’t get my meal”!
Baka yelped when he swatted at her. “NO PLEASE DON’T EAT ME!” She shouted frantically, dodging his attacks. “PLEASE. I HAVE PUPPIES AT HOME. MY MOTHER IS VERY SICK AND NEEDS ME FOR FOOD. MY BROTHER IS BLIND AND-AND HE CAN’T SEE!” She screamed, as he swatted her again. Her fur was all deseveled and her eyes wide. She then, in an attempt to keep him away-clamped squarely down on his paw-chewing.
There was no way she would let him eat her. She had things to do and-stuff to eat. She chewed, though her muzzle barely fit around his massive paw.
“Nevawillzeeeatsmeee” She said through her muzzle-still tightly locked around him still. “Nebanebanebaneba!”
Tope couldn’t believe the nerve of this little monster. He yowled loudly, flailing his paw with her attached. He swung it side to side-howling his pain. DAMN HER. He reached his mouth around her head and pulled her off by her scruff-tossing her away. Stupid little brat. Now for sure they knew he was there-hunting them. Damn it. “Stupid little dog!” He held his paw off the ground-shaking his foot. She had barely broken the skin-but none the less-ticked him off royally. He snarled-giving her a hard slap across the face. “Get out of here OR I WILL FEED YOU TO MY MATE ALIVE”!
He launched himself at her, fury building inside him. “I WILL RIP YOUR SKINS OFF AND FEED YOU TO HER STILL WHIMPERING!” He lashes out at her-ready to make his words true.
She felt this would be best time to run away. She yelped in fright-her paws scrambling at the ground. She had to get away. Her paws pounded the ground as his swipes missed her. She dashed through the tall grass-yips and howls still escaping her. How horrible. Lions were horrid. He was going to eat her-she knew it all along. She shook her head in horror. He would have fed her to his ‘mate’... what ever that was. Perhaps it was a snake. She hated snakes with a passion. She ran a long distance-till she had to stop and take a breather.
She turned to make sure he was gone first. She didn’t want to be caught by him and fed to his python or what ever it was. She couldn’t see him and could not smell him, so she figured she was safe. She sat down, cleaning the few wounds she had on her pelt. Her toes were no longer clean-neither was her pelt or her tail. darn that lion... he was so cruel. How could he eat something as small and fully as she?
No matter. She simply tossed her tail and made her way.
Tope watched her retreat with relish. Good, perhaps he broke her nail or something-making her tell everyone that lions were horrible and that they killed poor poor little black doggies. He spat, cleaning his newly hurt paw-and his hurt stomach-which still pained for food. He sighed, slinking back through the grass. He’d have to find something-be it carrion or fresh... jini needed strength and did he.
Fin
