His mother’s training made him stocky. For a cub his age, he had solidly built legs and a strong back. Yet he was still just a cub. On days like this, Vu thought that he might be a cub forever. That thought irritated him more and more.
Vu still played with his siblings like any young cub, still lived in his family’s den and trained with his mother and family, but when his siblings got tired and wanted to sleep, all Vu wanted to do was wander off by himself, and if he couldn’t find his friends he would practice hunting or find a smaller creature, a beetle or a lizard to torment, or a place to train on his own. He was of the age when he was beginning to realize that his parent’s praise was not as easy to earn as it had once been, especially when it came to his father. Somehow, he would find a way.
He dug his claws through the hard earth and looked at them, swiping them through the air with a growl, his voice softened by cubhood. He clambered up on the rock and looked around. Drawing in a deep breath, he puffed out his chest and let out the loudest roar he could manage. To the rest of the savannah Vu sounded like a cub with his tail caught under a rock, but he fancied himself more intimidating than that and yowled loudly and with pride.
Chani had spent the afternoon with her many siblings and had what she believed to be a rather uneventful day. Her parents happily groomed one another and the older siblings kept close eyes on the cubs, inventing a couple games to keep everyone both busy and entertained. Chani joined in for the first couple rounds, but unlike the others she didn't find herself amused by the silly games.Chani wanted excitement!
The cub couldn't deny the fact that the pridelands had offered her family everything that they needed to survive. It was a safe territory for the cubs to learn about prey beasts, practice hunting and make friends. There was always a watchful eye to make sure nobody got hurt and on the occassion that they did, somebody always led the wounded cub to their mother to make things better. Every member of the pride was welcome to a den of their own once they reached maturity and there were verious positions open to those who believed they could offer more than their ability to hunt to the pride.
The pridelands were the largest, most structured pride in the savannah. It was a sanctuary to so many wandering rogues and often looked positively upon by the neighboring prides. There was nothing negative to say about the pride and perhaps it was that very fact that bored Chani to death!
Tail curled, chest thrust forward, Vu let out one last roar from atop his little stone, sending a pair of birds scattering from a tree. Vu grinned and panted heavily. At least the birds were scared of him. Someday even other lions would run in fear when his mighty roar broke over the savannah.
Chani had attempted to escape her family on so many occassions she had learned to master her technique. She waited until a few of her siblings would become restless and the older cubs began to have difficulties keep track of them all. Whenever this happened the game of choice was always something along the lines of tag or hide-and-go-seek. As the game started everyone would dart off within a certain range. Chani, a cub without personal boundaries always made her way to the very edges of where they were supposed to play and casually strolled beyond them.
With a wild grin, the cub beamed with pride as she quickened her paw steps and soon left her family in the distance. She knew they'd become frustrated when they couldn't find her, but she figured she could always explain it away as if she'd found an incredible hiding spot! If that didn't work out she always had other ways of getting away with things.
As Chani continued through the tall grasses of the pridelands, she heard something that immedietly caught her attention. At first she thought it was a hare, screaming as they often did when there was danger, but then upon further inspection she realised that it came from the form of a familiar cub. Chani remembered the cub Vu from a meeting with her uncle. Kutunza had really enjoyed the company of the strange cub and Chani could honestly do without stumbling across him again. He was SO RUDE!
Despite how much Chani seemed to despise the pale colored cub, she didn't abandon her opportunity to poke fun at the younger cub. "That's pretty scary Vu. Here I was expecting to find a dying meercat and I stumble across you. What are you doing anyways?"
The sight of the duel eyed cub coming toward him put Vu’s fur on edge. He was older now and a little bit taller. Chani probably wouldn’t notice. Even if she did she would probably call him small and rude anyway. She was such a brat! When she did speak, Vu flattened his ears and growled, “Oh yeah? I bet you couldn’t do any better.”
Spoiled stupid brat. Vu hated that she had those strange colored eyes. They reminded him of his father (who had one green eye and one gold) and Chani didn’t deserve them. Vu swished his tail through the air. He said in the darkest voice a cub his age could manage, “I’m looking for somebody to fight.”
When Vu challenged Chani and told her that he'd doubted she could do any better, the cub only laughed. "I'm a girl. I don't have to impress anybody by roaring loudly. Plus, it doesn't matter what you think I might sound like. I actually know you sound stupid." She watched as the cub seemed to become on edge, fur bristling and rumbling annoyance in the back of his throat. Continuing to smirk, the cub paced about the tall rock he was standing on. Looking about, she thought she might continue to tease Vu. "So, this is the training you were talking about? You come out alone to stand on top of a rock and yell?" Chani shook her head. Clearly he wasn't training to become anything she was familiar with.
Before the striped female could add anything else, Vu explained to her that he had been looking for someone to fight. Cocking her brow and looking him over, Chani shook her head. "You should probably be careful. If you go around demanding a fight, you might actually get hurt." Chani held no concern in her voice and it was clear she was still added insult to injury.
Vu glared at her. Mother taught him to always take the high ground in a fight because it offered him a better position, so he stayed put for now. If Chani wanted to fight the rock gave him a good position from which to strike. His mother’s lesson seemed to be coming to life around him. Chani’s back was perfectly exposed. Even though she was bigger than him he could leap onto her from any angle and knock her to the ground. Then who would be laughing?
“You’re the one who should be careful. I’m not scared of hitting a girl.” Vu turned on the stone, following Chani’s every move. “I come from a family of warriors. You’re just a silly mama’s girl.”
Chani was surprised at first when Vu said that he'd have no problem hitting a girl. It was news for the young female to meet a male who had this outlook. She had always been so cared for by her older brothers and doted upon that she believed everyone should treat her that way. While she often squabbled with her uncle and a few of her brothers, she noticed that they were always extra careful with her, as though she was fragile. This was something Chani always expected and used to her advantage to have the upper hand in situations.
When Vu called her a mama's girl, Chani felt the fur on her back stand on end and a low hiss escape her mouth. "I am NOT a mama's girl!" Despite the fact that she was not being friendly in the least, Chani still expected Vu to correct himself and keep up with her standards. Why wasn't he apologising for being rude or tip toeing around her to protect her feelings?
Growling low, Chani paced around the rock, keeping her eyes locked on the male above her. Perhaps she could test herself and give Vu the fight he was looking for!
Vu suddenly looked pleased. He realized that he had struck a nerve with Chani. This could work to his advantage.
If Chani was one of Vu’s sisters he would never think of talking to her this way. His sisters trained along side him. Mother always taught him to treat his sisters as equals whether they were playing or learning to become warriors. To call one of them a mama’s girl would have been a grave insult. They would probably give him a good smack for saying that, rather than run to their mother for assistance. She taught them to fight their own battles. Vu respected his sisters; they were everything his mother said they should be. Chani was not.
“Yes you are! You’re a big dumb mama’s girl. I bet you’re just scared, because you don’t even know how to fight and I do.” He narrowed his eyes cruelly. “If we fought, I bet you would cry.”
Chani growled loudly as Vu continued to insult her. She had just been teasing and here he was really being mean! None of what he said was true! Turning her back on the male, Chani narrowed her eyes towards the distance. She didn't have to stay there and take it! She could continue on doing what it was that she had planned. Plus! She doubted Vu had the nerve to follow her to the roguelands!
The cub tried to regain herself as she stomped forward, keeping an eye on the position ahead of her in which she recognised as the borders. She had visited the borders on many occassions, but Vu's frustrating behavior seemed to be enough to push her to go through with her plans. She wasn't a mama's girl! She didn't need them to take care of her anymore! Growling and spinning around to glare at the male cub, Chani hissed, "I'm not a mama's girl and i'm definitely not scared! You may know how to fight, Vu, but you could never make it on your own! You're too stupid!" Chani stopped only to stick her tongue out and quickly spin around again.
“I am not stupid!” Vu shouted. He knew it was the truth, too. Conviction and frustration rang out in his voice, his red eyes locked onto Chani’s backside. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
As soon as Chani’s back was turned, Vu flew from the rock, landing on her back and using his weight the way his mother showed him to knock her off her balance and push her to the ground. He knew he couldn’t pin her for long, so he stood on her side and took hold of her ear in his teeth. She could try to shove him off, but it would only cause him to pull harder on her ear and cause her more pain. He growled, “Take it back!”
Chani was so frustrated that she hadn't even thought of the possibility of Vu coming down on top of her from the rock. When he finally did land upon her, the female yelled out in surprise. Falling onto the ground, she was surprised when the small cub managed to keep her down. She turned her body to shove him off, but felt a sharp pain from her ear. Glancing to where the cub latched on, Chani hissed and swiped a paw in his direction. Her claws were extended and she meant to hit him with all the force she could muster from the awkward position on the ground. "Let go!" She growled out again, teeth clenched.
Chani did not formally train like Vu did, but she did have many brothers and older siblings that taught her to rough house a bit rougher than normal. She could protect herself in need be, but her biggest advantage with Vu was that she was larger and older. Swiping again, Chani tried to pull her head away while she aimed to hit Vu. If she didn't manage to actually scratch him, perhaps she could distract him long enough for her to get her ear free again. "I won't take it back! You're all words, Vu! I am actually leaving! What are you doing? Whining and complaining like the baby you are!"
It was as though Chani's words finally hit her and she realised where she could turn this bad situation to her advantage. With yet another hiss, the lioness challenged Vu, "So you don't think i'm big enough to take care of myself? Well, I don't think you're MAN enough to leave the pridelands!" Chani could think of a million other cubs she'd rather take, but Vu did have a point. He was strong and could probably keep her safe while she was gone.
Vu ducked Chani’s claws and tried to find a place where he could restrain her without being hit. If he moved behind her then she could stand up and have a clear shot at his face. If he moved to her side she could still turn around and swat him. He could just keep running around in circles with her ear in his mouth, but sooner or later he was going to run out of breath and have to let go. Neither of them could keep this up forever. Vu finally released her, swatting at her with claws unsheathed as he backed away.
“You’re crazy!” he said breathlessly. “You think you would last one day outside the boarders? You couldn’t even stop me from pinning you! You’re nothing but hyena food, only they wouldn’t eat you, because you’re so spoiled.”
He surprised even himself with the play on words. He felt a little more proud of himself for saying something clever.
Chani fell back a bit once Vu released her ear, but quickly got back onto her feet and shook the dust from her fur. Growling, the frustrated cub turned her back on him again, this time keeping her senses alert in the chance that he might try the same stunt a second time. Her fur was bristled and she felt her nerves on edge. She dared Vu to try something else! This time she wouldn't feel bad about really hurting him!
Continuing towards the borders, Chani ignored Vu's remark. She would prove him wrong! She would prove everybody wrong! Chani was tired of being locked up in the pridelands without being able to explore the world around her and do what she wanted! She was growing up so fast and it was about time she could do things by herself! Chani did not plan to say anything else to Vu. It didn't matter what he thought. Her inspiration was the look on his face when she returned! He'd be shocked that she was able to do it and he wasn't!
Vu glowered at her backside, teeth bared. “You’re just gonna die, Chani!”
He watched her shape grow smaller as she crossed the barren ground leading toward the tall grass while his cheeks burned hotter and hotter. He should have turned and left. He had plenty of reasons for staying in the Pridelands right now. Even though he knew Chani would never understand, the thought of her smug face enraged him. He bounded forward, stopping a few yards behind her and shouting, “I don’t need to leave to prove myself, Chani! Warriors protect their homes!”
