"Come on, cousin!" Imani laughed brightly as she raced towards the watering hole, her longer legs taking her further, faster than the other cub with her. "I know you can go faster than that!" The purple and red juvenile was happy to have a new friend that was family too! Though...cousin was a term used to keep her mind from hurting. In reality, the cub with her was her niece...but the cub's mother (her half-sister) had been raised by Imani's grandmother. So...they were cousins. She stopped at the edge of the watering hole to wait for the other.
Pwani'wingu huffed and puffed as she tried to keep up with Imani, the white parts of her fur more brown with dust than anything now. Not that the little tomboy cared...she'd get cleaned later, when it was time for her to be polite. "I...I'm made...for long WALKING...not...running Imani." By the time she caught up with Imani, she was out of breath and tired. Short runs were good. Long runs were bad. She flopped in the mud that surrounded the watering hole and inched towards the cool water.
Imani wrinkled her nose. "Oh come on...you'll get used to it Pwani. Gotta, if you're gonna race with me!" She giggled and leaned down to take a drink...then yelped and dragged Pwani back as a pair of jaws snapped at them. Great...they just had to find the one watering hole with a croc in it. Her green eyes glared at the croc, daring him to come out of the safety of the water. She was small...but she was sure she and Pwani were faster than a croc out of the water.
Pwani yelped as she was dragged back, her eyes wide at the croc that was now where she HAD been. "T-thanks Imani." She joined her cousin in the glaring, hoping the croc would get the idea and go away. And then she noticed...the croc had only one good eye. The white-and-brown cub blinked and then batted her cousin away. "Hey...what happened to your eye?" Pwani couldn't hold a tune to save her life, or remember nearly as much as her mother...but she was just as curious about things as her mother.
The croc tilted his head. Why was the little prey coming towards him? Prey usually ran. That's why he had to be sneaky-silent in the water. "Fight with brother. Brother win. Guiv loose." It was simple. It's why Guiv lurked in this watering hole, instead of the big one a day away.
Imani squeaked and tried to catch Pwani...but failed. When she was on a mission, her cousin was a nimble little thing. So, Imani settled to staying close enough to be able to pull her out of harm's way. "So...your brother took your eye? That's not nice." Imani couldn't imagine any of her sibs taking away her eye...
Pwani pouted. "That SUCKS. I mean...biting your ear is cool, if you've got an ear. But...your EYE? Man, that sucks." She hopped onto the croc's muzzle. "You gotta learn to fight better. Cause...you look like you got beat up LOTS by your brother."
Guiv was rather...well, surprised by this strange little feline. "Maybe. But Guiv has no one to teach him. Mother is dead. Guila left to find own watering hole. Guiv..." Was alone. He'd never really realized it before that. He had no 'family' left.
Pwani's insanity was catching on. It had to be. Because Imani inched closer and observed him. "Well...we can teach you to fight? I'm good at fighting, Pwani is learning...Better some help, than no help...right?" She smiled tentatively.
Pwani perked up. "YEAH! We could teach ya! And then you can catch him off guard, 'cause you fight like a lion!" She giggled and bounced off Guiv's nose. "We'll be your teachers, Guiv!" She purred and sat next to Imani. "We'l make you the best croc fighter EVER!"
The croc blinked his good eye...then grinned. "Really? You...you teach Guiv? So he can defeat brother?" These two weren't prey any longer. No...they were his precious teachers, and he would make sure no one else hurt them. He wanted to get the big watering hole back!
Imani nodded. Oh she hoped they wouldn't regret this..."We'll teach you alright! Make you better than your brother." She wilted a bit. "Sorry we can't get your eye back though...It must be hard, with only one eye."
