There were no clouds in the sky that dry evening.

No breezes caressed the long grasses, and no birds disturbed the crisp blueness of the sky above.

Like most days, it was pleasant for a lion. And one brown male lion was particularly enjoying his walk.


Many moons had passed since Uyahambe left his home. He was proud of the progress he had made--proud of the changes he felt within himself. He was proud of the sheer distance he had crossed in his travels. It was a long way to go for a single male alone.

Sure he was by himself, but he was making his way in the world jusssst fine. And he was proud of that, too, because for as long as he could remember, he'd always had other people get him food. Females went out together in hunting partings to slaughter. They would bring back their treasures to the "city" and sell off parts of the meat to any lion who offered a fair price for them. Uyahambe only needed to flash a grin and speak a few charming words to get the perfect cut of meat--the perfect amount of fool to sustain his needs.

But now there were no female hunting parties.

Now, Uyahambe was on his own. He had to hunt for himself, kill for himself, look out for himself...He'd done a pretty nice job so far. But small game...Ratels and ground squirrels...nothing to boast about.

But that was going to change today.

With a cocky little smirk on his maw, the large male turned his paws west towards the scent of wildebeest. There was an enormous herd making their way towards the water. There would be a crossing--a violent, terrible crossing. No doubt there would be numerous crocodiles lying in wait for a chance to sink their many teeth into soft gray flesh. Scaly, green things with tiny eyes and thin noses...

Uyahambe had a lot in common with them! ...NOT FOR LOOKS. He just so happened to be out for the same prey as them.

Tail curled up and head low as he stalked across the savanna, the male continued on his way after the herd, careful to change directions each time the scents carried themselves about on a whim.

Black eyes hard and shining, the male made his way up a small hillside. He crept tightly to it, seeming to embrace it as he clawed his way near the top. And there, on the other side of that little hillside, was an enormous expanse of Wildebeest. The farther the herd was away from his sight, the more they seemed like endless amounts of black dots.

Nose wrinkling with happiness, the male stuck his head down low, making sure his tail sat flat on the grass, hiding all parts of himself in the tall grasses. The Wildebeest were too stupid--too blind to see a lion when it waited for a chance to strike. But he wouldn't strike yet. He knew the rules of hunting, despite the inexperience he possessed.

You need more patience! his younger sister had scolded him, time and time again after he had foiled a hunt. Hunting is all about patience. LOOK for the right moment! The right moment is ALWAYS right in front of you, stupid brute!

Eyes shining at the memory of his sister, the male became even more eager to make a kill. But nooo, he needed patience, patience, patience...Why was having patience so hard? He just had to wait for the right moment...

It was a common rule of life, however, that females made better hunters than males. Why that was was a mystery to Uyahambe. Maybe it was laziness, or unwillingness to learn...WELL, he had some experience. Just not a whole lot with preybeasts...But like he thought before, that was going to change. Practice makes perfect and all of that...

Creeping a little higher on the hill, ears flat on his head, Uya watched the dumb animals trot off to the thin line of blue that was the river in the distance, his eyes black abysses of hunger. It was all he could do to quiet the roaring of his belly. He had to think of killing rather than eating to quell his impatience for food.

Uya waited, and waited, and waited...One might think it would be a nice move to go to the river and lie in wait for the beasts to panic and be slaughtered by crocodiles, but that was not a smart move in Uyahambe's mind. Everyone had their own methods for hunting, after all. Uya's was that of endless strategy and patience. He'd learned from his b***h of a sister. And his ways weren't going to change any time soon.

Claws kneading in and out of the earth in his anxiousness, Uya waited and waited...He waited for the heard to pass so that only the tail-end--the stragglers--would be left...And then he would give chase, seizing the old and weak and sick--whomever was slowest. He would see once they were within his sight.

So much time passes since Uya first made his position on the hill. The sun was nearing the horizon, turning the sky a blood-orange mixed with light-blue. It was a gorgeous evening. The only thing that could make it more gorgeous was if the grass on the ground was covered in wildebeest blood. Uya sorely hoped it would be...He sorely hoped he would be successful.

And it was then, after silently regarding the beauty of the evening and the new-found freedom he had found in his life, that Uya saw the last of the wildebeests making their way slowly after their herd. The tail end. The last ones.

His feast.

Eyes shimmering back and forth over the last four creatures, Uya waited just a bit longer, then pushed himself slightly off the hill. He clawed after the beasts, sticking low to the ground and stopping now and then to adjust his position. Stealth and patience...

He grew closer and closer to them, his black eyes fixed on their target. It was an old male wildebeest, far past his prime, and possessing quite a lame leg. It appeared he had been bit by some animal, possibly even another lion who had failed to take him down. But Uyahambe would not be so careless. Uyahambe would take the old filth down.

If it were even possible, the old creature seemed to be getting slower and slower. It seemed like it was dying as it walked. Or just tiring. The journey to the river seemed too much for it to handle. Indeed, that crystal-blue line of water in the distance was quite a ways away...Yes, the beast was slowing down...All to Uya's advantage.

Licking his lips quickly, Uya remained focused on the creature. He clawed closer, closer, even closer...Then he saw it. It was time.

Springing up from the ground like a rattlesnake in strike, Uyahambe sprang at the beast, rushing after it and jumping on top of it. He dug his claws into the creature's shoulders, teeth chomping down hard on its neck. The old beast let out a feeble, frightened cry and fell to its side under the weight of the lion on its back. It put up no fight as Uyahambe strangled the life from its neck.

Holding the beast in an embrace of death, teeth clamped tightly on the flesh of its neck, Uya's black eyes pointed after the rest of the herd in the distance. They had all continued on their way toward the river, not even casting a glance back at the kill. They had abandoned one of their own...Or perhaps hadn't even been aware of Uyahambe's presence.

When the beast had taken its last breath, Uya released his grip and tore into the beast's belly, taking in sweet mouthfuls of flesh and organs. It was a hot, bloody meal, and though some of the flesh was old and tough with age, it was a bountiful feast. It would hold him. For now.


Only half of the sun was visible in the sky. Its massive circular figure stretched out, seeming to engulf the earth. It smiled down on the creatures of Africa, warming them one last time before the cool night came.

One lion had made a kill. One Wildebeest had died.

And the circle of life continued to rotate in Africa.