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 Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:20 pm
The sun rose up over the grasslands as Unzu and Rujul caught up to the herd. They had moved throughout the night and were feeding in the early morning sun, batting away flies as the heat of the day started to make Africa unbearable again. The dark male was eager to prove himself still, picking out the injured Oryx among the healthy individuals. The herd had slowed down for its benefit, but it was still favoring its bum leg, and its limping had become more pronounced. Unzu had also left a large gash under its eye, and the flies were having at it. If it wasn't ready to go down today, it shouldn't take too much longer for death to decide it was the Oryx's time.
So far, Unzu had proven himself to have good endurance, barely showing fatigue for the time they'd spent traveling through the night to hunt the herd. He was definitely in his prime, and catching the Oryx was at this point a mere formality in confirming that he was to Rujul's standards as the father of her cubs. Still, the purple lioness had plenty of time. The wet season would not end for a while, and there was plenty of food to bide her time. It was only when the dry season arrived and things became more desperate that she would avoid this plan, for the best, her cubs must be born and grow during the wet season.
Now that they had gotten their taste of blood, they wouldn't rest until they'd had the rest of it, and the Oryx seemed to know this, nervously watching them as they passed in and out of view, following its herd into the swamplands even as it struggled through muck that got stinging mud into its cuts and attracted more flies to harry it as the lions pursued it ever nearer to its end. It still had fight left in it, though, let there be no mistake.
Alas, Unzu and Rujul were not the only lions stalking the herd. Iana had just come upon it herself from the other direction, heading out of the swamps, and was now flanking it from the opposite side. Both parties were unaware of the other, but should they come across one another, it would definitely not be pretty. Iana was hungry and had not had a substantial meal for days. With her smaller size, she was limited, and the Oryx wouldn't normally appeal to her, but she was desperate. She had to at least try.
This was not good for Unzu or Rujul, as the purple lion prepared to meet the Orxy, Unzu getting into ambush position further ahead, where they would break it away from its herd and its friends, trying to single it out. Iana was creeping up on the herd, stalking one of the smaller beasts, and she broke upon it just as Rujul leapt out at the injured one, sending the entire herd into a frenzy. Unzu watched as it bunched up then started to stampede directly for him, and barely managed to get to cover before the angry Oryxes took him out. He ran out, panting as they passed, calling to Rujul.
"What happened?" he cried.
"Another lioness," she answered, eyeing the small peach-colored lioness that was staring after the herd in confusion. Iana's eyes snapped around to rest on them with an accusing air.
"You ruined it! I could have had that small one!" she growled, furious. Her hunger tinged her mood into pure anger, and she shook with rage. She'd been so close.
"Oh, not YOU again. Just had to drop in on my kill, hum?" Unzu eyed Iana, feeling even less charitable towards his mate's half-sister, knowing that if she saw him with another lioness Iana would draw only one conclusion, and it would only mean trouble for him if Akinyi and she crossed paths at some point.
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Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:11 pm
Iana gave Unzu the coldest look she could manage, staring he and his little purple bimbo a glare that could kill. She'd definitely already drawn the conclusion Unzu feared she would, and she hoped for Unzu's sake that he hadn't gotten her sister pregnant and dumped her. Because she would KILL him. No joke. "So how is Akinyi?" she asked, her voice dripping sweet poison, rather to bite him than to kiss his cheek in greeting, for it was certainly not good terms to come upon him again.
Unzu withered slightly under her glare, then turned to follow after the herd again with a sigh. "Get out of here. This is our herd to hunt. Find your own," he told her dismissively, and Rujul finally prickled a little bit. How dare he show disrespect to her? But she didn't question it. She was far larger than small, dull Iana, and had no reason to fear her, so she turned her back as well, slinking after Unzu. Besides, it was good that he was showing more interest in her.
"No you don't!" Iana cried. "You idiot, if I find out that you hurt my sister, I will tear you limb from limb. You'd better explain right now what you're doing with this female," the peach lioness followed after them, annoyed at their apparent dismissal. So she was a bit small, but she could definitely hold her own! They had no right to turn away from her.
"I'm hunting, or isn't that obvious?" Unzu growled, getting annoyed with her. He didn't need her belligerent accusations which might be somewhat true. And if she followed him back to Akinyi, he'd never hear the end of it. This angry lioness clearly needed to get out of here. "Unless you intend to help, you'd better go. Your sister is none of your business."
Iana darted forward, going in to swipe at Unzu's feet, and Rujul was on her in a second, biting the back of her neck and holding her like that, not breaking the spine but flexing her jaw to show how effortless it could be. Iana abruptly went still, eyes wide, shocked at her boldness and her own inadequacy. Clearly her opponent was far more dangerous than she.
"Let me go. I get it," she rasped out, and Rujul let go of her, standing between her and Unzu. Rujul's golden eyes stared her down, quieting some of Iana's fury, the cold fear of death staring the peach lioness down. Iana seemed to hesitate for a second, as if she wanted to press the attack, but then her stomach reminded her that it needed food, and she'd better see to it immediately.
"Fine!" she cried. "I'll be watching you, you jerk!"
Iana got up, running off in shame into the bush, leaving Rujul and Unzu in the dust of the stampede, following after it. Unzu regarded Rujul with a slightly friendlier eye. After all, the enemy of his enemy could be a friend. Particularly one that was promising to show mojo a good time.
"So what's your name? You never told me," he prompted to fill the silence as they followed in the direction of the long-gone herd. The purple lioness didn't respond for a few steps, a long enough pause that Unzu turned back to the trail, thinking she hadn't heard him or was ignoring him, a little hurt.
"Rujul," she answered at last, charitably, her golden eyes staying straight ahead. "My name is Rujul. And we'd better hurry up if we mean to catch them before midday," she picked up the pace, causing Unzu to hurry after her, loping at a good rate, a bit faster than a trot. Unzu felt energized, pleased that she'd responded, that he'd managed to get that out of her. Although he was showing off for her, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow manipulating the entire thing, and he'd better make sure to keep his head above water.
So to receive her tacit approval by giving him her name? Was quite a step up for him. He didn't feel quite so used now. Mojo wouldn't mind being used even on a bad day.
The pace she had set meant that they could spare no breath for talk, and so he followed Rujul through the swamp as the sun crept slowly higher in the sky.
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