There came a time when a kill ceased to smell edible and began to rot. Manyara's recent carcass had far passed that point. She didn't mind as much as some others might have, still finding the time to gnaw the edges of the bones as she tried to stave off her approaching hunger. She didn't have any desire to hunt again just yet, it was too much energy expended for what was often a disappointing prize. Such was the downside of hunting alone, but there were equal downsides to working with a pack. At least in her experience.
Kele tired of listening to the constant twittering of both his male and female cousins. They were all a flutter with the prospect of finding mates and consorts to bring back to their parents. Kele wasn't all that impressed by the idea, but he was thrilled by the idea of bringing back a female before his cousin did. Kepo was a worthless male and Kele hated him with a burning passion, one that raged in his young heart.
Having wandered a ways from home, he caught the distant scent of rotting flesh. Now, he didn't really mind the scent as much as his family did, and mouth watering, he followed his nose to the corpse.
Before she fully recognized the scent of another Manyara felt herself begin to snarl around the bone. She had grown up knowing to be territorial, even her parents had been liable to snatch her meal away from her if she wasn't looking. At this point though she didn't think any but another hyena would be interested in her mess, but all the same she wasn't wanting to share. Pulling the carcass close to her chest she lifted her head, surveying the plains around her. Her left eye had been damaged in an earlier squabble, but she could still see normally out of her right. It simply meant she had to turn a little further. She saw nothing, and then suddenly as she reached the right angle the young male appeared. He was smaller than her, clearly not a serious threat, but she didn't take unnecessary chances all the same. "You'll find no charity here," she called out with a bark.
Kele sniffed. He hardly wanted charity. He was the son of a Queen, not some riffraff that had to steal the food of others. Of course, just because he was the son of a Queen didn't mean that he held higher rank. Only his sisters had that honor, but Kele didn't let it bother him. Kepo was the one who let it bother him, and Kele knew that his silly cousin was utterly jealous of Kele. He decided to ignore her barking tone, instead seating himself nearby before deigning it necessary to give a reply.
"Hello," he called, wondering how to address her. My lady? Ma'am? Miss? This was confusing. No wonder it was taking his female cousins forever to find a mate. "You look really pretty in the morning sunlight," he continued, having overheard his uncle Bekeli talk to his aunt Bahari in a similar way. Being polite was important, even if it meant being polite to cranky food-hoarding females.
Pretty? She made an odd face, tilting her head sideways so she could get a better look at him. Not quite an adult, but growing into his own. Potentially out looking for a mate. Pitiful. She pushed herself up to a seated position, her face falling into a crude grin. "Must be the marrow I've rubbed into my fur," she called back with a laugh, "The beauty of the plains it is, all the best are wearing it." It had always been in her nature to have a little fun with strangers, push them to their limits, but this one had truly made a strange impression on her. Callous she'd been called, but never beautiful. Then again she had never really asked on the subject.
Kele sniffed again. He didn't really understand what she was on about, but he pushed on, determined to... well, he wasn't sure what he was trying to do. Maybe if he used some of the fancy words he'd heard his cousins say. "My mother is a Queen," he said, "and you are almost as pretty as she is." No hyena was as pretty as Dikeledi as far as Kele was convinced. Well, his aunt Bahari was second prettiest, he supposed, but he didn't want to sound stupid in front of the female.
"I am my mother's only son," he continued as if that should hold meaning with the stranger. "I am Kele."
Fancy words, she thought as she began to cackle, tucking her head in to her chest. Such a scene from such a soft looking little male. With a bit of composure she managed to silence herself, locking her good eye on him. "Kele then, son of the mother," she said teasingly, "You are welcome to the home of Manyara, the one the mother was ashamed of. What is it you want?"
Did she just say Manyara? Did she just.. did she? Kele frowned slightly. His mother had a slave named Manyara, a more brainless lion did not exist. And now, here, he met a lovely hyena female with the same name? He was stymied, boggled, confused. "What's your real name?" That was the only thing he could think to say before he peered around suspiciously. Was Kepo out there hiding? Had his stupid hyena cousin put this female up to tricking him? Kele wouldn't put it past Kepo, not at all.
Her real name? Was he a ghost from the past here to pester her. Her manner shifted, turning inward and snarling again, "My name is Manyara, I keep no other." For a moment she appeared as if she would bear down on him, taking a step forward with her shoulders pushed out. "Or should I lie to you? Call myself something other for you amusement?"
Kele was stupid enough that he wasn't frightened by her show of aggression. After all, he was the son of a QUEEN!! No, instead he gave a small laugh, one that he tried to hide not out of fear but because it wasn't polite to laugh at females, even ones that had the name of a slave. He gave a small sniff as he tried to compose himself before he attempted to speak.
"My mother has a stupid slave lioness named Manyara," he said finally, "I just thought that one as pretty as you wouldn't have the same name as a really dumb slave-lioness, that's all."
She pinned her ears back, her lips raising in a strange scowl. Still, she sat again, relaxing her shoulders. A slave lioness huh? That must mean their pack held some sort of power. It would be unwise to injure this one, even if it was just a son. "You can call me something else if you want," she scoffed, "But I'll do the same to you." Her face relaxed and she looked him over a little more thoroughly. Decently fed and clean, worth keeping around for a bit if he didn't offend her. He hadn't seemed to mean it that way.
"MY BEAUTIFUL LADY," Kele exclaimed, rising to his feet and bowing, "you may call me what you want to." Maybe he could convince his mother to change that stupid slave's name. That was a good idea, certainly one to score points with this lovely Manyara. Besides, having a name he already knew made it easier to remember it so he didn't trip up and get it wrong. He might be young but he knew that he would gain points with his mother and his aunt if he returned home with a beautiful female in tow, especially one so strong -- even if she had a dumb name.
"I bet my mom would like to meet you," he added as an afterthought. "You can meet the other Manyara too, if you want."
"Then I will call you... Kelele!" she said decidedly, a smile coming over her face, "Where is your mother and her slave then?" She might find some entertainment with this lot, if not a stable group for a few hunts. If they all acted like him she might die of laughter, but from the way he spoke it seemed that the females were much stabler. With this decided she took a few steps toward him, circling around a bit so she could keep her good eye on him. "Does she keep a steady territory?"
She was kind of strange, but whatever. Kele kind of liked it. Made him feel more normal, even if the name she gave him made it sound like she was stuttering. When she asked about his mom his heart leapt with excitement. Would he beat his stupid cousin at bringing home a female? "She's back at home," he crowed excitedly, "and we have a place to call ours if that's what you're asking." He shrugged carelessly.
Interesting, she wouldn't be questioned if she arrived home with the queen's son, excitable as he seemed to be. "Take me there then," she told him as she stepped back to kick dirt over the old carcass, "I want to meet her." If the mother was sensible than she would have a place to stay for a while. She'd simply have to remain suspicious, which she expected the mother would do as well. It was simply the way, being sure to protect yourself above the rest.
Like a prissy little princess Kele --er, Kelele-- rose to his feet and holding his tail high led his lady home. Ears perked at full attention, voice excited and little body trembling. He couldn't WAIT to see the expression on stupid ugly Kepo's face when he strolled in with this fine female in tow. "My aunt is a beautful lady as well," he chattered, "with two beautiful daughters, and my sisters are really pretty too." Kele was feeling awesome, floating on cloud nine. This would be the best day of his life, he was certain of it.
Manaya was following him, but not really listening to him. Instead she was watching cautiously their path, ensuring that should she need to make a quick break she would know how to come back to this spot. It shouldn't be necessary, but it was never a bad idea to keep a center. "No brothers?" she asked crassly, "Just you and the females? That must get boring." She was actually sure this wasn't the case, a pack couldn't function that way, but it would be interesting for her to guage how he responded.
"I have no brothers, only male cousins," he snorted, "and they are all as stupid as an elephant's butt." No joke there. Kele was convinced he was the smartest male in the group, and that was counting his own father and his aunt's consort. "My cousin Kepo is the worst," he trilled, glancing over his shoulder at his future mate. Yes, she was a strong and beautiful female. He had done well. He hoped he got to see Kepo cry. "His father Bekeli is just as terrible as he is, too."
"And a haughty spirit before the fall," she mumbled under her breath, laughing a bit to herself. She widened her step a bit, keeping it so that one of her paws was always just in front of him. She wouldn't want to want into such a place appearing to be submissive to him, it would lose her all potential credibility. With a queer smile she turned her head to look into his eyes, noticing for the first time that they were much the same color as her own, "So you are the strongest of the males then? That says something."
"Oh yes," he nodded, chest puffing out. "I'm already a good hunter. I look a lot like my mom. Kepo's real jealous of that, I think." He snicked to himself, finding immense pleasure in this fact. "My dad, his name is Sudaj, he isn't so bad, really. Just kind of dumb, not really dumb like my cousin and like Bekeli. You are real lucky that I found you today," he added, falling back behind her slightly as they drew closer to the lands his mother and aunt had laid claim to.
