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Mkaguzi had been on the trail of the murdering lioness for several days, but so far he hadn't caught any breaks. The lady knew she'd been found out, and she was on the run. She was fast, too. Mkaguzi was determined, but he wasn't as fast as the lioness. He sensed he was falling further and further behind.

He would just have to hope for a break. Sooner or later, she would slip up. Maybe something would delay her. Mkaguzi had to remain optimistic. He would find this lioness and bring her in, no matter how long it took. It was his calling.

Spotting something in the distance, Mka squinted. It wasn't the lioness, but maybe it was a witness. Or even an accomplice. Hmmm. He trotted towards the strange hyena, alert for any sign of danger. "Hello, miss!" Best to be friendly, even if the hyena dame might be in league with the lioness.

Esperanza had left Lesu asleep in their den, ready to explore for the new day. Life was going beautifully, and she was just the happiest damn hyena around.

She pranced through the tall grasses of the savannah with steadfast resolve. She had been staying inside with Lesu, until he had been comfortable on his own.

It had taken weeks, but she was okay with that.. She was aware what he was like, when she had met him. Her heart warmed when she thought of him, and she felt it flutter just a little bit more.

She had been digging a termite mound when the other hyena found her. Her pink nose digging into the earth and her paws digging into the side of the mound. She lapped up a few stragglers that came out to defend their home, and continued her mission. She loved the taste of termites, they were almost like a little snack that she could have as many as she wanted.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, pulling her nose out from the mound and blushing, her ivory cheeks staining pink. She had a few stray termites crawling through her fur, and when she felt it she began to shake them off, and then stopped. A smile formed on her maw as she looked the other hyena over. It wasnt often she ran into hyenas, like herself. She lived close to father, and she lived with Lesu..That was about it.

The pale hyena-ess seemed friendly. Maybe a bit shy. She didn't strike Mkaguzi as suspicious, but appearances could be decieving. The friendliest face could be hiding anything. Still, it seemed unlikely that the pleasant hyena would be an accomplice of the murderous lioness, so Mkaguzi decided not to suspect her immediately.

"Hello," Mkaguzi repeated, smiling himself. He bowed his head slightly. "I'm Mkaguzi, miss. Nice to see a friendly face!" He would ask her if she'd seen the lioness, but first it was best to chat a bit. Ease her mind. If she was too shy to even greet him, it would be difficult to get information out of her.

She wasnt shy, so much as inexperienced. She had never really had the chance to meet others like herself, and when Timur had broken her heart,
and Lesu had come into her life.. She realized how very little Hyena interaction she truly got. Honestly it was odd to see another hyena out here
where she was. Most of the time, lions and cheetahs frequented these parts. The occasional wild dog would come to steal a meal, but other thanthat..

"Pleasure." She said bowing her head a bit. Where she was inexperienced with hyenas, she had manners and knew how to meet others. She smiled, flicking her tiny tail excitedly like a puppy might. Her eyes glittered as she looked the tan hyena over. His base color looked like father, and Lesu.. But his oranges were quite different than what she was used to.

"Im called Esperanza, or Esper by my friends.. Its not often I run into others like myself." She giggled.

The last few hyenas Mkaguzi had met hadn't been nearly so thrilled to see him. It was surprising, and a little gratifying. Mkaguzi was perfectly content to roam with his sister and his irritating son, but it was nice to meet new people now and then. It was unfortunate that many strange hyenas were a bit ... touchy.

"Esperanza," Mka repeated, amused by the other hyena's giggle. He didn't want to presume to be her friend. That might annoy Esperanza ... and he was beginning to enjoy speaking to her, beyond just wanting to get information from her. "I'm a traveler myself. I'm actually following a lioness ... big, tan. You haven't seen her, have you?"

Had she a lioness? She couldnt say she had.. Unless he was talking about her sister Valenera..and even then she wasnt sure where that lioness had gotten off to. That, and she was white.. So Esperanza took on a thoughtful gaze, obviously trying to focus on who she had met these past few days. Deciding that she hadnt seen her, she shook her head sadly. She had hoped she had, so she could help the male. She shrugged a little, just a quick roll of the shoulders and smiled. When she shook her head, the bangs on her head brushed in her eyes and she sneezed.

"No, Im sorry. I havent.. Was it really important?" She asked, wondering if she needed to leave the new guy alone so that he could find the one he searched for. Maybe it was his sister too.. She hadnt thought much that she was the only hyena with a lion sister.. In her mind, it was possible for everyone.

"Id help you look.. But I shouldnt go too far into the rogue lands. Im already far from my den as is." She chuckled.

Mkaguzi was slightly disappointed when the hyena shook her head. He had hoped that she would at least be a witness, give him some clues ... if he fell any further behind the lioness he was trailing he might lose track of her entirely.

Oh, well. Mkaguzi had faced many disappointments in his life, and he was never too discouraged. A detective who gave up easily wouldn't be able to solve his way out of a paper bag. Mkaguzi smiled reassuringly. Esperanza seemed a bit downhearted that she hadn't seen the lioness. "No, it's fine," Mka said. It was tempting to come clean. He didn't want this pretty hyena wandering off looking for a lioness capable of murder. But he would be a pretty poor detective if he went around telling strangers all about his business.

"I'm looking for her as a favor for a friend." A client, but close enough. "It doesn't matter. I'll catch up with her eventually. For now, it's nice to talk with someone. I usually travel with my sister and son, and I haven't seen them in days." It was strange to miss their bickering, but after a few days without them he did miss it. "Do you live with your family, Esperanza?" Now that he knew she wasn't a witness, it was just a friendly question.

She sighed a breath of relief whenever he told her it was okay that she hadnt seen the lioness. It eased the tension in her muscles, and she took another deep breath. Why was she acting so weird? As if she'd never met another hyena. She really must have been locked away in the den with Lesu for far too long. She normally wasnt such
an awkward female. Most times, she happened to be a charming sweetheart. For the time being though, she felt awkward, as if she needed to impress this male, since he was the first male of her species other than father and Lesu she had run into in forever..

When he spoke of not seeing his sister and son, her face formed an "O". She had a sad look in her eyes.. Was his son missing? That wasnt pleasant, not at all. He seemedso friendly and ready to chat for someone who had lost their family.

"I have a father in the area..But I live with my mate, Lesu." She said with a happy nod. She was happy she could call him her mate. It had taken forever to call him her mate. But now that she could it was the most rewarding feeling she'd ever felt.

"You've lost your son? Uhoh! Do you think hes okay?" She asked, knowing if she lost her son she'd be a worried mess..Of course..that was if she ever HAD a son.

Mkaguzi nodded at the mention of a father and mate. That was nice. He felt sorry for people that had no family at all. Even though his own family could be ... trying, at times, the thought of living alone was horribly depressing. Not to mention dangerous! "I'm glad you have family," Mkaguzi said. "I wouldn't like living alone."

"No, no, I haven't lost him," Mka laughed. "He's grown. I left my sister and him behind for a while to go look for this lioness. They can take care of themselves ... if they ever stop fighting." He sighed, thinking of their bickering. That long-ago fling had been a terrible mistake ... but it had been an even worse mistake to leave the female without waiting to see if she was carrying pups. They might have been spared a whole lot of fighting if Kuiba had been raised by Mkaguzi and his sister instead of some rogue female. "They're both, er, strong personalities. They bicker. Sometimes it's a relief to get away from them." Mkaguzi smiled at the pretty hyena, not wanting to sound like a total downer. "It's nice to break the silence, though. I've started to miss all the squabbling."

Oh! So the son was grown and she could take a relieving breath as she nodded. She supposed she was a worry wart for the most part, but sometimes someone being worriedf or you was a matter between life and death. She smiled, and flicked her tail again. She almost seemed to wag it like a dog might. Course she was no Wild Dog, and her tail was considerably shorter.. She still enjoyed wagging it, though it was a self conscious thing. She wouldnt have liked to be alone either. until she met Lesu she had been alone, traveling as a rogue. She had been met with danger a few times but luckily she seemed to have the speed to remove herself from dangerous places.

"Thats good, I was scared for you for a minute." She chuckled, and thought about what he was saying about his family. It was sure a shame that his sister and son argued. Her father was a strong personality, and tended
to argue with others, but never his family. She was rather lucky, she supposed.

"Aw what a shame. Im sorry to hear that, but I guess its better like that than not being alive, right?" She smiled, trying to think positive.

Esperanza really was a sweetheart. Mkaguzi had met many hyenas in his day, and he didn't think he'd ever met one quite as nice as her. It had been a good idea to take a break from searching. He still felt as though he were falling further and further behind, but it was worth it to chat with this nice hyena. Chasing the lioness was about determination rather than speed, after all.

He didn't know quite what to make of her comment, and considered it for a moment. Better than not being alive ... well, that was definitely true. A bit morbid, but true. He laughed. "Yes, definitely better than not being alive," Mkaguzi said. He shrugged. He had come to terms with their arguing long ago. It didn't much bother him now ... except for when he tried to step in the middle of it and separate them. "Maybe one day they'll stop their arguing." He grinned. "I'd still rather have them around than no one at all. When you have pups, Esperanza, raise them well. I didn't meet my son until he had grown up ... I think that's why he and my sister don't get along well." Although his words were serious, his tone was light. Mkaguzi's family wasn't perfect, but he was quite happy with it.

She smiled, and nodded. She would gladly raise them well, or so she hoped. She wasnt sure what it took to be a mother, and the female likely wouldnt for a loong time. But she supposed she would be
ready when the time came. She hadnt really had the desire for pups in awhile since Lesu had left his home by the river and followed her to the den lands closer to her father. He had been waiting for
his own family, and they never came. She wondered what had happened to them, but deep inside she wondered if they were dead. Why else would they leave someone as amazing as her Lesu? She left her thoughts though,
and went back into reality.

"Oh I plan on it. One day I shall get so lucky." She smiled. The sun was warming her back, but she noticed that it was turning the sky shades of orange and purple. She knew what that meant, that meant the sun would be going down, and would coat the lands in darkness. She hated being caught in the darkness. So she smiled politely, hoping she would run into the male once more sometime.

"I should probably go. It was a pleasure to meet you! I hope your family is well, and I hope you find what it is youre looking for."
She said with a tinge of happiness in her voice.

If there was anyone more suited to being a mother, Mkaguzi hadn't met her. He was sure that her pups wouldn't grow up to be like his son. How could they, with such a sweet mother? Mka was a bit disappointed when she said her goodbyes, but he was still happy to have met her. He smiled at the kind hyena. "It was a pleasure to meet you too, Esper!" He said, using her nickname now. Mkaguzi and his family spent much of their time roaming from one place to the next, following their cases, but he did hope he would see this nice female again. "The next time I pass through here, I'll look for you."