Name Quest
Part 2 – Scavengers
Characters: Ruka, Juba, Marakl, Kalpana, Jemadari
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Ruka shook her head in disbelief. “So you don’t miss them at all?”
“Why should I? I never knew my father. He was just the necessary body in order to create life, after all. No love, no emotion. My mother wanted him to reproduce and she took him. Poor thing. Then he left and we were born. Mother was a fine mother. Taught me to take care of myself: hunt, track, fight.” At Ruka’s look, Juba smiled. “Oh, I can fight. A good fighter. Very talented, one of the best in my family. Out in these unclaimed lands a girl needs to know how to defend herself. Depending on how long you remain outside, you may discover that yourself.” Juba waved a paw at Ruka. “You are weighty, young and pretty. Perfect for a male wishing to plant his seed. If he wants you, he will try to take you. You must be strong to see that this does not happen. Be swift, dart back and forth. Lunge with teeth at the shoulders. Lame him then flee. Works every time.”
“You sound so light-hearted about it but I can’t shake the feeling that you’re being serious.”
“Oh, I am. Deadly serious.”
Ruka curled a lip. “Well, I do hope I won’t be around long enough to bump into one of these males.”
“Hopefully not. But you never know. You might enjoy it. I met some girls who did. Always wondered why. A few reasons. Never came to a sound conclusion. Asked once. She giggled at me.”
“I think I’m going to finish off that little antelope I killed earlier. I’d be happy to share some with you.” Ruka added. For all this female’s mad ways, she was at least an honest and genuine person. Besides that, Ruka was rather interested in her opinions.
“Kind. Considerate. Definitely a pride cat.” Juba replied. “I’ll help, though.”
“Good.”
The pair rounded the rocks and padded swiftly along the compact ground beneath their paws – baked hard by the relentless sun. And, as they drew closer, they realised, in the same instant, that someone had found the meat. Luckily for them, that someone was still there.
With a growl, Ruka charged forwards, more confident to have Juba chuffing away at her side.
“Drop it!!”
The scavenger – a young black hyena – bristled at the sound of her voice and turned his eyes to peer across at the approaching lionesses. His jaws were latched around the torn leg and he’d only just started dragging it when he’d been caught red-pawed. He dropped it in an instant and laid back his ears. “Kalpana! You were supposed to be lookout!”
“Sorry, Mar!” Another small, long-nosed face poked out from the hedgerow on the slope above. Not a hyena, but a wild dog with peach coloured fur and bright green eyes. She smiled down at the lionesses and pulled herself out of the bushes to meet them. “Saw something and went to look. Thought it was a hare but…I think I was mistaken.”
The hyena rolled his eyes. “I’ll be lookout next time.”
“But you’re stronger than me.” The female wild dog whined.
“Be quiet. Both of you. This is my food.” Ruka informed firmly. “And only I choose who to share it with.”
The pair of non-lions blinked back at her cluelessly and Juba leaned in to whisper in the brown lioness’ ear. “That’s not how it works out here. See it. Take it. Not meant to be cruel, just matter of survival.”
“Even still…” Ruka trailed.
“We weren’t stealing the food for ourselves.” The wild dog interjected. She was a small, long-legged creature and Ruka had never seen one before. She’d seen hyenas at a distance, but never one this close. Hyenas were small but sturdy and they looked strong. Perhaps she had been too bold to approach one like this.
“I don’t see anyone else.”
“He’s waiting back at the den.”
“Kalpana’s baby.” Marakl added helpfully.
“Oh…” Ruka felt her resolve begin to fade and she turned to meet Juba’s gaze. Seemingly able to read her thoughts, Juba shook her head. “Charity is a misplaced concept out here in the wilds. Best to get out of the habit.”
“That’s not how we work as a pride.” Ruka returned. “We look out for one another.”
“Waste of time out here. No loyalty. None at all. Everyone takes care of themselves.”
“Not everyone.” Kalpana replied, wagging her tail fiercely.
Meanwhile, the hyena had inched back to the meat and – despite Juba’s warning growls – had begun to drag it away again.
“You only have the one baby?” Ruka enquired, curious.
“One baby unlikely unless poor mother or…not as virile as the rest of her species.” Juba replied for her. “Seen mother dogs with litters of thirteen and fourteen. True, not all survive. Some snapped up by other predators: lions, hyenas. Birth rate to make up for that. Less pups, greater chance of them all surviving. This one baby, good chance, unless mother is really bad.”
“I’m not a bad mother!” Kalpana insisted, though her determination faltered. “But…he’s not…he’s not really my baby. I’m taking care of him.”
“For who?” Ruka asked.
“He’s lost. We’re trying to get him home.”
“But they’re not doing a very good job.” A small voice answered and all eyes turned towards a small golden cub who had hopped down to look at them. He was a large cub, almost upon his juvenile stage, with a simple but pretty gold and white pelt. The markings looked vaguely familiar and Ruka guessed that he must have been a cub from the pridelands, particularly with his traditional coloured pelt.
“Which way were you going.”
Marakl pointed his blunt muzzle over his shoulder. “That way.”
“No. You’re heading in the wrong direction.
“How do you know?” Kalpana asked with wide eyes. “Do you have magic? Do you have the sight?
“What?”
“Nonsense.” Juba replied. “And even if she did, those far-seers aren’t to be trusted.”
Ruka shook her head, ears flapping. “No. You come from the pridelands, right?”
The cub nodded. “That’s where these guys were supposed to be taking me. I didn’t think it was right but they said they knew!” He shot the pair of non-lions an accusing look and Kalpana shrunk away with guilt.
“We thought we knew.” Marakl replied.
“Don’t worry.” Ruka sighed. “I have family in the pridelands, I know where it is. I can guide you back.”
“All of us?” Kalpana asked hopefully.
“Why?”
“We’d like to make sure he gets home okay.”
“Okay, I’ll guide all of you.” Ruka sighed, nodding at the hyena to offer the meat to the cub.
“I’m Jemadari, by the way.” The little cub added before diving onto the meat with great enthusiasm.
Ruka looked up at the faces all around her and smiled. Somehow she’d managed to find a pride outside of the pride; a little band that had come together quite coincidentally. Well, in any case, it certainly beat being alone.
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