Kepo was actually starting to enjoy himself out in the rogue lands. He didn’t like being on his own, but there were definitely perks to be had. The females adored him, for one thing. He hadn’t found the perfect lady yet, but it certainly wasn’t through lack of trying. And maybe later on he would have some pups to bring back to the pack, if nothing else … hehehe.
When he spotted a hyena nosing about, his spirits perked for a second. But then he realized that the hyena wasn’t another pretty female after all, but a stupid male. Kepo’s grin immediately turned into a scowl. What was a stupid male doing here, mucking up his view? Kepo didn’t want a male. “Hey,” he snapped, stomping towards the unwelcome male. “What are YOU doing here?” Nevermind that Kepo was far from home, in lands owned by no one.
Mkaguzi had spoken to a hyena female just recently about Isipayisi, and gotten nowhere. The male approaching him didn’t look much like either Isipayisi or the grey hyena he had spoken to, but there was still hope that this young hyena might know something useful. Despite his rudeness. Mkaguzi had encountered many folk in his day, and had a lot of patience for dealing with irritable strangers. “Hello,” he said politely, nodding to the cranky brown hyena. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone called this place home.”
Kepo’s bluster failed him for a second in the face of the cream-colored hyena’s statement, but it returned with barely a pause. “This isn’t my home, but if it was I wouldn’t want you here,” he snarled, glaring daggers at the older male. He was all … splotchy and splotty. Kepo had never seen anyone with this hyena’s coloring and markings before, and he instantly disliked the whole theme. Bleagh. He shook his mane imperiously, going for the shampoo commercial effect and achieving something more akin to the wet-dog-shake.
Mkaguzi didn’t really know how to respond to the younger hyena’s arrogant snarling. He wasn’t afraid of the younger hyena, not unless he had a clan to back him up. And if there was no clan, well … Mka didn’t want to get into a fight with the young bully, but he wasn’t overly concerned about the possibility of being attacked. “I’ll be on my way soon enough,” he said, his tone cheerful. “Have you seen any female hyenas hereabouts?”
Kepo was already angry at this uggo stranger being in his way, but at the mention of females … this male was looking for ladies too! COMPETING WITH HIM! NO! NOOOO! Maybe he had already wooed all of the females in this area and Kepo’s efforts would be in vain! What if Kepo seduced a female and brought her home and she gave birth to a litter of ugly splotty spotty cubs?! Kepo’s eyes bulged with righteous rage and his fur puffed out like an angry tomcat’s. He was shorter than the cream colored hyena, but in his fury he felt like a giant among hyenas. “You better stay away from the females,” Kepo growled, taking one stiff-legged step towards the despised male.
Mkaguzi blinked, taking a step backwards. He had known that the adolescent male was irritable, but what had he said to infuriate the younger hyena so? Maybe the brown hyena had a mate stashed away somewhere that he was trying to defend. He shook his head. “No, no – I just want to know if you’ve seen one passing through. She’s colored a bit like me, cream and red –“
There was a strange humming in Kepo’s ears, and his vision was clouded with rage. He didn’t even hear the hideous spotted male explaining himself. All he heard was “Blah blah blah, I’m going to take your women and everyone will laugh at you. Especially Kele, that ugly little s**t. He has spots too.” He let out an incoherent shriek of wrath and leaped at the ugly male without a second thought, snapping his jaws and flailing wildly with his blunt claws.
Mkaguzi was flat-out astonished when the younger male attacked. “Hey!” he yelped, jumping back, trying to get out of range of the insane brown hyena’s teeth and claws. “Knock it off! What’s the matter with you?!” He jerked his head aside just in time to avoid Kepo’s gnashing teeth, which closed on his mane and ripped out a few hairs. Mkaguzi let out an indignant yelp of pain as he tore away, dodging the furious brown hyena’s attacks. This was ridiculous. He was a nonviolent hyena, and didn’t much want to fight this crazy idiot, but he didn’t care for the idea of running away. He did have his pride, after all! Mkaguzi circled around, jumping back whenever the brown hyena lunged, waiting for the younger male to tire himself out a bit. As soon as the brown male began to slow, Mka charged at him, knocking him down. Mkaguzi promptly sat on the brown hyena, pinning him to the ground. “Settle down,” he said firmly. Maybe this was a rogue son with no father, just like his Kuiba. That might explain a few things…
Kepo squealed in anger and humiliation as he was knocked to the ground and pinned by the larger hyena. This was terrible. This was awful. This was probably the second worst day of his life, just slightly less horrible than the day that he had first met Kele. “I’ll kill you!” Kepo screamed dramatically, his voice slightly muffled as his cheek was pressed into the dirt. He scrabbled wildly with his feet, failing to connect with anything.
“You don’t have to kill anybody,” Mkaguzi said reasonably. “But you should learn some manners. You’re a bit small. You don’t want to go picking fights with people more dangerous than you.” Still not letting the younger hyena up, he shifted slightly to keep Kepo pinned.
Small? People more dangerous than him? The blows to his pride would have been shattering, if this fool’s outrageous statements had been true. They weren’t, of course. This ugly jerk was jealous of Kepo’s handsomeness and intelligence. “Let me UP!” Kepo screamed at the top of his lungs. He took a deep breath and swallowed a mouthful of dirt, causing him to choke. “Umpf! UMPF!” His flailing grew wilder.
Concerned, Mkaguzi got up. He had wanted to knock some sense into this silly young hyena, not injure him. He stood back, watching as the coughing brown hyena scrambled to his feet and stood there with his head down, hacking and spitting dirt. “Are you all right?” Mkaguzi asked, gazing at the striped hyena with worry in his eyes.
As soon as he regained his breath, Kepo spat at the white and red hyena and let out a warbling yell of pure hatred. “I’ll come back and kill you later!” Kepo wailed, tears of fury and shame standing out in his reddened eyes. “I’ll kill you and Kele both! BOTH OF YOU!” Some of the oxygen had been squashed out of him when the cream hyena sat on him, and Kepo felt a bit wobbly, both in the feet and in the brain. He made a drunken about-face and ran, stumbling slightly. Oh, how he hated that horrid hyena. How he hated him.
Mkaguzi watched the brown hyena go, feeling somewhat bewildered by the whole encounter. Well, it seemed as though the brown hyena was okay, if he could run and scream at the same time. Mkaguzi shook his head, turning to go himself. Someone would have to teach that terrible brown hyena some manners. Mkaguzi was thankful that it wouldn’t have to be him.
WC: 1280