Jazua wasn't hungry any more, having eaten her fill of the antelope with the broken leg she'd killed. Putting it out of its misery hadn't been as easy as it sounded, but she'd managed just fine, and without injury to herself either. But once her belly was full, she opted to linger. There was plenty to make another meal of, and she could do with the rest. She'd been traveling for an extended amount of time, trying to track down her wayward twin. Foolish girl, off seeking true love and finding only harsh reality. She was certain Jazi was out here somewhere and needed Jazua to rescue her. In the meantime however, there was the matter of the carcass to tend. She was wanting to sleep near it and feast again in the morning if she could before heading off again into the empty lands. There was just one problem. Jackels. A small pack of them had gathered and were muttering amongst themselves. Jazua stood over her kill and glared at them. "Just you try it, you little scavengers. I'll add you to the menu." She bared her fangs and hissed aggressively at them. Truth was, if many more gathered, she might just be in trouble.
Roaming the lands beyond the Ukuucha'Wafalme was a lot more simpler than a lion from the pride would think. Open space, no sultan to be cautious around, and the general lack of repression could do a lion good.But the dark brown young adult missed it. There were many females in these plains that needed a pad to adhere to, and he felt himself rather obligated to teach these immoral and improper females a thing or two. It was just sad how there was one of him, and many, many unaware lionesses. He could only stretch himself so far for these needing souls.
He had already taken along with him a rather large, untamed, and bewildering thing. Korofi-uzulu, the black and white, red and orange, childlike beast of a female was a rare find indeed, and, while very much improper, would be soon tempered into an impeccable banu. Such was the way of Akram'raja; he would extend a paw towards any banu in need of his guidance.
And perhaps by no mere coincidence during this reflection, he came across a ruckus of small voices beyond the hill to his side. Not a second later, he heard a faint angry voice of a female, and began to make a slow, curious stride towards the noises.
When he arrived at the top of the hill, he looked down to notice a few things almost concealed within the tall grasses: a brown, almost muddy lioness, the stench of blood coming from a carcass, and a few jackal encircling the lioness. This was a new sight for him: had a banu from the Ukuucha'Wafalme been situated like this, she would have already had the jackals scattering.
"Finding yourself a little overwhelmed and inept, aren't we, female?" he called from atop the hill, staying firmly in place.
She cast a glance in the direction of the male voice, her gaze not lingering at all. Her ears pinned flat at being called inept. She was hardly inept by any stretch of the imagination. "Would I still be alive and feasting were I all that inept?" she snapped back. "If you think me so incapable, you are welcome to come resolve the situation. If not, then keep your opinions to yourself."
One of the jackals had taken advantage of her speaking and apparent distraction to dart in. He managed to sink his teeth into the meat of one shoulder, but Jazua had been watching the little thieves, not the male she was talking to. Before the small canine could tear off a piece, she had swung a paw. He tumbled and rolled away from the carcass, stunned senseless by the heavy strike. She growled further challenge to the others. "Come on, just you try it." Her tail lashed and she paced in a circle around her prize.
He had found a feisty one - that was for sure. These females, he pondered, were the type that his vizier father would have enjoyed. But that was not the case for him. So, in response to her retorts, he snarled angrily and began a sprint downwards from his place. The distance was not far, and his speed was aided from running onto lower grounds; in an instant, he found himself right behind the jackals who had mistakenly paid less heed to him in lieu of the lioness's feast.
With a flash of his paws, he struck down a jackal that had been in his way and quickly lowered his head to crunch its neck. He was brave, paying no attention to the other jackals that were right beside him; he could have easily gotten a scratch from one. But his sudden movement and attack must have been so impromptu that the surprise scared the broken jackal's companions away. A low growl issued forth from his throat, and he swung the limping form in his mouth harshly before throwing it back onto the ground.
"I will speak when I wish, female," he roared at the lioness, "For I am Pad Akram'raja of the Ukuucha'Wafalme. You are honored by my introduction, and had this jackal not been in the way..."
He gestured to the dead jackal on the ground, "That would have been your neck."
Well, that was unexpected. She watched him toss the body away, finding his method rather dramatic and overdone. Her ears pinned back again though at him roaring in her face. She wasn't deaf, after all. She glared right back at him, unrepentant for whatever crime she seemed to have committed against this blowhard.
His implication was laughable, however. Her eyes narrowed calculatingly. He'd at least gotten rid of those pests for her, so there was something to be gained here. More, perhaps, should she play her cards right. She was no fool. If she could manage to allow this dominant male to think he was getting his way, perhaps some of her troubles could be dealt with. But at what price?
For now, she'd play his game, though in her own way. "If you say so," she shrugged lightly and turned away, showing she was generally unimpressed. "I do appreciate the help, however." She moved to the other side of the dead antelope, looking back at him with lids half-lowered. "To the victor go the spoils... though I assume you intended to take them anyway." Her tone was mocking, her spirit clearly unbowed by his showy display of strength and power.
At least he had gotten rid of some of the contempt that had laced the female's voice earlier in her words. He was certain that because of this display, he could teach the female some manners by the end of the day. This became more reachable when she was clearly offering her bounty to him. As well, it seemed she was going to offer it to him regardless of his aid to her dire pleas.
Akram'raja liked this; she must have already had a notion of where her place was.
As he moved towards the antelope, pushing his maw into the flesh that was all too fresh! It was apparent that the female had made the kill quite recently - most of his meals shared at the Ukuucha'Wafalme had been dirtied when the banu dragged the bodies back into the pride. But this meal... was rather pleasant.
Meanwhile, he was ignoring whatever tone or words the female had to offer. It had been enough that she had cried out to him in need, and showed what she thought to be an adequate appraisal. There would be time to learn later. However, there was also one thing on his mind that made this female rather odd... And it was that he hadn't seen her before, when he had seen all the others before their actual encounter. Perhaps there was something different about this meeting?
He raised his head from his meal, inquisitive eyes glaring at the female, now focusing on her. Perhaps he wasn't making as big of an impression because he was still young and growing into an adult, he had to admit at least.
"I'm on my way home from a long journey, female. Your appearance... reminds me of some from home," he said thoughtfully during his observation; it was impossible that she and her father's banu, Ukoo, were related, but her markings did remind him of Ukoo and her offspring - his half-siblings.
"This was a good antelope, but you could have done better," he remarked - and that was as close of a vaguely honest compliment Akram'raja could give, "As your behavior can too."
"You would be honored that I offer you some lessons in that area."
Her eyes narrowed further, the more he spoke. So, not just melodramatic, but pompous as well? She gritted her teeth against his lofty way of assuming he was better than she, reminding herself of the benefits of letting him have what he thought was his way. Of course, it wasn't possible to stay entirely quiet. "I would, now would I?" She cocked a shoulder and gave him a skeptical look. "And why exactly is it I should look to you for such... lessons?" The last was said between clenched teeth. His way of addressing her flippantly was getting to her. She was an individual, not an object!
"I don't suppose one so high and mighty as yourself bothers learning the names of ones so lowly and stupid as I, hmm?" Her tone was clearly sarcastic, voice sing-songy and the words bitten off sharply. He had some nerve! "Of course, what use has so mighty a hunter, who takes others kills as his own, for the name of the one who actually kills what he feasts upon?" Her word choice was much more flowery than she normally would, but it was done in mocking of his own snooty mannerisms. Was it really worth enduring this for a little protection and help taking down prey? She smoothed the bristles rising between her shoulder blades, biting her tongue to keep from saying anything more.
The female was asking so many questions; Akram'raja would have thought that perhaps this was a good thing for a banu-in-training; they could be given some allowances if they had no knowledge of the pride's laws... And questions often led to answers one could draw from to learn. However, the way she was delivering it wasn't so favorable. He had to keep himself from snapping at her face, so instead, he offered a moment of silence to ponder how he could deal with the crude thing in front of him. At the very least, he could take her home to offer to his father, who actually liked such savage beasts of females like this one.
"You are correct, female, I do not care for your name. I could give you a name myself if I pleased, and you would be graced if such a thing occurred. And if you remember, you had rightly offered me your kill. Perhaps I have mistakenly judged your promise?" he posed, quirking a brow at her.
"You are far from stupid - That I can tell, when you compare to even a male, my eldest brother, for example, who wouldn't be able to scratch a sickly fawn if he so attempted. I imagine you could do very well if your claws were tempered like our banu. You would not find yourself in such a... compromising situation as you did prior to my arrival. They go out on group hunts together, and are also praised to be the most beautiful lionesses of the lands."
He smirked, "That's what they say, anyways. You wouldn't know unless you've seen them."
Well, this could be a good thing. If she could get herself into this pride's banu... system, perhaps she could weather the leaner time of year and leave to find her twin at a more favorable time. Still, he made it sound like it was his training and mere being that made the lionesses beautiful. She wrinkled her nose, crinkling her lips and sweeping her whiskers forward. At least he'd had the wisdom to say she wasn't stupid, she had to give him that much credit. Though what his brother had to do with it was beyond her. "What promise do you claim I made?" she caught herself demanding with a growl. "I said you'd take it anyway, didn't I?"
She gave a cough of a chuff, a dry sort of laugh. All his prattling was mostly just empty boasts and extraneous words that were of no use to his purpose. In fact, she wasn't sure she could exactly say what his purpose was, aside from bragging about the pride's females as if he was solely responsible for their wonderfulness. "The way you talk, it seems like you'd be better known for your males," she said, mentally adding the word "egos" at the end of that sentence.
His lips pursed, displeased by the growl coming from the female. But if he was to offer her to his father, it would be better to offer her without a scratch. She would be all new and clean for his father to put his black paws on... and then he would look even greater than his brothers, bringing more than just a banu back to the Ukuucha'Wafalme.
"Your promise, female," he spoke with irritation, "Your potential, female."
Choosing to ignore the other nonsense spewing from the female, seeing that she lacked something that he would value in his banu, Akram'raja smiled at her conclusion and nodded gruffly, "That too..."
"The Ukuucha'Wafalme stretches far and wide; we are a large group. Even you can find a place there, female. I have no intention of making you my own, but I have an obligation to seek promising females to our pride. My time is stretching thin, for I am due to come back with my other roaming brothers through these lands. You would be honored to have me as your guide to our lands."
Akram'raja then turned around, lacking the motivation to strongly persuade his company. He already had gotten what he needed; any more would be a pleasant bonus, but not if they were as troubling and irritating as this female.
The way he worded things was just so infuriating! But what he offered was appealing nonetheless. She had to make a quick decision, right here and now. Follow the pompous buffoon and learn more about this pride, or continue on her own as water dried up and prey dwindled. With a sigh she resigned herself and padded after him. "Then guide me, by all means," she said conversationally, eyeing him sideways. She'd need to tread lightly, but in truth he wasn't all that bad. So long as he didn't roar in her face again. The rest she could tolerate reasonably well.
Without further comment she followed behind him, assuming behind was more likely to be to his liking that beside, her mind whirling about this risky decision. She'd clearly have to learn more about his pride, but she was sure it wouldn't be hard to coax it out of him. He seemed intent on 'fixing' her, so surely he'd impart such vital knowledge to one so unworthy as she? She rolled her eyes in wordless exasperation. Now she was even thinking in those flowery, over-worded ways he spoke. This was going to be a loooooong dry season.
