[PRP] (Aruná, Janja'Nafsi)

[Annchen]

Aruná wasn't one to dwell on the past. She had lost her parents before she even knew she had them, and many of the cubs she had been raised with had been sacrificed during the bad times. The spirits had been unhappy and many sacrifices had to take the journey to the spirit world to try to make things right. The plague hadn't lifted, not even when the heart decided it was time to send warrior sacrifices.

She had lost her parents, most of the cubs she was raised with, many of her old minders, and in the end her pride and her home. It hadn't been possible to stay when their society started to crumble. She had her sister with her at least, and a warrior of the pride had joined them. They had each other and she still hunted to help support the three of them. Life went on, and she didn't dwell on what the spirits might have to say about that.

She had caught a gazelle and was carrying it back to their current camp. Janja'Nafsi was there but she couldn't see Udongo. Her sister might also be hunting, and she wasn't really worried. So far they hadn't met anything that could harm them, and they all seemed to have escaped the illness that had decimated their pride until all that was left was strife, confusion and lions dying.  

[Ameh]

Idle paws found themselves scratching at the dirt beneath them, ready for just about anything to come up so that they might see action. The large, black lion's orange eyes previously watched the scenery, intent for any sign of life. But he just couldn't keep it up - his eyes wandered downwards, latching onto the ground, and stayed there. He was a bored warrior - and retired, he could assume. There was nothing left for the lion to do but fidget on dirt, waiting.

His dedication never left him from the Mizimu'Tungika. It was the pride of his family since he was born that kept him going - striving to reach his goals throughout his life. He had not done many great things, nor did he really do his job well - not that he had many chances to prove himself. But he persisted in training, and was at least a helpful claw whenever anyone needed one. And he remained steadfast and loyal to the lions of his pride, which was an achievement in itself, considering much of the leaders' actions and pride members' motives.

Was he being disloyal by leaving the pride, after all had fallen after the plague?.. He tried to stay behind, search for some survivors, help ones too crippled to walk... but to no avail. The only ones left he could seem to actually help were Aruná and Udongo, two daughters of those who started that rebellion long ago. It still rang fresh in his memory, yet the thought never occurred to talk to either of the two about that. It never came up, and there were more dire topics to be considered after their departure from the Mizimu. What was going to be a brief escort from the lands became a longer, more permanent group. He couldn't complain; the two sisters were the only remnants he could find of the Mizimu that he could latch onto - for that, he was even a little grateful. They even hunted for him!

Not that he would ever intentionally consider using someone to his benefit, but it just was unfortunate that he had a harder time hunting because he was clumsy with his claws. Back in the Mizimu, he was one of the strongest warriors, but he simply did not know how to gracefully swing his paws, nor did he know how to position himself for prey. The fact that Aruná did most of the hunting with Udongo's help made him feel guilty at some times, but he had a hope that he would one day contribute... It would be in a manner he did not know yet, however.

His eyes flickered on the familiar orange and black form drawing closer to their groups little clearing, and he put on a small smile in anticipation of Aruná's return.

"Aruná," he called as she was close, "You... caught that? Maybe Udongo shouldn't have gone off to try and help us get more food, after all."

He eyed the gazelle a little hungrily, stomach making a faint rumble.

"But I suppose we should wait for her return..."  

[Annchen]

Aruná smiled at the compliment. It had been quite the hunt and she didn't mind being admired for her skills. Like any lioness she caught some and lost some. She liked to think the spirits made her miss often enough not to become too cocky. She knew she was good, but she tried to stay gracious about it. The warrior's growling stomach didn't go unnoticed and she put the gazelle down to be able to talk more easily.

"We can start if you want to," she offered, confident that there would be enough food to go around, "She'll get here eventually."

She made no move to start eating, however. Udongo and Aruná had never decided to let Janja'nafsi be the one to eat first, and he had never demanded it. It had just happened anyway. That small part of their society remained still. He was a warrior, and he would need to keep his strength in case his claws would be needed in the future.  

[Ameh]

He could not deny that all of Aruná's offerings were tempting to chomp down on straightaway. She always picked the best prey whenever she brought back something - or at least, everything she had fed him made his stomach very happy. Maybe it was simply comforting to partake in a meal with her, now that they were far, far away in the rogue lands.

Whatever the reason, he nodded a little meekly to her offer at first, stepping up to the carcass she dropped. It had been a while since Udongo's departure, so there was a good chance the darker sister would return any moment now, but...

"T-thank you," he stuttered out, always embarrassed that the two sisters did all the work, but still made it seem like he took priority in taking the first bites.

He was glad, however, that there wasn't a cruel haruspex around, or even a scryer to take out the different parts of their prey's body in their inspection. Their speculation and readings from the different body parts was a little disturbing at times if he had to eat from the same carcass.

His first bites on the gazelle were small, a little meek and humble in their taking, and a little bashful like Janja himself. After a few seconds of silence, he felt a compulsion to say something.

"Plump and healthy fresh as always, Aruná..." he spoke as his head raised with the bare hints of new blood in his near white hair and darkened muzzle, "Maybe even better than the prey the Mizimu'Tungika hunters brought to us. Good food must have been scarce near our home's ending, but still... Do you notice a difference..? When you hunt?"  

[Annchen]

The lioness was pleased with the compliment, but she didn't know that she hunted much differently than she had done at home. Well, not more than the obvious difference that she hunted alone or with Udongo now. She took pride in being able to bring home food from almost every hunting trip, even in the lean times when their prey had seemed to avoid the Mizimu lands.

"Some are the same and some are different I guess," Aruná said, "And I go after other things when I don't have a group to hunt with."

She thought some more about the differences between their home and their life as a travelling group. In Mizimu she had learned to associate certain types of prey with certain seasons but it was not the same to be on the move. She figured prey would be fatter during rainy seasons than during dry seasons no matter where she was. And the larger prey beasts were always more tempting during their birthing and mating seasons. Young animals and males with mating on their mind were easier to hunt.

"The spirits were really upset," she said quietly, "It's better here most of the time, and we can always move on if we encounter bad spirits."