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Niu had woken up on the wrong side of the den, and every little thing Sen and Nsundu did just grated on her. Always Sen and Nsundu, never Sen or Nsundu. They were constant company, able to predict the other's next move, finish one another's sentences, and be twice as annoying as they were individually. Niu's last nerve had been abused for far too long by the duo. As a cub she had marveled at how in sync they could be. Their harmony was like a sweet song. A duet, to be specific, with no part for a third voice.
By adolescence, when a lioness was already feeling vulnerable and unsure about her place in the world, she felt like a complete outsider. Or a mascot. Definitely not a daughter and certainly not an equal.
Niu blamed that and her foul mood in present day on them.
The patter of pebbles against a rock wall was the prologue to loud, pernicious snaps of crocodile jaws. They were many feet below the lioness, lurking around the shore; too long to fully emerge from dingy waters that their tail still sank into.
Niu didn't know where they were anymore. Some place that had a cliff, a swamp, and crocodiles to take her frustrations out on. She alternated between tossing pieces of meat from the dead vulture at her side and knocking them in the head with any rubble that was within reach.
Never had she looked so dispirited.
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Dastell was a friend of the present, an enemy of the past, and until recently, a neutral acquaintance of the future. One too many plans had not come into fruition or gone awry half way through and getting lost out here was the last straw. This place was dark, dank, and dreary. The only vegetation grew in sparse patches. Not enough to feed prey, and without prey, there was nothing to feed him.
Far as he could tell, things would only continue to get worse.
The future sucked and so did this place, wherever it was. Go figure someone else could tolerate it.
He'd have thought the lioness was in the same predicament as him except she was plenty cozy there by the cliff. Her despondent expression made his stomach turn. He didn't know why he kept running into females with problems. They were either too cheery, mad seductresses, or looked suicidal. Dastell couldn't see the vulture as it lay dead on her opposite side.
What was she doing, anyway?
Curious, he took wide steps to reach the edge and boldly peered over. He stayed out of reach of the lioness, but not out of earshot.
"What are those?"
The delay between lion's question and Niu's answer was just long enough for her to get a look at him and decide whether or not he trying to make a fool of her. His bewilderment was determined to be authentic because Niu wasn't convinced anyone could fake disgust that intense. And they were worthy of it, weren't they. Bottomless stomachs wrapped up in flesh that was both scaly and slimy and equipped with teeth too plentiful and too sharp.
Niu supposed it wasn't that outlandish there were lions who had never seen a croc. She whacked another rock over the side and hit one near the eye. "They're crocodiles."
"They're the ugliest things I've ever seen," the lion said blandly.
Niu shrugged. She'd never had much endurance for encounters that were through and through social. It didn't matter to her if she was viewed as snobby or overly reserved. She tried to appease him but already the patience she had for it was waning. "I wouldn't say that to them up close. They're as nasty as they look."
"That's why I'm not asking why you're tormenting them. Do you happen to know the way out of here?"
"No."
The lion frowned. Niu could see it from the corner of her eye. "Thanks anyway."
"Mhm."
She thought that would be the last she saw of him.
Dastell would admit he wasn't known to be reverent or tasteful. There were certain things he was as respectful of as anybody else, though, and one of them was the right to privacy. Not everyone needed love and affection to ease their aches. Some lions just needed some space, quiet, and to be left alone.
That was all well and good, but yikes, she was still there?
He'd been traipsing around these wastelands all day. When in doubt, walk in a straight line. When that straight line leads you to a thirty foot drop, it's time to back track.
He recognized that rock, that tree -- and that lioness.
The bird beside her was no more. Dastell had noticed it when he'd left earlier. The only reasonable deduction was she'd tossed it to the crocodiles. One quick glance later, he realized they were no longer present either. Just her and her somber face.
Dastell sighed.
Damn it...
He got closer. "Hey... You need help? I know which way leads out of here now. Process of elimination."
Niu had lost track of time somewhere between cursing her mother and daydreaming about leaving. She'd considered taking off before; it became a daily affair when things got especially tough, like now. In her imaginary act of defiance she'd leave without a word and never speak to either of them again.
All of it easier said than done. How would she hunt alone? The only methods she knew had to be executed by a trio. Furthermore, where would she go? Could she thrive just following the direction of the wind by her lonesome forever?
Her mind went blank watching the crocodiles shred the vulture she'd finally surrendered in whole. They retired to the waters after that and the bumps of their back disappeared one by one in the muck.
Had Dastell opted to say quiet, who knew how long Niu would have taken to acknowledge him.
She must have resembled someone pathetic when she looked at him. She wasn't. She was intelligent, crafty, and too good for this lifestyle. Sen and Nsundu treated her like a toy that they only wanted when they were bored.
All she had to do was go. Just decide and go.
On all four paws, Niu waited. "Lead the way, stranger."