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 Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:06 pm
Matifa, belly full, sat half-upright a few feet away, eyes scanning. Most of the pride was dozing for an afternoon nap in the sun, drying their pelts from the morning's rain. While she tried not to stare, it was hard to avoid the sight of a new face--a mother and her cub--such a short distance away. She glanced towards them and then immediately looked at Mvua for support.
"The cub must be hungry," Matifa attempted to strike conversation, perhaps drop a hint that they should share. As of now, the lioness and her cub had been restricted to leftover scraps. Thankfully, this time of year, there were plenty of scarps to be had.
"Then its mother can ask," came Nolaka's immediate, dry response. The adolescent sounded more bored than angry, seemingly undeterred by Matifa's elder status over her. She rotated her head to the opposite side and another loud crack moved across the quiet plains.
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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:38 pm
Currently beside a shrub, Mvua laid on her side, full belly poking out slightly. Life was definitely doing a lot better; might as well pack on a few extra pounds here and there in preparation for the coming drought. There always seemed to be a drought, or lack of food, or something not going their way. Not that it was a bad thing; it cut out the weak from the pride.
Her blue eyes rolled in mild annoyance at the adolescent's response. "They're new. They probably don't even know they can ask. Besides, if she did ask, would you share with them, Nolaka?" She asked as she rolled onto her back momentarily, her paws stretching well above her head before resuming her previous position.
"Moooom," Ukame groaned, shifting on her mother's paws as she tried to find some comfortable position. Nothing was comfortable when your belly ached though. "When are we going to be able to eat?" She asked, brown eyes looking up to her caretaker. The scraps were few and the nursing lionesses who even had room for another that wasn't their own were fewer it seemed.
"Shh, don't cry little one. You'll eat soon" Mcheni whispered as she ran her tongue over the top of the young cub's head as it laid between her paws, crying. The cub was hungry, still too young for solid food it wanted a mother's milk but Mcheni was not it's mother, nor could she provide for it. It was only thanks to the kindness of rogue mothers that the cub had even survived this far. "My little rainfall, your life will get better soon." Or at least she hoped it would.
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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:57 pm
The assault on the bone ceased. Nolaka's head tipped, her blue eyes settling onto Mvua. The spoiled Gakere daughter kicked one of her back legs out from underneath her, left shoulder shifting to the dirt.
"By all means, go play hero," Nolaka practically purred out. A long tongue swept up the length of the leg bone before she carefully tugged free a piece of leftover meat.
Matifa was staring again. Both her ears had jutted forwards, and her tail swished violently as she heard the pulling cries of the offspring.
"We could just," Matifa began to say, then bit her own tongue. Her dry mouth closed and she drew in a long breath. Maybe one of her sisters would have simply dragged a corpse over to the female.
But no one had yet.
"Maybe she's related to one of the Umholi." Matifa's suggestion was outrageous at best. It was possible that she was a sister to Surtak, but the cub looked more like something Buna might produce.
"Maybe she's a cub-theif," Nolaka countered.
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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 11:19 pm
Oh how she did not like this young lioness one bit. Spoiled to the core, it was only a matter of time until something knocked her down a peg. That something would not Mvua, not today at least.
"Or she could be a mother. We don't know, because no one's talked to her since she joined. Have either of you, because I know I haven't. Maybe I will go play hero, it definitely looks like those two could use one." Mvua retorted as she tucked her paws under her body, pushing herself up onto her legs. Of course she had to stretch first, no use pulling something. Stretching to her full length, the lioness wasn't exactly anything special as far as her looks were concerned. No exotic tuft or tail, no long legs, thin body or anything rare or unique like some. She was stocky, a little fat around the belly and face and had a large build that left much to be desired. With a mane, she could probably pass for a male.
As she stood, she grabbed one of the few bones the group had been gnawing on in her mouth, her teeth sinking into some of the meat left on it while others hit just bone. There was hardly anything left on it and what was on it had originally been Mvua's afternoon meal. With the haunch sticking out of one side of her mouth, she began to make her way over. Part of her hoped and listened for signs of Matifa following behind, but there was also part of her that expected her to stay behind and just wait.
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:09 pm
"Joined." The bone that Nolaka was holding rolled out of her paws as she chuckled. A lazy smile spread across her face and she stretched out on her side, laying her head flat against the ground. The sun was warm on her pelt, and her body felt tired. "If everyone who showed up ate a full meal, you'd starve," she mumbled, just-audibly. "She's probably looking for handouts"
One eye remained half-open, lazily following Mvua as she picked up a bone. The corners of her mouth retained the smirk. Had Mvua been looking to steal Nolaka's food, she would have encountered quite a different lioness. As it was, she was merely a source of amusement for the spoiled daughter of an Umholi.
As for the brown lioness, Mvua's estimations were both equally likely. She wavered, watching the bone and remaining pieces of meat get carried in the lionesses mouth.
She glanced down at what remained of her own food, feeling her gut clench at the already cracked piece of rib, meat neatly stripped off. Matifa did not waste food. Her mother would not have heard of it, and having siblings vying for the last scrap made it hard to justify leaving meat on the bone.
Mvua would hear the jogging footfalls behind her never the less. Matifa caught up, mouth empty, but not without something to offer.
"Why don't we ask her to hunt with us?" Certainly a hunt was the best way to learn about another lioness. How she dealt under pressure, what kind of personality lay underneath the surface. In the end, she would be allowed to eat soon after the males and their offspring. It would earn her respect, if they were successful.
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:30 pm
"A hmunt hm?" Mvua asked around the bone in her mouth, tossing a glance over her shoulder to look at Matifa. It wasn't a bad idea really, but someone would have to watch the cub that Mcheni was caring for. She couldn't just leave it by itself. It could wander off and get lost, or even snatched up a hyena if one was so brave to try.
Of course she completely ignored the words that had come out of Nolaka's mouth. It was almost better to just think them the buzzing of the flies then to justify it and continue their passive aggressive conversation.
The striped lioness looked up from humming to her cub just in time for the bone to be dropped from Mvua's mouth and rolled over towards her. "Wha..." Obviously confused, it was the only word, though partially spoken, she could get out of her mouth. Why in the world would these lionesses be helping her? There was meat on the bone after all! It was a meal, but...the intentions. Why would they share with a newcomer, even with prey plentiful? She knew their markings. They were prevalent within the pride, especially the stripes on the from legs on the younger of the three. But she did not know any of them personally to be able to judge their intentions to be noble in origin.
Mcheni's confusion quickly turned to suspicion as she put her paws around the young cub that lay in front of her, pulling it closer to her. "Why?"
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 2:09 pm
Why?
Matifa's head raised, as though the question had bit her gently on the nose. A glance was cast Mvua's way, and Matifa's ears rotated on her skull. Having never been asked a question, and with such bluntness, the Umzingeli found herself lacking in words.
"Uh," she answered, taking a step so that her shoulder came into line with Mvua's.
"It's extra." The brown lioness held her mouth slightly open. However, no further words moved out for there were none left to say. What kind of lioness did not greedily offer up what was given to her? Another nervous look towards Mvua. Matifa was beginning to feel the shame and guilt of having done something culturally borderline.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:22 pm
Mvua had not been expecting their intentions to be questioned either and she was just as lost for words as Matifa was. If she was nursing and had to produce milk for her cub. Even one would take more out of her then she was getting. Especially with the hunting that the lionesses had to do with more mouths to feed thanks to the Busisa joining and the Umholi's children growing up. Why wouldn't a nursing lioness take anything given to her? It hit her. It wasn't hard to figure out really. The cub wasn't hers. Either that, or she was stealing meat from others to supplement. Neither option was really that great. Still, if the cub belonged to either of the Umholi or the Inselele, then it was a rogue. Fresh blood in the pride. The blue eyed lioness' ears went back as her tail flicked wildly, obviously agitated behind her as her eyes traveled to the bright eyed cub that stared back at her.
She stayed silent though, letting only Matifa's words fill the air until another little voice broke the silence.
"Mom, who are they?" Ukame asked, pushing her mother's paw out of the way so she could look up at the three lionesses. Bright brown eyes looked up under the shadow of a large paw. "Hi there!"
"Your...pride-sisters." Came the response. It was hesitant, but Mcheni's reply was genuine as she reached forward and took the bone, placing it on up against her paws. Another thing to put between them and her cub. She wasn't hungry, but taking it out of good faith wouldn't be bad. At the very least maybe she could trade it for a spot for Ukame to be able to eat off of a nursing lioness.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:17 pm
It had not occured to Matifa. The lioness watched the bone move underneath Mcheni's paws. Despite her every effort, Matifa felt her skin prickle as her hackles rose. There was something very wrong.
Then Ukame's small voice piped up, and Matifa smiled, "Hi." The same paw that protected the young cub made her wary, and she kept her eyes on it.
"What's your name?" If they could win the cub's interest, perhaps her mother would let down her guard. Where had a lioness come from to act so guarded? Matifu's eyes flicked back to those large paws, the sharp talons resting within. The corner of her nose twitched.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 5:32 pm
Mvua watched as Matifa tried to break down this barrier that was seemingly between the two groups by interacted with the cub. A risky move given how on edge the mother seemed to be but it was worthwhile. She had to give her credit though. That was definitely not something she would have thought to do.
With a bit of effort Ukame managed to push herself out from her mother's grip and fall the short distance onto the dirt below. Her back was curved upward as her lower half still hadn't made it down from Mcheni's legs yet. "Oof."
Mcheni was watching intently as her cub wiggled her way out of her protective grip. Sighing softly, she grasped the extra skin on the back of Ukame's neck, picking her up briefly to right her before placing her back down on the ground on the other side of the bone. Maybe a bit of interaction wouldn't be so bad. Besides, if she wanted the cub to grow up within the pride, she'd have to learn about them anyways.
"I'm Ukame!" The little voiced pipped back as she waddled only a foot or so before tripping, likely on her own paw or a rock.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:05 pm
Back falling with the effort, Matifa exhaled. Her fur flattened, and her smile turned into a grin.
"Ah, welcome, then, Ukame!" The older lioness cheerfully responded. Ukame's exuberance opposed her mother's distance. Either youth sheltered her mind, or the mother had long ago left what traumatized her.
"I'm Matifa." She turned her head to the lioness next to her, imploring her to join in. "And this is Mvua." Eyes returning to the cub, she asked in the Boneland's native zulu tongue, "Do you understand?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:13 pm
The new tongue was different but she hadn't learned much during her time in the Pridelands. Much of her vocabulary had been learned through listening and watching her Mcheni speak with other lionesses. Ukame shook her head. This was still something she needed to learn, but the cub was likely to learn quickly since she was so young. She made out the names, but that was all.
"Mmm, you talked funny. You okay? Are you sick?" The cub asked in the common rogue tongue, her head tilting slightly as she sat down where she had fallen.
Mvua's ears were still back and approached cautiously, her eyes still on Mcheni who was watching her in return. There was something off about the entire situation, something she couldn't place her paw on and it wasn't just the fact the it was obvious to her now that Ukame wasn't hers. There was a mild disappointment on her face as she looked down at that the cub just in time to see the non-verbal 'no' she gave the pair. She hadn't even picked up on the very basics yet...
The large lioness' head turned back to look at Nolaka who had surprisingly stayed silent for quite some time. Had she left or simply held her tongue to let the four interact with one another was something that had been eating in the back of Mvua's mind.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 6:38 pm
Their eyes met. Nolaka had not moved from her distant spot, teeth still worrying the end of her bone. Its cracked and splintered remains scattered about her feet. The princess smiled, her mouth pulling wide to reveal sharp teeth.
Unaware and unconcerned, Matifa was nodding. "I'm speaking another language." To not even grasp the concept of language, the cub must have been intellectually starved. How long had they traveled together?
"You'll learn it, too, living here." Raising her head towards Mcheni, Matifa reassessed the tension in the air. It would be better to leave before the mother became impatient.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:33 pm
"Will I?" There was a sense of excitement in Ukame's voice as she perked up instantly as Matifa informed her that she'd learn to speak differently too. It seemed like such an odd thing but it was super exciting at the same time. Maybe mom would speak it too! Her head turned back and up to look at Mcheni but her wide smile instantly fell as she saw her mom's expression. Little ears went back.
Mcheni's ears were back, her lips just beginning to raise as she was beginning to lose her patience with these other lionesses who seemed to be so interested in her cub. She was alright with Ukame learning more about their new home, but the cub needed to eat and these two were keeping her from trading that bone for help with that.
"Leave." The mother hissed.
Mvua heeded that warning as she took a step back. Maybe when the cub got older Mcheni would open up but for now she understood, at least somewhat, of why the mother was so closed off from the rest of the pride. Gently the seer nudged Matifa's shoulder before turning to head back towards Nolaka and where the rest of the pride was currently located.
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Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:56 pm
A second warning would not be needed. Matifa swallowed, and her muscles jerked when Mvua bumped her shoulder. Without even a quick bop of her head, she twisted on her heel and jogged the short distance to Mvua.
The rest of the pride stretched out before her was safe, while the lioness behind her was foreign and unpredictable. While she said nothing, for fear of the range of ears and becoming a rumor monger like Ulaka, Matifa's mind was abuzz with questions and concerns about the lioness. As it stood, she was so distant it was hard to imagine her fitting in.
And, if she was so stand-offish that she did get get help for her own cub, would it be in their best interest to take it from her. Matifa shook her head, and continued to walk even as they reached Nolaka.
"Satisfied?" Nolaka nearly whistled at Mvua in one last jeer. Matifa did not stop to hear her pridemates answer.
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